The Dallas Mavericks have been on an absolute tear lately.
With various injuries and illnesses spreading across the team locker room, the last two weeks have been eventful for Jason Kidd and the coaching staff, but they have handled this adversity like true professionals.
Kidd should get credit for helping his guys adjust to such an awkward period of time. Recently, he took that same high road as he always does to credit his players for their success on the court. Kidd always likes to give his players their flowers when he can, and he did just that on Sunday night.
Mavericks' depth turns adversity into triumph
There's no doubt that many guys have been sidelined for Dallas to begin the season. In fact, nearly every Maverick has been out at least one game this season.
It seems like the team only gets stronger when it seems like their backs are against the wall. The Mavericks have won eight of their last nine games. Their last real skid came from the four straight losses where they easily could've flipped the script and won off of one or two plays in each of those contests.
In the postgame press conference after their close win against Portland, Kidd discussed the importance of team chemistry being a project throughout the season, but with many guys getting injured, this season has been a good start to the team as a case for their strong depth compared to most. Kidd has always done a great job at managing personalities, and this season he has one of the strongest benches in the NBA.
"Our depth has helped us deal with some injuries and sickness and again, we missed Marshall, we missed D-Live and Klay, and for these guys to step up in their place it just shows their depth and also how good this team can be," Kidd said.
With Quentin Grimes delivering shot after shot for the last few games now, the question has arisen for someone like him to not just get more minutes but also start. Kidd answered fans' plea for Grimes to get more minutes, and there's no doubt that decision has paid off.
We've also seen Spencer Dinwiddie get better each game by shooting the ball at an elite rate, he might see some off-shooting performances, but it's a game-by-game basis with Dinwiddie, and there's no doubt that when he's on his game offensively, there's no stopping him.
The bench points are what set Dallas apart in their 2011 championship run. The bench plays a huge part in balancing the starting members of the team. Dallas has done a great job so far showing that they are one of the most balanced teams in the NBA.
Most NBA teams need their star scorer most nights to find success, but for the Mavs, everybody just needs to balance everybody out and simply do their job. Kidd is finally starting to figure out how he wants his rotation to look, and the Mavs are in a great spot at the quartermark of the season.
