Charlie Villanueva: Rondo Trade Creates Opportunity
There was a great deal of excitement in Dallas when the five-player trade was announced that brought Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks from the Boston Celtics. Acquiring a player of Rondo’s caliber never comes without trading valuable assets, and this trade was no exception. In addition to trading Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder and a first-round pick, the Mavericks included forward Brandan Wright in the trade.
Wright has improved in each of his three and a half seasons in Dallas, becoming one of the most effective backup power forwards/centers in the NBA. Wright connects on an NBA-leading 73 percent of his shots from the field and his ability to effectively run the pick-and-roll led to numerous scoring opportunities at the rim.
Who fills the void?
Replacing Jameer Nelson with Rajon Rondo represented a massive upgrade at the starting point guard position, but the Mavericks’ depth became an area of concern. Even with Brandan Wright, there were concerns about the frontcourt depth in Dallas behind Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler and those concerns were now amplified with the departure of Wright.
Immediately after the trade, rumors began to circulate that free agent center Jermaine O’Neal could join the Mavericks’ new-look roster. O’Neal (36) is an 18-year veteran who resides in a suburb outside of Dallas and he played for Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle for four seasons with the Indiana Pacers.
O’Neal played an average of 20.1 minutes per game last season with Golden State and he averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, proving that he could still be an effective role player on a good team. While the Mavericks’ would welcome him to their roster, as long as he remains a free agent the talk of his contribution is only a hypothetical notion. As of Dec. 28, the Mavericks are left to fill the void with the in-house candidates on their roster.
In comes Charlie
After a strong preseason, Charlie Villanueva earned a spot on the Mavericks’ roster as a reserve power forward but his playing time had been extremely limited. Suddenly Villanueva found himself with an opportunity to come off the bench for Dallas with Brandan Wright now playing in Boston.
Villanueva isn’t the only backup power forward set for an increase in minutes, with backup power forward Greg Smith set to receive more playing time as well. Smith is a bruising power forward who brings a different dynamic than Villanueva or the departed Wright. Smith will be asked to provide a strong defensive and rebounding presence in the post.
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The early results with Smith have been mixed at best. He struggled to contain backup San Antonio Spurs center Aron Baynes, who went for 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Mavericks’ first game without Brandan Wright. Smith played 10:07 in the Mavericks’ first game with Wright and scored one point to go along with one rebound.
Smith’s plus/minus of -9 was discouraging and his post defense left a lot to be desired. Smith is not known as a player with much of an offensive skill set, so he will have to be effective in on the boards and on the defensive end to earn his minutes.
Villanueva only played 1:28 in that same matchup against the Spurs but he has averaged 17 minutes played in the four games since that time. Villanueva skills lie on the offensive end of the court and he has shown the same confidence that he had during an impressive preseason.
In the last four games, Villanueva has averaged 14 points and four rebounds per game. This is exactly what the Mavericks’ hoped Villanueva would bring to their bench. Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson were wise to take a chance on a player motivated to prove that he still belongs in the NBA.
The Mavericks are hopeful that providing Villanueva with this opportunity can transform him back into the player he was when he averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2008-09 season.
Looking Ahead
Make no mistake about it; there will be another transaction or two in Dallas that takes place in an attempt to solidify the Dallas frontcourt. With the situation at point guard addressed, this is one of the only weaknesses that remain on an otherwise stellar Mavericks’ roster.
If Villanueva continues to provide this level of scoring prowess off the bench, he will continue to find a role on this team. Pulling opposing teams power forwards away from the paint will provide the Mavericks’ second unit with a unique dimension for Rick Carlisle to employ.
The team that Dallas will take to the Western Conference playoffs is just beginning to take shape. Rondo continues to impress as he becomes more comfortable with his new teammates, and Rick Carlisle continues to learn exactly what he has on his bench. So far it looks like the Mavericks’ have stumbled upon a big man with a sweet shooting stroke, and what team couldn’t use that?