Ndour, Wilson battling to make the Mavs’ final roster

DALLAS – At this stage of training camp, it’s a roll of the dice when it comes to trying to figure which of the fringe players will make the Dallas Mavericks’ final 15-man roster.

Especially with the Mavs handcuffed by so many injuries.

Forwards Maurice Ndour and Jamil Wilson are two players considered as "bubble players’’ who must make a strong impression in order to make the Mavs’ regular season roster.

"They’ve got to be very competitive, they’ve got to show that they’re improving in camp and they’ve got to show that they have a level of skill," coach Rick Carlisle said after Saturday’s practice at American Airlines Center. "(They’ve got to show) that they can make open shots, that they can guard their position.

"Both guys go between two positions. Wilson’s going between (shooting guard) and (small forward), and Ndour’s going between (small forward) and (power forward), so learning two positions is another aspect of their situations."

Coaches quickly fall in love with players who can play multiple positions. It’s the equivalent of – in football – a guard being able to play tackle, a defensive lineman shifting over to play linebacker, or a cornerback having the skills to play safety.

As the Mavs move closer to their Oct. 28 regular season opener at Phoenix, Carlisle said Saturday that point guards Deron Williams, J. J. Barea, Devin Harris and Raymond Felton will be on his final 15-man roster. But the center position with JaVale McGee, Samuel Dalembert, Jarrid Famous and Salah Mejri is a bit clouded, with possibly just two of those players on target to make the final roster.

"At center we’ve got a lot of guys and we’ve got to sift through it," Carlisle said. "And some of what happens will depend on how well those guys play other positions.

"If those guys really stand out at wing positions, then one big guy may not make it. It’s early. We’ve still got five more (preseason) games to look at things.’’

Felton failed to go through Saturday’s entire practice after suffering a strained hamstring. Meanwhile, Dalembert didn’t go through the complete practice Saturday for the second straight day due to a swollen left knee.

"We’re hoping that he can go on Monday, but he’s got to do some things on Monday,’’ Carlisle said of Dalembert. "We’re just dealing with aches and pains we’ve got to work through."

When asked if the final roster spot for one of his center positions will come down between Dalembert and Mejri, Carlisle said: "I don’t know who it’s going to come down to. We’ve got to see how everybody plays.

"But other than a few of the obvious names, there are no guarantees as far as who’s going to make what. There are about eight or nine guys that are definites, and then there’s a lot to be determined.’’

Dwain Price can be heard every Wednesday from 3-5 p.m. on dfwiradio.com.

This story was originally published October 10, 2015 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Ndour, Wilson battling to make the Mavs’ final roster."