The Mavericks will enter the 2010-11 season with a wealth of talent at center, a position that has been a liability at times in recent years.

"It's a bit of a new start when you consider Damp was there for so long, so it will be interesting to watch," Dallas director of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said of long-time center Erick Dampier.

"We have some different options there. We're long, athletic and I do think we'll have some intensity there."

The Mavericks have Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood, Alexis Ajinca and Ian Mahinmi to bang in the paint.

Chandler and Ajinca have already done battle this summer as members of the American and French national teams, respectively.

"You can see it starting already," Nelson said of the competition. "They know there is an opportunity there to earn some playing time and impress people, and we expect to see the same thing even in practice."