7/23 ESPN Insider - Lots of Mavs notes (a Raef trade in the works ?) and the 4 way trade...

[OutletPass]

Brandon key to reported blockbuster deal
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Wednesday, July 23
Updated: July 23
12:01 PM ET


How ironic is this picture? In the midst of all of the press conferences where newly signed free agents sit, crisp new jersey's in hand, talking about chemistry, championship banners and being a (insert team name here) for life -- the yin to the NBA's yang is finally starting to catch up.


Latrell Sprewell
Guard-Forward
New York Knicks
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
74 16.4 3.9 4.5 .403 .794



Remember when Glenn Robinson was going to be the guy who solved all of the Hawks' problems? Or how Keith Van Horn was misunderstood in New Jersey and had finally found a home in Philly? Or how T-Wolves vice president Kevin McHale once claimed he'd never have eyes for Latrell Sprewell?

For every happy marriage being consummated in the NBA, there's a messy divorce lurking in the shadows.

It didn't take long for the messy details to begin to spill in after ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher reported that the T-Wolves, Knicks and Sixers had agreed to a trade Tuesday night.

There were denials, finger pointing and a whole cast of other unsavory characters trying to get in on the real trade trophy of this offseason -- Terrell Brandon.

Brandon is expected to retire in February, meaning that his $11.1 million salary this season will come off the books. That's a huge potential savings to a team like the Hawks, who are desperately trying to get below the luxury-tax threshold. The Heat and Pacers were also interested in Brandon.

Glenn Robinson
Small Forward
Atlanta Hawks
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
69 20.8 6.6 3.0 .432 .876



Bucher reported that the the Knicks would send Spree to the T-Wolves, the T-Wolves would send Brandon to the Hawks, the Hawks would send Robinson to the Sixers and the Sixers would send Van Horn to the Knicks.

The deal as reported doesn't conform to NBA collective bargaining agreement guidelines that stipulate that the salaries of players involved have to be within 15 percent plus $100,000 of each other. The problem is that the Wolves are sending out only $11.1 million but have to take back Spree's $13.5 salary in return.

However, various other reports have Minnesota adding center Marc Jackson to equation. If Jackson goes to Philly, the salaries should all fit.

Keith Van Horn
Forward
Philadelphia 76ers
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
74 15.9 7.1 1.3 .482 .804



As of late Tuesday night, though, everything seemed in flux. The New York Daily News, citing a person close to Knicks president Scott Layden, reported that the four-team trade was off but that the Knicks and Sixers were committed to getting a deal done. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that the T-Wolves had already heard from other teams trying to sweeten the deal for Brandon. Several reports had the Pacers trying to stay in the picture for Brandon. They must find a way to clear enough cap to make room for free agent Brad Miller. And the Newark Star Ledger is reporting that the Knicks may also send Kurt Thomas to the Kings for Keon Clark.

Got all that? It appears that the silly season in the NBA is back.

None of the involved parties seemed to be willing to discuss the trade. Four-team trades are highly volatile and chances of things falling apart always appear to be high.

"I can't really say anything," Wolves owner Glen Taylor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "We haven't done a trade."

"It's premature," Hawks GM Billy Knight told the Atlanta Constitution Journal. "We are talking about a deal, but no deal is a done deal until the deal is done."

"Nothing is planned," a Knicks source told Newsday. "It hasn't been agreed to. A lot of things are proposed."

If the deal does go through today as reported, it will put the Spree trade watch on hiatus for the first time in years. Spree has already been traded in the media a dozen times and, implausibly, seems to pop up in almost every trade scenario to rumored out there.

What we do know for sure is that the Knicks are serious about trading Spree and they're dead set on taking Van Horn in return. Knicks head coach Don Chaney likes Van Horn because of his shooting range and offensive rebounding. But most importantly he has size. Spree (at 6-foot-5) has been playing out of position in New York for years. Numerous reports claimed that the Sixers and Knicks are committed to working out a trade, even if the four-team trade falls through.

