Merriam-Webster defines Slog as “a prolonged arduous task or effort”. Basketball in January and February before the All-Star break can only be described as such. This is normally the point during the year where teams are hurt, tired, and longing for a break before gearing up for a playoff push or packing it in for a tanking attempt. If you have ever watched a Mavericks vs Pistons game on a Tuesday in January, you know exactly what I am talking about. Luckily for Dallas, they are gifted their hardest
stretch of the season during the pre-spring slog. Their entire schedule is here:
Now let’s zoom in on games 44 to 55:
In these 12 games, they have seven on national television, eight against playoff teams from last year, six on the road, and three in the division. Not to mention, this includes Luka Doncic’s first game of the year in Dallas. It is the test of all tests. They will most likely be without Kyrie Irving for the entire period. Anthony Davis only played 12 games in all of January and February last season. This is the same time frame from last year when Dallas was plagued by what seemed like daily injury reports. With an older team, two or three consecutive months of basketball will take a toll on these players’ bodies, and even if players aren’t missing time, they’re going to be banged up.
This stretch will tell us all we need to know about this team. The conditions and opponents will certainly test their mental fortitude, and if we get a few healthy(ish) matchups, the atmospheres could be playoff-like. Whether Dallas gets off to a fast start or not, they will still have to survive this gauntlet if they want to make the playoffs. I do not know what to make of the Mavericks before they play basketball, but I will certainly have all the information I need before they go into the All-Star break.
