Dallas Mavericks Free Agency 2012: Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, and Key Free Agents
Imagine the Dallas Mavericks in this situation: it’s a tie game, and there are just twenty seconds left in the 4th quarter. The Dallas Mavericks have possession of the ball. Deron Williams brings it up the floor past half court with ease, letting the clock run down, his defender swiping at the ball, but giving him no trouble. The Mavericks run a play, one that Mavs fans have seen many times before: Dirk Nowitzki isolates on the left side of the court as Williams gives him a bounce pass only he can get. As the rest of the Mavs space out along the right side of the court, Dwight Howard gets ready to box out his defender for an offensive rebound and possibly a put-back dunk. No double team for Nowitzki, as the defense cannot risk leaving Dwight or Deron open. Dirk backs into his defender with seven seconds left. He tries to spin off his man and drive towards the basket, but he is well defended and cut off! Nowitzki has no choice but to fade away off his dribble with four seconds left. As he is about to shoot, the other team gets ready to rebound because they know what’s coming next. Or do they? Expecting a shot, Dirk does a fade away pass straight to Dwight in the paint – he dunks it with authority plus the foul!
One word comes to mind thinking about a team with Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, and Deron Williams on it: unstoppable. “D3”, as it is called around the league, would easily rival Miami’s big three. In fact, it should be a better big three, since these guys would all complement each other‘s games. Mavs fans know this, and if Mavs fans know it, you can bet Mark Cuban knows it too.
But what if it doesn’t happen? What if Dwight Howard decides Brooklyn will be his destination alongside Deron Williams, leaving the Mavericks wondering what could’ve been? It’s hard to think about, but you have to believe Cuban and the Maverick’s GM Donnie Nelson are thinking about that very thing every day. Blowing up a championship team and failing to get your top two targets would haunt this Dallas Mavericks franchise for years. One thing is for certain, the Mavs have a lot of cap room to play with next offseason. So what if Dallas can’t land the top two free agents, who else could they sign to ease the pain?
Steve Nash
Point guard, Phoenix Suns
2011-12 salary: $11.7 million
Unrestricted free agent
What can I say about Nash-ty? The man can play. And as we all know, the man can play with Dirk. In six seasons with the Dallas Mavericks Nash averaged 13.7 points and 5.7 assists per game, taking them to the playoffs four times including the Western Conference Finals in 2003. Now in his sixteenth season in the NBA, the two time MVP is averaging 13.8 points and a league best 10.9 assists per game. I know, I know –why let one of the oldest teams in the NBA get older? I don’t care how old he is, he makes everyone around him better. No one can deny that. The biggest problem would be how he would fit into Rick Carlisle’s defensive-minded approach, which he is obviously lacking. Still, I think he would make the team better rather than worse.
Eric Gordon
Point guard, New Orleans Hornets
2011-12 salary: $3.8 million
Restricted free agent
Eric Gordon has shown us flashes of greatness in his three seasons with the Clippers. Last season he averaged 22.3 points per game and looks like a star on the rise. The only problem is his inability to stay healthy. He missed 20 games in the 2009-2010 season, 26 games last season, and has already missed all but two games this season with the Hornets. That’s enough to make you think twice. Don’t forget that Tyson Chandler was also an injury prone player who turned out to be the missing link to a championship.
Ray Allen
Shooting guard, Boston Celtics
2011-12 salary: $10.0 million
Unrestricted free agent
Jesus Shuttlesworth is still a deadly shooter in his sixteenth season, ranked 9th in the league in three-point field goals made (72) and 3rd in three-point field goal percentage (48.3%). Ray Allen would be the perfect consolation prize simply because of how well he would fit in to the team. Ray Allen creates space for everyone around him while also thriving in open space, just like our favorite German. Putting those two on the court together would do nothing but make things easier for both Nowitzki and Allen, not to mention the other three Mavs on the floor with them. Imagine the pick and rolls with Dirk and Ray?
Roy Hibbert
Center, Indiana Pacers
2011-12 salary: $2.6 million
Restricted free agent
The Mavs need a presence inside to protect the paint. They need to be athletic, quick, strong, and not afraid to knock off someone’s head. Hibbert is no Dwight Howard, but he is closer to Tyson Chandler who the Mavericks won a championship with last season. He is averaging a career high 13.1 points and 9.6 rebounds this season, and has a lot of upside. A big part of the championship team last year was the Mavs zone defense, and its success was mainly because of Tyson Chandler’s athleticism to contest shots in the paint. This season they have had to all but abandon the 2-3 zone, but Hibbert could bring it back. He’s someone to keep an eye on.