Golden State Warriors: Comparisons To Other Contenders
By Marc Grandi
Dallas Mavericks
Apr 12, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) and guard Monta Ellis (11) during the game against the Phoenix Suns at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Suns 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Projected Starting Lineup
PG: Devin Harris
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Tyson Chandler
Key Bench Players
Raymond Felton, Jae Crowder, Rashard Lewis and Brandan Wright.
Head Coach
Rick Carlisle, seventh year in Dallas.
Analysis
Aside from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks have been the busiest team of the offseason. What else would you expect form Mark Cuban? After being ousted by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA Playoffs (it was a seven game series, mind you), it was obvious Dallas needed to improve to contend in the West.
They made a splash to say the least. They traded aging guard Jose Calderon and a host of others to the New York Knicks for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton. Then, they signed restricted free agent Chandler Parsons to a three-year, $46 million deal. With Devin Harris, Calderon became expendable. The trade makes Felton a backup point guard, which is where he should be.
This year, the Mavs have Parsons instead of Vince Carter and Chandler instead of Dalembert. If that’s not an upgrade, then I don’t know what is.
Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
They’re definitely better, but are they good enough to compete for a title? Let’s see how they stack up against the Warriors.
Last season, Golden State beat Dallas twice on buzzer-beaters by Curry. It’s clear they matched up well versus each other. How will they match up now?
Both starting fives are impressive, just like very other Western playoff team. I have to give the edge to the Warriors, though, as they are significantly younger than the Mavs. Nowitzki is nearing his last season, Chandler was injured often in New York, and both Monta Ellis and Harris are veterans.
Parsons not only adds his scoring and defense, but also infuses Dallas with youth which is just as important for Dallas.
The Warriors are also injury-prone, though, as Iguodala, Lee and Bogut have all suffered from injuries recently.
Dallas has a competent bench, but it’s not as good as Golden State’s. Where will the scoring come from in that bench unit? Felton cannot create for himself, and the others seem to struggle with the ball in their hands. If anyone could make that bench unit work, though, it’d be Rick Carlisle.
One of the best coaches in the NBA, Carlisle knows how to get the most out of players. As it stands right now, Carlisle is a much better coach than Kerr, so Dallas gets the advantage there. The Warriors are still the better team overall, but I wouldn’t be surprised if these two teams end up right next to each other in the Western Conference standings when it’s all said and done.