Dallas Mavericks Dream Team

 

As players get bigger, stronger and faster coupled with rules of

the game being in constant change, conventional wisdom

suggests that players from different eras cannot be compared.

However, I have decided to defy those odds. 

The Dallas Mavericks were established in 1980. The NBA was

initially reticent to expand to Dallas since Houston and San

Antonio already had franchises. Dallas and Minneapolis were

the top candidates for an expansion team but when the latter

backed out, the door opened for the former. From 1983-1990,

the Mavericks were a consistent postseason participant. The

franchise reached the Western Conference Finals in the 1987-

1988 season, pushing the eventual NBA champion Los

Angeles Lakers to seven games. 

The 1990s were primarily about rebuilding, trying but mostly

failing to find the right combination of stars and leadership. In

the 2000, Mark Cuban purchased a majority stake in the

franchise from H. Ross Perot for $285 million. In the 2000s, the

franchise was a frequent playoff participant and championship

contender under head coaches Don Nelson, Avery Johnson

and Rick Carlisle. The problem was the Lakers won five titles

in the decade while the Spurs won three in that span. The

Mavericks reached the NBA Finals in 2005-2006 only to lose

to the Miami Heat 4-2. 

One year later, led by NBA MVP Dirk Nowitski, the Mavericks

won a franchise record 67 games only to lose in the first round

by the Golden State Warriors, coached by Nelson. In 2010-2011,

the Mavericks reached the NBA summit, defeating the Miami

Heat 4-2 in the NBA Finals. 

The Mavericks have not won a playoff series since that title and

had three straight losing seasons from 2017-2019 before

returning to the postseason in 2020. 

Today, I put together a Mavericks Dream Team. There are some

rigid criteria in making this team. First of all, the player needed to

have played for the Mavericks for a minimum of four seasons --

no exceptions. However, someone on this team is keeping the

seat warm for current star Luka Doncic, who recently finished his

second season. It’s just a question of who gets bumped in a

couple of years assuming Doncic stays on his current track? 

Since the free agency era began 30 years ago, that standard

needs to be in place. Two-year rentals don’t make this list. This

roster is all-encompassing from all eras. 

Personality or legal flaws are not a deterrent to making this team.

This is basketball, not the Boy Scouts. Being in the Hall of Fame

is the first consideration coupled with impact on the franchise.

The number of All-NBA seasons are a top consideration with

longevity also helping immensely. While I understand it is hard

to compare eras, I’m not going to convolute this discussion. 

Generational reminders

Being on the Mavericks during a season of being a contender

does not get you a hall pass on this team. However, being on

the Mavericks during a bad season is no deterrent to getting a

spot on this team. Winning or losing eras, all high-level

performers get considered. 

To further the challenge, the modern game has evolved into

positionless basketball. The roster will comprise 15 players

encompassing all eras. The starting lineup will be position

specific, after that it will be the best of the rest with four years

playing for the franchise being the first requirement. 

So, if you want to make a case for a player being on the team,

don’t just tell me he should be there and why, tell me who you

would remove. Before you make a case to put someone on

the list, ask yourself, “Who do I take off the list at that position?”

Starters

Point guard: Derek Harper

While Harper was not a marquee point guard during his career

with the Mavericks, he formed a very solid backcourt with

Rolando Blackman. Harper had two separate stints with the

Mavericks, the first coming from 1983-1994 followed by 1996-

1997. In-between he played for the New York Knicks. Harper is

the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and steals.

Harper helped lead the Mavericks to the NBA Western Conference

Finals in 1987-1988, losing in seven games for the Los Angeles

Lakers. While Harper never learned any All-Star recognition he

was a two-time NBA All-Defensive second team selection. 

Shooting guard: Rolando Blackman

Blackman was the most prolific scorer in franchise history until

Nowitzki arrived. Blackman reached the All-Star game on four

occasions. Blackman converted just slightly under 50% of his

field-goal attempts. He helped the Mavericks reach the

Conference Finals in 1987-1988.

In his career with the Mavericks, Blackman averaged 19.2 points,

3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists. Blackman is not the first name people

think of anymore with the Mavericks but he and Harper’s presence

gave the franchise identity in the 1980s. 

