Mavericks Starting Five Set?

The Dallas Mavericks just got a whole lot better…looking.

Chandler Parsons is a Dallas Maverick! Three days after signing a three year $46 million dollar offer sheet, he’s…well…

The Houston Rockets decided Sunday evening to let walk their versatile young small forward in a lucrative deal to in-state rival Dallas. Trevor Ariza will fill Parsons’ shoes but what it really came down to was Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s persistent pursuit and hopeful ideal of another big fish instead of filling out a more balanced team. Not like those take down the super teams anyway…except for they do.

United States Ambassador Marc Stein also notes the Rockets will be in on Kevin Love, but more realistically Rajon Rondo. Danny Ainge just can’t be asking for the Jamario Moon (or the regular moon) anymore, or his Celtics will remain dormant and turrible. The Rockets were sent scrambling when they thought they had Chris Bosh –like we all did– and were planning on matching the Mavs big offer sheet to the three year pro who has vastly improved in each of his NBA seasons after being selected 38th overall in 2011. He has and will continue to “prove everybody wrong” about his place in the league and where he ended up being drafted. (The Mavs selected and traded Jordan Hamilton to Denver for Rudy Fernandez, who they then traded, with Corey Brewer, to Denver) Anyway, Chris Bosh.

Thanks, Marc. Back to me.

“Hey Dirk, Can I Try?”

Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

So the prevailing notion that a Bosh signing would assure the Mavs Parsons turned out to be wrong, and the Rockets came away without either but preserved their hope to get another marquee player.

Also, no one wants to be Dwight Howard‘s teammate. No one.

In a backup big move, the Mavericks acquired Greg Smith from the Chicago Bulls for cheap and allowed fan favorite Dejuan Blair to take a more than minimum deal with the Washington Wizards.

Thus far the Mavericks have been one of the busier teams this offseason in the Western Conference. In all of the league though many teams out East (Cleveland, Washington, “New Old” Miami, Chicago have all been busy and the Pistons have added three more guard to their nine guards.

Our squad has returned Dirk Nowitzki, Devin Harris, “re-returned” Tyson Chandler, acquired Raymond Felton, Greg Smith and signed small forwards Chandler Parsons as well Richard Jefferson for the minimum.

The Utah Jazz are my second favorite team and I watched a lot of Richard Jefferson last year, mostly in utter amazement that he was still producing after being dumped by Golden State in the Andre Iguodala transaction last summer.

The former New Jersey Net star, Jefferson was thought done mid 2011 when he was traded from San Antonio to the Warriors with a first round pick for Stephen Jackson.

But last season was a huge resurgence as he averaged double digit PPG (10.1) and played all 82 games for the rebuilding Jazz. Hopefully Jefferson, who with Vince Carter (sad face) and Jason Kidd formed an elite big three before big three’s were even big three’s in New Jersey can leave Dallas with the same piece of hardware that Kidd did and sadly, Vince did not.

By my calculation, the Mavericks roster stands at 12 right now, including unlikely Opening Night roster members Ricky Ledo and Gal Mekel and excluding the likely impending re-signing of center Bernard James.

The team still has a bit of money to play with but they have a front office and different accounts of flexibility (Stretch Provision for Raymond Felton? Brandan Wright‘s expiring $5 million? Can trade their first round pick for the first time since acquiring Lamar Odom) to improve the current setup even more.

“Not Bad, Chandler, Not Bad”

Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The bench could use another big and another guard, and there’s plenty out there to be had for a low cost deal for a championship contender. Yeah, I said it. And I believe it, too.

The starting five right now looks like:

PG: Devin Harris

SG: Monta Ellis

SF: Chandler Parsons

PF: Dirk

C: Tyson Chandler

This is a unit that can absolutely go toe to toe with anyone in the league, the only weakness potentially coming in the back court. Monta Ellis proved last season he’s absolutely a legitimate starter in the National Basketball Association, but his biggest hole is the three point shot, which is not consistent at all unless it’s a Playoff Game apparently.

Devin Harris has never been and is still not a jump shooter. Defense, energy, taking charges, attacking the basket and Bball IQ will never be an issue with the team’s backup point guard potentially turned starter. However, he and Monta Ellis are very similar in their overall skillset, and Raymond Felton off the bench can be good at many things but is not a long distance shooter himself.

So while this is the tentative starting lineup and all things considered I’m very okay with it, two things stick out big time.

Three Point Shooting

and

A backup small that can shoot the 3

The three point shot has always been a great source of points and offensive balance, floor spacing, all the goods. But in today’s game it has become more than an ideal, it has become something else entirely.

A lethal weapon, too.

I just quoted like three movies right there. I’ll end with that. And this.