Essentials: Humbling Mavs was mistake by the Lake Show

The L.A. Lakers did the rest of the NBA a huge disservice by snapping Dallas' 13-game winning streak on Sunday night.

They disrupted something great, a potentially enormous run of prosperity that could've morphed into a distraction, eventually impacting the Mavericks down the road, when it matters most.

Avery Johnson can use the end of the winning streak to his advantage. (Getty Images)

Instead, Avery Johnson has his usual short leash intact, able to tell his players with a straight face that they're not special, that they must defend for 48 minutes, and that every single night, there's the potential for someone like Sasha Vujacic to rise out of nowhere and beat you.

Johnson might have had no way to combat complacency had his Mavericks survived L.A. and come into this week with 14 consecutive wins in their pockets. Dallas has a tough road game at Utah on Tuesday night before hosting Portland and taking a winnable two-game trip to Indiana and Toronto this weekend. Having just won in San Antonio on Friday, the Mavericks (27-8) are way ahead in the race to be the first team to 30 wins and have taken pole position as championship favorites.

The reason is simple. Under Johnson's watch, Dallas has become the most effective defensive team in the NBA. Given that the Mavericks were aiming to outscore teams under Don Nelson while paying little attention to defense just a few years ago, the transformation has been astounding.

Steve Nash was essentially swapped out for Erick Dampier and Jason Terry. Josh Howard has come into his own as a lockdown perimeter defender. DeSagana Diop was claimed off the league's scrap heap and has flourished in his role, rebounding and altering shots. Almost overnight, Dallas changed identities, reached an NBA Finals and has now stepped into the role of NBA favorite.

The Mavs replaced San Antonio as the NBA's most consistent defensive team over the course of a full game. That's what has Gregg Popovich so concerned. His team isn't playing with its usual defensive fire; elsewhere in the state, Johnson has his team fighting for every inch.

Entering the week, the Mavericks rank fourth in the NBA in opponents' scoring average (91.9), third in the Western Conference in opposing field goal percentage (.449) and third in the entire league in opposing 3-point percentage (.322). They also rank fifth in the NBA in rebounding margin (plus-3.85) and second in blocked shot margin (plus-1.57). Numbers don't lie, and these tell the story of a team that puts the little things above all else. They're tough.

They're also hungry. What happened to them in the 2006 NBA Finals, being one quarter away from a commanding 3-0 lead that would've put Miami in an insurmountable position, goes through their minds every day. Sure, what's in the past is in the past, but it's the driving force behind what we're seeing from them to date. Meanwhile, what is going on with the Heat is a different story. To the victors go the spoils, and in this case, go the spoiled.

For Dallas, there's no chance of complacency setting in, especially now, thanks to the Lakers. The Mavericks are now 31-2 over the past two seasons when Howard scores 20 or more points. They're 19-3 when Devin Harris scores 10 points or more. Those marks are gaudy reminders of how strong Dirk Nowitzki's supporting cast is getting.

But they're not special. Not yet. Secretly, Johnson wouldn't have it any other way. Being able to continue nit-picking serves his team much better than having to answer questions about a winning streak that won't end.

Thanks, Lakers. You've kept Dallas on alert, eyes open and feet on the ground. The sharper they get, the tougher they'll be.

Team of the week

The Rockets have fared wonderfully in their first seven games without Yao Ming, posting a 5-2 mark that includes Sunday's tough overtime loss in Minnesota. Tracy McGrady has averaged 35 points per game over his last five, and guys like Juwan Howard and Dikembe Mutombo are playing like they're a decade younger.

While no one expects Houston to be able to hang tight with the Mavs and Spurs while Yao mends, the better they fare, the easier it will be to climb in the standings once he returns around the All-Star break.

Houston is playing great ball entering a grueling stretch of games that continues Monday night in Chicago and features a visit from the Lakers on Wednesday and trips to Denver, Sacramento and Dallas in the coming week. If they can manage a .500 mark through this part of the schedule, you might see Jeff Van Gundy crack a smile.

Team of the weak

The honeymoon is over for Allen Iverson, due largely in part because the lack of talent surrounding him is finally being exposed the way most expected it would.

Denver carries a five-game losing streak into the week after double-digit setbacks to the 76ers, Lakers and Jazz, and could be in for more lumps with San Antonio and Houston roll through town this week.

Fortunately, help is on the way. Iverson will have primary backcourt mate J.R. Smith back from suspension for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, which if nothing else, takes some of the pressure off A.I. and creates an opportunity to learn a key teammate's nuances prior to Carmelo Anthony's return on Jan. 22.

Player to watch

Baron Davis has been nursing sore wrists, but with Jason Richardson out and his team clinging to a .500 mark and a hold on the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings, the injury-prone guard is playing through pain.

Davis played 31 minutes in a loss to Phoenix on Sunday night despite having no range of motion in his right wrist and soreness in his left one. Nelson appreciates his efforts, which are direct contrast to former coach Byron Scott's complaints that Baron milks his injuries.

Orlando and Miami roll through the Bay in what is thankfully a light week for the Warriors, giving B-Diddy an opportunity to heal some. In the Warriors' trek through Florida in late December, Davis burned the Magic for 38 points and nine assists, but was non-existent against the Heat, scoring just 10 points.

Showcases

Atlantic Division leaders Toronto and New Jersey square off for the third time this season on Tuesday in a game that's bigger than it seems. The Raptors are 4-1 against divisional competition and need to take advantage of the banged-up Nets to build on the momentum they've established in climbing into first place following Chris Bosh's return.

Hopefully, Ron Artest's knees won't give him any problems against LeBron James on Tuesday, because it's rare to see two of the league's most impressive physical marvels go at each other now that they're in separate conferences. James is in for a busy week; on Friday, he butts heads with the equally athletic Shawn Marion.

T.J. Ford makes his return to Milwaukee on Wednesday night, and he should earn a warm reception. Many Bucks fans were sad to see him go in exchange for promising forward Charlie Villanueva, but the recent play of point guard Mo Williams has eased many concerns. Ford put on a show with 13 points and 11 assists in a 109-92 win in Toronto on Nov. 3, while Williams, perhaps pressing, shot 6-for-17 from the field.

Speaking of lightning-quick point guards, Iverson should square off with Tony Parker for the first time as conference rivals when the Spurs roll through Denver. Parker is day-to-day with a right hip strain, and is expected to be ready to go for this one. The Spurs have played against Philadelphia this season, but missed A.I., who was already on a team-mandated leave of absence at that point.

On Saturday night, curl up with the honey and catch a pair of treats, starting with Gilbert Arenas' only visit to San Antonio of the season. Arenas relished the challenge of playing the Spurs last season, averaging 37 points per game, but still recalls the night early in 2005 when he went 0-for-12 from the field in San Antonio. It's these types of nuggets that register most with Arenas, who loves to get himself going by focusing on negative experiences in his past.

Later on, Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard square off for the second time in about a month, and Orlando's prodigy is hoping to fare better than he did the first time. Stoudemire put together a statement game with 30 points and three blocks on Dec. 11, while Howard was saddled with foul trouble and ended up with just four points and three rebounds. Afterward, he jokingly but truthfully commented that the best part of Stoudemire's game was "Steve Nash." This one should be fun.