HOOPSAHOLIC

The Dallas Mavericks and head coach Rick Carlisle head into the 2014-15 season with a roster loaded with talent. Team owner Mark Cuban isn't afraid to spend money to get what he wants and after a couple of down years after winning the Championship in 2011, Cuban added some pieces to the puzzle this offseason that might just fit. 

You can't talk about the Mavs, without first bringing up their German power-forward Dirk Nowitzki. He's been a staple as the Mavs best player since he came into the league in 1998. He's getting older, but last season he still managed to average 21 points and six rebounds per game. He's a finesse player who can knock it down from anywhere he pleases, and with a solid roster around him this year, I expect him to excel even more if he can stay healthy. After the Mavs won the title in 2011, they seemingly tore up their championship roster. It'll be interesting to see if Dirk has another playoff run left in him. 

When the Houston Rockets took a gamble at signing Chris Bosh in the offseason, they missed on an opportunity to keep Chandler Parsons on their roster for less than a million per year in what was the biggest bargain in basketball. So instead of waiting around in Houston, Parsons went ahead and signed with Dallas for 15 million per season, making him the highest payed player on the team. After falling to the second round in the draft out of Florida, Parsons has become one of the better two-way small forwards in the league. Last year he averaged nearly 17 points and six rebounds per game. He's also a very good defender with good length. I think this was a great addition for this Mavericks squad that will pay off over time. 

Tyson Chandler was apart of the Mavericks championship team in 2011, but he left the team the following summer to join the Knicks. So after three years in New York, Chandler is back in Dallas to serve as their rim protector. Just two seasons ago Chandler was the defensive player of the year, and he also started for Team USA in the 2012 Summer games. He can play, plain and simple and the Mavs are lucky to have him back. Last year he averaged nine points and ten rebounds per game, but now that he's be back in Carlisle's system, I expect his scoring numbers to increase. 

Dallas returns Monta Ellis from last years team, and the streaky scorer has fit in perfectly since he's been a member of the Mavericks. Last year he averaged 19 points and six assister per contest while starting at the shooting guard position. Ellis can light it up on any given night, and the opposing teams will have a hard time covering him and Parsons out on the wings. 

The Mavericks will have plenty of options when it comes to the point guard position. They acquired both Jameer Nelson and Raymond Felton in the offseason to go along with Devin Harris who was on the team last year. Nelson has had a stellar career in Orlando, but most people think he's on the decline after averaging only 12 points per game last season. Felton is coming off a rocky season in which he was in trouble with the law after supposedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend. He's struggled with weight issues in the past as well, so I'm not sure what role he will play on this team. Harris is a guy that's on his second stint with the Mavericks after being traded for Jason Kidd back in the day. He knows the system, and Carlisle is comfortable with him so it'll be interesting to see who plays and who doesn't. 

I expect the Mavericks to make the playoffs despite playing in a stacked Western Conference. I doubt they will be able to finish with home-court advantage, but I do think they will at least finish as a sixth or seventh seed. One thing's for sure, I wouldn't want to face this team in the first round of the playoffs.