[IMGl]http://espn.go.com/i/nba/clubhouse/dal_logo.gif[/IMGl] <font size="4">Dallas Mavericks 2004/2005 Season Preview</font> <font size="1">By AllNet</font> After an early exit from the post season, owner Mark Cuban knew he had to shake up his team for them to have a chance at a championship. Dallas's main problem last year was lack of chemistry, poor interior defense and no real post players to go to. The point guard position was also a little weak compared to previous years. Nick Van Exel was no longer there to give Steve Nash rest, which in the long run hurt Nash through the playoffs. Where Kings point guard Mike Bibby destroyed him on the way to a 5 game series win for the Kings. It was obvious changes were needed in Dallas but not even Mark Cuban could of expected the bumpy ride his team went through during the summer. The Mavericks main target was to re-sign all-star point guard Steve Nash and coach Don Nelson was pretty sure that his floor leader was not going anywhere. That however changed very quickly when a group of people from the Suns franchise went to Dallas to try and get Nash to sign a contract with the Suns, the place where he started his NBA career. Which is exactly what happened. Nash and the Suns agreed to a 6 year, 65 million contract. Mark Cuban was given a chance to match the offer by Nash and his agent but he refused to do so. At this time many people including Dallas fans were in shock and disapointed in losing their floor general but for the money he got, the same fans knew from a business point of view It was a smart decision. There was no doubt Nash would be missed in Dallas but they knew Mark Cuban wasn't going to fail at getting a good replacement as their starting point guard. With the loss of Steve Nash, Mark Cuban knew he had to somehow make up for that loss and he quickly re-signed very talented shooting guard Marquis Daniels to a 6 year, 38 million contract. Daniels went undrafted last year and made a big impact on the Mavericks in his rookie year. Daniels averaged 8.5 points 2 rebounds and 2 assists per game in only 18 minutes. Those stats are quite misleading due to the fact in the last 2 months of the season he averaged over 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game. With a career high of 33 points V Seattle. Dallas will be expecting big things from this guy not only this season but for many years to come. The day before the NBA draft the Mavericks managed to pull off a trade to land the 5th pick. Which they choose Wisconsin point guard Devin Harris, who was one of the top guards in the nation last year. A very quick and effective guard who can shoot the ball and attack the rim. He is the kind of player who can produce in this league straight away and that is certainly what Dallas will be hoping for. He seems the most NBA ready out of everyone in the draft and should become one of the best point guards in the NBA for years to come. Jerry Stackhouse was added pretty much as a filler due to the fact Dallas main focus was getting Devin Harris. Although when heathly Jerry Stackhouse is a very talented guard who can light up the scoreboard at any second. He struggled with injures last year and still put up 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. The guy can still play and will certainly add much needed scoring left by Antawn Jamison who won 6th man of the year last season. The Mavericks next order of business was to find a starting point guard replacement for Steve Nash while also getting rid of Antonie Walker. Thats exactly what they managed to do. Dallas traded Antonie Walker and Tony Delk to Atlanta for Jason Terry and Alan Henderson. Jason Terry gives Dallas a good shooting point guard who can also run the break and finish. Many say he isn't a point guard and only plays there due to his lack of size for the 2 spot. It was always going to be hard for Dallas to find a replacement for a quality player like Nash but JT was the best option out there. Defensively they have gotten better, Nash had many postives in his game but defense certainly wasn't one of them. One of the question marks for Terry will be If he can get the ball to the Mavericks main guns by running a high power offensive system. He has never had to deal with this much talent before, It will be interesting to see how he handles his new role. Alan Henderson was added to make the trade go through and through his 9 year career has struggled with injury, mainly last year when he only managed to play 6 total games. He might not be a key guy in the Mavs rotation and depending on injury, his minutes will again be limited If he isn't already on the injured list by Christmas. Calvin Booth returns to the Mavericks where he played his ball during the 2000-2001 season. He was sent from Seattle which meant Danny Fortson was moved to the Sonics in a straight up one for one trade. Booth will give Dallas more depth at center and a guy who can rebound and block shots in limited minutes. Booth averaged 1.42 block per game last season in under 17 minutes. The biggest Addition to the Mavericks team this summer was center Erick Dampier who came to Dallas in a sign and trade with Golden State. Which sent Eduardo Najera to the Warriors. There were many rumors where Dampier may end up, New York was said to be the most likely place the center would end up at. Isiah Thomas tried everything he could to make a deal happen but he had nothing the Warriors wanted and Dallas did. The trade came out of no where, as many trades these days do. Dampier will add much needed defense and rebounding for the Mavericks which they have been missing for a long time. It's been a while since they had a center and now they have finally found one. Cuban better hope though that Dampier