The Dallas Mavericks, who open the season Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs, have the kind of team Rick Carlisle loves to coach.
It's deep. It's versatile. And it's full of veterans.
Say what you want, but Carlisle doesn't generally show much love to youngsters. He'd probably disagree, but his track record suggests he prefers dudes who already understand how to play the game. There's nothing wrong with that because that's when Carlisle's knowledge can really help a player understand the nuances of how to play basketball and what it takes to win in the NBA.
This roster will maximize Carlisle's coaching acumen.
He can use a traditional lineup. He can go with three guards. He can go small or big. Depending on the opponent, he can run or slow it down.
By the time the playoffs begin, the Mavs will be a club most teams will be looking to avoid when the playoffs begin because Carlisle will be able to attack any opponent's weakness.
Chuckle if you choose. Scoff if you must. These Mavs will contend for a title this year as long as they avoid catastrophic injury involving their best players and finish among the top four teams in the Western Conference, which would give them home-court advantage in the first round.
The Mavs were hardly a perfect team last season, and they still won 49 games. A quick check of the Western Conference suggests the Mavs will need to win about 55 games to get home-court advantage in the first round, but it's possible.
Dirk Nowitzki remains the best player on the Mavs, which is not really what you want. But if you had to choose a 36-year-old to be your go-to guy, Dirk is a good choice because his work ethic is beyond reproach and he can score in a lot of ways.
At 36, Dirk is no longer a superstar -- a guy who gets his points, and there's nothing the defense can do about it -- but he's still a star. The difference? Dirk will still score close to 20 points most nights and get the benefit of the doubt from the officials, but he won't be an unstoppable force every night.
Frankly, one of Carlisle's most important tasks is to make sure Dirk doesn't average more than 30 minutes a game, so he'll be fresh for a lengthy playoff grind. If that means giving him the occasional night off on the second game of a back-to-back or during particularly grueling parts of the season, so be it.
Although general manager Donnie Nelson and owner Mark Cuban have been largely negligent, when it comes to Dirk's supporting cast, they have done a superb job of filling out the roster this year and making life much easier for Dirk and Monta Ellis.
Chandler Parsons is probably overpaid, but the cost of doing business and adding a multi-dimensional player is expensive.
He should be an excellent fit on this team because the Mavs' best asset over the years has been their willingness to share the ball. When you combine that trait with Carlisle's flow offense, it's easy to understand why the Mavs should be among the NBA's highest scoring teams.
Parsons can score, hit the 3-pointer, distribute and rebound. He's an average defender, but few perfect players exist.
On this team, Parson's skill set will make the Mavs' offense that much tougher to stop because they can attack any area on the court.
Dirk has improved his post-up game, and Tyson Chandler and Brandan Wright will allow the Mavs to score points in the paint, as will Ellis and Devin Harris, each of whom excel at attacking the basket.
Dirk and Ellis can each hit mid-range jumpers, and when Ellis drives he can kick it to Dirk, Parsons, Jameer Nelson or Richard Jefferson. Nelson, Raymond Felton and Harris gives the Mavs depth at point guard -- the key to any potent offense.
The bench is deep, which is the way Carlisle likes it because it allows him to keep his team on edge, except the top six or seven players. Everyone else must compete for playing time every day.
If a player isn't giving Carlisle what he wants, he can sit him until he does. No greater motivator exists than playing time. The Mavs might start slowly, while Carlisle figures out his rotation and the players learn the nuances of the team defense he preaches daily.
But this team is good enough to contend, and Carlisle is demanding enough to make sure the Mavs maximize their potential.
