Brand to Dallas

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Any word on non/early/full bird rights for brand?

Full Bird Rights.

[kg_veteran]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Agreed... At the very least, the Mavs look like they put together an entertaining squad to watch.

And I don't see why anyone would doubt our ability to make the playoffs at this point - we're already better than last year's team, and we still have a few more moves left to make.

I agree with this. Right now, the team has a very good front line and much better athleticism on the perimeter than in recent years. Now, they just need to add shooting. I'm interested to see what they do next.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Full Bird Rights.

Schwing!

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by G-Man

Happy to apologize, even though my only criticism was that they should have amnestied Haywood to keepp Tyson, and I still feel that way.

IMO, this isn't the kind of criticism that calls for an apology. I don't agree with it personally, but it's a completely valid criticism.

I'm really just referring to a select few who made outlandish claims about Cuban not caring about the team anymore or only wanting to protect his bottom line.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

IMO, this isn't the kind of criticism that calls for an apology. I don't agree with it personally, but it's a completely valid criticism.

I'm really just referring to a select few who made outlandish claims about Cuban not caring about the team anymore or only wanting to protect his bottom line.

I saw people on other sites calling for Donnie's resignation.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by jthig32

I saw people on other sites calling for Donnie's resignation.

We call those people irrational.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by jthig32

I saw people on other sites calling for Donnie's resignation.

Yep, same kind of thing. It's embarrassing.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by jleefilled

Wow, very nice. Deron Williams might be regretting his decision to stay with the Nets sooner rather than later.

uh...????

I'm pleased with our moves, but that's a wild, wild, statement.
We're still not going to contend for home court in the first round with this squad- we're still in 6-8 in the West territory at best, even if we nab Scola as well.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by The Ghost of Championship

WojHoo!

I'm kinda hoping we lose out on Scola now. What do you all think?

Really? I think we can use all of the help we can get. Elton Brand is not what he used to be, and if Chris Kaman plays at least 60 games this season (injuries), we should all get down on our knees and thank God. Scola would be our best acquisition thus far- except for Collison, maybe.

That said, Donnie and Cuban have done a great job in fielding a decent squad considering where we were last week.

[jleefilled]

Originally Posted by Sean

uh...????

I'm pleased with our moves, but that's a wild, wild, statement.
We're still not going to contend for home court in the first round with this squad- we're still in 6-8 in the West territory at best, even if we nab Scola as well.

Wild? I said "might" my friend.

[Budapest Maverick]

Originally Posted by Sean

uh...????

I'm pleased with our moves, but that's a wild, wild, statement.
We're still not going to contend for home court in the first round with this squad- we're still in 6-8 in the West territory at best, even if we nab Scola as well.

Not sure about that. It's all about the chemistry at this point, we have the talent to be as high as 2nd seed behind OKC. The Lakers will be all about the playoffs, they won't ride their veterans into the ground. Same with the Spurs. We can be right there with them all season, if we can get a good shooter, and our chemistry will be good. that's not that big of an if in my opinion.

[Five-ofan]

This is now the best roster outside of dirk the mavs have had going into a season since 2007.

Edit-this is contingent on adding a shooter and/or delonte

[sike]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

I'm really just referring to a select few who made outlandish claims about Cuban not caring about the team anymore or only wanting to protect his bottom line.

Oh, you mean "stupid people". I really wish we could just ban people for having too much stupid.

Something like, "You get 4 really stupid basketball points/opinions, but the 5th ones gets you banned."

[oilfieldtrash]

Originally Posted by Sean

uh...????

I'm pleased with our moves, but that's a wild, wild, statement.
We're still not going to contend for home court in the first round with this squad- we're still in 6-8 in the West territory at best, even if we nab Scola as well.

The Nets have committed themselves to the same team that got them a lottery pick and their big addition is Joe Johnson. If he doesn't regret that then I don't know what to tell him.

[jthig32]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...year-candidateSomeone with insider want to post this article?

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by jthig32

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...year-candidateSomeone with insider want to post this article?

Gladly:

A case for Elton Brand as DPOY
The Philadelphia forward should be among the candidates, believe it or not
Originally Published: April 6, 2012
By Tom Haberstroh | ESPN Insider

Let me ask a simple question:

Why isn't Elton Brand a candidate for defensive player of the year?

I know what you're thinking: Wait, Elton Brand? The guy who makes $17 million to average 11 points per game and has limited mobility? That Elton Brand?

Yes, I'm talking about that Elton Brand, and here's why:

He checks off more boxes on the defensive player of the year rubric than just about any big man in the league.

Not a believer? Start at the team level. If you look at the history of the defensive player of the year vote, you'll notice a pretty obvious trend: The winner almost always hails from a top defensive team. Over the past decade, here are the ranks of the DPOY in team defensive rating, starting with the most recent: 3rd, 3rd, 1st, 1st, 11th, 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 8th.

With the exception of Marcus Camby in 2006-07 and Ben Wallace in 2001-02, you see that every DPOY winner comes from a top-5 defensive team in the league. Obviously this makes sense. This team-then-player philosophy is largely the same logic behind the MVP award as well. In that vein, the Philadelphia 76ers, unbeknownst to too many fans, remain the top defensive team in the league. Sure, the Sixers have been in a standings freefall for some time now, but blame the offense for that; their defense has ranked second in efficiency since the All-Star break. So, Brand has that going for him right off the bat.

Secondly, believe it or not, Brand has the box score stats to back up his candidacy. Brand is in the midst of a career year in defensive stops department, averaging 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Here's the long list of players who can match Brand in those two categories: Howard and Josh Smith. That's it. You'll see Smith and Howard on the list of defensive player of the year candidates, but probably not the big man in Philadelphia.


Opponents tend to forget about Brand's massive 7-foot-5.5 wingspan.
Now, Brand might have lost a step or two after Achilles surgery, but he simply has a knack for the ball thanks to his sharp instincts and airplane-like 7-foot-5.5-inch wingspan. In fact, among NBA players, only Bismack Biyombo has a longer wingspan at Brand's height, according to DraftExpress' pre-draft measurement database. And night in and night out, his length continues to catch opposing players by surprise despite his 12-year track record in the league.

Take Tuesday, for instance. Heading into a matchup against the Sixers, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra specifically wrote in the game's scouting report to beware of Brand's hands in the lane. "He's very deceptively long," Spoelstra told the media before Tuesday's game. "He's one of the best at stripping the ball, and thanks to his aesthetics, his natural gifts are very underrated." And what happened in that game? Despite the Heat's prep work, Brand got his hand on the ball three times in the Heat's first five possessions. When the final buzzer sounded, Brand had collected four steals and three blocks in just 31 minutes of action.

So, Brand has the team qualifications and the traditional box score stats on his side, but we're just getting started. Sure, Brand has his hands on the ball in the lane and at the rim, but what about his post defense?

Defending the post-up

Bosh said Brand is immovable as a "tree stump."

Synergy Sports Technology, a video tracking service provided to NBA teams, tracks every possession of every game played in the NBA and slices each game into play types. One of the plays Synergy tracks is the post-up; it analyzes how many points a player allows in those situations. So where does Brand rank in points allowed on post-up plays? First. Nobody is better this season. Not Howard. Not Andrew Bynum. Not Kevin Garnett.

In fact, according to Synergy tracking, there are 39 players who have defended at least 100 post-up plays this season, and Brand ranks first in points allowed per post-up play (0.582). And it's not really close. The distance between Brand and the second-ranked player Marc Gasol (.664) is the about the same distance between Gasol and the 13th-ranked player Samuel Dalembert (.750). Opponents going against Brand in the post have shot an abysmal 31 percent on their field goals, but more importantly, Brand plays them clean, as they earn a trip to the free throw line only once every 20 tries. For reference, players going against Howard go to the line four times as often as Brand.

