Coming in to what would be the 18th NBA season played by Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks were hoping enough had been added to the roster to alleviate the pressure on their 37-year old power forward to be the primary scoring option night in and night out.
Wesley Matthews had been signed to a hefty deal and while recovering from a serious injury, was on pace to return to action early in the season. Deron Williams had come over from Brooklyn, and though the veteran point guard was coming off of a few rough years with the Nets still had enough in the tank to be a contributor if he could stay on the floor rather than in a suit.