lives up to at least half of the 73 million he will be getting paid through the next 7 years. There will be a few question marks about Dampier, did he just play for a contract and will he fit into Nellie's run and gun style of play? That remains to be seen. Dampier will still improve the Mavs even If he doesn't average the double double he had last year, 9 and 8 will do for Dallas along with tough defense against the big's of the western conference. Key Additions Marquis Daniels Calvin Booth Jason Terry Alan Henderson Erick Dampier Avery Johnson Key Subtractions Steve Nash Danny Fortson Antoine Walker Tony Delk Eduardo Najera Antawn Jamison Mavericks Depth Chart PG-Jason Terry/Devin Harris/Avery Johnson SG-Marquis Daniels/Jerry Stackhouse SF-Michael Finley/Josh Howard PF-Dirk Nowitzki/Calvin Booth/Alan Henderson C-Erick Dampier/DJ Mbenga/Shawn Bradley Starting 5 Review Point Guard -As mentioned above, Jason Terry gives Dallas a good shooting point guard who can also run the break and finish. Many say he isn't a point guard and only plays there due to his lack of size for the 2 spot. One of the main questions about Terry will be his ability to run the offense and get the ball to the big time players, Dirk, Finley and Daniels. Shooting Guard -Marquis Daniels will be now given a chance to start for a full season. He impressed many people who his performances in the last few months of the season and during the playoffs where he averaged over 15.8 points per game against the Kings. There's no reason not to expect at the very least 15 points per game from Daniels this year, he will certainly be one of their main options of offense. Small Forward - Michael Finley the team vet on this team will again be needed for his instant offense and three-point shooting. Finley has seen alot of changes happen in Dallas during his time with the Mavericks, this year will be no different. With Nash gone he is going to have to get used to playing with new faces and point guards. How he plays will again be key to their team success. Finley isn't getting any younger but he can still put up the numbers. He will also have to show some leadership to replace Steve Nash's job on the team. Power Forward - Dirk Nowitzki will be depended on as much as ever to lead to the Mavericks into the playoffs and even further into the post season. Dirk the best European player in the NBA, he has great size and is impossible to defend. A 7'0 big man who can shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor. Last season by his standards he had abit of an off year, averaging 21.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. His shooting % also went down from the year before. Alot of that has to do with the added talent Mark Cuban put on the roster, this year Dirk should get back to his old self. We all saw his game jump into the playoffs where he averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds a game. Averages of 26 and 10 is what people should expect through this season. His defense is his weak point but even that has improved. A truly talented player and Dallas's success will depend a lot on this man. Center -Erick Dampier's job on the Mavs will be very simple this year. Rebound the basketball and play good tough defense inside the paint. Dampier won't have to score much in the Mavericks system, they are already loaded with scorers. Dampier's job is making life easier for all-star Dirk Nowitzki. Which can leave Dirk to depend more on scoring and rebounding than having to guard the big's of the west. Last season Dampier was very successful on both ends against the teams with the big name forwards and centers, his job will be like it was last year. Trying to restrict those guys as best he can. Dampier got a huge contract this summer, It's time he shows the world why he was given such a big deal. Season Predictions The Mavericks should have a more successful season more due to the fact they have a roster that has not been changed during training camp like It was last year. They have made a lot of changes this season but It was done rather early in the off-season. With all the Mavs in training camp with no new faces, they should be able to play better as a team. The most important fact from their team last year, they have become better defensively. Terry, Daniels and Finley will likely be the 1, 2, 3 starters and they can all defend. Josh Howard is a very good defender who should see some more minutes at the 3 spot. They brought in Booth and most importantly Erick Dampier who is a big body to guard the top centers and forwards in the west. Dallas's problem has never been scoring It has been lack of interior and perimeter defense that has been their main problem. Jerry Stackhouse should instantly become a 6th man of the year contender. He will replace the role of Antawn Jamison by providing offense and energy off the bench. If he stays healthly and Donnie Nelson can get Stack to play into his team concept, He will be a very good player for Dallas. As many know by now Dallas will be in the new Southwest Division. Along with the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzles and the New Orleans Hornets. This by far the toughest division in the NBA. With 5 out of the 6 teams last year having over 500 records, with 3 of the 5 all getting over 50 wins. It will be a very tough division to predict. The top 3 division winners will all get the top 3 seeds in the playoff seedings. I fully Expect the Spurs to win this division, the battle to me will be for 2nd place. 