Dallas Mavericks Fall Below .500 For The First Time

For the first time in the 2012-13 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks fall below .500 after after losing on the road to the Philadelphia 76ers 100-98. The Mavs started the season 4-1, but it has been difficult for the team to maintain that success.

If you watched last night’s game you might have saw a different line-up for Rick Carlisle’s team. Both Darren Collison and Elton Brand were placed on the benched last night. In favor of rookie Jae Crowder (for Brand) and Dominique Jones (for Collison).

Both Crowder and Jones combined for four points. If they want to continue starting then they are going to have to step it up.

Despite playing from off the bench, Collison, played starters minutes (30). From the bench he scored 12 points, recorded six assists and five steals. The steals was a positive note for him, but only scoring 12 points in 30 minutes will not do it for the Dallas team.

As for Elton Brand, I have said over and over again that he needed to be benched and for the second game this year it happened. This is the second time in this early season that Carlisle has sat Brand in an attempt to find a spark.

Brand had a productive performance last night scoring 17 points, eight rebounds and no turnovers. Tuesday night’s game was Brand’s best thus far this season, and all of that came with just 19 minutes from off the bench.

Carlisle will most likely leave Brand on the bench again Wednesday night. As for Collison, I do not know what they plan on doing with him. Jones was a non-factor as a starter and I do not know who else could fill the starters role besides Collison.

I do think that Collison will be back in the starting line-up tonight when they face the Chicago Bulls on the road.

Last night’s loss can be erased if the Mavs can win tonight and go back to an even .500. If they fail to win tonight then it may be a start for more worse things to come. Looking ahead at the tough schedule that they are currently on, it could be hard for the Mavs to get out of this funk that they are in.

However, if they win tonight, then they will not have to worry about playing again until Saturday. They host the Detroit Pistons this weekend and after that they are right back on the road where they will face three tough teams. For the Mavs Nation it’s going to be a tough couple a weeks ahead of them.