| 2009-10 Season Preview: Dallas Mavericks Authored by Andrew Perna - October 28, 2009 - 4:17 pm
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Last Season’s FIC Rank: +7.1, 7th
Key Additions: Shawn Marion, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross, Tim Thomas
Key Subtractions: Brandon Bass, Devean George
Key Rookies: Rodrigue Beaubois
Probable Starters: Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier
Point Guard: He may not be the player he was at the height of his career, but the Mavericks have a still productive, first ballot Hall of Famer in point guard Jason Kidd. Losing him in free agency would have set them back tremendously. They are very lucky to have a free-spending owner like Mark Cuban for that reason.
Dallas has a ton of mouths to feed this season and Kidd is perhaps the guard most suited to distribute the ball effectively. He sees the floor very well and is great in transition, which will benefit newcomer Shawn Marion. Even at 36, he’s still a great rebounder, defender and athlete. His jump shot has never been the best, but he has great shot selection.
He attempted a career-low 7.6 shots per game last season, but still came away with averages of nine points, 8.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds and two steals. He produces as efficiently as anyone in the NBA.
Jose Juan Barea is a feisty backup. His offensive game is better than Kidd’s and he brings a much-needed fire to the second unit. He’s on the smaller side and isn’t the defender than J-Kidd is, but always brings his best to the court. In addition to Kidd and Barea, Dallas also has rookie Rodrigue Beaubois as an intriguing option off the bench.
Swingmen: The Mavericks are so deep that reigning Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry may not even be the first man off the bench this season. Assuming ‘The Jet’ is able to handle a possible demotion; Dallas has the tools to withstand a few injuries here-and-there without missing a beat. They have Terry, Quinton Ross, Matt Carroll, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and James Singleton on the wing.
Ross will start to begin the season with Howard out, bringing a defensive presence to a club that has more shooters than the Dallas police force. In addition to defending the opposition’s best player, Ross will give coach Rick Carlisle solid rebounding for a guard.
Marion will start at small forward as he attempts to put a few disappointing seasons behind him. I don’t think he’s lost his game, but rather was put in some situations that didn’t suit his skill set. He insists that he isn’t a system player and while he doesn’t need to be in a fact-paced attack to be effective, he’s at the very least more effective and efficient when he has teammates that will push the ball.
He’s naturally a good rebounder and can defend at a very high level when focused on doing so. If Carlisle can get Marion to buy into putting the team ahead of himself, the rest of the Western Conference should be put on notice.
One mustn’t forget about Howard, who was one of the game’s rising stars a few seasons ago. He can score from the rim all the way back to three-point land, as can Marion, and is one of the longest-tenured Mavericks. If he returns from ankle and wrist injuries as the same player, he’ll be the best third, fourth or possibly even fifth option in the NBA.
Frontcourt: Dirk Nowitzki says he’s content to take fewer shots this season if it means the Mavericks will win more games. In the first game of the year he took 25 shots, scored 34 points and Dallas lost.
That won’t be the norm, but Dirk still has to be the team’s unquestioned No. 1 with a host of players around him that believe they are better than they really are. Kidd can help him be the team’s leader (on and off the court), but the German still has to do the heavy lifting. He has one of the best offensive games in the league with his ability to drive to the hole and also step back to the three-point line. His shot is easy on the eyes and his fade away jumper is one of my favorite shots to watch in the league.
His defense has never been tremendous, but his importance is unquestioned. He has 138 Win Shares in 840 career games, all of which have come in Dallas. Tim Thomas, when he returns from injury, will play solid minutes behind Nowitzki. He’s not the kind of player you can ask for too much from, but Carlisle won’t have to with wing players that can play the four spot as well.
Erick Dampier isn’t a polished offensive player, but like Ross, the Mavericks really don’t need him to contribute much on that end of the floor. He’ll share the center position with Drew Gooden, who came to Dallas as a free agent. Gooden has become a reliable player and is far younger than Dampier. He signed a one-year deal with the Mavericks, which was a very smart move by the team. He’s the kind of player I see motivated by a contract year.
Forecast: Rick Carlisle has had success at each of his stops and if the Mavericks are able to hang with the Lakers in the West, he’ll have turned in his best coaching performance yet. He has a number of talented players to manage, with a host of egos as well. Dallas often has one of the league’s highest-paid rosters, but they have yet to recover from their Finals collapse against the Heat in 2006. They have the firepower to be a title contender, but can they harness it?
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM's Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7. |
