The past week in Mavs news have been so saturated with opinions on Mark Cuban's comments on the state of race relations in the U.S., that it's refreshing when a story regarding the on-court product comes out.
Per the Mavericks' official website, "after starting 68 of his 80 games in his first season with the Dallas Mavericks, center Samuel Dalembert now believes he can provide much more if given the opportunity."
Dalembert split time with fellow big men DeJuan Blair and Brandan Wright in 2013-14, averaging 20.2 minutes per game. Dalembert averaged 6.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, showing the ability to dominate down low at times.
However, Dalembert isn't fully satisfied with how he performed in a part-time role:
“You just have to wait for your time to be out there and go out there and make the best of it. You know, I want to be out there consistently, but it was a three-big rotation. The times you get something going and you’re really in the zone, you have to wait another 14 minutes to get back in it and it was tough. You know, it was tough, but overall I’m kind of happy to see the outcome. We really stepped up and we really made the best of the situation. I want to play like that all the time, but you know, you’ve got to play. … You know, it was a tough thing, but it was for the best for the team. We really put our [egos] to the side and we went out there and made the best with what we had. And I was very happy and very proud to see how the guys responded to it. You know, I was happy.”
Dalembert admittedly got off to a tough start this season as he was hampered by back issues. However, he's ready to put all that behind him and contribute at a different level in 2014-15:
“I mean, I struggled with some injuries early,” Dalembert stated without hestitating. “The back in the beginning of the preseason and I struggled with the shoulder … but none of these things ever stopped me from going out there and really stepping up and being ready for the game. Yes, I might not have been 100 percent all the time, but I was always available and always ready to play.”
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