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Does this look like a burdened man?Granted, there is a legitimate argument that winning breeds chemistry. Winning teams have nothing to complain about so naturally chemistry is never an issue.
I guess that could be true. However, just by using the eye test, who had more chemistry: The 2010 Texas Rangers or the 1996 Texas Rangers?
Who had more: The 1992 Dallas Cowboys or the 2008 Dallas Cowboys?
How about any of the past 10 Dallas Mavericks squads and the one that won the world championship six months ago?
With Tyson Chandler, you are not missing just the 10 points and 10 rebounds per game. You are missing his attitude, his edge and his presence in the locker room. It's not just a presence, but a shadow. Someone you would need to answer to if you were late for practice or made a mistake in the game or in practice.
With Joe John Barea, you are missing more his on-court hustle and can-do attitude. He's the guy that everyone knows is just lucky to have made this far, a comedic presence and a reminder of what effort and hard work can take a person.
Even a guy like Peja Stojakovic, who was largely useless in his half season as a Dallas Maverick, was a guy that you didn't want shaking his head at you because you fucked up.
All of this is quite a bit of assumption. Maybe the current Mavericks thought Peja, Joe John and Tyson were all dicks (this is highly, highly unlikely). Truth is, Peja was washed up and Joe John and Chandler chased the money. Still, there's no one on this current Mavericks roster that works harder and is more thankful for what he's achieved than Joe John.
Vince Carter, Brendan Haywood, Brandon Wright or Brian Cardinal evoke that certain amount of edge and fear quite like Chandler did.
In fact, you might look at this way: Despite the championship, there are still some Mavericks that I wouldn't consider guys deserving of the ultimate respect, like Jason Terry. I like Terry and all, and I appreciate his shooting touch in the playoff run in June; however, I've never considered Terry a guy that can glare at a teammate for missing a defensive assignment, considering Terry's missed about 2,000 defensive assignments in his career. I've never considered Terry a guy that was constantly improving his game in order to stay in the league.
I'm picking on Terry, but he's the primest examples of just how unaccountable guys were before last season. I would be remiss not to include Dirk Nowitzki in this discussion. He is a superstar and you'd have to be blind and deaf not to have noticed his incalculable influence and contributions to this franchise and Dallas sports in general. However, I don't think he carries a room like Chandler.
The Mavericks, on the bright side, have some notable individuals that I think play a role in the chemistry of this team, which will need to maintain last season's vigor to make another run at a title.
Shawn Marion
A tough veteran that has defied every odd in become a steady NBA professional despite the most unorthodox and plain ugly shot in the history of the game. Still, he does a little of everything. Plays steady defense, rebounds, scrambles after loose balls, hits his free throws and can fill up a box score probably like none other on the team. He is not a bit player. In my estimation, he was the third or fourth best Maverick in 2010-11. There were games -- on both sides of the court -- where he would put forth extended frames of dominance, where you couldn't go 45 seconds without saying his name. He's a guy you wouldn't want to let down.
Jason Kidd
Walking back to the bench after a timeout, had I fucked up at some point, I would not want to see Kidd. No one, including Dirk, has more skins on the wall or understands the game quite like Kidd. He's smart enough to keep his head well above water in this league and I doubt there will be a day when we say, "Oh Jason Kidd is washed up." He'll be retired before that point, but even if he plays another two seasons, he'll be better than most point guards in the league.
Lamar Odom
I think he's the lynchpin here. He's your new Tyson Chandler if there will ever be one. He's a guy playing for a lot right now: At 32, he's entering into a contract year not unlike Chandler a year ago. Like Barea, he's worked his entire career to get better. If you look at his stats, he's had a steady career. However, in 2002, did you ever think of Odom as a really good all-around player and a Sixth Man of the Year? He's a vastly better rebounder and passer than he was as a Los Angeles Clipper. His game has moved from the outside in as he's relied on his ability around the basket and in the post to score instead of launching three pointers. He's a savvy veteran with edge and enough clout in the league that you wouldn't want to necessarily get him angry.
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