Is the Mavs Off-Season a Failure? Not So Fast.

I’m tired of the Metroplex media bashing the Dallas Mavericks and Owner Mark Cuban for what they say is another failed off-season. It takes all 15 players to win a championship, not just a few superstars. The 2004 Detroit Pistons roster was led by Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Rip Hamilton, none of which could be referred to as Superstars. But they had a core of role players such as Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, Mehmet Okur, and Mike James (yes, the same Mike James we had last year). Ben Wallace was a rebounding machine. Could he score? No, and they didn’t care. Good defense on the wing by Prince and mid-range jumpers from Okur.  

Another example of this is the 2007 San Antonio Spurs. Everybody knows Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, but they won because of physical, fundamental defense and outside shooting of Bowen, Robert Horry, and Brent Barry. 

Going into the 2010-2011 season nobody in town thought The Mavs had a chance at a championship. They got Tyson Chandler for Erick Dampier, Erick Freaking Dampier. Yes, his middle name is Freaking, I looked it up. When Caron Butler went down with a torn ACL, everyone thought they were done. deShawn Stevenson stepped into the starting 2-Guard role and the teams mentality changed. The 2011 Mavs added Corey Brewer and Peja Stojakovic during the season. They both had huge roles in the sweep of the Lakers, Brewer’s defense on Kobe and Peja raining down three’s form the wing.  

My point is that the off-season isn’t everything in the NBA. Yes, the Mavs missed out on Dwight Howard this off-season. Yes, they missed out on Deron Williams last year. Did the Nets win the Championship last year? Did the Lakers? They had Kobe, Dwight, and Steve Nash. Now the Nets are going to try and win with 35-yr old Paul Pierce and 37-yr old fake tough-guy Kevin Garnett.

               

I leave this blog with the Mavs needing a Center and a couple of Forwards. Here are three unrestricted free agents at Center and Forward that could fit this coming Mavs team. Samuel Dalembert presents the Mavs with a Tyson Chandler-like player. Good shot-blocker, solid rebounder, 12-foot jump shot. These next two aren’t big names but both have some size and can rebound and block shots, Gustavo Ayon and Cole Aldrich. Ayon at 6’10” 250 lbs. had the Mavs eye a couple of years ago and Aldrich goes 6’11” 240lbs. Both are young, inexpensive players which could provide the Mavs with assets if either develops as well as Brandan Wright has.

At forward I have included an undersized Power Forward, Jason Maxiell,and two Small Forwards, Wesley Johnson and Austin Daye. Maxiell brings the Mavs a low post scoring threat and Johnson and Daye are both former 1^st Round picks that haven’t panned out (Much like Wright). Johnson and Daye would add outside shooting and length to the Mavs perimeter.  I’m not sure if any of these players are on the Mavs radar, but maybe they should be. 

                 

Possible trade targets could be Marcin Gortat of Phoenix, Drew Gooden of Milwaukee, Anderson Varejeo of Cleveland, and Toronto’s Marcus Camby. Gooden and Camby are at the tail end of their careers and would surely like to be on a contending team. Gortat has the best all-around game of them all. He’s crafty in the low block and is a solid rebounder. Anderson Varejeo is the most talented of the bunch, but also the most injury plagued. He played in 31 games in 2010-11 before tearing a ligament in his ankle. He missed all but 25 games in 2011-12 with a broken wrist, and last season he missed most of the season with a blood clot in his lung.

Whenever you start to doubt Donnie Nelson and Mark Cuban just remember how the 2010-11 season started for the Mavs. Erick Dampier for Tyson Chandler. Under the radar, small moves, no big splashes. The end result was a championship.

Update 7/15/13: Wesley Johnson signed with the Los Angeles Lakers

Update 7/16/13: Drew Gooden was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks

Update 7/17/13: Marcus Camby was waived by the Toronto Rapters

Update 7/18/13: Sam Dalembert has signed a two year $7.5M contract with the Dallas Mavericks

Stay tuned…

Geoff

@geoffrey_craig