Are the Mavericks any better now than they were a year ago? - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

kg_veteran · 04-10-2003, 10:29 AM

Before you answer this question, consider the following. In games against the Lakers, Spurs, and Kings this season, the three teams considered by everyone in the basketball world to be better than the Mavericks at the end of last season, here is how the Mavericks have fared:

Record
3-8

PPG
Dallas 104.9
Opponent 107.0

FG%
Dallas 43.1%
Opponent 47.2%

Reb/Game
Dallas 43.6
Opponent 48.7

I post these stats because they are very informative. These are the three teams everyone STILL believes that the Mavericks have to beat to win the West. Also, these stats should prevent me from having to hear people tout improved defensive numbers the Mavericks post against the dregs of the league. Instead, let's talk about how they perform against the teams that are competing with them for the title.

I'll go ahead and answer the question. They really aren't.

Rhylan · 04-10-2003, 10:35 AM

In big games, the two previous seasons, the Mavs were a fearless team that attacked and usually executed on the offensive end, but played unacceptable defense.

This year, in big games, the defensive intensity has been there in spots. But, the offensive execution has gone to complete crap. They are tentative, they don't know what they want to do, and they simply aren't making the shots they made the last two seasons.

The number of 4th quarter leads blown this year is something like four times the number of fourth quarter leads blown between the time Cuban bought the team and the end of last year.

They have turned from gunners to wimps.

kg_veteran · 04-10-2003, 10:38 AM

<< In big games, the two previous seasons, the Mavs were a fearless team that attacked and usually executed on the offensive end, but played unacceptable defense. >>

Agreed.

<< This year, in big games, the defensive intensity has been there in spots. But, the offensive execution has gone to complete crap. They are tentative, they don't know what they want to do, and they simply aren't making the shots they made the last two seasons. >>

No question about it.

<< The number of 4th quarter leads blown this year is something like four times the number of fourth quarter leads blown between the time Cuban bought the team and the end of last year.

They have turned from gunners to wimps. >>

Sounds like you're saying that they might even have taken a step backward. I don't know that I can disagree.

MavKikiNYC · 04-10-2003, 10:46 AM

If a team isn't getting better, it's atrophying.

Mavs did nothing to improve in the off-season, therefore/ergo/thus.......

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 10:47 AM

a couple of players improved..but, most just got older

MavKikiNYC · 04-10-2003, 11:02 AM

Interesting distinction--individual players improved; but despite the record, the perception seems to be that the team's qualitative level of play has not improved, and may have gotten worse.

Bradley did seem to come back from oblivion.

Dirk continued to evolve, albeit on a flatter curve.

Finley's game is mature enough that one shouldn't really expect to see that much improvement; and yet, he did seem to contribute in more areas.

Nash was supposed to've been in better condition, but somehow it seems that his All-Star berth was based more on what he did LAST year than this year. I've stopped thinking of him as a decent defensive point guard at all.

NVE played about like I was afraid he would when they acquired him. He was more integrated into the system this year, so he posted some deceptive numbers, which might look like improvement. But he takes the team in a different direction from where they need to go to challenge the better teams.

LaFrentz. Bust. No further comment.

Nájera. Injured. Simultaneously showed what a valuable contribution he makes and what his limitations are.

Griffin. Injured. No significant improvement.

I think they definitely have to make more significant acquisitions this year in the off-season, and they probably have to move at least one of their Top 8 players, in hopes of getting a better mix of abilities.

We'll see.

sturm und drang · 04-10-2003, 11:05 AM

Agree with all of the above. Remember how we routed the T-wolves in the playoffs last year? Remember what an awesome display of offensive fire power that was? I'm wistful...

To MavKiki's point, we did nothing to improve in the off-season, choosing instead to spend valuable time and effort chasing someone (Lewis) who had no intention of coming here. I blame Cuban for this, for thinking that he's such an awesome owner--lavish buffets, flat screen TVs and plush towels, you know-- and the Mavs are such a desirable team to play for that top-tier players will accept far less money to come play for us. Cuban's hubris, I believe, cost us big-time.

