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Your 2009-10 Dallas Mavericks Preview

Grab a cup of coffee, and settle in. We’ll be waiting after the jump in a game-worn Nick Van Exel jersey with a big pile of words.

PART 1: MEET THE NEW GUYS

By Eric Celeste

3 Rodrigue Beaubois G 6-0 170 02/24/1988 Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe

I was home sick while the Vegas summer leagues were going on, which meant the only joy I had was downloading Mavs games and doing a little pre-preseason scouting. Having watched every minute of every Mavs summer league contest, then, let me assure you that the team was not surprised by Beaubois’ flashes of talent during the official preseason. From jump, he showed a lightning quick first step — he’ll be able to get in the lane against anyone — against a bunch of bigger-name rookies who were all lauded for their quickness. His three-point shot is too funky for me to feel comfortable with him hoisting 3s in a real NBA game, regardless his percentage. But make no mistake: he will contribute this year, as a long-armed defender and person who will pwn many backup point guards. He’ll also turn the ball over way too much, rarely see crunch time unless players are injured, and disappear come playoff time. (Unless, of course, his development affords them the luxury of including JJB in a trade come February.)

90 Drew Gooden F 6-10 250 09/24/1981 Kansas

I hated this acquisition because I made two inexcusable mistakes from a fan’s perspective: believing the conventional wisdom of the NBA press, and faulting a guy for what he can’t do instead of appreciating what he can do. (It’s the same reason many people sighed when they heard the team signed Tim Thomas.) The idea that Gooden is a knucklehead who forgets his defensive assignments and exasperates teammates may still be proven true, but he’s shown none of these problems so far. And how about what the eighth-year pro has always been able to do: rebound, score in the low post, and hit open 15-foot jumpers. The last time a Mavs center could do all those things was 19NeverAgo. Forget about his trade value. If this team makes a playoff run, he will be an integral part of it. He’s also the perfect compliment to a bruising, screen-setting center (Damp).

43 Kris Humphries F 6-9 235 02/06/1985 Minnesota

The fact that Jason Terry was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last year hid the fact that the Mavs had very little depth. Like a lot of people, I was skeptical when I read Chris Ford and John Hollinger say that if Humphries could get some run on a good team, he could be very productive. After all, 6-9 white guys from Minnesota don’t often get markedly better in their sixth season. But Humphries has been a revelation in preseason: hustling, defending, and knocking down that weird little flip shot of his. I’m still a little skeptical he can pull it off in the regular season — see how much you love him the first time he goes 1-for-11 in a big game – but ZCrain says he’s convinced Humphries will be a 20-minute-a-game stud. I hope so.

0 Shawn Marion F 6-7 228 05/07/1978 UNLV

I was astonished that anyone could find fault with the acquisition of Marion. Granted, I’ve been in the tank for him since I watched he and Dirk put on a one-on-one clinic in a summer league game 10 years ago, but c’mon. He’s an athletic freak who doesn’t need the ball to score. He can defend four, sometimes all five, guys on the floor. He struggled offensively in Miami (who doesn’t, except DWade — see: O’Neal, Jermaine) and Toronto (enough said), and people wonder whether or not he can still ball? Do they watch basketball? Mavs fans will love this guy. I don’t even know why I’m typing this it’s so obvious to me.

6 Quinton Ross G-F 6-6 193 04/30/1981 Southern Methodist

Everything you could hope from such a low-cost, defense-first pickup. Phil Jackson believes you can never have enough big guards who can defend (example: Ron Harper), and he’s right. The problem is, Quinton Ross is such a good defender, he shuts down the offense on both ends. I keeed, I keeed. But seriously, his shot is awful, and he should be fined every time he attempts anything but a layup. But how great would it have been to have him guarding J.R. Smith for stretches in the Denver series last year, while Marion guarded Melo? The Mavs have rarely had two elite-level perimeter defenders on their team, so they can’t often play the “make someone else beat you” game when going against two great scorers. Now they can, at least on occasion.

7 Tim Thomas F 6-10 240 02/26/1977 Villanova

As noted, suffers from Drew Gooden disease. Take him for what he is: a soft defender, a solid three-point shooter who can stretch the floor, and a veteran who will be stashed on the bench until the second half, where he will become more and more valuable once the playoffs arrive.

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PART 2: GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER

By Zac Crain

41 Dirk Nowitzki F 7-0 245 6/19/1978 Germany

For the first time since he entered the league, Dirk spent an extended period away from the game over the summer (right around two months), thanks to Mark Cuban’s decision not to let him play for Germany in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is. Dirk is 31. He’s played 11 seasons in the league. That’s 839 games, plus almost another 100 in the playoffs, and a bunch more for his national team. (Despite a history of ankle injuries, the fewest games he’s played in a single season, not counting his lockout-shortened rookie year, is 76.) Two months off the court, at this point, is enormous.

That might mean he starts the season a tick off his normal pace, as he finds his rhythm. But it should pay off huge down the line. Beyond that, what do you want? He’s Dirk. You’re getting an efficient 24 points, 9 rebounds, a few blocks and assists, and at least one shot per game that is the exact opposite of what every coach teaches. He’s even become a capable, if not exactly lockdown-caliber, defender. If you think otherwise, you’re not watching the games and/or are Charles Barkley.

