I just have to ask--maybe I missed something. Najera is a guard? Good article, I think, except for that little blunder.
Mavericks roster analysis
05/16/2001
By Jodie Valade / The Dallas Morning News
GUARDS
Strengths: The strength of the team is its versatile guard play. Michael Finley can play shooting guard (his natural position) or small forward. Greg Buckner is a gritty shooting guard who is big and strong enough to defend power forwards. Eduardo Najera brings boundless energy. And Steve Nash is a creative sparkplug, the driving force behind the success of the Mavericks. Finley and Nash make up half of the Mavericks' Big Four – and are two of the most important elements of the team. Finley creates more open shots – for himself and others – than anyone else on the team. Nash's penetration is what makes the Mavericks' offense work, and his physics-defying layups are amazing when they fall.
Weaknesses: The lack of a true backup shooting guard leaves Michael Finley playing too many minutes. Howard Eisley hit a monstrous slump that spanned months at the end of the season. If the team determines he's not the reliable backup point guard it had hoped for, it has to somehow unload his rather hefty contract. Nash gets dinged up too often to go without a trusted backup. Finley still needs better ball-handling, and Buckner needs better finishing around the basket. Najera needs to improve his outside shooting if he's going to steal more minutes.
Comments: The Mavericks will pick up Najera's contract for another year, and Maxwell is likely to be gone. They still need a backup shooting guard, preferably a veteran, more than anything else. Nash needs rest more than any amount of work this summer. Finley would be foolish not to re-sign with the Mavericks, where he is the centerpiece and where he will be pampered ridiculously by Mark Cuban.
2000-01
Name Age Salary Contract status
Greg Buckner 24 $1.1 mil Through 2001-02
Howard Eisley 28 $4.25 mil Through 2006-07
Michael Finley 28 $8.4 mil Player option for free agency
Eduardo Najera 24 $320,000 Club option for 2001-02
Steve Nash 27 $5.5 mil Through 2003-04
Vernon Maxwell 35 $294,000 Unrestricted free agent
FORWARDS
Strengths: Again, versatility is the key here – as it is for the entire Mavericks team. Dirk Nowitzki is the team's next All-Star, and he can play everything from small forward to center comfortably. His 42-point, 18-rebound performance in Game 5 against the Spurs was just a sign of the dominance that is to come from this 22-year-old. Juwan Howard is a tough low-post presence the Mavericks needed. And Wang Zhizhi is intriguing – but won't be able to contribute much since he'll miss all of training camp and the first month of the season while he competes for China.
Weaknesses: Howard was supposed to provide a low-post scoring threat as a fourth option, but he's still just the team's fourth option. His turnaround jumper wasn't reliable in the playoffs against big-man opponents, and it needs to be if the Mavericks are to contend in the West. Donnell Harvey is still years away from contributing; he's too erratic and too unreliable. The Mavericks still need a dominating inside force. But then again, so does every team outside of the Lakers and the Spurs.
Comment: Expect Mark Bryant and Obinna Ekezie to be gone – unless the Mavericks decide to hang on to the veteran and savvy Bryant for insurance. Trent is sign-and-trade bait; the Mavericks can't find room for him, and he clearly is not happy at the end of the bench. The Mavericks still lack a powerful inside presence, or even a versatile swingman who can complement Nowitzki.
2000-01
Name Age Salary Contract status
Mark Bryant 36 $830,000 Unrestricted free agent
Obinna Ekezie 25 $336,000 Unrestricted free agent
Donnell Harvey 20 $860,000 Through 2003-04
Juwan Howard 28 $16.9 mil Through 2002-03
Dirk Nowitzki 22 $1.69 mil Through 2001-02
Gary Trent 26 $2.4 mil Unrestricted free agent
Wang Zhizhi 23 $320,000 Through 2001-02
CENTERS
Strengths: Long and lanky, this center pair was made for the new illegal-defense-less rules the NBA will institute next season. Shawn Bradley and Calvin Booth both are shot-blocking specialists who will be allowed to lurk around the basket more than ever next season, disrupting more shots than ever. Booth has bunches of untapped talent, including scoring abilities, that the Mavericks are excited about.
Weaknesses: Bradley will never be a scorer, and the Mavericks don't want him to be. But they should want someone inside who can score and battle the likes of Shaquille O'Neal. To be able to compete for a championship, they need someone to combat other big men.
Comments: Bradley has made no secret about his desire to return to the Mavericks, and the Mavericks have not been shy about praising the 7-6 defensively disruptive force. Lots of teams like Booth, but it's hard to imagine him getting a much better situation than what he has in Dallas – and it would take a fairly substantial gamble of a contract to better what the Mavericks can offer under the salary cap. Expect both to return, but fans should hope for more help here.
2000-01
Name Age Salary Contract status
Calvin Booth 23 $424,000 Restricted free agent
Shawn Bradley 29 8.37 mil Unrestricted free agent
MANAGEMENT
Strengths: Unlimited money, unlimited perks – this has to be the most generous front office in the league. Players in the NBA are noticing all the well-cushioned chairs and the postgame buffets. They like the free-wheeling offense and the harmonious locker room. Don Nelson and Mark Cuban have put together a group of good players who like each other and actually get along – a rarity in the league.
Weaknesses: Too many fines from a certain top management position has created a lot of friction between the league office and the Mavericks. Over-involvement might be the biggest weakness, but that's probably better than the alternative. The Mavericks have to know when to stop tinkering with their roster, too, and just let the players play. They're not there yet, but they have to recognize when they reach that point.
Comments: Nelson needs to do some of his creative wheeling-and-dealing to get that final piece that will move the Mavericks to the next level. Cuban needs to get across his message that NBA officiating needs attention – without disrupting his team with too much sideline action.
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