What are the Mav's up to???? DB.com article

[Eman]

Hibernation?
What Might Be Up In Mavs' Cave

By Mike Fisher and David Lord – DallasBasketball.com
Are the Mavs in hibernation? Or is there activity deep inside the cave?
As we sat and pondered why things are so quiet in Mavs Land right now, we were confronted by six separate possibilities for the Mavs apparent inactivity right now:
1. They are working on a trade for someone specific (which makes them REALLLLL quiet as we have seen so many times)
2. They are waiting to see if some specific player (like Brian Grant) is released under the tax amnesty rule.
3. They are waiting for the rules in the new CBA to be written.
4. They are waiting to see how good the trade offers get for Finley, as the shooting guard options dry up for other teams, before they pick the one they like the best.
5. They are waiting for bargains to emerge because they have many targeted players and only need two.
6. They already have all their moves lined up, with nothing left to do except execute them, and are just waiting til 7-22 because til then league rules say that no player acquisition can be done.
But while we wait until July 22 (the first day when teams can actually begin to sign players and make trades) to find out which of these explanations is the accurate one, we decided to sit down and speculate on just what might occur once the moratorium is lifted and the Mavs hit the summer season.
So, allow us to speculate on what you might see this summer:


OK, we concede that Michael Finley is a goner. But we still think letting him go for nothing is a mindless notion. We prefer to get something for a player who remains a commodity – and who will almost certainly be a major factor for the right team next year.
Could that team be the Pacers? Sure. Could it net Ron Artest in return? Doubtful.
That rumor is based on the notion that the Pacers are ready to part ways with the troublesome Artest. And to be sure, he remains a headache of sorts. (Did you see recently where he was quoted as saying he wasn’t “bad’’ or “wrong’’ – he’s just “ghetto’’? Way to set race relations back 50 years, Ronnie.)
But Artest is a top-20-player-in-the-league type, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, the sort of performer most of the Mavs only hope they can grow up to be. We have an in-house debate at DB.com about who, in an uncomplicated trade world, you’d give up to get Artest. D-Lord is hesitant to give up most any starter; Fish would give up even Josh Howard, the idea being that Artest is Howard, all grown up.
But is any of this reality? Nah.
For reality, we suggest thinking more along the lines of swapping Finley for some combo that includes parts like center Scot Pollard or forward Austin Croshere or Reggie Miller’s expiring contract.
Finley for Scot Pollard? Pollard is a 5-point/5-rebound/17-minute guy over the course of his career. So he’s not sexy. But you want a backup center? You got a backup center.

More Finley ideas: Intent on getting that big man? Chicago’s Antonio Davis has long been on Dallas’ radar. Philly’s Mark Jackson qualifies as the ‘athletic backup big.’ But we like a guy a lot of people in the Dallas organization have liked over the years: Laker big Brian Grant.
At 6-9, Grant isn’t exactly a classic center. He’s coming off a horrible year. He, like Finley, is another one of those ‘cap mistakes’ that may get erased by the new rule.
But if you’re looking for someone with the athleticism to battle a Stoudemire, Grant might be that guy. And he’s not a liability on the other end. It was just four years ago when he averaged 15.2 points and 8.8 rebounds. Has he slipped? Yeah, last year to 3.8/3.7. But assuming he’s another amnesty casualty, he might be affordable.

Can Dallas end up acquiring a shooting guard, too? And can it be done without ramping up payroll?
How about Antonio Daniels as that guard? Now, this is based on finding a way to acquire that big ‘un without using up their spending money. The price tag on the Sonics’ Daniels will probably be the Mid-Level Exception so if they have to spend a big chunk on a center, he will go elsewhere.
But Daniels’ situation may tell us much about Avery Johnson’s power with the Mavs. We believe the Finley story is fueled in large part by AJ’s pushing the franchise in a different direction. (We recently had a conversation with Mavs aide Paul Mokeski about what to look for from the summer leaguers, and he said, “Defense. That’s what we are looking to see.’’ That sounds like AJ talking, huh?)
Similarly, we believe that Mavs acquisitions from here on out are likely to have the Avery stamp on them. Daniels would qualify; he is tight with Avery, he is a big PG so Jason Terry could slide to SG at times and they still have some decent size on the floor, he has playoff experience, and he can play defense well.
Call our belief in a Mavs-Daniels courtship an “educated guess’’ – but remember that they have to figure out the center situation first.

