Welcome back, JJ Barea!

[rimrocker]

Any chance this is why we might want to keep an open roster spot?
We know how much RC loves this kid.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap...Sign-With-Mavs

[LonghornDub]

According to Stein, this is going to happen. I'd assume the Mavs will let Mekel go.

[Melonhead]

would rather the Mavs cut gun-toting-flabby-arms than Mekel.

[G-Man]

Be honest Mavs fans. JJB was never a great player for us except in the 2011 playoffs. We ended up playing 2 teams that did not have anyone quick enough to cover him. He killed the Lakers because Derrick Fisher was 40 years old. Before that he was mostly inconsistent. I love him because without him, we don't win the championship. Starting him against Miami was one of the riskiest, smartest coaching moves in an NBA Finals of my lifetime, and I turn 60 today.

But do I expect him to be a lot of help now, when all the teams we need to beat are stocked with young, quick guards? Not really. If Carlisle wants him, I'm ok with it, but its not like I'm jumping for joy.

[xrobx]

I'm jumping for joy. Bring the champ back.

[LSMF]

Didn't JJ complain about lack of playing time in Minny? So how is he supposed to be fine with potentially being the 3rd or 4th string PG on this team? Nelson is the starting PG, Devin is his backup, which would leave Barea battling with Felton for 3rd string minutes. How is this supposed to work?

[Kante]

Not exited about that possible move.

[Sportstudi]

Originally Posted by Kante

Not exited about that possible move.

Me neither. I remember quite well how many of us complained about him in the regular season. And not only in 2010-11, but also before. A complete black hole on defense, very often overdribbling and unable to find the open man, preferably Dirk. In the playoffs he was meh against Portland, very good against LA (well, a 40y old Fisher as your opponent helps), okay vs. OKC and good vs. Miami. A decent playoff run in total, but basically he caught the lightning in a bottle at the right time. He can be useful, I'm not going to deny that, but by now basically every NBA team should know how to handle him.

[Itay]

there is any chance that he will replace Felton?

[sike]

Happy BDay, G-Man!

[sike]

On JJ, who's minutes does he take? Bc I hate the idea of him taking minutes from Aminu. Don't really like the idea of him taking minutes from RJ.
Don't care about him taking minutes from Felton.
Don't care about him taking Mekel's spot/minutes.

If he still has any game left (I admittedly didn't watch the Wolves much), JJ can at least attack the rim and provide another great P&R partner with Dirk.

Two things Gal can't do.

[Sportstudi]

Originally Posted by G-Man

Be honest Mavs fans. JJB was never a great player for us except in the 2011 playoffs. We ended up playing 2 teams that did not have anyone quick enough to cover him. He killed the Lakers because Derrick Fisher was 40 years old. Before that he was mostly inconsistent. I love him because without him, we don't win the championship. Starting him against Miami was one of the riskiest, smartest coaching moves in an NBA Finals of my lifetime, and I turn 60 today.

But do I expect him to be a lot of help now, when all the teams we need to beat are stocked with young, quick guards? Not really. If Carlisle wants him, I'm ok with it, but its not like I'm jumping for joy.

Happy Birthday G-Man!

[Kante]

Would that mean that Harris would be the full-time back at the 2 maybe?

[dude1394]

I thought in 2011 jj finally got it. He greatly reduced his pounding of the ball, his 3pt shot really was solid after a tough first month.

I think most complaints and I was sure one of them came from prior seasons. All that being said if he's a replacement for Felton I am on board. He will be a big upgrade over mekel.

I don't know what this says about Devin as point, maybe a failed bit, I don't know.

But I certainly wouldn't jump through hoops to get him but I expect mekel to be gone either way. Either now or as soon as Felton returns. Mekel is just meh at best.

[Popeye]

Here's how I see our PGs -- Nelson > Harris > Felton > JJB > Mekel. So if we're swapping out Mekel for JJB, then that's an upgrade. My only complaint would be if Carlisle starts using him more than he should, which I think is likely to happen.

[stoble]

I think this indicates Rick is not satisfied with our backup PG's. (Felton / Mekel). Have they played poorly so far this preseason?

[dirt_dobber]

Dirk likes him and that's good enough for me. Dirk said some very flattering things about JJB when he left. He is tough and took a lot of charges. Nice change-up pitch to throw out there. Fierce competitor.

[dude1394]

I wonder if deep down Carlisle doesn't think Felton is really bought in weight wise or rehab wise. It would have been a great benefit if felton could have gotten back on the court in a limited capacity to serve his 4 game penalty. Now they have to hang onto mekel until they see if Felton is worth a durn. At least what, 15 games from now?

[Popeye]

Originally Posted by stoble

I think this indicates Rick is not satisfied with our backup PG's. (Felton / Mekel). Have they played poorly so far this preseason?

Felton has been hurt and is also due a 4 game suspension. Mekel hasn't played bad, but he's a limited player who is a borderline NBA talent. I think the Mavs would like to trade Felton so they can clear cap space for next year, so that's one possible motivation for this move, but more likely it's just them being opportunistic and upgrading the bottom of their roster (JJB > Mekel).

