Butler/Haywood/Stevenson to the Mavs!!

[WizFan]

Originally Posted by Obedon

Thanks, but ouch. Right after I said it, Butler misses a game lol

Hopefully, it's not serious! Cheers for the details again!

lol he missed the game off of bad meds. he mising games off small things. I miss my team tho cuz we had such great players d*mn you to h*ll GILBERT!!!!

If anyone has anymore questions about Tough Jice, Laywood, and DeSwag. ill be happy to answer them for you

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by WizFan

lol he missed the game off of bad meds. he mising games off small things. I miss my team tho cuz we had such great players d*mn you to h*ll GILBERT!!!!

If anyone has anymore questions about Tough Jice, Laywood, and DeSwag. ill be happy to answer them for you

Do you think you could get them to perform an acoustic version of "girl i'm gonna miss you" from Mili Vanili at my birthday party this summer?

[DevinHarriswillstart]

It's kinda sad that I've been in a much better mood in general since this trade. Sad that a sports team affects my happiness so.....

[Nowitzki4President]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

It's kinda sad that I've been in a much better mood in general since this trade. Sad that a sports team affects my happiness so.....

Hahaha same man...

[monty55555]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

It's kinda sad that I've been in a much better mood in general since this trade. Sad that a sports team affects my happiness so.....

Hahaha... I can truly relate. I've never been this "positive" in a long time. I mean, I'm having horrible days at work... and yet, somehow, I've been very upbeat. As JKidd says "Winning is a great deodorant"...

[mavs777]

Butler going to be on inside the NBA on TNT in a few minutes

[mavsfan1000]

Butler needs his sleep for tomorrows game. What's he doing on that? lol

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

It's kinda sad that I've been in a much better mood in general since this trade. Sad that a sports team affects my happiness so.....

It doesn't much affect my mood when I'm not watching the Mavs, but my level of cynicism and doubt during Mavs games has gone way, way down.

[mavs777]

Butler just looks so happy, smiling the whole time and laughing.

Damn never knew this guy used to drink a 6 pack of Mountain Dew every day.



Though Barkley may not love Dirk that much, I don't think he has an agenda against the Mavs like some think, jmo.

[twistaeffect2004]

LOL... Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith were hilarious in that interview.

EJ asked Caron if he had been given any reason why he can't chew straws anymore, and he said "no". Then Charles said... "well he's back in the NBA.... he's been playing in the NBDL that past 2 years."

Funny interview.

[mavErika]

the whole interview is online now:
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tn...s=iref:nbahpt2

I also thought this was actually a pretty good, funny interview.

edit: the espn blog recorded in writing most of the segment, if you're unwilling to listen to Charles, Kenny & Co.:

Butler on TNT: 'I haven't stopped smiling'

By Jeff Caplan
New Mavericks swingman Caron Butler made a late, late Thursday night, in-studio appearance on the NBA on TNT post-game show with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith (TNT finally aired the segment around 1 a.m. Butler was in-studio during the first game of the doubleheader.)

The Mavs are in Atlanta where they will face the Hawks Friday night on ESPN. The appearance marked Butler's first comments since missing Wednesday's 101-96 win over the Lakers due to a reaction to medication and since the league ordered him to give up chewing straws during games. Wearing a light-colored suit and a king-sized diamond stud in his left ear, Butler mostly kept his responses rather brief.

I'm not sure if Smith and Barkley had more fun talking to Caron about the Mavs or cracking wise about the woeful Wizards.

Smith got in the first smack: "Welcome back to the NBA," he told Butler.

Here is the majority of the segment:

*Bad reaction to medicine forced you out of L.A. Lakers game?: "Bad reaction, little stiffness in the knee, the training staff thought it would be best if I sat out. It was a game I definitely wanted to play in, wish I could have been out there."

*What's the emotion like going from a bad team to good one?: "I haven't stopped smiling. I truly am grateful for this opportunity to be in Dallas...I thank the NBA world for reaching out to [Mark] Cuban and influencing him on coming to get me."

*How does it feel to be considered a missing piece to the puzzle?: "It feels good. All this summer preparing for this opportunity to compete for a title and having that opportunity stripped from me for whatever reason, and now being in this situation to compete for a title again is a great feeling, I can't even describe it."

