2014 Offseason Thread

[MavzMan]

Wish I was listening to him. I normally cannot stand him, so this would be an exception for me.

[DirkFTW]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Let's go get LeBron and call it an offseason...

Originally Posted by LeESPN

LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, has informed the Miami Heat that James will exercise his early termination option and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by hayth.james.g

I think it's important to remember the decline Shawn Marion is seeing in his game. If we could get close to 12-13 performance then sure problem solved. When watching his game it's very apparent that the minutes are catching up to him. If we bring him back it needs to be off the bench and cutting his minutes in half. Fresh legs might enable Marion to be an elite defender again. So to answer your question, Yes PJ Tucker really is an upgrade.

Pj Tucker MAY be an upgrade. Its quite possible, I'll grant you that. Couple things to remember though: Tucker is a RFA, so if he's our play and Phoenix matches we may lose out on other option(including Marion)in the meantime.

PJ is 29 and while he shot almost 39% from 3 last year his previous season(his only other NBA season)he was at 31.4%. His overall % was actually down to 43% from 47% despite the uptick in 3point%. So it seems increased usage perhaps helped his 3 point shooting consistency but may have exposed the limitations to his game offensively. His game isn't likely to grow leaps and bounds at 29.


Defensively Tucker should have fresher legs and could continue to improve some and so may be an upgrade to Shawn but also isn't quite as versatile. Also since he cant really swing to the PF it would necessitate adding another 4 to backup Dirk- depending on what happens with Gasol, etc.

Gun to my head I'd probably prefer Ariza, Deng or Tucker to Matrix at SF next season. Part of my point though was there is value in having a known quantity. And that the relative "value" of a signing or opportunity cost has to be factored in too. If we overpay for Deng it hurts the roster elsewhere. Or if we were to wait on Tucker and dont sign him and lose Marion in the interim that could hurt too, depending on how closely MBT values the two players. I was just outlining a scenario where re-signing Shawn makes the most sense. Not necessarily stating it as my preference.

[EricaLubarsky]

RFAs are tricky. Most of the time they just waste time in free agency and we cant afford to waste time with so many good free agents but so little time.

When teams DO steal an RFA, they often do it with tricks that backfire like Morey did with Asik and Lin-- he got some talented players, but now he has two guys with poison pill contracts whose pills are leaking.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by mac222b

Pj Tucker MAY be an upgrade. Its quite possible, I'll grant you that. Couple things to remember though: Tucker is a RFA, so if he's our play and Phoenix matches we may lose out on other option(including Marion)in the meantime.

PJ is 29 and while he shot almost 39% from 3 last year his previous season(his only other NBA season)he was at 31.4%. His overall % was actually down to 43% from 47% despite the uptick in 3point%. So it seems increased usage perhaps helped his 3 point shooting consistency but may have exposed the limitations to his game offensively. His game isn't likely to grow leaps and bounds at 29.

Worth noting that his 3PAs went up from 70 in 12-13 to 191 in 13-14. That would explain the decrease in overall FG%. I would be willing to bet my house that his eFG% and TS% both went up last season. I think those stats are a little more reliable than the raw FG% numbers.

TBH, what I'm most interested in Tucker for is his defense. Even if, in what I would consider a worst-case scenario, Tucker shoots 34-35% from three next season, I think his impact on the game will be a net positive because of his great defense. I think, sharing the court with Ellis, Dirk and Calderon, Tucker would probably see open catch-and-shoot opportunities for most of his possessions. If that's the case, I like his chances of shooting 38-40% from the corners, if not higher. And I'd probably pay him accordingly... with Phoenix needing to re-sign Bledsoe to what will likely be a max contract this summer, I think an offer of around $7-8M per season to Tucker would put a lot of pressure on the Suns.

[MavzMan]

Tucker's career is pretty interesting. Gotta root for a guy that gets cut from the NBA, serves his time overseas, and then makes a team followed by getting in starting rotation just a few months into the season. Now he's looking for a nice payday.

Phoenix is pretty far below the cap and given MBT's distaste for RFAs, I don't see a lot of hope in getting him. Possibly wait for him to be one of our last signing attempts so that it doesn't hurt too much if we get matched?

