Mavs register interest in Kings' Martin

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

The thing with Iggy is that while he's clearly not in Martin's class as a scorer, and I don't believe that he's a guy you can look to to carry the scoring load on a consistent basis, history suggests he'd be capable of giving the team at least something in the range of 18 ppg on 55% true shooting, even if he didn't see an uptick in his scoring efficiency playing with Kidd and Dirk.

That, by itself, would help given how poorly (and little) Josh has been playing. But Iguodala (unlike JHo and Martin) is an outstanding passer at the SG/SF spots, and because of that I think he'd help the Mavs get more out of the weapons that they do have.

And as much as I do favor balance, Iguodala is also in a class by himself (among those floated in rumors, at least) on the defensive end. The Mavs' defense has been less suspect than their offense in general, but they still have room to improve in that area and he would help there.

All that said, I think I could still be talked into Martin being the guy the Mavs should focus on, because he is an incredibly gifted scorer, if it weren't for the injury history. It's just so important to be able to count on your top guys being available. Josh's inability to stay healthy (or perhaps his unwillingness to tough it out) has just killed his usefulness to this team, and I'd hate to see that happen with the guy the Mavs get to replace him.

Good stuff. The injuries are absolutely a concern. And Iggy is absolutely a very gifted passer. I just question how much that helps with the way the Mavs run their offense. (Although I suppose I should give Carlisle enough credit to expect him to be able to adjust to the talents of a new swing man).

The prospect of pairing two defenders that elite on the wings is certainly interesting. And make no mistake, I would absolutely be excited about obtaining Iguodala. But the prospect of pairing two of the most efficient scorers in the NBA together makes me all tingly.

[dalger]

Originally Posted by jthig32

Good stuff. The injuries are absolutely a concern. And Iggy is absolutely a very gifted passer. I just question how much that helps with the way the Mavs run their offense. (Although I suppose I should give Carlisle enough credit to expect him to be able to adjust to the talents of a new swing man).

The prospect of pairing two defenders that elite on the wings is certainly interesting. And make no mistake, I would absolutely be excited about obtaining Iguodala. But the prospect of pairing two of the most efficient scorers in the NBA together makes me all tingly.

Both players would certainly help us and I'm not sure whose skills I'd want more on our team. The thing that makes me really uncomfortable as far as Martin is concerned is the amount of injuries he's already had. This is going to be his second consecutive year with more than 30 (!) DNP's due to injuries. Three seasons ago, he missed 21 games. Despite being a fairly young player, he hasn't been able to stay healthy for years now. Not to mention that he's never had to play well over 100 games a season as the result of an extended playoff run. How will his body react to that kind of pressure? Winning an NBA title these days is pretty much dependent on the respective team's health. Missing the second-best player or scorer could be almost impossible to overcome. The Celtics at full speed are a great team and definitely a contender, but not if Paul Pierce or Ray Allen were to miss a playoff series with an injury.

Martin's potential is great, but potential only helps when it's available. That's why I'd prefer Iguodala. He might not be as good a scorer as Martin, but he's still good and can also help offensively without actually scoring due to his great passing. His rebounding is very good and he can play some serious defense. Kidd, Iggy, Marion and Damp on the court at the same time could turn every opponent's offensive work into a nightmare. And with Iguodala instead of Josh, we'd be a better offensive team anyway.

I like both players, but Iggy's durability and Martin's injury issues are the difference maker for me. I'd also like the potential addition of Dalembert much more than someone like Nocioni.