by kibaxx7 on Fri Dec 26, 2014 4:37 pm
• REVIEW • Pushing the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs to the brink of elimination before suffering a 119-96 defeat in Game 7, the Mavericks saw their season come to an abrupt cut. Still stunned by their first-round series fall, Dallas returned to American Airlines Center one final time as a team before dispersing for the summer. The general message from each player and head coach Rick Carlisle at Monday’s exit interviews was simple: the Mavs had a two-part goal. They accomplished Part One, which was simply getting back into the playoffs after missing out for the first time since 2000. Part Two was making some noise once they got there. Although Dallas ultimately fell short in its upset bid, losing against the eventual champions is no reason for embarrassment. Heading into 2013-14, nine new players donned Mavs uniforms this season, and as a result the team spent much of the first half of the season just getting to know each other. After the All-Star break, however, the Dallas locker room came together and cruised to the finish line, sporting the most efficient offense in the league. The building blocks are in place for a run next season, so long as the Mavs can blend in potential new faces this offseason with the ones already in the locker room. Carlisle, general manager Donnie Nelson, and several players all said keeping the team’s core together is the first step toward winning a playoff series and competing for a second ring. Given the players already under contract, the Mavs believe cap flexibility could give them an inside track back to the upper echelon of the West. Six players -- Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, Devin Harris, DeJuan Blair, and Bernard James -- will be outright free agents this summer, and a seventh, Samuel Dalembert, has only a partially guaranteed contract for 2014-15. The German ends his 16th season still thinking about what might have been, hungry to return to the summit. With his own future uncertain, the league’s 10th all-time leading scorer is optimistic that the Mavs can again build a contender.
• OFFSEASON • The Mavs' first off-season move was one of the biggest: trading for Tyson Chandler, the fan-favorite defensive anchor of the 2011 championship team. The team followed this up with two other spectacular home runs: Nowitzki re-signed for an absurdly team-friendly 3 years, $25 million, making way for the steal of the talented restricted free agent Chandler Parsons from the increasingly more hated division rival Houston Rockets. The Mavs then re-signed Devin Harris and brought on Jameer Nelson from Orlando to solidify the point guard position, filling out the rest of the bench with proved veterans and talented youngsters. Al-Farouq Aminu was drafted highly (8th overall in 2010), but didn't live up to the hype and signed with the team for a minimum contract in order to compete for big minutes; the Mavericks are one of the best offensive teams this year, but they are not so great on the other end of the floor. Chandler is a fantastic defender and rebounder, but he is only one man and this is why Aminu is so valuable. Charlie Villanueva came into training camp ago as the longest of long shots, signed to an unguaranteed contract on a team that didn't have any open roster spots; but his strong preseason play earned him a spot on the final roster. Another member of the 2011 champions, J.J. Barea looks set to return if Minnesota ends up waiving him in the coming days. Richard Jefferson was signed to a veteran's minimum contract, in case the Rockets decided to match Parsons' offer sheet; they didn't, relegating the former Nets and Jazz forward to the bench. He will be called upon to fill the void Carter left with his shooting on the court; Memphis, another division rival, will enjoy Carter's highlights from now on. Marion also left the team, assembling the revamped Cavaliers with LeBron James, while Blair joined John Wall and the Wizards. Dalembert, along with José Calderón, Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington, were dealt to the Knicks in the deal that brought Chandler back.
• PREVIEW • The Southwest Division has become a dogfight -- the Mavs could win the division, they could also finish fourth -- and the West has become brutal. It would be imprudent to bet against San Antonio, but at the same time, you shouldn’t be completely shocked if Dallas wins the division. There are a lot of new faces, but there's chemistry along them already: all these pieces should fit seamlessly, and with Carlisle calling the shots on the sideline, players like Parsons or Chandler should have no issue fusing with the rest of the squad. The offense should click and the front court defense will be fine, but the biggest issue has to be the back court defense. The guard rotation is talented, but Monta Ellis, Nelson and Harris can't keep up with the top tier guards out West. If they can manage to stay healthy, this is certainly a team that is capable of winning 55 games. In the end, it will come down to seeding and how much Dirk has left in the tank. If the Mavs secure a top seed out West and Carlisle manages to keep Nowitzki somewhat fresh for the playoffs, a run to the Western Conference Finals is not crazy. Though the roster could use another solid two-way rotation player, this Mavericks team may be a more serious contender than many realize.
Best Case Scenario: 55-27
Worst Case Scenario: 41-41
× Watched: Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Ninja Assassin (2009), Bay of Angels (1963) ×