I might be in the minority with this opinion, too, but I think that the Howard for Raef/NVE trade hurts us. Though there are occasional nights when Raef or NVE turn it on, a solid scorer and rebounder like Juwan would've been more consistently helpful throughout the year. And I'm not even going to touch the salary cap ramifications of the trade, which is really where we got burned. Can you even fathom who we could make a legitimate run at this summer if we didn't have AJ/TAW/NVE/Raef contracts? We could make a play for ANYONE...

Though I do think Dirk and Nash are playing better than they did last year, Finley hasn't performed as well this year. So without upgrading personnel, how could we really be that much better?

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 11:13 AM

sturm, mavskiki
excellent posts..both can go into the Dallas-mavs.com hall of fame

Sketch · 04-10-2003, 11:43 AM

<< I might be in the minority with this opinion, too, but I think that the Howard for Raef/NVE trade hurts us >>

I would agree that we did nothing this offseaon to improve while the Spurs and Kings did, but I'm not too sure Howard would have helped us against the big 3. I think he is on a losing team with an expiring contract. Would you want to play for the Nuggets?

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 11:50 AM

some of the points that i believe she's getting at:
1. with howard, could have had his expiring contract to make a move to a team looking to cut salary at the trade deadline
2. if not, you would have had him off the books at the end of this season and possibly have some cap room
3. you turned a cap friendly situation with an expiring howard contract into three grossly overpaid player.. NVE, TAW, and Raef

at least, that's what i'm getting from it.
plus, you already get the part about howard actually helping the team more than inconsistant raef and NVE.

obviously, these are her opinions, not mine

just helping you to extract some of the points you're missing in her post

sturm und drang · 04-10-2003, 11:53 AM

<<

<< I might be in the minority with this opinion, too, but I think that the Howard for Raef/NVE trade hurts us >>

I would agree that we did nothing this offseaon to improve while the Spurs and Kings did, but I'm not too sure Howard would have helped us against the big 3. I think he is on a losing team with an expiring contract. Would you want to play for the Nuggets? >>

Huh?

Yeah, Howard plays on a bad team. He's been amazingly consistent, though, and has worked hard all year. He is going to be highly sought-after this off-season-- watch it. Plus, it's that expiring contract that makes him even more attractive. I think Howard for NVE/LaF is pretty even (though my personal dislike for Raef and NVE's games makes me wish we had Juwan, but I realize I'm biased), but when you consider the contract ramifications... WOW. We could go after anyone and everyone this summer had we not made that trade-- Duncan, Kidd, J. O'Neal, Olowokandi, Arenas, Brand, Maggette, Nesterovic, anyone-- and that, I'm afraid, makes me want to cry.

Also, we would've been able to offer more money to Rashard Lewis and/or Michael Redd this summer had we not absorved Denver's quartet of bad, bad contracts. I can guarantee you we would've gotten one of them.

Advantage: Vandeweghe

Sketch · 04-10-2003, 11:59 AM

<< some of the points that i believe she's getting at:
1. with howard, could have had his expiring contract to make a move to a team looking to cut salary at the trade deadline
2. if not, you would have had him off the books at the end of this season and possibly have some cap room
3. you turned a cap friendly situation with an expiring howard contract into three grossly overpaid player.. NVE, TAW, and Raef
>>

I agree with you. I didn't like the trade when it was done and still don't. I guess I had more issue with this:

<< Though there are occasional nights when Raef or NVE turn it on, a solid scorer and rebounder like Juwan would've been more consistently helpful throughout the year. >>

I just think he is playing above himself to get out of Denver. I don't think having him this year makes us any more competitive against SAC, LA or SA thats all. Of course this is just what if's so I'm sure I am wrong as well.....

