What the Mavs Need To Do For 2012
This is the final of our series. Part I encompassed the assumptions made for this series, Part II covered how Dallas would theoretically defeat the New Orleans Hornets in Round One, Part III analyzed a Western Conference Semi-Finals against the San Antonio Spurs and Part IV analyzed a possible matchup against the LA Lakers.
Like I said in parts III and IV, Dallas probably won’t win a series against San Antonio or LA. Last night, after a 110-82 drubbing, I am more than confident in saying that this team is not prepared to make it into the NBA finals.
As a Mavs fan, trust me when I say that it’s incredibly agonizing for me to believe this, but in examining last night, it’s completely true. From the lack of offensive production, to the now-traditional second-half meltdown to the downright unnecessary fight caused by Jason Terry, last night showed that the Mavs simply aren’t going to compete with the other superstars of the Western Conference.
While I’m sure no one in the Dallas camp is going to abandon this season yet, they might as well begin to plan for next year to see if they can finally put something together.
First Thoughts: Dallas knows how to play offense. They’ve put up 100 or more points in a game 48 times this season. They’ve had some good showings of defense at times this year, but it hasn’t been 100 percent present. Because of this…
1) Dallas MUST resign Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler. These two players are the best defensive players on this team and in this free agent class, they are two of the best defensive players that will be available on the entire market. Defense has been Dallas’ weakness for roundabout a decade, but these two stars have given Dallas some credibility when they are healthy. Chandler is the most effective big man Dallas has had in years and Butler has really been missed in the latter half of the season.
Besides, if these two go, how much trust can you really place in Brendan Haywood and Roddy Beaubois?
2) Dallas doesn’t need to bother with the remaining free agents. Peja Stojakovic has been a bit of a lovely surprise this season, but he brings no significant value to this club over the course of the season. Brian Cardinal? DeShawn Stevenson? Haven’t needed them this season, won’t need them next season. Might as well clear some space to try and get this guy…
3) Dallas only needs to bring in one or two new faces to the club – at this point. The name I like is Goran Dragic of the Houston Rockets. Yes, he is a restricted free agent, meaning Dallas would have to cough up a lot, but Dragic is a very underestimated player in the league. He’ll be 25 at the start of the season, meaning another young player will be playing for Dallas, creating sustainability that players like Jason Kidd and Jason Terry can’t keep up for an entire game.
In addition to being a strong defensive player (something Dallas can very much use), he adds depth to the roster in the spot Stojakovic will leave. He would also be a good compliment to JJ Barea, who Dallas should try to re-sign as well.
Dragic makes sense and should be worth the pain of acquiring him. I would love to see him in a Mavs uniform next year.
Final Thoughts: Dallas is that one team where you always think they can be a powerhouse, but they somehow manage to fall short. This 2011 season will be no exception, but who knows? Maybe 2012 will make the Mavs faithful feel confident in something.
And beyond all else, even if Dallas won’t make a significant playoff run this year, remember it could be a lot worse: