Dallas Mavericks Predictions

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Last Year’s Record: 36-30

Key Losses: Lamar Odom, Brendan Haywood, Jason Terry, Ian Mahinmi

Key Additions: Chris Kaman, Jared Cunningham, Bernard James, Jae Crowder, O.J. Mayo, Elton Brand, Darren Collison, Dahntay Jones

Player Outlooks

Center

Chris Kaman

Kaman’s value for the Mavs comes mostly on the defensive end where he is a strong rebounder and a very good shot blocker. On offense he finishes well, but is sloppy with the ball and not a very good shooter outside of 10 feet.

Forwards

Shawn Marion

Marion is a dynamic defender who is quick enough to guard smaller players, yet big enough to post up on offense against most wings. He is at his best when he attacks the basket, but is settling for mid-range jumpers more and more often, which is probably a result of his age. He is still one of the best rebounding small forwards in the game, however, and has improved his passing recently meaning he can still be a valuable asset.

Dirk Nowitzki

Despite his age, Nowitzki is still one of the top offensive players in the league. With his height he is almost impossible to defend outside of the paint, where he continues to be one of the best shooters in the NBA. He isn’t strong enough to bang away in the paint on defense, but his prowess on offense more than makes up for any defensive deficiencies.

Elton Brand

Brand isn’t much of a threat in the paint offensively anymore, but his mid-range jumper is good and he is still a strong defender. He may have some problems defending one-on-one against good scoring post men, but his defensive skills should still be helpful in Dallas.

Brandon Wright

Wright is a solid player when he’s healthy, but that has been an issue for him throughout his career. He has a good shot from short range, but doesn’t post up well and is a poor rebounder for his size. He does have some shot-blocking ability on defense, but isn’t very physical enough to stop bigger power forwards.

Guards

Darren Collison

Collison is an excellent offensive point guard and is developing into a better passer. His biggest problem is that he looks to shoot first, despite having so much offensive talent around him. He is quick on defense, but undersized against most other 1s in the league.

Delonte West

West can play at the 1 or the 2 and will be effective when he does play. He is a solid mid-range shooter and defends very well for his size. The problem is that he averages just 54 games per season.

O.J. Mayo

Mayo can fill it at both point and on the wing, but he struggled last year when trying to defend smaller, quicker 1s. He is a good enough shooter to be effective on offense, but hasn’t shown the ability to get to the paint at this level. He’s clearly more effective as a 2 guard, but is small for the position.

Vince Carter

Carter has lost a lot of his explosiveness on offense, but he is still a solid shooter from outside and can distribute the ball better than you might think. He is also an underrated defender, but his age is a growing concern and his production overall dropped sharply in the second half of the season last year.

Team Outlook

Dallas has a good chance to make the playoffs, but lack star power after Nowitzki, making it unlikely that they travel very far into the post season. They should be good defensively, but it’s hard to see where their offense is going to come from outside of Dirk. They could very well make a midseason move for a huge player like Chris Paul or Josh Smith, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 40/1

Odds to Win the Western Conference:  18/1

About the Author: Steve will be the first to tell you that College Football is his passion, but he enthusiastically follows the NFL, NBA, College Hoops, and Major League Baseball. Get started today with a premium package from Steve Janus!
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