Grading Dallas Mavericks' Final 15-Man Roster

Ready or not, the Dallas Mavericks are set to kick off their season in just a matter of hours.

Boy time flies when you’re having fun.

At this point, the narrative is clear. Two years ago the franchise was lost, failing to make the playoffs for the first time since we entered the 21st century. But now it is found, with a reinvigorated star, a 49-win season and a playoff spot in the hyper-competitive western conference.

And the Mavs followed up this resurgence with an extraordinarily active offseason. They swung a trade for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton, re-signed Devin Harris and brought five new players into the fold.

In other words, the organization refused to stand pat.

And that has led to serious optimism going into the 2014-15 season. When asked to compare the 2011 Dallas Mavericks team that won a championship, Tyson Chandler had this to say to ESPN Dallas’ Tim McMahon.

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The difference is you had two Hall of Famers in that starting lineup and then the sixth man, so it’s kind of hard to compare. But if you go from top to bottom, this team is just as talented, if not more if you look at the upside of some guys.

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That’s optimistic to be sure, but Chandler isn’t totally wrong. This team is full of talented players, and this bench might be one of the deepest in the league. The comparison is an interesting one, but before anyone goes too far down that road, let’s evaluate what the Mavs have with their 15-man roster heading into the season.

Point Guard

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Starter: Jameer Nelson

Backups: Devin Harris, Raymond Felton

As with most of the positions on this roster, the theme with point guards is versatility. Between Jameer Nelson, Devin Harris and Raymond Felton the Mavs have three guys who are comfortable playing on or off the ball.

Nelson seems to have secured the starting spot in the preseason. He demonstrated an understanding of the offense and seemed in control while manning the helm.

And he’s everything the Mavs like in a point guard. He’s a smart player, calm under pressure and shoots well.

He’s a veteran and will be a stabilizing influence for Dallas.

Devin Harris on the other hand will be the guy Rick Carlisle goes to if the Mavs need a little unpredictability.

If Nelson’s playing style is calm, Harris’ is aggressive He puts a lot of pressure on a defense, always probing for holes to attack. He’s a perfect change of pace point guard.

Harris out of any of the three point guards is most suited to playing off the ball. He’s a natural shoot-first player, so having him shift over to the 2 makes sense given his playing style.

Finally there’s Raymond Felton, whose situation is a little more convoluted.

Felton has missed the majority of the preseason with an ankle injury, and according to ESPN Dallas’ Tim McMahon he’s still some way from returning to action. And Felton can’t serve his four-game suspension until he’s healthy.

So it might be a little while before Felton plays his first game for the Mavs.

But once he does make it on the court, he’ll be a welcome addition. Similar to Harris, Felton is an aggressive player who makes his money by getting into the paint. He’s more of a true point guard than Harris, but he still shares many of the same strengths.

The question for this unit will be acclimation to the offense and shooting. All three point guards saw their shooting numbers decline last year, and Harris is the only one who was in Dallas last season, though he only managed to play in 40 games.

These point guards have plenty of ability, but the three have to mesh to form one cohesive unit.

Grade: B

Shooting Guard

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Starter: Monta Ellis

Backups: Ricky Ledo 

As far as true shooting guards go, Monta Ellis is the only one who will factor into the rotation this year.

Ellis transformed his game last year, cutting down on the bad shots and questionable decisions in order to become a much more efficient offensive weapon.

He took full advantage of Dirk Nowitzki screens, using the big German’s pull on defenses and his own speed to rocket into the lane. He essentially became Jason Terry 2.0.

Ellis will also soak up a ton of minutes, which is extremely valuable. For his career he averages 36.1 minutes per game, and that doesn’t seem to be changing in Dallas.

This gives the Mavs some flexibility in trying new lineups. They’ll trot out units with two, and maybe even three point guards. With such a versatile backcourt, Carlisle can afford to experiment with personnel.

And that’ll make this team even more fun to watch.

When all three perimeter players can shoot, pass, run a pick-and-roll, create and score, the offense becomes almost artistic. Buckets can come from anywhere, and anyone.

There will be some experimenting with the three-headed point guard monster at the 2 but shooting guard is still synonymous with Monta Ellis in Dallas and all signs point to him turning in another stellar season.

