At just past the halfway point in the 2009-10 season, the Dallas Mavericks sit at 30-14 on January 21^st. For those of your scoring at home, the Mavs are roughly on pace for a 55 win season. Around here, that’s a pretty average season, but it’s good for 2^nd in the West to date. That is the important part. Since we are roughly past halfway, I will grade each significant player’s mid-term performance according to what I think that he truly deserves.

JJ Barea – B+

Despite being maybe the smallest 2 guard in the Association, JJ manages to get open for shots, make the right pass to open teammates, and not turn the ball over. He isn’t 5-11 in the same way that Allen Iverson is 5-11. Barea is a load on defense, but doesn’t exactly blow by people in the NBA like he did at Northeastern. He has filled every role that the Mavs have asked of him, but he just doesn’t have the talent to be a + guard in the NBA. He is merely a stop gap.

Rodrigue Beaubois – B-

Roddy has been the first rookie in NBA history to inconsistent. Not. He is probably exactly what most MFFLs expected. He is an exceptional athlete who can lock down most guards who don’t completely out-class him in size. He is the heir to the J Kidd throne at point, but he just is there developmentally yet. His place as the 7^th man is pretty solidified at this point, so whatever production you can get from him offensively is gravy.

Matt Carroll – INC

Carroll wasn’t traded for in order to be a clutch shooter off the bench. Carroll is a marginal NBA player who can hit the long ball. I can’t really give him a grade since he only plays in garbage time, but I guess he does look pretty good in that warm up jacket.

Erick Dampier – A

Those of you who predicted a super performance this season from Damp due to his pending contract negotiations have been proven correct. He is proving that he really didn’t even try that hard in most of his seasons with the Mavericks. He hasn’t gotten any faster, stronger, or smarter since last year. He just wants some big money and almost averaging a double double will do that for you.

Drew Gooden – A-

I loved the Gooden signing as soon as I heard about it. Sure, Marcin Gortat had a bit more upside, but Gooden is the hard-nosed banger that every championship team needs. He averages almost as many rebounds as Dampier in fewer minutes and always works hard guarding the post despite being undersized most of the time.

Josh Howard – C+

It’s hard to say that Josh has been a huge disappointment for the Mavs this year, mostly because I just didn’t expect that much from him. He has been an injury waiting to happen his entire career, and this year is no different. You can only count on him to disappoint you. Anything, in my mind, productive that he gives you is gravy. If you begin thinking this way, you will be a happier Mavs fan too.

Jason Kidd – A

The second tour of the Original Maverick has been a smashing success in Dallas. J Kidd is shooting better from outside as a Maverick that at any other point in his career. His A/TO ratio is much improved from last season. His ability to find players both in the half court and in transition is almost unmatched in the NBA.

Shawn Marion – B+

Sure, his overall production is down significantly, but I think that we can blame that on his past situations. His shooting efficiency is much improved, and that is really all that matters. No one would say that Dallas has trouble scoring, so Marion taking less shots and retrieving less rebounds is no cause for concern. He is a great defensive piece who, in my opinion, complements Dirk perfectly.

Eddie Najera – INC

Eddie, as popular as he is, has not yet seen the court for Dallas this season. I hear that he can cut hair significantly better than he can shoot jumpshots though.

Dirk Nowitzki – A

What can you say? He is one of the most clutch 4^th quarter scorers in the league (regular season, that is) and is having another MVP caliber season. It is slightly concerning that his rebounding numbers have been steadily declining for the better part of 4 seasons, but the team is still winning. I think that Marion, Gooden, and an improved Dampier have aided in that decline. Dirk is a stud, and he’ll be a Mav for life.

Quinton Ross – D

I was never a fan of the Ross signing. Yeah, I know he was cheap, but that doesn’t mean that you have to play him. He is a decent defender I guess, but he’s no Thabo Sefolosha. I just can’t understand how he can be so good defensively that he doesn’t even need any sort of offensive game. He has played decent minutes at time this year, but has yet to score in double figures. Case closed.

James Singleton – B

He hasn’t played many minutes this year, but I’ve always liked Singleton’s drive and athleticism. He isn’t a big time scorer, but he does work in the post. He can guard 3s and 4s and never slacks on offense. I think he should get more minutes, but whose minutes would you cut?

Jason Terry – B+

His numbers are down slightly this year, but he is still the heart and soul of this team. Dirk leads by example, but I think that every team needs a vocal leader. JET can drain it from deep with the best of them. Cuban is actually trying to get Stern to add him to the 3 point contest. He is probably the best 6^th man in the league, but is now a starter. I expect that move the last the rest of the year if all goes well. Anything can happen, but I think he will be just as productive in the starting lineup.

Tim Thomas – C+

Thomas doesn’t really get many minutes either, but he is pretty productive when he does. He’s never been known for his defense, and I can see why. He has the size of a big man, but isn’t very proficient in guarding in the post. He is a bit soft, but so is Dirk I guess. He is a solid, veteran backup plan.

Rick Carlisle – B+

I think that Carlisle has this team playing very well. That being said, Dallas has not quite reached its collective potential. Dallas is as deep and talented as any team in the league. Kobe Bryant is obviously a better player than Dirk, but aside from that, the Lakers are the only team who can keep up with the Mavs in the talent department. I think that the head coach of the Mavs can still squeeze a bit more production out of his players. I think he’s a good one, and that this team is in it for the long haul.

This group has my star of approval at this point in the season. In the Western Conference, the last half of the season is always a dog fight. This year will be no different. After the Lakers, Dallas is 4 games back, and everyone else is within striking distance. At this point, it looks like Houston and New Orleans will get left out in the cold in favor of the surging Oklahoma City Thunder. I wouldn’t say that the West is as strong this year as in years past, with Utah showing some weaknesses and teams like Portland not even fielding a full team. Even still, coach Carlisle has these guys playing spirited defense and performing well in the late 4^th quarter. That is how you win championships.

Related posts:

1. Progress Report: Player Grades
2. Countdown to 30: #7 Dallas Mavericks
3. Countdown to 30: #7 Dallas Mavericks