Backup Center?

[DirkFTW]

Originally Posted by Vinsanity

I'd do Felton for Mahimni in a heart beat

[Dan1]

Cavs lost Varejão. I think we have a competitor...

Surprised we havent heart anything the last few days. We lost Smith too.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Dan1

Cavs lost Varejão. I think we have a competitor...

Surprised we havent heart anything the last few days. We lost Smith too.

O'Neal is off skiing with his family, so I wouldn't expect any news until the holidays are over (which is exactly what O'Neal himself said a couple weeks ago).

Based on his twitter comments yesterday, I think he's either not playing or playing here.

[Dan1]

Originally Posted by jthig32

O'Neal is off skiing with his family, so I wouldn't expect any news until the holidays are over (which is exactly what O'Neal himself said a couple weeks ago).

Based on his twitter comments yesterday, I think he's either not playing or playing here.

Thanks, didnt know that.

[markus1234]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Based on his twitter comments yesterday, I think he's either not playing or playing here.

Based on his twitter comments yesterday, I think he wants a big paycheck.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by markus1234

Based on his twitter comments yesterday, I think he wants a big paycheck.

Yes he seems pretty cocky.

"Can I still physically play? Probably better than 60% of the bigs in the NBA now. That's not a knock on them but how confident I feel"

[markus1234]

It's not so much about being cocky. It is more about talking how much he 'values' family life.

Every time players mention their family and kids, they simply want a solid "compensation" for being away from home.

[jay3189]

I always liked Jermaine O' Neal. Defensive monster who can score in the post. He will bring a gritty attitude to Dallas. He played with Rondo in Boston, and Rick coached him in Indiana. I wouldn't mind getting Emeka either. Both guys are defensive enforcers, we need a big man to complete this team, and I believe either one of those guys will help us. If all 30 teams are healthy, I feel we have the best starting 5 in the league. We got to start beating the teams with the good records. We got Tyson and Robson in trades, we got Parsons in free agency. What more can you ask for as a Maverick fan, around this time last year, I wouldn't imagine Dallas would have these 3 players starting with Dirk and Monta.

[tap2390]

Rockets waive Tarik Black to make room for Smith. He's undersized at 6'8" but has good length and athletic ability. He can also catch and finish at the rim really well. Not the defensive-minded 5 we were looking for but I think we should take a look. If we want him we'll have to claim him off waivers.

[dude1394]

Edit:

mike fisher ‏ @ fishsports 20 Sek. Vor 21 Sekunden Sources tell me http://DallasBasketball.com the # Mavs not interested in waived # Rockets big Tarik Black

[spreedom]

Guys I'd look at targeting, because I'm unfortunately bored and alone on a Friday night (I added in some PF/C hybrids because I think that's likely what we're going to end up getting):

Cole Aldrich - I'll admit I haven't seen him play at all this year, but he always seemed like a guy who was a victim of circumstance. Never got the opportunity. I like his rebounding and toughness, and while I don't see him as much more than a stopgap backup, I'd really like to see what he could do if he consistently got 15-18 mpg and the chance to play through mistakes. The Knicks should soon be entering the "get any possible assets while we can" mode (at a robust 5-26 as of this writing) so maybe if we slipped them a future 2nd or some package of conditional picks, we could grab him. Heck, maybe we could even send picks plus Ledo and get THJ from them while we're at it.

Lavoy Allen - Probably more of a backup 4 or undersized/small ball center, but he's another guy that always seems to play well when he gets the chance at extended minutes. Problem is, the Pacers seem hell bent on making the playoffs this year, and Allen is on a pretty reasonable contract, so we'd either have to give up a lot for him or wait and see if/when the Pacers are out of the playoff hunt and if they're in assets-gathering mode.

Bismack Biyombo - I think there's some potential to get Biyombo if the Mavs would be willing to take Lance or Gerald Henderson (both guys I like to a degree, for entirely different reasons) but figuring out how we could make that work cap-wise is tricky. Devin/Felton for Henderson/Biyombo works, but getting the money to work in a Lance deal is damn near impossible if we want to take on a true asset (i.e. Biyombo or anyone in his salary range) in the trade.

Elton Brand - He doesn't really solve many of the defensive issues, but he is still a productive rebounder (9.0 per 36) and seemed to get along really well with Dirk while both were here a couple of years back. I don't know how effective he could be at center but I do remember that his effort level was always pretty high, and Carlisle generally spoke highly of him. Seems like a guy getting a little lost in the shuffle in Atlanta, barring any sort of trade that opens up minutes in the front court. He has the right to refuse a trade, but Dallas seems like one of the few destinations he'd genuinely be excited about.

Dewayne Dedmon - Solves none of our real issues, but he could do some sort of Wright impersonation off the bench. TBH I'd just love to watch him flying around for alley oops from Rondo/Ellis/Barea/Harris.