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 12:05 PM

the fact is, cuban just didn't want to pay for Redd.. he was there for the taking.

huge mistake

sturm und drang · 04-10-2003, 12:06 PM

I freely admitted I'm anti-Raef and NVE, so I'm in the clear, right? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I think what I was really trying to say was that I don't think Raef/NVE-- considering how incredibly streaky they both are--is an upgrade over Juwan, and once you consider the salary cap issues involved... we got hosed. I just hate the inconsistency Raef and NVE bring to our game.

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 12:09 PM

here's the way i look at it..what would Joan Jett have done?

kg_veteran · 04-10-2003, 12:14 PM

Cuban did make a mistake. Redd would have been a huge asset to the team this year.

Sketch · 04-10-2003, 12:16 PM

I was shocked when they didn't offer him enough. Since when is Cuban afriad to spend a little money?

OutletPass · 04-10-2003, 12:16 PM

Wow...finally a really good thread.

great posts by KG, Rhylan, Sturm, Kiki and Murph...and I have to say that I agree with all of you.

I just don't have the same feeling about this year's playoffs as I did last year...

It's been pretty hard for me to post over the last 2 games...not so much disappointment...but some anger that it has all come to this.

One telling fact....our recent 6-5 without Fin is far different than our record last year when he was out.

This simply is not the team that can win it all.

Nellie · 04-10-2003, 12:28 PM

<< To MavKiki's point, we did nothing to improve in the off-season, choosing instead to spend valuable time and effort chasing someone (Lewis) who had no intention of coming here. I blame Cuban for this, for thinking that he's such an awesome owner--lavish buffets, flat screen TVs and plush towels, you know-- and the Mavs are such a desirable team to play for that top-tier players will accept far less money to come play for us. Cuban's hubris, I believe, cost us big-time >>

I was stating everything within this papragraph last offseason and was reemed for it. I'm glad that the writing on the wall is clear now for most of you.

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 12:30 PM

Well, Nellie, I didn't reem you.. I was banned. Remember?
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Nellie · 04-10-2003, 12:34 PM

Who could forget? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

jacktruth · 04-10-2003, 01:03 PM

I think our improved record this year is an indication of the mediocrity of the NBA competition. There are only a few really good teams and only 3 teams that are even close to contention as champions (LAL, Sac, SAS).

The entire east is a practice squad.

I don't think we are better. I think that SA and SAC are better than they were last year, and they have shown us consistently (along with LAL) that we are not.

The Mavs are simply the best of the rest.

fan41 · 04-10-2003, 01:48 PM

Unfortunately, if this question had been asked around Thanksgiving (Are we a better team than last year), everyone would totally agree that the Mavs are better than last year. While a few players have made off season progress on their game, the Mavs as a whole have never learned to keep their head in the game. This is probably best exemplified by all the 4th quarter losses and it started with the Laker meltdown.

Because they allow too many opponents to get into their heads, the season is ending like so many of their regular season games. They played good ball for 3/4 of it and then sat back and watch the lead escape them.

ariosto · 04-10-2003, 02:01 PM

Edit: repeated what had already been sent.

jayC · 04-10-2003, 02:23 PM

Dirk has certainly been better this season. But riddle me this at least three of those big time games have been played without Finley.

Two this season they have beaten all the teams they are supposed to win. The arc wasn't built over night and niether is a title.

Three the past couple of years we snuck up on people we don't anymore we have the bullseye. The next step should be poise both offensively and defensively. I think it scarred the team in december against LA.

And Last season they were in a pack with the suns, the rockets, the Twolves and even the trailblazers this team is better then all of these teams. Just not in the elite not yet anyway! Give this team some time Dirk has got to stop passing up shots or leadership role to someone else. AKA Nash and Finley.

