Mavericks Look to Repeat in West

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off their best season in franchise history. Their trip to the 2006 NBA Finals was a franchise first and a big step for the Mavericks organization. Avery Johnson, the young and talented coach of the Dallas Mavericks, has convinced his team that it takes defense to win championships. The Dallas players are finally buying into that philosophy and they are seeing the results. Unfortunately, now that the Dallas Mavericks are playing defense, a lot of good jokes have to be retired. People used to call them the Allas Mavericks, because there was no D in Dallas. And their star was named Irk Nowitzki, because Dirk had no D. Oh well, the jokes were good while they lasted.

Kidding aside, the Dallas Mavericks are now one of the premier teams in the NBA. Dallas has always had offensive firepower, but now they are playing hard on the defensive end too. A Mavericks team that lights you up on offense, and then slows you down on defense, will be tough to beat. In a short period of time, Avery Johnson has lit a fire under the Mavericks and given them a competitive drive that they appeared to lack before. However, they will need to continue playing hard every night, if they plan to navigate the powerful Western Conference. Now that they have made it to the NBA Finals, Western Conference teams will be looking to knock them off. Before they flew somewhat under the radar, but now they are a target.

The Dallas Mavericks are a team deep with talent. That talent starts with Dirk Nowitzki, their seven-foot star that can bury the three-pointer, drive to the hoop like a freight train, and hit the boards with a vengeance. Nowitzki is one of the best in the NBA and deserves MVP consideration. Dirk averages 26 points, 9 rebounds, and one blocked shot per game. Perhaps just as important, he shoots a high percentage from both the field and the free throw line. Nowitzki shoots 90% from the foul line, 40% from the three-point line, and 48% from the field. All of those percentages are up, thanks to Avery Johnson convincing Nowitzki to drive to the hoop more. Dirk has relied less on the jumper, which has helped both him and the Mavericks.

As good as Dirk Nowitzki is, the Dallas Mavericks also have a lot more weapons. Jason Terry has emerged as one of the top guards in the NBA. It is amazing how many players leave the Atlanta Hawks and go on to become big stars. But I digress; that is for another article. Jason Terry averaged 17 points per game last year as the point guard for the Dallas Mavericks. Terry also shot a high percentage, especially for a guard. JT shot 47% from the field and 41% from three-point range. Terry is a talented guard, but always seemed to be a shooting guard that was forced to play point guard. Avery Johnson is keenly aware of this and is going to experiment with Terry playing shooting guard this season. Look for Jason Terry's scoring to go up this year, with his move to shooting guard.

With Jason Terry moving to shooting guard, Devin Harris and Anthony Johnson will split time at point guard for the Mavericks. Anthony Johnson is more of a complete player and had a good showing in the playoffs last year, so he could wind up logging most of the point guard minutes for Dallas. The Dallas Mavericks also have a trio of guys that can play either small forward or guard, if necessary. Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Howard, and Devean George are all talented players that help make the Mavericks extra deep. Devean George is a former Laker that was signed in the off-season as a free agent.

At center, the Dallas Mavericks will split duties between DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier. Both players can block shots, rebound, and defend the paint. Austin Croshere will fill in at power forward, as necessary. The Mavericks traded Marquis Daniels to the Pacers in exchange for Croshere in the off-season. Also, Keith Van Horn is currently an unsigned free agent. It is anybody's guess whether the Mavericks will re-sign Van Horn.

It is easy to see that the Dallas Mavericks are loaded with talent. The question is whether they can make it through the Western Conference gauntlet to get back to the NBA Finals. They can, but I do not think they will. There are just too many talented teams in the West and they will all be gunning for Dallas. San Antonio, Phoenix, and the Los Angeles Clippers are also deeply talented and hungry to get to the NBA Finals. Dallas will have a good year, but I do not think they will make it back to the NBA Finals. If Dallas can get back to the Finals, Avery Johnson deserves some serious credit.