Mavericks-Hawks preview: health returns with home court reopening

Home Sweet Home.

It must be nice to be back with the Mavericks, who just completed an eight-day, five-game trip. They will play their next four games at the American Airlines Center, and this home position will be a key turning point of the season.

To start with, Dallas went 1-4 on the trip, so this homestead provides an opportunity to bounce back. However, take a look to the West and you will see 14 more teams struggling on the road. In fact, no other team in the conference is better than one game over .500 on the road this season, and Sacramento (yes, Sacramento) has the highest percentage of road wins in the conference at just 10-9.

The Mavs are 8-15 away this season, but their struggles are certainly not unique; The third-place Pelicans are 9-13 on the road, and the seventh-place Warriors are 5-17 away. In the East, too, not much better: only four teams have achieved victories in such games.

The key to climbing the league table this year is winning at home, and this season the Mavs have taken care of business at the American Airlines Center with amazing speed, boasting a 16-6 record. And with eight of their next 11 games going away after this home game, those next four games are critical to maintaining a favorable position in the standings.

Next, and perhaps more importantly, the Mavericks are starting to get their guys back. Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Green are expected to return to action tonight against Atlanta. Green missed the team’s last 20 games with an elbow sprain and Finney-Smith was out for 14 with an adductor strain.

The Mavs managed to win 9-5 in 14 games that both players missed, but it came at a cost to the defense. During that time, Dallas ranks 28th in defensive effectiveness with 119.5 points allowed per 100 possessions. Prior to Finney-Smith’s absence, the Mavs were in 16th place, and prior to Green’s departure, they were climbing to 11th.

We know that head coach Jason Kidd wants to build on a defensive identity, but without these two and Maxi Kleber at the same time, it was almost an impossible task. Players like Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. (who suffered a sprained ankle) have stepped up defensively over the last month or so, taking on much more difficult assignments and responsibilities than usual, but the truth is that these guys should score, not defend players like LeBron James or, in today’s case, Trae Young for 36 minutes.

With the return of Finney-Smith and Green, Dallas once again boasts a strong defense while maintaining the distance between the nets and shooting that propelled its offense to fifth in the NBA with 114.8 points per 100 possessions.

Other things to watch out for tonight and beyond:

• While this homeland does feature some incredible talent – Trae Young, Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, and probably Washington’s Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, to sum it up – four Dallas teams will play next week, all in are currently in last place. -10 in offensive effectiveness. These are teams with super-talented stars, but their support line-up is too fickle. However, with the luxury of relying on Finney-Smith and Green, the Mavs might not have to double-team, meaning everyone else on the roster will have a bit more trouble.
• Keep an eye on Hardaway’s status over the next few games, hopefully he won’t be out for too long. I hope the return of Maxi Kleber is also not far off.
• Perhaps the Maves are returning home and recovering just at the right time. The Western Conference is packed, but that means things can change quickly if you have a good week. We’ve seen Dallas go from 11th to fourth in a single seven win streak. I hope the Mavericks are going to make another move.

ATLANTA HAWKS (22-22) – DALLAS MAVERICS (24-21)

When: 18:30 Wednesday.

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas.

TV SET: ESPN, Bally’s Sports Southwest.

Radio: 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).

Twitter: @Bobbykaralla