So to answer your question they have improved just not to the best but to the fourth best team in the league.Last year most people had the trailblazers and even the Twolves you could have even entered New Jersey as one of the 6 best teams in the league. We have leapfrogged those teams. So while not a major step, a step nonetheless.

To me it all comes down to this would you rather have harvey , howard, and Timbug. Or would you rather have a rested Nash, Raef and Tariq. The answer neither. The cap space number 29 million wouldn't of just come off the books. Just do the math Dirk has what a 12 million dollar contract, Nash 6 million, and finley 14 million so that is 32 million not to mention harvey's contract add nine other guys to the cap and you are at over 40 million. About right at the Cap anyway. So no you couldn't have added anyone next season if we had stayed pat.
As for a trade You might have been able to get Rahim but he isn't going to put you over the top. And why would the hawks want a huge contract for a mediocre player. Wrong on all counts of the howard trade and its ramifications.

MikeB · 04-10-2003, 02:25 PM

What I believe has finally caught up to us is our utter lack of athleticism. This shows up when we play good teams with athletic players. Against bad teams who are athletic we struggle but usually win those because of whatever the bad team does to be bad(ie:turnovers, no D...etc).

This team needs an overhaul in order to take the next step and become one of the BIG 4 instead of the King of the little 26.

Players who should stay:
Dirk...no brainer...untouchable.
Steve...heart of the team...when he is on we are damn near unbeatable.
Finley...this is from the heart...Fin may be the guy who gets us the piece we are missing.
Raef...I know he is inconsistant and always has been...but if we play him at his correct position consistantly (PF)maybe he can become consistant.

Players who can help:
Griffin...he will be a free agent and may be let go if we get another coach GM.
Raja...ditto.
TAW...has shown he is capable...he is not a defensive stopper but is better than all but a few on the team.
Walt...has played better than I thought he could...may be worth resigning as long as we don't try to play him at PF.
Najera...IS a huge contributer when healthy...needs to work hard at his game over the summer and we need to decide if he is a small PF or slow SF.

Players who need to move on:
NVE...the experiment has failed...we need to get a PF or SF for him preferably from the east so we will only have to play against him twice a year.
Shawn...he has had a decent year and has played about as well as I believe he can and its still not enough...needs to play in the eastern conference where he dominates, not 4 times a year against Shaq, Duncan,& Webber.
Esch...he was a "knee jerk" signing and it was a lousy one...could be productive in the east.
AJ...hopefully will retire so we can get some cap relief from his contract...if he could only shoot...great leadership abilities.
Popeye...needs to retire or go back east where he can be productive.
Rigo...looked lost every time he got on the floor...a supposed shooter who didn't shoot well...had some decent assists...maybe he can be included in a trade as cap fodder.

We have to have a good draft this year and have the guys make the team...we have no one on our roster except Eddie from the draft in the last 3 seasons.

I like this guy as our first round pick if he is available:

Uche Nsonwu-Amadi
Birthdate: 1/17/78
NBA Position: PF
College: Wyoming
Class: Senior
Ht: 6-10
Wt: 260
Hometown: Enugu, Nigeria
High School: Federal CollegiateNBA Comparison: Charles Oakley

Game description: Uche is built like a classic power forward, with huge upper body muscles and strong but lean legs. He has extra large hands as well, and seems to catch everything he touches, whether it be off a rebound or pass. He has a very effective low post game, but only scores in a few basic ways. His jump hook is excellent with either hand, and he knows how to create space to get it off. He is patient in the post, and uses his wide body very effectively. He has a nice turnaround jumpshot to counter his jumphook, and those 2 moves alone make him difficult to defend. If you overplay to either shot too much, he will spin and dunk in a flash. He also has the ability to spot shoot, especially after shaping up from a pick and roll. His range extends to between 12-15 feet but at 18 feet he lacks consistency. Despite these talents, he gets most of his points banging the glass. Relentless and aggressive, you must hit him hard and keep him away from the ball, or it will stick to his hands and he will score on the putback. Bottom line; he is very difficult to match up with because he can overpower a taller, rangier but thinner post player, yet has the size to score over the stronger but smaller power forwards that are typically seen in the college game.

