the ryan sanders

First team done with the first round. Good times in Dallas. But here's my worry:
It seems like right now everything is going the Mavs' way. Phoenix and SA are struggling. Even if they get past round one (which the Suns probably won't), they'll be tired and beat up and we'll be rested. Plus, our team is peaking and we're getting most everyone back from injury. Dirk is stepping up and being a leader. And the new coach's considerable cred has been emphasized by his Coach of the Year award. I heard someon on the radio this morning call it "the perfect storm". Everything is coming together to make this the year that the Mavs win it all - or at least get a relatively easy path to the finals against a scary Detriot team. All that is awesome and I'm so very jazzed about our chances. But let me be the first to say that, in my opinion, it's now or never for the Mavs.
If we don't win it all this year, this incredible wave we're riding is going to die out over the summer. If Dirk doesn't get it done this year then there will start to be more questions about whether he's capable of getting it done at all, and some of the role players will start to get a little big for their britches. And most importantly, the coach's mystique will suffer. Avery is very intense which is a big reason we're as good as we are. But I fear that over time, the effectiveness of his intensity will wane - either because he can't keep it up or because the players start to tune him out. And it will be a lot easier to tune him out after a dissapointing end to the season.
Right now, we're riding this incredible upswing in momentum. We've been improving, making better playoff appearances, for a few years. It's working out just like it's supposed to. Things couldn't be better.
It won't stay that way. We won't sweep through 12 more games to the championship. Things will get rocky and I just hope we can maintain the momentum through the uphill grinds long enough to reach the top.
So my point is this: I think this is the Mavs' golden opportunity. It's the perfect storm. It's the chance of a lifetime (or a franchise). We've got to take advantage of it because we may not ever have this kind of momentum again.