Hope you enjoyed the Mavs

Hope you enjoyed Tuesday’s visit by the Dallas Mavericks. Those of you in attendance at the Ford Center got to witness the 2007 NBA champions. No one’s beating this team in the playoffs. Not Phoenix. Not San Antonio. Not Miami, with or without Dwyane Wade. Not Detroit. Nobody.

And I’m not just saying that because they thrashed the Hornets. Aside from the fact that I’ve felt this way since the preseason, the regular season has proved that this team is on a mission. Have been since Day One. They have too many weapons. Too much depth. Too much experience. Too much versatility. Too good a coaching staff.

No NBA team can match what the Mavs bring over the course of a seven-game series. Phoenix probably has the best shot, but when the game’s on the line, Phoenix can’t get stops. Been that way for two years over in Arizona.

Tuesday’s game was over before it even started. The Mavs took care of business just like they have in the past 20 games against the Hornets. I’ve witnessed Dallas’ last eight wins over the Hornets live. And it’s been the same script each time these two teams take the floor. The Mavs go up. The Hornets, sometimes, make a little push. The Mavs turn up the intensity and the Hornets have no answer.

Chris Paul might as well have grabbed some popcorn and stayed on the bench. He scored two points, his lowest point total since Nov. 14. But in that game, he had 10 assists and Peja Stojakovic had a career-high 42 points. Paul had just three assists Tuesday, and a healthy Peja probably wouldn’t have helped the Hornets on this night.