Speaking of centers, there is some non-disturbing non-news from the Mavs, and some highly disturbing gossip that might involve the Mavs.
The first item regards Shawn Bradley. When is the press conference? When is it official? What is happening – or not happening?
The last time we heard from Shawn, he said his mind was made up. Interestingly, though, he never said what it was made up to do. What’s the holdup? Negotiations on the buyout? Second thought on retiring on the part of Bradley? Second thoughts from the Mavs on dumping him? Awaiting injury info before declaring him a medical disability?
Or this intriguing thought: A Bradley trade.
The best use of Bradley as a Mav asset may not be to allow him to retire. Might be better to trade him and then let him retire. Maybe some team be convinced that Shawn is an asset in this sense: Since the Mavs won’t save any money by waiving him (aka his retiring), maybe they are looking to "trade" him to a team who is planning to waive a slightly more expensive player - a player that the Mavs can use. With a swap, the other team saves a few bucks in the waiver process, and the Mavs get a player to use rather than just paying money (and tax) on Bradley for nothing.
And then there is the Erick Dampier speculation. And it’s more than just Damp haters foolishly squealing that the Mavs should make Erick an amnesty casualty. (What’s weird is that some of the people who want to dump Damp also want to find a way to acquire the retired Arvydas Sabonis, or chase down elderly Dale Davis. Odd.)
We’ve seen two independent mentions of “an unnamed center who is being shopped.’’ Word is that two teams almost traded for him but couldn’t seal the deal. One rumor has it that Milwaukee was considering acquiring this “quality center’’ instead of taking rookie Andrew Bogut with the first overall pick.
All we can say is that we hope it isn’t/wasn’t Dampier who was being shopped. Think of it this way: Teams are trying to trade for a “quality center’’ – and you already have him? Why not keep him?!

And finally, to the possibility that Dallas gets some help from a summer league group that is getting some rave reviews.
We’re not holding our breath.
The DB.com staff differs a bit here. D-Lord has seen enough of power forward Josh Powell (in person on the summer team two years ago, in box scores now) to believe some of the hype. He’s averaging around 11 rebounds, he’s been consistently good every game, he’s 6-9, with some overseas experience under his belt. … but Fish is reluctant to buy into it.
Fish recalls the stunning appearance of a kid in last year’s summer camp. Astounding quickness. Terrific jumping ability. Cold-blooded shooter. Entertaining passer. Delightful kid. Tore it up.
And then the regular season started, and Devin Harris couldn’t get a sniff.
If the fifth overall pick in the NBA draft couldn’t get burn on a team that needed point guard help, most of us can’t figure out how the Josh Powells of the world are going to get burn on this team. Back




I think Brian Grant would work out nicely as a backup Center for the Mavs, through in a Scott Pollard or Austin Croshere and an Antonio Daniels, You've got a terrific team.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I like that bit about "don't we want to keep the quality center." Of course we don't know if it actually was Dampier. Still, trading Damp would be ridiculous. It just shows the league that we throw out long term contracts only to trade the players away after a year. People seem to forget that Damp was a solid 9-9-1.5 guy for us last year. I can promise that plenty of teams would love to have that type of center production. In a league devoid of good bigs, that stat line alone warrants big money.

[Nash13]

As much as he's been in the papers, i've never thought of Antonio Daniels coming to Dallas. He'd be perfect for this team.

We’ve seen two independent mentions of “an unnamed center who is being shopped.’’ Word is that two teams almost traded for him but couldn’t seal the deal. One rumor has it that Milwaukee was considering acquiring this “quality center’’ instead of taking rookie Andrew Bogut with the first overall pick.
All we can say is that we hope it isn’t/wasn’t Dampier who was being shopped. Think of it this way: Teams are trying to trade for a “quality center’’ – and you already have him? Why not keep him?!

First off, i would've been PO'd if we traded for Bogut, especially trading Dampier. But i think that unnamed center was Maagloire.

Also, we aren't going to find a better option at the 5 on the market than Damp. Like it or not, we're stuck with him.

Also, if we try and acquire Grant, it better be for the vet minimum. I like how Fish and Lord say that "Just four years ago" Grant averaged 15/8.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Hahaha yeah as if 4 years was like yesterday.

