Welcome Shan Foster

[EricaLubarsky]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUQyS6M2DAA
Shan drops 42 on 9 three pointers

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

I'm disappointed in the first one b/c I really would've liked CDR because who else do we really have that is a definitive slasher? Second one, I guess it's early to tell.
The 3rd one, I am very very VERY upset about. If, and this is a big IF, Diop is our full MLE signing and the rest is full of vet-min guys...holy crap are we screwed.

I'm not sold on CDR. I don't think he'll be all that in the NBA. But, even if you're right, it's not like the Mavs actually passed him up. He was picked well before. Although I fully understand the argument that they should have moved up.

If Diop is our full MLE, I might cry a bit. I would love to get the guy back here, but that would be an ABSURD price to pay.

[BGMaverick9]

holy crap, go to the trade forum and look at my post or go here

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...ory?id=3463045

[LonghornDub]

Dammit. My Mike Miller fantasy (non-sexual) is dead.

[rabbitproof]

Originally Posted by ProdigyDub

Dammit. My Mike Miller fantasy (non-sexual) is dead.

The sexual one lives on!!

[BGMaverick9]

This night keeps finding a way to get worse...

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by rabbitproof

The sexual one lives on!!

Exactly. Who wouldn't be attracted to the only head-band wearing chick currently playing in the NBA?

[bgarrett]

Originally Posted by ProdigyDub

The problem isn't "shooting." Most points in the NBA are scored on jump shots. The problem is we have no one (other than Dirk, Bass and often Jet) who actually makes his open shots.

This whole "we need to drive to the basket and shoot free throws" thing, though true to an extent, is more a result of the Mavs' inability to hit a wide open shot than anything else.

JHO hit his fair share of open shots! His % is really similar to Jets.

If Josh would get to the rim with consistency and improve his passing esp out to open shooters, thats half the battle.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by bgarrett

JHO hit his fair share of open shots! His % is really similar to Jets.

If Josh would get to the rim with consistency and improve his passing esp out to open shooters, thats half the battle.

No he didn't, not when it counted, or even in the latter part of the season. J-Ho bricked just about every jumper he took after February or so.

I fully agree that Josh needs to be more aggressive with the ball, but this team has a severe shooting deficiency. I'm not sure why anyone thinks that simply "adding a slasher" is going to fix things. Teams will just Miami Zone us to death, and we'll shoot 37% percent.

[mkat]

Originally Posted by ProdigyDub

No he didn't, not when it counted, or even in the latter part of the season. J-Ho bricked just about every jumper he took after February or so.

I fully agree that Josh needs to be more aggressive with the ball, but this team has a severe shooting deficiency. I'm not sure why anyone thinks that simply "adding a slasher" is going to fix things. Teams will just Miami Zone us to death, and we'll shoot 37% percent.

i'm not saying it will magically fix things, but it would certainly help. as of right now..the mavs have neither slasher nor shooter. someone besides dirk needs to be a reliable threat.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by ProdigyDub

No he didn't, not when it counted, or even in the latter part of the season. J-Ho bricked just about every jumper he took after February or so.

I fully agree that Josh needs to be more aggressive with the ball, but this team has a severe shooting deficiency. I'm not sure why anyone thinks that simply "adding a slasher" is going to fix things. Teams will just Miami Zone us to death, and we'll shoot 37% percent.

I don't think it will fix things, but it will definitely mix it up...which is not a bad thing.

We need MORE reliable shooters.

[bgarrett]

Originally Posted by ProdigyDub

No he didn't, not when it counted, or even in the latter part of the season. J-Ho bricked just about every jumper he took after February or so.

I fully agree that Josh needs to be more aggressive with the ball, but this team has a severe shooting deficiency. I'm not sure why anyone thinks that simply "adding a slasher" is going to fix things. Teams will just Miami Zone us to death, and we'll shoot 37% percent.

.455% uh yeah he did!
Sure later in the season after S hit the fan he wasn't the same player but things changed. This doesn't add up...IF he bricked just about every jumper he took after Feb and he still shot %455 he must have been breaking records before that epic decline. His playoff numbers are what my issue is with him. unacceptable!

True we have a shooting deficiency but a lot of that was DUE to Josh's decline. We need more shooters yes but when teams ZONE, you have to bust it up with off the ball cuts and slashing too. Just shooting over it will not work even if you have better shooters. The advantage Miami's Zone was Mourning and Shaq were waiting behind it.

