Dallas Mavericks' Recent Success Means Nothing

What did the Dallas Mavericks‘ 119-96 blowout win over the Sacramento Kings really mean? It was the Mavs’ third straight win and they have now won four of their last five games, which puts them over .500 for the first time since November 21st.

Does this mean that the Mavs are on the right track? It might be a good sign that they are finally above .500, but the truth is their recent success does not mean much at the moment. I mean, look at their wins: They have come against the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets and Kings. All those teams are clinging around .500 or near the bottom of the barrel.

Most of their losses have been by above-.500 teams that are playoff contenders. Yes, people say that a win is a win, but the fact is that right now this team is teasing the fans. Yes, these wins do mean something to a degree since it will help once Dirk Nowitzki returns to the roster in a few weeks. However, the team that is on the court right now is just an average team that would put up 30-35 wins in a full season.

The Mavericks’ test will come this week when they are on a three-game road trip which begins with a familiar face. They face the Boston Celtics Wednesday night, where Nowitzki’s former “side-kick,” Jason Terry, will be on the other side.

Then it’s off to face the Toronto Raptors Friday night and then the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night. If the Mavs come out of this quick road trip two games to one, then maybe I will change my mind about this team.

However, these teams are teams that are below .500 and/or hanging around that mark. It is not until next week when Dallas faces the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat, both at home, when the Mavericks will be tested.

Until then, I guess fans can enjoy the little success the Mavs are having right now, but it may not last too long. True fans will always stick by their team for better or worse. It’s the bandwagon fans that are hopping back on for the moment. Once the Mavs start losing again to elite teams, the bandwagon fans will jump right back off.

Then again, maybe the wins that the Mavs are going through right now are helping them build momentum for when they do face an elite team. However, the Mavs have yet to prove that to me. Until then, these wins, to me at least, mean nothing.