Momentum building after 41 games that ‘could have been a lot worse’

We’ve heard Jason Kidd say a hundred times that the NBA season is a marathon.

If so, then the Mavericks are done with 13.1 miles.

The half-marathon is over. There are 41 games down, 41 to go.

The Mavericks are 23-18. It’s not sensational, but for reference it’s one game better than the 22-19 the Mavericks were at last season at this time.

“What’s our record, 23-18? It could be a lot worse,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. “(But) I think a lot of guys aren’t satisfied. We got a lot of bad losses we wish we had back.

“It’s a new team, new season. A lot of guys injured. I think that being said, I feel like we were in this same position last year. We had guys, myself included, out with COVID. And us watching that propelled us to finish strong. So I think we’re (going) in that direction.”

Momentum certainly has been gathered in the last three weeks, when the Mavericks have gone 8-2. But the schedule admittedly was softer during most of that stretch.

That won’t be the case in the near future as seven of their next 10 opponents would be in the playoffs or play-in tournament and six of those games are on the road.

“We have momentum,” Kidd said. “You can’t take away the eight out of 10 we’ve won to put us in this position.

“Every team goes through injuries. Every team goes through a winning streak or losing streak. We have some games coming up not just on this road trip but throughout the season that we’ll see where we are as we get healthy.”

The absence of key players for long stretches – in particular Dorian Finney-Smith (adductor strain), Maxi Kleber (hamstring tear) and Josh Green (elbow sprain) has caused the Mavericks to get creative with the playing rotation.

Rookie Jaden Hardy was not expected to be part of the heavy-lifting process, but here he is.

And McKinley Wright IV certainly wasn’t supposed to be carrying rotation minutes, but that’s what the Mavericks have needed during the injury glut.

“I think we’re in great position,” said Christian Wood. “We’re going to make a good run in the playoffs. We haven’t had everybody all season. And if we did, it’s for a short period of time. And we’re still doing good with key players out.

“When those guys get back and we get full strength, I think we’re going to be a scary team. What are we? Top four in the West right now? I think we’re doing a great job. We just have to pick up where we left off defensively.”

The defense is a sore subject right now. The Mavericks have slipped down to 20^th overall in defensive rating and that’s because it’s been particularly bad, even during the winning streak.

Kidd said that, by his analytics, they have been 29^th in overall defense since the 8-2 run started. But the offense has been very sharp, making up the difference.

But as the competition level improves, one end of the court is not going to get it done.

Defenses are judged a little differently these days. But it’s still the teams that can make it difficult for opponents to score that tend to have success.

“It’s a long journey,” Kidd said. “We’re at 41. We’re above .500, which is good. Our offense is playing at a very high level. And there’s room for improvement with defense.

“As a coach, we’re sitting in a good seat. We’re fourth in the West with a lot of games still to be played. Hopefully we can get healthy and we’ll see what we have as we go forward.”

What the Mavericks know they have for sure is an MVP candidate in Luka Dončić. The simple fact that they are 23-14 with Luka and 0-4 when he has sat out games is proof of his importance to this team.

Never mind the 34 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game.

This is his team and if he gets just a little help, the Mavericks have proven in the past they are dangerous.

At the very least this mile marker during the season indicates a time when you can start eyeballing the playoffs. The games will continue to come at a steady rate. But somehow, they seem to charge at you faster the closer you get to the finish line.

“You can’t get caught up in the sprint,” Kidd said. “The sprint doesn’t happen until after the All-Star break, when there’s 22 games left.

“(It’s important) to be able to go through the injuries and ups and downs of a season so you can check the boxes of a lot of questions of what guys can do and what can your team handle and not handle so that if you’re lucky to participate in the playoffs, you’re ready.”

The marathon is half over. The sprint is yet to come.

Twitter: @ESefko