Harrison Barnes is one of Dallas’ noteworthy additions (Getty)
With star forward Dirk Nowitzki on the tail end of what will be a Hall of Fame career, the Dallas Mavericks entered the offseason with the goal of signing more high-level talent not only to help Dirk but be ready to take the torch whenever he decides to retire. With that in mind Dallas signed two players with recent championship experience in forward Harrison Barnes and center Andrew Bogut.
Both were starters with the Golden State Warriors, winning a title in 2015 and reaching the NBA Finals last season. Barnes was heavily criticized for his play in the Finals, hitting the worst stretch of his season from a performance standpoint at the worst possible time. The question for Barnes is whether his production came as a result of Golden State’s pace and space system, or if he’s capable of being a marquee scoring option with another team.
Dallas, which reached the playoffs last season but lost to the Thunder in the first round, have the players needed to return this season. But do they have enough to make a run in the West?
Here’s a look at the roster:
Mavericks Projected Starting Lineup
Still the face of the franchise, Dirk Nowitzki is looking to win another title (Getty)
G: Deron Williams (14.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.8 apg) Williams made 75 starts during the regular season for the Mavericks, shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three-point range. If Dallas is to improve, one of the keys will be for Williams to be a more efficient point guard. Williams finished the regular season with an offensive rating of 105, with his shooting percentages being the biggest reason why.
G/F: Wesley Matthews (12.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg) Matthews arrived in Dallas by way of Portland, where his 2014-15 season ended due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Coming off of that injury Matthews managed to play in 78 games, all starts, but he shot just 38.8 percent from the field. With a year in Rick Carlisle’s system under his belt, Matthews may be able to make some strides offensively for the Mavericks in 2016-17.
F: Harrison Barnes (11.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg) While Barnes did have his scoring opportunities with the Warriors, he wasn’t a primary option thanks to the presence of the likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. That should change in Dallas, with Nowitzki still being “the man” but having more room to accommodate for a player of Barnes’ caliber. Was his poor NBA Finals simply a case of Barnes slumping at the wrong time? Or was it something bigger than that? We’ll certainly find out.
F: Dirk Nowitzki (18.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg) Nowitzki led the Mavericks in scoring, and in doing so he shot 44.8 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three. The field goal percentage was the lowest produced by Nowitzki since his rookie season (1998-99), and he hadn’t shot that poorly from three since the 2011-12 campaign. The hope is that the roster additions will help Nowitzki regain his shooting accuracy.
C: Andrew Bogut (5.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.3 apg) Like Barnes, Bogut makes the move from the Bay Area to Dallas. Bogut wasn’t asked to score much with Golden State, instead focusing on rebounding and defending. There could be more chances to score in Dallas, but for a team that ranked 17th in defensive efficiency Bogut’s biggest responsibility will be to anchor a defense in need of improvement.
Mavericks Projected Bench
Justin Anderson made noticeable strides as a rookie (Getty)
G: J.J. Barea (10.9 ppg, 4.1 apg) Barea served as a spark plug off the bench for the Mavericks, with his ability to not only break through defenses off the dribble but score as well. Barea shot 44.6 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three in 2015-16.
G: Devin Harris (7.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg) Harris has the size and skill set to play either on or off the basketball for the Mavericks, something he did in 64 appearances last season. Harris shot just 32.9 percent from beyond the arc, and he was more adept and getting to the rim off the bounce than spotting up for perimeter shots.
G/F: Justin Anderson (3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg) Anderson didn’t score much as a rookie, but his athleticism and willingness to defend kept the Virginia product within the rotation. To take the next step Anderson will need to continue to improve his offensive skill set, as he shot just 40.6 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from three as a rookie.
F: Quincy Acy (5.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg) Acy played in 59 games for the Kings last season, making 29 starts. Signed to a two-year deal with this season being guaranteed, Acy’s a hard-nosed post defender who does not back down from a challenge. He’ll be a good option for the Mavericks to have on their bench for that reason.
F/C: Dwight Powell (5.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) Powell produced the best season of his four-year NBA career last season, making 69 appearances and playing an average of 14.4 minutes per game as a result. Powell, who shot 49.3 percent from the field, did most of his damage around the basket as more than 51 percent of his field goal attempts coming within two feet of the basket.
C: Salah Mejri (3.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg) The 7-foot-1 center from Tunisia played in 34 games last season, blocking just over one shot per game. Mejri made some strides throughout the season for Dallas, but he’ll be challenged for minutes by a rookie 7-footer out of Purdue.
C: A.J. Hammons (Rookie) Hammons was one of the best big men in the Big Ten as a senior, and throughout his career he made strides in both consistency and maturity. Dallas selected Hammons in the second round of June’s NBA Draft, and he has a guaranteed contract going into training camp. Dallas has a number of big men, but to get a player with Hammons’ polish could prove to be a steal down the line.
Other Players in Mavericks Training Camp
The Mavs signed Seth Curry to a two-year deal this summer (Getty)
G Seth Curry: Curry agreed to a two-year deal with the Mavericks this summer, after scoring 6.8 points per game with the Kings last season. He’ll be on the 15-man roster when the season begins.
G/F Nicolas Brussino: A native of Argentina, Brussino agreed to a three-year non-guaranteed deal this summer. Brussino played for Penarol last season, averaging 14.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
F Dorian Finney-Smith: The former Florida forward also has a non-guaranteed deal, and was a versatile player during his time in Gainesville. Finney-Smith managed to improve his overall skill set at Florida after playing primarily in the post at Virginia Tech before transferring.
Mavericks Coaching Staff
Head coach: Rick Carlisle (Ninth season; 661-471 career record; 42-40 2015-16 record.)
Assistant coaches: Melvin Hunt, Kaleb Canales, Jamahl Mosley, Darrell Armstrong
UPDATE (10/17): The Mavericks announce that they have signed forward/center Jaleel Cousins and waived forward Jameel Warney.
UPDATE (10/22): The Mavericks announce that they have waived guards Jonathan Gibson, Keith Hornsby and Kyle Collinsworth, guard/forward C.J. Williams, and center Jaleel Cousins.
