Offseason NBA Thoughts...Mostly About My Beloved Mavs - Adendum Added!

ADDENDUM!!!
* Of course, an hour after I write this, the Spurs make a huge trade, sending Francisco Obierto, Kurt Thomas, and Bruce Bowen to the Bucks for Richard Jefferson.

Sigh...this is a fantastic deal for the Spurs. The Spurs get everything they need: younger, more athletic, and add another good scorer. They lose almost nothing: Obierto spent most of last season in Pop's doghouse (even though I think he's still a good backup center), Kurt Thomas is past the point that he should have started slipping dramatically due to his age, and to say that Bruce Bowen is a shadow of his former self is the understatement of the year. He is all but completely done.

Of course, this was a cash deal. This takes the Spurs out of the 2010 Free Agent sweepstakes, but since Jefferson is better than anyone they could probably get anyway this was an excellent use of that money. The Bucks get the cap space they will need to resign Charlie V and Ramon Sessions (totally fucking up my "Sessions to the Mavs" plan below. Damnit.) after failing to win with Jefferson.

Not only does this give the Spurs their best SF since Sean Elliot, but the Spurs now finally have some insurance for the inevitable Manu Ginobli injury. The only downside is this leaves the Spurs a bit thin at PF/C. Don't worry; I'm sure they'll pick up whichever one of the backup PF/C I listed below that the Mavs had a chance of getting. God I hate the Spurs and their excellent efficiency.

So anyway, Spurs fans should be thrilled right now. Bucks fans, you'll continue to suck. Enjoy.

* First of all, it's being fairly widely reported that the Celitcs offered Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen to the Pistons for Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rodney Stuckey. Furthermore, it's supposedly the Pistons that turned this down.

This is one of the stupidest trades I've ever heard of in my entire life.

Let's look at the Celtics first: you're offering Rajon Rondo--without question a top ten point guard in the league, and arguably a top five--and Ray Allen, the greatest pure shooter who was your MVP last season while still being dynamite in the playoffs. Now granted, you may only have Ray Allen for one more season. Supposedly, there are some attitude problems with Rondo--even though everything I've ever heard is how Ray Allen took him in and taught him to be a terrific teammate, and I've never seen anything on the court that makes me think he has attitude problems--but nothing major for sure. Still, though, these two make up one of the best backcourts in the leauge, unquestionably.

The Pistons, in return, are offering Richard Hamilton--slightly younger than Ray Allen, but also an inferior player--Tayshaun Prince, a good--not great--small forward who still has some good years left in him but whose best years are certainly behind him, and Rodney Stuckey, your young guard who showed a glimmer of promise playing as the 9th man his rookie year, but has done little since then, including crapping the bed pretty much completely when given the reins to run the team after the Chauncey Billups trade. On top of that, this is a group of players who played with the same group of guys for years, and once that group was broken up have been nothing but shadows of their former selves since.

In conclusion, this is so ridiculous I don't even think it's true. This is a classic early 90's Peter Vescey, "Let me put on my smoking jacket, light up my pipe, sit down at the computer and just MAKE SHIT UP for my next column" trade. If it were true, Danny Ainge would deserve to be immediately fired for proposing such a ludicrious trade, and Joe Dumars would deserve to be fired for turning such a steal down. And it's not about contracts people: Hamilton has an AWFUL contract, and Stuckey is up to get a new deal about the same time Rondo is.

This is just awful.

* Some quick hits on the draft since I don't know who half of these players are: Is it just me, or is Haseem Thabeet just a slightly taller Stromile Swift? Good luck with that one Grizzlies...I do think Ricky Rubio is going to be an All Star, though I think he'll be like Steve Nash in that he's great on offense and AWFUL on defense his whole career...If Blake Griffin can't turn around the Clips, no one can...here's my list of mid to late first round picks who I think will be good--but not great--pros: Gerald Henderson (I hate to bet on a Dukie, but I think he's a poor man's Grant Hill, and he plays good D), Dejuan Blair (he's in the Big Baby Davis mode, though, of he needs a team with strong leadership because he could eat his way out of the league; if he stays in good shape, though, he'll be a great bruiser/Rodney Rodgers type of player), Ty Lawson (I think he is much better than advertised, and am praying that teams are dumb and he slips to the Mavs), Darren Collison (again, love it if he slips to 22), and, shockingly, Tyler Hansbrough (look, he's not going to be great. But he can be Nick Collison: a good backup PF on a good team, or a decent starting PF on a bad team).

* Make no mistake, Orlando Magic: if you don't resign Hedo Turkoglu, you are fucked. Well and truly fucked. He's your best passer, your best ballhandler, and by far your most clutch player. You must keep him. It's as simple as that.

And yes, I'm very intrigued as to what the Blazers would look like with him on it...

* Finally, and most importantly, what do the Mavs need to do this summer?

Lots...but not as much as you think.

