19. Dallas Mavericks 2010s all-decade starting lineup
- Luka Doncic
- Monta Ellis
- Shawn Marion
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Tyson Chandler
If you think the pick-and-roll combo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis is going to be lethal in the coming years, imagine pairing the former with a Finals MVP and the league’s sixth all-time leading scorer at the same position with a far better offensive arsenal.
Excluding his MVP-type numbers in 2019-20, just Doncic’s Rookie of the Year numbers were All-Star caliber. His ability to operate is sullied by the presence of non-shooters like Monta Ellis and Shawn Marion, but his IQ and feel for the game will find a way to produce nonetheless.
The Matrix is the player type every team covets nowadays, lanky, athletic and able to guard all five positions, but he’s not exactly built to play small forward. Ellis, though, is an awkward fit without the ball in his hands, which will certainly be the case alongside Luka.
As an elite rim-running and rim-protecting big-man, Tyson Chandler is the perfect complement to Dirk Nowitzki in the frontcourt as evidenced by the Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 championship.
Dirk wasn’t at the peak of his powers at any point this decade, but that 2011 title run is the stuff of legends given the magnitude of the moment and how clutch Nowitzki came up time and time again.
With adequate snipers along the perimeter, Dallas would be formidable off a trio of Doncic, Nowitzki and Chandler alone. The Mavs, however, still have the talent and veteran savvy to compete in large part due to the otherworldly talent of the franchise’s amazing past and its bright future.