The Spurs also had reported interest in Spree and there were several reports Tuesday night (denied by Mark Cuban in e-mail) that had the Mavs also interested in getting into the Spree fray.

What is less clear is why the Sixers would be willing to take back Robinson in return for Van Horn. Robinson does have one less year on his contract, but after that the return is negligible. Robinson is a terrible defender, has struggled to fit in with his teammates in Milwaukee and Atlanta, and doesn't address the team's biggest need -- center. Adding Jackson (who played his collegiate ball at Temple) will help.

A better deal for Philly might be to ship Van Horn to New York for a combination of Kurt Thomas and Charlie Ward. Ward has only $2 million in salary protection for this year, meaning that the Sixers could immediately clear $4 million in cap room. Thomas is the type of low-post bruiser the team needs. The Knicks could then turn around and ship Spree to Minnesota for Brandon and Jackson. That move would give the Knicks another big body and it would clear $11.1 million off the books next year.

Around the League

Lamar Odom is in Miami today trying to get an offer sheet from the Heat. From all accounts Odom wants to play in Miami and coach Pat Riley is love. So what's the hold up? A couple of things. First, Odom is looking for a deal that averages at least $10 million a year. That's six years, for $60 million, if you do that math. Second, because the Clippers are also interested and are giving signals that they'll match, he's also leaning toward a shorter contract. A three-year, $30 million deal would work for Odom (and likely scare off the Clippers who were offering three years for $24 million), but at a starting salary of $9 million a year, would the Heat balk?

Furthermore, the Nuggets and, to a lesser extent, the Spurs have also shown interest. However, don't be surprised if San Antonio tries to get back into the picture. Now that the Spurs appear to have lost out on their chance to land Sprewell, the team may get more serious about Odom. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are in limbo until they hear back from Brad Miller.

Odom's options really ruined their chances of landing Gilbert Arenas as well. The Clippers weren't sure exactly how high they could go in the Arenas bidding war until Odom signed an offer sheet or agreed to a deal with the Clips. With all of the interest in Odom right now, his agent wasn't going to jump at the first offer on the table. Secondly, the Clippers would have had to trade at least one player (either Keyon Dooling, Quentin Richardson or Chris Wilcox) to get far enough under the cap to sign both Odom and Arenas.

What all that does mean, however, is that the Clips were willing to lose Arenas in order to keep Odom. That should confirm what Insider has been reporting all year, that re-signing Odom was a top priority for the Clips this summer.

Anyone else notice that with Arenas rolling into town the Wizards' backcourt is awfully crowded? In addition to Arenas, the Wizards have Jerry Stackhouse, Larry Hughes, Juan Dixon and rookies Jarvis Hayes and Steve Blake. That's half the team. And, with the exception of Blake, five of those guys will be demanding plenty of playing time. Assuming Stack and Arenas play 40 minutes a game, there are just 18 minutes left for Hughes, Dixon and Hayes. Hayes will also compete with Jared Jeffries for minutes at small forward and Stackhouse can play the three in certain situations. That still won't be enough to make Hughes and Dixon happy.

GM Ernie Grunfeld said that he won't shop Hughes, leaving Dixon as the guy who probably is the odd man out.

Grunfeld confirmed as much when he discussed acquiring Arenas. "He is someone we targeted right away," Grunfeld told the Washington Post. "You put him with Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes, and that's a backcourt that's quite formidable."

You have to be impressed with Grunfeld's immediate impact in Washington. Under the old regime, it's unlikely the Wizards could've gotten their act together and wooed a free agent of Arenas' caliber. Now, Grunfeld has a promising young player at all five positions. If new head coach Eddie Jordan can find a way to motivate Kwame Brown, the Wizards could finally have something they really haven't had in years -- real hope.

The Warriors moved quickly to replace Arenas with Speedy Claxton on Tuesday. His agent, Bill Duffy, denied a report in the San Antonio Express News that Claxton was still willing to rejoin the Spurs if they'd match the Warriors' three-year, $10 million offer.