3 teams will be fighting for the 2nd spot in the division, the Mavericks, Rockets and the Grizzles. They are all very talented enough to challenge for that spot. Houston added Tracy Mcgrady was a huge move for them, any time you add a top 5 player you are bound to improve. It will be interesting to see how the new T-mac/Yao duo works. Which will take a few years to take shape but those guys have nothing but time. Houston look good on paper as do the Mavs. I will have to give the Mavs the edge to get 2nd place in this division due to the overall talent and depth being simply better than what the Rockets currently have. Both teams have two very good centers, two franchise players and are solid at the small forward position. Houston's weak point guard position is going to be their downfall I feel, It's a very important part of your team and quite frankly they have a bunch of back-up point guards instead of starter quality. I expect the Mavericks to be the 4th seed and gain home court advantage through the first round of the playoffs. They have the right balance of talent, scorers, shooters and now size up front. Expect another 50 win season from Dallas even with the loss of Steve Nash. By mid-season most Dallas fans will be saying, "Steve, who?"
I edited the thread because I needed to change the depth chart, I forgot to mention Shawn Bradley while putting DJ Mbenga as the back-up center and moving Calvin Booth to back-up power forward.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Banks:</div><div class="quote_post">I think you're being very optimistic about the season.</div> Not really, they have all the right parts to get homecourt advantage. They now finally him a center who can rebound and play defense, they still have a top 10 player in their ranks and their depth is still as strong as ever. How Jason Terry plays at point guard will be a question mark but I'm real high on Devin Harris so they should be ok. After Spurs, Wolves and the Kings there isn't really a big difference from the teams ranked 4th to 9th. As I mentioned they have a few question marks and chemistry has to be strong but they should contend for homecourt.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Not really, they have all the right parts to get homecourt advantage. They now finally him a center who can rebound and play defense, they still have a top 10 player in their ranks and their depth is still as strong as ever. How Jason Terry plays at point guard will be a question mark but I'm real high on Devin Harris so they should be ok. After Spurs, Wolves and the Kings there isn't really a big difference from the teams ranked 4th to 9th. As I mentioned they have a few question marks and chemistry has to be strong but they should contend for homecourt.</div> You have to keep in mind that there isn't much chemistry with this new group. Terry will have to change his game significantly to fit into this system, because he's a 2 in a PG's body. You have to believe that Stack will eventually have a problem coming off the bench, since he has a attitude problem. Even if he does start, his health isn't that good. Finely recent reported injuries could catch up to him and hurt the team in the long run. How will Dirks past injuries hold up? If he goes down, they don't really have a replacement for him. If Terry doesn't fit in that well and is forced to play the 2, Harris who doesn't seem as ready as everybody though based on his play this preseason, is the next option. Daniels could play the point if they wanted, but he commits too many TO's at the 1. Their are still many question marks with this team, but I do not think they're good enough to finish 4th. Steve Nash's new team, the Suns, I believe are better team than the Mavs, even without a Center in the West. Stoudemire and Marion can get it down inside, their only concerns really are Yao and Shaq, and they have enough fire power to still beat both teams.
There's alot of IF's in every team and thats something you can't say will be their downfall. You have to look at what they have now and say do they have a chance to be successful? I would say certainly. Jason Terry is a guy who I think won't have to change his game that much, his game of shooting the ball, getting out on the break and finishing is their kind of player. Obviously he isn't the passer that Steve Nash is but most of Dallas's success came from the pick and roll from Nash to Dirk, now thats a kind of play that is farely simple for any above average passer and player. As for Stackhouse? people really underrate this guy. When in a winning situation he will always do whats asked of him. He did It in Detroit when Rick Carisle wanted him to become more of a team player who getting his team-mates involved by getting every guy on the floor a chance to score. He also played defense. Because of that Pistons won 50 games and made the 2nd round, which was considered a success after winning just 32 games the year before. Devin Harris from the games I have seen is very NBA ready, If he gets to become a starter I would expect all rookie first team. Charles Barkley has picked him to win rookie of the year. He is very talented and lighting quick. Prefect player for Dallas. He can also play defense. As I mentioned they have question marks but they should be able to put them a side and have a successful season. As for the Suns, I'm looking forward to watching them play this year. They are going to be really exciting to watch but they are too inexperienced for my liking. Maybe next year they will be a real force but I expect them to have a season like Denver did last year, be fun to watch and beat and surprise the big name teams..nothing more just yet. If Dallas fail this year It could be down to a few things Don Nelson Injures chemistry With the team they have now, they shouldn't struggle and should contend for homecourt. Although with Dallas you can never tell whats going to happen. They could be really good or really bad.
