Three seasons removed from winning the NBA Finals over the Miami Heat (4-2) in the 2010-2011 season the Dallas Mavericks have not seen much success since. Finishing up last season with a 41-41 (.500) record and the 10th seed in the Western Conference, this happened to be the first time in 12 season that the Mavs did not win 50 or more games, (2011-2012 season they won 36 games, it was the strike season).
The Dallas Mavericks look to have a bounce back season with some new key additions this off-season:
- Monta Ellis, who was signed back in July to a 3 year $25.08 million contract including a player-option for the third year. Ellis, led the Milwaukee Bucks in scoring last year with 19.2 points per game. This was a great addition for Dallas because of the departure of Guard O.J. Mayo who signed with those same Bucks just days before Ellis signed with the Mavs.
- Jose Calderon who led the league in three point percentage (46.1) adds ball control and experience to the young Dallas point guard group.
- Samuel Dalembert ,Dalembert adds a defensive presence in the paint that the Mavericks have so desperately missed over the last two seasons. He is no Tyson Chandler but Sammy D will get the job done.
- Dejuan Blair and Devin Harris also joined the Mavericks. Harris who was drafted by the Mavs in 2004, was apart of the hostoric Dallas team that went 67-15 in the 2006-2007 season. While Blair comes from cross-state rival San Antonio Spurs, adds even more depth to a Dallas big man core. Both Harris and Blair are projected to come off the Mavs bench, average 41.5 points per game, which was first in the NBA.
2013-2014 Mavericks Season prediction: 48-34: I predict the Mavs will make a strong playoff run this season, with the additions they made and Dirk is 100% coming into this season. I also predict that Dirk Nowtizki will have a tremendous season after a dismal 2012-2013 season averaging just 17.3 points per game, his lowest since the 1999-2000 season (17.5 PPG).
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