Mavericks still aren’t contenders with Marion
Last week here on WagerWeb.com, I wrote that the Dallas Mavericks’ re-signing of Jason Kidd certainly wasn’t enough to get the team among the elite in the ultra-tough Western Conference.
I expected another move to come – and Dallas did sign center Marcin Gortat, the former backup to Dwight Howard. He has major potential, but no one really knows for sure how he will fare in 30 minutes or so of playing time a night.
But Mark Cuban really made a big splash late this week in acquiring Shawn Marion, who should thrive in an up-tempo offense led by Kidd – just as Marion did when with the Suns and Steve Nash.
I won’t bore you with all the pieces of the trade, but the Mavericks, Raptors, Grizzlies and Magic combined in a deal that included eight players, a draft pick and cash. The deal sent Shawn Marion to Dallas, Jerry Stackhouse to Memphis and helped seal the transaction that moved Hedo Turkoglu from Orlando to Toronto.
Cuban is giving Marion a five-year contract worth an estimated $39 million and didn’t have to give up a single piece of his roster that mattered, so that part seems wise even though Marion averaged only 12.9 points and 8.5 rebounds last year for the Heat and Raptors — his worst numbers since his rookie year.
Cuban wants to have all the pieces around Dirk Nowitzki while he is still an MVP-type talent.
But the Mavs seem to be betting the present for the future, and is this team still better than the Spurs or Lakers or even Nuggets? No. And it will be well above the luxury tax and in no position to be a player in the free agent market for a few years at least.
The Dallas starting five now is probably Kidd, Josh Howard at shooting guard, Marion and Nowitzki at forward and Gortat at center. And the Mavs still have Jason Terry as one of the NBA’s best sixth men. A very good team, indeed, but not much on defense. The Mavericks can definitely play small by inserting Terry and going without a true center. And they could have three 20-point scorers next year.
“This gives us the firepower that we need to compete with the top teams in the West,” president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said of the acquisition of Marion. “We’re just ecstatic to add a player of this caliber with his experience and athleticism.”
But opening day, Kidd will be 36, Terry 32, Nowitzki 31 and Marion 31; Howard also turns 30 in April. So is it worth the financial hole to finish fourth out West again? This team, while it certainly might be the most entertaining in the 2009-10 season – bet on NBA futures at WagerWeb.com – isn’t a contender.
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