Small forward: Mark Aguirre

Throughout the 1980s, Aguirre was the Mavericks main weapon

on offense playing alongside Harper and Blackman. Aguirre is the

franchise's third all-time leading scorer behind Nowitski and

Blackman. Aguirre has the highest scoring average in Mavericks

history with 24.6 points per game and is the sixth leading

rebounder in franchise history.

Before being traded to the Detroit Pistons midway through the

1988-89 season, Aguirre was a three-time All-Star in a Mavericks

uniform. In his career with Dallas, Aguirre also averaged 5.7

rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. 

Power forward: Dirk Nowitski

The German-born Nowitski is the best player in Mavericks history

and one of the best in NBA history. Nowitski is the only player in

NBA history to play 21 Seasons with one team. The 7-footer could

beat you in a variety of ways from the low-post, mid-range and

beyond the 3-point arc.

Nowitski led the Mavericks to the franchise's lone NBA

Championship in 2010-2011. He was NBA Finals MVP, NBA MVP

in 2007, 14 time All-Star and 12 time all NBA (four as a first-teamer).

Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per

game as the Mavericks career leader in many different categories.

Nowitski’s next stop is the Hall of Fame. 

Center: James Donaldson

Donaldson is the choice by default since the Mavericks don't have

a deep pool of centers from which to choose. Donaldson was

Dallas’ version of Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz. Though the

7-foot-2 Donaldson was not flashy, he knew his role, providing

rebounding and shot-blocking to a star-studded Dallas lineup.

Donaldson ranks second Mavericks history in rebounds and third

in blocked shots. His lone All Star season was 1988. In a Mavericks

uniform, Donaldson averaged eight points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3

blocked shots per game. 

Bench (alphabetical order)

Shawn Bradley:

Bradley is often labeled as a bust because he was the No. 2

overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bradley's career was maddeningly inconsistent but he enjoyed

some productive years in his time with the Mavericks. Bradley

averaged double-figure scoring in two of his eight seasons in

Dallas, in that span he averaged 7.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1

blocks shots per game.

Brad Davis:

Davis was an original Maverick and a durable player. Four of his

11 seasons with the Mavericks he played all 82 games. Davis

averaged double-figure scoring in five of those seasons and

in his time with the Mavericks averaged 8.6 points and 5.1

assists per game. 

Michael Finley:

Though Finley spent his final few seasons helping the rival San

Antonio Spurs win an NBA championship, he played a significant

role in the revival of the Mavericks in the 2000s playing alongside

Nowitski and Steve Nash. Both of Finley’s All-Star appearances

came in a Mavericks uniform. During his time in Dallas, Finley

averaged 19.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals

per game. 

Josh Howard:

Howard came with a little bit of baggage but had seven productive

seasons with the Mavericks. Howard also played for the

Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves. His best

seasons, however, came with the Mavericks. During his time in

Dallas, Howard averaged 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists

and 1.1 steals.

Jim Jackson: 

Jackson was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1992 draft and became

well-traveled throughout his 15-year career. He spent five seasons

with the Mavericks. Jackson, Jamal Mashburn and Jason Kidd

were nicknamed “The Three Js.” During his career with the

Mavericks, Jackson had some of his best seasons averaging 19.6

points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. 

Jason Kidd:

Kidd had two separate stints with the Mavericks on the way to a

Hall of Fame career. He burst onto the scene earning Rookie of

the Year honors in 1995. He returned to the Mavericks later in

his career bringing a lot of wisdom to make up for his advanced

age. Kidd’s contributions helped deliver a long-awaited NBA

championship for the Mavericks in 2011.

Jamal Mashburn:

Mashburn makes this team by default because he had an injury-

plagued third season and was traded midway through his fourth

season. Mashburn was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1993 draft

and became the fourth youngest player to score 50 points in a

game. Upon being drafted, Mashburn quickly took the reins of

the offense. During his time as a Maverick, Mashburn averaged

19.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.

Steve Nash:

Nash's Hall of Fame career is mostly associated with his time

as a Phoenix Sun. Nash, however, had six impactful seasons

as a member of the Mavericks helping lead a franchise revival

along with teammates Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley. During

his time as a Maverick, Nash averaged 14.4 points and 9.4

assists. 

