The Dallas Mavericks bench will be key this year

The Dallas Mavericks bench is going to have to play a key role for the team this year, especially considering the veterans in the second unit. How will the minutes break down?

Luka Doncic and DeAndre Jordan have been the main topics of conversation this summer for the Dallas Mavericks and for good reason. This has been one of the most exciting times for Mavs fans in awhile and that is centered around the additions of a top NBA center and maybe the best rookie in the 2018 class.

Other headlines have been following Harrison Barnes who looks to be the leader of the team for the time being, Dennis Smith Jr. with his growth and the hope that he will be one of the big time players for Dallas this year and, of course, Dirk Nowitzki‘s last year most likely.

One thing that people are overlooking that will likely be a strength for the Mavs this year is their bench depth. With a starting five of Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, Harrison Barnes, Luka Doncic and DeAndre Jordan, that leaves a lot of pretty good players left on the bench.

The first and most important group of this bench are the veterans. Dirk Nowitzki, Devin Harris and J.J. Barea make up the veteran portion of this squad, all of which have put together great careers and are still dangerous players on the court. These three will make up a large portion of the second unit and will be key to helping the young guys.

The next set of guys are the specialists. Dorian Finney-Smith is going to be used as mostly a defensive specialist, Ryan Broekhoff will be the three-point specialist, Dwight Powell will be the above-the-rim guy, Maxi Kleber as an energy guy and, most importantly, Salah Mejri as the Mej.

The last group is the rookies. Aside from Ryan Broekhoff, the Mavs also have Jalen Brunson, Ray Spalding, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Daryl Macon. These guys won’t have a super significant role right off the bat, but each one presents a player that has room to grow and become a contributor.

This team could be really good simply because it has some depth. We have seen over the years that Barea, Harris, Dirk and even DFS can step into a starting role in a pinch, but each of them will bring important pieces to the second unit and to certain game situations.

I am really excited to see this team in action. The starters are going to gain all the headlines, but I really do believe the bench will be the backbone of this Dallas Mavericks team.