Gooden, everywhere he has played at, was not appreciated & bascially was let go because they said he played zero defense & like others talked of not setting picks, etc and he has been caught in between forward/center & most use him as center. I feel he has been good and especially with his scorring and rebounding. In the end, we was going no where with Don Nelson style basketball or playing forwards as centers vs the Lakers, Nugs or elite teams that say stop me at the rim & forces us to play defense at the rim. To have any hope in the playoffs you need two big men at 7' or so that can block shots & play defense. That is Haywood. He will be huge if the Mavs could ever break thru a great elite team in half court & disrupt, Odom, Gasol, Bynum. They are just to big and talented inside & i have not even mentioned Kobe & he is the best player in the nba, him & Lebron.
Butler, we have needed a big sg for along time. Terry is good but a double punch is needed. One also has size in Butler & rebounds. Terry does not have his size but both men can flat score. You need to be big, tall, very deep against the Lakers. You must defend against them. Butler plays alot more mins than Howard. I wonder how the time is split with Butler/Terry but being deep off the bench is good also. I was always a big Josh fan & have hated to see this day come but the day either him or Avery or somebody, said shoot them 3's, be like Dirk & Terry & shoot, shoot and shoot more and slow up some on that hustle and defense, was the day we lost a valuable piece. Dallas waited along time for that Josh to come back & i never figured out why he could never produce in the 4th q. His defense was really good at one time.
Wiz wanted Stevenson gone & off the books and we didn't want him either. Nobody does. We have wanted Haywood for along time. When we said we would take Stevenson if Haywood was in the deal, this opened up Haywood.
Denver will not beat the Lakers in the playoffs. That is the team most feel & the Spurs that has any glimmer of hope in the playoffs against them. The Spurs could get beat against almost anyone now but it is said they are making a block buster trade soon. I think people just feel pop, duncan, if they can just get in, they are dangerous but they look far from what they once was this year to me. LA will kill Denver inside & at the rim in the playoffs & like they would do us but i feel Butler & Haywood gives us hope against the Lakers & elite teams. A very good trade for the Mavs. I agree with Charles Barkley. If you want to disrupt the Lakers, disrupt Bynum, Gasol & Odom. Bump them, physical them, make bruises on them under the rim. The Lakers can and could lose if you take the big men down. No one will stop Kobe, no one. It would hurt him if you take his big men away or the painted area. This is easier said than done as Gasol, Odom, Bynum are verrrrrrrrrry talented & good but all three have been said to be soft and do not like to be pushed around. Haywood & Butler helps and brings big in the paint & outside. Does this mean we will beat the Lakers, probably not but it atleast makes us have a chance & we could. I actually believe we can beat Denver now. I think we will the Spurs.
A+ & a great trade for the Mavs...........
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