Thursday, July 18, 1996

Mavs Add Gatling To Revamped Frontcourt

By MIKE DRAGO
Associated Press

DALLAS - The 1996-97 Dallas Mavericks will sport a lot more muscle than last year's model.

The club on Wednesday announced the addition of free-agent power forward Chris Gatling to a refurbished frontcourt that includes new Mavericks Eric Montross and first-round draft pick Samaki Walker.

Put forward Jamal Mashburn, the NBA's fifth-leading scorer two years ago who missed 64 games last season with a knee injury, back into the mix and the Mavs' front line goes from pitiful to powerful.

"I feel a lot better than six weeks ago," said Keith Grant, the team's vice president for basketball operations. "I think we've really improved our frontcourt. It was a goal."

After Mashburn's injury last season, Dallas was left with a front line of Lorenzo Williams at center, Popeye Jones at power forward and George McCloud at small forward.

There was no consistent inside scoring, few offensive rebounds and no way to stop opposing big men from driving the lane. Opponents' shooting percentage - and point totals - were sky high.

This year's front line is shaping up as a much more formidable force.

Mashburn, who averaged 23 points and five rebounds in 18 games last season, will start at small forward, with McCloud spelling him off the bench. Montross, obtained in a trade with Boston last month, will play most of the time at center.

Gatling, 6-10 and 230 pounds, averaged 11.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in part-time roles for Golden State and Miami last season. He's known as a dogged player who plays good defense and can score.

"I like to dive on the floor. I like to get down and get dirty. I like to do the dirty work," he said Wednesday.

Gatling, who prefers coming off the bench as a sixth man, will likely share time at power forward with Jones, who averaged 11.3 points and 10.8 rebounds last year as the starter.

Head coach Jim Cleamons said he doesn't yet know if Gatling will start, but he likes the player's attitude.

"What he brings to the table is his work ethic, day in and day out," Cleamons said. "This is one thing that we need to get better at."

If nothing else, the Mavs' corps of big men will be deeper than it has in years. With Walker, the No. 9 overall pick in the June NBA draft, also competing for time at one of the forward positions, Dallas will be at least two-deep everywhere.

Gatling can also back up Montross at center, and Cleamons said that's one reason he was so interested in the 28-year-old veteran. Dallas beat out several other teams in a bidding war for his services.

Cleamons said the revamped frontcourt along with the dynamic - if not exactly peaceful - backcourt duo of Jason Kidd and Jim Jackson is a combination he can live with in his first year as head coach.
"We have a team right now on paper that we can go to war with," the coach said. "I think we're considerably better than we were a month ago."

The Mavericks agreed to a contract, reportedly worth $21.4 million, with Gatling on Tuesday, but that was contingent on the player passing his physical, a formality ironed out just before Wednesday's news conference.

To make room under the salary cap for Gatling, Dallas renounced its rights to Williams, forward David Wood and guards Lucious Harris and Scott Brooks.

Grant hinted that the offseason maneuvering might not be over.

"We're not afraid to pull the trigger," he said. "I'm still working every day and working the phones and trying to make this club better."