Dallas Mavericks Dilemma: Who Should Be the Sixth Man?

Nerlens Noel

Easily the biggest move of the Mavs season (sorry Yogi), the trade for Nerlens Noel shook things up in Dallas. The 22 year old center is an elite rim protector, solid rebounder, and loves catching lobs out of the pick and roll. A seemingly perfect fit for Coach Rick Carlisle’s offense, Noel gives Dallas a rim rolling threat and paint protector that they haven’t seen the likes of since Tyson Chandler.

Thus far the Mavs have been easing Noel into the rotation by bringing him off the bench and letting Nowitzki continue his role as starting center, however with Wes Matthews missing games recently due to a hip injury, the big man got his chance to start for his first time as a Maverick. He shined bright, posting 15 points on 60% shooting, 17 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Without a shadow of a doubt Nerlens Noel is the Mavs future starting center. This isn’t really up for debate, as Carlisle confirmed upon Noel’s arrival that this was the case. Be that as it may, Dirk has done a solid job at center for the Mavs recently, and putting him back at power forward may bring up problems defensively. It wouldn’t hurt to let Noel come off the bench for the short reminder of the season and address the problem in the offseason, if thats what Carlisle thought was best.

Next: Dirk Nowitzki