Dallas Mavericks 2009-2010 Season Preview (Part 1)

Will the addition of Shawn Marion and a refined bench be enough to get Dallas to the top of the Western Conference?

Last year the Dallas Mavericks were 50-32 on their way to a 9th consecutive 50-win season and 1st round playoff victory over the rival San Antonio Spurs, even with Josh Howard hobbled for the majority of the season. Dallas' season came to an end in Denver after a controversial series came to an end with the Nuggets on top. This season, the Mavericks' have re-tooled their roster and Owner Mark Cuban feels these Mavs are the best yet. Let's take a look at this years newcomers in Part 1 of DPageSports' Mavericks season preview.

The Additions (in order from greatest impact to least):

1. Shawn Marion: Dallas gave up a few useless players (Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George) and one somewhat promising young player (Antoine Wright) for arguably the top wing player available through free agency or by trade. San Antonio traded for Richard Jefferson, and Orlando traded for Vince Carter, but Dallas got Marion for nearly half of what those two each command (RJ and VC both make between $14 and $16 million per season, Marion makes almost $8 million per). Now, Marion has played for 3 teams in the past 2 years (not including Dallas) and is coming off two of his least productive seasons, statistics-wise. The thought in Dallas is that Marion being re-united with a quality point-guard in Jason Kidd will turn him back into the player he was in Phoenix. So far in the preseason, Marion has been everything the Mavs want and more. In 3 games, Marion has shot over 75% from the field (.774) and averaged over 18 points. From what I have seen this preseason the majority of Marion's shots have been from in the paint or close to it which is actually what Dallas has been lacking: points in the paint. Shawn Marion isn't going to average over 20 ppg on this team, Dallas simply has too many scorers. What he will do is provide toughness, inside scoring, perimeter defense, and rebounding; all of which could be characterized as Mavericks' weaknesses. All-in-all a terrific move by Dallas which I see paying dividends all season long as the starting small forward.
   
2. Drew Gooden: Gooden seems to be widely viewed as what Dallas settled for after losing out on Orlando's Marcin Gortat, I don't see it as a bad move but I see him as merely a nice fit on a good team. Gooden has become a journeyman in the NBA but it shouldn't be lost that Gooden is a big man on a team that played a 6-6 power forward in Brandon Bass numerous times last season. Not only is he 6-10 and 250 pounds, but Gooden has proved throughout his 7-year NBA career that he can run the floor, hit an open shot, and even play some defense from time to time. Gooden might not be Dwight Howard, but he is a reliable scorer and a player that will thrive with Jason Kidd running the break. I believe he will average between 8-10 points and bring down 6 or 7 boards a game. This may not be much, but it is better than Erick Dampier who will now only play some of the time with Gooden getting the majority of the starts at the center postion while spelling Dirk Nowitzki at power forward some of the time.
   
3. Quinton Ross: The SMU product has shown in the pre-season that he is long, athletic, and willing to defend. He may not be much of a shooter or scorer, but on this team that is a good thing. He can cover anyone from the point guard to the small forward position and, despite his wiry frame at 6-6 and 193 pounds, Ross is versatile enough to cover the Carmelo Anthony's and Lebron James' of the world without getting bullied. Dallas needs toughness and a willingness to fight from their bench players and Quinton Ross embodies both of those traits. With Josh Howard expected to miss at least a couple of weeks recovering from ankle surgery in the off-season, Ross is likely to begin the season as this team's starting shooting guard.
4. Kris Humphries: This is another player Dallas got back from Toronto in the Shawn Marion trade. Humphries is more proof that the Mavericks realized they were simply too small and not athletic enough to legitimately compete in the Western Conference. At 6-9 and 235 pounds, Humphries plays to his size. Much like Brandon Bass, Humphries is a bruiser inside but also has some touch from about 15-feet away from the basket. I can see him taking the same role as Bass had last year as an energy guy off the bench who also brings some toughness.
5. Rodrigue Beaubois: The rookie point guard has shown flashes of his ability at points this preseason, but not enough for him to get any significant time this season with J.J. Barea and Jason Kidd in front of him. His day will come, but for now he will likely be buried at the end of the bench and used sparingly. Scouts proclaim that he is Tony Parker with a jump-shot and he has showed much promise thus far. Only time will tell how good he really can be.
   
6. Tim Thomas: At best the 10th or 11th man and 3-point specialist, at worst he can blow kisses at Dirk from the bench and hope for a big game. Easily the worst move of the off-season.

Turning Jerry Stackhouse, Antoine Wright, and Devean George into Shawn Marion and Nick Humphries is a steal by any stretch of the imagination. Drew Gooden and Quinton Ross were both solid signings that give this team the best depth they have had in years if not ever. Drafting Roddy B in the 1st round of the NBA draft and letting Jason Kidd tutor him is one of the best moves of the last couple of years for this franchise as Beaubois is going to be a stud in this league for many years to come, but for now he will be resigned to the bench.

Overall, Dallas got bigger, stronger, and better defensively this off-season. How will they do this season with their new weapons? Check out Part 2 of my Mavericks preview tomorrow.