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Key Personel Gains:
- October 19, 2002 - Signed free agent swingman Walt Williams, who had been with the Houston Rockets
- September 21, 2002 - Signed free agent forwartd Popeye Jones, who had been with the Washington Wizards.
- November 17, 2002 - Signed forward Mark Strickland
- January 18, 2003 - Signed guard Antoine Rigaudeau
- February 22, 2002 - Acquired guards Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson and Tariq Abdul-Wahad and center Raef LaFrentz from the Denver Nuggets for forwards Juwan Howard and Donnell Harvey, guard Tim Hardaway and a 2002 first-round pick
Key Personel losses
- January 8, 2003 - Waived guard Adam Harrington.
Season Overview
The Mavericks had a very successful season this year. They finished with a record of 60-22 and mage it to the conference finals. They probably would of won the conference if Dirk Nowitzki hadn't gotten injured. They were lead by a threesome of scorers who match any other in the league: Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley. These three are great scorers but they do not play a lot of defense so their big guy like Raef Lafrentz, Ed Najera, Shawn Bradley. They played miserable defense near last in the league but they were one of the leading offensive teams. With a little bit of toughness and defense I think they could easily win their division maybe even the NBA championship.
Positional Analysis:
Point Guard:
They have a great point guard in Steve Nash and they really have a great "Backup" in
Nick Van Exel. Who comes off the bench as the second point guard. They have great point guards and they do not need to address them in the off season
Shooting Guard:
They start Raja Bell at the 2 because Nick Van Exel is very superstitious and refuses to start at the 2. Raja is a
sufficient player, a solid defender and a guy who can knock down some threes. They also have
Antoine Rigaudeau who is alright but doesn't play very much.
Small Forward:
They start Michael Finley here. He is a very good player who is capable of scoring 30 a night. He is a great athlete who would be the main offensive option on most teams. They also have
Adrian Griffin, TAW, Walt Williams.
All three guys are very capable back ups and they are set at this position.
Power Forward:
I use the term power loosely on Dirk Nowitzki. He is a great offensive players and shooters but is an awful defender due to his lack of quick ness. They also have a big strong bruiser in
Ed Najera. Najera is the ony real tough guy they have on their team they will address this in the offseason.
Center:
The Mavs have a very sufficient group of centers. They start Raef
Lafrentz, he is a very good offensive player but often gets in foul trouble because of dribble penetration. They also have
Shawn Bradley who is a very good player and shot blocker but he make way too much money. They also have Evan Eschmeyer who is a very good 3rd center.
My Selection:
Brandon
Hunter, PF, 6'7", Ohio
Hunter was a first-team all-MAC selection for the third straight season and an All-Midwest selection by Basketball Times. Hunter was named to the Wooden Award Watch list as a preseason All-America choice and became one of three players in MAC history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career (2,012/1,103).
Hunter was named MAC East Division Player of the Week four times, more than anyone else in the league. He led the Bobcats in scoring (21.5 ppg) and blocked shots (35), while also leading the nation in double-doubles through regular season (23). Hunter posted a double-double in 11 straight games at one point, the longest streak in the country all year. He also topped double figures in scoring every contest. Enjoyed his best offensive day at Marshall, tallying 35 points (27 of which came after intermission). He also hit for 33 against Ball State, 32 at Buffalo and 30 against Akron in two meetings.
Hunter is a great rebounder in the Charles Barkley Mold. He is about 6-7 260 so he is a little short but he is a lot better than Ed Najera. He has the ability to score which we know by his over 20 point average in college. He prides himself on defense and rebounding which is just what the Mavs need.
Other Options:
Boris Diaw: This is the player the Mavs really need but he wont be available that late in the draft. He is a defensive stopper who could play right away for the Mavs
Dahntey Jones: Jones would be another good pick for the Mavs because he is the tough hard nose defender they need and have to have to make a run for the title.
Rick Rickert: Rickert is the third option because they really have noone who plays defense so why have one defender who can stop one person
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