And as Spoelstra emphasized Tuesday, the key to Brand's defensive success is that he's wildly deceptive. Just when a post player thinks he can score on a 6-foot-9 veteran who's lost a step, Brand will extend his Go-Go-Gadget arms and distract him just enough to alter the shot without fouling. Not only that, at 280 pounds, Brand is virtually unmovable on the block. After Tuesday's game, Brand's defense prompted Chris Bosh to shake his head and groan that the 33-year-old is "like a tree stump." Indeed, the length of a tree and anchored like a stump.

Brand's worth

Iguodala has been Philly's best defender, but Brand has been equally important.

How essential has Brand been to the Sixers?

First, consider that, due to Spencer Hawes injuries, the team has alternated between starting rookie LaVoy Allen and 87-year-old Tony Battie at the center slot, and it's still a top defensive team. Despite all the turnover at the center slot, Brand has posted the best on-court defensive efficiency in the NBA among players with 1,000 minutes. According to basketballvalue.com, opposing offenses have mustered just 96.1 points per 100 possessions with Brand on the floor. Underscoring his impact on the squad, the Sixers surrender three points more every 100 possessions when he steps off the floor.

Now, you might be thinking: Isn't Andre Iguodala the reason for Sixers' defensive prowess? No doubt, Iguodala has been masterful as a perimeter defender, and he probably belongs ahead of Brand in the DPOY conversation. But it should be noted that the Sixers' defense falls apart when either of them steps off the floor. When Iguodala doesn't have Brand on his side, the Sixers' defense becomes 4.6 points worse on the defensive end. Without Iguodala on the court, the Brand-led defense becomes 7.5 points less stingy. Iguodala might be Philadelphia's most essential defender, but considering all the stated credentials above, Brand isn't too far behind.

So, let's recap. Team dominance? Check. Blocks and steals? Check. Post-up effectiveness? Check. Plus-minus impact? Check. What's holding Brand back? Minutes and reputation. Because of the condensed season and his age, Brand plays just 29 minutes per game, which puts him in the same boat as Kevin Garnett. But if you're going to include Garnett or Serge Ibaka (27.3 minutes per game) as a candidate, it doesn't make sense to leave out Brand.

As for reputation, few labels are tougher to shed than the "overpaid star" label. His coach Doug Collins recently went on record to state that over his 40-year career in the league, no one has been more professional than Brand. But even lofty praise like that can't remove the stink from his near-$20 million salary. What's more, it doesn't help Brand's case that he plays for a team that hasn't been in the national consciousness since Allen Iverson retired.

No, Brand shouldn't be the favorite for defensive player of the year; he simply hasn't played enough to warrant top consideration. But considering all the evidence suggesting he's one of the league's top defenders, starting for the league's top defense, Brand should at least be in the conversation.

Yes, that Elton Brand.

[Dale4Saul2Red0]

Does anyone realize how f'ing stupid cheap 2.1M for Brand is? Clippers were expecting a 4-5 million bid for sure.

[pepe]

I am so fire up about having Brand with the Mavs. He is one of the only NBA Players that when I see him live I always come out very impress, very smart, super solid defender and great in the low post and the guy is huge, he is like a tree!

[Murphy3]

It's quite possible that the Mavs have 2 of the 3 best centers in the history of the franchise on this roster. It's not a given..., but possible.

[sike]

Originally Posted by Dale4Saul2Red0

Does anyone realize how f'ing stupid cheap 2.1M for Brand is? Clippers were expecting a 4-5 million bid for sure.

The Clippers?

[Underdog]

Mavs acquire former Sixers forward Brand

DALLAS (AP) -- Elton Brand thought he was going in for a harmless offseason workout at the Philadelphia 76ers' practice facility.

Instead, he got his walking papers.

Summoned to a meeting by team president Rod Thorn, Brand learned earlier this month the Sixers would use their one-time amnesty provision in the new CBA to let him go. The move means the $18.1 million Brand is owed in the final season of his five-year deal will not count against the salary cap for Philadelphia.

The two-time All-Star forward wouldn't stay unemployed for long.
The Dallas Mavericks won the bidding Friday to obtain Brand off waivers, the latest in a series of moves to build their roster after a frustrating start in free agency.

"I'm pretty happy with it," Brand said by phone Friday night. "I think it can be good for me."

Dallas also completed a one-year deal with 7-foot center Chris Kaman, who tweeted Wednesday that he had reached an agreement with the Mavericks.
The Sixers also continued to overhaul their roster when they agreed to a $6 million, two-year contract with former No. 1 overall draft pick Kwame Brown.
A year after winning their first NBA title, the Mavericks couldn't persuade Deron Williams to come play for his hometown team. Williams stayed with the Nets for their move to Brooklyn and signed his new deal early Wednesday, the first day new deals could be finalized.

Plus, guards Jason Kidd and Jason Terry are leaving Dallas in free agency.
The Mavs acquired point guard Darren Collison and wing player Dahntay Jones from Indiana in a trade Thursday for center Ian Mahinmi.

Brand will still get the full $18.1 million he is owed, with Philadelphia paying any difference. Any team under the salary cap was eligible to bid for the 6-foot-9 forward.

The winning bid wasn't revealed by the Mavericks. ESPN, citing anonymous sources, reported it was $2.1 million.

Brand was happy to land in Dallas, he just wished he had more control of his future.

"Yeah, that was real tough," he said. "I didn't have too many gripes with the CBA or the lockout but that's one gripe, just that you don't have a choice. You play years and years and don't have a choice. But to not have a choice, and still end up in Dallas, it turned out great."

Brand was the top overall pick out of Duke in the 1999 draft by Chicago and has played 860 career games with the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia. He was an All-Star in 2002 and 2006.

His career averages are 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. Last season, he averaged 11.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in 60 games with the 76ers.

Kaman averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 47 games with the New Orleans Hornets last season. He played the first eight seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, and has averaged 11.9 points and 8.3 rebounds in 540 career games.

Kaman was on the German national team during the 2008 Olympics and was a teammate of Dirk Nowitzki.

Brand isn't willing to concede a starting spot but is willing to play off the bench.

"It depends on training camp and what Chris Kaman is ready to do," Brand said. "He's a true center. I've played center a lot. But he's a true center. Whatever is needed to win ballgames and the minutes are there, it won't be too tough."

Brand said he had a productive talk with coach Rick Carlisle.

Dallas this week designated 7-foot center Brendan Haywood as its amnesty player. Haywood is set to make $8.2 million next season and is due $27 million over the final three guaranteed years in his deal.

Brand was a two-time All-Star when he spurned better offers and signed the free-agent contract with Philadelphia. While Brand was the locker-room leader and heart of the Sixers, his production never merited the deal he signed as one of the hottest free agents available.

He played only 29 games in an injury-filled first season with Philadelphia and never meshed with former coach Eddie Jordan in his second. Under Doug Collins, Brand found his niche, and led the Sixers in scoring with 15.0 points a game in 2010-11.

"We just didn't get it done," Brand said. "I'm a realist. If we had got it done, I'd have still been there, absolutely. No hard feelings at all. I'll still root for the organization. I had a great time. The fans were great. We started changing the culture. It was good."

Brand may not become a legitimate 20-10 threat at power forward again like his years with Chicago and the Clippers, but he was as steady and durable as any Sixer over the past two seasons. Brand said he "would have loved to have come back," but understood why the Sixers made the change. They chose not to re-sign guards Lou Williams and Jodie Meeks, and believed their Eastern Conference semifinals loss to Boston was as far as that roster could go.