As we discussed, the Mavs played surprisingly well last season, especially considering all the questions/issues they were facing going into the season. Here's the cleanup from last years Mavericks that needs to happen:

* Let Jason Kidd go. Don't even waste time trying to sign him. He's going to go to a contender to try to win a title. He's going to make too much money, and there are already too many holes in his game that are only going to get bigger. Thank him for his service, wish him luck, and good luck to the Cavs or Lakers wasting $6mil a year on him (however, with all their cap space, I think he would be a good investment for the Blazers...). Unless you have a good sign & trade on the table for him, don't waste your time.
* Resign Brandon Bass...but not for too much. Brandon Bass is one of the toughest Mavs, and one of the few guys who want to get down and take the ball to the hole. He didn't play as well as I though he was going to this season, but he came on strong at the end of the year when it counted. I'd sign him for 3-5 years anywhere from 5-7 per. NO MORE THAN THAT, THOUGH. There isn't a huge market for him, so don't waste a ton of money on him. Get him for a fair price, because he's a great sixth or seventh man but he'll never be a starter.
* Try to trade Josh Howard...but do it quietly. If you can move Josh Howard--even for $.75 on the dollar--do it. But do it for the right kind of player: a hard worker who plays good D and takes it to the hole. That's what you want in return for him. He doesn't have to be as talented, but if you can do that and get a first round pick next year, do it. Don't be fooled by him playing well at the end of the season: Howard is still an overrated moron.

The biggest asset the Mavs have is money: Cuban has it, and is willing to spend it. Since we're approaching an offseason where A) the owners are scared to death about losing money in this economy, and B) everyone is saving up for the summer of 2010, the Mavs might be the most attractive free agent stop in the league. Does this mean they need to go get a big hitter? Not at all. But there are several players who are available that the Mavs should take a good look at.

* Matt Barnes, SG/SF. I've been begging the Mavs to pick up Barnes since he helped beat them in the Golden State series in 07. Barnes is a terrific player who is both a good shooter and a good penetrator. He's also got a mean streak that the Mavs desperately need. Even better, since he's kind of weird looking (he's pretty tatted up) and fairly outspoken, he doesn't command a huge salary around the league. He should be Priority #1 for the Mavs because he fills a good need, he's cheap, and he's very gettable.
* Chris Anderson, PF/C. Every Mavs fan knows who Birdman is after the playoffs. Birdman is another player who fits exactly what the Mavs are looking for: an athletic big who plays good D and goes to the rack. Anderson would be a great compliment to Dirk, as Dirk handles the scoring and helps rebounding, and Anderson does the dirty work. I still think he will be fairly cheap as his past drug use will scare some teams away. His biggest drawback is that I think Denver really likes him and is willing to pay up for him; his gettability is fairly low. Still, I'd definitely bring him to town and wine him and dine him.
* Ramon Session, PG. Obviously by losing Kidd, the Mavs MUST acquire a point guard this offseason. Sessions had a great season for a disappointing Bucks team and would be a good fit here. His getability is good because for some reason Scott Skiles likes Luke Ridnoir as much as Sessions even though Sessions is twice the player. However, his cost might be high--there is a market for him. If the Mavs don't get a good PG in the draft, and they probably won't, then Sessions should be a big priority for them.
* Trevor Ariza, SG/SF. I called Ariza as the key to the Lakers last season; he did a great job of proving me right this season when he finally got healthy. I'd love to see Ariza here, but I doubt he will be leaving LA. If LA is dumb, though, and focuses on signing Lamar Odom, the Mavs should pounce.
* Jamario Moon, SF. An excellent defensive and rebounding small forward who is great taking the ball to the rack and has no jumper whatsoever. That's okay though, as the Mavs have too many people who like to shoot jumpers. Moon is a restricted FA with the Heat who have already made a qualifying offer to him, essentially letting teams know, "Yeah, unless it's insane, we're going to match it." Still, if the Mavs could make something work (sign and trade with Kidd, maybe?) he is a player definitely worth it as long as you don't break the bank.
* Grant Hill, SG/SF. Hill would be a nice consolation prize if you can't get any of the players above. I wouldn't do any more than a three year deal, and I definitely wouldn't pay the full midlevel for him. Try to sell him on a "coming home to retire" deal if you can.
* Raymond Felton, PG. Point guards who can't shoot a lick aren't high on my list. However, as I mentioned, the Mavs are desperate for a point if they let Kidd go. I do think Felton is good at running a team, I don't think his price will be too extravagant, and I think he is done in Charlotte. He's a decent option if your other plans at PG fail.
* Allen Iverson, SG. There aren't many teams left that I think Iverson would be a decent fit for...but I think the Mavs could potentially be one of them. First, the Mavs need another scorer to take pressure off of Dirk, and need a guy willing to take it to the hole. That's Iverson to a T. They also need someone who can guard smaller, quicker guards. While Iverson has never been a great defender, that is the one player he is decent against. Ironically, this would work best with Kidd on the team: Kidd plays point on offense with Iverson at the 2. On D, though, Kidd guards the slower, bigger and stronger two guards or small forwards, Howard guards the quicker of the SG/SF, and Iverson guards the PG.
This scenario has almost 0% chance of happening, since Kidd and Iverson would both want too much money that they're not worth anyway. It is an interesting scenario to consider though...
* Francisco Elson/Channing Frye/Joe Smith, PF/C. Look, I like Ryan Hollins. Seems like a nice guy. Obviously very excited to be here. Works his ass off whenever he's in the game. But if Ryan Hollins is your backup PF/C...you've got problems. Picking up one of these guys on the cheap would be a great move for the Mavs.

