The Dallas Mavericks have won seven of their last eight games. They look to be the hottest team in the NBA with wins in the last three weeks over Utah on the road and against Sacramento and Portland at home. Because of the depth of this year's Western Conference, the Mavericks late-season play will only earn them a higher draft pick. But next year, they will most certainly be a playoff contender. Right?
Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic have overachieved all season long and are currently in playoff position, despite having John Amaechi and Chucky Atkins as their third and fourth leading scorers. They couldn't possibly win anything more than a playoff position in the years to come. I mean, right?
The Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic seem to be headed toward anything but storybook endings. But, for melodrama's sake, let's bring their seasons and futures to proper cinematic conclusions.
What better movie to represent the Mavericks than a Clint Eastwood western? The uncertainty of their future is quite literally a case of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The Dallas franchise could head in any of these three directions in the next few years.
Tuesday's decision by the NBA owners to give Mark Cuban full and official control and ownership of the franchise can only contribute to the team's uncertain future.
The replacement of Don Nelson and the play of future All-Star regular Michael Finley can only be "good" premonitions for years to come. Finley is a blossoming star that you may never have heard from and Erick Strickland promises to continue to grow as a player. Cuban's intensity and passion for the game means that if he can convince Finley to stay, that he will provide him with a supporting cast.
But, if Cuban's eccentric style and demeanor chases Finley, other stars, and potential coaches away, then the team could be reduced to its former perennially "bad" status in the cellar of the Western Conference.
On the other hand, Dallas's future could turn into a very dark comedy -- "the ugly." The circus that was Dennis Rodman's stay is just the beginning. Cuban could turn the team into a Jerry Springer movie with Nate Newton playing center and "Dubya," Mike Modano and Carmen Electra in a three-person backcourt. Cuban said of his promotion by the league's owners that he felt as though "the shackles have been removed."
Can't you just see Cuban sitting in his normal spot behind the Mavericks' bench at road games and continuing to publicly criticize referees as Deion shoots a 40-foot jumper with his eyes closed? That would be a comical but disappointing slapstick climax to what currently has the potential of becoming a feel-good Hollywood Best Picture.
What other kind of movie would you expect from an Orlando franchise than a Disney flick? Like most cinematic adventures in this genre, the Orlando Magic's story which we'll call "Doc and His 12 Dwarfs." Glenn "Doc" Rivers and his Orlando Magic have been anything but dwarf-like in the magnitude of their play this season but they do possess the teamwork and dedication each and every day when "off to work they go."
Almost every coach who plays the Rivers-coached team wishes their team had the 48-minute continuous effort the Magic put forth every single night. Rivers will likely win Coach of the Year despite Phil Jackson's dominant Laker team. Some prognosticators felt that the Magic would struggle to get to 15 or 20 wins this season; instead they have beaten San Antonio, Utah, Orlando, Charlotte, New York and Minnesota. His team is a very respectable 14-14 against the depth of the Western Conference and all this is without Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant and Nick Anderson.
As a matter of fact, this season was supposed to be a wash for the Magic so as to get some high draft picks and an egregious amount of cap room to prepare for the future. Instead, Darrell Armstrong, who was not even drafted by an NBA team and was in the CBA five years ago, has moved up to All-Star status with an incredible season.
And while Corey Maggette and Matt Harpring were supposed to lead this team into the future, it has been Ben Wallace and Monty Williams who have become major contributors as others have struggled.
So, the storyline is set for a prototypical romanticized Disney affair. A group of no-names with no respect find a way to surpass others' expectations of them to win it all this year.
Well, maybe. But, the Magic have cap room to pursue superstars who could fit within the teamwork-oriented system next year like Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, or both. They have Doc Rivers to keep the team focused and they have a group of players who seem to do everything right for all the right reasons. C'mon folks, it's a movie you can bring your kids to without worrying about foul language and it may just have box office blockbuster written all over it.