31 Jason Terry G 6-2 180 9/15/1977 Arizona

Will Jet duplicate last year’s Sixth Man of the Year-winning output? Doubtful, since his 19.6-point scoring average was his highest since 2001-02, when he was one of the few options on a bad Atlanta Hawks team. So, yeah, there will likely be a bit of a drop-off. But will he fall off completely? Again, doubtful; during his time with the Mavericks, Jet has winnowed down his game to the essentials. He (generally) does what he’s good at, and leaves the rest to someone else. He’ll be solid, just maybe not as rock-solid as last season.

Something to watch: his three-point percentage has dipped noticeably in the past couple of seasons. One explanation: without a reliable inside presence and few other long-distance threats, it’s been easier to close out on him. A better one: he just shoots WAY too many bad threes. (Most assume that is his game. But a closer looks reveals that where he really excels is leaking out and getting easy transition buckets; he was second to only LeBron James most of last season in that category.) Also, the Denver series in last year’s playoffs proved that if a team has enough athletic defenders to run at him, he can disappear. This will not get better as he continues to drop a step or two.

That said, I think you can expect what we’ve come to expect from Jet.

2 Jason Kidd G 6-4 210 3/23/1973 California

It’s interesting how Kidd has reshaped his game in the season and change he’s been (back) in Dallas. I doubt anyone expected he’d become one of the team’s most reliable three-point threats when he came in from New Jersey. Or that he’d make more of a difference in the half-court rather than on fast breaks. The Mavs should run a bit more with Shawn Marion in the fold, but I’d still expect his difference to be felt more during the course of the regular offense.

People have questioned Kidd’s defense since his arrival in the trade that sent Devin Harris to the Nets. Stop. Please. Harris wasn’t going to shut down Tony Parker or Chris Paul either. Kidd is valuable as a quarterback on both ends, and he’s still disruptive in the passing lanes, knowing when to make the smart pass. And this year, he’ll have some help when the Mavs cross-match on defense with Quinton Ross chipping away at Parker and Paul. It’s still a problem, but unless the Mavs sign Venom as a backup PG, it’s not going away.

5 Josh Howard G-F 6-7 210 4/28/1980 Wake Forest

Now that he’s starting at shooting guard, Josh Howard’s transition from a guy who played hard on defense, took it to the rim at every opportunity, and just generally made things happen without ever needing the ball into latter-day Mike Finley (read: a ton of ill-advised fadeaway jumpers either too early or too late in the shot clock) is complete. Now, he’s been dealing with on-court injuries and off-court drama for the past couple of seasons. But I think, even when healthy, he’s just a different player now. Not a bad player. Just not what you hope for, necessarily. But, the addition of Marion allows the Mavs the spackle over Howard’s late-game fades. I still think the Mavs should have tried harder to reunite Josh with Marquis Daniels. One, I think it would have helped his game. And two, I think that off-court situation would have been off the charts.

11 Jose Barea G 6-0 175 6/26/1984 Northeastern

The NBA is a confidence league: if you have it, you can outperform expectations. Rick Carlisle has given JJ confidence, and so he is a wholly different player than the kid Avery Johnson would yank out of games at the slightest misstep. He’s the team’s most reliable player at getting into the lane, and he’s become a solid playmaker along with a creative finisher. I keep thinking he’s going to completely lose it. Doesn’t look like that’s happening anytime soon. Also, if he’s six-feet tall, then that makes me 6-3. At least.

25 Erick Dampier C 6-11 265 7/14/1975 Mississippi State

Two things could happen this season with Erick Dampier. He could sulk about his new role sharing time with Drew Gooden, take his pan hands and decide to mail it in. (I know: what’s the difference?) Or, since he’s essentially in a contract year, he could turn in a season like his last year in Golden State, when he was a double-double machine and convinced Avery Johnson to convince Mark Cuban to pay him iPhone money. I figure split the difference, and you’re probably close to Damp’s ‘09-10. As consistently inconsistent as ever.

33 James Singleton F 6-8 230 7/20/1981 Murray State

He gained a bunch of muscle this year, but he still looks like a real-life version of Mavs Man, which is as awesome and creepy as it ever was. At any rate, that should help him soak up whatever frontcourt banging comes his way. Other than his propensity to believe too much in his jump shot, Singleton is the stickiest of glue guys, doing whatever is required of him at any given time.

13 Matt Carroll G 6-6 212 8/28/1980 Notre Dame

Now that he’s taken to wearing a headband, he’ll look sharper waving a towel on the bench. Plus, he gives Kris Humphries someone to shoot threes against in practice, and that can’t be discounted. Probably.

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PART 3: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Can the Mavericks make it through the entire season relatively injury-free? This roster, as presently constructed, is a bit of a house of cards. If someone misses an extended period of time, we’re looking at a repeat of last season. At best.

How will Erick Dampier react to his new role, and all the discussion about what the Mavs will do with him at the trade deadline or in the offseason? Follow-up: does it matter?

Is it possible the team has come up with a scheme that combines the best of the Nellie (super versatile, constant match-up nightmare) and Little General (everyone is held accountable on defense; offense is practical, if not flashy) eras? Or the worst of those two (no consistency game-to-game in lineups and rotations; over-reliance on veterans)? I think it’s the former. I hope it is.

We’ll be back to answer some of those in more depth on Monday. Feel free to jump in downstairs.