Speedy Claxton
Point Guard
Golden State Warriors
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
30 5.8 1.9 2.5 .462 .684



According to Duffy, Claxton could have made more money in San Antonio or Utah, but he preferred the starting opportunity available with the Warriors.

"He's made his commitment to Golden State," Duffy told the San Francisco Chronicle. "He loves the way they play and he wants the responsibility of having his own team to run. It's a great fit."

Warriors GM Garry St. Jeans seemed happy with the consolation prize. "You had a big, strong, powerful, quick and fast point guard that was explosive," St. Jean said of Arenas. "Now you're getting a diminutive one who's extremely quick, who really has a good assist-to-turnover ratio, who really flourishes in an open game."

The team has also received encouraging signs from second-year player Jiri Welsch. Welsch had a dominant summer league in Los Angeles and can swing to the point when needed. The team also still has Bob Sura, who can play the point. However, despite the sugar coated statements by the team, the loss of Arenas is a major, major blow.

Rarely do point guards come along with the size and explosiveness of Arenas. Coach Eric Musselman knew this early into last season and begged St. Jean to start clearing cap then so that the Warriors could re-sign Arenas. St. Jean wasn't convinced that Arenas would get an offer for more than the mid-level exception, nor did he think he wanted to leave the West Coast.

The Wizards' six-year, $65 million deal should not only mean the end of the short Arenas era in Golden State but also signal the demise of St. Jean. Where there is no vision teams never prosper. It's tough to see the Warriors doing a repeat of last season without Arenas running the show. With so many teams in the West getting considerably better, someone inevitably has to get worse. That team looks like it could be Golden State.

The Sacramento Bee is reporting the Kings have been talking with the Pacers about a sign-and-trade for center Brad Miller. "We have been having a few more interesting discussions in the past couple of days," GM Geoff Petrie said. "Where and if they might lead to anything, I can't tell you." According to the Bee, the deal would send Hedo Turkoglu and Scot Pollard back to Indiana.

James Posey's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Insider Wednesday morning that Posey has signed a 4 year, roughly $24 million dollar offer sheet with the Grizzlies. That works out to the full mid-level exception. Ironically, Posey is being brought in to replace another of Bartelstein's clients, Michael Dickerson. Dickerson is still recovering from a sports hernia injury and the Grizzlies are unsure about his future. The Rockets have insisted in the past that they'll match any offer up to the mid-level exception for Posey. However, the Rockets are facing a luxury tax penalty and may be loathe to incur the penalty for Posey.

Who would've thought two weeks into the free-agent process that the Mavs would be left standing without a significant addition to the roster? Owner Mark Cuban has made pitches to just about everyone, but in an abrupt departure from previous seasons, no one seems to want his money. The latest Mavs strikeout went down Tuesday when Robert Horry agreed to a two-year deal with the rival Spurs.

That leaves Elden Campbell, Derrick Coleman, Tyrone Hill and Predrag Drobnjak as the best big men left on the board for Dallas. Only Hill fits the description of what Dallas is looking for -- a rugged low-post bruiser willing to do some dirty work in the paint.

Raef LaFrentz
Forward-Center
Dallas Mavericks
Profile


2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
69 9.3 4.8 0.8 .518 .682



Instead, the Mavs may have to try to swing a deal to get a player like that. They've been dangling Raef LaFrentz (he can't be traded until July 31) but no one seems to be buying. The Heat might have had interest in swapping Brian Grant for LaFrentz had they landed Elton Brand, but now they're unlikely to move Grant. The Knicks seems willing to part with Thomas, but it's unclear whether they'd really be willing to take LaFrentz in return. A deal of Thomas and Othella Harrington for LaFrentz would work under the cap. A LaFrentz-and-Evan Eschmeyer-for-Antonio Davis deal also isn't out of the question.

