With the preseason getting underway tonight, let's take a look at the Mavs current 20 man roster and where they rank in their importance to the team for the upcoming season.
#20: Maalik Wayns
Wayns is the only player of the players with non-guaranteed contracts who has previous NBA experience. It also means at 26, he is the oldest of the group and the least likely to get the team's second two-way contract spot.
#19: Brandon Ashley
Ashley started at center for the Mavs Vegas Summer League team and has previously spent time in Frisco for the Legends. His game is very similar to Dwight Powell so he might be seen as redundant.
18: P.J. Dozier
Dozier was a key player for South Carolina in their surprise run to the Final Four last season. He is a tall point guard who excels at defense but struggled with his outside shot in college. A definite two-way candidate.
17: Gian Clavell
Clavell was the Mountain West player of the year last season at Colorado State and played well for Miami in Vegas. A two guard who can both shoot and handle the ball I would put him as the favorite to get the Mavs second two way deal.
16: Johnathan Motley
Motley, who was a second team All-American at Baylor, was projected to be an early second round
pick before concerns over his knee led him to be undrafted. The Mavs quickly signed him to their first two-way contract spot. He'll spend most of the year with the Legends but could become a contributor to the big club in the years to come.
15: Maxi Kleber
Hailing from the same howetown as Dirk (Wurzburg), Kelber has had success playing in his native Germany. Transitioning to the NBA will probably in an adjustment so I'd expect him to be shuttling between Dallas and Frisco. At worst he'll give Dirk someone to talk German with behind everyone else's back.
14: Jeff Withey
Withey has shown himself to be a competent depth big man in his 4 years in the league with New Orleans and Utah. A very good rim protector, Withey is not a bad guy to have in a pinch if you need a big body.
13: Josh McRoberts
It's hard to know what McRoberts has left after spending three injury marred years in Miami. When he's healthy McRoberts is a versatile big who can pass and spread the floor. He might also provide value as an expiring contract to a team looking to create cap room.
12: Salah Mejri
Mejri has had his moments in his two seasons with the Mavs. With his contract up after this year it's time for him to show more consistency if wants to be around long term. As is he can always provide a spark of energy off the bench.
11: Dorian Finney-Smith
We know Finney-Smith can defend. What he needs to show is major improvement on the offensive end if he wants consistent playing time. His percentages of 37% from the field and 29% from three last season are not going to cut it going forward. Still his defense gives him a defined role.
10: Devin Harris
Harris can still be an effective player at both guard spots when he's healthy. Almost as importantly the 34 year old provides leadership and professionalism as an example to his younger teammates.
9: Dwight Powell
After signing a nice size deal last off-season the Mavs are still waiting for Powell to take the next step forward. He provides good finishing ability and athleticism as an undersized 5 but can be bullied by larger players at that position. His lack of a consistent perimeter shot makes playing him at the 4 problematic. We'll see what kind of improvements he can make to help justify the team's faith in him.
8: J.J. Barea
Enttering his 12th season, Barea is as effective as he's ever been. He's mastered playing with Dirk and uses his speed to create for himself and others. He's also improved as an outside shooter as his career has gone along. While his size screates obvious limitations on defense, he makes up for it by being an incredible pest on that end.
7: Yogi Ferrell
After bursting on to scene mid-season, Ferrell continued to prove he was no fluke as the season went on. Playing with Dennis Smith Jr. in Summer League should help as it figures the two will share the floor some this season. Yogi is dynamic with the ball but his shooting ability also allows his to play off the ball as well. This is also a contract year for him so expect to stay as motivated as he was last year.
6: Seth Curry
Curry's first year as a full-time player was an unqualified success as he actually bested his more accomplished brother in both field goal and three point shooting percentage. Whether he starts or comes off the bench Curry's shooting and underrated playmaking will be a huge asset. Expect him to get most of his minutes at the 2 now with Smith, Ferrell and Barea dominating the time at the 1.
5: Wesley Matthews
While his shooting numbers haven't returned to what they were pre-achilles injury, Matthews still brings tremendous value with his relentless defense. Matthews was asked to create off the dribble too much last season, which likely won't be the case this year. Hopefully the return to mainly just catching and shooting will be a boom to game.
4: Nerlens Noel
After a bizarre contract drama which saw Noel accept the one year qualifying offer from the Mavs, Noel enters this season with a lot to prove. It looks like that proving will come in a bench role with Dirk set to start at the 5. That doesn't mean Noel won't have an important role. His defensive ability as both a protector the basket and ability to guard perimeter is special for a big. Plus his ability to catch lobs and finish on offense gives the Mavs a dimension they haven't had since Tyson Chandler. Health is always a question mark for Noel but the potential is still tantalizing,
3: Dirk Nowitzki
Yes, It's extremely weird to not see Dirk at #1 on the list let alone at #3. But still the now 39 year old legend will bring a lot of value to the Mavs in his 20th season. His ability to stretch the floor at the 5 spot will be a nightmare for opposing center who are much more comfortable guarding the basket. While he is defensively limited at his advanced basketball age, playing center should be much easier for Dirk instead of chasing around the modern multi-dimensional fours in today NBA, a position he helped create. Long live #41.
2: Dennis Smith Jr.
Yes, you can believe the hype. Expect the 9th overall pick to have a huge impact on this team. Despite the growing pains any rookie has, Smith has natural gifts and talent that make him a player uniquely qualified to lead a team at point guard at such a precocious age. His explosiveness and athleticism is something we have really never seen from a Maverick point guard and it will be a lot of fun watching him grow as a player. Rookie of the Year should definitely be a strong possibility.
1. Harrison Barnes
A lot has changed for Barnes in a year. He entered last year trying to justify a max contract that a lot of people questioned and he did not only that but he exceeded expectations. It's now time for Barnes to make another big jump as now this team's #1 option. Barnes has talked about knowing that he needs to shoot more free throws and is focused on that aspect of his game. He also must improve as a passer, something he did get better at as last season went on. If he can take improve in those aspects, Barnes can become an all-star level player who is capable of along with Smith leading the next generation of a Mavs into contender status.
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