Official Thread - Wizards at Mavs (12/30/14)

[pineappleheadindc]

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[An abbreviated game thread - am in NYC with the family thru New Year and am running around.]


Following a rousing road win over the Houston Rockets, YOUR Washington Wizards head to the Big D for a Tuesday night match-up against the Dallas Mavericks. This represents the last game of 2014 and the final match-up in a successful month of December for the good guys.

Can YOUR Washington Wizards get greedy and get another game from a Western Conference foe? The Wiz are 7-2 vs the West so far this season.

Post your thoughts, predictions, and opinions below.


What: Wizards at Mavs
Where: American Airlines Arena -- Dallas, TX
When: 8:30p.m. EST
TV: Comcast SportsNet, NBA League Pass, Quasi-legal internet streams
Radio: WNEW 99.1 FM / WFED 1500 AM

Go Wizards!

[fishercob]

From the ESPN preview

Dirk Nowitzki has been asked to play plenty of roles during his 16-plus seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, and he's very rarely disappointed.

With Tyson Chandler still ailing, Nowitzki may be tasked with taking his perimeter game down low once again.

Chandler is questionable for Tuesday night's matchup as Dallas looks to win a 10th straight meeting with the visiting Washington Wizards.

Coach Rick Carlisle received a text message from a team trainer hours before tipoff Sunday noting that Chandler would have to sit out with back spasms. His reaction was to go with a smaller lineup, and Nowitzki tied his season high with 30 points from the center spot in a 112-107 win over Oklahoma City.

It marked the first time in five years Nowitzki played the position.

"We had to adjust a little bit, I'd say, without Tyson, our warrior, our paint protector," said Nowitzki, who picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter. "Not really used to playing in foul trouble, because I never really foul. So I tried to move my feet and be long out there."

Chandler Parsons scored 26 points playing power forward, and Carlisle started a three-guard lineup with Rajon Rondo, Monta Ellis and J.J. Barea.

Whether or not Chandler goes, we know we won't have to deal with Brandan Wright, who killed us in the first matchup. We need to pound these guys inside. I hope Nene is feeling okay, because his defensive versatility would be huge on a night like this.

[Ruzious]

Dallas has the advantage that the Wiz had last night against Houston - playing at home rested against a team coming off a tough road game.

I don't like playing against that small ball lineup. Barrea is such a pest and has had some real good games against the Wiz. But he relies on screens - and I'm not sure the small-ball lineup will help him in that area. I'd probably defend Rondo with a forward, because we need more quickness against the other 2 - and length against Rondo.

Please activate Blair - he'd be up playing against Dallas, and Gooden is awful.

[Tricky_Kid]

Win somehow

[queridiculo]

Dallas got away with one in Washington, I like the Wizards chances with their legit starting lineup.

Wright killed us in the first game, and with Chandler being out with an iffy back, and Ellis potentially sidelined Washington appears to have a considerable front court and back court edge.

Our backup unit will have to play better than yesterday, I think Washington has a good chance to steal one tonight.

[Tricky_Kid]

What is happening with Glen Rise Junior?

[keynote]

Let's pull a Gar Heard and blow them away.

[Tricky_Kid]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/SherwoodStrauss/status/549784815575506945[/tweet]

I love it

[fishercob]

Chandler and Monta are both expected to play tonight.

[closg00]

B2B not good for the old guys, Nene especially.

Rice has been playing all-year in the D, I would give his hungry ass a little spin during this trip. Need some energy from someone after last nights emotional win.

Kevin was horrible last night,

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I hate to make a prediction because I have been wrong a time or two lately.

I expect that the Wizards are going to win.

[Nivek]

My "who's gonna win" prognosticator says Wiz have a 31% chance of winning this game. My prediction: Wizards 110, Mavericks 108.

F the West.

[Tricky_Kid]

My "who's gonna win" prognosticator says Wiz have a 31% chance of winning this game. My prediction: Wizards 110, Mavericks 108.

F the West.

Amen

[JWizmentality]

My "who's gonna win" prognosticator says Wiz have a 31% chance of winning this game. My prediction: Wizards 110, Mavericks 108.

F the West.

Weren't our odds the same last night also??

Let's not have J.J freakin Barea go off on us this time. John, I'm looking at you.

[thricethefun]

The Mavs just don't scare me nearly as much as when they had Wright. Don't know why they traded him for Rondo who makes their team worse.

[Nivek]

My "who's gonna win" prognosticator says Wiz have a 31% chance of winning this game. My prediction: Wizards 110, Mavericks 108.

F the West.

Weren't our odds the same last night also??

I had the Wiz with a 37% chance of winning last night.

[Kanyewest]

In the short term it could take a while to adjust to playing with Rondo plus they are missing good guys like Wright and Crowder. In the long run, it will be interesting to see if the Mavs can make Rondo into a competent shooter much like Jason Kidd.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

B2B not good for the old guys, Nene especially.

Rice has been playing all-year in the D, I would give his hungry ass a little spin during this trip. Need some energy from someone after last nights emotional win.

Kevin was horrible last night,

Blair hopefully will get significant time against his last team.

[Ruzious]

B2B not good for the old guys, Nene especially.

Rice has been playing all-year in the D, I would give his hungry ass a little spin during this trip. Need some energy from someone after last nights emotional win.

Kevin was horrible last night,

Blair hopefully will get significant time against his last team.

I hope he at least gets the chance, because 4th big is a real need for the Wiz. Seraphin and Gooden have proven they're not the answer. Blair hasn't gotten the opportunity.

[Nivek]

There's a disconnect someplace in the universe between what I see Seraphin doing and what the coaches, some fans, and some analysts are seeing. Last night, Glenn Consor said Seraphin was doing a "terrific job" off the bench. I like Glenn, but I'm baffled by how someone who knows hoops as well as he does could make that assertion. For that matter, I'm puzzled about how a professional coaching staff with other options available could continue giving significant minutes to a player as unproductive as Seraphin has been.

As long as I'm on the topic of WTF announcer comments, I was listening to the Rockets broadcast last night, and their color guy praised Wittman for doing a great job with this "young Wizards team." The Wizards are tied for being the league's 6th oldest team.