JaVale McGee getting back to “elite” level

If there’s one thing the league has been missing the last couple of years, it’s peak-level JaVale McGee. You know, the JaVale McGee that throws self alley-oops when his team is losing, the freak athlete who makes you question gravity with his dunk contest stunts and plays above the rim defensively as even a semi-engaged basketball player. This past season, he became an outcast in Denver before being shipped to Philly, where we caught brief glimpses of some of his vintage wackiness. But it was over in the blink of an eye, as Sam Hinkie cut him loose after just six appearances. NBA culture continued to miss out on Peak JaVale.

Until now. McGee signed with Dallas Mavericks this summer, as part of the team’s scavenger hunt for front court depth in the aftermath of the DeAndre Jordan saga. In a one-on-one with Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed, McGee, praising Dallas’ training staff, claimed he was getting back into that elite shape that made his playing time prime League Pass material.

"“That was one of the major things about (signing with the Mavericks),” McGee confessed. “With how good the training staff is and all the training materials that they have and other teams don’t have, it’s definitely a good thing.“I’m definitely getting back to that elite level. The injuries really slowed me down, so I’m definitely going to get 100 percent healthy and come out and give it my all.”"

This certainly reeks of the annual day one of Training Camp “best shape of my life” talk. But for a training staff that has seemingly kept Dirk cryogenically frozen every offseason so as to prevent his body from crumbling to dust, we’d be remiss if we didn’t put some weight into his claims.

Basketball is just a better place when JaVale McGee is entertaining. Let’s hope, for everybody’s sake, he truly is back on track to being the disengaged rotation big with freakish athleticism that fans fell in love with.