[Eman]

Grant was injured last year, and two years ago he averaged 10.5 and 10.5, not bad for a back up that might be able to hang with Amare a bit when damp's out with foul trouble. He could give us a good 15-20 minutes

[V2M]

I don't think Grant could hang with Amare for 5min, let alone 15-20min. In fact, there's not too many backups out there that could do that. May be the answer to Amare is in our own backyard. With a lil' bit refinement to his game, I bet, DJ could hang with Amare defensively.

[GP]

Article says:

"If the fifth overall pick in the NBA draft couldn’t get burn on a team that needed point guard help, most of us can’t figure out how the Josh Powells of the world are going to get burn on this team."


Well, isn't that the point. The Mavs are looking for backups that can play a role. Not guys to be starters. Not guys that need big minutes. It makes no damned sense to pay somebody big bucks to sit the bench. If a guy like Josh Powell or Roger Powell or Ismail Muhammed can PROVE that he can contribute meaningful minutes as backups then the Mavs should pursue that course. If they can't then so be it they can re-up Henderson or something. What would Josh Powell be on the Mavs 11th or 12th man?

I'd almost imagine that Grant would be an 11th or 12th man as well. I for one think he is done. In any case he sure as hell can't guard anybody anymore especially guys like Yao Ming, Amare Stoudemire, probably Chris Mihm and many many more. He's slow as christmas and he is to short. The guy is only 6'7" and has a history of injury problems. Don't bother even if he is cheap. Yeah, he was a nice player once. About 7 years ago.

Think about what this roster has got. They've got 3 guys who can play point if you believe the Marquis Daniels hype. All 3 can play SG as well. Excepting Finley they've got 3 guys who can play SF/SG. At SF they've got Josh Howard who is still improving.

If they did sign Antonio Daniels whose playing time does he get? Is he any better than the guys we already have? He's a tweener combo guard just like what the Mavs have got. I'll bet he re-signs with his current team anyway.

This team has got 2 excellent power forwards who both can play center against the weaker teams. This team has a big, strong starting center who was injured and inconsistent this year. 2 years ago he was a fabulous player. Are they going to get a guy better than KVH? What this team desperately needs though is a capable backup center. If the Mavs did sign Grant and Damp got injured how many games could they win with Grant as the starting center? That's light years worse than having Bradley as the backup. If the Mavs sign Grant then Dirk is the permanent back up center. I for one, don't want to see that. The Mavs need to sign someone who has some real size, some real defensive ability and hopefully a real future not someone whose long past his prime.

[GP]

If the Mavs want a sucky smallish center with basically no game they could always give Samaki Walker a call. [img]i/expressions/anim_roller.gif[/img] At least he has got some size and can jump higher than 6 inches off the floor. He also can play some semblance of man to man defense. At least 6'8" power forwards can't shoot over the top of him like they can Grant.

[Eman]

"But if you’re looking for someone with the athleticism to battle a Stoudemire, Grant might be that guy. And he’s not a liability on the other end. It was just four years ago when he averaged 15.2 points and 8.8 rebounds. Has he slipped? Yeah, last year to 3.8/3.7. But assuming he’s another amnesty casualty, he might be affordable. "


According to David Lord and Co., Brian Grant has the athleticism to battle Stoudemire...........He was very injured last year, he may want to come back and have something to prove. Remember, big guys last longer than guards in this league.

[Mavs414]

if would could get artest and Antonio Daniels that would be really good for this team

[MavKikiNYC]

Before I'd take Brian Grant, I'd take I'd take Horace Grant.

Or Carey Grant. Or Ulysses Grant. Or Ginger Grant.

[EricaLubarsky]

I'd give BG vet minimum. It couldnt hurt

[DevinHarriswillstart]

He would just be Alan Henderson. Except Henderson had the better year.

[big_pth]

He, like Finley, is another one of those ‘cap mistakes’ that may get erased by the new rule.

I would never ever call Mike Finley a mistake. I am going to be very sad to see him go. After Jim Jackson was shipped off, Mike came in and did a helluva good job keeping this mavs team afloat while they rebuilt a few pieces at a time. He never had any issues with the press or the law or the league. He is a good guy, both on and off the court. He deserved better than to be called a mistake.

[DubOverdose]

"Just 4 years ago" Finley averaged 20-5-3 on 46% shooting.