Summer Love

Good news Blazers fans. Zach Randolph and Qyntel Woods are averaging 51.3 ppg for their team through their first three games at the Rocky Mountain Revue. Woods had 37 points and 12 rebounds in a game on Saturday and a 27-point, seven-rebound game on Tuesday. With Scottie Pippen ready to retire with the Bulls, he's got a great chance to get more minutes in Portland this season. "Right now, Qyntel is certainly a guy who will get minutes," coach Maurcie Cheeks told the Oregonian. "And as his minutes increase, he will get better. But he has to become consistent." Randolph is also making a case for himself. He scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on Tuesday. Under certain scenarios Randolph and Rasheed Wallace will play together this season.

Bulls rookie Kirk Hinrich has struggled mightily in his first few games in Utah. Hinrich is averaging 5.5 ppg on 22 percent shooting from the field. However, he's still shown enough flashes to make the team impressed. On Monday Hinrich went 1-for-12 from the field, but the one make was a 3-pointer that gave the Bulls the victory. "I want to help this team get better," Hinrich told the Chicago Tribune. "Right now I'm just trying to get comfortable in the triangle and in this style of play. I expect to contribute and I expect to play well. There are going to be nights when I feel like I can't score, but I can always play a good floor game. That's what I want to bring. This team has people who can score. I want to be a general, as tough as that is as a rookie. That's what a point guard has to be."

Suns rookie Zarko Cabarkapa is averaging 18.3 ppg and 7.8 rpg through his first four games at the Rocky Mountain Revue. The Suns have been impressed with Cabarkapa's basketball IQ and his ability to be in the right spot at the right time.

It took him a few games, but 18-year-old Maciej Lampe is starting to look like the star the Knicks thought he was when the drafted him on draft night. Lampe recorded his second straight 17-point game at the Rocky Mountain Revue on Tuesday. The catch is that this time Lampe finally got to the glass, pulling down 11 boards. He was also 3-for-5 from behind the arc. The big question is whether he'll be on the Knicks' roster this season. Lampe's team, Real Madrid, has already replaced him on its roster and according to sources, they've already come down off their $2 million buyout request. If the Knicks can address some of their other needs via trade, they'll be more likely to use their mid-level exception money to help him buyout the rest of his contract.

[mattyd]

Maybe I've been too quick to bash Cuban. Perhaps he is dilligently working the phones.

Also, OP (and everyone else that posts Insider stuff) - THANKS! For those of us that don't pay for these services, we appreciate it!

[Dooby]

Yes OP, thanks as always for unlawfully sharing copyrighted material. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[JoshHoward5]

Antonio Davis? Fine with me. It's that or nothing basically.

[one long blue sock]

Antonio Davis is a good player, but is still a step in the wrong direction.

It has come clear to me that the Mavs have basically no chance of winning the championship, or even 60 games. San Antonio staying the same, Sacromento getting Miller, the Lakers and the Wolves getting whole new players, Yao and Amare developing on already stocked teams.

The Mavs don't need to be getting old players. They need to get younger players, like Amare so the window of opportunity will fit when Dirk is in his prime.

Antonio Davis won't bring that, but it doesn't look like we would get him anyway.

[MavKikiNYC]

Originally posted by: one long blue sock


It has come clear to me that the Mavs have basically no chance of winning the championship, or even 60 games. San Antonio staying the same, ...

Actually, it sounds like SA may be bringing Hedo to Texas.

Antonio Davis is a good player, but is still a step in the wrong direction.

But when you're walking on thin ice, you might as well dance.

[one long blue sock]

[quote]
Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC

Originally posted by: one long blue sock

But when you're walking on thin ice, you might as well dance.

Its not smart to make a move to get Antonio Davis just to make a move, Davis is getting older, and more unhealthy. In this case dancing would sink you faster.

[Jeremiah]

Originally posted by: one long blue sock
They need to get younger players, like Amare so the window of opportunity will fit when Dirk is in his prime.

I've seen this posted several times, and I just can't agree. Dirk IS in his prime; he's 25.

[AnMan21]

I tend to agree. I think Dirk is in his prime as well - but keep in mind, being in your prime is not a one season ordeal. He'll be in prime for another four or five years. His PPG will continue to improve, but only because the players around him will continue to decline. I don't think this comes from "reaching" his prime. And the fact is, he's not going to improve on the defensive end because he doesn't show the slightest bit of determination there. His nickname ought to be "Ole" because all he does is skirt out of the way like a bull fighter.

