Preview: Mavericks (0-0) at Lakers (0-0) – New-look Mavs tip season against Lakers in L.A.
Earl K. Sneed reports from Los Angeles and previews the season opener between the Dallas Mavericks and L.A. Lakers.
Preview: Mavericks (0-0) at Lakers (0-0) – New-look Mavs tip season against Lakers in L.A.
LOS ANGELES – The rosters of the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers have drastically changed since the two franchises faced off in the second round of the 2011 playoffs.
Since storming through the Lakers with a series sweep en route to the first NBA title in franchise history, the Mavericks have had a near-complete roster turnover with just four players remaining from the championship team and six total from last season.
“It’s different. You know, this is a new team. We’ve got all new faces,” forward Shawn Marion admitted. “We’ve got nine new guys, so that’s a new team. That’s not even the same.”
Now, as the '12-13 campaign gets underway with the two squads set to meet in L.A. on Tuesday night, the Mavericks will have eight of their nine new faces available against an equally new-look Lakers' lineup that has added the likes of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard and two-time MVP Steve Nash to team with perennial All-Star Kobe Bryant.
“Well, they’ve got at least three Hall of Famers and maybe more,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said of the Lakers. “With the career that [Pau] Gasol has had, being a European guy that’s been a high-level player, he could be a Hall of Famer as well. Look, they’ve got a great roster, they’ve got a lot of size, they’ve got a lot of credentials, and we’ve got a group that’s unproven, if you’re gonna be honest. That means it’s a great opportunity for us. That’s the way I Iook at it. So, we’re gonna go in there with guns blazing and throw the kitchen sink at them.”
“We’re ready to go,” point guard Darren Collison confidently added. “You know, Game 1 is probably the most exciting game to play, ‘cause everybody is almost healthy and everybody is ready to play. Everybody thinks that they’re the best team in the league, so I think we’re ready to play from a mental standpoint.”
Physically, however, the team will be forced to take the court minus 11-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki following his arthroscopic knee surgery on Oct. 19. Still, the Mavs will enter the Staples Center knowing that it will take a team effort to slow down the talented Lakers on their home floor.
The Dallas team will also be without projected starting center Chris Kaman, after he missed the final four preseason contests due to a strained right calf. That places more importance on the play of the recently-added Eddy Curry, as he goes from getting waived by San Antonio to getting claimed by Dallas and likely starting the season opener all within a week’s span.
Starting the season against the front line of Howard and Gasol before also facing a physical Utah frontcourt one night later in a back-to-back, Curry admits that he’ll have his hands full after joining the Mavericks last Thursday. But, according to the 300-pound, 7-foot center, he isn’t running away from the challenge, hoping to boost a banged up middle in the Mavs' lineup.
“I think Tuesday will be a great test for myself and this team,” Curry said. “It’s a game I’m looking forward to and we’ll see what happens. … Those are games I like. Like I said, I’m looking forward to it, man. I know that those teams are gonna bring the best out of me and they’re gonna bring the best out of these guys.”
But Curry will not be the only Maverick with a difficult matchup, as fellow new addition O.J. Mayo prepares for a possible one-on-one duel with Bryant, who is listed as a game-time decision with a sprained foot injury.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his counterpart’s availability, Mayo fully expects for Bryant to be on the court when the two teams meet. And with that said, Mayo knows that he will have to be in an attacking mode in order for the Mavericks to get a coveted road win to start the season.
“It will be fun. Welcome to the NBA,” Mayo joked about his individual matchup. “Game 1 you get the most talked about team this offseason. [Bryant] is definitely the best player in our league, so I’m looking forward to going out there and competing. … You’ve gotta put pressure on him. He’s a great offensive player, he’s a tremendous defensive player, but obviously you want to make him work on both ends of the floor.
“Obviously, when your go-to player is out, we’ve all gotta lock in and step up a notch in different ways,” he added. “Whether it be defensively, offensively, executing on both ends of the floor, you’ve just gotta take your focus level up just a notch.”
Note: The Mavericks tip off the regular season in Los Angeles on Tuesday night against the Lakers in the first game of a back-to-back. The game will air nationally on TNT at 9:30 p.m. CT.