"I felt like we had to get better. Something had to get done," he said. "We were kind of bringing the same guys back and other teams were getting better. ... I didn't think we were improving too much."

http://www.nba.com/2012/news/07/13/mavs-brand.ap/

[pepe]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

It's quite possible that the Mavs have 2 of the 3 best centers in the history of the franchise on this roster. It's not a given..., but possible.

Brand in here will fit perfectly...He can play with Dirk/Wright/Kaman in the floor...He will play Center with Dirk and Wright and PF with Kaman and for people that say he is only 6'9", He play Center for the 76ers last year and did it great, He may have found his niche in the NBA

Brand don't have the bounce he has before, but a guy that big with an average of 1 steal and block per game, has to be unique.

I saw the guy next to Bass, Boozer and Bosh and they look like mosquitoes compare to him...size wise, and guys like DHoward, Garnett and Duncan did not look that much bigger.

Brand is a huge human being...Like 6'9 270 Lbs and a bizarre 7'5" wingspan and with a Basketball IQ off the charts.

It will be fun to watch Brand with Dirk/Kaman/Wright he will fit perfectly with these guys, a lot better than Hawes/Allen/TYoung.

Dirk best season with a Big next to him
Kaman best season with a Big next to him
Brand best season with a Big next to him

[Murphy3]

Of course, when I said what I said, the bar isn't exactly set very high. Donaldson was a nice center. Dampier and Bradley both had their moments but had significant warts. Tom LaGarde put together a nice season but split time between center and PF. Pat Cummings was undersized but battled like hell... He might fit in the discussion as well.

[Dale4Saul2Red0]

Originally Posted by sike

The Clippers?

I've had a few beers today, you got me LOL

[Kante]

Sounds like Brand is ok to come off the bench as it looks now. He will get his 25-30 minutes a night, so that should make it easier. And it is a good problem to have to choose your closing C between Kaman and Brand.

[pepe]

Originally Posted by Kante

Sounds like Brand is ok to come off the bench as it looks now. He will get his 25-30 minutes a night, so that should make it easier. And it is a good problem to have to choose your closing C between Kaman and Brand.

Whoever is over performing the expectations between Brand and Kaman I guess will be finishing games with Dirk.

[Zaknaf3in]

Originally Posted by pepe

Whoever is over performing the expectations between Brand and Kaman I guess will be finishing games with Dirk.

Or the one less underperforming...

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

Of course, when I said what I said, the bar isn't exactly set very high. Donaldson was a nice center. Dampier and Bradley both had their moments but had significant warts. Tom LaGarde put together a nice season but split time between center and PF. Pat Cummings was undersized but battled like hell... He might fit in the discussion as well.

Tom LaGarde reference, huh?! Rare as hen's teeth...

[Kante]

Nelson just said that Brand will come off the bench but that can change i think. Although i believe that it will happen.

[Dundalis]

Originally Posted by Kante

Nelson just said that Brand will come off the bench but that can change i think. Although i believe that it will happen.

Kaman will miss games.

[jthig32]

I highly recommend listening to this Elton Brand interview.

[sefant77]

Originally Posted by Kante

Nelson just said that Brand will come off the bench but that can change i think. Although i believe that it will happen.

Hmmm. Im more excited over Brand than Kaman. I also think Dirk/Brand matches better than Dirk/Kaman if Brand isnt extremly undersized vs his opponent.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by jthig32

I highly recommend listening to this Elton Brand interview.

Wow, great stuff - thanks for the link!

[BPo001]

I hope Brand continues to call in on a regular basis. He's a pretty funny dude. Seems to be a pretty well spoken guy.

[LonghornDub]

Good to hear Elton. I'll miss Haywood's interviews, but this'll do (and the on-court product is obviously worth the difference).

[markus1234]

Guy sounds like Wood, does not fool around, comes straight to the point. Good stuff.

[aexchange]

Anyone have an idea what his cap hold would be after this season ends?

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by aexchange

Anyone have an idea what his cap hold would be after this season ends?

Assuming it's based on his amnesty number (and not his actual contract), it will be just under 4Mil.