2. Vince Carter’s new role as leader
Carlisle has noted that Vince Carter has stepped up as a leader. It was a necessity with the offseason 
departure of the Jasons. Within one year, Carter has taken on that new responsibility.
He is also taking on the role as the primary scoring threat off the bench that belonged to Terry. Coming off the bench, Terry averaged 15.8 points during his last three seasons. Carter currently ranks second on the team in scoring this preseason and is averaging over 12 points.
Carter is shooting with confidence and also is working as a power forward in small lineups. The Mavericks want to scramble and push the tempo while Dirk Nowitzki is out due to arthroscopic knee surgery. Carter is doing enough on both ends of the floor to help that cause. Everyone will have to see how Carter feels four to six weeks into the season to note if the grind takes a toll on his body.
3. Elton Brand
Brand was seen as a savvy, Maverick-y kind of acquisition as they claimed him with the highest bid via the amnesty process. He provides additional depth to the frontcourt, alongside Nowitzki and fellow free agent Kaman.
But things have changed as Kaman is dealing with a strained right calf and Nowitzki is on the shelf. That means Brand is being asked to do more. To his credit, he’s responding.
Brand also has stepped up as a leader in his first season with the Mavericks. He also is taking on the challenge of being the defensive anchor – or enforcer, as he called it. Brand wants to do the dirty work down low and bring toughness and attitude to the Mavericks. While he might not be Tyson Chandler or have his immediate impact from 2010-11, Brand will be an under-the-radar asset.
4. The rookies
On draft night, the Mavericks acquired the rights to 24th pick Jared Cunningham, 33rd selection Bernard James and 34th pick Jae Crowder from Cleveland for guard Kelenna Azubuike and the draft rights to 17th overall pick Tyler Zeller.
All three rookies will show promising upside in some form during the season. Crowder actually appears to be the biggest surprise as he is giving the team an impressive all-around game despite playing out of position at power forward.
After being long in the tooth for the last few years, most of the players on the roster now have most of their careers ahead of them. In addition to war veteran James (27), Cunningham (21) and Crowder (22), the roster also includes Collison (25), Mayo (25), Roddy Beaubois (24), Dominique Jones (24) and Brandan Wright (25). The youth movement is definitely a positive sign going forward.
5. This is the best time for Dirk Nowitzki to be out
The Mavericks still have to drive through Highway 41 in order to be successful. But Nowitzki has to sit for three to six weeks as he recovers from knee surgery. And he will be missed.
Those who consider Nowitzki overrated or just a gimmick player will see how valuable he truly is while he is out. His greatness is still hard for many to appreciate.
Nowitzki having his surgery now means most of the regular season will be salvaged. For the Mavericks to have any chance of making noise in the playoffs, they need a healthy Nowitzki. With Nowitzki using October and November to get his knee back in shape, he will be healthy and ready to go in April and May.
Nowitzki is the ultimate equalizer, so having him healthy is a clear reason to feel positive if you’re a Mavs fan.
Season Preview Index
Bryan Gutierrez is a contributing writer for mavs.com and The Two Man Game, an ESPN TrueHoop Network blog covering the Dallas Mavericks. You can follow him on Twitter @BallinWithBryan