[Big Boy Laroux]

the slightest bit? have you watched any games?

[AnMan21]

Yeah, I watch all the games and the fact is Dirk should hold a red cape out there on the defensive end. He's always a step slow and lollygags around. Dirk is not going to be a great defensive player because he has no desire to be one.

[Big Boy Laroux]

ok, "lollygag" is the LAST word i would ever use to describe ANY aspect of Dirk's game.

[AnMan21]

Are you honestly trying to argue that Dirk isn't a horrid defender? The man can play mad offense, but on defense he's a liability. He's too worried about picking up fouls that he rarely makes an aggresive play on the man he's guarding. I admit, we need him to stay in the game and not foul out to pick up the O, BUT that doesn't mean he can't pick up 4 or 5 fouls in the course of a game. A man that's 7 feet tall and only picks up 2 fouls a game on D is not a man working hard on that end, period. Against all popular belief, Dirk is not and will not be the best player in the league in the coming years.

[Jeremiah]

I argue that he is not a horrid defender. He is not a very good defender, but not horrid. Sure, there are times when he pivots out of the way, but there are also times when he picks off passes.

[AnMan21]

ok, horrid is a little harsh - but still, he doesn't show the type of determination it takes to be a great defender, and at this point, that's all he needs to prove on. He's at his peak and will stay there for the next 5 years unless he gets his heart into improving his D.

[Jeremiah]

I'd agree with that. I'd also say that there are not many NBA players, maybe 10, and I'll go as far as 20 before I start asking for a list, that put the effort into being great defensively. Heck, there aren't many that show the effort to be good defensively.

[Fah Q]

I have to argue with anyone who says Dirk is a horrible defender, he might not be great on D but I think everyone has taken his lack of D out of proportion. I was really impressed during the playoffs when Dirk would switch to a PG on pick and rolls and play good D on the PG. Not to mention he still might not be one of the best in the league but I honestly question who on the Mavs other than Raja and TAW are better on D than Dirk. How can you average a block and one and a half steals per game if you are horrible on D.

[Bayliss]

Only one of 15 players that average a block and a steal a game. And before anyone quotes "numbers don't equate to defense" let me throw back to you:

If steals and blocks do not matter on defense why is it guys like AI (leader in stealsm and Christie (same thing), and guys like Ben Wallace (leader in blocks) get on the all defensive team? Only one of those guys is a good one on one defender: Christie.

[jayC]

Id be for the lafrentz and Esch for Davis. Davis has two more years left on his deal. Id even be for bringing thomas here without messing with the core.

Nash
Finley
Howard
Dirk
Davis

Thats a pretty good frontline. Add to the fact howard's wingspan is 7 feet 2 inches the mavs would be really long and perfect for the zone. I mean keith van horn's albatross contract can be traded so can raef's. Add Coleman to the mix not bad collection of front court players.

[Big Boy Laroux]

i think anman is too busy listening to the talking heads on tv rip dirk's d and not paying attention to "all" the games he watches...

[AnMan21]

Hey man, I'm just saying that for a guy with all the offensive ability as Dirk has he needs to play with that same fire on the defensive end - that's the only way for him to improve his game now. On the O he wants the ball, he makes cuts, he moves around, but on D he doesn't play with that same intensity. It's like the half court line zaps his energy or something. A block a game at 7 feet is not impressive. Get me two or three. Don't be such a pushover when the opposing 4 is backing him down. And DO NOT take a page out of Bradley's book and keep this flopping crap! The only reason I rag him so much is because he is capable of SO much more without even scoring! Every player on that team would pick up their level of intensity on D if Dirk would start - that's called being a LEADER. And if everyone wants to build around Dirk, then he better damn well step his game up on both sides of the court and lead!

