Mavericks' 50th win is enough to spoil folks

The Mavericks, in all likelihood, will win their 50th
game of the season tonight when they meet the woeful and Kevin Love-less Minnesota
Timberwolves at AAC.
 
That will make it 11 consecutive seasons with at least 50
wins. Only the Spurs (current) and the Lakers of the Magic Johnson era had longer
stretches, each with 12 in a row.
 
The difference, of course, is that those teams won multiple
championships and the Mavericks’ cupboard is bare in that respect.
 
But count Jason Kidd among those who believes that fans
– and the Mavericks themselves – should not take 50-win seasons for
granted. Kidd has seen the other side, having won far less than 50 games
numerous times in his career, including in his first run with the Mavericks in
the forgettable ‘90s.
 
“You can get spoiled as a fan and that can be unfortunate
because it’s not a guarantee that you’re going to win 50 games
every year,’’ he said. “It can turn very quickly the other
way. Sometimes you can get spoiled. But I think we all know winning 50 games
means a lot, but at the same time, to win a championship is more
important.’’
 
The Mavericks can’t do anything about their playoff
struggles until next month. But they insist they are grinding into playoff mode
now and trying to set the pegs up correctly for postseason success.
 
Rick Carlisle, who can push his career winning percentage to
.600 tonight with a win, gave a nod to Mark Cuban for the Mavericks’
success.
 
“It starts with the ownership,’’ he said.
“To be that good for that long, you have to make the commitment, spend
the money on players and create an environment of winning and Mark’s done
that here.’’
 
Eddie Sefko