[cripple balls]

Originally posted by: DubOverdose
"Just 4 years ago" Finley averaged 20-5-3 on 46% shooting.

yeah, but played no defense... and shooting guards are a dime a dozen.

[Rhylan]

Originally posted by: cripple balls

yeah, but played no defense... and shooting guards are a dime a dozen.

And required 42 minutes a game to get it. I think this aspect of Fin's most productive years is frequently overlooked. His best years, he barely averaged 20 and played the whole game to get there.

[dude1394]

Originally posted by: cripple balls

yeah, but played no defense... and shooting guards are a dime a dozen.

Pretty unfair here. With nelson NO ONE played any defense.

[madape]

well, the team did set the Maverick record for opposing field goal percentage in 2003.

I think it's a little unfair to claim that the best defensive team in franchise history didn't had NO ONE who could play D.

[MavsFanFinley]

...and shooting guards are a dime a dozen.

That's why the Mavs are telling us that teams are tripping over themselves to trade for Finley's $52 million dollars.

[dude1394]

Here's the "dime a dozen" list of shooting guards. Per realgm.com.

1 Tracy McGrady Houston 78 25.7 6.2 5.7 0.7 1.7 2.6 24.6 9 +8
2 Kobe Bryant L.A. Lakers 66 27.6 5.9 6.0 0.8 1.3 4.1 24.6 10 +8
3 Dwyane Wade Miami 77 24.1 5.2 6.8 1.1 1.6 4.2 23.8 13 +10
4 Larry Hughes Washington 61 22.1 6.3 4.7 0.3 2.9 2.5 22.5 19 +15
5 Jason Richardson Golden State 72 21.6 5.9 3.9 0.4 1.5 2.4 19.4 33 +28
6 Corey Maggette L.A. Clippers 66 22.2 6.0 3.4 0.1 1.1 3.0 19.4 34 +28
7 Ray Allen Seattle 78 23.9 4.5 3.7 0.1 1.1 2.2 19.3 37 +30
8 Manu Ginobili San Antonio 74 16.0 4.5 3.9 0.4 1.6 2.3 17.3 57 +49
9 Michael Redd Milwaukee 75 23.0 4.2 2.3 0.1 0.8 1.8 16.9 60 +51
10 Joe Johnson Phoenix 82 17.1 5.2 3.5 0.3 1.0 1.8 16.8 62 +52
11 Kirk Hinrich Chicago 77 15.7 4.0 6.4 0.3 1.6 2.3 16.3 68 +57
12 Richard Hamilton Detroit 76 18.7 3.9 4.9 0.2 1.0 2.9 16.0 72 +60
13 Cuttino Mobley Sacramento 43 17.8 3.9 3.4 0.5 1.2 2.1 15.4 80 +67
14 Jamal Crawford New York 70 17.7 2.9 4.3 0.3 1.3 2.1 14.6 86 +72
15 Cuttino Mobley tot 66 17.2 3.5 2.9 0.5 1.1 2.0 14.1 80 +65
16 Andre Iguodala Philadelphia 82 9.0 5.7 3.0 0.6 1.7 1.7 14.1 95 +79
17 Quentin Richardson Phoenix 79 14.9 6.1 2.0 0.3 1.2 1.3 14.0 96 +79
18 Jalen Rose Toronto 81 18.5 3.4 2.6 0.1 0.8 2.2 14.0 98 +80
19 Michael Finley Dallas 64 15.7 4.1 2.6 0.3 0.8 0.9 13.8 104 +85

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally posted by: MavsFanFinley

That's why the Mavs are telling us that teams are tripping over themselves to trade for Finley's $52 million dollars.

That is just media crap to get teams to be interested. I don't actually know anything for certain like everyone else, but when was the last time the Mavs were open about their dealings? They never talk to the media and so it seems more like a smoke screen to generate interest.

[Pirate]

I look at all the teams that wanted a SG, and how the good ones are already gone, and it looks to me like Finley's value has to be going up. He's going to be hard to market when everyone thinks they can get Redd, Allen, or Hughes, but once all those guys are taken, he starts looking like a real attractive possibility. Talent matters.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally posted by: madape
well, the team did set the Maverick record for opposing field goal percentage in 2003.

I think it's a little unfair to claim that the best defensive team in franchise history didn't had NO ONE who could play D.

