Bernard James is entering his third season in the NBA. He took a step back during his sophomore campaign, as he averaged 0.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks in five minutes per game. James played in just 30 games for the Mavs and finished the year shooting 48 percent from the field on 0.8 attempts per game and 55 percent from the free-throw line on 0.4 attempts per game. He was the low man on the depth chart last season in a crowded Dallas frontcourt that included Samuel Dalembert, DeJuan Blair, and Brandan Wright. Dalembert and Blair are gone, but the Mavs filled their spots with Tyson Chandler and Greg Smith. As a result, James will find himself once again fighting for minutes, barring an injury. At 29 years old, the former Air Force staff sergeant is a bit older than his experience suggests, but he remains an energetic player. He performed admirably in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 13.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, he's had trouble translating success in the summer league and D-League over to the NBA, and he remains an end of the rotation player.