2014-2015 in Review
A 50-32 record in 2014-2015 landed the Dallas Mavericks six games behind the first-place Houston Rockets in the Southwest Division. It was a fourth-placed finish for the Mavs, who were ousted from the playoffs by their division rivals in four games.
In the toughest division in basketball, the Mavericks held their own, but suffered from a second-half distraction in Rajon Rondo, who was acquired from the Celtics earlier in the season. Rick Carlisle and the veteran point guard butted heads constantly which, at one point, resulted in a suspension for Rondo. It was clear that the Mavs needed to rid themselves of the cancer that derailed their season.
New Additions
Wesley Matthews
Matthews signed a four-year, $70 million contract this summer with the Mavericks. The former Portland Trail Blazer is currently recovering from surgery that was required to repair a torn Achilles tendon that forced him to miss the postseason in 2015.
The 28 year-old shooting guard claims that he will be ready for the season opener, much to the opposition of Carlisle. Matthews averaged 15.9 points-per-game last season in 60 games with the Blazers and is a great addition at shooting guard for the Mavericks.
Deron Williams
Claimed off waivers this summer, Williams was finally exiled by the Brooklyn Nets. A move that was foreseen for months resulted in the Mavericks quickly finding their next starting point guard. The eleventh-year veteran has declined significantly over the past several seasons with the Nets. Williams simply is not the player he once was for the Utah Jazz and the past two seasons were two of just three years that Williams did not start every game in which he played.
What once used to be a 20-point scorer and 10-plus assister is now looking at 13 and six averages, respectively. But, after losing both Rondo and Monta Ellis to free agency, the Mavericks got the point guard they so desperately needed.
Zaza Pachulia
Pachulia came over in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for the cheap price of a future second-round draft pick. The move was done in the wake of the Mavericks losing out on prized center, DeAndre Jordan. Prior to that, they had let hometown favorite, Tyson Chandler, explore free agency and, ultimately, sign with the Phoenix Suns.
Pachulia is entering his 13th season in the NBA and will be depended on to start more games than he has become accustomed to. In 73 games with the Bucks last season, Pachulia started 45, averaging 23.7 minutes and 8.3 points per game. He is a slight downgrade from Chandler, but a necessary roster addition at center.
JaVale McGee
Another move that was made in attempt to cope with the failure to lock up Jordan, McGee signed a two-year minimum deal with the Mavs in August. It was an affordable acquisition, but will not help the Mavericks feel any better about the fact that Jordan backed out of an agreement to sign with the team.
The Los Angeles Clippers were subsequently fined for their role in bringing their center back as the Mavs were hung out to dry. As for McGee, entering his eighth year in the league, he is recovering from a serious leg injury that forced him to miss all but 28 games over the past two seasons. Once a strong rim-protector and capable scorer, the 27 year-old's health is in doubt.
Key Losses
Rajon Rondo
No surprise here. Rondo was dealt by the Boston Celtics in the first half of the 2014-2015 season in attempt to gain something in return before Rondo became a free agent in the summer of 2015. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they were forced to deal with the burden of letting the veteran point guard corrupt their chemistry and walk away. It became clear shortly after acquiring Rondo that he would not be part of the team's future. The 29 year-old signed with the Sacramento Kings this offseason.
Monta Ellis
Insult to injury, Ellis also signed with another team in the offseason. His play suffered in part due to Rondo, but the ten-year veteran was exceptional for most of the 2014-2015 season. Ellis was able to cash in with the Indiana Pacers, who inked him to a four-year deal worth $43.9 million. Ellis averaged over 18 points-per-game with the Mavericks last season.
Tyson Chandler
Frustrated by the Mavs' continued ignorance toward him, Chandler is likely out of Dallas for good. Entering his fifteenth year in the league, Chandler has now been let go twice by Mark Cuban. The 33 year-old center signed with the Suns as the Mavericks were salivating over DeAndre Jordan this summer. Chandler averaged 10.3 points and 11.5 rebounds last season.
Amar'e Stoudemire
Brought in as a potential role player, Stoudemire never gave the Mavs what they wanted. His transition to the bench after coming over from the New York Knicks was unsuccessful and Stoudemire's scoring decreased with his minutes. The 32 year-old is now with the Miami Heat and was clearly not part of the Mavericks' future.
Biggest Strength
Experience
The Mavericks have three players in their expected starting lineup who have played in the NBA for over 10 years. Dirk Nowitzki leads the charge, entering his 18th season with the Mavs. The future Hall-of-Famer somehow managed to average over 17 points-per-game last season and nearly 22 the year before. Williams and Pachulia are the other two over the age of thirty whose experience alone will keep the Mavericks relevant. There are five other players on the roster over the age of 30. Nowitzki can clearly still play and him having won an NBA title with Carlisle in 2011 is one of team's most prized appeals. J.J. Barea is the lone other Maverick from that season who remains on the roster.
Biggest Weakness
Depth
One the team's strong suits last season has quickly become their biggest weakness. After losing key players to free agency this offseason, the Mavericks' bench thinned out. They are deepest at point guard but, elsewhere on the court will struggle to find support off the bench. Taking the team's age into consideration, depth is the last thing Rick Carlisle wants to be concerned about. The team will anxiously await the returns of Matthews and McGee, who each could make a noticeable impact on the team's depth chart.
Bottom Line
The Mavericks are not the same team they were back in 2011. Mark Cuban has done a masterful job constructing this team for the past five years, but has only kept their fans' hopes afloat during that time. Dirk Nowitzki is somehow still in his prime and, barring any injuries, could play-and play well-when he is 40.
But he needs other complementary pieces and the chips simply aren't the same this year for Cuban and Carlisle (who is entering a contract year). In the toughest division in basketball, making the playoffs is about the end of the line for the Mavericks.
Fantasy Slant
Most overrated: Deron Williams
An All-Star point guard that has always been overrated, Williams has been on the decline for several years. He likely will not have another season averaging 20 points-per-game and may struggle to reach the 15-point mark. Williams' health has become a concern and he has only played in more than 70 games once over the past five seasons.
He also did not start every game in which he played in each of the past two seasons which, prior to that, had only occurred during his rookie season. Williams can still play, but the uncertainty surrounding his inconsistency has overcome.
Most underrated: Dirk Nowitzki
Have you looked at this guy's numbers? In 17 years in the league, he has never averaged under 17 points-per-game for a season, other than his rookie year. Nowitzki has played, and started, around 80 games in nearly every season. At 37 years-old, he is one of the all-time greats from the 2000s. While it was never his specialty, Nowtizki remains a capable rebounder and had eight or more in all five of the Mavericks' playoff games last season.
The German sensation has averaged 35.5 minutes-per-game over the course of his career and, for just the second time in his career, Nowitzki failed to average 30 minutes-per-game last season. You could say he is on the decline, but the fact that he averaged 21.7 points-per-game two seasons ago would have Nowitzki saying, "Hi Haters."
Biggest surprise: Zaza Pachulia
Pachulia has been in the league for some time-mainly as a role player for the Bucks and Atlanta Hawks. His scoring average and rebounding both spiked last season, part of a continued increase from two years ago. His 8.3 points-per-game was the highest since the 2006-2007 season, when he averaged 12.2ppg, while his 6.8 rebounds-per-game was the highest since the 2011-2012 season (7.9rpg).
Pachulia also ranked sixth among centers in assists last season and third in steals among his counterparts. Starting next to Dirk Nowitzki will certainly elevate his play and may give him more open looks underneath.