The Mavericks brought in 31-year old Shawn Marion in the off-season to start at small forward this season. He is a stat sheet stuffer who plays hard on both ends of the basketball court. Marion played in 69 games for the Heat & Raptors last season in which he averaged 35.8 minutes, 12.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Look for Marion to up his scoring average this season as he is probably going to be the Mavericks’ best finisher on fast breaks. 28-year old Quinton Ross will bring defense to this position when he’s on the floor. He played in 68 games for the Grizzlies last season and he averaged 17.1 minutes, 3.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. The Mavericks are trying to buy out the #3 small forward as Shawne Williams doesn’t seem to be worth the effort and money to keep around. He played in only 15 games for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 11.3 minutes, 2.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SMALL FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: B