Dallas Mavericks: Projected 2014 Starting Lineup

Photo Credit: Layne Murdoch – Getty Images

DALLAS- After a successful offseason the Dallas Mavericks look to make it back to the playoffs and perhaps advance past the first round. The Mavericks were knocked out of the playoffs last season at the hands of the soon-to-be NBA champions, San Antonio Spurs. They put up a fight and took it to seven games, but could not finish off the series. It’s a difficult Western Conference, but with the moves that the Mavericks made, they could very well make it back and even further in the playoffs. Here is a look at the Dallas Mavericks projected 2014-2015 starting lineup:

Point Guard – Raymond Felton: Raymond Felton is coming off a terrible 2013-2014 season. It was a year riddled with problems on and off the court causing the Knicks to trade Felton along with Tyson Chandler to the Mavericks. Felton has had issues with weight but with a new chance one can assume he will put himself back into shape for the better of the team. Felton will also miss the first four games of the year because of his problems off the court, but after he will be the man to get the Mavericks offense going. Felton can finish at the rim better than Jose Calderon and he will be able to run the pick and roll well with Dirk Nowitzki. As long as he fixes his problems off the court and gets back into shape, Felton’s talents will go to good use with Dallas. He will have some competition though, as the Mavericks did sign Jameer Nelson this offseason. Both players will battle for the starting job, but after Felton’s suspension, he’ll win his job back.

Shooting Guard – Monta Ellis: Monta Ellis made huge strides as a player last season. He averaged 19 points and 5.7 assists per game for the Mavericks, but he still made some bad decisions with the ball. He has experienced problems with shooting, but with more offensive talent on the team he won’t have the ball in his hands. Ellis runs the pick and roll well with his speed and ability to drive to the basket. He also was able to dish the basketball to Nowitzki, opening up easy shots for the big man. He improved a lot last year and he will still improve in the future. He will keep making small improvements to better the team on the offensive end.

Small Forward – Chandler Parsons: Chandler Parsons will be a huge offensive piece for the Mavericks next season. But, he may not contribute on the defensive side of the ball. Parsons was picked up in free agency after Houston didn’t match Dallas’ offer. Parsons is a huge threat on the offensive end with his ability to get to the basket as well as being a three-point specialist. He has strong pump fake that makes it easier for him to get to the basket and open up the floor. Chandler needs help on the defensive end, but if he is able to improve enough to give his opponent some trouble, he will be a huge success in Dallas.

Power Forward – Dirk Nowitzki: Dirk Nowitzki is heading into his 17th season as a pro and looks to lead the team back to the playoffs. The future Hall of Famer averaged 21.7 points per game last season, leading the Mavericks. This season he won’t be able to play the same minutes as he ages and he won’t have to with all the new talent on the team. Nowitzki has one of the hardest shots to defend in basketball which makes it look so easy for him to score at his age. He won’t play the same big minutes so his production will go down, but he will still be a big contributor on the team.

Center – Tyson Chandler: The second piece to the Knicks trade was Tyson Chandler. Chandler also had a bad season like Felton, but if he is the player he was a few years back (ironically in Dallas), the Mavericks will be happy with their new starting center. Chandler will be the main player on defense and will protect the rim if he is able to avoid injuries. There are no other strong defenders in the starting lineup, so Chandler will have to come up big for the Mavericks if they want to keep the ball out of their net. He will grab many rebounds but won’t do much on offense. But with players like Nowtizki, Parsons, and Ellis, he won’t have to focus on offense as much. He just needs to be there on defense and be strong off the glass.

The Mavericks will be a contender for the playoffs yet again. With this improved roster, their chances are even better than last year. The future of the Mavericks is bright and every season they are improving.