I personally don't think JUST adding a slasher will FIX things, I know it will take more.

[dirno2000]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

Chad Ford's Analysis: Foster is a great shooter, but one-dimensional. A poor Orlando predraft camp hurt his stock.

Draft Projection: Late first to early second

Positives: Big-time shooter with deep, deep range on his jumper. Long arms and good elevation on his jump shot. Fearless ... he'll let it fly from wherever. Decent rebounder for a guard.

Negatives: Foster is pretty one-dimensional. He's not very athletic. Needs to add strength. Poor ball handler. He rarely gets to the line.

Summary: Sometimes you just need to be excellent at one thing to make a name for yourself in the pros. Foster is such a great long-distance shooter that teams will have to give him a look in the second round.

He looks pretty athletic in his youtube clips. They make his sound like a bulky thick ankled SG in the Adrian Griffen mold. He's actually looks similar to Rip Hamilton as far as body type and athleticism.

I hate that we didn't move up but I really like this pick. You can never go wrong with a shooter (assuming that his shooting translates to the next level).

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by bgarrett

.455% uh yeah he did!
Sure later in the season after S hit the fan he wasn't the same player but things changed. This doesn't add up...IF he bricked just about every jumper he took after Feb and he still shot %455 he must have been breaking records before that epic decline. His playoff numbers are what my issue is with him. unacceptable!

You need to take a trip to:

http://www.nba.com/hotspots/

And look him up. From 18-22 feet, Josh shot 41%, 31%, 36%, 44%, and 50% respectively, in each of the 5 zones.

From 3 point land, it's 38%, 37%, 21% (yikes), 34%, 23%. And, BTW, these numbers take into account the whole season, so they are skewed to the first few months when he was shooting out of his mind.

When I say "Josh missed almost every open jumper he took," that's obviously something of an exaggeration. But no, he did not shoot well at all. In fact, he shot very, very poorly, especially toward the end of the year.

[bgarrett]

I like the pick too.
I hope we commit to these young guns and see what they are made of. Throw them in the fire immediately. Rid of the old bench guys and get after it.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by ProdigyDub

You need to take a trip to:

http://www.nba.com/hotspots/

you just blew my mind with that link.

THANK YOU FOR THAT! That's a pretty awesome tool to look at and use to help evaluate players.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

He looks pretty athletic in his youtube clips.
I hate that we didn't move up but I really like this pick. You can never go wrong with a shooter (assuming that his shooting translates to the next level).

You know you can't judge a player by the youtube clip.

And the way you can go wrong, like you said, can be pretty common.

[dirno2000]

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

You know you can't judge a player by the youtube clip.

And the way you can go wrong, like you said, can be pretty common.

You may not be able to judge overall game but you can judge body type and athleticism by looking at a youtube clip.

And you're right, some players shots don't translate to the next level. Usually because they have a more difficult time getting good looks. I'm just saying that late in the draft you're probably better off drafting a specialist because the odds of finding a good all around player aren't in your favor. I'd consider a 47% three point shooter a specialist. Especially when that player put up 286 3-pointers.

[bgarrett]

Originally Posted by ProdigyDub

You need to take a trip to:

http://www.nba.com/hotspots/

And look him up. From 18-22 feet, Josh shot 41%, 31%, 36%, 44%, and 50% respectively, in each of the 5 zones.

From 3 point land, it's 38%, 37%, 21% (yikes), 34%, 23%. And, BTW, these numbers take into account the whole season, so they are skewed to the first few months when he was shooting out of his mind.

When I say "Josh missed almost every open jumper he took," that's obviously something of an exaggeration. But no, he did not shoot well at all. In fact, he shot very, very poorly, especially toward the end of the year.

First it was just making open shots, then it was when it counted and only late in the season now its looking at hot spots. Make up your mind brotha. That shows where their hot spots are on the floor not the TIMING of the shots. HE shot better at home than on the road, what if all his timely shots came at home from those hotspots? ITs too hard to tell all of that stuff. I watched the games just like you did. The only thing I can agree with you on is that he Fell apart and became a different player to finish the season and in the playoffs, no doubt. My original point was the season stats show that his FG% were similar to JET's.

[chumdawg]

Bottom feeders. That's what we are these days...bottom feeders.

