Vince Carter and Lamar Odom

Last year’s NBA champions, the Mavericks shuffled a lot of people from their lineup, and are busy trying to incorporate veterans Vince Carter and Lamar Odom into it.  Carter has been especially important in the two victories, while Lamar Odom still seems to be stuck on I-10 somewhere between Van Horn and Pecos, Texas, on his way from Los Angeles where he enjoyed success as a Laker.

In last night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Odom had his best game yet as a Maverick, playing more minutes and scoring more points than he had scored to date.  He is not yet locked in to his game, but his presence is felt, and his teammates are finding ways to spotlight his talents.

Coach Rick Carlisle of the Mavs appears to be running plays for the specific purposes of incorporating the talents of Carter and Odom, and it is helping fans to see how much the two of them bring to the table, as they have been grieving the losses of J.J. Barea, Tyson Chandler, and Caron Butler.

Delonte West

The brightest spot among the new players for the Mavs is Delonte West.  Working his way into becoming a fan favorite in Dallas, West is showing all the characteristics he was touted to have: toughness, great ball-handling skills, and a decent penetration guy and playmaker on the offense.  As West gives Jason Kidd a little more time to rest on the bench, both players will become more effective.  West is already ahead of schedule, so Mavs fans are putting J.J. Barea behind them more and more with every outing.