A small-sample, probably somewhat contaminated statistical fact that nonetheless tells the story of how little Diop had been providing the Mavericks this year.
- With Gana on the court Dallas was giving up 100 points per 48 minutes. That's slightly more than the 99 points per 48 minutes the Mavs had been giving up with Dirk playing center, and the 99.4 points per 48 minutes they'd been giving up with Bass playing center. Those are flat-out unacceptable numbers for a defensive specialist.
The bottom line on this trade is that the Mavs gave up absolutely nothing of value, saved themselves a bit of money over the next few years, and if things work out, may have at least landed themselves a designated shooter off the bench and a 10 mpg backup center with some athleticism (something they've not had in a long time). If you're in any way upset with this trade, you're just looking for something to be pissed off about.
At the same time, if you're excited about it, you're delusional and should probably check to make sure you're not running a high fever.
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"He's coming off the bench aggressive right away, looking for his shot. If he has any daylight, we need him to shoot the ball. We know it's going in."
-Dirk Nowitzki on Jason Terry, after JET's 16 point 4th quarter against the Pacers.
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