NBA Betting: Nowitski leads Mavericks' charge as Suns rue costly mistake

Basketball / Nick Shiambouros / 10 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

The battle for the final play-off spot in the Western Conference looks like a straight fight between Dallas and Phoenix. The Dallas Mavericks are currently in eighth place and hold a four game lead over the Phoenix Suns in this very tough conference, writes Nick Shiambouros.

The Dallas rotation is built around Dirk Nowitski and he is the leader of this team, scoring an average of just over 25 points per game.

This German born power forward has come under close scrutiny in recent weeks after a string of poor efforts that have left the Mavericks in danger of not making the play-offs. As previously reported, team owner Mark Cuban has commented publicly on the team's recent run and suggested that some players may not be in Dallas next season. Nowitski brings a lot to the table and is well worth his $18m per year salary.

One of the reasons the Mavericks are in this situation is that players like Jason Kidd and Erick Dampier are simply not pulling their weight. Kidd is only averaging just over nine points per game and this point guard is not distributing the ball well at all.

The team has the talent to easily make the post-season but they have to get back on track quickly. They did, however, put up a huge effort against Washington on Saturday night beating them 119-103.

I think that they are a team to focus on in the short term and I believe Dirk Nowitski will lead them in to the play-offs. Dallas are a team worth following at home over the next five games as they clearly play with more intensity at the American Airlines Center. They have a record of 24-8 at home and will face Detroit, Golden State, Denver, Miami and Phoenix.

The Phoenix Suns are the only team that realistically can stop Dallas but they have a mountain of issues to deal with. Phoenix fired coach Terry Porter after the All-Star break due to a string of defeats. The main reason the Suns are in this situation is the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal. The Suns have always been a high energy team playing a traditional West coast offense but since the arrival of O'Neal they have tried to play a post-up game to accommodate him and it is simply not working.

The Suns are scoring fewer points and losing more games as a result and I really do not think they will make the post-season. Steve Kerr

The Suns and the Mavericks meet each other in a critical game on Tuesday night in Arizona and I think Dallas can deliver a huge blow with a victory. This game is far more important to the Suns as a loss could spell the end of the road for them. I am expecting a big effort from the Mavericks as they try to creep in to the post-season.