[dirno2000]

I think part of the problem may be that when Cuban was being aggressive buying and trading for picks we usually came away with garbage.

If I remember correctly we bought the pick that turned into Courtney Alexander. We traded for a 1st rounder that turned out to be Donnell Harvey and a few years later we traded with Utah to pick up and extra 1st rounder in the Devin draft and came away with Pavel.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cuban justifies his penny pinching by thinking back on the s*itty players that we brought in by being agressive. Not justifying it, just saying it could be a factor.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

And you're right, some players shots don't translate to the next level. Usually because they have a more difficult time getting good looks. I'm just saying that late in the draft you're probably better off drafting a specialist because the odds of finding a good all around player aren't in your favor. I'd consider a 47% three point shooter a specialist. Especially when that player put up 286 3-pointers.

Yeah, I think that's going to be the big issue for him. He wont be facing slouch defenders, the players are going to be bigger, faster and smarter. I guess with what I take from what you're saying, I'm skeptical on putting all your eggs in one basket. If he isn't shooting well and that's his specialty, what do we get out of him? Bilas said he really believe that he would have a hard time translating his range to the NBA level, with the 3-point line. I don't have any real reason not to believe him. He's just going to have to work really hard on it. Plus, he's going to be battling against guys like Wright, Reyshawn and Seibutis as initial competitors for minutes.

I think I just would've rather gotten a proven shooter like a Frahm or whoever else they've been working out, someone that already has NBA experience. I like the idea of a slasher like CDR better for variety in our roster.

Originally Posted by dirno2000

I think part of the problem may be that when Cuban was being aggressive buying and trading for picks we usually came away with garbage.

If I remember correctly we bought the pick that turned into Courtney Alexander. We traded for a 1st rounder that turned out to be Donnell Harvey and a few years later we traded with Utah to pick up and extra 1st rounder in the Devin draft and came away with Pavel.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cuban justifies his penny pinching by thinking back on the s*itty players that we brought in by being agressive. Not justifying it, just saying it could be a factor.

That has to fall on somebody's shoulders...it's either him or Donnie.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by bgarrett

First it was just making open shots, then it was when it counted and only late in the season now its looking at hot spots. Make up your mind brotha. That shows where their hot spots are on the floor not the TIMING of the shots. HE shot better at home than on the road, what if all his timely shots came at home from those hotspots? ITs too hard to tell all of that stuff. I watched the games just like you did. The only thing I can agree with you on is that he Fell apart and became a different player to finish the season and in the playoffs, no doubt. My original point was the season stats show that his FG% were similar to JET's.

There were times also were Josh HAD to shoulder more of the responsibility and be the focal point of the offense, like early in the year and when Dirk got hurt. That would lead to inflated numbers, whether good or bad.

His numbers did take a major turn, everyone can agree on that.

[dirno2000]

Yeah, I think that's going to be the big issue for him. He wont be facing slouch defenders, the players are going to be bigger, faster and smarter. I guess with what I take from what you're saying, I'm skeptical on putting all your eggs in one basket. If he isn't shooting well and that's his specialty, what do we get out of him? Bilas said he really believe that he would have a hard time translating his range to the NBA level, with the 3-point line. I don't have any real reason not to believe him. He's just going to have to work really hard on it. Plus, he's going to be battling against guys like Wright, Reyshawn and Seibutis as initial competitors for minutes.

I think I just would've rather gotten a proven shooter like a Frahm or whoever else they've been working out, someone that already has NBA experience. I like the idea of a slasher like CDR better for variety in our roster.

Again, I like the pick for where it was. I would have loved to have moved up and taken Arthur. He's going to be a really good player and would have allowed us to move Bass and still have a competent back up for Dirk.

You don't know if his shot will translate but on the surface there's no reason to think it won't. He has adequate height, quickness and a high release point. I like a player like that's chances for having a long career more than I do a jack of all trades master of none like Reyshawn Terry. Guys like Del Curry, Steve Kerr and Eddie Johnson were all able to stay in the league longer than they should have because they could shoot. Again, I don't know if his game will translate but you could say that about most players that were drafted tonight.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

I think part of the problem may be that when Cuban was being aggressive buying and trading for picks we usually came away with garbage.

