Chris Kaman to the Mavs

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by sike

If he at all lives up to his career averages, I can't see a reason that the Mavs wouldn't want to keep him long term. (3+ years).

Kaman is a legit second tier center in this league....which in itself is a rare jewel.

I agree that health will be the biggest concern...I just can't see chemistry being at worst anything other than really good.

We're about to see something we've never seen in Dirk's career as a Mav: What his game looks like with an actual back to the basket post scorer. I'm really looking forward to the first few times Dirk catches the ball at the high post and then kicks it to Kaman on the block.

Things are going to change, at least they should. You'll have to respect what a Mavs center can do in the halfcourt setting. You're also going to have to respect a point guard who will actually be looking to go attack the basket and is actually proficient at doing it

[sike]

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

Things are going to change, at least they should. You'll have to respect what a Mavs center can do in the halfcourt setting. You're also going to have to respect a point guard who will actually be looking to go attack the basket and is actually proficient at doing it

There are only 2 scenarios I envision that Kaman doesn't become a long lasting pillar for the Mavs: 1. Health Issues. 2. They use him as trade asset to acquire a player they consider a real "star". Both of these scenarios I see as VERY possible, but other than that, Kaman is a high level "actual" Center.

[Skywalker]

anyone knows hows Kamans pick and roll defense? because imo that was one of the most important skills Chandler brought to the table

[Murphy3]

Of course, you have to make a decision about whether or not you want to sign a guy to a long term deal at his age... Right now, I'd say "probably", but I suppose let's wait and see how well he holds up throughout the season. He hasn't done alot of "holding up" as of late.

[sike]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

...Right now, I'd say "probably", but I suppose let's wait and see how well he holds up throughout the season. He hasn't done alot of "holding up" as of late.

True that. The dude MUST get and stay healthy.

Like BG mentioned earlier, the Mavs training staff has a pretty good rep, so maybe they can be difference makers for Kaman.

[LonghornDub]

They won't need Kaman once Dwight Howard is on the Mavs.

js

[Murphy3]

Not a fan of Dwight Howard at all. I suppose it'll be ok if he's signed by the Mavs... or traded for.

[MavsFTR]

Kaman will be on the other side of this for a change:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLxOz...e_gdata_player

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

Not a fan of Dwight Howard at all. I suppose it'll be ok if he's signed by the Mavs... or traded for.

I am unabashedly a fan of the best center in the league (by far), if he plays for the Mavs.

[oilfieldtrash]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

Of course, you have to make a decision about whether or not you want to sign a guy to a long term deal at his age... Right now, I'd say "probably", but I suppose let's wait and see how well he holds up throughout the season. He hasn't done alot of "holding up" as of late.

This always depends on the guy IMO. Some guys will just hold up and play at a high level into their late 30s while others hit 30 and they're done.

[markus1234]

Originally Posted by MavsFTR

Kaman will be on the other side of this for a change:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLxOz...e_gdata_player

boooooo ! such a bad defender !

[sike]

Anywhere to hear the Kaman interview with ESPN 103.3?

[SchumiWDC]

Originally Posted by sike

Anywhere to hear the Kaman interview with ESPN 103.3?

Here you go mate:

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/dallas/play

Starts at 9:16

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by sike

Anywhere to hear the Kaman interview with ESPN 103.3?

It was mostly "filler" involving Texas gun laws and his experience playing with Dirk in Germany (kinda) - I touched on the only really important bit back in post #110...

Originally Posted by Underdog

Kaman talking about how he gave Cuban a bit of a discount (in years) to get on the Mavs - hoping to turn it around this season (keep healthy) to earn a bigger/longer contract next season... Feels like he has another 4-5 years of playing at a high level.

[Budapest Maverick]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

Hell, with the lack of functional shooting guards on the team, if the Mavs can land Brand, they could always start:

C - Kaman
PF - Brand
SF - Dirk
SG - Marion
PG - Collison

Tall lineup..

Terrible spacing, and we would get killed on defense.

[EricaLubarsky]

A center took more money per year and a shorter contract to be in Dallas?

Bazinga!

[Murphy3]

Originally Posted by Budapest Maverick

Terrible spacing, and we would get killed on defense.

The indicated that I was joking...