*How uncomfortable did the situation get in Washington?: "It was truly tough because usually when you leave your workplace you want to go home and relax, but obviously the stress of work, you was bringing it home with you and you had to deal with the trials and everything, and it was just getting overbearing. It was wearing on everybody. It's great to finally get out of that situation and see light at the end of the tunnel."

*It seems this is a good situation for Brendan Haywood as well: "I think Haywood, myself, DeShawn [Stevenson], we're all taking advantage of the situation. We're playing with a Hall of Fame point guard [Jason Kidd], another Hall of Fame player in Dirk [Nowitzki] and great teammates. They accepted us with open arms and made the transition smooth for us."

*Is DeShawn Stevenson a little bit crazy?: "He goes hard, man, he does go extremely hard. He takes it to another level sometimes."

*So the league has told you not to chew straws during games: "I had the whole team doing it for a short second and now they took it away from me."

*Has the league told you why not?: Nah. ("It's dangerous," Kenny Smith blurted rather emphatically. "You don't want him to choke and get hit the one night that it happens, you don't want him to get hurt.")...(Ernie Johnson said you don't want kids doing it.)...(Charles Barkley said: "He's finally back in the NBA so now they look at you. You were in the NBDL the last couple of years.")

And that was that.

[mavErika]

Like fine wine, Mavericks' trade just gets better

12:41 AM CST on Friday, February 26, 2010
Column by TIM COWLISHAW / The Dallas Morning News

There are trades that look good the moment they happen (to the highly trained, expert, don't-try-this-at-home eye) but take a couple of years to prove it.

Jason Kidd comes to mind.

And then there are trades that look really, really good the instant they take place. And two weeks later, you feel like you underestimated their magnitude even when you thought you were going overboard in praise.

Enter the Wizards-to-Mavericks deal made All-Star weekend.

Those who said that center Brendan Haywood, not former All-Star guard Caron Butler, was really the key to the deal – owner Mark Cuban was first but not alone in this chorus – were dead on. And that's what makes the Mavericks' current five-game winning streak more significant than any they've had in years.
But to understand why, we have to go back to Butler once more.

An East All-Star three years ago, Butler has been in a Mavericks uniform for 10 days and has done the highly improbable – if not the impossible – twice already.

Three times if you count getting his trademark straw-chewing banned by the NBA. (What's that all about?)

As for the two things more relevant to Dallas fans, first, Butler came to town and made the trade a winner by shooting worse than Josh Howard.

Seriously.

The Mavericks rid themselves of Howard's stale act and his 40 percent shooting this season in exchange for a guy who shot 37 percent in his first five games here. In fact, Butler has shot 40 percent or higher one time in five starts for Dallas.

But Butler's willingness to attack the rim and the defensive effort he showed in his opening minutes as a Maverick against Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant left no one yearning for Howard's return.

Then, going a step beyond just erratic shooting, Butler didn't even suit up against the Lakers on Wednesday after an unusual reaction to medication.

That made the trade look better yet.

DeShawn Stevenson, clearly the third man in this trade, put the clamps on Kobe Bryant early before Shawn Marion showed his effectiveness against the game's best player at the end.

And all the while, there was Haywood – 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in Dallas' 101-96 win over the NBA champs.

Let's be fair. The Mavericks get this kind of game occasionally from Erick Dampier, or did, before he broke a finger last week. It's not as if the much-maligned Damp never has a 10-10 game or hasn't altered a shot since he got to Dallas.

In the only playoff series Dallas has won since losing to Miami in the '06 Finals, Dampier was very effective in limiting Tim Duncan.

But Haywood – younger, more athletic and without question a better shot-blocker – has been giving Dallas this kind of game almost every night.

When a team improves its defense in all areas, it's not unusual that the threat of a shot-blocker is involved.

Keeping in mind that the Mavs defense was conducting layup drills going into the All-Star break, Dallas has allowed 90.2 points per game in the last five games.

Second best in the league.

Teams are hitting 43.8 percent of their shots, 22.6 percent of their 3-point tries in that stretch.

Seventh and first in the league, respectively.

And for the season, Haywood's 2.14 blocks rank No. 3. His average of 2.83 since coming to Dallas is slightly higher than league leader Dwight Howard (2.81) of Orlando.

A Superman imitator in our midst? Haywood really does look like the key to the deal, at least for now.