Madape, I know you're allowed to be crazy around here, but if you're honestly calling the 2003 team the "best defensive team in franchise history" then you are truly lost.

[Nash13]

Agree with Spiral. It was that Z word that did us in. That Z word got Steve F. Kerr 5 consecutive 3pointers.

[cripple balls]

Originally posted by: MavsFanFinley

That's why the Mavs are telling us that teams are tripping over themselves to trade for Finley's $52 million dollars.

what do you expect them to say? i guarantee no team is going to trade for that joke.

[Pirate]

Guarantee "no team"? Hmmmmm. I sure see it 180 degrees different than you do.

[#1MavsFan]

Originally posted by: cripple balls

what do you expect them to say? i guarantee no team is going to trade for that joke.

It's one thing to say cutting Fin to save 52mil is a good idea; it’s another to say he's a “joke”. The "joke" averaged 15 points per game which is still a lot more than quite a bit of other people in this league and not to mention the 40%+ 3 pt shooting while playing with a horrid ankle. Also how quickly we forget that this "joke" is probably the biggest reason as to why we're not in the lottery today and haven’t been in quite some time.

It's funny how everyone excuses Marquis's play last season because he had a bad ankle when in reality Fin's ankle was even worse. All Marquis had to do was rest for a month to get healthy while Fin had to have surgery and will probably have to rest longer than a mere month. It's quite hypocritical.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally posted by: #1MavsFan

It's funny how everyone excuses Marquis's play last season because he had a bad ankle when in reality Fin's ankle was even worse. All Marquis had to do was rest for a month to get healthy while Fin had to have surgery and will probably have to rest longer than a mere month. It's quite hypocritical.

how do you know Finley's ankle was worse?

[EricaLubarsky]

s

[#1MavsFan]

Marquis didn't require surgery all he needed was a month off I believe. Fin's on the other hand required surgery and he will probably need to rest longer.

[alby]

fin could play
marquis couldnt

marquis's ankle was worse.

[FromDownTown!]

I'm with you #1MavsFan. Fin had a bad year..no question..he is streaky...no question, but I don't believe he is as washed up as some make him out to be. I honestly *hope* we can figure out how to keep him with accepting less mins or a 6th man role. If this somehow becomes possible I hope he silences the haters.

[dude1394]

Or fin could play with pain and marquis couldn't.

[madape]

Originally posted by: Thespiralgoeson

Madape, I know you're allowed to be crazy around here, but if you're honestly calling the 2003 team the "best defensive team in franchise history" then you are truly lost.

OK, then I'm crazy. The 2003 Mavericks held their opponents to a lower field goal percentage than any previous Maverick team.

That's the facts, Jack.

I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid. Stupid people ignore statistics.

[Bayliss]

OK, then I'm crazy. The 2003 Mavericks held their opponents to a lower field goal percentage than any previous Maverick team.

That's the facts, Jack.

I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid. Stupid people ignore statistics.

Now.... there was a reason for the lower FG%, right? It was based on the fact that NVE got hurt. Bradley and the Mavs played a lot of zone. And teams were not adapted to the zone. By February the FG% was poor. It may have averaged out to be a good year defensively. But by the time the playoffs rolled around, the defense was awful.

[LRB]

Originally posted by: dude1394
Or fin could play with pain and marquis couldn't.

Or Fin at 70% was still much better than Marquis at 85%.

[Bayliss]

Or Fin at 70% was still much better than Marquis at 85%.

For Nellie yes. For Avery, maybe not. Avery admits he didn't use Marquis because of the playoffs rolling around and he didn't have a feel for his game.

[endtroducing]

the only reason for that field goal percentage stat is the sheer volume of shots taken. we were a run and gun team to the bone, we took a lot of shots, the other team took a lot of shots off our misses, and then both teams shot some more. someone should look up the shot attempts

[grndmstr_c]

the only reason for that field goal percentage stat is the sheer volume of shots taken.

A fast pace cannot explain away the solid opponents' fg% the 02/03 team managed during the regular season. And for those that are interested, the true shooting percentage for the 02/03 squad (51.5%) was slightly better than for the 04/05 squad (51.9%). Of course, leaguewide offensive productivity and efficiency were up this season relative to 02/03, so you have to take that into account when comparing statistics for the two years. In that respect I think it's somewhat of a toss-up trying to decide which defense was really better.