Sam Perkins:

Perkins was versatile enough to play center, power forward and

small forward but played mostly power forward throughout his

career. Though Perkins played in three NBA Finals with other

franchises, one each with the Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle

Supersonics and Indiana Pacers, he gave the Mavericks six

productive years during the 1980s and which he was a constant

threat for a double-double. Perkins is third in franchise history

and total rebounds and 8th in points scored. Perkins was an

NBA All-Rookie first team in 1985. Though he never gained

All-Star recognition he averaged 14.4 points, 8.4 rebounds as

a Maverick. 

Jason Terry:

Terry, who was nicknamed “The Jet,” played eight seasons for

the Mavericks and was an integral part of delivering the first

NBA Championship in franchise history. Terry worked very

well as Nowitski’s sidekick after Steve Nash went to Phoenix.

It wasn't just Terry's performance that led the Mavs to their

first championship, it was his confidence. Before the finals he

got a tattoo of the Larry O'Brien trophy. Terry was the NBA

Sixth Man of the Year in 2009. As a Maverick, he averaged

16.1 points per game and 4.1 assists. Terry is No. 7 in NBA

history in made 3-pointers.

Head coach: Rick Carlisle

Carlisle is the franchise's longest-tenured and most successful

head coach. No coach in franchise history has accumulated more

victories than Carlisle. Though the Mavericks have not won a

playoff series since the 2010-2011 campaign, Carlisle cemented

his legacy by leading the Mavericks to the franchise's only NBA

championship. Carlisle recently led the Mavericks back to the

postseason after a three-year absence. Led by Luka Doncic

and Kristaps Porzingis, Carlisle's Mavericks appear poised to

become a perennial postseason participant. Carlisle has 794

career regular season wins that include his time in Detroit and

Indiana.

Team: 2010-2011

This version of the Mavericks gets the nod and it's not even

debatable. Four years earlier, the Mavericks won a franchise-

record 67 games in the 2006-2007 campaign that saw the

Mavericks lose in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The

Mavericks had brilliant offensive talent such as Nowitski and

Terry, the acquisition of Kidd for a second stint brought a high

level of basketball IQ. The addition of Tyson Chandler also

gave the Mavericks an element of toughness not seen in

past seasons. This Mavericks team was a prime example

of getting hot at the right time, winning 57 games in the regular

season to garner the No. 3 seed. The Mavericks defeated

Portland 4-2, swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0, defeated

Oklahoma City 4-1 and defeated the Miami Heat 4-2 in the

NBA finals.

Stop playing moral police over decisions to watch or not watch sports

Throughout 2020, phrases like “unprecedented times” and “new normal”

have been uttered about as much as “Hi, how are you doing?”

The phrases pertain to the laundry list of calamities. In no particular order:

Covid-19 pandemic that has seen people become ill, die and/or lose their

professional livelihood. Civil unrest as it pertains to years of police

brutality against unarmed people and societal racism. That violence has

also translated into demonizing and violence against police officers. If you

live in the Western region of the United States, there are wildfires that

have seemingly become an annual event over the past half-decade. And

by the way, Election Day is on Nov. 3 but I’m not going down that

rabbithole. 

The aforementioned issues have spilled into the sports world from

professional athletes kneeling during the National Anthem, speaking out

verbally/symbolically against the social issues and slogans being plastered

on the field/courts, jerseys, etc. The pandemic led to sports being on

pause before returning en masse four months later. The return started with

starved fans longing for live action to casual and even diehard fans

becoming turned off to a point where they have stopped watching

because politics is spilling into an arena that is generally an escape from

these issues rather than a reminder of them. 

Before I dive any deeper, I want to establish a few things so you can

understand my perspective. For openers, I was a sports reporter for 18

years before changing careers. Though the former journalist in me knows

the difficulty of the job, the media industry has changed but mostly for

the worse. To make a pitching analogy, I’ll give you a hot take from

time-to-time (high inside fastball) to keep you honest but I generally try

to balance the scale with a changeup (measured takes that balance

intellect with emotion). I can also mix in a curveball in that I have ways

to explain views that you did not ponder. I continue to watch sports

because I’m a creature of habit and I think for myself as opposed to

following how others want me to think. 

