Preview: Nuggets (0-0) at Mavericks (0-1)

Earl K. Sneed previews the Mavericks' Monday night matchup against the Denver Nuggets, as the defending champions try to bounce back from a season-opening loss to the Miami Heat.

DALLAS -- After beginning defense of their NBA title with a season-opening 105-94 loss at home to the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat on Christmas Day, the Dallas Mavericks get their first taste of just how brutal the 66-game shortened season figures to be as they return to the court a night later on a back-to-back.

Enter the Denver Nuggets, who stand next in line with the bull’s eye on the backs of the defending champs, as the Mavericks (0-1) look to repeat last season’s success with another victorious sprint through the Western Conference.

But according to Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle that may be easier said than done, with the team scheduled for 22 back-to-backs including one back-to-back-to-back. However, the coach is quick to add if his team can once again rely heavily on its depth then the sky is the limit for the possibilities of the new-look squad, which tries to replace center Tyson Chandler’s defense and the instant offense of fellow departing free agents Caron Butler and J.J. Barea.

"It's gonna be a matter of the deepest team that can stay healthy is gonna have the best chance to come out of the West," Carlisle said when he first looked at the schedule.

“Denver is going to come in here with a shot at the champs," he added. "It’s a situation where we’ve got to work to make quantum leaps as often and as quickly as we can as a team."

Still, Carlisle has full confidence that his team will be the aforementioned representative out of the West thanks to the added offensive versatility brought in to replace the production loss by the departures of those three key free agents. And with reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lamar Odom, eight-time All-Star Vince Carter and backup point guard Delonte West added to the mix, Carlisle fully expects to more than fill those voids.

Sunday, West was the only new piece that provided a spark, scoring 10 points off the bench and starting at shooting guard in the second half. Meanwhile, Odom finished 1-of-6 from the floor before being ejected for arguing with officials in the third quarter, slightly bettered by Carter's 2-for-6 night.

But it's Carlisle who says that it's his duty to get the two elite scorers and play-making stars in better offensive rhythms against a Denver squad -- a playoff team a year ago -- ravaged by the lockout with the departures of forward Wilson Chandler, restricted free agent Kenyon Martin and unrestricted free-agent guard J.R. Smith to China. And with more opportunity to build chemistry on the fly, the coach and his new pieces to the puzzle are all looking ahead instead of back at Sunday's loss.

"We have a lot of flexibility and I'm gonna have to sort that out, but I don't see that being an issue. If you're a new guy on this team you've gotta be excited and you've gotta figure out how you're gonna fit in to help this team repeat," the coach said.

“We’ve got to get better and it will take a little time to get better, even though the start of the season is going to be a sprint. It’s still a long season with 65 to go. We’ve got another one [Monday night], so we’ll chalk this one up as a loss and get ready for Denver,” Odom echoed.

Sunday, however, the Mavericks fell behind early to the Heat and were never able to recover after facing a double-digit deficit in the opening quarter. A night later, the Mavericks will try to learn from their errors after surrendering eight of their 17 total turnovers in addition to runs of 13-0 and 8-0 in the first 12 minutes of play, before eventually facing a disadvantage as large as 35.

“The early turnovers were the biggest problems to start the game. We had some shots that didn’t go down, but the early catastrophic turnovers that are unguardable -- where they go down and lay it in or dunk it -- those are the ones that kill you,” Carlisle said of the play during the opening period.

"We didn’t get off to the start we wanted,” reserve guard Jason Terry confessed after scoring nine of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter. “You can’t give up 30 points in the first quarter, let alone three consecutive quarters. As you see in the fourth quarter, we gave up eight. So, that’s more like Mavericks basketball, but you’ve gotta do it for 48 minutes.”

The Mavs never recovered until the final result was no longer in doubt, allowing Miami to sprint to 31 fast-break points and 44 points in the paint, while also being outshot from the field, 48.7 percent to 37.8 percent. Dallas will look to show more attention to detail against the Nuggets, after also being outworked on the glass to the tune of a 51-31 rebounding disadvantage.

“We just weren’t sharp in really any category, and you can’t win a game like that, especially against a hungry, athletic, great team with great players,” Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki explained. “So, we just weren’t sharp enough on both ends of the floor. … Just not good enough to win.”

He added: "We're a veteran team that wants to play off each other and that's where we were last year. We're not gonna be the heavy favorites, but we weren't last year either and we still found a way to fight together, have a good team, fight through some stuff and come out on top."

The Mavs will now try to rebound and get back to the high level that the team displayed during last season's title run. But with the condensed schedule in mind, much of that hope now rest in the added responsibilities on the young and broad shoulders of budding stars Rodrigue Beaubois, Ian Mahinmi, Dominique Jones and newcomer Brandan Wright. The 20-somethings will not only try to find their niches on the team but also attempt to contribute on a nightly basis when the aging core needs a rest.

“A lot is on our young guys to come through. ... We have 22 back-to-backs and one back-to-back-to-back. So, that's a thing where you're gonna need all 12 players that are on your active roster to come in and change the game with their athleticism," Nowitzki explained.

“We’ve just got to play better,” Nowitzki added. “[Sunday] was just the first game and it was a nice day for us and our fans with the banner, but now we’ve got to get over this. And we’ve got to figure this thing out pretty quickly, because the games are gonna keep coming. ... We’re gonna play a hungry, young, athletic team and they’re gonna be ready like everyone is playing the champs. So, we’ve gotta be ready.”

The Mavericks return to action Monday against the Denver Nuggets, hoping to rebound from the season-opening loss in a matchup that will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Single-game tickets are on sale and available at the American Airlines Center North Box Office, online at mavs.com, via phone by calling 214-747-MAVS or 1-800-4NBA-TIX and all Ticketmaster outlets (Fiesta Grocery Stores, Wal-Mart, Simon Mall in Garland and the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano).

Rivalry Pack: Aside from being a season ticket holder, the only way for Mavs fans to attend either of the two Los Angeles Lakers games is through the Rivalry Pack. Tickets to the Feb.22 and March 21 games vs. the Los Angeles Lakers can be purchased as part of a three-game package that includes one (1) of the three premium games and two (2) additional regular season games.

RPL Nights: RPL Nights return for the sixth season and will feature special discounted tickets for 10 pre-selected games. Tickets normally priced $9 will be $2, $15 will be $10, $31 will be $20 and $42 will be $32.