If I remember correctly we bought the pick that turned into Courtney Alexander. We traded for a 1st rounder that turned out to be Donnell Harvey and a few years later we traded with Utah to pick up and extra 1st rounder in the Devin draft and came away with Pavel.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cuban justifies his penny pinching by thinking back on the s*itty players that we brought in by being agressive. Not justifying it, just saying it could be a factor.

Bullshit, and not an excuse. Drafts are different from one draft to another, and Cuban knows this (or more to the point, Donnie knows this). Hangover from previous drafts has no bearing here.

[dirno2000]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Bullshit, and not an excuse. Drafts are different from one draft to another, and Cuban knows this (or more to the point, Donnie knows this). Hangover from previous drafts has no bearing here.

It shouldn't but I wouldn't be so sure that it doesn't.

[BGMaverick9]

Yeah, it's a major wait and see with him. But if it doesn't translate, he doesn't really have anything else to hang his hat on. For every one of those guys, there are dozens and dozens who flame out.

My main issue for tonight isn't him. It's Cuban and Donnie, I can't reiterate that enough. They really dropped the ball.
This is a major offseason/season for the two of them.

[dirno2000]

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

Yeah, it's a major wait and see with him. But if it doesn't translate, he doesn't really have anything else to hang his hat on. For every one of those guys, there are dozens and dozens who flame out.

My main issue for tonight isn't him. It's Cuban and Donnie, I can't reiterate that enough. They really dropped the ball.
This is a major offseason/season for the two of them.

you can't blame Donnie, he can't make Cuban write a check. Like I said, I sense his frustration in his brutal honesty about why we didn't acquire an extra pick.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

It shouldn't but I wouldn't be so sure that it doesn't.

Anyone who forms their opinion on one draft based upon another doesn't deserve to make decisions in a draft.

What was it, 1998, that the Kandi man was first overall?

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

you can't blame Donnie, he can't make Cuban write a check. Like I said, I sense his frustration in his brutal honesty about why we didn't acquire an extra pick.

Well, screw Cuban in that case. Go buy the Cubs, if that's what where you want to spend your money...

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

you can't blame Donnie, he can't make Cuban write a check. Like I said, I sense his frustration in his brutal honesty about why we didn't acquire an extra pick.

I'll give you that, you're right. I just lump them together because they are the front office people.

[chumdawg]

Failed. So failed.

[ShaggyDirk]

I have a bad feeling about this...

[rabbitproof]

Bad feelings are good. Things go to hell pretty quick when everybody is all smiles and rainbows around here.

[bradleywillcrushyou44]

he should at least be better or as good as ager who we got in the 1st round

[seelenjaeger]

Foster is the right Player Type to give a try at this point in the draft. We lacked a long range shooter badly, and if he can be that when our second unit is out there we got more out of the draft than we could expect to get at this point.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Looks like a solid pick at 51 for me. He could be a perfect fit for Kidd setting him up from 3-point land. Here a scouting report of NBADraft.net:

NBA Comparison: Shandon Anderson

Strengths: 2-guard with excellent athleticism and shooting ability ... Catch and shoot specialist ... One of the premiere three point shooters in the country ... Has been completely on fire through the first half of his senior season (shooting 53% from 3) ... Has a good frame for the shooting guard position with both height and length ... Has excellent speed, excels in the open floor finishing well on the break with his explosive leaping ability ... While not pretty his shot is effective: The high release point on his shot allows him to get shots off without much daylight ... Has improved defensively and gathers a fair number of steals (1.5 as a senior) ... Really moves well without the ball, setting opponents up for screens and constantly moving to get open ... A quality free throw shooter ... Hard worker, has shown improvement in his all around game. Shows dedication to his conditioning and gets stronger as the game goes on ...

Weaknesses: Overall feel for the game is improved but not outstanding ... Ball skills, passing and ball handling have shown improvement but are not great ... Lacks a great mid-range game ... His ball handling and ability to create off the dribble is weak ... A little on the skinny side, could stand to add some body strength, which would enable him to finish better at the rim and after contact ... His shooting motion, while effective is unorthodox. He shoots the ball above his head ala World B. Free and sort of slings the ball instead of one steady motion. But you can't knock the results ... He appears to have good range, but the unorthodox form begs the question whether he will have trouble stepping back 4 feet to the NBA line with the same success ... Because he doesn't drive to the basket much, his trips to the line are limited ...