You have to think that Butler, a career 44 percent shooter, will find that shooting touch. At that point, this deal becomes the kind of thing that puts Dallas on a level floor with Denver for the No. 2 spot in the West.

Meanwhile, long-suffering Wizards fans already have seen Drew Gooden go to the Clippers and Josh Howard lost for the season with a knee injury.

This wasn't a trade, it was a heist.

Oh yeah, steals. The Mavericks are fifth in the league (8.6 per game) in this five-game stretch.

A team trying to establish its identity following a roster-changing trade is doing it with defense.

This is new for the Mavericks. This is a good thing.

[dude1394]

I didn't catch the other mavs chewing straws in warmups, funny stuff.

[mavs777]

Andrew bynum is a crybaby

[Kante]

11/11/3 again last night!

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Caron Butler will remain a game-time decision for Sunday night's game against New Orleans.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said on Saturday that he will not update Bulter's status until after Sunday morning's shootaround in preparation for that night's game against the Hornets.

Butler fully participated in the Mavericks' shootaround Friday morning at Atlanta, and even Carlisle on Friday afternoon, while a guest with Galloway & Co. on 103.3 FM, expressed belief that Butler would play against the Hawks. Instead, Butler missed his second consecutive game since having an adverse reaction to medication earlier in the week.

Butler went on TNT's "Inside the NBA" postgame show Thursday night and said the problem was stiffness in his knee. Butler missed a game on Feb. 3 with Washington due to a left knee contusion. It's not certain if this issue is related.

While it appears Butler will be ready to play Sunday, his absence Friday night makes his status as a game-time decision just that.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks

[badfish22]

I like this better
DONUT 4: So, speaking of Caron Butler: He's promising he'll be a go for Sunday night. So that's something to chew on.
http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=2651

[sike]

I want no one else to say that Josh Howard is close to Caron Butler.

Those are different cats.

Butler with great D, smooth O, and a bunch of steals. 4 tonight.

[mavsfan1000]

Originally Posted by sike

I want no one else to say that Josh Howard is close to Caron Butler.

Those are different cats.

Butler with great D, smooth O, and a bunch of steals. 4 tonight.

Agreed. Howard just makes the game look so difficult while Butler is the opposite.

[sike]

Originally Posted by mavsfan1000

Agreed. Howard just makes the game look so difficult while Butler is the opposite.

His defensive activity has blown me away...I was expecting hustle, but not THIS level of skill.

[Dirkadirkastan]

Originally Posted by sike

I want no one else to say that Josh Howard is close to Caron Butler.

Those are different cats.

Butler with great D, smooth O, and a bunch of steals. 4 tonight.

The funny part about Butler vs. Howard is the fact that Butler has a decent stepback jumper. He leads with a jab step that often causes the defender to back off. Howard just kind of wiggles and nobody bites.

[mavsfan1000]

Originally Posted by sike

His defensive activity has blown me away...I was expecting hustle, but not THIS level of skill.

To be +8 in on court/off court with Washington, you gotta have a lot of intangibles. Defense, passing, and a mid-range game is what he brings.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by sike

Butler with great D, smooth O, and a bunch of steals. 4 tonight.

Butler is streaky with that shot but when it's going, it's very nice. Impressive performance considering he wasn't able to play the last two games. The Mavs don't win without him.

Haywood gives the Mavs just enough low post offense to make this team dangerous. I love that Haywood can come through for you at any point in the game. He'll be quiet and then make a big impact. Amazing how well he stays out of foul trouble.

[sefant77]

Haywood is great
Butler is nice and of course way better than Howard.

And i really like to got Stevenson as the bad contract throw-in. Discounting Ross with his PO next year its also just 4mio we pay more for him. He can be a nice factor in the playoffs, he showed it against Kobe. And he should be usefull against the Thuggets because he will never back off and should be able to piss off JR Smith or even Anthony with tight annoying defense.

[Kidd Karma]

Originally Posted by sefant77

Haywood is great
Butler is nice and of course way better than Howard.

And i really like to got Stevenson as the bad contract throw-in. Discounting Ross with his PO next year its also just 4mio we pay more for him. He can be a nice factor in the playoffs, he showed it against Kobe. And he should be usefull against the Thuggets because he will never back off and should be able to piss off JR Smith or even Anthony with tight annoying defense.

...which if leads to suspensions on both sides....I like our chances....

