Donnie Nelson Says Mavs Have ‘Important Elements’ To Compete In West

DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) – The Dallas Mavericks’ 2014-15 season officially begins on Tuesday night with a visit to the defending champion Spurs.

Dallas is a sexy pick to do damage in the powerful Western Conference, but the team is by no means the favorites. Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson thinks the team has the necessary components to be a major factor in the crowded West.

“We’ve got some of the important elements. We’ve got a team that really likes each other and the chemistry factor is very, very high,” said Nelson with the G-Bag Nation on 105.3 The Fan. “We’re deep at each position. We feel like we’re right there in the thick of the conversation of the upper echelon of the West.”

While Chandler Parsons became the team’s big money acquisition, a few other faces — including a familiar one — has Nelson looking optimistically.

Center Tyson Chandler returns to the fold after helping Dallas to the 2011 NBA Championship. Owner Mark Cuban has suggested that he regrets letting the All-Star center leave in free agency after the title run.

“We missed him. We missed him for two years,” said Nelson. “To have him walk back in that locker room, it was like a homecoming. He’s been the same Tyson.”

Donnie Nelson Joins The Nation

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Nelson says Chandler and star forward Dirk Nowitzki have a “special relationship”.

Another key addition is starting point guard Jameer Nelson.

“He’s a winner in every sense of the word. He’s been to the finals twice. He’s got that experience. He’s just a natural leader. He’s a guy that oozes that special leadership quality.”

Barea To Dallas?

The Mavericks have been rumored to have interest in guard JJ Barea, who was waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Teams now have 48 hours to claim Barea and assume his $4.5 million salary for 2014.

“There’s a wait and see period for teams like us that don’t have the cap flexibility to absorb his contract,” said Nelson. “There’s probably a handful of teams that could be potential candidates. But if he does clear waivers, we know that we’re certainly one of the top teams to have him come back and play for us in terms of a minimum type deal.”

Nelson was asked why Barea seemingly never fit into Minnesota’s system after signing a four-year deal after the 2011 season.

“Sometimes it’s just different chemistry, different fits. Sometimes a player does really, really well in one system and for whatever reason it doesn’t happen in another.”

And is there a place and a fit for Barea in Dallas?

“The history is there. Certainly we welcome him back with open arms.You have to wait a period of time and sweat it out and see what happens.”

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