Quite literally not breaking a sweat Per usual, the Mavericks let a double-digit lead slip away in the third quarter, only to make a run of their own (like, 26-6 or something) and pull away.
I thought Beaubois looked good. Quick as usual and not necessarily looking like he had a broken foot or whatever was wrong with him.
He ended with 13 points and six assists in 23 minutes. What kills me about him is how reckless he looks. He's a white-knuckle ride if ever there was one. I just can imagine him handling the ball in a big moment in a big game and that ball going off his knees out of bounds. Probably a good reason Rick Carlisle's hidden him in big games on the bench.
Still, it's another body and another person to take minutes. Thanks to the blowout, Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler played less than 25 minutes each as the Mavs relied heavily on that bench for minutes.
Also, Beaubois' return lit a fire under some underperforming dudes. Brendan Haywood was resurrected to filed a double-double and Kidd found some of those open looks he feasted on the last two years and hit six three pointers. Kidd hasn't learned to shoot. He's learned how to hit open jumpers. Not the same thing.
I think this team has a long way to go, but I think Beaubois will force their hand in a direction they might not necessarily go: Playing youngsters. The pressure to play Beaubois might be more of an issue than him actually playing. How it affects the rest of the team (maybe it rejuvenates Haywood and Kidd) is also vital. He's not a saviour. But you'd rather have him than not.
Let's see him play against Tony Parker in San Antonio and reconvene for assessment.