I’m not here to change your mind if you think differently than I, just hear

me out. In this case, read me out. 

Since there are no local sports to cover here in Napa Valley, CA, at least

until January, I have avoided writing columns pertaining to the

aforementioned issues because while I want change, I’m not the most

qualified activist though it will not stop me from making the effort to

bring meaningful change. 

I'll be brutally honest, I do not like sports and politics crossing lines but if

you think the two subjects sports and politics crossing lines did started

with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the

National Anthem in 2016 in protest of societal racism and police brutality,

you've been living under a rock. To name a few, there was Jackie

Robinson, Mohammed Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. The reason why

mixing sports and political/social activism appears stronger today is

because information is disseminated differently. Everyone has the

avenue for a platform on social media. Robinson, Ali and Jabaar did

not have such. 

The influx of this dynamic has led to phrases like “stick to sports” or

“shut up and dribble” which I find is a euphemism for “if I agree with

you, preach on, but if I don’t, shut the hell up.” At which point I say,

“you can’t have it both ways.”

As a first-generation American with immediate and extended family

having come here from Italy from the late 1940s to about mid-1960s,

I will always stand for the National Anthem but I acknowledge that

my perspective is exactly that -- mine. Most people will cite the military

and first responders as their reason for standing. That reason is prudent

and I have utmost respect for them. My grandfather fought in a war but

across the board, the first generation American angle is more personal to me. 

My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles took a leap of faith by

coming to this country. If I wasn’t standing for the National Anthem,

I would feel like I was thumbing my nose at them for coming to

America to make a better life for them and us (siblings, cousins, etc.).

Though I acknowledge that my nationality’s oppression does not remotely

compare to other minority groups (specifically the Black race), at the time

they came here, Italians were not looked at so fondly when arriving on

Ellis Island but that conversation is for another day. 

Like most every American, I want Covid-19, societal racism, police

brutality, bad police officers and the wildfires to exit Stage Left and don’t

forget your coat. In case you are wondering, you can have all feelings.

Though I’m an ardent believer in standing for the National Anthem, I

don’t necessarily view kneeling as disrespecting the flag or being

unpatriotic. Disrespecting the flag would be turning it upside down or

desecrating it. However, choosing the National Anthem as the battleground

to convey these messages widens the divide. The same message can be

conveyed by kneeling before or after the anthem and standing during

its playing. If a team chooses to stay in the locker room, I have nary

an issue. 

The divide comes because the National Anthem and decisions to watch

sports or not have become such a bone of contention that people dish

out labels and assumptions. What happens when you assume? You make

an ass out of you and me. If you kneel, you are viewed as unamerican or

unpatriotic. If you stand, you are viewed as being against social reform

or even racist. Both may be true in some cases but to suggest they are

true across the board is erroneous thinking. What is even more

disturbing is that there has been meaningful change lately despite the

ugliness the media continues to show. Just an example, I’ve seen more

white people reach out to their minority friends and acquaintances and

have meaningful discussions about race. I have seen more white people

seek out ways to be part of the solution for solidarity. However, when

you choose a venue like the National Anthem that is sacred to many,

you go from great dialogue to “what the hell” like a car going from

0-60 mph. 

As it pertains to continuing to watch sports or not, I am a firm believer

in “Do what you feel is right for you.”

a) If you are going to continue watching sporting events with players

kneeling for the National Anthem, that's fine and it's your personal

choice.

b) If you are not watching sporting events because of players kneeling

for the National Anthem, that's fine and it's also your personal choice.

c) I will continue to stand for the National Anthem. No one will ever

change my mind. I have reasons that are personal to me. However, that

does not make me any less in favor of desiring to see sensible social

justice movements. 

d) If you continue to watch sports, it does not make you any less patriotic

or immoral. Also, if you are in the category of not watching sporting

events because of players kneeling, that does not make you any more

patriotic and it does not automatically make you racist.

They simply mean you are making a personal choice that you believe is

the right thing to do for you -- and you alone. Just because someone’s

decision is different from yours, respect it and move on with yours. It

ain’t that hard. The games will go on whether you watch or not. If I

suddenly decide not to watch the games, they will still continue.