Are You Bored? The Mavs Are

I wish I could be bored at work and still get market value, which in the NBA ranges from the hundreds of thousands to the multi-millions.  But, alas, I have few skills.  I digress.



Mavs owner Mark Cuban joined me live at 6 on CBS11 for an interview and then we taped something for TXA21 for our 7-9pm broadcast on Tuesday from an event in Dallas.  This was prior to the loss in Utah and his comments seem to ring even truer today.  While we didn't have much time for anything really in-depth what he said was compelling.

When I asked him about his team's recent struggle he didn't hold back.  "I think (it's) just time of year where guys get bored," he said.  "They gotta get re-engerized.  I think we've taken who we are for granted in some respects and that we can turn it on and just beat people."

 He also intimated that the Mavericks take opponents lightly.

"The games we lost are to teams that are missing their stars or bad teams, really, that we should just be killing."  "I don't know why we got thru that lull but all teams go through it."

He concluded by saying, "The good news is we've got the talent we've got the pieces and I think we'll be able to pull it together and guys know there has to be a sense of urgency."

For a different interview I followed up on the "bored" comment.  "There hasn't been someone pressuring us in a big way.  We have a very veteran team and they've kinda been cruising in some respects."

This is curious to me.  I get that an NBA season is long, grind-it-out beating and some nights will go better than others but the "cruising" interpretation is interesting.  Has Rick Carlisle lost the guys?  I had heard that about this team while Avery Johnson was coaching, it happened to Nellie and it was something I also heard with Carlisle last season.  That could be an indictment on these players and a real show of the lack of leadership if every coach is falling on deaf ears.  

It's always key to let a season, in any sport, run its course.  That being said, the Mavericks need to correct these recent defensive lapses and find someone to give Dallas some offensive help.  It can't always be that Dirk one-legged turnaround at the free throw line.

And on that subject of a trade, Cuban offered this:  "If there's an opportunity there to get better, if a team wants to get off money and  we can add a player that makes us better, we're gonna do it.  We're not gonna sit pat just to sit pat.  A week ago I probably would have told you nothing (was going to happen) but I think now things are picking up some."