It's all well and dandy that Jason Terry is all but guaranteeing a Dallas Mavericks' victory tonight against the Utah Jazz and that Dirk Nowitzki is welcoming difficult games during the NBA season's final week.
They're saying the right things. But will they do the right things?
Who knows? In the race for 7th place - and the spoils of avoiding the Lakers - the Mavs flopped at Memphis last week, hours before the Jazz lost at home to Minnesota. It amounts to two good, but dramatically inconsistent teams fighting for crumbs.
But kinda swept under the rug is some very discouraging news for Mavs' fans ...
Jerry Stackhouse is likely out for the season. With him limited to only a handful of games because of foot problems, doesn't seem like a big deal.
But it is.
Stackhouse has playoff experience. A mean streak. The ability to create - and make - his own shot. All traits that - try as he might - current de facto two guard Antoine Wright doesn't come close to possessing.
The Mavs will make the playoffs. It may be a short run. But I guarantee at some point in some game you'll turn to your buddy and say "Wish we had Stack ..."
Or, perhaps "Wish we had Shaq ..."?
