Caron Butler´s injury Thread

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by dude1394

If I'm NJ or anyone to be honest...I'm going to wait until the last minute to pull that trade off. They easily could wait on the mavs offer..they could get something of that value easily.....

I do not believe that if NJ offered that to the mavs...they wouldn't have taken it.

I mean, that's obviously your call if you don't believe it, but at this point it's the word of a couple of the most reliable NBA insiders (it was Woj and Stein, FWIW) versus....your disbelief. They were unequivocal about it, too. NJ offered that, and Mavs said Butler only. Both reporters said the same thing and didn't hedge at all.

And you're still ignoring that, although the deal the Nets got the next day was much better, they also gave up a hell of a lot more. They weren't sending Favors to us. He was their prized young piece. It seems like you don't really appreciate that, considering you called him "that other dude." Favors was probably the most valued trade asset in NJ's entire pot.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

I mean, that's obviously your call if you don't believe it, but at this point it's the word of a couple of the most reliable NBA insiders (it was Woj and Stein, FWIW) versus....your disbelief. They were unequivocal about it, too. NJ offered that, and Mavs said Butler only. They both said the same thing and didn't hedge at all.

And you're still ignoring that, although the deal the Nets got the next day was much better, they also gave up a hell of a lot more. They weren't sending Favors to us. He was their prized young piece. It seems like you don't really appreciate that, considering you called him "that other dude."

I just can't remember his name..I heard he's a good player....

So (stein and woj) are saying that the mavs balked at giving caron+dojo+pick for harris, right? They think they were holding out for only caron? or just dojo+pick?

Okay then...and possibly so...but as much as I think stein does have his finger on the pulse..if the mavs balked at that, they were all in with nothing.

[grndmstr_c]

I find it fairy easy to believe that Dallas would have turned down the reported deal with NJ, for two reasons: 1) Dallas' plan to acquire Devin for the sake of using him in a trade for Deron only works out if they don't have to spend other assets, e.g., a first round pick, in getting him, since said assets would almost certainly be necessary in the subsequent trade for Williams down the line, and 2) though I suspect Dallas would have pulled the trigger on a Caron/DoJo trade, I also think they look at Caron as a long-term good-value fit on the team; considerably more than just an expiring contract.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by dude1394

I just can't remember his name..I heard he's a good player....

So (stein and woj) are saying that the mavs balked at giving caron+dojo+pick for harris, right? They think they were holding out for only caron? or just dojo+pick?

Okay then...and possibly so...but as much as I think stein does have his finger on the pulse..if the mavs balked at that, they were all in with nothing.

The way they reported it (and again, as you know, I don't actually know any of this first-hand, it's just from what they said), NJ said, "How about Butler+DoJo+ a first round pick?", but the Mavs balked and said, "We're offering Butler only." This was for just Harris (and maybe some minor filler, I guess).

You're absolutely right that NJ got a much, much better deal the next day, but from their perspective, they sacrificed a lot more. They didn't even want Harris--there was a report about 3 days ago that he was "100% sure to be traded." They had to include 2 first-round picks and Favors to get D-Will, which you'd think probably hit them a lot harder than trading away a guy they didn't even want anymore.

And if you're saying the Mavs f'ed up if they declined Harris for Butler+DoJo+one pick, I tend to agree with you.

[MavsFTR]

The big picture was to get Harris so that we could flip him over to Utah for Deron. I believe we weren't willing to give up so many assets to NJ because we wanted to use them for a trade with Utah.

[deamon]

Better he plays in PO.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

And if you're saying the Mavs f'ed up if they declined Harris for Butler+DoJo+one pick, I tend to agree with you.

Yes...and I agree right back wit chu'...

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

And if you're saying the Mavs f'ed up if they declined Harris for Butler+DoJo+one pick, I tend to agree with you.

Wait, wait. Two days ago you said you'd be real hesitant to make that deal.

Now they F'd up?

As _c mentioned above, if the plan is to flip Devin for Deron, you can't be giving up one of your only young players and a first round pick. The plan would have been to try to get Deron at the time of this year's draft. How are you going to do that without a pick this year?

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Wait, wait. Two days ago you said you'd be real hesitant to make that deal.

Now they F'd up?

As _c mentioned above, if the plan is to flip Devin for Deron, you can't be giving up one of your only young players and a first round pick. The plan would have been to try to get Deron at the time of this year's draft. How are you going to do that without a pick this year?

well now I don't agree.

