Grade The Mavericks: DeJuan Blair

Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The season is over, and all we can do is either look back or look ahead. We’re going to take some time and look back, and the TSC team will be grading the Dallas Mavericks.

Up next? The shortest center in the NBA.

DeJuan Blair: 6.4 points, 53.5% fg, 4.7 rebounds, .8 blocks

Ace Feltman (@MFFeLtman): A+ DeJuan Blair was the final piece of the puzzle for the Mavericks 2013-2014 roster. By that I mean he was literally the last guy added to the 15-man unit in the 2013 offseason. At 6 foot 7 inches and lacking ACL’s to levitate, Blair still began a fan favorite, playing with energy and toughness that fits the frame but not the height to energize his teammates and his fans. Sounds kind of like Jose Juan numero once JJ Barea.

Brian Gosset (@Gosset41): B I always loved Blair’s intensity and energy if in his San Antonio days. He really picked up the slack when Dalembert struggled or was in foul trouble. He brought that spark off the bench and it definitely showed in the playoffs. I still think if he wasn’t ejected…we would’ve won Game 4 and probably the series.

Bailey Rogers (@BRogers789): C+ Blair was every bit as inconsistent as Dalembert, but I feel like he didn’t have as many stretches where he was awesome.  After some pretty consistent play early in the year, it felt like we only got a good Blair outing once in a blue moon. But man, when he was giving it his all, he was fun to watch. I think some of my favorite plays of the season came when Blair’s quick hands caught a ball-handler completely by surprise. In the end though, it felt like Blair made just way too many mistakes over the course of the year, and that kept Carlisle from trusting him enough to remain a strong presence in the rotation.

Jose De Leon (@JoseOfLion06): B+ Overall a B+ but if we’re just grading his energy, it’s an A+++. Hands down the leader in the clubhouse in that department. I love the deflections, I love his ability to secure offensive boards, I love that he has absolutely no fear on the court. He’s a solid finisher at the rim but I’m hoping he can really perfect that running floater for next season. It’s already in good shape but it would be great knowing those are automatic. And another thing…work on that temper. I’m not saying Game 4 was all his fault but I am saying he played a (really big) part in that loss after losing his composure a bit.

Rami Michail (@RamiMichail): B I struggled grading Blair. Whenever the Mavs needed him to play big he usually did. Issue came when they didn’t need him and they turned to him over Brandan Wright and he’d play poorly. Being healthy and awake when Wright was out and Samuel Dalembert was sleeping boosted his grade. Also, his play against the Spurs was phenomenal.