In an epic in-state battle where five games were settled by six points or less, Dallas pushed the Spurs to seven hard-fought games before falling just short in Game 7.ĭallas was sent home in the first round, but they showed that they aren't going to be easy for anyone to take out. It is never an easy task to go up against the likes of San Antonio, but Dallas gave the defending conference champs all they could handle. Wright helped lead a much-improved Dallas bench alongside Devin Harris, DeJuan Blair and Vince Carter, who lead the second unit with 11.9 points per game.ĭallas survived the one-game cut that separated them from the Phoenix Suns, as the Mavs went 49-33 to earn the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Wright missed the first 23 games of the season as he recovered from a fractured shoulder, but he came back physically stronger and was dynamite for Rick Carlisle off the bench. The former North Carolina Tar Heel posted career highs 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting a ridiculously efficient 67.7% from the field. Marion hadn't shot the ball from the outside that often or efficiently since his final year in Phoenix in 2007-08.īrandan Wright also made a big impact off the bench last season and played the best ball of his career thus far. After shooting 26% from beyond the arc throughout his first four years in Dallas, The Matrix took over two long-balls per game in 2013-14, surprisingly connecting on 35.8% of them. You always expect Marion's toughness, defensive tenacity, rebounding and ability to run the floor, but with guys like Monta Ellis slicing and dicing, Marion's perimeter game was opened up a bit. Dirk was named to his 12th career All-Star squad and after a 2012-13 season that was hindered due to recovering from knee surgery, he proved that at age 35, he's still got a lot left in the tank.Īnother big key to last year's Mavs was, once again, Shawn Marion. The seven-foot face of the franchise stayed healthy all season to produce 21.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on 50% shooting, including 40% from beyond the arc and 90% from the free throw line. The acquisition of Ellis turned out to be one of Dallas' better moves in a while as his ability to create for himself and others both in isolation and pick n' roll situations, athletic gifts and consistent production was huge for the team.ĭirk Nowitzki put together one of his most efficient seasons last year, as well. Ellis put together one of his most efficient seasons as a pro, shooting 45% from the field, averaging 19 points, 5.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds while finishing seventh in the NBA in total steals (141 - 1.7 SPG). Monta Ellis would combine with Dirk Nowitzki to form one of the most lethal one-two punches in the Western Conference, as Ellis added a new dynamic offensively and brought them a big time creator with the ball. After signing Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert and reintroducing Devin Harris back into the mix, the new-look Mavs had a different energy about them for the 2013-14 season. Mark Cuban and the Mavericks were very busy in the summer of 2013, where they exercised their enormous amount of cap space and put together a complete overhaul to reconstruct the roster. Lost to SA (4-3) - Western Conference Quarterfinals And I, for one, cannot wait for this season to start.Ĥth in Southwest Division - 8th in Western Conference So even though the Mavs have more talent for Rick Carlisle to work with than any year since the championship season, it is a very steep uphill climb.įor the first time in a long time, the Mavs are built to compete with anyone. The Spurs have to be the favorites, and the Thunder and Clippers are right behind them, followed by about eight other teams out West that should all be legitimate playoff teams if not for the NBA's terrible conference setup. There's no way in hell I'm going to say that it is in any way likely that the Mavs make the NBA Finals this season, but unlike the past three seasons, I am willing to entertain the possibility. Mavs Moneyball - Dallas Mavericks 2014-15 Preview.
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