Reggie Evans - Like Brand (actually, way more than Brand) he doesn't solve any sort of defensive issues, though I've always found him to be somewhat of an underrated man defender, especially in the post. And damn if he isn't still one of the best rebounders in the league. If the Kings get to the assets-gathering mode, I could see him being available for a second-rounder. Heck, I'd give up Ledo straight up for Evans if the Kings had any need for a young shooting guard. Only problem is, Vivek is still in the "I'm the smartest guy in this room" owner mode, so I think the Kings are increasingly going to be buyers as the season goes on.

Greg Stiemsma - In my opinion, he should be at or near the top of our wish list, among the guys that appear to be available. He's pretty one-dimensional in that he is a shotblocker more than he's really a defender (which, come to think of it, was a huge part of the reason why Dalambert never worked out here) but man, just having him on the floor seems like it would give out guards a little bit of a safety net. He isn't playing at all for Toronto. Something like Felton/Ledo for Stiemsma/Fields would work, and I'd be pretty okay with it.

Free agents, most of whom I have no idea of availability/international contract situations: Gustavo Ayon (huge dude, pretty efficient scorer and rebounder), Kyrylo Fesenko (also a beast of a man, and I remember him having some insane +/- and defensive efficiency numbers for Utah a few years back, but is clueless offensively), Josh Harrellson (good rebounder and has a sneaky midrange game), Sarge (knows some of the players and the system, dependably healthy), Ivan Johnson (bad ass defender/enforcer but may not have many real NBA skills), Miroslav Raduljica (high on my want list for free agents), and of course, Okafor and O'Neal.


Tons of generally underwhelming but fairly solid backup options out there, all with their warts... not sure if any one player solves bench scoring/rebounding/defensive needs, so whoever you think the best fit is probably depends on what you think our biggest need is.

[Kante]

Ayon is playing in Spain for Madrid and got a nice contract. Looking at the names, i take Okafor/O'Neal.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by markus1234

Based on his twitter comments yesterday, I think he wants a big paycheck.

Yeah, no. Don't think it was about that at all.

[Melonhead]

What about getting Dejuan Blair back? I know hes undersized but we miss his intensity. He could get the floor fired up going after those tough rebounds.

Also Drew Gooden is with the Wiz and he's getting hardly any play as well. Not sure what we've have to give up though

[rimrocker]

Skin mentioned a scenario on pregame last night about possibly reuniting KG with Rondo.
Several dominos would have to fall just right to make that happen though.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

Skin mentioned a scenario on pregame last night about possibly reuniting KG with Rondo.
Several dominos would have to fall just right to make that happen though.

Pretty impossible for the Mavs to get KG unless the Nets buy him out.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

What about getting Dejuan Blair back? I know hes undersized but we miss his intensity. He could get the floor fired up going after those tough rebounds.

Also Drew Gooden is with the Wiz and he's getting hardly any play as well. Not sure what we've have to give up though

Blair was SNTed so, if I recall correctly (thiggy, jump in if my recollection is bad), the CBA prohibits the Mavs from acquiring him via trade any time this season.

I also had the fleeting thought that he'd be a good fit--despite his quite poor defense--but they really need a true big.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

the CBA prohibits the Mavs from acquiring him via trade any time this season.

That is correct.

[MFFL]

What about Brand?

Doesn't look like Atlanta is using him very much and they might want a veteran point guard (Felton) for a playoff run

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by Vinsanity

I'd do Felton for Mahimni in a heart beat

Mahinmi (foot) will miss six-to-eight weeks with a torn left plantar fascia.

[yahyes]

Originally Posted by MFFL

Mahinmi (foot) will miss six-to-eight weeks with a torn left plantar fascia.

Then he'd be ready after all star break or March. I would strongly push for a deal like that to happen so he can reunite with us. Especially if we can deal Felton. Pacers could use him with their tricky PG situation.

[yahyes]

If there is a deal trading Felton we can still have another spot. Which would be open for Jermain, Okafor, or Rashard Lewis.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by Dan1

Cavs lost Varejão. I think we have a competitor...

Surprised we havent heart anything the last few days. We lost Smith too.

You have to think the Cavs are seriously considering options that include trading Dion Waiters and/or Tristan Thompson at this point. Seems like Waiters is more likely to go, but Thompson makes sense for teams in need of rebounding (even if he is going to get overpaid this summer).

I'd bet my salary the Cavs end up getting a pretty good center by the end of January.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Pretty impossible for the Mavs to get KG unless the Nets buy him out.

Entirely possible that they would, though.

I think the KG possibility is really interesting.

