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NLL Insider - Team by Team: Dallas Mavericks

by vt, updated on Thursday, July 19 2007, 07:34 pm EST

Team by Team: Dallas Mavericks
2006-2007 Finish: 48-34

What went well

They won the NLL Championship! When Dallas entered the playoffs, fifth seed in the Western Conference and third place in the Southwest Division, it is unlikely that anyone who runs the books in Vegas picked them to win it all. It seeemed inevitable that the Finals would be a meeting between former champions Philadelphia and the star-studded Phoenix Suns.

Though the Mavs would eventually meet the Sixers, the surprising New Orleans Hornets dusted off the Suns and the Mavericks fought their way out of the first round, grabbing the reins in a four to three series win over the tough Minnesota Timberwolves. When they beat the surprising Hornets in seven, many felt the Mavs were finished when facing the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals. But that series ended with a four to one victory and the Mavs were primed to meet the former champions in the Finals. The rest is history.

Like Cleveland, GM Smokey likes to keep his pieces close and for a long time. Both Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki have played on the team since the league's inception five years ago. The Mavericks brought back almost the entire team from the season before. These guys know how to play together.

The only trade executed by GM Smokey was the one that sent Sam Cassell and Matt Carroll off to Los Angeles for Mike Dunleavy and the useless Kris Humphries. Though Carroll has evolved into a three-point expert, Dunleavy instantly took over the power forward and became, what could be, the final piece to the championship puzzle.

Though GM Smokey appeared surprised and humbled by the honor of winning the league this year, many felt that he deserved it more than he thinks. He has been a dedicated for GM for the past five seasons and really kept his team together. Could a two-peat be in the offing?

What didn't

Not much. These guys won the NLL Championship, sheesh!

Stars

- Dirk Nowitzki, F-

Though Nowitzki's numbers dropped off a little season, there is no denying he is still a force in the league. He averaged 17.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds. Though these numbers do not necessarily equate a star, Nowitzki's presence on this team helped guide them to a championship. Knowing GM Smokey's proclivity for keeping his team together, Nowitzki should be on the Mavericks for years to come as one of the team's top producers.

- Steve Nash, PG –

GM Smokey and the entire Dallas area must have breathed a collective sigh of relief on November 2, 2004 when Nash opted to re-sign with the Mavericks after threatening to seek greener pastures. The Finals MVP, is one of the premier players in the league. He has been elected an All-Star three teams in the last five years, twice in the past two seasons. He averaged 29 points per game and dished almost close to seven assists. There are no signs the man will slow down either. We expect nothing less from him next season.

Looking to the future

The Mavericks don't really go into the offseason with many questions. While GM Smokey drinks a tall XXXX Beer on the Gold Coast, he is confident that many of his key players will return next season. Alonzo Mourning, contemplating retirement, has committed to another season. Boris Diaw, the team's only big free agent, will sign a contract extension in the fall. There is a trio of free agents, Ruben Patterson, Devin Brown and Finals savior Derek Anderson, that need to be re-signed. If anything, the Mavs just need to shore up their bench and maybe bring in a strong sixth man in case of injury to one of the stars.

The Mavericks were also relatively quiet on draft day. They picked up Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter, but he will play at least one more season in Spain before coming to the NLL. Things are looking good for the Dallas Mavericks. They have two of the league's best players, they are well under the salary cap and most of all, they have a trophy.

Archive

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