Rick Carlisle is a good coach who knows how to win. He led the Mavericks to a 50-32 (61%) record during his first season in Dallas. The Mavericks were also 5-5 in the post season under Carlisle. He now has a career record of 331-243 (57.7%) during the regular season and he is 35-37 (48.6%) in the playoffs. The Mavericks spent a lot of money bringing in new players to give them one of the deepest rosters in the NBA and Coach Carlisle will use them well.

34-year old Erick Dampier will play more when the Mavericks go to their big lineup and 28-year old Drew Gooden will likely play center in the small lineup. Dampier played in 80 games for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 23.0 minutes, 5.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.2 blocked shots. He is a classic banger who plays defense and rebounds. Drew Gooden will be a tad undersized for the center position but he will also be faster than anyone in the pivot and he always has been a good rebounder. He played in 51 games with the Kings & Bulls & Spurs last season in which he averaged 24.8 minutes, 11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. 31-year old Jake Voskuhl will likely be the #3 center for the Mavericks this season. He played in 38 games for the Raptors last season and he averaged 6.3 minutes, 0.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. 23-year old Nathan Jawai will likely keep the end of the bench warm this season for the Mavericks. He played in only 6 games for the Raptors last season and he averaged 3.2 minutes, 0.3 points and 0.4 rebounds.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CENTERS IN 2009-2010: C

31-year old Dirk Nowitzki is this generation’s version of Larry Bird. He played in 81 games for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 37.7 minutes, 25.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Nowitzki loves to mix it up around the basket and he is one of the best shooters in the NBA. Look for him to put up great numbers again this season for the Mavericks. When 32-year old Tim Thomas gets healthy he will back up Nowitzki. He played in 64 games for the Bulls & Clippers & Knicks last season in which he averaged 19.5 minutes, 8.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. His main asset is his long range shooting as he has nailed 41.7% of his shots from three point range. 24-year old Kris Humphries will likely be #3 in line for the Mavericks here. He played in 29 games for the Raptors last season and he averaged 9.1 minutes, 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. 28-year old James Singleton is back again this season for the Mavericks but he might have a hard time finding playing time. He played in 62 games for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 14.3 minutes, 5.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. Drew Gooden could also get some minutes here for the Mavericks and he is a good player.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2009-2010 SEASON FOR THE POWER FORWARDS: A

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

29-year old Josh Howard will likely be the starting shooting guard for the Mavericks this season. He played in 52 games for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 32.0 minutes, 18.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 assists per game. Look for Howard to get back over 20 points a game this season with improved health. 32-year old Jason Terry will be the first guard off the bench for the Mavericks as he can handle either guard spot. He played in 74 games for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 33.7 minutes, 19.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Look for Terry to have another solid season off the bench for the Mavericks. 29-year old Matt Carroll has hit 40% of his three point attempts in his career which is his best attribute. He played in 55 games with the Hornets and Mavericks last season in which he averaged 11.2 minutes, 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Carroll probably won’t play too much for the Mavericks this season. 21-year old Rodrigue Beaubois was the 25th pick of the NBA Draft selected by the Thunder and then traded to the Mavericks. He might have a important role down the road for the Mavericks but for now he will sit and learn.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SHOOTING GUARDS IN 2009-2010 SEASON: B+