[Budapest Maverick]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

The indicated that I was joking...

Sorry, didn't catch it.

[Underdog]

Chris Kaman eager to pair up again with Dirk

Chris Kaman wanted a multiyear deal. He was on the verge of getting one until the Indiana Pacers matched Portland's max offer for emerging big man Roy Hibbert. Then it was on to Plan B and a showdown between the center-starved Trail Blazers and the Dallas Mavericks.

"The last three days I’ve been going back and forth between Portland and Dallas and I know (Portland general manager) Neil Olshey up there pretty well," Kaman said Thursday morning when he joined Chuck Cooperstein and Tim MacMahon on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM. "The offers were both very close, so it was just kind of a call where I felt a little more comfortable and I really like Dallas the city. The organization does a great job taking care of their players and their people and I’m excited for the chance to see what I can do there."

It didn't hurt that Kaman and Dirk Nowitzki have become good friends. Nowitzki convinced Kaman, a Michigan native whose grandparents are German, to join him on the German national team that competed in the 2008 Olympics. Now, they become teammates in Dallas with Kaman instantly becoming the most accomplished low-post scorer Dirk has ever played with.

Kaman, who averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 points in 47 games with the New Orleans Hornets last season and career bests of 18.5 and 9.3 as an All-Star in 2009-10, agreed to come aboard on a one-year deal for $8 million. His addition now has the Mavs prepared to use the amnesty clause on Brendan Haywood, which would wipe his $8.3 million salary off the books next season.

The once stringy-haired Kaman who now prefers a close trim said he thinks he and Nowitzki will complement each other well.

"He’s more outside first and then inside second and I think the team has always spaced the floor and kind of stretched it a little because there’s probably been a little bit of lack of scoring inside," Kaman said. "I’m excited to see what coach (Rick) Carlisle has to put up in there. I know in the past he’s had teams with good post players. I know he’s a good coach, I know he knows what he’s doing and I’m just excited to see what happens next with the team. It’s a different team than they’ve had the last few years just with no Jason Kidd, no Jason Terry, so it will be interesting to see how it goes."

Kaman, 30, said ultimately he and the Mavs got a fair deal. Dallas desperately wants to limit contracts to one year to keep cap space free for next summer and Kaman gets a nice salary even though he will earn $6 million less than last season. Still, he has a chance to put up big numbers and cash in next summer, either with Dallas or elsewhere.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/maver...gain-with-dirk

[Bayliss]

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by Bayliss

I already like Kaman a little bit more now. Who doesn't love the gun laws here in Texas?!

[The Ghost of Championship]

Kaman/Brand could add a lot of solid minutes. Not top notch, but solid.

[sike]

Originally Posted by The Ghost of Championship

Kaman/Brand could add a lot of solid minutes. Not top notch, but solid.

Not top notch you say? I wonder how many front courts would be more solid than Dirk/Kaman/Brand?

[Underdog]

Kaman sees a future in Dallas, hoping for more than one-year stay with Mavs

Chris Kaman signed his one-year, $8 million contract Friday, shortly after he began the process of looking for a house in Dallas.

One-year contracts are not what most NBA players want. And while the six zeroes at the end of Kaman’s salary make it hard not to like, he admitted Friday evening that he had aspirations for a longer-term deal.

But he also knew what reality was.

“Obviously, one year isn’t the most perfect situation for me,” Kaman said. “I would have liked more [years], obviously. But that’s not what was on the table. And I know why. And I respect the reason why. Hopefully, I’ll show I’m a valuable piece for this team.”

Kaman, keen to the fact that the Mavericks are retooling the roster while also staying primed for free-agent stars next summer, may have a future as a general manager with that sort of thinking.

The 7-foot center signed his contract shortly before 5 p.m. He will bring the style of game that won’t look familiar to a lot of Maverick fans, coach Rick Carlisle said.

Dirk Nowitzki has teamed with just about every kind of player there is, but by signing Kaman, the Mavericks will give Nowitzki something he’s never had. Kaman is a true center who can step out for a 16-foot jump shot. And the bonus is that he can actually make it.