Defense: On the defensive end, he is not a true shot blocker, but his lateral quickness is good, and his long arms(wingspan of 7'2&quot

give him oportunities to block a shot or 2 a game. He is able to push his opponents off the block, and force them into tougher shots. Again, his real strength on this side is his ability to rebound. He goes after everything, and gets everything within reach. Uche has the potential to be an all-league defensive player, simply because he is longer and stronger than most of his opponents, and just as athletic. Areas for improvement: Uche has a poor running style, chopping his stride in half like a soccer player(which he was back in Nigeria). He would be more effective in transition with a longer stride befitting his size. Make no mistake, he can clearly run the floor well, but adding speed is possible with better technique. He also is an adequate, but not great, free throw shooter. With his body and style of play, he should be getting to the line a great deal, and he needs to be able to convert those opportunities into more points than he has in the past. NBA players simlar to; built like Karl Malone, but not the same transition player Malone was at 24. Plays more like Charles Oakley, great rebounder and spot shooter.

Projection: If he played in the ACC or another glamour conference, he'd be a household name. There aren't 3 post players in America that can do all that he does. He'll be 24 on draft day, so perhaps that will work against him in an era where youth is preferred over experience. Uche, though, is very mature and experienced, so he has a much better chance of helping an NBA team in the next few years than any 19 year old. For the NBA trenches, he has the perfect build to make plays throughout the season. He is also very coachable, which will help him develop whatever weaknesses hat are exposed when he joins the league, so the player you see at 25 will not be as good as the one at 27, and that can't be said about most players right now.

Sounds like he could contribute right away and the rebounding ability gives me goosebumps. He could be a big part of the solution.

Dooby · 04-10-2003, 02:27 PM

Let's not bog this thread down with moves we think need to be made. Let us stick to the issue at hand.

Thanks.

MikeB, there is a thread for offseason moves.

kg_veteran · 04-10-2003, 02:33 PM

<< Dirk has certainly been better this season. But riddle me this at least three of those big time games have been played without Finley.

Two this season they have beaten all the teams they are supposed to win. The arc wasn't built over night and niether is a title.

Three the past couple of years we snuck up on people we don't anymore we have the bullseye. The next step should be poise both offensively and defensively. I think it scarred the team in december against LA.

And Last season they were in a pack with the suns, the rockets, the Twolves and even the trailblazers this team is better then all of these teams. Just not in the elite not yet anyway! Give this team some time Dirk has got to stop passing up shots or leadership role to someone else. AKA Nash and Finley.

So to answer your question they have improved just not to the best but to the fourth best team in the league.Last year that was in doubt this year no doubt about it. >>

Dallas was the fourth best team in the league last year. The fact that they still are means they're not any better.

It seems to be pretty unanimous.

mnmpeanut · 04-10-2003, 02:38 PM

hypothetical:

just a thought - if the schedule were reversed and we started the season, oh, 10-7 against mostly western conference teams, but would now be on a rampage, winning, let's say, 15 of our last 18 or so against mostly eastern conference teams, would the attitude of nellie, the players, and us posters be reversed?

i know it's hard to be objective, but if someone had come to you at the beginning of the season and said "with a week to go in the season, the mavs will have the second best record in the league, 57 wins, and have a shot at overtaking the spurs for the #1 seed, even though they would have gotten there despite struggling against the big three from the west."

would you have taken it and taken your chances in the playoffs?

i think i would.

well, that's what we've got.

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 02:39 PM

jayc, there was no doubt in my mind that the mavs were a top 4 team last year..

IMO, the wolves have closed the gap some...sacramento and the spurs have widened the gap between them and the mavs.

the west has gotten better while the mave have barely managed to tread water

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 02:44 PM

Not from me peanut. I've seen very little to indicate that the mavs were preparing for the playoffs this year.

