The Dallas Mavericks announced Wednesday they have signed center DeJuan Blair, according to the Associated Press. Reports say Blair received a one year deal for a little less than $1 million.
Blair could be an asset to a Mavericks front court that features center Brandan Wright, power forward Dirk Nowitzki , and center Samuel Dalembert.
Blair is capable of starting—he did so at times with the San Antonio Spurs—but he will likely be behind Nowitzki and Dalembert in the rotation.
The Mavericks had a slightly disappointing 2012-2013, finishing 41-41 and tenth in the Western Conference. They were also without Nowitzki for a large part of the season.
Although the team was struggling for a majority of the season, they finished strong with a 16-9 record.
The Mavs will definitely not be the NBA championship team they were in 2011 this year, but they do have the talent to grab the seventh or eighth seed in the West.
The additions of Jose Calderon and Monta Ellis give the Mavs a combination of great decision-making and amazing scoring in the backcourt. They are also able to get scoring off the bench with Devin Harris. (There is a possibility Harris may start over Calderon. However starting Calderon would be a much better option.)
With Wayne Ellington and Vince Carter, the Mavs will at the very least have three-point shooting at the shooting guard position behind Ellis.
It’s a good thing those scoring threats in the backcourt exist, because the production the Mavericks are going to get in the frontcourt is still a question mark.
There is no telling how healthy the 35-year old Nowitzki will be, even though Mark Cuban still thinks he’s an MVP-calibur player. Also, Dalembert and Brendan have never been known as scorers. In fact, the best post scorer outside of Nowitzki is probably Blair along with Shawn Marion.
While the Mavs can’t expect much scoring from Dalembert and Wright, they can be sure they’re going to get great interior defense.
Blair averaged 5.4 ppg and 3.8 rebounds last season. For his career he has averaged 7.8 points per game and 5.8 rebounds.
