Top 5 Mavs

Kidd, Terry, Howard, Marion, and Dirk Getting Much Needed Experience on the Floor Together.

If this Dallas team wants to make some noise in the playoffs this year, they are going to have to rely on their top 5 players when the game in on the line. As stated in my previous post, the Mavericks "Fave Five" (thanks to DB.com for the shout-out) were able to play a little over 5 minutes together in their first action of the season.

Here is how they fared:

1st Quarter:

Started 5:33 left: Dallas was down 17-13.

Ended 2:02 left: Dallas down 25-22.

So, all together +1. The Mavericks went 4-6 from the field. Toronto also shot well at 3-5.

2nd Quarter:

Started 2:47 left: Dallas up 47-44

Ended end of 1st half: 55-48 and had biggest lead up to that point at 9.

+4 as a group. Dallas shot 4-7. Toronto 2 of 4.

Total: +5 and 8-13 from the floor in 5:18 of action.

This group got off to a good start as they pressured the Raptors defensively which led to easy baskets and fast break points. While Dallas was active on the defensive end, it is still a work in progress as Toronto shot 55.5 percent during this period. Dallas on the other hand lit it up offensively, shooting 61.5 percent. Overall, solid start but there is much work to be done as with the many other teams in the league who are incorporating new players into their rotation.

I will continue to monitor this situation as the season goes on, as the gelling process might take some time.