Mavs Go Down Under For Summer Help at Point Guard

Once upon a time, Chris Anstey was projected to be “the best running big man in the NBA.” Unfortunately it was a projection by Don Nelson, who at the time was general manager of your Dallas Mavericks.

Anstey, of course, ran nowhere. Fast. Despite being the Mavs’ first-round pick (18th overall, by way of Portland) in ’97, he averaged a forgettable 5.2 points per game in 23 starts before being cut and returning to his homeland Australia.

These days he coaches Down Under, and he may help the Mavs yet.

Dallas has invited Australian guard Chris Goulding to play on its Las Vegas Summer League team. Goulding, a 6 foot 4 inch 25-year-old, has been a star on Anstey’s Australian Boomers but last summer was a flop on the Cavaliers’ Summer League team.

Down Under last season he averaged 23 points per game, was All-Star Game MVP and runner-up in regular-season MVP voting.

The Mavs also expect to have second-year guards Shane Larkin, Ricky Ledo and Gal Mekel on the Summer League team, so Goulding is a long-shot at best. At this point we’d just settle on him being the best Australian in Mavs’ history.

But, remember, the Mavs once took a no-name guard to the Summer League by the name of Jeremy Lin.

A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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