<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">DALLAS - Besides delivering a retirement package to Shawn Bradley and promoting Rolando Blackman to assistant coach, the Mavericks are done dealing this off-season. Doug Christie and DeSagana Diop replace Michael Finley and Bradley, and Josh Powell will play the role Alan Henderson occupied last season. Other than that, when training camp begins in seven weeks, the Mavs will field almost the same team that won 58 games last season. Mavs management believes with minor tweaks to the roster this summer, they have a championship team. "I'm really excited," coach Avery Johnson said. "I think the thing that I have to fight is not trying to come in and overhaul a whole bunch of stuff with this team. "We have a certain system in place now that we had in place -- especially at the end of the year -- in terms of the way we like to play. We're just hoping that these guys having another year to work together in this system will make it that much more effective." Johnson will be holding his first training camp as the Mavs' coach. He took over for Don Nelson with 18 games remaining last season, leading the Mavs to a 16-2 record and a first-round playoff win over Houston before their season ended with a loss to Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. Johnson, who was the starting point guard for San Antonio's 1999 NBA title team, will try to impose his will on this team. And that includes instituting a policy in which playing stifling defense is a must. "We're all about winning a championship," Johnson said. "I know a lot of times coaches really don't want to talk about that because they're always scared about job security." Owner Mark Cuban knows Johnson has a philosophy of building a team from the inside-out with defense as the calling card, and that increases the Mavs' chances of winning an NBA championship. "Different era, different coach, different approach," said Cuban, referring to the difference between Johnson and Nelson. "I love what we've got going on." The Mavs have a team that can go two-deep at virtually every position and not suffer a letdown. The slope, though, is slippery at center, where Erick Dampier referred to himself as the second-best center in the league behind Shaquille O'Neal but played nowhere near that level during his first playoff experience last season. "I don't think a lot of our players that were in the playoffs for the first time understood the pressures of it," Johnson said. "They talked about being able to handle it, but until you get it in, the criticism is so intense."</div> Source
The only question, like that article said, is the center position. Dampier really needs to play to a level this year that could justify that juicy contract he got last year
Come on now Dampier stepping it up to a new level? please that cat is already passed his prime and have nothing left. 2nd best Center in the NBA? More like 2nd best Center in the WNBA... AND NO WAY IN HEAVEN that Dallas are going to the championship with that team, when they can't even pass the ROCKETS this coming year? The truth hurts and the Truth is that the Rockets are better then Dallas. HANDS DOWN ROCKETS ARE CONTENDERS & MAVERICKS ARE PRETENDERS
The mavs are still pretty good in terms of championship contention. The only reason why Houston came so close to beating Dallas is because Dirk was shooting poorly. When all the Mavs were clicking it led to a 40 point blow out. This season Johnson works with the mavs for a longer period, so they can get to know his system a lot better. Don't write off the mavs just because they don't 'overhaul' their roster...it just means the original roster was good as is.
