Coming off their worst season since Mark Cuban bought the team in 2000, the Mavericks are still stuck between the twilight of the Dirk Nowitzki Era and a total rebuild. Harrison Barnes has shown he can be a leading man at forward, Nerlens Noel has promise in the middle and rookie Dennis Smith Jr could be a find. But, overall, Dallas seems still stuck in cellar.
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ICYMI
Franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki signed a new two-year contract and will enter his 20th season with team … After much haggling, the Mavs and big man Nerlens Noel agreed on a one-year contract for $4.1 million … Selection of Dennis Smith Jr. with the No. 9 pick in the Draft could be striking jackpot after he stood out with his play in the Summer League … Picked up forward Josh McRoberts and a second round pick in trade with Miami for A.J. Hammons.
THREE POINTS
1. This is a developmental season when the Mavericks to find out if their top draft pick Dennis Smith Jr. can live up to the early returns and he’s man to run the team in the future. They also need Seth Curry to step up.
2. With lots of big name free agents coming onto the market in the summer of 2018, the Mavericks need to weather a stormy season and keep their cap flexibility. Landing high enough to get another top lottery pick wouldn’t hurt either.
3. The Mavericks need 39-year-old Dirk Nowitzki to stay healthy and keep scoring big buckets as he climbs up the top five of the all-time NBA scoring list.
MAN ON THE SPOT
With $35 million still left on his contract that runs through 2019, 31-year-old Wesley Matthews has to show that he’s completely over the torn Achilles’ tendon and get back to form at both ends. If not, he could end up as a salary dump around the trade deadline.
STARTING FIVE
Dennis Smith Jr. | 18.1 ppg | 4.6 rpg | 6.2 apg (at NC State)
Strong, confident rook and ready to take over the controls of the offense.
Wesley Matthews | 13.5 ppg, | 3.5 rpg, | 2.9 apg
Big free-agent signing from two years ago needs to step up and deliver.
Nerlens Noel | 8.5 ppg, | 6.8 rpg, | 0.9 apg
Defensive presence in the middle needs to step up his offensive game.
Harrison Barnes | 19.2 ppg, | 3.8 rpg, | 1.5 apg
Proved that he can carry the burden as primary scorer to lead his team.
Dirk Nowitzki | 14.2 ppg, | 6.5 rpg, | 1.5 apg
Old reliable can still deliver big buckets at big times, if he can stay healthy.
KEY RESERVES
Seth Curry | 12.8 ppg, | 2.6 rpg, | 2.7 apg
Must show that he can deliver consistently as part of long term plan.
Devin Harris | 6.7 ppg, | 2.0 rpg, | 2.1 apg
At 34, he’s still got the quickness to come off the bench and deliver.
Dwight Powell | 6.7 ppg, | 4.0 rpg, | 0.6 apg
Decent defender hardly delivers the scoring punch when Nowitzki is on the bench.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Cuban himself will be the first to say the Mavericks are in a rebuilding mode. But they haven’t fully stripped down to the foundation with 39-year-old Dirk still on board. They need to manage expectations in another non-playoff season and hope for a high lottery pick.
Fran Blinebury has covered the NBA since 1977. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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