Ranking 15 worst Mavericks starters of the Dirk Nowitzki era

The Dallas Mavericks had a keen eye on Dirk Nowitzki in the 1998 draft, but nobody expected him to be an all-time great. He struggled as a rookie before producing two decades of dominance. Dirk was special. He never left the Mavs to chase a ring and his determination to bring a championship to Dallas was unmatched. Nowitzki made it a reality in 2011 and cemented himself as an all-time great.

There have been plenty of opportunities to celebrate Dirk since his retirement. His street naming, jersey retirements, statue unveiling, and Hall of Fame induction were all chances to show Nowitzki a ton of love but is never enough. Dirk is the Mavericks and will forever be their GOAT.

During Nowitzki’s 21 years with the franchise, there were plenty of regrettable decisions. From striking out in free agency to failed roster moves, the Mavs always tried to build a contender around their superstar. It did not always work, which led to some unwanted starters. With 20 games started as the criteria, who were the worst around Dirk?

Ranking worst Dallas Mavericks starters of the Dirk Nowitzki era

15. Erick Dampier

The Mavs handed Dampier one of the worst contracts in NBA history in 2004 when he inked a seven-year $73 million deal. The tenth overall pick in 1996 was coming off a breakout year with the Warriors where he averaged 12.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game. Dallas needed a starting center next to Dirk Nowitzki and jumped at the chance to sign Dampier.

The 6’11 big man never replicated his Golden State play. Over his six seasons in Dallas, Dampier averaged 6.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 24.4 minutes per game. He never lived up to his massive contract, despite being a steady starter. The Mavs traded him for Tyson Chandler in 2010, which was a key move in their 2011 title run.

Erick Dampier left a ton to be desired as the Dallas Mavericks starting center, which earned him a spot as one of the worst in the Dirk Nowitzki era. He was a strong rebounder, screener, and rim protector, but the Mavs needed him to be a double-double machine to live up to his contract.

14. Jameer Nelson

The Magic waived Nelson in 2014 after a decade as primarily their starting point guard. He was an All-Star in 2009 and a key part of six playoff runs. The six-footer struggled on the defensive end of the floor but was a fantastic distributor and shot-creator. It was time to rebuild in 2014 after Orlando missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

The Mavericks signed him in free agency to be their starting point guard. He only got a $2.7 million contract, but Dallas had brought back Tyson Chandler and added Chandler Parsons. They were gearing up for another playoff run before things quickly fell apart.

Nelson only lasted 23 games. The Mavs had the best offensive rating in the NBA as the six-foot point guard averaged 7.3 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game. Nelson was shooting 37.4 percent from the field and was a defensive liability. Dallas felt the need to upgrade at the one and sent him to Boston to acquire Rajon Rondo.

The trade turned into a disaster for the Dallas Mavericks, and there is no telling what would have been if Jameer Nelson stayed. His subpar efficiency and defense made his stay short and landed him on this list, but Dallas was likely better with him leading their offense.

13. DeSagana Diop

Diop was the eighth overall pick in 2001 by the Cavaliers. He played out his rookie contract in Cleveland before signing with the Mavericks as a free agent in 2005. Diop barely saw the floor in his first four years. He averaged 1.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in just 10.8 minutes per game. The seven-footer was known for his shot-blocking, but could he contribute enough elsewhere to get significant minutes?

Diop started 45 games during the 2005-06 regular season and 18 more in the playoffs as the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals. He averaged 2.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 18.6 minutes per game during the regular season and similar numbers during the postseason run. Fouls were an issue, but there were memorable moments like his 16 rebound and six-block game versus the Nuggets.

In his two-and-a-half seasons in Dallas, Diop made 72 starts. In his 12-year career, the seven-footer earned 93. Take out his time with the Mavericks and Diop made 21 starts in 353 games played. He was not a starter. The seven-footer was a fine backup big man who could protect the rim, but he never earned enough minutes to be part of the opening group.

DeSagana Diop helped the Dallas Mavericks reach the NBA Finals in 2006, but the role player still goes down as one of the worst starters of the Dirk Nowitzki era.

12. Dennis Smith Jr.

The Mavs instantly made him their starting point guard after selecting him ninth overall in 2017. It was just the second time Dallas missed the playoffs in 17 years, and Dirk was on the decline. They needed a new building block, and DSJ got the first crack.