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Worth noting that his 3PAs went up from 70 in 12-13 to 191 in 13-14. That would explain the decrease in overall FG%. I would be willing to bet my house that his eFG% and TS% both went up last season. I think those stats are a little more reliable than the raw FG% numbers.

TBH, what I'm most interested in Tucker for is his defense. Even if, in what I would consider a worst-case scenario, Tucker shoots 34-35% from three next season, I think his impact on the game will be a net positive because of his great defense. I think, sharing the court with Ellis, Dirk and Calderon, Tucker would probably see open catch-and-shoot opportunities for most of his possessions. If that's the case, I like his chances of shooting 38-40% from the corners, if not higher. And I'd probably pay him accordingly... with Phoenix needing to re-sign Bledsoe to what will likely be a max contract this summer, I think an offer of around $7-8M per season to Tucker would put a lot of pressure on the Suns.

Was just doing a cursory glance at him. TS% was indeed up from .525 to .540. He was worse at the rim: from .623 to .535. By comparison Shawn Marion was .689 at the rim and with almost 100 more total attempts had a full 20 less shots blocked than Tucker: 31 vs. 51

What I found most interesting was Tucker's position flipped from 78% SG/21% SF in 2012-13 to 41% SG 58% SF in 2013-14. But he seems to be more effective in some ways at SG. I think an earlier post of Erica's touched on this.

I wonder if the Mavs see Jae Crowder as comparable for the relative price assuming Jae can get his 3pt% up. Tucker is definitely the superior rebounder and better defender. Both seem to struggle with putting the ball on the floor and finishing. But seeing as Jae will be costing 1m to Tucker's 5-7m its probably a lot closer than we'd imagine.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by MavzMan

Tucker's career is pretty interesting. Gotta root for a guy that gets cut from the NBA, serves his time overseas, and then makes a team followed by getting in starting rotation just a few months into the season. Now he's looking for a nice payday.

Phoenix is pretty far below the cap and given MBT's distaste for RFAs, I don't see a lot of hope in getting him. Possibly wait for him to be one of our last signing attempts so that it doesn't hurt too much if we get matched?

Absolutely. Everything I've read has been positive about the amount of work the guy puts into his game. I think he or Deng would fit right in with this team in that regard.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by mac222b

Was just doing a cursory glance at him. TS% was indeed up from .525 to .540. He was worse at the rim: from .623 to .535. By comparison Shawn Marion was .689 at the rim and with almost 100 more total attempts had a full 20 less shots blocked than Tucker: 31 vs. 51

What I found most interesting was Tucker's position flipped from 78% SG/21% SF in 2012-13 to 41% SG 58% SF in 2013-14. But he seems to be more effective in some ways at SG. I think an earlier post of Erica's touched on this.

I'm okay with all of this. Tucker's numbers at SF are probably worse because there are a lot more quality SFs in the league this year and that is causing him to work harder. I think he's a natural SF to be honest and I'd love for him to hold down that position for the next 2-3 years.

[Melonhead]

Would love Tucker but I doubt mavs are looking in his direction. Isn't he restricted?

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Looking at those rotations, I think adding Pau to the roster as currently constructed is just going to make a mess of things. Seems like we need to replace Dalembert with someone who can play heavier minutes to make it work.

Exactly...we went to 2 championship series with defensive oriented centers (Damp, Diop, Chandler, Haywood) and none with offensive bigs playing next to Dirk.
When will fans realize that soft offensive oriented centers (Kaman, LaFrentz, etc...) playing next to Dirk are a complete disaster?

And Gasol is anything but a great defender like some seem to think. He is an okay defender but we need a defensive beast who will do the dirty work to complement Dirk's game.

The past decade is proof enough that guys with games similar to Gasol's is a complete disaster with Dirk. Now that Dirk is near retirement and on the decline that situation would be even worse.

Is Gasol better than guys like Okafor? Yes, but he isn't a better fit in Dallas.

[spreedom]

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/06/...ons-been-made/

Sounds to me like the Pistons are almost a lock to keep Greg Monroe... and if so, I'd be very surprised if they kept Josh Smith past this next season. SVG has no use for a player like Josh.

[hayth.james.g]

Originally Posted by spreedom

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/06/...ons-been-made/

Sounds to me like the Pistons are almost a lock to keep Greg Monroe... and if so, I'd be very surprised if they kept Josh Smith past this next season. SVG has no use for a player like Josh.

Maybe I'm not great at reading between the lines, but nothing in that article told me what their plans were in regards to Monroe.

[tap2390]

We need to look into taking contracts off of teams chasing Lebron. DeAndre Jordan from the Clips? Nash and #7 from the Lakers?

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by tap2390

We need to look into taking contracts off of teams chasing Lebron. DeAndre Jordan from the Clips? Nash and #7 from the Lakers?

Pass.

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by spreedom

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/06/...ons-been-made/

Sounds to me like the Pistons are almost a lock to keep Greg Monroe... and if so, I'd be very surprised if they kept Josh Smith past this next season. SVG has no use for a player like Josh.

Sounds to me like they have a number in mind that they would like to keep him at. If Monroe signs an offer from another team that is more than Detroit thinks he's worth they will explore a sign and trade or let him walk. I could be completely wrong too.

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Pass.

That was my gut reaction too. He's redundant with Calderon here. But, it sure would be nice to have the 7th pick in a loaded draft. We have to be realistic about our options.... Melo and LeBron aren't coming here. Is it worth paying Nash $10 million for a year to have that pick? I def think it's something the BT needs to look into.

[MavzMan]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

Exactly...we went to 2 championship series with defensive oriented centers (Damp, Diop, Chandler, Haywood) and none with offensive bigs playing next to Dirk.
When will fans realize that soft offensive oriented centers (Kaman, LaFrentz, etc...) playing next to Dirk are a complete disaster?

And Gasol is anything but a great defender like some seem to think. He is an okay defender but we need a defensive beast who will do the dirty work to complement Dirk's game.

The past decade is proof enough that guys with games similar to Gasol's is a complete disaster with Dirk. Now that Dirk is near retirement and on the decline that situation would be even worse.

Is Gasol better than guys like Okafor? Yes, but he isn't a better fit in Dallas.

Well, this will be my last argument for Gasol since I'm obvious not going to change some of your minds. I'm fine with that and more than likely we'll never know who was right anyway, so whatever. As for my counterpoints to you ...

I think there is a HUGE difference between Kaman and LaFrentz to Pau Gasol. That is like saying Dirk is the same as Antoine Walker since they are both PF and have a championship. If anything, mine is slightly more accurate because at one point Walker was considered the face of the Celtics along with Pierce. I'm going to stop there because putting both of them in the same sentence makes my stomach start to churn.

You bring up defensive centers like Damp, Diop, Chandler and Haywood. I may be off, but I don't truly believe ANYONE would consider Damp, Diop, and Haywood championship caliber defenders. And honestly, Chandler was heavily ridiculed when the Mavs first got him.

Is Okafor a better fit for the Mavs? That is a valid argument and I can't argue that one. But my whole point is "What if you don't get Okafor (UFA) or Chandler (signed to NY)?" As far as FAs are concerned, I only see 2 options to improve at backup C and/or PF ... Okafor & Pau. I continue to state that Dalembert would be the starter (defensive center) and Gasol is a huge upgrade over Wright / Blair / Sarge on both ends of the court and for hopefully somewhere around the full MLE price.

Ultimately, I have complete confidence in what Mark and Donnie do get and that it will be the best available which will ultimately still result in a playoff team under RC because we still have a healthy Dirk. Go Mavs.

[hayth.james.g]

Originally Posted by MavzMan

Well, this will be my last argument for Gasol since I'm obvious not going to change some of your minds. I'm fine with that and more than likely we'll never know who was right anyway, so whatever. As for my counterpoints to you ...

I think there is a HUGE difference between Kaman and LaFrentz to Pau Gasol. That is like saying Dirk is the same as Antoine Walker since they are both PF and have a championship. If anything, mine is slightly more accurate because at one point Walker was considered the face of the Celtics along with Pierce. I'm going to stop there because putting both of them in the same sentence makes my stomach start to churn.

You bring up defensive centers like Damp, Diop, Chandler and Haywood. I may be off, but I don't truly believe ANYONE would consider Damp, Diop, and Haywood championship caliber defenders. And honestly, Chandler was heavily ridiculed when the Mavs first got him.

Is Okafor a better fit for the Mavs? That is a valid argument and I can't argue that one. But my whole point is "What if you don't get Okafor (UFA) or Chandler (signed to NY)?" As far as FAs are concerned, I only see 2 options to improve at backup C and/or PF ... Okafor & Pau. I continue to state that Dalembert would be the starter (defensive center) and Gasol is a huge upgrade over Wright / Blair / Sarge on both ends of the court and for hopefully somewhere around the full MLE price.

Ultimately, I have complete confidence in what Mark and Donnie do get and that it will be the best available which will ultimately still result in a playoff team under RC because we still have a healthy Dirk. Go Mavs.

You think Gasol is going to go for MLE price? See maybe this is where we are not quite seeing eye to eye. I think Gasol is easily going to get a deal around 3/25-27. To me.... and this is barring any plans of a pre negotiated Chandler trade following signing Gasol.... that is just too much money to spend on Gasol for what his role would be in Dallas.

Now if our lineup looked something like:

Harris/Calderon
Ellis/Carter
Deng(ariza/parsons) / Crowder
Dirk/Gasol
Chandler/Dalembert

Obviously this team is up there cap wise, but its doable because of the Chandler trade. I have complete respect for Gasols game... and it would be great to see him on the court with these guys. But in the Western Conference where your dealing with an insane amount of athleticism in both point guards driving to the paint and big men dominating... you just can't expect to win Calderon+Ellis getting 25 minutes a game together coupled with Dirk + Gasol getting 15-20 minutes a game together.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by MavzMan

Well, this will be my last argument for Gasol since I'm obvious not going to change some of your minds. I'm fine with that and more than likely we'll never know who was right anyway, so whatever. As for my counterpoints to you ...

I think there is a HUGE difference between Kaman and LaFrentz to Pau Gasol. That is like saying Dirk is the same as Antoine Walker since they are both PF and have a championship. If anything, mine is slightly more accurate because at one point Walker was considered the face of the Celtics along with Pierce. I'm going to stop there because putting both of them in the same sentence makes my stomach start to churn.

You bring up defensive centers like Damp, Diop, Chandler and Haywood. I may be off, but I don't truly believe ANYONE would consider Damp, Diop, and Haywood championship caliber defenders. And honestly, Chandler was heavily ridiculed when the Mavs first got him.

Is Okafor a better fit for the Mavs? That is a valid argument and I can't argue that one. But my whole point is "What if you don't get Okafor (UFA) or Chandler (signed to NY)?" As far as FAs are concerned, I only see 2 options to improve at backup C and/or PF ... Okafor & Pau. I continue to state that Dalembert would be the starter (defensive center) and Gasol is a huge upgrade over Wright / Blair / Sarge on both ends of the court and for hopefully somewhere around the full MLE price.

Ultimately, I have complete confidence in what Mark and Donnie do get and that it will be the best available which will ultimately still result in a playoff team under RC because we still have a healthy Dirk. Go Mavs.

First, we have a much better chance of signing Okafor or trading for Chandler than we do convincing Gasol to sign as Dalembert's backup.

Second, Dampier, Diop, Haywood and Chandler were all role players on this team and that is all we needed because their roles and skills were critical. We need the same now. It's more about the way they complement Dirk's game moreso than how great they are statistically. And results speak for themselves so that is a tough one to argue from the other side.
Is it not obvious to you or ironic that we get to the championship twice, and win one of them, with different two-headed defensive monster situations in a 5 year period but have done basically nothing in the POs with offensive oriented centers playing next to Dirk during his entire career?
I'd prefer to let historical logic guide our strategic decision making process opposed to throwing a bunch of misfit talent around Dirk like we did in 03-04.
One of my biggest concerns about the off season is that Donnie and Mark will Isaiah Thomas this thing and just sign the best available players without any rhyme or reason and have a complete roster full of misfits with no chemistry.

Now I will agree Gasol is definitely an option but not the first imo. If we sign Gasol then we better trade for Josh Smith or an extremely oversized SF who can guard guys like Aldridge, Durant, Jordan/Griffin, Davis, M. Gasol/Randolf, Howard/Asik, Duncan/Splitter...and that is just the West. The thought of a Gasol/Dirk duo attempting to slow down any of those guys is tough to envision.
Mavs can keep Dalembert or sign Okafor but there is no way either of them see the court in crunch time (which is when we will need them), if Gasol and Dirk are on the roster, no matter how bad we are getting hammered in the paint.

[MavzMan]

I really like what Jose and Monta have done with their playing time and sacrifice to their game, but I do think that one of them needs to be traded if at all possible in order to have a much more balanced team. I do think that Monta could be the PG of the team with the right set of people around him so my preference is to trade Jose. However, if we load up on offensive power (Lebron+Gasol for instance) then yeah, trading Monta for a defensive stopper would be great.

Regardless of who we do get, I agree that Gasol in the ~$10 mill range is too high a price for the Mavs given their other needs. My thought is that he may go for the MLE given last year's debacle on the Lakers and that he has already said he wants to play for a championship contending team. Money ... Championship .... he's gotta decide because at this point for him, they are exclusive of each other.

[Eman]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

Exactly...we went to 2 championship series with defensive oriented centers (Damp, Diop, Chandler, Haywood) and none with offensive bigs playing next to Dirk.
When will fans realize that soft offensive oriented centers (Kaman, LaFrentz, etc...) playing next to Dirk are a complete disaster?

And Gasol is anything but a great defender like some seem to think. He is an okay defender but we need a defensive beast who will do the dirty work to complement Dirk's game.

The past decade is proof enough that guys with games similar to Gasol's is a complete disaster with Dirk. Now that Dirk is near retirement and on the decline that situation would be even worse.

Is Gasol better than guys like Okafor? Yes, but he isn't a better fit in Dallas.

Rim, we've NEVER had a center as offensively talented as Pau Gasol, EVER!!!! comparing him to Raef Lafrentz is like comparing LeBron to Chris Anstey. Gasol is also a pretty good rebounder and can block some shots. Would I rather have Tyson, yes, Sanders, probably (because he's so young), but I'm not sure about Asik. And Please don't undervalue how much better we would be with Gasol here than Sam Dalembert and Wright! Dalembert would be a good backup/situational center behind Gasol.

[Eman]

We can always try to add a Lance Stephenson or Luol Deng for Defensive help if we get the huge passing and scoring upgrade at center that would be Pau Gasol

In January of this past year, 15 games, Gasol averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 blocks!!!!!!!!!!!

Who doesn't think that would be a HUGE upgrade at center for us!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who?

and he averaged 10 Rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the year, tied with Tim Duncan and Varajeao for 12th in the league (rebounding), ahead of Gortat, Blake griffin, etc...

He was 11th in the NBA in Blocks!!!!

[Eman]

you guys who don't think Pau Gasol would be a HUGE updgrade to Dalembert/wright are Cray!

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Eman

Rim, we've NEVER had a center as offensively talented as Pau Gasol, EVER!!!!

No, but we've had centers as bad at defense as Pau Gasol and the results were not pretty... That's the point rimrocker is making that nobody seems to be getting.

We need a defensive-minded center next to Dirk, otherwise we're not even in the conversation for contention.

[Murphy3]

Obviously, Gasol makes the team better. If you can limit the minutes that Gasol and Dirk are on the court together, it might be worth a look especially if you can plug in a defensive upgrade at the 3.

Now, I don't think this is the optimal plan. I'd rather lean towards defense more at the center position.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by Eman

Rim, we've NEVER had a center as offensively talented as Pau Gasol, EVER!!!! comparing him to Raef Lafrentz is like comparing LeBron to Chris Anstey. Gasol is also a pretty good rebounder and can block some shots. Would I rather have Tyson, yes, Sanders, probably (because he's so young), but I'm not sure about Asik. And Please don't undervalue how much better we would be with Gasol here than Sam Dalembert and Wright! Dalembert would be a good backup/situational center behind Gasol.

Not saying we wouldn't be better but it is obvious that we need a huge upgrade defensively at center over last season and Gasol is not that much of an upgrade if any. Dalembert is as good or better defensively as Gasol and we were terrible last season. So not sure why anyone would be so gung-ho on wasting 8-10 mil of cap space on something that doesn't fulfill an immediate need.

And if you can't tell the difference between a soft center vs a defensive beast then I'm not sure you'll ever get it. Gasol is much closer to the LaFrentz's and Kaman's of the world than the Chandler's and Dampier's in terms of defense.

[Eman]

Just heard Marc Stein on the radio. He seems to think Pau Gasol has a pretty decent chance of happening. In fact he was asked who the Mavs are likely to get and he mentioned Gasol first.

[spreedom]

Talent-wise, adding Gasol would obviously be great. As far as filling what our obvious needs are (perimeter/rim defense), it doesn't do much. Maybe it covers our weakness in that area in the "the best defense is a good offense" mindset, but I would much rather spend the ~$10M on a guy that was a better fit, even if he is less talented.

[EricaLubarsky]

Gasol is actually slightly better rebounder and head-and-shoulders above Monroe in shotblocking.

Gotta say that I hate the guy, but statistically, he's at least a little better than the guy a lot of people wanted.

Then again, we're still talking about a merely average rebounder and a guy who can't defend an injured Chris Kaman.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Gasol is actually younger than I thought. I kept thinking he was Dirk's age, but he'll be 34 going into next season which isn't terrible. I just don't think the Mavs will overpay him so he'll have to come here on a reasonable contract.

[rimrocker]

It will be painful to watch our team get annihilated in the paint this season. One of the biggest frustrations from last season will be a bigger one this season.
God help us if the FO decides to take this approach toward addressing our needs.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by hayth.james.g

Maybe I'm not great at reading between the lines, but nothing in that article told me what their plans were in regards to Monroe.

Originally Posted by BPo001

Sounds to me like they have a number in mind that they would like to keep him at. If Monroe signs an offer from another team that is more than Detroit thinks he's worth they will explore a sign and trade or let him walk. I could be completely wrong too.

SVG saying this publicly is a pre-emptive measure, discouraging other teams from making offers (outside of a max contract, which I don't see him getting) because he is basically promising to match up to a certain amount. Everything about him being forthcoming about this makes me think that the Pistons are going to keep Monroe. Heck, I think they might match even a max contract offer.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

It will be painful to watch our team get annihilated in the paint this season. One of the biggest frustrations from last season will be a bigger one this season.
God help us if the FO decides to take this approach toward addressing our needs.

Probably a lot of moments like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzxFJa6rfsg

Then again, that first dunk was one of the worst missed over-the-back calls Ive ever seen.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

It will be painful to watch our team get annihilated in the paint this season. One of the biggest frustrations from last season will be a bigger one this season.
God help us if the FO decides to take this approach toward addressing our needs.

At one point last season we were starting Dejuan Blair. I'd say Gasol is a major upgrade in comparison. If we can't get Gortat, Okafur is still injured, and the Knicks won't trade us Chandler, then what?

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Gasol is actually slightly better rebounder and head-and-shoulders above Monroe in shotblocking.

Gotta say that I hate the guy, but statistically, he's at least a little better than the guy a lot of people wanted.

Then again, we're still talking about a merely average rebounder and a guy who can't defend an injured Chris Kaman.

Not to mention he's 34 and will probably get a 3 year deal. I thought the Mavs would take advantage of this golden opportunity of having unusual cap space to get younger guys with some upside but instead they seem to want to continue adding former all-stars exiting their prime that are only a few years away from being completely washed up.

[EricaLubarsky]

The good
The right price (?)
Still possibly has 2-3 years left
14th best defensive rebounder in the league (as good as Chandler, better than Daly/Blair)
versatile offensively/effective inside. Could be a nice person for Ellis to dump to.
legitimate size
solid passing
decent shot blocking

The bad
one of the worst offensive rebounders in the game (only 6 1st/2nd string centers were worse)
poor defense. Poor lateral movement.
low motor at times
only has 2-3 years left in him (rental)
weak emotionally?

Offensively, he's the best center we have a chance of getting and I like the potential of Ellis dumping it down to him on the drive. Ellis is an incredibly underrated inside passer, but Blair was often too small to take advantage and Daly's hands were just awful. If Ellis dumped it to him, he could dunk it or start a post move. He'd also be a nice rebounder if healthy.

Biggest problem would be defense, but if we could start Harris and get a defensive SF (Tucker, Deng, etc.), we might be able to make it work.

[spreedom]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Gasol is actually slightly better rebounder and head-and-shoulders above Monroe in shotblocking.

Gotta say that I hate the guy, but statistically, he's at least a little better than the guy a lot of people wanted.

Then again, we're still talking about a merely average rebounder and a guy who can't defend an injured Chris Kaman.

Gasol's also had some pretty significant injury trouble over the past couple of years and is what... 9 years older than Monroe? Gasol also hasn't played with another dominating rebounder either of the past two years (unlike Monroe, who played, last season, next to the best rebounder in the NBA). I would be interested in their rebounding percentages based on the available rebounds metric (which, I think, measures rebounding efficiency for balls within 3 feet of the rebounder). Either way, going forward Monroe is likely going to be a more valuable player than Gasol. That's probably why a lot of people here want him. I've eased off on that a little bit because of the better fits that I think may be available.

[EricaLubarsky]

A list of the more interesting free agents this year, sorted by position and then by how much I want to get them. Surprisingly, Gasol is pretty close to the top and with Gortat likely to return to Washington, Gasol might be the top center option this offseason for the right price.

Center
Marcin Gortat (UFA)
Pau Gasol (UFA)
Emeka Okafor (UFA)
Greg Monroe (RFA)
Chris Andersen (UFA)
Channing Frye (UFA)

Power Forward
Jordan Hill (UFA)
Carmelo Anthony (UFA)
Chris Bosh (UFA)
DeJuan Blair (UFA)
Kris Humphries (UFA)
Boris Diaw (UFA)
Josh McRoberts (UFA)


Small Forward
Trevor Ariza (UFA)
Luol lDeng (UFA)
LeBron James (UFA)
Chandler Parsons (RFA)
PJ Tucker (RFA)
Vince Carter (UFA)
Caron Butler (UFA)
Dante Cunningham (UFA)

Shooting Guard
Thabo Sefalosha (UFA)
Lance Stephenson (UFA)
Kent Bazemore (RFA)
Eric Bledsoe (RFA)
Nick Young (UFA)
Shaun Livingston (UFA)
Kirk Hinrich (UFA)
Point Guard
Kyle Lowry (UFA)
Devin Harris (UFA)
Patty Mills (UFA)
Beno Udrih (UFA)

[sefant77]

I think Gasol is becoming a bigger topic because the other options getting thinner.

Josh Smith to Sac is becoming a solid rumor. Means the Pistons gonna match Monroe anyway. Morey wont trade Asik to Dallas. Sanders probably checking into rehab, i doubt the Mavs would take this gamble. If Hibbert is available for our trade pieces, no ones knows. Gortat likes the Wiz and they want to keep and pay him. Gortats dad told the polish media they pretty much agreed allready that he stays.

That leaves us with Chandler (depending on Carmelo) and....Gasol.

I think the Mavs may hope they are able to sign Dirk/Deng/Gasol/Haris combined with their ~32m cap. Carter room exception. Could work if Deng and Gasol arent too greedy and looking more for a solid playoff team and not the biggest payday.

Then you could still trade Wright/Ellington/Larkin to the Knicks for Chandler and you would have a really nice FC rotation. With Gasol subbing in early for Dirk in the 1st and 3rd quarter. End of quarter/crunchtime you go with Chandler for defense and Gasol for offense.

Me gusta

Calderon/Harris
Ellis/Crowder
Deng/Carter
Dirk/Pau
Chandler/Pau + 4th big for the minium

If Pau demands too much try to get a combo of McRoberts/Frye/Hill+ Okafor...