Dallas Mavericks: Making a Point with Dynamic Guards, Deep Bench, Dirk Nowitzki

Well Mavericks Fans it's That Time Again!
 
Time to breakout our Mavericks gear or invest in the latest new jersey (I love this new blue alternate jersey by the way, had to have one).  Time to get ready as our Dallas Mavericks begin their quest for the ultimate prize of all...The NBA Championship. 
 
I got to see our Mavs play against the Cleveland Cavaliers last Saturday night, so I got a first hand look at the new guys on the team.  There was a lot to like from what I saw of individual players.
 
Of course our Mavs were victorious over the Cavs winning 93-82.  I missed seeing Shaquille O'Neal and LaBron James though.
 
Better Shaq and King James stay at home, having the flu bug running through the locker-room is the last thing the Mavericks need right now.
 
Our veterans of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Jose Juan Barea, and Dirk Nowitzki were what you expected of them.  Yes, they are ready to go for the season.
 
The Best is Still to Come!
 
Shawn Marion was still out sporting street clothes and nursing his sore calf.  Marion is expected to be ready to go for the first game of the regular season. 
 
From the glimpses we've seen of Marion this pre-season, he looks like the perfect fit for the Mavs.  Remember Marion's rookie season with the Phoenix Suns, Jason Kidd was the starting point-guard. 
 
Josh Howard , also in street clothes, was keeping Marion company on the bench.  Howard is questionable to be ready to start the regular season, and the teams time-table on him has been scratched. 
 
One bit of good news on Howard, he is participating in full contact drills with the team. So we should expect to see him back in the line-up soon.
 
Tim Thomas was hurt before the start of training camp, and underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his injured knee.  Not much on Thomas as far as updates from the Mavericks, I'm anxious to see how this three point specialist will contribute to the team.
 
The Return of the Thirty-Something Gang!
 
You couldn't miss the biggest jab at this roster of Mavericks, as there is presently seven members that are over thirty.  I seen them play and my opinion is they looked great for old men, but we will see how great they look after 82 games played.         
 
JJ Barea  is still the bundle of energy that we love and expect to see coming off the bench.  He has racked up a lot on playing time in the pre-season.  Loved his game against Orlando on October 5 scoring 13 points in the second quarter, his taking Dwight Howard to the hole for an and one was so sweet!
 
James Singleton is back and ready to contribute from the bench.  The Mav-Man look-a-like has bulked up over the summer, which should help on the defensive end.
 
Matt Carroll is back to no surprise, his contract is a bit to hefty to move him right now.  Carroll had Lasik surgery over the summer, he is out to prove that he really can shoot. 
 
The jury is still out as far as Carroll's shooting is concern, but I have been impressed with his defense during this pre-season.  And Carroll gets credit for the Mavericks first technical foul of the season, when he and Matt Barnes went at each other on  October 5 in at the Orlando Magic. 
 
Jet Terry has been smoking red-hot this preseason, he's feeling the groove on his three- pointers.  The Jet is definitely ready to take off for the regular season.
 
Eric Dampier is feeling the added pressure for the starting center job.  He knows the minutes at the center will be platooned to get the Mavericks the best match-up against their opponents. 
 
I almost had a heart-attack at the game when I saw Damp do this Mavs fans, and I have heard he can make them too.  That night Dampier just bricked it up, but it was the first time ever to see him launch one from behind the three-point arc.
 
I hope I never see one again, to be honest I would much rather see Dampier make his free-throws when he gets the "hack-a-Shaq."  We have plenty of real real shooters to take care of business shooting tres.
 
J Kidd is back and ready to command the Mavericks offense.  He is still the best passing point-guard in the league.  With Barea and the added draft-pick the Mavericks should be solid at the point-guard position.
 
Mavs fans one thing really concerns me that I saw from the game, at the end of the fourth quarter I saw Kidd sitting on the bench with both knees heavily wrapped being iced down.  Kidd only played 25 minutes that night, could this be an omen of a future problem?  Let's hope not.
 
Dirk Nowitzki   left his past summer troubles behind him, and is ready to lead the Mavericks into the coming season.  What else can I say about our franchise player except he looked relaxed, happy, and hungry for a ring.
 
The Dirkster is as deadly with the ball as ever before, but he's no point-guard.  There should be an NBA rule against seven-footers for dribble driving across the mid-court line.  What were you thinking of Dirk, you aways lose the ball to a steal when you do that!
 
Let's Meet the New Mavericks!
 
Rodrique Beaubois can be looked at as the crown prince to the Mavericks point-guard.  As the understudy to Kidd and Barea, Roddy's education is in good hands.
 
Beaubois has started the last two games, baptism by fire as head-coach Rick Carlisle put it.  One play I witness of Roddy on the floor with Kidd Saturday night in the first quarter.  Little Roddy went back-door to slam home a beautiful lobe-pass from Kidd, you had to have been there to see it.
 
Drew Gooden salvaged the Mavericks summer shopping-spree after they lost Marcin Gortat.  He is expected challenge Dampier for minutes at the starting center.
 
Biggest concern for Gooden is for him to stay motivated.  Winning games and battling the elite teams for tops the West should keep Gooden busy.
 
Kris Humphries  is filling the void made by the lost of Brandon Bass to the Orlando Magic.  Humphries has been averaging nine boards a game in the pre-season. 
 
Besides his showing as a more than capable defender, Humphries can be counted on for offense from the bench. 
 
Humphries has better shooting range than his predecessor, able to hit one from three-point range.  And unlike Bass, Humphries is better at multi-tasking between offense and defense.
 
Quinton Ross is another addition to help deepen the Mavericks bench.  Will be interesting to see if Ross will be able to contribute in the regular season.
 
Jake Voskuhl  is battling for the last spot on the roster.  No one is expecting him to be big contributor in the regular season.  But the Mavericks know from experience that big men are hard to find. 
 
Shawne Williams is still listed on the Mavericks roster, and it is only a matter of time until the team cuts him loose. The Mavericks have been trying to work a trade to rid themselves of Williams, who no longer wants to be a Maverick since last season.  Currently, Williams is currently suspended from the Mavericks with pay.
 
Just How Far Will We Go?
 
This is the part were I get to stick my skinny neck out and be brave to say how the Mavericks will do this season.  Of course I want to see them win it all, this is my team.
 
I do believe the Mavericks are talented enough to win sixty games.  Are they talented enough to win the West?  I'm not sure, but the Mavericks will be tested early with game two being in La against the Lakers. 
 
Together we will see just how much our Mavericks have improved from last season, and can they really be a threat in the West.