The Mavericks helped themselves quite a bit in Tuesday’s win over the Spurs, which pulled them into a virtual tie with San Antonio for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. It also gave Dallas a six and a half game cushion for any sort of playoff spot, further distancing the team from the nightmare scenario of missing the playoffs and forking over a lottery pick to the Celtics thanks to the Rajon Rondo trade. The Mavs’ pick is protected as long as they make the playoffs, as our Reverse Standings show. Here’s more from the Big D:
- Various ailments have been an issue for Monta Ellis this year, as he said in an interview with TNT after Tuesday’s game, a point he’d refused to acknowledge earlier, observes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. People within the organization have been frustrated that he hasn’t taken any time off to heal, MacMahon hears. Ellis can elect free agency this summer if he declines an $8.72MM player option for next season.
- Coach Rick Carlisle clarified a comment that made it seem as though he didn’t think Chandler Parsons could create his own shot, insisting that he can, but Parsons’ low usage rate in the clutch shows the team has been going away from him, MacMahon notes in a separate piece. The Mavs erred in giving him a three-year near-max deal if they don’t feel they can use Parsons as a go-to option late in games, MacMahon opines, but it’s a role Parsons is eager to embrace.
- The Mavs have again assigned Dwight Powell to the D-League, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. It’s the 12th D-League trip for Powell this season, with the first five coming while he was a member of the Celtics prior to the Rondo trade, as our D-League Assignments/Recalls log shows.