Raja Bell - why?

[WraithXx]

Sorry for starting a new thread on this... but why in God's name did we let this man go?

I will never understand this move.

[HexNBA]

We resign him, we probably look to draft someone besides Josh Howard. No thanks, I think the team is just fine without him, especially with Griffin on board this year to be the hustle guy.

[orangedays]

Keep in mind that when he joined Dallas, Bell had only played a total of 920 min. in an NBA uniform. He was still a raw player - even as a Mav he only saw 15.6 mpg (3.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.0 apg). He shot respectably from the field and he was a good defensive player but nothing spectacular or particularly noticeable.

Bell's time with the Jazz is when he really blossomed - he came off the bench and proved himself to be one of the top 6th men in the league. His playing time increased dramatically and though his offensive efficiency went down a little bit, it was apparent that his overall game matured significantly. The Raja Bell of the past 3 seasons is a completely different player from the Bell of 01-03 (and I guarantee you that without the Suns' high-paced offense and the extra possessions per game, his offensive numbers dip again).

[birdsanctuary]

I think Bell is more a testament to how the Mavs Brain trust can identify overlooked players. If you add up the list of other players like Bell, that the Mavs have had... it's pretty impressive, but in the long run we are better without him...

Hell, Marshall may develop into a player of similar caliber or better...

[G-Man]

Why no Raja? I'd have to say that when he was here he was a defensive specialist who filed in well when Finley was out. But Nellie was more offensive minded and didn't value him or Griff, in spite of their contributions. When they failed to get Zo to come play center, he and Cubes signed up 2 more 20+ point scorers, the Antwoinnes, and tried to out shoot everybody. Fortunatly they were able to parley those 2 into current and future stars like Terry, Devin, Stack, and KVH, so it wasn't a complete bust. But role players like Bell just got lost in the shuffle.

[Dtownsfinest]

Had we not drafted Josh and signed Marquis he'd still be a Mav. We were too deep at the position. I wish he were still here but I can't cry over spilled milk. I'd definately rather have him than Stack or Marquis at this point.

[foglemann]

Raja's good, but everyone's stats get bloated by the way PHX plays. They all get shots and are able to run the floor, push the ball. I've always been a fan of Raja, and if Avery were coaching at the time Raja was here, you could bet he would have stayed, but Nellie isn't like that. Anyway, if Raja was on a regular team, like us or the Jazz again, his numbers would be more on par with his career averages before this year.