Smith Jr. struggled to get along with head coach Rick Carlisle, who is notoriously hard on his point guards. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 29.7 minutes per game, but shot 39.5 percent from the field and 31.3 percent on his threes as a rookie.

The Mavericks traded up to select Luka Doncic in 2018, and the duo was an awkward fit on the court. DSJ needed the ball in his hands, but Luka was the superior creator and offensive initiator. Smith Jr. started 32 games before being traded to the Knicks in the package for Kristaps Porzingis.

Dennis Smith Jr. made 101 starts with the Dallas Mavericks and has opened just 49 of his 169 games since. He has not made more than 15 starts in a season since 2019, and the 6’2 guard has failed to live up to the hype of being a top-ten pick. The Mavs struggled whenever DSJ started. Turnovers and shot selection were issues and helped make him one of the worst starters of the Dirk Nowitzki era.

11. Mike James

James was not even on the roster and appeared to be out of the NBA at the start of the 2012-13 season. He had played just 15 games in the previous three seasons combined, which included one year in Turkey. The 6’2 point guard had spent a decade in the league before arriving in Dallas. James was primarily a backup but had made 263 starts in his career.

The Mavericks point guard situation was a mess. Darren Collison was the starter to open the year, but he was benched after a 7-7 start. Head coach Rick Carlisle tried Dominque Jones, a failed nine-game experiment with Derek Fisher, and a switch back to Collison before giving Mike James a shot. The 37-year-old started on a ten-day contract in January 2013 before earning a rest-of-the-season deal. It was a shock he was even in the NBA, much less starting on a team hoping to make the playoffs.

Mike James averaged 6.1 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.6 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game over 45 contests. The 6’1 point guard made 23 starts where he put up just over eight points and four dimes in nearly 26 minutes each night. The Mavericks won 15 of their final 23 games to finish 41-41, but it was not enough to qualify for the postseason.

James had zero business starting in the NBA at 37 after three years of being out of the league. Credit to him for playing well, but Dallas missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, and James' flaws were on full display. He played just 11 more games in the league before retiring.

10. A.C. Green

Green is the NBA’s Iron Man. The 16-year NBA veteran missed just eight games in his career and played in 1,192 straight contests from November 1986 to his retirement in 2001.

He did not come to Dallas until 1996. He was part of the haul for Jason Kidd that included Michael Finley and Sam Cassell. Green was in his mid-30s and on the decline. He played a season and a half with the Mavericks before Dirk arrived in the 1998 draft. The 6’9 forward was 35 years old and in the final stage of his career by the time they shared the floor.

There were only 50 games in the lockout-shortened 1999 season. Green played in all of them, including making 35 starts, but averaged just 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game. Dallas won 19 games, and all they could muster for Green in a trade was a career role player and one second-round pick.

A.C. Green returned to the Lakers and helped them win a championship in 2000. He was again a starter but played fewer than 20 minutes per game in the postseason. Green won three championships and was an All-Star in 1990. He deserves plenty of praise, but his one season as a starter with Dirk Nowitzki was forgettable for both players.

9. Dwight Powell

Powell was only a part-time starter during the Dirk Nowitzki era. The Mavs acquired the rookie second-round pick in the Rajon Rondo trade back in 2014. He jumped into the rotation in year two and got 47 starts over Dirk’s final two years with the Mavericks.

Powell had the best year of his career during Nowitzki’s final season. The 6’10 big man averaged 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 21.6 minutes per game. Powell was a strong roll man and lob target before an Achilles injury in 2020 sapped his athleticism. He shot 59.7 percent from the field and 77.2 percent on his free throws, so why did Powell make this list?

The center does not protect the rim, space the floor, or rebound well. Powell has a high IQ and provides energy, but it is tough to win with a center that struggles in all three areas. Dallas had just 57 victories over Dirk’s final two seasons, which includes Luka Doncic’s rookie year.

Dwight Powell is still starting years after Dirk Nowitzki retired, which is shocking. The 6’10 big man has drawn plenty of heat from Dallas Mavericks fans over the years, and his lack of rebounding, rim protection, and shooting land him firmly on this list.

8. Christian Laettner

Laettner spent less than six months in a Mavericks uniform. He was acquired in a five-player deal that sent Cedric Ceballos to Detroit in August of 2000 and was traded to Washington in February of 2001.