I've said it all year long and I'll continue to say it. Nellie doesn't prepare teams for the playoffs. He prepares players to become entertainers.

kg_veteran · 04-10-2003, 02:45 PM

<< hypothetical:

just a thought - if the schedule were reversed and we started the season, oh, 10-7 against mostly western conference teams, but would now be on a rampage, winning, let's say, 15 of our last 18 or so against mostly eastern conference teams, would the attitude of nellie, the players, and us posters be reversed?

i know it's hard to be objective, but if someone had come to you at the beginning of the season and said "with a week to go in the season, the mavs will have the second best record in the league, 57 wins, and have a shot at overtaking the spurs for the #1 seed, even though they would have gotten there despite struggling against the big three from the west."

would you have taken it and taken your chances in the playoffs?

i think i would. >>

If under your hypothetical they put up stats like those that I posted at the beginning of this thread, I would still believe that they were not any better than last year. Which is, after all, the point of this thread -- not whether or not we could be happy with some hypothetical situation that didn't occur.

jayC · 04-10-2003, 02:46 PM

At the end of last year it was still in doubt. That maybe your opinion but its not fact. We couldn't beat all the teams we were supposed to beat. We got beat by 30 points at home to Miami. Beating the teams you are supposed to beat is still a step no matter how minor anyone thinks it is.

Everyone in Dallas was saying we don't want porland, way too athletic and can still win the title, this year we have stepped over them I was refferring to the end of last year. This season isn't over yet. Five years ago the kings lost to the jazz in the first round. Two years later they got swept by LA and last year they lost to LA in 7. The season isn't over yet if they make a one round step or take one of the big three to 6 or 7 the season should be deemed a success. Cowboyiitis if you don't win it all or not in contention you suck.

Rhylan · 04-10-2003, 03:09 PM

<< We could go after anyone and everyone this summer had we not made that trade-- Duncan, Kidd, J. O'Neal, Olowokandi, Arenas, Brand, Maggette, Nesterovic, anyone-- and that, I'm afraid, makes me want to cry. >>

Save your tears because that's not actually the case. Losing $20m in salary doesn't automatically create $20m in cap room. If you're over the cap, and you cut $20m, then you can only sign a free-agent outright for the amount of money you have under the cap after the $20m goes away.

If we didn't have Raef, NVE, Tariq or AJ, after this season, and hypothetically losing Juwan's $20m, we would have $37,317,469 of salary committed for '03-'04. When you consider that this year's cap was $40.2m (and is projected to stay flat or drop very slightly), that would leave us with only ~$3m under the cap.

This scenario is actually worse than our current one, because we wouldn't have the MLE to play with, because we'd be under the cap. And this scenario doesn't take into account the prospect of spending the MLE in Summer '02, which might have happened had we not had the Raef, NVE, TAW contracts.

Would we still be a better team? Yes, after a year, I believe so. But we'd be focusing Summer '03 on resigning Juwan or using him in a sign-and-trade, neither of which would work to bring us a big player, because nobody argues that Juwan is more than a $6m/yr guy at the most.

Cuban made the right move trading for Juwan in '00-'01 because he projected the salary cap would go up in '01-'02, which it did. From $35.5m to $42.5m. The largest jump ever. Extrapolating this jump to '02-'03 would have meant that the Mavs would have had ~$13m in cap room this summer after renouncing Juwan's $20m value.

However, in '01-'02, Cuban again made the right call on the salary cap, saying that it would go down for '02-'03. And it did go down, to $40.2m, for the first time ever. In which case, had we hung onto Juwan, our penny pinching elsewhere would have left us this summer with Juwan's bird rights, and no MLE because we'd be under the cap. And even worse, we'd be under the cap at a level LESS than the MLE, so we would have even less to spend on straight free agents.