In my perfect world, Howard gets traded. I really don't think that's going to happen though. So in my semi-realistic perfect world, the Mavs resign Bass, and sign Barnes, Session, and Elson. If they were somehow able to get Anderson instead of Elson, I would be dancing through the streets naked in joy. That gives the Mavs a starting lineup of Sessions, Barnes, Howard, Nowitzki, and Dampier. Terry is the first guard off the bench, and Antoine Wright is in his good role as a backup SG/SF. Bass is the backup PF that allows the Mavs to go small with Dirk at Center when need be. Elson is the backup C that allows the Mavs to stay big when they need be.

Can that team beat the Lakers? No. But they've got a damn good chance against anyone else. And if Kobe gets hurt or the Lakers fall apart because they don't like each other, then it's anyone's game.

Good luck to the Mavs on Thursday. And remember kids...the NBA...it's FANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTASTIC!!!!!!

The End of the 2009 NBA Season

I honestly don't know how I feel about this NBA season.

On the one hand, I'm happy, because it was a good season without a ton of scandals or tanking.

On the other, the continued horrendous officiating showed that the promised improvement to the league's ills are still a long ways away.

On the one hand, the level of overall competition was better, with the East being more competitive and even a couple of the really bad teams (like OKC) were still very entertaining.

On the other, watching teams either position themselves for the summer of 2010 or shed money due to the economy was depressing, and definitely hurt the game.

On the one hand, the Mavs finally won a playoff series since David Stern decided that they would not win the 2006 NBA title, and played well in the second round.

On the other, it was painfully obvious that the Mavs are no longer the contender that they once were.

On the one hand, we got an exciting picture of the future of the NBA, as Lebron led the Cavs to the best record in the league.

On the other, we saw that the bad guys sometimes do win as Kobe and Phil won the titles that propelled them into an even higher elite level.


It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

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Once again, the Orlando Magic proved that three point shooting teams live by the three, and die by the three. I knew the Magic would beat the Cavs in the second quarter of Game 3, after Cleveland had jumped out to another 20 point lead--but then Rafer Alston got hot. By the time he banked in a three as the shot clock expired to cut the lead to ten with a few minutes left before the half, I just knew. "If shots like that are going in," I thought, "it's over. They're hot enough now that the Magic are going to take this series."

"And there is no way they are going to win the next one."

Sure enough, I was right. Orlando shot an ungodly 47% from the three point line against the Cavs, and buried them. In fairness to Stan Van Gundy, they probably wouldn't have stayed hot enough to beat the Lakers anyway--three point shooting teams just don't work that way. But SVG killed any chance of that happening when he decided to play Jameer Nelson. The Magic/Lakers series was over before it began; one thing a coach should never do is screw up his team's momentum, and he did precisely that by turning away from his currently hot emotional leader (Alston) and replacing him with his wildly overrated and undersized point who hadn't played in over three months. This killed Alston's momentum, which in turn killed the team's momentum. Frankly, I'm surprised the Magic were as competitive as they were. And no, I cannot believe that I just wrote an entire paragraph naming Rafer Alston as the key to the NBA Finals. But that's the thing with momentum and three point teams: you never know what exactly is going to make them tick.

This led to two things: Kobe getting his fourth ring and--most important--first title post-Shaq, and Phil Jackson becoming the coach with the most rings in NBA history.

I won't go into Kobe. Anyone who reads this knows my dislike of him. I'll proudly admit that I wanted him to go down frustrated, and not being able to win a title on his own. Oh well. The thing that really frustrates me is the double whammy of Kobe winning and Phil getting number 10.

Does anyone like Phil Jackson? Oh sure, everyone respects him. He can be very funny at times. But does anyone really like him? Is it a coincidence that statistically the best coach in the history of the NBA only has one Coach of the Year award?

Look, Phil Jackson is not a bad coach. He's not an average coach. And I give him full credit for being able to manage players possibly better than anyone in the history of the league. That being said, however, I subscribe to the theory of "show me a title where you don't have three of the top ten players in league history playing for you". It's not Phil's fault that he's played with great players...it's just that, yes, it is easier to win with Michael & Scottie and Shaq & Kobe. You SHOULD win with that.

So when you add the smarmy, smarter than everyone zen attitude he always has, and add the way he fairly openly insulted Red Auberach at the end of his life because Phil liked his coach with the Knicks better than Red, then no, I'm not a big Phil Jackson fan, and hoped that he would end his career without passing Auberach as the coach with the most rings.

I think that's why, in the end, I'm disappointed in this season. Phil likes to say that the Spurs first title doesn't count because of the strike-shortened season. I feel like two people who don't deserve the extra validation got their careers validated because teams were too afraid/cheap to make the moves they normally would to improve during a season, and because a stereotypical three point shooting team got hot against the team that should have won and then cooled off against the team that did win.

Oh well. It is what it is.

Congrats to the Lakers on winning the 2009 NBA championship.