Shooting Guard: B+

Small Forward

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Starter: Chandler Parsons

Backups: Al-Farouq Aminu, Richard Jefferson, Jae Crowder

Now this is where the roster really gets interesting.

Obviously the poster child for this position is Chandler Parsons. The 26-year-old do-it-all small forward will be tasked with taking some of the offensive load off Dirk, something he’s well equipped to do.

But the real intrigue comes from the group behind him. Between Al-Faruoq Aminu, Richard Jefferson and Jae Crowder, the Mavs have three players with diverse skill sets.

Aminu is an athlete with a motor, which is a deadly combination. Though his shot still is a work in progress, he rebounds very well for his position and is big enough to see some minutes at the 4. He got some run there in the preseason and looked pretty good doing it.

Jefferson is a very typical Maverick. The 13-year veteran shot 40.9 percent from three last season, and he can play more of a traditional small forward role for Carlisle.

Then there’s Jae Crowder, who brings a tougher side to the team. He’s one of Dallas’ only defense-first players, and though he can be frenetic on offense at times, his perimeter defending will be sorely needed.

Between these four, Carlisle can mix and match depending on the opponent.

Maybe he wants a little more shooting, so Jefferson gets more minutes. Or maybe the team needs a defensive boost, so Crowder sees more time. Or maybe Carlisle wants to run, so Aminu takes some minutes at the 4.

Whatever it is, this unit gives Carlisle the flexibility to play matchups and adapt his personnel to fit the weaknesses of a team, something very few coaches in the NBA have.

Grade: A-

Power Forward

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Starter: Dirk Nowitzki

Backups: Charlie Villanueva

What is there left to say about Dirk Nowitzki?

In his 16th NBA season he averaged 21.7 points, was inches away from shooting 50/40/90 and led his team to 49 wins and a playoff spot.

And maybe best of all, he hasn’t lost his passion for the game. The Mavs open their season against the San Antonio Spurs, and Nowitzki told the Dallas Morning News that the game won’t be taken lightly.

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When they put the schedule out and you look at it and you see the first one in San Antonio, obviously that gets your blood boiling. If it doesn’t, then I might as well retire because it’s always as good as it gets down there and the crowd is into it and it’s always been fun games.

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Though Dirk did slow down a bit during the race for the playoffs, that’ll happen to any player in their mid-30s who has to shoulder the kind of workload he did. The decline will change this season with the massively upgraded supporting cast, meaning more vintage Dirk when it really counts.

Taking some of the minutes off his hands will be an amalgamation of sorts. Al-Faruoq Aminu may see some minutes at the power forward, as will Brandan Wright.

And to add another wrinkle to the power forward rotation, Charlie Villanueva made the final roster, according to Tim McMahon. As a 6’11” shooter, he could do some damage if he can crack the rotation. He has some serious deficiencies, but if the Mavs can exploit his strengths, Villanueva might turn into another one of those “fallen angels” Dallas loves so much.

Grade: A

Center

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Starter: Tyson Chandler

Backups: Brandan Wright, Greg Smith 

Ever since Tyson Chandler left, the Mavericks have been trying to piece him back together. Samuel Dalembert tried to fill Chandler’s shoes, and so did the likes of Brendan Haywood and Ian Mahinmi.

But nobody could quite do it.

So eventually the Mavs said no to the half-measures and knock-offs and brought the real Tyson Chandler back to Dallas.

Just in the nick of time, too.

Chandler’s defensive presence allowed the roster construction to take place. His ability to captain a defense gave the front office the green light to go after players with defensive problems. Chandler lurking around the basket and hedging screens gives the Mavs an edge they haven’t had in a long time.

And between Brandan Wright and Greg Smith, there are quality backups to man the center position. Brandan Wright was hyper efficient last season, finishing 13th in PER, as noted by ESPN. And Greg Smith is a very skilled, yet injury prone 23-year-old center who can do a lot more than his position in the rotation suggests.

The other bonus to Smith and Wright is that neither has to play center. Both can play power forward alongside Chandler, which gives the Mavs even more, you guessed it, versatility.

Grade: A-