THEN.. what would we be doing this summer? Resigning Juwan and hoping for a good draft pick or veteran-minimum steal. And resigning Juwan could get sticky, since we'd have the ability to pay him up to $22m, but there could be teams with big cap space that would try to jack the price up and force us into overpay for Juwan, since he'd be our only option.

I'd still rather have Juwan and some other random pickup right now, because I'm pissed. But how dead would Nash be? And what would we do this summer? We'd have one tradeable asset going forward in Juwan, if we resigned him at $6m or something. As of right now, Nick will soon be tradeable if he isn't already, and AJ will be as well. TAW and Raef are different stories, but they're not old enough to be written off yet.

The point is, either way, we'd still have been over the cap or just under it enough to hurt us, so there wouldn't have been any players coming back here for more than the MLE other than Juwan himself.

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 03:13 PM

They would have been able to move Howard at the trade deadline to a team looking to clear alot of cap space.

I understand what you're saying, Rhylan, but it doesn't change the fact that there would have been a tremendous opportunity to move howard at the trade deadline.

that being said, the trade still could have been a success if the Mavs would not have overpaid lafrentz so blatantly.
AND, if they could/can turn NVE into something of value in the trade market.

but turning lafrentz into a player with an albatross contract weighs heavily on the deal.

sturm und drang · 04-10-2003, 03:22 PM

So, okay, I think we've found the one resident capologist.

Please explain to me how absorbing all of those bad contracts wasn't a bad financial decision. That's very confusing, considering AJ, TAW, NVE and Raef all have monster contracts. I simply don't understand how we wouldn't be in a better position to make off-season acquisitions without those players on the books, especially considering that we're currently over the cap. Aren't we in the $50M+ range already? How can getting down to $37M not be a good thing? For example, wouldn't that have made Cuban more willing to offer Redd more money this summer?

mavsfanforever · 04-10-2003, 03:28 PM

The only way we can make off season aquisitions is by trading Bradley and Nick( Nick since Bradley by himself is not very attractive to lure somebody to make a trade).

We will also have that 4.5 mill exception(popeye Jones) and 1mil on walt williams. With Nick and Bradley trade we should be able to lure Brad Miller. I personally am not very fond of bringing kandiman.

Murphy3 · 04-10-2003, 03:29 PM

The Mavs basically wouldn't have been able to go after the big name free agents in the off season because of lack of cap room..

They could, however, traded juwan before the trade deadline to a team looking to free up cap space in the off season, which could be just about as good as going after a big name free agent.

Remember, they did have enough room to sign Redd, Cuban just chose not to offer him more of the exception if I'm remember correctly

Rhylan · 04-10-2003, 03:33 PM

Yeah Murph, but having Howard to move at the deadline vs. being able to have $13m to get our pick of the free-agent litter are two completely different things.

Who was out there looking to clear space this year that would have made good trading partners? Don't say the Clippers, because in order to trade $20m of salary, you have to take back +/- 15% of $20m in salary. It would take 8 Clippers to make that trade work. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Raef's contract sucks, no doubt. We outbid ourselves. All things considered, and his current production being what it is, the fact that he's got the big money now pushes the trade over the line from successful to unsuccessful in my mind, too. But, Raef CAN get better, so it's not totally gloom and doom just yet. I still don't know how much better off we would be as a basketball team right this second, because Harvey would still be getting ass-sores from the cushy chairs, and Nash would be six feet underground.

sturm und drang · 04-10-2003, 03:36 PM

The sky's the limit, so to speak, for what we could've gotten for Juwan and his expiring contract this year. With so many teams totally desperate to clear cap space... sigh...

You know, it's really LaFrentz's contract that's the most bothersome. $77M... We make any more miss-steps like that (and we've already made a few), and we end up like the Knicks. Salary cap hell and no talent to show for it. Yikes.

Hopefully we can shed some of them in the off-season...