“He’s a terrific low-post scorer,” Carlisle said. “He’s a very good mid-range shooter for a 7-footer. I don’t think we’ve ever had a center here that could step out and shoot the 18-foot shot consistently that’s been the caliber of player that Chris Kaman is. Sometimes, Dirk’s the tallest guy on the floor for us, but he’s always the four [power forward] in our system. He’s never been able to play with a five man [center] who shoots it like that.”

Kaman, 30, has a history with Nowitzki. They played together on the German national team that qualified for the 2008 Olympics. Kaman said he was leaning on Nowitzki throughout the process of negotiating with Mark Cuban and the Mavericks.

“Yeah, I was texting him,” Kaman said. “I don’t want to tell you everything I was texting him. In the beginning, it was a hard-ball game between Mark and my agent. It didn’t start the way I wanted, and I’m telling Dirk, ‘Hey, talk to Mark because I really want to be here.’ And he’s with his fiancée right now [overseas], so I didn’t want to mess him up. But we worked a deal out a pretty good deal that’s fair for both sides.”

Kaman had offers from a few other teams. He visited Indiana, and he waited for three days before the Pacers matched the offer that Portland had given center Roy Hibbert. Portland, too, showed interest, but Kaman, who has a brother went to school in Dallas and a cousin who lives in Flower Mound, thought this is the best situation for him.

The Mavericks put Kaman through a routine physical Friday, and they have been convinced that he is healthy. Various injuries forced him to miss 50 games two seasons ago and 51 in 2008-09. Last season, he played 47 of 66 games.

“I feel good,” Kaman said. “I took some time and rested my body.”

Looks like Chris Kaman signed here for the same reasons that we thought Deron would have - Dirk and family...

[purplefrog]

That's a really interesting story. The NBA needs more like Chris Kaman. Thanks to Dirk for helping make this successful.

[howdoesmydirktaste]

Kaman wants to be here and he is better than Haywood.

Brand wants to be here (unlike Odom) and will give us effort (unlike Odom's vagina)

Collison isn't 40.

Unless there's some bad chemistry, how can you not feel confident that we are a better team going into next year?

Re-sign Delonte and we are a sick defensive team.

[markus1234]

Dirk ~21ppg 6reb
Kaman ~12ppg 7reb
Brand ~11ppg 6reb
Marion ~10ppg 6reb
Collison ~11ppg 5a 3reb
West ~9ppg
Carter ~9ppg
Roddy ~9ppg

[iella]

Originally Posted by howdoesmydirktaste

Brand wants to be here (unlike Odom) and will give us effort (unlike Odom's vagina)

As a woman and an athlete, it irks me that men use "vagina" in a derogatory way. I don't want to get up on a soapbox and derail this thread, but I'd appreciate it if you guys could be a little more considerate and find a term that equally disparages both genders. If you want evidence that "vagina" doesn't mean wussy, incapable, or weak-willed, I'd be happy to kick your ass any time.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by iella

As a woman and an athlete, it irks me that men use "vagina" in a derogatory way. I don't want to get up on a soapbox and derail this thread, but I'd appreciate it if you guys could be a little more considerate and find a term that equally disparages both genders. If you want evidence that "vagina" doesn't mean wussy, incapable, or weak-willed, I'd be happy to kick your ass any time.

Maybe he was referring to Klhoe? (sorry, I thought I could put out a fire with gasoline...)

But getting back to the point - Lamar Odom definitely brought a big bag of nothing to the backup PF position last season - Elton Brand is going to be a breath of fresh air in that regard.


EDIT: I didn't want to derail the thread either, but screw it... I, too, find it odd that "vagina" is used as another word for "weakness" when most men would beg for a swift death if we had to endure the pain of child birth.

[howdoesmydirktaste]

Originally Posted by iella

As a woman and an athlete, it irks me that men use "vagina" in a derogatory way. I don't want to get up on a soapbox and derail this thread, but I'd appreciate it if you guys could be a little more considerate and find a term that equally disparages both genders. If you want evidence that "vagina" doesn't mean wussy, incapable, or weak-willed, I'd be happy to kick your ass any time.

I'm sorry to offend you. I refer to people that are still crying about Tyson Chandler being gone as "Tyson Chandler Salad Tossers", so I may offend people that are turned off by that as well. I'm an equal-opportunity offender.

I guess gay people get mad when people say "that's gay", even though it bugs me that gay people stole the word from "happy people".