And Big Boy...if you're gonna rag on my opinions why don't you back your comments up with something that shows you've put a little thought into the subject! Quit bringing this:
the slightest bit? have you watched any games?
ok, "lollygag" is the LAST word i would ever use to describe ANY aspect of Dirk's game.
i think anman is too busy listening to the talking heads on tv rip dirk's d and not paying attention to "all" the games he watches

[Bayliss]

Hey man, I'm just saying that for a guy with all the offensive ability as Dirk has he needs to play with that same fire on the defensive end - that's the only way for him to improve his game now. On the O he wants the ball, he makes cuts, he moves around, but on D he doesn't play with that same intensity. It's like the half court line zaps his energy or something. A block a game at 7 feet is not impressive. Get me two or three. Don't be such a pushover when the opposing 4 is backing him down. And DO NOT take a page out of Bradley's book and keep this flopping crap! The only reason I rag him so much is because he is capable of SO much more without even scoring! Every player on that team would pick up their level of intensity on D if Dirk would start - that's called being a LEADER. And if everyone wants to build around Dirk, then he better damn well step his game up on both sides of the court and lead!

How many blocks did KG have last year? Less than 2. Why does Garnett have so few blocks? Simple: he guards people that play 15 feet away from the basket. The farther away from the basket. The harder it is to obtain blocks. Dirk (in Nellie's sytem) has to guard a lot of people 20 feet away. He is always being matched up with someone on the perimeter. How many times do you see Duncan switched off on a guard and having to try and "hold his own?" Never.

And when Dirk does guard people in the post, he does a very adequate job. He guarded Vlade the best out of any of their big men.

[one long blue sock]

Originally posted by: AnMan21
And the fact is, he's not going to improve on the defensive end because he doesn't show the slightest bit of determination there. .

Dirk gets 1 block per game and a 1.4 steals per game. I know stats arn't everything, but he has increased those stats every year. Every off season he goes to Germany to work on a part of his game that needs fixing, every year the things he works on get better. I wouldn't say that he isn't determinated, he has come a very long way, on both ends of the floor.

[AnMan21]

Vlade averaged 13 points a game in 25 minutes. That's close to 24 points per 48m average - some D. I know Dirk didn't guard him that whole time but still. The only point I'm trying to make is the Mavs need him to play with more intensity on D and lead this team. The turn around on defense starts and ends with Dirk's efforts, he's the leader.

[asola]

I think Dirk is an adequate defender. He's a better team defender than one-on-one defender but he works harder than you give him credit for, Anman. He can't really be put in the same category as Bradley or, if we want to compare forwards, Glenn Robinson or even Abdur Rahim.

[one long blue sock]

Well if your talking about in the playoffs, Webber was injured so Vlade had alot more shots, and I'm not sure Dirk guarded him anyway.

[AnMan21]

If you find adequate good enough then fine. I for one feel like adequate is a word used by losers. He is never going to be the best, but nobody should settle for adequate, not fans, not a professional athlete. As long as he remains "adequate," the Mavs will always be a bridesmaid.

[one long blue sock]

Well i don't think he is "settled" with being adequate, he goes to Germany every off season to work on defense mostly. This year he went down to Germany to work on passing, and defense. He is working real hard, and will get better.

[Big Boy Laroux]

the fact that i would never use the word "lollygag" to describe dirk is showing that i have put thought into discussing his abilities. Dirk is one of the toughest, most active players in the NBA. How do i know this? by watching games. by seeing him come back into a game after getting his tooth knocked out. by the coaches practically having to fight him to keep him off the court when he's hurt.

and bayliss, right on. dirk is constantly guarding players his PF counterparts do not. hell, when we play the wolves, KG (whom people tout as a great defender) does not guard dirk. but on the other end, dirk is constantly having to switch and matchup with players of all abilities.

on the other side of the coin, we rely on dirk for a majority of our offense. i have no problem if he lets up lightly on d. this is the nba. EVERYONE lets up on D. could dirk improve on D? of course, everyone can. but i am by no means disappointed by his defense.

as for the blocks. the league leader had about 3.2. and you want dirk up in that same area? dirk doesn't play close to the hoop, as most shot-blockers do. in addition, dirk is not quite the leaper that most shot-blockers are.

last but not least: i have never insisted you stop with your passe "dirk is bad on D" argument. so don't tell me to stop replying. and i stand by my statement. it sounds to me like you hear people call him "irk" and roll with it from there. saying dirk is a bad defender is like, so 2 years ago.

