DALLAS — The Mavericks’ gradual swirl, which began in early January and briefly paused with February’s Kyrie Irving acquisition, has gathered momentum and dropped them to a precarious depth.
After falling to Memphis, 104-88, Monday night in American Airlines Center, Dallas is below .500 (34-35) for the first time since Dec. 19, when it was 15-16.
Granted the Mavericks for the second straight game played without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and both are expected to return to practice Tuesday, but of larger concern is the fact Dallas has lost four of its last five games and 9 of its last 12.
That isn’t a trajectory any team -- much less a reigning conference finalist – wants with 13 regular-season games left.
Coach Jason Kidd says there has been internal growth, including some shown Monday night by rookie Jaden Hardy (28 points) and Josh Green (27 points, 7 assists), but as Bill Parcells once said, you are what your record says you are.
“How do we measure success?” Kidd asked. “Some would say by your record, but I think at the end of the day, if we can get healthy, we feel that we can do a lot in the playoffs.”
Kidd hastened to add: “But first you’ve got to get to the playoffs.”
That’s hardly a given for Dallas, which is eighth in the West and a game behind seventh-place Minnesota, which won Monday in Atlanta.
Asked when concern will kick in, Kidd initially said, “Once the (regular) season’s over.” When reminded that might be too late if Dallas doesn’t make the playoffs, Kidd said, “That’s true, too.
“Just understand, our health. This is what we have. This is the cards we’re dealt, just like anybody in this league . . . Understand, we were getting better. It’s just a matter of if we can be healthy in time to make a stretch run. And if we’re not, that’s just the season.
“No one’s dying.”
The Mavericks aren’t submerged, yet, but that gurgling you heard Monday night was their collective head sinking just below the water’s surface.
Dallas led 50-49 at halftime, but Memphis (41-26) seized control by scoring the first 11 points of the second half en route to outscoring the Mavericks 36-21 in the third quarter.
The Grizzlies are going through their own adversity, with Ja Morant entered in a counseling program in Florida, according to ESPN, and his absence from the team having stretched to 10 days.
Those Mavericks bright spots? Two days after scoring 23 points in a four-point loss in Memphis, Hardy sank four of his first six field-goal attempts Monday.
Granted he missed 11 of his next 12 attempts, but that’s to be expected of a 20-year-old second-round pick making only his second career start.
Hardy scored 10 of Dallas’ first 18 points; and 16 of the Mavericks’ 25 points for the period.
How good was his start? It was the most first-quarter points scored by any NBA rookie this season, eclipsing the 15 by San Antonio’s Jeremy Sochan against Washington on January 30.
Before Monday, the last time any Mavericks rookie scored 15 or more points in a quarter was on Feb. 2, 2019, when Doncic scored 18 against Cleveland.
“It’s good to know, but at the end of the day we want to win over here, so I’m not really focused on what’s going on with the personal accolades,” Hardy said.
Kidd complemented Hardy’s overall play and his season-long growth, but noted that his 15 3-point attempts Monday was “probably a little bit too much. But that’s just youth and we have to embrace that. His teammates are talking to him, and the coaches, and that’s what makes this team special.”
Last season’s Mavericks started 16-18, but caught fire in early January and even continued to flourish after the trade of Kristaps Porzingis for, essentially, Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
This season’s Mavericks reached a high-water mark of 23-17 on Jan. 7, but since then, for every step forward they’ve taken two steps back.
“We’ve got to win,” Green said. “Like, there’s no other option now. We all need to have the mindset that we’re trying to win every single game from here on out.”
Asked to assess the mood of the locker room, Green said, “Whatever’s on all of our minds, the number one thing should be ‘we need to win’ for the rest of the season and continue to win.
“Because right now the Western Conference is completely wide open. And we need to make sure we’re winning games.”