In his brief stay, Dallas was well on their way to breaking a decade-long playoff drought, but Laettner struggled to get consistent minutes. He was the Pistons' starting center in 2000, but Shawn Bradley’s superior rebounding and rim protection made him the Mavericks preferred option next to Dirk Nowitzki.

Laettner averaged 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 17.5 minutes per game over 53 appearances. He made 35 starts where his minutes and production improved slightly. It was clear that Christian Laettner was not a fit in Dallas next to Dirk Nowitzki, so Dallas traded him to Washington in an eight-player deal that brought Juwan Howard to the Mavericks.

The Mavs reacquired Christian Laettner for two months during the 2004 offseason. He came back from Washington in the Antawn Jamison deal before getting traded to the Bay Area for Erick Dampier.

Laettner was a member of the 1992 Dream Team that won the Olympic gold medal and remains one of the most famous college basketball players of all time, but he disappointed in the NBA. His stints with the Dallas Mavericks were forgettable and his 53 games earned him a place as one of the worst starters of the Dirk Nowitzki era.

7. Eddie Jones

Jones was the tenth overall pick in 1994 and immediately jumped into the Lakers rotation. The 6’6 wing was an elite athlete, who was NBA-ready after three years at Temple. He made three All-Star appearances and three All-Defensive teams before arriving in Dallas. Jones was special during his prime, but that is not what Mavericks fans got to see.

Eddie Jones signed with the Mavericks in free agency in 2007 and turned 36 before opening night. He had been a starter his entire career, but there were signs of decline. Dallas took the gamble and ended up with his final NBA season where the wheels quickly fell off.

E.J. averaged 3.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 19.6 minutes per game over 47 contests with the Mavs. It was the first and only time in his career he played fewer than 20 minutes per game. The 6’6 wing shot 36.7 percent from the field and could not find his footing.

Jones made 33 starts, but he was out of the rotation by the postseason. It was a forgettable year that told the 36-year-old it was time to hang up the sneakers.

Eddie Jones was a three-time All-Star, but it was a classic case of the Dallas Mavericks not being able to land the player they wanted until way after their prime. Jones retired in 2008 after 14 years in the NBA.

6. Raja Bell

Bell went undrafted in 1999 out of Florida International University. He spent a year in the CBA before catching on the 76ers in 2001. After 79 games in Philadelphia, the Mavericks signed the 6’5 wing in 2002. They had been in the playoffs two straight years and were looking for depth. Bell quickly worked his way into the rotation and set a new career-high in playing time.

The 26-year-old was breaking out. He started 30 on his final 38 games as he averaged 3.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 18.9 minutes per game. His production and playing time ticked up a bit in the playoffs. Bell earned seven postseason starts as the Mavericks reached the conference finals for the first time since 1988. Still, there was a lot to be desired.

Raja Bell departed for Utah in free agency after just one season with the Mavericks. He was a starter and key rotation player for the next eight years. The 6’5 wing certainly started that run in Dallas, but he was not fully ready to blossom.

Raja Bell would make two All-Defensive teams and multiple playoff runs with the rival Suns in their Seven Seconds or Less era. The Dallas Mavericks wish they held onto the 6’5 wing, but he underperformed in his lone season with the franchise.

5. Devean George

George was the 23rd overall pick by the Lakers in 1999 and won three championship rings in his first three years in the league. The 6’8 forward did not land a consistent postseason role until year three, but playing with Kobe and Shaq in Los Angeles made George a known commodity.

George signed with the Mavericks as a free agent in 2006. They were fresh off a run to the NBA Finals and had a prime Dirk Nowitzki for the 6’8 forward to work with. George was hoping for more minutes and an increased role, but that was impossible as he continued to be plagued by the same issues.

In his three seasons in Dallas, George averaged 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game. He shot 38.1 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from 3-point range. His most famous moment as a Maverick was delaying the Jason Kidd trade in 2008 because he did not want to go to New Jersey.

Devean George made 38 starts over his three years with the Dallas Mavericks. He was a slightly below replacement-level player and a regrettable starter as the franchise won just one playoff series, and it was with George glued to the bench.

