Predicting the final records of each NBA team

Dallas Mavericks

Dirk keeps chugging along. The now 36-year-old forward was fantastic last season, averaging 21.7 points per game on 50/40/90 shooting, and because his game ages so gracefully on the back of his proficiency as a shooter, there is no reason to suggest that a major fall-off is coming for the German legend. However, the Mavericks organization did provide some help for their ageless star by signing Chandler Parsons away from the in-state rival Houston Rockets, and the Nowitzki-Parsons duo makes up one of the best forward tandems in the NBA.

However, signing Parsons does not cure all ills for Dallas, as the Mavs also lost three significant contributors from their perimeter game. Vince Carter, Shawn Marion and Jose Calderon have all moved on to greener pastures, and while Dallas did acquire Jameer Nelson, Richard Jefferson and Raymond Felton (along with Parsons), it is not necessarily a given that the Mavs can replicate what they lost.

The two biggest keys to the season for the Mavericks are Tyson Chandler, who was reacquired from New York, and the point guard position, and it is hard to envision a scenario in which both are definite successes. Chandler was the defensive anchor for Dallas in their championship run, but at 32 years old, the seven-footer showed noticeable decline on defense last season in New York. There is a real argument that Chandler was simply put in an awful situation for his talents, but at the same time, his game has always been based on athleticism and explosiveness, leaving Chandler susceptible to rapid decline.

At point guard, the Mavs are set to deploy a trio that includes Devin Harris along with the aforementioned Nelson and Felton, and this could go in a variety of directions. Each of the three has been an above-average point guard at some point in their respective careers, but Nelson dropped to the point where Orlando simply gave him away, Felton has battled weight issues and wretched defense, and Harris has long been considered a significant injury risk in addition to having real problems with his jump shot at times.

This appears to be a playoff-bound group, provided they get reasonable health from Dirk, Parsons and the always-entertaining Monta Ellis, but at the same time, the question marks are significant. If not for the presence of Rick Carlisle to lead the way, this wouldn’t be a team projected to repeat a playoff appearance in the gauntlet that is the Western Conference.

Projected Record: 46-36, 8th in West