As Real As It Gets

Complain about the first half disparity at the free throw line (Josh Howard 7-11, Spurs 10-13).

Complain about some lucky shots, Jason Terry going 7-9 from the field, or the Mavs shooting over 52%.

Find anything you like, the bottom line is this: the Mavericks, as of right now, are better than the Spurs. It’s that simple, and it’s that upsetting.

That’s not to say that come season’s end, any injuries or renewed sense of energy not normally found in mid-November couldn’t swing the momentum.

Let me first say, there’s no one, at least as far as I’m aware, that hates to see the Mavericks do well more than me. Just looking at them makes me sick. That being said, I try to be objective. “Try” being the operative word.

Still, they’re pretty damn good. They don’t miss easy layups (see Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Matt Bonner). They have a lot athletic, diversified depth (see Brandon Bass, Jerry Stackhouse, Erick Dampier, and Jason Terry).

The issue is, this team poses serious matchup problems. Bruce Bowen can only guard one of the three offensive threats on the floor. If it has to be Howard, than Duncan is left to Nowitzki, and that’s a problem that has nothing to do with Duncan’s age. Granted, Duncan does have the same advantage on the other side, but the Mavs run out so many bodies that they can weather any storm. Bass, Diop, Dampier. It’s enough to make your head spin. That’s even before you realize the second offensive option on this team doesn’t start (Jason Terry).

Rationalize it any way you want, Spurs fans. But, at some point, we’ll all have to come to grips with the truth.