The return of Nick Fazekas

Mark Madsen, eat your heart out

Tonight begins the rest of the year for the Dallas Mavericks. A home game against the lowly Los Angeles Clippers.

Since this blog does not like losers and because this blog remembers the 1990s when the Mavs were the dung pile of the NBA, we choose to think positively (relatively speaking) and we choose to think about the playoffs. Therefore, this is as must-win as they come. In fact, pencil in the next 12 or so games as must-wins. The Mavs need as many as they can handle.

Losing Dirk Nowitzki sucks. But the fact of the matter is that the Mavs were beating really bad teams by 20 points a piece with Nowitzki playing 20 minutes. Thus, the Mavs should thoroughly dispatch of the Clips at home.

The real story here is that the Clips are interesting because of two former Mavs on the roster: Josh Powell and Nick Fazekas. Powell, if you remember, was a non-scoring back-up power forward for the Mavs two years ago. He was a pretty good guy off the bench: pure energy, great rebounder, moderate shot blocker and a seemingly good attitude. Why he was traded is beyond me. He's not Moses Malone, but how is it bad to have as many big, rebounding center-power forwards on your roster?

Then there's Fazekas. The No. 1 draft pick of the Dallas Mavericks who spent much of his year in the NBADL, played a couple games in the Association and was then released. The Clips picked him up and are squeezing 10 minutes, two points and three rebounds a game out of the guy. Good luck with all that.

How, again, are the Clips supposed to beat the Mavs?