Dallas Mavericks: Why Training Camp Competition Is A Good Thing
The Dallas Mavericks’ 2014 training camp began on Sept. 30 at the American Airlines Center. With a bevy of new players on the 2014-15 roster, training camp will provide each new player with an opportunity to impress head coach Rick Carlisle and the rest of the Dallas coaching staff.
The Mavericks’ starting five for opening night appears to be set. The backcourt will be led by point guard Jameer Nelson, who will be starting for the first time in Dallas after spending his entire 10-year career with the Orlando Magic. Monta Ellis returns for his second year in Dallas and he’ll man the shooting guard position once again.
Free agent acquisition Chandler Parsons will be the starting small forward and Dirk Nowitzki will be adding to his Hall of Fame numbers at the power forward position. Tyson Chandler’s return never left any doubt as to who would start at center for Dallas in 2014-15.
Once you get past the starting five, there are question marks surrounding the roles that the Dallas reserves will play this upcoming season. This is something that training camp and the preseason will have to determine.
Rick Carlisle addressed the level of open competition the Mavericks have for valuable backup minutes at Media Day on Oct. 29. ”There are going to be at least seven new guys on the roster, possibly eight or nine, depending on how it goes in camp and who wins jobs. There is a lot to be determined and that’s exciting.”
The Mavericks are planning on a deep playoff run and they would like to reduce the number of regular-season minutes for Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler. Whenever possible, look for Carlisle to be creative in finding ways to reduce the toll of the 82-game season on his veteran players.
This is where a deep and competitive bench becomes invaluable. Coach Carlisle will have an easier time reducing the minutes his key veterans play if he has confidence in the next man up on the bench. Not only did the Mavericks’ starting lineup undergo a makeover in the offseason, their bench did as well.
The challenge for Carlisle will be determining what roster combinations are the most efficient in the limited amount of time they have before the season begins. Carlisle discussed the Mavericks approach this preseason. “In this period of training camp and exhibition games we’re going to have to figure out what’s going to work best for us. When you add seven or eight new guys, some things are going to look different.”
This won’t be the first time that Carlisle has had to integrate new players, but he sees a great deal of potential with the 2014-15 roster. “I’ve been to very few training camps in my 30 or 31 years in this league where you would get up and say ‘wow,’ we just don’t know how this thing is going to shake out in terms of minutes.”
Competition is key word as the Mavericks began training camp, and there is no better way to reveal what players are deserving of minutes right out of the gate. Carlisle told the media that he was reluctant to discuss projected minutes without seeing his team on the court. “I want to see these guys compete before trying to give answers on how exactly it is going to go because I don’t know that.”
Coach Carlisle may not know the answer yet, but the Mavericks are fostering a competitive environment that should provide Dallas with a number of versatile lineup combinations this season.