Offseason questions: Are Collison, Mayo ready to lead Mavs' backcourt youth movement?
Earl K. Sneed looks at the emerging youth movement in the Dallas Mavericks' backcourt, which is expected to be led by new additions Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo.
Offseason questions: Are Collison, Mayo ready to lead Mavs' backcourt youth movement?
After a 39-year-old Jason Kidd manned the controls in Dallas by season’s end last year, it became clear to the Mavericks’ front office that it was time for a youthful resurgence in the backcourt.
With Kidd now in the Big Apple and 34-year-old sixth man Jason Terry also departing to the Boston Celtics in free agency, the door opened for an influx of young talent. Enter new additions Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo, a pair of young guards expected to lead the charge alongside three-year budding star Rodrigue Beaubois, two-year pro Dominique Jones and rookie Jared Cunningham. All of which are under the age of 25.
But are the Mavs too young when it comes to the guard positions?
Not if you ask Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
With added youth, more athleticism and explosiveness, Cuban admits he is excited to see the young guards develop and jell with 11-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki. And as eight-year pros Delonte West and Dahntay Jones provide the only true veteran presence in the backcourt, this season could serve as a changing of the guard – pun intended – in Big D.
“We want these guys to develop into a D.C. [Collison] and O.J. tandem that can be a foundation for years to come,” Cuban said in an interview Tuesday on ESPN 103.3 FM’s The Ben and Skin Show, “and we keep them together and we improve and we grow with them and have the ability to continue to add players.”
He added: “I want these guys to stay and develop, because they could be a great, young nucleus.”
In both Collison’s first three seasons and Mayo’s first four neither shied away from the big moment with their former teams. Meanwhile, Beaubois has showed Mavs fans plenty glimpses of stardom while stepping in and contributing in his first three campaigns, leaving the little-used Dominique Jones and untested Cunningham as the lone questions in the young crop of guards.
But with the ability to lean on Nowitzki and a veteran-laden frontcourt, the Mavs’ young guard rotation should find it easy to thrive. One other thing is also a virtual certainty: with both Kidd and Terry gone, the opportunities figure to be aplenty for the youngsters to take advantage of this season and maybe even for seasons to come.
