ESPNDallas.com columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor and MavsOutsider.com editor-in-chief Bryan Gutierrez join Tim MacMahon each week to run a three-man weave on a few questions on the minds of Mavericks fans.

1. What is the standard for the Rajon Rondo deal to be considered a success for the Mavericks?

Gutierrez: Progression without radical regression. It feels like a two-year process due to the fact Dallas has to deal with a sudden depth depletion as well as the Rondo assimilation. Brandan Wright was a legitimate scoring threat off the bench and provided big man depth. Jae Crowder was a rotational fixture of sorts to Dallas, too. If the starting five can mesh and Dallas works to rebuild its bench over the next few months, the Mavs will be poised to be serious contenders going into next season.

Taylor: They gave up a really nice backup and a rotational player for a legit quality point guard. There really is no downside to the deal unless you don't sign him to a long-term deal. He's one more quality piece to take pressure off Dirk Nowitzki. That said, a trip to the Western Conference finals would be a fantastic year and reaching at least the second round would be a good year because the West is loaded.

MacMahon: The goal of this trade is to make the Mavs a legitimate force in the West for the next few years. That’s how it should be judged. This isn’t a championship-or-bust trade like the Jason Kidd deal, because the Mavs didn’t give up nearly as much. The acquisition of Rondo was supposed to solidify the Mavs’ starting five for the next few years and give Nowitzki a legitimate shot to compete for a ring in his golden years.

2. What is the most interesting aspect of Rondo meshing with the Mavs?

Gutierrez: The most interesting aspect is seeing how he will mesh with Monta Ellis. It was a tale of two games for Rondo as it seemed like both guards were clicking against the San Antonio Spurs only to see them look discombobulated against the Atlanta Hawks. There will be ups and downs and growing pains as they adapt to playing alongside each other, but watching them work together will be the thing that everyone examines.

Taylor: By all accounts Rondo has a prickly personality. Well, the head coach has a little bit of a quirky personality, but we know he doesn't take any mess. Rick Carlisle is also a smart guy who understands he needs to let some guys run free, while still maintaining his authority. Heck, he gets along with Mark Cuban. Watching him find a common ground with Rondo will be fascinating.

MacMahon: I’m fascinated to see the brilliant offensive minds of Carlisle and Rondo attempt to figure out how to minimize the major spacing challenges presented by his poor shooting. It’s been messy so far. The context of a small sample size and only one practice since the trade must be considered, but the starting five’s offensive rating with Rondo is 97.9 points per 100 possessions. It was 116.4 with Jameer Nelson. The Rondo transition has been especially rough on Chandler Parsons. He was averaging 22.2 points and 2.8 assists while shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 49 percent from 3-point range in December before the deal. In the three games with Rondo, Parsons’ numbers have plummeted to 9.0 points and 1.3 assists, shooting 36.7 percent from the floor and 16.7 percent from 3-point range.

3. What stats do you project Rondo to put up for the rest of the season?

Gutierrez: I'm expecting him to hover around numbers that always have him flirting with a triple-double. I can see him averaging nearly 8 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists a night for the Mavericks. The rebounds and assists will likely be the easiest things for him to produce on a nightly basis. The points will be challenging, but teams will give him open space to shoot. He'll need to knock them down in order to bring some balance in terms of spacing.

Taylor: He still can't shoot, but the way Rick wants to play he should be getting a lot more fast-break layups so he'll get about 10.4 points per game with 9.7 assists because he's got Dirk and Parsons as shooters and Tyson Chandler to catch lobs. Plus, he'll get a couple of steals per game.

MacMahon: In his first three games in Dallas, Rondo averaged 10.7 points, 9.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds. It wouldn’t surprise me if the assists slipped -- and that might be best for the Mavs. This offense is based on great ball movement. If it’s humming, a lot of Rondo’s good looks will end up being hockey assists and won’t count in the box score.