I also think everything else is quiet because trades aren't going to heat up again until late Jan/early Feb and I think we're waiting on O'Neal to get back from whatever ski resort he's at and make a decision.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

Blair was SNTed so, if I recall correctly (thiggy, jump in if my recollection is bad), the CBA prohibits the Mavs from acquiring him via trade any time this season.

I also had the fleeting thought that he'd be a good fit--despite his quite poor defense--but they really need a true big.

The CBA prevents them from acquiring him *in any way*. Even if he's waived they can't sign him.

Same goes for Dalembert.

[Vinsanity]

In case anyone cares, Dwight Powell just put up 26pts and 21rebs in his first D-League game. I'd really like to see what the guy can do with decent minutes with the Mavs.

[spreedom]

Miroslav Raduljica is apparently signing with Minnesota for the rest of the season. One pretty nice candidate comes off the board.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by Vinsanity

In case anyone cares, Dwight Powell just put up 26pts and 21rebs in his first D-League game. I'd really like to see what the guy can do with decent minutes with the Mavs.

Either way, he's playing as a 4 with the Mavs.

KG to Dallas would be intriguing, and they'd definitely look at it. No one is trading for him, or it's incredibly hard to imagine it.

They need to see that BKN/SAC deal go down and then he'll likely ask for a buyout. They'll likely oblige. LAC (likely), SAS, MEM are going to be the problems for Dallas if they really want to pursue him.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by jthig32

The CBA prevents them from acquiring him *in any way*. Even if he's waived they can't sign him.

Same goes for Dalembert.

So it's a non-starter regardless. Good to know.

[tap2390]

Bump. Over the last 5 games Smith has averaged:

16.6 minutes, 4.2 points on 63.6 FG%, 58 FT%, 4.2 boards, 1 block, .6 steals, 2 fouls, and slightly under 1 turnover.

Meanwhile Jermaine O'Neal is partying with T-Mac and Al Harrington in London.

http://instagram.com/p/xQbAGNHK7u/

Last year for Golden State O'Neal averaged:

20.1 minutes, 7.9 points on 50 FG%, 75 FT%, 5.5 rebounds, .9 blocks, .3 steals, 2.3 fouls, and 1.2 turnovers.


Given Smith's age and the fact that I think we can expect him to continue to show progress as he gets into a groove with a consistent role I'd much rather he have the minutes.

IMO O'Neal would still be a good pick-up if he's willing to come here as the 3rd center but we shouldn't get suckered into guaranteeing him a backup role.

[markus1234]

Smith is great. Dunno why, but his face and haircut reminds me of young Muhammad Ali lol.

[Kante]

If the Mavs can get O'Neal, they should. Smith has to prove to be consistent, O'Neal has over his career.

Chandler/O'Neal/Smith sounds good.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by Kante

If the Mavs can get O'Neal, they should. Smith has to prove to be consistent, O'Neal has over his career.

Chandler/O'Neal/Smith sounds good.

Even if Smith was head and shoulders better than ONeal, you have to get him or another big. You can't go rolling into the playoffs two-deep at center.

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by Kante

If the Mavs can get O'Neal, they should. Smith has to prove to be consistent, O'Neal has over his career.

Chandler/O'Neal/Smith sounds good.

I think Smith has proven he can consistently make an impact. In 2012-13 he played in 70 games for the Rockets, averaging 15.9 minutes.

O'Neal has been consistent but is on the wrong side of 35. My fear is he'll come in, make only a slightly bigger impact for us while eradicating the strides Smith's made.

[Thomas86]

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

Either way, he's playing as a 4 with the Mavs.

KG to Dallas would be intriguing, and they'd definitely look at it. No one is trading for him, or it's incredibly hard to imagine it.

They need to see that BKN/SAC deal go down and then he'll likely ask for a buyout. They'll likely oblige. LAC (likely), SAS, MEM are going to be the problems for Dallas if they really want to pursue him.

Having to deal with Tyson and then KG was drive teams crazy...

[howdoesmydirktaste]

Originally Posted by Thomas86

Having to deal with Tyson and then KG was drive teams crazy...

I have not been following KG for a while. How good is he right now? Is he still really good on defense?

[DGM]

how about Drew Gooden?

[rimrocker]

I still think Withey would be a decent center to go after.

Would Ledo and a 2nd rounder get it done?

Wouldn't mind including Salmons and Felton in the deal to get a bigger SG option for RC if needed.

Rondo/Barea
Ellis/Harris/Salmons
Parsons/RJ/Aminu
Dirk/CV/Powell
Chandler/Smith/Withey

[howdoesmydirktaste]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12...ry-next-season

Looks like we won't be getting Okafor this year. Neither will anyone else.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by howdoesmydirktaste

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12...ry-next-season

Looks like we won't be getting Okafor this year. Neither will anyone else.

Damn.