Milwaukee Bucks Opposition Intel: Dallas Mavericks Q&A With Jay Knodell
By Adam McGee
Dec 26, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward
Dirk Nowitzki(41) and forward Chandler Parsons (25) and center
Zaza Pachulia(27) and guard
Raymond Felton(2) react during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Adam McGee: Many were doubting the ability of this Mavs team to compete prior to the season, were they doubts shared by you or the fanbase in general?
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Jay Knodell: I was certainly pessimistic about Dallas’ chances for contention this summer, and I think a large chunk of the fan base was as well. To be fair, the Mavs had a lot working against them. Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews, the team’s two highest paid players, were coming off of injuries and surgeries that have derailed many a career, and obviously the whole DeAndre Jordan thing didn’t go as planned. Plus, we didn’t know what to expect from Deron Williams and for a while there it looked like Samuel Dalembert might play a significant role. Realistically, there just wasn’t a whole lot to be excited about.
Of course, we should have known better than to count out a team coached by Rick Carlisle. The guy is a magician. The Western Conference hasn’t been as good top to bottom as many had predicted, which has helped, and the Mavericks still have some very real problems, but they’ll be a tough out this spring.
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