Dallas Mavericks Preview

Hello All,
I have basically given up hope I will finish the previews before the season starts. My only hope is the approximately 11 hours of travel I will partake in this weekend.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

Key Additions: Elton Brand (Amnesty claim), Darren Collison (trade), Jae Crowder (rookie), Chris Kaman (FA), O.J. Mayo (FA), Dahntay Jones (trade)

Key Losses: Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Brendan Haywood, Ian Mahinmi, Lamar Odom?

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Collison
SG: Mayo
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki/ Elton Brand to start the season
C: Kaman

Role Players: Brand, Crowder, Jones, Vince Carter, Brandan Wright, Delonte West, Roddy Beaubois

Comments: Another team that didn't acquire a superstar in the offseason, as they were expecting. Deron Williams was oh so close to deciding to play with Dirk in his home town, but when the Nets acquired Joe Johnson, the Mavericks lost out. Unlike the Rockets, who lost Dwight Howard, the Mavs picked up pieces to remain respectable. They will surely miss Jason Terry off the bench, I feared him more than Dirk at times in the 4th quarter. The team is stacked with short term contracts. The reason is they know they won't compete for a championship, but they want to remain respectable, and hopefully attract a big free agent next year. I have a feeling Chris Paul is not walking through this door any time soon though. Maybe James Harden?

At PG, the Mavs are replacing Jason Kidd with Darren Collison. Collison had a surprising rookie year, played respectably on the Pacers before getting replaced by George Hill. Collison isn't flashy, but he is a solid distributor, and a much improved shooter than in his days at UCLA. Collison plays best in a slow half-court system like when he was on the Hornets, and that is how the Mavs play, so he should be able to be successful. Delonte West is the backup PG, but he is more of a combo guard. He passes fine, but he is also a good scorer as well. He is no Jason Terry, but he does all right (also he supposedly slept with Lebron James's mom, so thats cool). Roddy Beaubois has been stuck on the Mavs bench for far too long. This guy is super quick, and can provide the energy burst and scoring output that the Mavs bench will need. Hopefully he will have increased playing time, but injuries and other various reasons has caused him to stay on the bench. This year should be his year.

O.J. Mayo never quite fit in Memphis. He was too inconsistent with his shot, and never put in the defensive effort required to get more playing time. Tony Allen proved more useful for the Grizzlies with his defense and hustle, and they had enough scoring with Gasol and Gay. The Grizzlies did not want to pay a player who they thought they probably didn't need. The Mavs certainly could use the scoring, especially with Dirk out for a bit. He needs to be consistent with his shot selection and making. The commentary on this video is kind of funny, but it shows his potential I guess.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qknYlVnzP4&feature=related. West will get a lot of the backup SG minutes, but Jones is technically the backup. Jones is the typical hustle defensive player every bench needs. My fondest memory of Dahntay is how he was able to get Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant mad at him in a single playoffs for Denver in 2009. We never should have let him go.

Shawn "Matrix" Marion is still really solid even though he is kind of old. While his offensive ability has waned, because he isn't as athletic and his shooting motion is retarded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aajorJBru4. But, he is one of the best defenders in the league, and he rebounds extremely well. He is the Mavs second best player, but the team will need him to score some more to do well. Vince Carter had a few moments in last years playoffs where he tried to prove he wasn't completely useless anymore. It is unfortunate that all of his athleticism is now gone, because he was one of the most athletic players ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMrPjl-927Q. Oh well, all he does now is clank 3's. I mention Jae Crowder because I think he is the big sleeper in this years draft. This guy at Marquette did it all. He hustled, played great defense, can pass, is athletic. He is short for his preferred PF position, but supposedly he has improved his shot to adapt to a SF. Don't be surprised if he gets some serious playing time this year.

Dirk Nowitzki is obviously the heart and soul of the Mavericks. His one legged fade away, his clutch 3's in the 4th quarter, and the fact that he is unguardable at 7 feet tall have made him a future hall-of-famer. He is kind of old, and has accumulated more injuries the last few years. I think he will retire the year after this one, especially when it is clear the Mavs need to rebuild. I guess we should enjoy watching the German because we will probably never see a player like him again. The Mavs stole Elton Brand through an amnesty claim. He is old, but is still useful as a player that will rebound, play defense and knock down a 12-foot jumper. You can rely on him to hit those mid range shots all day long. The problem with the Mavs as a whole is that they will have to play so slow to win, and teams that can run well will run them out of the building. Unfortunately, the top teams are ones that can play uptempo (Heat, Thunder, Nuggets ;)

Chris Kaman is another short term contract that the Mavs got this offseason (along with Collison, Mayo, and Brand). He is another slow and old player, but is very creative in the post. I believe he is ambidextrous, and even if he is not, he is really good with both hands doing hook shots. The Mavs have a bunch of players who will score 10-15 points. I just don't see it being enough. I guess Brandan Wright is the backup center. He is really athletic, and rebounds well. I remembered he personally crushed the Nuggets one night by dunking everything in sight, and grabbing a million offensive rebounds.

The Mavericks are bound for the bottom of the Western playoff picture. They probably (depending on Dirks health) have enough to make the 7th or 8th seed, but they have no chance when they are actually in the playoffs. Another year, another hope to add a superstar to play along Dirk as he rides off into the sunset. My bet, it never happens.

Next Up, Orlando Magic