Hard being gm... even harder being gm_c.

[dalger]

Originally Posted by jthig32

As _c mentioned above, if the plan is to flip Devin for Deron, you can't be giving up one of your only young players and a first round pick. The plan would have been to try to get Deron at the time of this year's draft. How are you going to do that without a pick this year?

That's probably the point. Offering only Harris and Roddy without a pick may not have been enough to get Williams this summer. If the plan was all along to make a run for Deron, it would have been counterproductive to lose too many assets this time.

With that said, one could actually be of the opinion that Devin Harris himself would have been of value to a team with a 38-year-old starting point guard, a 5'3'' backup point guard and a declining Jason Terry, who has a history of not being productive in the playoffs.

Harris could have helped in his own right and I'm not perfectly sure that the Deron Williams pipe dream was a good enough reason to pass on a deal that would have landed us a good player like Harris (if the deal indeed presented itself).

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Wait, wait. Two days ago you said you'd be real hesitant to make that deal.

Now they F'd up?

As _c mentioned above, if the plan is to flip Devin for Deron, you can't be giving up one of your only young players and a first round pick. The plan would have been to try to get Deron at the time of this year's draft. How are you going to do that without a pick this year?

Yeah, but that was on the assumption they'd do something else in the following two days for better value. I never expected the Mavs to get Melo or something whacky like that, but I really thought they'd end up getting something for injured Butler. They didn't, so with hindsight, I tend to think they f'ed up by not taking what was probably the cheapest deal available (if you believe reports that most of the other deals discussed had the other team asking for Roddy).

Maybe "f'ed up" isn't the best term to use, since I'm saying this only with the benefit of hindsight. They couldn't have necessarily known they wouldn't be able to acquire a Wallace/Prince/whoever in the next couple days. How about: in hindsight, I'm disappointed the Mavs didn't jump on that deal for Harris.

Originally Posted by dalger

With that said, one could actually be of the opinion that Devin Harris himself would have been of value to a team with a 38-year-old starting point guard, a 5'3'' backup point guard and a declining Jason Terry, who has a history of not being productive in the playoffs.

Harris could have helped in his own right and I'm not perfectly sure that the Deron Williams pipe dream was a good enough reason to pass on a deal that would have landed us a good player like Harris (if the deal indeed presented itself).

This right here pretty much answers the last paragraph of your post for me, thig. Even though we're crowded at G, I felt Harris himself could have added a particular something to this team. Flipping him for D-Will was a nice pipedream, but I would have been plenty happy to just get him back here to help with our penetration and backcourt defense.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

This right here pretty much answers the last paragraph of your post for me, thig. Even though we're crowded at G, I felt Harris himself could have added a particular something to this team. Flipping him for D-Will was a nice pipedream, but I would have been plenty happy to just get him back here to help with our penetration and backcourt defense.

Co-sign.

[jthig32]

Meh. He was a luxury, not a need. You don't give up that package for a luxury, imo.

Now, if they end up not re-signing Butler in the off season? Then it's a weird non-move.

But I suspect they have Butler in their long term plans.

[rabbitproof]

Roddy belief aside, there IS precedent of Kidd burning out and JET disappearing in the playoffs. I don't really see the need to differentiate between luxury and need. You go after luxuries when you have no gaping needs to fill. You're trying to win a race, right?

You need wheels and an engine. A lighter, more aerodynamic frame might be labeled a luxury but they both fall under 'help you win the race' roof.

Making your team better is making your team better.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by rabbitproof

I don't really see the need to differentiate between luxury and need. You go after luxuries when you have no gaping needs to fill.

You're trying to win a race, right? You need wheels and an engine. A lighter, more aerodynamic frame might be labeled a luxury but they both fall under 'help you win the race' roof.

You're trying to win the race while keeping yourself in position to win other races as well.

A rotation player that they plan to re-sign, a rookie first round pick and an unused first round pick is not an insignificant price for someone, realistically, was going to struggle to find 20 minutes a night in our rotation. And that might be generous.

[rabbitproof]

Originally Posted by jthig32

You're trying to win the race while keeping yourself in position to win other races as well.

A rotation player that they plan to re-sign, a rookie first round pick and an unused first round pick is not an insignificant price for someone, realistically, was going to struggle to find 20 minutes a night in our rotation. And that might be generous.

What about for Gerald Wallace?

[Mav Addict]

I don't think Devin should be considered a luxury...Kidd is 38 years old...there are no other true PG on this team....Barea has just found out how to even play this position, b/c his natural position is SG.

I just dont understand how Devin is considered an luxury when our starting PG has not been effective in post season, since joining this team.

I also don't understand how is trading Butler for Devin setting the Mavs back in the future.

[Mav Addict]

I like our boys...but I would love our boys if we had a backup PG...I just hope that not having one will not come back to hurt us in the PO's

Having a fresh Kidd for the PO's would be a tremendous confidence booster for everyone.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by Mav Addict

I don't think Devin should be considered a luxury...Kidd is 38 years old...there are no other true PG on this team....Barea has just found out how to even play this position, b/c his natural position is SG.

I just dont understand how Devin is considered an luxury when our starting PG has not been effective in post season, since joining this team.

I also don't understand how is trading Butler for Devin setting the Mavs back in the future.

To lazy to deal with all of the silliness in this post, so I'll just say this: You see a lack of true PGs as the problem...and Devin as the solution?

[Mav Addict]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

To lazy to deal with all of the silliness in this post, so I'll just say this: You see a lack of true PGs as the problem...and Devin as the solution?

I see Devin as a way for Kidd to get some rest...a solution?...no

I just want a fresh Jason Kidd in the post season, now if thats considered silly, then so be it

[JeffViggiano]

we have a deep roster,we can rest kidd so easily...if RC really want this.

[Kidd Karma]

Originally Posted by Mav Addict

I see Devin as a way for Kidd to get some rest...a solution?...no

I just want a fresh Jason Kidd in the post season, now if thats considered silly, then so be it

Rest is huge for Kidd, Devin would have been nice as mentioned could have been a trade chip to pick up a DWill going forward, much easier than Kidd.

[grndmstr_c]

Jason Kidd is currently averaging a career-low in minutes.

Without Devin.

.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by rabbitproof

What about for Gerald Wallace?

I would be more inclined to think about that package for Wallace, but I doubt that package would have gotten close.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Meh. He was a luxury, not a need. You don't give up that package for a luxury, imo.

Now, if they end up not re-signing Butler in the off season? Then it's a weird non-move.

But I suspect they have Butler in their long term plans.

That's a fair take. I certainly can't classify Devin as a "need," but I do think he could have substantially helped in two of the three areas I'm most concerned about with this team (the third is rebounding).

But more broadly, it sounds like this just stems from our difference in philosophy on balancing present needs versus future needs.

[dalger]

Like others, I just don't agree with the assessment that Devin would have been a luxury.

He would perhaps be a luxury...

...if Kidd could continue to play at his current level in the playoffs with increased minutes,
...if JJB could keep up his current level of play against the best teams in the league,
...if Jet reduced the number of no-shows in the playoffs significantly, and
...if Roddy turned into a quality shooting guard and maybe even backup point guard in a matter of weeks.

Those are a lot of "ifs" and there are enough examples in recent history that some of those "ifs" might be unlikely to happen.

Additionally, Harris actually could have helped us in areas that we're not very good at, which makes him more of a need than a luxury. We're 28th in the league in free-throw attempts. Devin goes to the line 6.4 times per 36 minutes, more than any Mav this season, including Dirk (6.1 FTAs per 36 minutes). We're last in the league as far as points in the paint are concerned. 32% of Devin's shot attempts come from inside. Excluding centers, only Marion (43%) and JJB (31%) can compete with that number. Caron (16%), Dirk (12%), Jet (12%), Kidd (11%) and Stevenson (8%) aren't even close.

Long stories short, we're not very good when it comes to getting easy baskets. Devin certainly could have helped in that area. And, of course, being able to rest Kidd as much as possible would be a huge plus in the long run. Devin would have made it much easier for Carlisle to give Kidd said rest.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by dalger

Additionally, Harris actually could have helped us in areas that we're not very good at, which makes him more of a need than a luxury. We're 28th in the league in free-throw attempts. Devin goes to the line 6.4 times per 36 minutes, more than any Mav this season, including Dirk (6.1 FTAs per 36 minutes). We're last in the league as far as points in the paint are concerned. 32% of Devin's shot attempts come from inside. Excluding centers, only Marion (43%) and JJB (31%) can compete with that number. Caron (16%), Dirk (12%), Jet (12%), Kidd (11%) and Stevenson (8%) aren't even close.

Long stories short, we're not very good when it comes to getting easy baskets. Devin certainly could have helped in that area. And, of course, being able to rest Kidd as much as possible would be a huge plus in the long run. Devin would have made it much easier for Carlisle to give Kidd said rest.

All this, plus Devin is better at moving around perimeter screens and guarding fast 1's and 2's than anybody we have on our roster.

[Mav Addict]

I guess we will have to bank on Kidd being rested and JJB playing above his ceiling....

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by dalger

Like others, I just don't agree with the assessment that Devin would have been a luxury.

He would perhaps be a luxury...

...if Kidd could continue to play at his current level in the playoffs with increased minutes,
...if JJB could keep up his current level of play against the best teams in the league,
...if Jet reduced the number of no-shows in the playoffs significantly, and
...if Roddy turned into a quality shooting guard and maybe even backup point guard in a matter of weeks.

Those are a lot of "ifs" and there are enough examples in recent history that some of those "ifs" might be unlikely to happen.

Additionally, Harris actually could have helped us in areas that we're not very good at, which makes him more of a need than a luxury. We're 28th in the league in free-throw attempts. Devin goes to the line 6.4 times per 36 minutes, more than any Mav this season, including Dirk (6.1 FTAs per 36 minutes). We're last in the league as far as points in the paint are concerned. 32% of Devin's shot attempts come from inside. Excluding centers, only Marion (43%) and JJB (31%) can compete with that number. Caron (16%), Dirk (12%), Jet (12%), Kidd (11%) and Stevenson (8%) aren't even close.

Long stories short, we're not very good when it comes to getting easy baskets. Devin certainly could have helped in that area. And, of course, being able to rest Kidd as much as possible would be a huge plus in the long run. Devin would have made it much easier for Carlisle to give Kidd said rest.

There's a little over twenty games left in the season, Kidd is playing the fewest minutes of his career, and JJB's playing great basketball right now. There is absolutely no need for another guard for the regular season.

Now, let's talk playoffs. Kidd is going to play about 40 minutes a game in the playoffs, and Devin has never shown an ability to contribute on the court when the ball is not in his hands.

I'm sorry, but I'm just not interested in Devin playing any significant amount of PG minutes for this team in the playoffs.

As I stated earlier, he would have been very lucky to carve out 20 minutes a game in this offense.

He was the absolute definition of a luxury.

[deamon]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Jason Kidd is currently averaging a career-low in minutes.

Without Devin.

.

33.6 MPG is still too much for Kidd.

For example: Parker 32.7 MPG

[dalger]

Originally Posted by jthig32

There's a little over twenty games left in the season, Kidd is playing the fewest minutes of his career, and JJB's playing great basketball right now. There is absolutely no need for another guard for the regular season.

Now, let's talk playoffs. Kidd is going to play about 40 minutes a game in the playoffs, and Devin has never shown an ability to contribute on the court when the ball is not in his hands.

I'm sorry, but I'm just not interested in Devin playing any significant amount of PG minutes for this team in the playoffs.

As I stated earlier, he would have been very lucky to carve out 20 minutes a game in this offense.

He was the absolute definition of a luxury.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this topic. I mentioned some of the "ifs" as it relates to our guards and still think that those concerns are valid. The notion that Devin could get more easy points than anyone on the current Mavs team is supported by numbers. We're heavily relying on our jump shots, don't visit the charity stripe often and rarely score in the paint. As long as our jump shots fall, everything's fine. As soon as they start to rim out, we're in trouble. Just like last year against the Spurs. Under circumstances like that, it would be great to have our shooters draw attention and create space for guys like Devin or Roddy to drive to the basket. The fact that we have so many dangerous shooters would probably make it even easier for Harris to score in the paint. He used to do it in New Jersey without a single decent shooter by his side to draw attention.

Kidd will inevitably play heavier minutes in the playoffs. That said, assuming that he could all of a sudden play 40+ minutes a game for two months at the very end of the season without feeling the exhausting effects of his increased workload is optimistic. Couldn't it be just as good to get 34-36 high-quality minutes from Kidd and let Harris play the remaining minutes? Wouldn't it be nice to have a quick point guard with decent defense as an additional option against equally fast players like Parker, Hill or Westbrook? Wouldn't Harris be a decent option to exploit slow veteran point guards like Harper and Blake?

When it comes to next season, Devin would have been a comforting insurance policy. Kidd will be another year older. Roddy may still not be a decent point guard. JJB, as talented as he is, will still be JJB, and some people even suggest that it could be challenging to re-sign him in case of a superior offer from another team. If that were to happen, what would our options be to get a new point guard? Is there anyone better than Harris and available? If so, what would we have to give up to get said player? That wouldn't be a luxurious situation to be in this summer. Devin would hardly have been the solution, but definitely a solution, and not a bad one at all.

Ajinca, on the other hand, was the "absolute definition of a luxury"--a guy that didn't play and whose skills could easily be replaced by numerous other guys on the team. Devin could have brought something to the table that no one else may be able to bring in the playoffs or next season.

[mavs777]

Originally Posted by deamon

33.6 MPG is still too much for Kidd.

For example: Parker 32.7 MPG

his minutes will go down with Roddy back, 32.3 MPG with Roddy back and will only get lower

[grndmstr_c]

There's no question whether Devin would've helped this year. He would've; maybe not by a lot, since the best case scenario for his contributions would have been for him to take JJB's and Booby's minutes at PG and SG, but he would've helped some.

It should be obvious by now, however, that Cuban, Donnie and Rick are not just thinking about this year. They're thinking of Dirk's window as having at least another three years after this one. They're (in all likelihood) looking at Caron as a capable starter for that duration who they'll probably be able to re-sign for at most slightly more than the MLE. They're looking at their unprecedented strength and depth at the center position, with Tyson-of-the-impending-free-agency at the forefront, as being essential to their continued success. They're mindful of the benefit of getting on with Booby's development, whether it eventually pays off by enabling him to become Dallas' point guard of the future, or by upping his trade value enough that he'll be a desirable return for a team trading away the Mavs' point guard of the future. They're keenly aware of the necessity of having multiple first-round picks available to use in trades when true difference-makers become available.

I'm not so set in my acceptance of the non-trade that I find it unreasonable to question whether the Mavs made a mistake by not pulling the trigger on a Devin trade. But lets not lose sight of the fact that it would hardly have been an over-the-top move, nor that it would have come at considerable expense when weighed against the long-term assets the Mavs would have had to give up to get it done.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by jthig32

There's a little over twenty games left in the season, Kidd is playing the fewest minutes of his career, and JJB's playing great basketball right now. There is absolutely no need for another guard for the regular season.

Now, let's talk playoffs. Kidd is going to play about 40 minutes a game in the playoffs, and Devin has never shown an ability to contribute on the court when the ball is not in his hands.

I'm sorry, but I'm just not interested in Devin playing any significant amount of PG minutes for this team in the playoffs.

As I stated earlier, he would have been very lucky to carve out 20 minutes a game in this offense.

He was the absolute definition of a luxury.

I agree whole-heartedly. You can't say that a guy is a need if you only need him if 4 scenarios go down.. Jkiddo being the absolute worst one. Devin would not get to the line anywhere near what he was being the first option in NJ. And right now as far as backup points go I'd just as soon have jjb, he's really playing stellar right now and it's his decision making as much as his shooting.

Roddy can give us all of the break down the defense that devin would. If I'm picking up anyone it's a defensive 3ish type.

[mavs777]

Originally Posted by dude1394

I agree whole-heartedly. You can't say that a guy is a need if you only need him if 4 scenarios go down.. Jkiddo being the absolute worst one. Devin would not get to the line anywhere near what he was being the first option in NJ. And right now as far as backup points go I'd just as soon have jjb, he's really playing stellar right now and it's his decision making as much as his shooting.

Roddy can give us all of the break down the defense that devin would. If I'm picking up anyone it's a defensive 3ish type.

[mavs777]

The only thing JJB does better than Harris is shoot the 3.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by deamon

33.6 MPG is still too much for Kidd.

For example: Parker 32.7 MPG

Parker expends a ton more energy offensively than jkiddo does. Jkiddo expends it on the defensive side however. I don't think 33mpg is that out of the ordinary...certainly not significant enough to do anything more than have jjb play a little bit more. JJB has come to the point where he's able to take some more minutes.

With roddy back his minutes have already started to go down. He's below 28 in two of the last three games.

[EricaLubarsky]

And yet Harris doesnt contribute unless he a) is playing and b) has the ball.

I dont know where his minutes would come from when even JJB's minutes will be squeezed to 8-10mpg in the playoffs.

Harris is a fun player that can be defensively potent, can drive the basketball and is an underrated playmaker. I was all for having him at the right price. That said, he's not here and the main reason I wanted him here was to be the first-string PG next year and the year after. We are going to have to seriously address our PG position.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by dalger

The notion that Devin could get more easy points than anyone on the current Mavs team is supported by numbers.

Um, Devin Harris does not generate more easy points than Dirk.

Under circumstances like that, it would be great to have our shooters draw attention and create space for guys like Devin or Roddy to drive to the basket.

Yes, it would be great, but we would be sacrificing in other areas.

The fact that we have so many dangerous shooters would probably make it even easier for Harris to score in the paint. He used to do it in New Jersey without a single decent shooter by his side to draw attention.

Ah, see, here we disagree completely. Devin put up numbers in NJ BECAUSE there were no other scorers/shooters. They built an entire drive and kick offense around Devin. He was allowed to have the ball in his hands all the time.

Devin has consistently show that he is incapable of contributing offensively if he can't constantly have the ball in his hands. It's one of the reasons we traded him (although not the primary one).

Now, this is not to say that Devin could not have helped. He could have, for sure. I was a HUGE Devin fan when he was here, and I would have enjoyed having him back on the team.

But he absolutely was a luxury. He would not have been our starting PG this season or next, and would would not have been the primary SG either. If they'd gotten him for Caron alone I would have been ecstatic. If they'd traded Caron, Dojo and a pick for him I would have questioned it, but I wouldn't have been horribly upset about it. But to call it a no brainer, and to accuse the front office of missing an opportunity? No. Not at all.

As gmc addressed earlier, people need to get themselves out of the mindset of going for it all this year. This team has a larger window than most suspected when the season began. The Mavs are learning from their mistakes and not paying through the nose for players that are not difference makers.

[dalger]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Um, Devin Harris does not generate more easy points than Dirk.

Yes, it would be great, but we would be sacrificing in other areas.

Ah, see, here we disagree completely. Devin put up numbers in NJ BECAUSE there were no other scorers/shooters. They built an entire drive and kick offense around Devin. He was allowed to have the ball in his hands all the time.

Devin has consistently show that he is incapable of contributing offensively if he can't constantly have the ball in his hands. It's one of the reasons we traded him (although not the primary one).

Now, this is not to say that Devin could not have helped. He could have, for sure. I was a HUGE Devin fan when he was here, and I would have enjoyed having him back on the team.

But he absolutely was a luxury. He would not have been our starting PG this season or next, and would would not have been the primary SG either. If they'd gotten him for Caron alone I would have been ecstatic. If they'd traded Caron, Dojo and a pick for him I would have questioned it, but I wouldn't have been horribly upset about it. But to call it a no brainer, and to accuse the front office of missing an opportunity? No. Not at all.

As gmc addressed earlier, people need to get themselves out of the mindset of going for it all this year. This team has a larger window than most suspected when the season began. The Mavs are learning from their mistakes and not paying through the nose for players that are not difference makers.

If we define easy points as those that are scored in close proximity to the basket, which are usually high-percentage shots, then Devin does that better (or just more often) than Dirk. Dirk's just so damn talented that he can even make difficult shots look easy and score anyway.

You're right that New Jersey's offense wasn't build around Devin as a facilitator only. He was supposed to score as well and got his plays. That said, the teammates a player's on the court with can have a huge impact on that player's game as well. When Dirk was injured, guys like Kidd and Stevenson all of a sudden no longer got the open looks they used to get from behind the arc. Jet was greatly affected as well and couldn't "survive" without that one teammate due to being forced to play a role he's not capable of. Having good shooters all over the floor, especially Dirk, creates space for guys like JJB and Roddy (or Devin) to drive to the basket and either score or create good looks for open teammates.

Something that I'm not sold on is that our championship window is still open for two or even three years. Granted, Tyson and Roddy are important contributors and should be able to play on their current level (or get better in Roddy's case) for years to come. I don't expect Haywood, Mahinmi and JJB to decline either. However, Kidd is almost 38, Jet is 33, Marion turns 33 in May, Dirk is 32, Caron is about to turn 31. Having five important players on your team in their 30's means that you either have to win soon or trade some of these players to get younger and avoid having them on your team when they're only a shell of their former selves and no longer productive. The latter is based on so many variables that we can hardly foresee our chances as it relates to getting better with the help of trades.

Right now, we're hoping that maintaining as much flexibility as possible will help us in the long run and allow us to extend our window. I am just not sure that that's going to work out and would have liked an improvement for this season, although I'd clearly love to be proven wrong.