Dallas Mavericks Super Heroes, Vol.1: The Introduction

Every NBA city has their own group of superheroes

The .Dallas Mavericks are an unusual bunch.

They've got a seven foot German shooting guard playing power forward and a basketball genius running the point.

But we all know who JKidd and the Big German are. They are the leaders of the Mavs and have an aura of basketball hovering around them while on the court.

We'll come back to them in the next issue with all the new info.

So let's take a look at the rest. 

Big Wood

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DALLAS - APRIL 27: Brendan Haywood #33 of the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on April 27, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and

Brendan Haywood is the strong man of the group. He is the defender of the paint. The enforcer of will.

He IS Big Wood.

His 7'0" 265 pound presence moves where it wants. He swats shots like flies and he never backs down.

In his own way, Big Wood is a leader in the group.

Haywood scored 9.1 points, had 9.3 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game last season. He'll try hard to repeat these numbers as his minutes hover in the 20's.

The Matrix AKA Shawn Marion

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: Shawn Marion #0 (C) of the Dallas Mavericks pulls down a rebound as teammates Dirk Nowitzki #41,(L) Kris Humphries #43 (2R) look on against Derek Fisher #2 (R), Sasha Vujacic #18 (RL) and Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Laker

The Matrix has incredible reach and react skills.

He's a sly player who can knife his way through the lane in transition, or to retrieve rebounds.

Expect for the Matrix to split his minutes between the 3 and 4 this year. He's not a tweener by size, but by nature. His strength and quickness encompass a wide range of positions. This will be most evident when we see him D-up on the best guards and forwards in the NBA.

The Matrix doesn't have a lot of flash on the court. Things just get done.

Look for the Matrix to try and improve his efficiency with more time as a power forward.

Jet

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DALLAS - APRIL 21: Guard Jason Terry #31 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after scoring a three point shot against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on April 2

Longtime member Jason Terry, aka The Jet, has the power of a shooter. His game is threes, but he'll need to toughen up to stay ahead of the pack.

He'll have to be effective in the lane and on defense to keep his hopes of a fully guaranteed contract alive for next season. Some added intensity on defense has shown this pre-season.

And Jet won't be grounded. He can score in bunches.

Look for the Jet to be on full thrust to start the season. Millions are counting on it.

Tough Juice

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DALLAS - APRIL 27: Forward Caron Butler #4 of the Dallas Mavericks takes a shot against Ian Mahinmi #28 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center on April 27, 20

Caron Butler is Tough Juice. What are the powers of Tough Juice? This dude has prototypical size and skills.

But he needs to lay off the juice and throw down a six pack of Red Bull before the game. Living up to his nickname means taking advantage of his natural abilities. We all know he can hit from downtown, but I want to see this guy take it to the rack on a regular basis.

He also needs to toughen up on defense and come up with some big plays there.

Butler should look quicker as he moves from guard to small forward. The move should also translate into bigger numbers for Tough Juice. He has the potential to be the Mavs second leading scorer.

Buckets

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NEW ORLEANS - MARCH 22: Darren Collison #2 of the New Orleans Hornets shoots the ball around Rodrigue Beaubois #3 of the Dallas Mavericks at the New Orleans Arena on March 22, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and

Rodrigue Beaubois goes by the code name Buckets. A member of the Mavs Superheroes since last summer, he hopes to be an integral piece to this puzzle.

Buckets has the power of speed, elusiveness, deadly range, and flight.

We may not see Buckets for a couple of weeks. And many are uncertain of what to expect. But he's paid his dues to see a lot more action this year. 

Buckets is also a member of a recently formed band of brothers that help the Mavs fight evil. This band of brothers is known as The French Connection.

In the future, I hope to include other members of the French Connection. They could see some early season action.

More To Come...

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MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 22: Tyson Chandler of the USA watches on during a friendly basketball game between Spain and the USA at La Caja Magica on August 22, 2010 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)

The Mavs have a good base of superheroes, but they'll need more help if they hope to defeat the forces of the NBA.

We'll be looking for Tyson Chandler and Dominique Jones to show their powers and join these defenders of the Metroplex next.

Chandler will be looking to bounce back to his double-double form since battling injuries the past two years. Throughout the pre-season, he's shown some flash with blocks and alley-oop jams. 

A cut on his hand may slow him down a couple of games, but expect for Chandler to make his presence known. Now if he only had an alias.

Straight out the gates is rookie Dominique Jones. This high motor kid is lookin' to make a name for himself and fast. If he could knock down a few threes, it'd go a long ways to knocking down some doors.

Jones thinks he's ready to join this group now. Let's see what he's got.

I hope to continue this story through next summer. Look for more editions as the season begins.