Dallas Mavericks Draft: The Skinny on Shan Foster

The more I read draft day second-guessing and draft-day grades handed out, from everyone from ESPN to Fox to a billion other sites, the more I am on board with the Shan Foster pick.

The draft wasn't all fun and games though. I wasn't happy that the Mavs didn't pick up a first round pick. You're telling me cheap-ass Memphis wouldn't have sold Cubes a pick? A pick they could've used on the Superintendent (Chalmers), or Chris Douglas-Roberts.

(You heard the Superintendent nickname here first, I've been calling him that since 2006, and it's time to finally get it out there. it's a great nickname if I do say so myself)

Here are the few reasons why I like the Shan Foster pick:

The basket is the same in college as in the NBA. It's still a metal circle (cylinder?) with a net on the bottom. The skills required to throw a 29 oz. leather ball into that circle don't change, the size of the hands blocking them do, however.

There is always a place in professional sports for people who do one or two things better than almost anyone else. You think Bruce Bowen is an All-Star? Hell no. But does he contribute to a winning (although I hate them) team? Yes, because he can guard the best player, and even occasionally knock down a three ball.

I'm not too sure of Foster's defense, but he's got the shooting part down, and if he can manage to play some good D, well then, we've got something haven't we?

It never hurts to have a sniper. I figure, if you've got a dead-eye shooter, what are the worst and best case scenarios?

Worst case? Something along the lines of Wally Szcerbiak/Brent Barry. Sure, he'll never be the best (or fourth-best) player on your team, but if you've got enough people that can penetrate (Jo-Ho, hopefully Gerald Green, maybe even J-Kidd), and can swing the ball around, it's good to have a dead-eye shooting from the outside. Just ask the Spurs.

There's a reason they tried so hard to get Barry back from the Sonics after Kurt Thomas was gift-wrapped for them.

Best case scenario? Probably Ray Allen. Known for most of his career as a primarily outside threat, teaming up with KG and Pierce rubbed off on him, and now he can penetrate (just ask Sasha Vujacic) and play some good D, and now he's got the bling to show for it. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a slasher and a lock down defender to teach him on the Mavs, but maybe he can make do.

Middle of the road scenario (therefore the most likely)? Kyle Korver. While the Mavs don't have a banger like Boozer to force defenders into the lane, Dirk's fade-away still gets enough attention to draw double-teams, and call me crazy, but the less threes that Devean George (assuming he comes back) and/or Eddie Jones take, the better my blood pressure will be.

Finally, the last reason to get excited for the Shan Foster era? A cool nickname: Sugar Shan (remember, its pronounced Shane). I can see myself screaming that as he's shooting the lights out over the Celtics in the 2009 Finals. Or maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

And if he doesn't pan out? Let me be the first to hop on the "Splenda Shan" bandwagon.