[dude1394]

The only thing that seems to put a crimp in this is I expected mekel to be gone as soon as Felton was back on the court. Now if they want that extra roster spot they have to find it someplace else. Mekel they just cut, jjb after signing here I don't know and Felton isn't going to be just cut I don't think. At least not soon.

That leaves ledo/Charlie v/ and smith as the cutees. I don't like any of those cuts because we are already midgets in the backcourt.

[rimrocker]

I have a feeling he will take Felton's spot one way or another as primary backup PG.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Mavs shop Felton during the season.
Not sure what Milwaukee's situation will be but I'm wondering if they would have any interest in a Felton/Wright/Crowder for Sanders deal later in the year. They'd save a ton of money and we'd sure up our center position for this season and beyond.

[spreedom]

Something I think a lot of folks are forgetting is that JJ isn't and never really was a PG. Now it's true that in Carlisle's system, guards (and wings in general) don't really have defined positions, I would say that JJ is a guy who would be playing next to Devin more often than he'd be taking his minutes.

I would be okay with signing Barea and waiving Mekel, I guess, but honestly the move doesn't excite me that much. Barea is great if you can give him 20MPG and free reign to drive and create chaos, but I don't see where those opportunities come from on this roster if everyone's healthy. Combine that with the fact that Dirk and Tyson (one season) are the only guys on this roster that have played with JJ... I honestly think I'd rather just keep Mekel, who has played with all of these guys and was showing some growth and value during the preseason. Maybe if we replaced Felton instead, I'd be cool with it, but to cut bait on Mekel, who we've invested a lot of time in, just to bring back Barea, who might not really have a clear role here... I don't know. I wouldn't absolutely hate the move but I wouldn't be that excited about it either.

[jthig32]

Jody Genessy ‏@DJJazzyJody 22m22 minutes ago
Some non-Jazz NBA news: The Dallas Mavericks will sign point guard J.J. Barea and cut Gal Mekel, per a source.

.

[EricaLubarsky]

Interesting.

Nelson/Harris/Felton/JJB is deep and none of those guys are young guys that can spend time in the D-league to help get the roster to 13 active.

[EricaLubarsky]

Who is inactive?

First 10 games
1) Felton (injury/suspension)
2) Ledo (inactive, then D-league when that starts in mid-Nov)

After that if we don't have injuries
1) Ledo (D-league)
2) ??

The nice thing about a 15-man roster is that the two inactive spots can be used for D-leaguers who are developing, but with the exception of Ledo, our whole roster is older vets. It's nice to be able to go 14 deep with vets, but it's going to mean that if we're healthy, a veteran (Charlie/Felton/Crowder) is going to have to be inactive.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Interesting.

Nelson/Harris/Felton/JJB is deep and none of those guys are young guys that can spend time in the D-league to help get the roster to 13 active.

How many guys can suit for a game?

Nelson/Barea/Felton
Ellis/Harris/Ledo
Parsons/RJ/Crowder
Dirk/Aminu/CV
Chandler/Wright/Smith

Who will be the odd guys out outside of Ledo?

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Who is inactive?

First 10 games
1) Felton (injury/suspension)
2) Ledo (inactive, then D-league when that starts in mid-Nov)

After that if we don't have injuries
1) Ledo (D-league)
2) ??

The nice thing about a 15-man roster is that the two inactive spots can be used for D-leaguers who are developing, but with the exception of Ledo, our whole roster is older vets. It's nice to be able to go 14 deep with vets, but it's going to mean that if we're healthy, a veteran (Charlie/Felton/Crowder) is going to have to be inactive.

You answered my question while I was typing

Felton is obviously the odd guy out. PG is the deepest position but he is a pretty damn good insurance player to have. Hate to see Mekel go but on the wrong team at the wrong time for what we are trying to accomplish.

[sig]

I don't really care how the Mavs juggle the roster spots of Felton, CV, and Mekel. Due to Felton's contract, I suspect he is guaranteed to stay for trade purposes. My biggest concern is is Tyson has an injury. I like Wright just fine as a backup with the 2nd unit but don't really like the prospects of him starting at center with the 1st team for an extended period. I don't really care if we bring in JJ to replace Felton or CV or Mekel but can find a backup at center for insurance to a Tyson injury. Sarge was not the answer and that is why he is not here. He may return if that injury happens and the Mavs haven't filled the void. Pacers just lost George Hill for 3 weeks minimum. Felton for Ian?

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by sig

I don't really care how the Mavs juggle the roster spots of Felton, CV, and Mekel. Due to Felton's contract, I suspect he is guaranteed to stay for trade purposes. My biggest concern is is Tyson has an injury. I like Wright just fine as a backup with the 2nd unit but don't really like the prospects of him starting at center with the 1st team for an extended period. I don't really care if we bring in JJ to replace Felton or CV or Mekel but can find a backup at center for insurance to a Tyson injury. Sarge was not the answer and that is why he is not here. He may return if that injury happens and the Mavs haven't filled the void. Pacers just lost George Hill for 3 weeks minimum. Felton for Ian?

