Power Ranking Dallas Mavericks Players Heading into Final Month of Season
The Dallas Mavericks are once again showing signs of being a dark-horse contender.
With several players returning to the lineup and finding their grooves, the Mavs have put together three important victories over the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic. That's a great way to bounce back following an embarrassing 127-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 10, which shook the team's confidence and forced everyone to take a long look in the mirror.
Dallas is once again just 1.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers and that elusive home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
But a momentary flash of excellence is not uncommon when it comes to the Mavs. For Dallas, it's all about sustaining the recent positive play and developing good habits for the postseason. The focus hasn't always been there with this team, but head coach Rick Carlisle usually finds a way to get his players ready for the playoffs.
The addition of Amar'e Stoudemire and recent surges by certain players have shaken up the hierarchy in Carlisle's rotation. The rankings are based on both current level of play and overall contributions throughout the season.
Nos. 15-11
1 of 11
15. Raymond Felton
Felton hasn't been anything but a garbage-time hero all season long, and that is unlikely to change moving forward. He is the team's fourth choice at point guard, and unless both Devin Harris and J.J. Barea are hurt, he will remain on the bench.
14. Dwight Powell
Ever since putting his name on the NBA map in January, Powell has understandably fallen out of the rotation. The addition of Stoudemire has negated Carlisle's need for the rookie, who has seen action in the NBA D-League instead.
13. Greg Smith
Smith was battling Powell for minutes behind Tyson Chandler, but he has also been dropped from the rotation with Stoudemire in the fold. He isn't mobile or solid enough of a defender to play regular minutes, especially with Carlisle opting to play small lately.
12. Bernard James
Whenever Carlisle decides to rest Chandler or Stoudemire, James is usually the biggest beneficiary, and his energetic play is highly appreciated within the team. He is a better defender than both Smith and Powell and has been ahead in the pecking order as a result.
11. J.J. Barea
Barea hasn't been bad and does have a defined role within the team, but his minutes have slipped down since February. Dallas has a lot of regular bench cogs, so Barea has simply been getting the short end of the stick lately. He should still get some run in the playoffs, as he is pretty reliable and has postseason experience.
10. Richard Jefferson
2 of 11
Jefferson hasn't necessarily been spectacular, but he remains one of the most consistent contributors on Dallas' bench.
His numbers won't necessarily blow anyone away, but he has been very efficient in his minutes. Jefferson filled in pretty well for Chandler Parsons when the starting small forward was hurt, and he is playing 22.7 minutes per game in March. When everyone is healthy, Jefferson's playing time should hover somewhere around 15 minutes per night.
Jefferson can still get to the rim, even though his finishing isn't always great. Still, he is hitting 53.3 percent from the field in March and remains the team's most accurate three-point shooter, connecting on 41.7 percent of his long-range attempts this season. His ability to stretch the floor should keep him in Carlisle's playoff rotation.
Besides his consistent play, Jefferson has been making headlines elsewhere. Apparently, he was involved in an FBI investigation recently, according to TMZ. So there is that.
9. Charlie Villanueva
3 of 11
Charlie Villanueva doesn't play as many minutes as Jefferson and remains a heat-check guy Carlisle throws into games hoping for the best. That makes him hard to rank in Dallas' hierarchy.
In some games, Villanueva might ride the bench without even seeing the court. At other times, he comes in and makes a major difference in short stints. His 19-point and five-rebound performance in 23 minutes of action during Dallas' 129-99 demolition of the Clippers on March 3 is a perfect example of that.
Villanueva is streaky, but when he gets hot he's practically impossible to stop. He isn't very mobile, but has a knack for finding open spots on the floor. Once he gets his feet set, he is able to punish opponents with a lightning-quick release.
He is a relatively one-dimensional threat, but Villanueva can certainly explode and win the Mavericks a playoff game down the road. Carlisle also has a good feel for when to pull the plug on him, so he's a nice player to have.
8. Amar'e Stoudemire
4 of 11
Stoudemire jumps right into the eighth spot here, even though he only has 11 games as a Maverick under his belt. He has been a positive influence in a couple of ways, and he will likely be a decent contributor in the postseason.
He only plays 16.9 minutes per game as a Maverick, but he is very effective in that time. Stoudemire gets a ton of touches in the low post, and he still has the ability to score there, especially against backup big men.
Stoudemire is hitting at a 60 percent clip from the field and drops 10.3 points per game, both relatively impressive figures considering his limited playing time. He has a lot of problems defensively and doesn't pass out of double-teams very well, but he has been a good addition overall.
Even though he hasn't been with the team that long, Stoudemire has seemingly established a strong voice in the locker room. Following the embarrassing loss to the Cavs, he openly called out the whole team, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com:
"We can't cheat the game," Stoudemire said. "We can't screw around in shootarounds and practices and joke around all the time and figure we're going to win games. This is the pros. It's the highest level of basketball. We've got to act that way."
That type of attitude is appreciated and welcomed in a veteran locker room, and Dallas has bounced back well since then.
7. Devin Harris
5 of 11
Harris has been banged up lately, and he left Monday's game against the Thunder with an illness. He has been tough throughout the year, but the injuries have caught up to him. Still, he has had a major role and will be even more important in the playoffs.
The Mavs have managed to survive without him, but he remains one of the most important cogs off the bench. Harris is the best two-way guard in Dallas' rotation and a great fit next to both Ellis and Rondo. He is a threat off the dribble and has turned into a solid-enough spot-up shooter to play without the ball.
His three-point percentage has been slowly dropping down closer to his career average after a being unusually high in December. He will continue to get open looks in the playoffs though, and Dallas really needs him to knock them down in big moments.
6. Rajon Rondo
6 of 11
Rondo slips up a little bit in the rankings, but he hasn't necessarily played badly. He has looked more comfortable in the offense, and his 11-point and 13-assist performance against the Thunder on Monday reflects that.
His ability to freeze a defense with a bunch of pass fakes after picking up his dribble has been particularly entertaining to watch, and it has led to a ton of open shots for his teammates.
Rondo's shot remains a concern. He has shown some improvement in that department, but his jump shot is hardly a reliable offensive tool. The point guard himself also appears to have a positive attitude towards his flaws:
"I'm going to continue to have to shoot it and I'm going to have to make it," Rondo said, according to Bryan Gutierrez of MavsOutsider.com. "If not, I'm coming out of the game. Pretty simple."
Even though there is a more positive vibe around Rondo lately, there is one reserve who deserves to rank ahead of him.
5. Al-Farouq Aminu
7 of 11
Al-Farouq Aminu has been one of Dallas' best players in the last couple of months, and he is filling the now-departed Brandan Wright's void pretty well. Now that's a sentence that would have sounded insane before the season.
He has the highest net rating on the team, and the Mavs outscore opponents by 8.5 points per 100 possessions when Aminu is on the floor, according to NBA.com. If the numbers aren't convincing enough, the eye test certainly is.
When Aminu steps onto the floor, Dallas looks like a completely different team. Everyone feeds off of his energy and hustle, and he is all over the place defensively. He interrupts passing lanes, guards elite big men down low and picks up point guards on the perimeter. He has even gotten the opportunity to play in crunch time.
Aminu was supposed to be a little pet project of Carlisle's, and it has worked out very well. He has unleashed his potential defensively and will play a major role in the playoffs.
4. Dirk Nowitzki
8 of 11
Players in Dallas' starting lineup are essentially interchangeable when it comes to rankings. Each steps up on different occasions, and Dirk Nowitzki gets the short end of the stick here.
Nowitzki has scored over 20 points just twice in March, but he's working his way out of a slump. He has also been kept to just 27.6 minutes per game, as Carlisle continues to save his superstar's body for the playoffs.
Dirk is still the player that completely alters Dallas' offense. Even when he isn't making shots, guys are closing out hard on him, and he still draws double-teams in the post. As long as that remains the case, he naturally creates space for his teammates.
Nowitzki has been put in the post a little more than Carlisle would probably like since the Rondo trade, but he continues to give defenses a headache with his pick-and-pop game.
3. Monta Ellis
9 of 11
Even though Ellis won't admit it, he has been playing hurt in the last couple of weeks. He has refused to sit out games after picking up a hip strain early in February, which has hurt his production. His toughness and durability is admirable, but he has been noticeably less explosive.
The recovery from the injury has taken more time than it would have if Ellis took a break, but he is finally finding his form again. His pull-up jumper looks solid, and he has a spring in his step once again.
All in all, Monta has still probably been the Mavericks' best offensive player over the course of the season. He has gone through some slumps, but his speed and ability to single-handedly collapse a defense are irreplaceable.
Ellis has also adjusted pretty well to playing with Rondo, which was one of the concerns when Dallas made the trade. They share the ball more seamlessly, constantly find each other in transition and know which spots to occupy when the other runs a pick-and-roll.
As long as the starting backcourt can continue to develop chemistry, the Mavericks should be able to do some damage in the playoffs.
2. Tyson Chandler
10 of 11
Chandler was ranked No. 1 last time around, but his brief absence due to an ankle injury has him dropping down the list a bit. Again, he could very well be anywhere from fourth through first, but he is in the same boat as Ellis.
Even though Chandler sat out a couple of games, he was still rusty upon his return. He didn't jump as well, couldn't challenge for offensive rebounds and rarely got up above the rim to catch lobs. He still isn't as noticeable offensively, but his mobility is slowly returning.
Looking at the season as a whole, Chandler has made the biggest two-way impact on the Mavs. His presence in the middle has transformed an otherwise mediocre defense, and his relentless rolls to the rim create openings for his teammates.
Chandler's health is crucial for the Mavs to even have a shot at making an extended postseason run. He was one of the most important cogs in Dallas' championship run in 2011, and that remains the case four years later.
1. Chandler Parsons
11 of 11
Chandler Parsons hasn't quite been the most impactful Dallas player this season, but he doesn't get nearly enough credit for his contributions.
In the seven-game stretch Parsons recently missed, the Mavericks went 3-4. They also managed to score over 100 points just once.
Parsons' role as a secondary off-the-dribble threat is yet another internally irreplaceable skill. No one else on Dallas' roster is able to bait defenders into closing out hard to that extent, and there are few wings in the league with Parsons' playmaking ability in general.
He has been on a tear since returning from injury, averaging 20.5 points per game and hitting shots from all over the floor. That recent surge has lifted Dallas out of a dark hole and earns Parsons the top spot this time around.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
