Dallas Mavericks: Game 1 Reaction

My initial reaction to Game 1: the Mavs played like a team made up of new members that have had all of two weeks to play together. The Heat played like a team with returning starters with something to prove in a shortened NBA season.

Losing three starters and one key bench player is going to take a while to get over. Butler, Chandler, Stevenson, and Barea. They were not only key, but they fit. It's going to take a couple weeks to fit Odom, Vince Carter, and Delonte West into the mix. If at all. Perhaps they're temporary. Or trade bait.

If Odom sticks around, I hope we see the Odom I've heard about. The Odom that holds the locked room together, motivates the team, and shows up ready to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award, fueled on a stomach full of Willy Wonka treats. Not the Odom that got tossed after four minutes of play on the court.

All that said, even if the Mavs go 0-66 in the 2011-12 season, I still have the memory of watching one of the greatest post-season runs in recent history. No matter the sport. No matter the team affiliation. The run that the Mavs put together from April to June was something special. Exciting. And this image reminds me of that:

2010-11 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks