Mavs Re-Sign Haywood

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I'll take 12/7 over 6/7 at the cost of a circus...

(plus, maybe Old Man Shaq is finally getting over himself if he's considering MLE?)

Meh. That 12 is accomplished by killing the ball and demanding touches at times. I'm pretty out on Shaq and I think the Mavs are too based on everything I've read.

[SMC0007]

I don't think Shaq is a great pickup but I also don't think he is that bad. We have nothing in the way of close to the bucket ability! No one can get us easy points to keep things flowing and it's not exactly easy for Shaq anymore but to be able to dump it off down low would take a little pressure off our shooters and creators at times. Shaq over Damp imo by a long shot. Well maybe not a long shot.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Meh. That 12 is accomplished by killing the ball and demanding touches at times. I'm pretty out on Shaq and I think the Mavs are too based on everything I've read.

I think there is some interest on our side, but it's not full-fledged. I think it'd take some talking and communicating what is expected. If he's in the second unit, I don't see how it really hurts. We already struggle as it is with interior scoring. Our bench is usually lacking creative and offensive punch, so when it gets ugly, just throw it down to the big man...he's still smart enough to make some decisions.

[sike]

I don't like the idea of Shaq and Haywood together....seems like Haywood's fragile ego probably wouldn't respond too well to all the attention Shaq would demand.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by sike

I don't like the idea of Shaq and Haywood together....seems like Haywood's fragile ego probably wouldn't respond too well to all the attention Shaq would demand.

Sounds like an episode of Oz...

[sike]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Sounds like an episode of Oz...

creepy

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by sike

I don't like the idea of Shaq and Haywood together....seems like Haywood's fragile ego probably wouldn't respond too well to all the attention Shaq would demand.

I like the idea of Haywood/Shaq and Haywood/Gortat because they bring more of the same or something different.

Gortat can bring the active/live body that Haywood can bring and there is going to be a lot of hustle and energy out of Marcin.

Shaq can just be a bruiser and bring a totally different dynamic to the offense. Sure he's a liability on the pick and roll defense, but when exactly has that been a strength? If you can bring more on offense then that's better than nothing.

[sike]

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

I like the idea of Haywood/Shaq and Haywood/Gortat because they bring more of the same or something different.

Shaq can just be a bruiser and bring a totally different dynamic to the offense. Sure he's a liability on the pick and roll defense, but when exactly has that been a strength? If you can bring more on offense then that's better than nothing.

sure, that is the theory...I'm just not sure about Haywood's ego being able to handle having a back up center that gets FAR more attention than he does.

[jthig32]

Shaq's worn out his welcome everywhere he's been and clashed with one of the greateset teammates in the NBA (Nash).

I'm just not interested in adding that to my team unless it brings a serious upgrade in talent. And it doesn't, in this case.

[sike]

I'm very pleased about the Haywood signing...and also his going out of his way to express that there is no hard feelings between him and Carlisle.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Shaq's worn out his welcome everywhere he's been and clashed with one of the greateset teammates in the NBA (Nash).

I'm just not interested in adding that to my team unless it brings a serious upgrade in talent. And it doesn't, in this case.

It might be misguided on my part but I still believe Phoenix and Shaq were a terrible mix because they never truly wanted to slow the game down. It's going to clash when you have that speed-game going with Shaq.

Cleveland wasn't going to work because I never trusted the coaching/offensive scheme in Cleveland. The tempo favored Shaq but Mike Brown didn't know what the heck he was doing on offense with schemes.

Dallas doesn't really have something they can count on outside of Dirk in the halfcourt game, adding a piece can be beneficial....even if it's a bench role.

[LonghornDub]

I want Shaq, but only for the comedy. I'd sign him for the vet minimum, then not let him play a minute. Just let him do all the postgame pressers.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

And how would you make that deal?

JET for Varejao/Parker would be one option (probably my preferred option in a straight two-team deal). And I'll argue it might be a better deal for Cleveland than it initially appears to be.

I don't know if this is valid or not, but I'll operate under the assumption that if JET is waived this season he'll only be due his guaranteed 5 million in 2011/2012 season. If that's the case, then Cleveland would save (at minimum) in the neighborhood of 2.7 million in the 2011/2012 season, and a little north of 20 million over the life of Varejao's contract (not including the team option in the last year). The savings would go up, however, if JET signed on with another team, and in this market with a lot of money still to be spent I'm sure JET would have no problem getting an MLE-level deal for 2-3 years, with some of that money (nearly half over the life of JET's current deal if my understanding of the CBA is accurate on this point) going to the Cavs.

Of course there could be provisions in JET's contract (or holes in my understanding of the CBA) that would interfere with such a scenario. And there may be competition as well (would SA consider TP + McDyess for Williams/Varejao?). And all of this is conditional on LeBron leaving Cleveland.

And as I'm writing this I see this tweet from Stein:

"@STEIN_LINE_HQ RT @SHowardCooper: RT @gregcote: #Heat has canceled a full-page welcome ad in The Miami Herald. I'm serious"

Staying in Cleveland, then?

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I don't see the FO taking on Varejao's contract as a back-up.

[FINtastic]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

And as I'm writing this I see this tweet from Stein:

"@STEIN_LINE_HQ RT @SHowardCooper: RT @gregcote: #Heat has canceled a full-page welcome ad in The Miami Herald. I'm serious"

Staying in Cleveland, then?

Once he scheduled that press conference, I think he kind of tipped his hand. He can't rip the hearts out of his hometown team on national television, can he?

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

I don't see the FO taking on Varejao's contract as a back-up.

I think they would in _c's scenario where they unload Terry for him (assuming they're as anxious to move Terry as we are, which they might not be).

I'd be more willing to pay Varajao than Gortat because, as _c has pointed out, he can backup both C and PF.

[grndmstr_c]

Varejao would effectively be a 6th man; primary backup for Dirk and Wood. He's not cheap, but his contract's not that far out of whack relative to the role he'd play.

[sike]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Varejao would effectively be a 6th man; primary backup for Dirk and Wood. He's not cheap, but his contract's not that far out of whack relative to the role he'd play.

Not cheap, but also a pretty darn good back up.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by sike

Not cheap, but also a pretty darn good back up.

There's a reason he's at the top of my list. Make it happen Mark.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Hey, I'm not hating on Varejao. I just think that is a lot of money for a position I believe you could fill more cheaply. But if Cuban is up for the ante, go for it.

[sike]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

There's a reason he's at the top of my list. Make it happen Mark.

And honestly, I don't think I want Damp back. So bring in Side Show Bob.

[BGMaverick9]

Is it too soon to call them? lol

[41mvp]

It's great Haywood back to Dallas!!!I'm very happy.We must make one more thing!!!Trade Damp and sing one more good center.

[Janett_Reno]

Very good on signing Haywood. Centers are hard to get. Now it looks as if Cuban is going after Haslem. I also like his physical play.

[monty55555]

Brendan Haywood: Mavericks will be powerhouse team next season

Dallas Mavericks’ center Brendan Haywood spoke on ESPN radio on Thursday to discuss the Mavericks and his new contract with the team. Here are some highlights:

How do you feel about your newly signed contract with the Mavericks?

I’m definitely happy, man. I think I got a great deal and I’m playing with a great team and great guys so it works all the way around.

What went into your decision to sign with the Mavs? What specifically were you looking for?

For me, I was looking for the best chance to win. I wanted the best group of guys and at the same time at fair market value for a starting center and I think Dallas had the best combination.

What is the take with players around the league about LeBron’s one hour special?

Around the league, guys don’t mind it. I mean, most people understand his decision. Now that you look back at it, it’s probably a mistake basically just because of the public nightmare that it’s been. And no one’s really viewed it as a positive thing, even though so many positive things happened because of it. The money donated…they raised over $2 million for the Boys and Girls Club and they raised a certain amount of scholarships. There was a lot of good that went into this show but it just came off wrong and a lot of people think it’s all about him.

I didn’t think it was that bad. Most guys in the league really don’t care. They just want to know where he’s going to play. How he gets there, that’s not our thing. That’s for the fans and for the media to talk about but at the end of the day, it’s all about ratings and I think it said that the show created more ratings than one of the NBA Finals’ games. So if you have a show that’s creating a lot of money for worthy causes and is good for ratings, then it sounds like pretty good business to me.

How could that be a bad decision? If you have great ratings and you raise a lot of money, then you know what…people are going to hate you for whatever you do, so you might as well go out there and follow your heart. And if you feel driven to do that, then do it.

What are your thoughts about LeBron’s choice to go to Miami?

I think it’s a great choice. A lot of people in Cleveland are saying they’re mad that he left Cleveland but at the end of the day, you have to look at his situation. The great ones are always surrounded with another star player to go with them and that’s why they were great. Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippin. I know he was there before Magic Johnson but Magic Johnson had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Tim Duncan has Manu [Ginobili] and Tony Parker. Kobe Bryant has Paul Gasol and had Shaq. LeBron had Mo Williams. Mo Williams is a great player but there’s a big drop off there. There’s a very big drop off so he had to go where he could find a Scottie Pippin. And he has that now, whether he’s Scottie Pippin or Dwyane Wade is Scottie Pippin remains to be seen but he had to go where he could find the best team to win and that wasn’t in Cleveland.

Is the fact that LeBron never even considered the New York Knicks an indictment on how badly they’ve damaged their own reputation lately?

I don’t think the Knicks have damaged their own reputation but New York is known as a very rough place to play. New York is the type of place where you can have 20 great games and have one off night and you’re going to get killed until you play that next game and make people forget about it. Patrick Ewing was one of the greatest Knicks of all time but a lot of people had a problem with him. So New York is a really rough place to play and I think that might have factored into his decision.

Is it possible for the Mavericks to be a powerhouse in the West next season?

I think Dallas can be a powerhouse in the West for the simple fact that we had a great run with the guys that we had at the end of last year during the regular season and we really didn’t have the chance to practice. So I think we’re going to be better because we’re going to practice together and we’re going to have to really gel. Myself and Caron [Butler] really came in on the fly. I think they had a really great trade in Tyson Chandler. There’s not going to be any drop off at the center position; we’re both active, mobile and big. We can block shots and rebound. I think Tyson is going to be even better with Jason Kidd just because he’s one of those very athletic bigs that can get up the floor so quickly. And then I mentioned Jason Kidd: his floor vision and leadership are definitely going to help us. And I think Dirk Nowitzki, myself, is the best power forward in the game. You put that all together and I think you have a team that can compete for a title.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...1431aa5ad.html

[sefant77]

Half of thw questions about Lebron....seriously...

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Yeah...that is terrible interviewing.

"So Haywood....now that you're with the Mavs let us talk about Bron Bron...."