Yeah, center scares me the most, but I think that Wright will always be the bench guy, because he plays so well with Harris.

When healthy:
Chandler/Wright/Smith

If Chandler were to get injured:
Smith/Wright

But yeah, if Chandler were to get injured, we'd be really thin and we'd probably need to have Charlie or Dirk cover the center spot if Smith got in foul trouble or if Wright was getting destroyed.

[Skywalker]

Pity. I like Mekel

[Vinsanity]

I'm sorry but anyone saying they'd rather have Mekel over Barea has lost their mind. Barea is clearly the better player with playoff and championship experience. Plus he has a great relatiobship with Carlisle and Dirk. I'm not saying everyone should be jumping for joy over this signing, but it's a clear upgrade. Mekel may be younger but we're in win now mode, and Barea gives us the best chance to win NOW.

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by sig

I don't really care how the Mavs juggle the roster spots of Felton, CV, and Mekel. Due to Felton's contract, I suspect he is guaranteed to stay for trade purposes. My biggest concern is is Tyson has an injury. I like Wright just fine as a backup with the 2nd unit but don't really like the prospects of him starting at center with the 1st team for an extended period. I don't really care if we bring in JJ to replace Felton or CV or Mekel but can find a backup at center for insurance to a Tyson injury. Sarge was not the answer and that is why he is not here. He may return if that injury happens and the Mavs haven't filled the void. Pacers just lost George Hill for 3 weeks minimum. Felton for Ian?

Completely agree with you sig and I've felt that Mihinmi would be a perfect fit. Whithey is another but I doubt a young team like Pelicans would let him go.

It would take more than Felton to get Mihinmi but a 2nd rounder and Smith would certainly have a chance. I'd also even consider Wright for Mihinmi straight up.

But my bet is that Mavs will certainly be looking for a center trade by the middle of the season.
I still say Felton/Wright/Crowder for Larry Sanders when Milwaukee starts to fall apart.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by Vinsanity

I'm sorry but anyone saying they'd rather have Mekel over Barea has lost their mind. Barea is clearly the better player with playoff and championship experience. Plus he has a great relatiobship with Carlisle and Dirk. I'm not saying everyone should be jumping for joy over this signing, but it's a clear upgrade. Mekel may be younger but we're in win now mode, and Barea gives us the best chance to win NOW.

Thing is, I think Mekel is at his peak. He's only a second year guy in the NBA, but he's reached 90% of his potential. He's a good defender and playmaker with good size for the PG spot. He's just slow on the drive and can't slash very well.

JJB on the other hand is short and can't run an offense, but he is a tremendous player off the drive, particularly when Ellis is sitting and we've seen the team go completely flat without a quick guard to confuse the opposing defense. We've already seen our team go cold when against a zone defense and Ellis isn't in to break it.

Anyway, I like getting JJB, but I think people are just underestimating Mekel's development. He's not a highschool prospect-- he's a 26-year-old who has reached most of his potential. The only limiting factors for him are shooting (which he's working on) and athleticism (which may never come)

[sig]

Originally Posted by rimrocker

Completely agree with you sig and I've felt that Mihinmi would be a perfect fit. Whithey is another but I doubt a young team like Pelicans would let him go.

It would take more than Felton to get Mihinmi but a 2nd rounder and Smith would certainly have a chance. I'd also even consider Wright for Mihinmi straight up.

But my bet is that Mavs will certainly be looking for a center trade by the middle of the season.
I still say Felton/Wright/Crowder for Larry Sanders when Milwaukee starts to fall apart.

I don't really want to get married to the Sanders contract. There will be several FA centers next summer. I'd probably rather have Ajinca from the Pelicans than Withey.

[LonghornDub]

JJB has plenty, plenty of flaws. But he is way better than Mekel. No brainer.

[Underdog]

Welcome back, little man?

[rimrocker]

Originally Posted by sig

I don't really want to get married to the Sanders contract. There will be several FA centers next summer. I'd probably rather have Ajinca from the Pelicans than Withey.

I'm not crazy about his contract either but you have to admit that a Chandler/Sanders/Smith center situation is about as good as it gets.
And unless Ajinca has gained about 50lbs Withey would be the better for what we need.
I just cringe at the thought of losing Chandler this season. Without a shot blocker with some size as a replacement this team will struggle to get wins against average and better teams.

[EricaLubarsky]

Maybe at the trade deadline, but we only have waiver wire and free agent guys available right now and no roster spots.

I think we'll have a lot of guys playing well in our system by the trade deadline and could see flipping Charlie/Felton/Crowder for a B/C-level center for insurance in the playoffs.

[rimrocker]

I think this had a lot to do with Barea's ability to hit 3s over Mekel's ability to hit them. Nelson is the only one of our guards who has a better 3pt average than Barea. JJ will help spread the floor for Ellis, Parsons, Jefferson and others to work....perhaps to somewhat make up for the loss of Calderon.

[yahyes]

Carlisle helped mold JJ into something special back in 2011. Now he has him back as a seasoned vet. Bring him in! I'll live without Mekel.