On paper, I think this team is way better than last year. It'll be interesting to see how the offense runs under Terry.
The Mavs will play above the Rockets & the Suns. Give them 2 months and you'll see how good this team will be. Let's not forget the Rockets lack a good point guard & bench depth. What happens if Mcgrady or Yao falls to injury? Who'll take over? About the mavs playing cohesively together, we keep forgeting that these guys are pro ballers.That they've been playing basketball all their lives. Playing well together is just a matter of time. It's a long season and thay have all time they need.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting calories:</div><div class="quote_post">The Mavs will play above the Rockets & the Suns. Give them 2 months and you'll see how good this team will be. Let's not forget the Rockets lack a good point guard & bench depth. What happens if Mcgrady or Yao falls to injury? Who'll take over? About the mavs playing cohesively together, we keep forgeting that these guys are pro ballers.That they've been playing basketball all their lives. Playing well together is just a matter of time. It's a long season and thay have all time they need.</div> I agree with calories. Mavs are more experienced and the better unit than Rockets and the Suns. Nelson is an experienced coach to sort out issues if things go wrong and with Avery Johnson joining the coaching, the players are going to be more motivated and focused. My only concerns now are injuries to Daniels,Stack and Finley early in the season. Mavs have a very easy schedule to start off and hoped they could get off to an early lead in the division. I would still see Mavs to surprise the league this year. My final verdict : 4th seed and another 50 win season.
Great review. As far as being over-optimistic, I don't think so. I mean, if Tim Duncan breaks his leg.... but every year Dirk has missed a few games, Finley has missed a few games, Daniels and Howard have missed a few, so what, this team has depth to continue winning without one or two or three key players for a short stretch. The key wil be defense. This team could still be a top two or three offensive team, but the goal is to be about the 10th best defense. This would be a formula for playoff success. I agree with 4th, I think Houston and Denver are the main competition, but those teams have the same chemistry questions as Dallas, and much less depth.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Not really, they have all the right parts to get homecourt advantage. They now finally him a center who can rebound and play defense, they still have a top 10 player in their ranks and their depth is still as strong as ever. How Jason Terry plays at point guard will be a question mark but I'm real high on Devin Harris so they should be ok. After Spurs, Wolves and the Kings there isn't really a big difference from the teams ranked 4th to 9th. As I mentioned they have a few question marks and chemistry has to be strong but they should contend for homecourt.</div> The Kings??
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheNextJordan8:</div><div class="quote_post"> The Kings??</div> Yes the Kings, they are still very talented and will likely win their divison, they should infact easily win their divison which is why I mentioned them after Spurs and Wolves. They depth is not as great but they can still score a bunch of points.
I think the Mavs can finish in the 3 spot like the did 2 seasons ago. I think Dampier and Jason might have been the pieces of the puzzle they were looking for, but thats just my opinoin. I also feel that this team, could very well win the Southwest, but injuries, and chemistry could very well put this team in the bottom in the playoffs as well.
^^^ IF they do win the southwest it'll damn well be putting them 2nd or 1st. Cuz were not getting out ranked by the Pacific, unless we lose the division.
Yep..The 3rd seed seems to be locked for the pacific division winners. Here's my western conference playoff seeding predictions. Timberwolves Spurs Lakers/Kings Mavs Nuggets Rockets Kings/Lakers Grizzlies ---------------- <competing for 8th spot> Suns Jazz For the Mavs to win the division, they really need to have a good start and should have a lead by 3-4 games around all-star break. Spurs kick it up a notch after the all-star break and we need some cushion. If Lakers win the pacific division, Kings have gotta be real bad, hence I've placed them at 7th.
