The Dallas Mavericks Preview
The Dallas Mavericks have maintained a steady presence in the NBA’s Western Conference. After years and years of disappointing seasons, Mark Cuban’s ownership of the franchise has resulted in many positive moves.
The Mavs have fallen back the last couple seasons – they were once the frontrunner in the West but now have become an average team. It wasn’t too long ago they were going deep into the playoffs.
The Mavs finished 3rd in the Southwest division in 08′-09′ with a record of 50-32. The Mavs were top 10 in scoring in the NBA averaging 102 points per game.
In 08′-09′Dirk Nowitzki had another stellar season averaging nearly 26 points per game. While Dirk has been criticized for his leadership in the past – he still is one of the best players in the game.
Most notably, Shawn Marion’s addition to the team will give the Mavs a defensive toughness that the team desperately needs. Shawn Marion will reunite with former teammate Jason Kidd (they played together in Phoenix with the Suns), and his all around versatility will be invaluable to the team. If Marion can contribute like he did in Phoenix, this move will payoff big for Cuban.
It seems as if the Mavs can score plenty of points now – but can they stop anyone on defense. To win games in the playoffs teams must stop opposing teams in critical situations; the Mavs do not have a shut down type player. Opposing teams scoring average was in the middle of the league at 15th.
Dirk Nowitzki is often forced to focus on rebounds, which takes away from his ability to do what he does best – score the basketball. He’s still put up big numbers over the years, but it’s been tough come playoff time. He’s been called out on his presence when it comes to playing under pressure.
The Lakers are the favorite once again to win the West, but things can change, players can get hurt, teams that were once good the previous season aren’t so much the next, many things can happen. The Mavs hope they will rise again to the top of the West, but it won’t be easy.
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