Dallas Mavericks have been struggling early this season. At 2-12 win-loss record, they are at the last spot in the competitive Western Conference. And surprisingly, they are the worst team in the NBA right now.
They lost 7 games in a row. Their long-time franchise player Dirk Nowitzki have been sidelined for the most part of this season due to injury. This is perhaps the biggest reason why they got into this kind of mess.
Nowitzki got back in the Mavs lineup. But they face one of the best teams in the league Los Angeles Clippers, which resulted in a defeat once again.
During Nowitzki's absence, Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews emerged as the offensive weapon for the struggling Mavericks team. Barnes is averaging a team-high 21.2 points per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 37.5 minutes. Wesley Matthews on the other hand, is tallying 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.4 minutes.
What the Mavericks need to get better is an inside scoring big man that can also defend and rebound. Bogut is the Mavs' starting center. But he only average 3.8 points per night. And according to iTech Post, the Mavs is interested to acquire Orlando Magic's Center Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic was drafted as the 16th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2011 NBA draft. After his first season with the Sixers, he was traded to the Orlando Magic. At 7 ft and 260 lbs, he immediately identified as one of the emerging centers in the league.
In his 5 years in the NBA, he averages 14.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 51.1% field goal shooting, per Wikipedia. And this season, he is averaging a double-double with 11.4 points and 11.0 rebounds.
Although Vucevic is still having a great season, he is still quite struggling with his scoring. Speculations say that the presence of newly-acquired big men Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo affected his scoring onslaught. And as further discussed by iTech Post, he might be release before the trade deadline on February.
And if he will be release by the Magic, the Mavs are said to sign the veteran center. With Vucevic's size and athleticism paired with his rebounding and low post skills, he and Dirk might be a good frontcourt duo.
Aside from that, Vucevic is only in his 6th season. This only means that the Mavs can have a good quality center for years to come. With Vucevic and Barnes, the Mavs have a bright future. And if given the right pieces around those two young and talented players, the Mavs can get back to being a playoff contender.