4. Greg Buckner

Buckner was drafted by the Mavs in the second round in 1998. He spent his first season in the CBA before joining the team for the 1999-2000 season. The 6’4 wing was a 20-minute per game role player in his first three years before leaving for Philadelphia in 2002 as a free agent. Buckner would return to Dallas in 2006 for one season before being traded to Minnesota.

He was a journeyman throughout his decade in the NBA. Buckner never averaged more than 24.1 minutes, 7.0 points, or 4.2 rebounds per game. The 6’4 guard had a high basketball IQ and a likable personality, which kept him in the league.

In his four seasons with the Mavericks as Dirk Nowitzki’s teammate, Buckner averaged 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.5 minutes per game. Despite the subpar numbers, he made 37 starts in his 205 appearances. Buckner was a steady role player but should have never been a starter when Dallas was trying to contend.

Greg Buckner became a coach after his playing days and is currently the associate head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. His decade in the league paved the way for that role, and he could be a head coach in the league someday.

3. Antoine Wright

Wright was the 15th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the then-New Jersey Nets. He came to Dallas in the eight-player trade that brought Jason Kidd back to the Mavericks. In his first two and half seasons, he had a negative-1.3 value over replacement player (VORP) and rated as well-below-average by win shares per 48 minutes. The 6’7 wing played a small role after being acquired and was axed from the playoff rotation.

Inexplicably, the Mavericks relied on him as a starter the following season. He was in the lineup on opening night and started 53 of his 65 regular season games played. Dallas needed his size on the wing. Head coach Rick Carlisle did not want to start Jason Kidd and Jason Terry in the backcourt together with Josh Howard at the three, despite that being their preferred closing group.

Wright left plenty to be desired as he averaged 7.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 23.9 minutes per game. He shot 41.5 percent from the field and 30.2 percent on his threes. Wright was demoted from the starting five and minutes decreased in the playoffs, but Dallas did reach the second round.

Antoine Wright was a forgettable starter for the Dallas Mavericks that never should have been. He played just two more years in the NBA and averaged more than 20 minutes per game for an entire season just three times.

2. Danny Fortson

The Mavs acquired Fortson in 2003 as part of the nine-player trade that brought Antwan Jamison to Dallas. The 6’7 big man was entering his seventh year in the NBA which featured highs and lows. The tenth overall pick in 1997 was limited by injuries, but his physical play and toughness made him a force on the floor. He played just 100 games in his last three seasons before arriving in Dallas, and the Mavericks were not expecting much.

Fortson played one forgettable season in Dallas. He averaged 3.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game over 56 contests, including 20 starts. His most memorable moment in a Mavericks uniform was pushing Suns rookie Zarko Cabarkapa and causing him to break his wrist. The flagrant foul earned Fortson a three-game suspension and the ire of then-Suns owner Jerry Colangelo.

Danny Fortson was axed from the playoff rotation as the Dallas Mavericks were bounced in the first round by the Sacramento Kings. They traded him to Seattle for Calvin Booth in the 2004 offseason.

Fortson played three more years in the NBA but made just seven starts and continued playing just over ten minutes per game. The Mavs knew he was not a starter, which made opening 20 games with him on the floor a head-scratcher.

1. Rajon Rondo

Rondo’s stint with the Mavericks was a disaster from the moment they made the trade in December 2014. Dallas was 19-8 and had the best offensive rating in the NBA before the deal. They wanted to improve their perimeter defense and upgrade at point guard. Rondo played a ball-dominant style in those days, which dropped their offense to 13th and their defense barely improved.

Things went from disaster to catastrophe in the playoffs as Rondo was benched after playing ten minutes in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Rockets and never returned. The 6’1 guard was negative-36 in 37 minutes on the floor. He clashed with head coach Rick Carlisle and never found his fit in Dallas. Rondo’s attitude was a problem, and it kept him from receiving a playoff share after the team’s first-round exit.

The Mavs gave up Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, and two draft picks, including their 2016 first-rounder, to get Rajon Rondo. It was a disastrous trade that got worse as Crowder broke out in Boston and Rondo departed in free agency with zero return. Dallas wishes they could have this one back because Rajon Rondo is the worst starter of the Dirk Nowitzki era.

The Dallas Mavericks had a legendary run with the Tall Baller from the G, including their unforgettable 2011 championship. Can they replicate or surpass the feat with Luka Doncic? Stay tuned to find out.