Don Nelson won't return to the American Airlines Center until Monday. Unfortunately, his style of basketball arrived Thursday night. In a hideous blast from the past, the Mavericks resorted to Nellie's old jump-shooting game and were suffocated by the substance of the San Antonio Spurs' defense in a humbling 97-91 season-opening loss. Not that Dallas will go 0-82, but even if for one game it was still a troubling display of soft strategy and passive play.
Dirk Nowitzki started settling for three-pointers, Jason Terry followed, and the offense vaporized down the stretch. The Mavs finished last season losing the Finals because they lost their aggressiveness. And they started this season the same way. I expect a far more entertaining--and, for that matter, offensive--performance Saturday night, when The Ben and Skin Show hits the air at 6:30 p.m. on KTXA-Channel 21.
The dudes are two of the most underrated personalities in local radio; Tony Romo and Terrell Owens would kill for their chemistry. At Mavericks' Media Day, I got a taste of their show's tone: MADtv meets Dave Chappelle meets The Ticket meets the Mavs. "If you watch our show, people will almost immediately say that you look taller, food will taste seven percent better, and your neighbors will finally respect and fear your powerful authority," says the guy not named Skin. "Not only will it make your life better in these incredible ways, but it will also teach you not to believe ridiculously outrageous claims."
Being the lead-in to Mavs-Rockets, it's probably a little past T.O.'s bedtime, but I'm predicting it'll be worth staying up for. Two words: Dirk Burgundy. --Richie Whitt
