Preview: Charlotte Bobcats (1-0) at Dallas Mavericks (1-1) -- New-look Mavs attempt to rebound in home opener
Earl K. Sneed previews the Dallas Mavericks' home opener Saturday night against the Charlotte Bobcats, as the Mavs could welcome two big bodies into the lineup.
Preview: Charlotte Bobcats (1-0) at Dallas Mavericks (1-1) -- New-look Mavs attempt to rebound in home opener
DALLAS – After surviving a tough back-to-back to open the season, the Dallas Mavericks return to the American Airlines Center looking to establish a home-court advantage during the 2012-13 campaign.
Welcoming in the Charlotte Bobcats for the home opener, the Mavericks (1-1) will quickly try to impose their will while treating their hometown fans to a show. And after splitting games in Los Angeles and Utah, the Mavs also hope to get back on track with an early-season W.
Opening the season with a balanced showing despite the absences of 11-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki (knee surgery) and center Chris Kaman (strained right calf), the Mavs handed the much-heralded Lakers a quick blemish while sprinting to a 99-91 victory. One night later, however, the Utah Jazz took advantage of the short-handed Dallas squad on a back-to-back, sending the Mavericks home with a 113-94 defeat.
"Two good teams, two playoff teams from last year and we're 1-1. We would have liked to go home 2-0, but we've gotta go home now and protect the home court," center Brandan Wright said. “We’ll be a different team. We’ll be much more rested. We’ll be ready to go, the fans will be fired up and the (home) opener is always a big thing.”
Saturday night, the team hopes to begin a three-game homestand on a positive note, facing off against ex-Mav Brendan Haywood after his amnesty release this offseason. Meanwhile, the Mavs will likely welcome in two big bodies to their front line, as Kaman nears a return and new addition Troy Murphy is intregrated into the fold.
Going through the team’s Friday practice, Kaman says he could be available if the ailing calf doesn’t give him any issues after Saturday morning’s shootaround.
“Just trying to get back into the feel of things. A little rusty, out of sync on a lot of the offense and the shooting, the making the shots, that will come,” Kaman said after seeing his last game action in the Mavs’ fourth preseason game on Oct. 17. “Just gotta kind of fit into the offense and just kind of get the feel back. … If I play, I play. If I don’t play, I don’t play. I’m hoping to play and I’m wanting to play, but at the same time, if it’s not something I’m gonna be able to do, then I won’t do it. I’m gonna do what’s best for the team and also what’s best for me long-term, because if I play now and set myself much further back, that hurts the team and it also hurts me. So, I want to make sure that I’m ready. And I think I am, but also I want to see how I feel in the morning.”
Meanwhile, Murphy was added to the team after the front office waived center Eddy Curry, bringing in the 6-foot-11 big man and 14th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors to add perimeter shooting and rebounding until Nowitzki returns to the court.
Playing under Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and assistant coach Jim O’Brien in Indiana, Murphy has averaged a double-double four times in his career, most recently in ‘09-10 with the Pacers, when he posted 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds. And after seeing limited time during the lockout shortened season with the Lakers, Murphy could immediately help a Mavs team that was outrebounded 61-40 Wednesday night in Utah.
“He’s a couple of years removed from being a double-double guy,” Carlisle said of the newcomer. “He’s been a very good rebounder in his career and he’s an NBA shooter out to 3. He has experience in the system; Jim coached him, I coached him, so we know him personally. He’s a good solid guy and he wants to be here, so we’ll get him integrated as quickly as we can and go from there.”
That integration process will begin Saturday night against a Charlotte squad -- a franchise the Mavs are 15-0 against all time -- that ended a 23-game losing streak with a 90-89 home win over Indiana on Friday night.
Note: The Mavs return to Dallas for their home opener Saturday night against the Charlotte Bobcats. The game will air locally at 7:30 p.m. CT on Fox Sports Southwest. Tickets for the game remain available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS or by visiting Mavs.com.