[asola]

Originally posted by: AnMan21
If you find adequate good enough then fine. I for one feel like adequate is a word used by losers. He is never going to be the best, but nobody should settle for adequate, not fans, not a professional athlete. As long as he remains "adequate," the Mavs will always be a bridesmaid.

That's just a nasty way to look at it. Adequate could mean he's not a "good" defender but he's trying and he's not bad. The trouble with the Mavs is they need interior defense, but that's Bradley's and Lafrentz's fault, not Dirk's.

[AnMan21]

Dirk is the leader of this team, period. He needs to lead by example, period. He improves his defense and shows it everytime down the floor and every member of the team will step up their defensive efforts. It'll improve the defense of the team without adding or subtracting anybody - and then this team is better than the rest. Look, I love Dirk - it just makes me mad to see a guy with all this potential not capatilze on it...especially since it's my team! If V.Carter wants to piss his talent away then that's fine with me - he doesn't play for the Mavs. I live and die Dallas sports and this is the closest the Mavs have come to getting to the promise land, but the defensive effort they show 80% of the time is not enough. In '88 the Mavs took a superior Laker team to 7 on shear determination - I watched it. That's the kind of effort I want to see out of them at the defensive end. But it starts with the leader. I'm not Dirk bashing: Nash, Finely, NVE, etc...they're all bad at D - it's the mentality of the team (win the game on the offensive end). I rag on Dirk because I think it's his team to lead going forward. Surely I'm not the only one that can tell the difference on the defensive end when they've got their heads in it. That's the kind of effort they need to show game in and game out! They do that and nobody can beat them.

[asola]

OK, I get your point. I don't agree, though, I don't think Magic ever led his team deffensively, for instance. So I don't think it's such a clear cut case as you put forward, but I can see how Dirk trying to be more like Larry on the deffensive end could be a good thing, yes.

[Mavs_Rule2003]

Since Reaf cant be dealt until July 31st. I really doubt we are doing anything big before that. May be resigning raja and signing daniels is the best way to before that.

[Mavs_Rule2003]

Dirk is the top scorer and rebounder of this team. But FIn is the leader of this team still. Dirk will be a leader in few years i would say. BUt as of right now. He is developing his games. He still has upside. Now he should be thinking more about his games than to be leader of this team. When time will come he will be the leader of this team for sure.

[steponhens]

Hey, BBL, your defense that Dirk is a good defender by saying that he has to mark up people other power forwards don't have to go against is insane. It doesn't matter who he guards! If your in a position to mark people away from the basket you better be able to do it, or else your a liability to your team.

Also, when the other team is constantly attacking your weakest defender, the defender has many more opportunities to get steals. Nobody shy's away from Dirk on the offensive end of the floor, as they might against Garnett, Duncan, Brand, Wallace, Grant, and to a lesser extent, Webber.

And AnMan21, I also agree with the potential Dirk could have on D. For how agile and fluid he looks on offense he looks equally lost and uncordinated on defense.

[one long blue sock]

Originally posted by: Mavs_Rule2003
Dirk is the top scorer and rebounder of this team. But FIn is the leader of this team still. Dirk will be a leader in few years i would say. BUt as of right now. He is developing his games. He still has upside. Now he should be thinking more about his games than to be leader of this team. When time will come he will be the leader of this team for sure.

I agree that Finley is the leader, Dirk might be more talented. But Fin is more experienced, and has been with the Mavs for the longest time.

Anman, its clear that you don't play basketball yourself, if you did, you would know that only great defensive players like BIG BEN, or Ron Artest can lift a team just from defense. On defense you arn't led by someone else's performance, defense is not played by one person, but everyone.