Offseason questions: Who will emerge in a crowded backcourt?
Earl K. Sneed writes that the Dallas Mavericks will have plenty of options this upcoming season in the backcourt, an area that appeared to be a weakness when free agency began.
Offseason questions: Who will emerge in a crowded backcourt?
When the Dallas Mavericks were spurned by point guard Deron Williams in free agency before also losing Jason Kidd and Jason Terry to the Eastern Conference, many fans were left scratching their heads as to who would hold down the backcourt spots for the former champs while matching up in a guard-dominated West.
But the Mavericks’ front office quickly switched gears to a series of backup plans, bringing in a bevy of young veteran guards to make what appeared to be an area of weakness perhaps their greatest strength.
After trading back in June’s NBA Draft from No. 17 to No. 24, the Mavs acquired combo guard Jared Cunningham out of Oregon State. The rookie will have plenty of bodies ahead of him, however, when training camp begins.
After the draft, the team added three-year budding star Darren Collison and nine-year veteran Dahntay Jones in a sign-and-trade deal last month that sent backup big man Ian Mahinmi to Indiana.
The Mavs didn’t just stop there, inking free-agent guard O.J. Mayo to a deal before re-signing Delonte West, adding depth to a backcourt that already featured talented youngsters like Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones.
But with so much talent at Mavs coach Rick Carlisle’s disposal, who will be the odd man -- or men -- left out of the rotation after the competition for playing time begins with training camp in the fall?
In Collison, the Mavericks figure to have a starter at the point position as the soon-to-be 25-year-old will likely have a chip on his shoulder after losing the same job to George Hill in Indiana following a late-season groin injury.
Still, with West back in the fold and Beaubois -- who was drafted four spots behind Collison in the 2009 Draft -- trying to recapture the “point guard of the future” tag, there could be plenty of competition to fill Kidd’s shoes.
Meanwhile, after an impressive showing in the Las Vegas Summer League last month while playing primarily as a point guard as Cunningham sat out with a nagging hamstring injury and tendinitis in his knee, Dominique Jones doesn’t appear ready to concede playing time as he enters his third season.
The natural assumption is that eight-time All-Star Vince Carter will see less time at the 2 this year and more time backing up four-time All-Star Shawn Marion at small forward. That brings us to Mayo, who appears to be a shoo-in for the starting 2-guard spot and a likely candidate for the No. 2 scoring duties now that Terry has migrated on to Boston. He can also assume some of the ball-handling duties while playing alongside another lead guard.
And with added versatility and an expected scoring boost, Carlisle seems to be pleased with both the competition and the future offensive flexibility that awaits.
“I think it’s something the whole league is looking for now,” Carlisle said in an interview with NBA TV last month. “You’re seeing more and more teams having two guys that can trade and swap spots; 2-guards that can make plays, point guards that can play off the ball. And the more guys become diverse in their skill sets, the better the game flows and the more fun it is to watch. But it’s always gonna be more fun to play, too.”