Seriously though, I'm sorry if that offends you. I'm just not shocked by much. I was running sound at a night club last night and I heard some woman call it a Sausage Fest. Even though I have a sausage, it didn't offend me.

I will try to be more considerate though.

Back on topic

Kaman does not have a vagina (he seriously doesn't) and I think he will be better offensively than I am at offending forum members (which is a good thing).

All in good fun? Seriously though iella, I will be more considerate.

[iella]

Originally Posted by howdoesmydirktaste

I'm sorry to offend you. I refer to people that are still crying about Tyson Chandler being gone as "Tyson Chandler Salad Tossers", so I may offend people that are turned off by that as well. I'm an equal-opportunity offender.

I guess gay people get mad when people say "that's gay", even though it bugs me that gay people stole the word from "happy people".

Seriously though, I'm sorry if that offends you. I'm just not shocked by much. I was running sound at a night club last night and I heard some woman call it a Sausage Fest. Even though I have a sausage, it didn't offend me.

I will try to be more considerate though.

Back on topic

Kaman does not have a vagina (he seriously doesn't) and I think he will be better offensively than I am at offending forum members (which is a good thing).

All in good fun? Seriously though iella, I will be more considerate.

No worries man, I'm not angry and I won't hold it against you or anything. I know I've certainly used a fair share of words that offend other people, and you're not the first (nor the last) on this board that I've seen use the word in that manner. I just wanted to point it out, encourage us all to think about the words we use and how they affect other people, and now we can all move on.

I'm excited to have a center that can catch the ball.

[Dirkadirkastan]

Originally Posted by iella

As a woman and an athlete, it irks me that men use "vagina" in a derogatory way. I don't want to get up on a soapbox and derail this thread, but I'd appreciate it if you guys could be a little more considerate and find a term that equally disparages both genders. If you want evidence that "vagina" doesn't mean wussy, incapable, or weak-willed, I'd be happy to kick your ass any time.

At least you don't have pieces of it routinely sliced off for no good reason, so I wouldn't complain.

[dirt_dobber]

I love it when we all get along.

classic middle child that I am!

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by iella

As a woman and an athlete, it irks me that men use "vagina" in a derogatory way. I don't want to get up on a soapbox and derail this thread, but I'd appreciate it if you guys could be a little more considerate and find a term that equally disparages both genders. If you want evidence that "vagina" doesn't mean wussy, incapable, or weak-willed, I'd be happy to kick your ass any time.

Not much different than prick or dick is it? Personally I like the p word.

[rmacomic]

Originally Posted by iella

I'm excited to have a center that can catch the ball.

Could you find another word for ball, as a married man, I miss mine.

[sike]

Originally Posted by rmacomic

Could you find another word for ball, as a married man, I miss mine.

Rep

[Kante]

[Jack.Kerr]

Originally Posted by iella

As a woman and an athlete, it irks me that men use "vagina" in a derogatory way. I don't want to get up on a soapbox and derail this thread, but I'd appreciate it if you guys could be a little more considerate and find a term that equally disparages both genders. If you want evidence that "vagina" doesn't mean wussy, incapable, or weak-willed, I'd be happy to kick your ass any time.

Originally Posted by iella

....

The point is, anybody can be offended by anything if they have an agenda to be offended. Sure, we can treat some insults as being better or worse than others, but someone walking around with a huge group-identity chip on their shoulder (because they're white, or black, or straight, or gay, or liberal, or conservative, or atheist, or religious, or any other part of their identity that they've been taught gives them privileges to take special offense and accuse others of persecution) is going to take offense at pretty much anything you say.

The solution: if you can't say nothing nice, don't say nothing at all. Alternatively, grow a pair and don't try to give out what you can't take yourself.

Just don't say vajayjay.

[b_o_r]

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

At least you don't have pieces of it routinely sliced off for no good reason, so I wouldn't complain.

You need to read the news more. In many regions of the world they do slice pieces of female genital for stupid reasons.

[ribosoma]

I must admit that there is no way I could have predicted the way this thread has gone. From Kaman to gender-specific insults to genital mutilation. New members are probably sucking their thumbs, in the fetal position, while hiding under their bed after reading this thread... only at D-M.com