Aran Smith - 1/8/2008

Link

December 28, 2007 - Averaging over 20 points per game on absolutely outrageous shooting percentages (54.6% FG, 54.9% 3P) playing for an undefeated team is a good way to draw attention to yourself, and that’s exactly what Shan Foster has done over the past few weeks. A guy that we somewhat wrote off over the summer after appearing to be a pretty one dimensional shooter on film, he was always going to look a lot more interesting shooting 55% from behind the arc over the 34.6% he shot last year. And while you could probably still label Foster a pretty one-dimensional guy—the dimension he does have in his game looks absolutely incredible at the moment, and will surely be enough to draw him considerable interest from the NBA if he can keep up anywhere near the same pace over the course of the season.

Foster has good size for the shooting guard position, at a lanky 6-6 with a very nice wingspan. He’s a skinny player who’s frame probably isn’t the best, but at his position and considering his skill-set, that’s probably not the end of the world. Athletically, Foster is average at best, showing a poor first step and underwhelming lateral quickness. That’s part of the reason why he wasn’t considered a great prospect up until this year.

The one saving grace, though, has everything to do with his shooting stroke. Foster has a slightly unconventional release, cocking the ball behind his head (think Michael Redd) with a super high release point and putting a great deal of arc on the ball. He shoots the ball with unbelievable confidence, though, coming off screens and just throwing the ball in the basket with the greatest of ease, showing outstanding touch and an incredibly quick release. In case you wondered whether his numbers might be a fluke 11 games into the season, consider that he’s attempting just under 7 ½ 3-pointers per game. He is absolutely money once he sets his feet, featuring NBA plus range on his jumper and absolutely no conscience running off a screen (which he does quite well) and firing away.

Foster was very streaky from behind the arc last year, being somewhat feast or famine in the sense that he could go 1 for 7 in one game and then 5 for 8 just a few days later. The reason for that is that he has a tendency to cock the ball too far behind his head when he’s being very closely guarded, making his release point a bit on the inconsistent side. He’s done a better job at finding and taking much cleaner looks this season, reading ball screens better and not forcing the issue, and thus shooting a higher percentage.

If a defender runs out wildly trying to contest his initial catch, Foster is smart enough to put the ball on the floor and step inside the arc for a better shot. He can stop and pull-up from mid-range, much preferring to do so rather than take the ball all the way to the basket and finish at the rim. If he does take the ball all the way, you’ll often see him finishing a play with a nifty right-handed floater from about 8-10 feet out.

Not being a terribly explosive athlete, Foster is not a very good ball-handler either, particularly with his left hand. He did not attempt even a single free throw in four of Vanderbilt’s 11 games this season, which gives you a small indication of his lack of offensive versatility. He’s a player that can be nullified for long stretches by a big, long and athletic defender that gets right in his grill and does not give him the daylight he needs to get his shot off on the catch and shoot, but to his credit, Foster realizes his limitations and does not force the issue. Foster is currently ranked #1 in points per possession amongst draft prospects, as well as 7th in True Shooting Percentage. He’s an unselfish player who seems to have a very nice feel for the game.

Defensively, Foster puts in a solid effort, and can even find some success at times due to his intensity combined with his excellent size and wingspan. His lateral quickness as mentioned is fairly average, though, and he also seems to suffer trying to go through screens due to his lack of strength.

When it comes to his final evaluation, we have to think that he rates favorably at the moment in comparison to other shooting guard prospects in the draft. It is early in the season, though, so we’ll have to see how he fares once the competition stiffens for Vandy in their SEC slate. It’s hard to fathom him shooting the ball at the same 55% rate all season, so once the shots inevitably stop falling temporarily, Foster would be well served to pick up the other parts of his game. At the moment, it’s hard to look at the stats and call him anything else but the best shooter in college basketball.

Link

Here some Highlights on YouTube:

2007/2008
Part1
Part2

Interview:

Part1
Part2

[sandeepgm]

I think shan has a chance to contribute. He fills a need and with many roster spots available might get a chance to play.

Other than diop and maybe C.J miles(if we can be got for cheap), i dont think we will get or target many FA's too. This roster might very well be like indiana's roster after the brawl. A bunch of free agents and nobody's.

I am hoping that rick carlisle can make it work. He has done that before.

[MavsX]

ITEM: The numbers are hard to scoff at: As a senior, the Kenner, La., native averaged 20.3 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting .523 from the field and .469 from behind the arc.

[MavsX]