Denver, out side of Billups has low basketball IQ and lacks the maturity, I think if something gets hot......Malice in the Palace redux.

[monty55555]

Right roster change can give new perspective on season

Did the Mavericks suddenly become tougher after a blockbuster trade deadline deal reshaped their starting lineup, sparking a season-high winning streak? A definite personality shift seems to be afoot in Dallas.

"The entire personality has not changed," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle countered. "We still have four of the veterans that have been here for several years and been deep into the playoffs several times."
Carlisle was referring to Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Erick Dampier. They're the major influences on the team's personality. That doesn't change overnight.

But the additions of Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, coming from a miserable situation in Washington, coupled with the subtractions of Josh Howard, Drew Gooden and others have been felt in Dallas.

League observers, as well as those that have played the Mavericks since the All-Star break, have noticed the difference. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Dallas is bigger and more physical.

Others have commented on the increased cohesion. As much as an infusion of size and talent can impact a roster, new blood brings another intangible into play.

"Coming from their situations, they have new life and that new life brings energy," Hornets forward James Posey said of the new Dallas trio. "That opportunity and better chance of winning it all, that energy right there is something the guys that have been there can feed off."

Just ask the Bobcats. Dealing for explosive/impulsive Stephen Jackson in November, plus making the trade-deadline moves for Tyrus Thomas and Theo Ratliff, have accelerated their rebuilding.

"Our defense is a lot better with them now," Jackson said recently of Thomas and Ratliff. "They make us better all around. It's just amazing what one move can do for us."

Larry Brown's team now is in the playoff chase. That was hardly the case during the franchise's first five years in the league.

"Sometimes the energy levels can change when you have new people," New Orleans coach Jeff Bower said. "I think excitement and energy is sometimes contagious. When you have guys excited to be somewhere or play for something that tends to spread."

The Bucks didn't deal for a "difference-maker," but something has clicked since the arrival of John Salmons and Co. Milwaukee had its six-game winning streak snapped on Sunday in Atlanta, but has moved up to seventh in the East.
Not all trades are about turnarounds. A deep playoff run is expected in Cleveland, so the acquisition of Antawn Jamison wasn't about nailing down a few extra wins in the regular season. Jamison also wasn't going to alter the Cavaliers' personality; LeBron James is perhaps the strongest individual presence in the league.

Jamison, though, is starting to find his groove after a rough start, which is critical with Shaquille O'Neal out for the rest of the regular season. The Cavaliers have won four straight, the league's second-longest current winning streak behind Dallas' eight-game run. Much like the new Mavs' crew, Jamison escaped a hopeless situation with the Wizards.

"For their style of play, he's a perfect fit for them," Posey said. "He has new life now, new energy. He's on a new team that's playing the right way. It's going to take some time, but he doesn't have to do it himself. He can work his way into things."

The lucky few who improved their NBA lot via trade now have a new outlook. The same might be said for a lucky few new teammates.

"Now, can the attitude change some? Yeah, sure it can change," Carlisle said. "Trades can help that. The key for us is just to keep it going in a positive-curve type direction with everything. It's challenging because the more you win, the more teams are gunning for you. The more your record improves, the more they feel like it's a big deal to beat you.

"But that's part of the challenge you've got to love."

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/feature...ude/index.html

[Underdog]

Imagine if we HADN'T made this trade, but still fate still dictated that Damp, Terry and Howard would get injured.

We'd be rolling with:

Kidd
JJB
Marion
Dirk
Gooden


And we'd still be as far from a decent lotto pick as we would be from a ring...

[Nowitzki4President]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Imagine if we HADN'T made this trade, but still fate still dictated that Damp, Terry and Howard would get injured.

We'd be rolling with:

Kidd
JJB
Marion
Dirk
Gooden


And we'd still be as far from a decent lotto pick as we would be from a ring...

I think it's healthy to stay away from what would have been. I mean, we still haven't reached our full potential IMHO. We still have TT and Damp who've been out, and now Terry's out. Once we roll out a completely healthy squad come playoff time, I believe we can take out anyone.

[Kidd Karma]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Imagine if we HADN'T made this trade, but still fate still dictated that Damp, Terry and Howard would get injured.

We'd be rolling with:

Kidd
JJB
Marion
Dirk
Gooden


And we'd still be as far from a decent lotto pick as we would be from a ring...

Further than you think, we traded the 2010 pick unprotected to the Nets.