As the Mavericks scattered for their offseason that's going to be way too long, owning up to reality is the first step toward fixing it.
"You can't put lipstick on a pig," coach Rick Carlisle said Wednesday. "A 24-win season is a 24-win season."
No argument there.
As president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said: "Our fans deserve better than this."
Again, no debate.
But you can't sit around and beat yourself up for six months when there is work to be done. And it's also worth noting that the Mavericks probably are in a better spot now in spite of going through the worst season in the Dirk Nowitzki era.