After what many Dallas fans found to be a complete disaster in the playoffs last season (losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round), the Dallas Mavericks may be sitting on their hands entering the All-Star break.
Two legitimate West contenders, the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, are knocking on the San Antonio Spurs' front door.
Where do the Mavericks fit in?
Unfortunately, they don't, as of the beginning of February.
Although it's true that the Mavericks are bobbing and weaving for that division lead against the surging New Orleans Hornets in the Southwest Division, it's also noticeable that they have done little to nothing to improve their chances at a title for the 2007-2008 season.
Rumors that Mark Cuban showed interest in Shaquille O'Neal may have forced the Phoenix Suns to trade Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for the aging center. But even if this move proves to be a devastating blow to the Suns' run-and-gun offense, the Mavericks are still left out, struggling to keep up with the Lakers, Hornets, and Jazz—three of the hottest teams out West at the moment.
However, if the rumors stand true, there's a chance Dallas may be going after that missing piece, and there are plenty of options out there for the Mavs to consider.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Jason Kidd, who wouldn't mind packing his things and heading to Texas, would be perfect for the Mavericks. With the ongoing experiments of Avery Johnson and moving Jason Terry and Devin Harris in and out of the lineups each night, it's obvious that the Mavs are looking for answers.
Kidd's court vision will most certainly be appreciated by both Dirk Nowitzki and his running mate, Josh Howard, but Dallas' pure shooters will have no problem being on the receiving end as well. New Jersey needs to get out from under his contract, Cuban wouldn't mind dishing out the cash, but giving up Devin Harris could very well be the straw that breaks the camel's back in this proposed deal.
Nonetheless, Jason Kidd in Dallas needs to be considered.
You can't help but wonder what would happen if the Mavericks grew interest in shooting guard Vince Carter. It may never be a topic on any message board with their fans, but bringing in an explosive guard allows the Mavericks to tinker with Terry and Harris as point guards, restricting them to that position only.
However, you're looking at another trade with New Jersey, who would probably shoot for Harris once again, but a trio of Dirk, Howard and Carter could reach the Western Conference Finals.
If no guards are on their wishlist, a possible trade to bring in a defensive center would be nice. DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier aren't going to cut it in May, and if you can find another big man who can score as well, Cuban has to chase him down.
A prospect would be Charlotte's Emeka Okafor, who doesn't seem excited in an offense that gives him fewer touches than he expects. Marcus Camby has been rumored to be on the block as well, but I don't see Denver assisting the Mavericks, especially by giving them a great defensive-minded player. Jermaine O'Neal may not be the problem-solver this season, but what about next year?
The truth is, Dallas has to step up their game, and that isn't referring to their play with their current roster.
Catering to the league's current MVP is a must; Dirk has been loyal to Dallas since the Milwaukee Bucks traded him for Robert Traylor (and you thought the Gasol trade was terrible).
The old saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
It's time for Mark Cuban to join Mitch Kupchak and Steve Kerr, and take a shot at a disgruntled superstar player.
Visit OTRBasketball.com for more articles and basketball discussion.
comments (5) write a comment »
write a new comment
9 months ago
you're a moron, no wonder noone's reading your stupid article. Mavs are having hard time keeping up with hornets, jazz and lakers? Have you lost your mind you imbecil. Last i checked Mavs have 2nd best record in the west, only .5 game behind the Suns and guess what our starting PG and our 6th/7th man Jerry Stackhouse have both been out 2 weeks. What in the world are you talking about. You so called experts are talking about brining Kidd to Dallas, i have no problem with that, i like J Kidd, i still think he's the best PG in the league, but and a big but to give up half of the damn team for him? NOT WORTH IT. Sure Mavs haven't won anything, had two playoff failures, but who has won something? You and all of other experts do realize that since 2000 there have been only 4 teams, 4 teams to win NBA titles Two of those teams have 3 in that span .yes 2005 -2006 was the one that got away, but don't worry i guarantee you, before it's all set and done, Mark Cuban
9 months ago
Injuries happen. The Dallas Mavericks put on a show last season, where some of us even thought they'd get close to toppling the Bulls' 72-win season, if you remember right (we were all in panic mode with Boston this year, also).
You guys were tossed in the first round because you didn't have a defensive-minded point guard that could stop Baron Davis. Devin Harris is decent, but he's not Jason Kidd.
You can insult me all you want. The truth is, Dallas can't, and won't, get it done with what they have right now.
9 months ago
What you forget to mention in this are the reasons why Phoenix traded for Shaq,... Steve Nash is 34, Grant Hill is 35, Raja Bell is 32, and Brian Skinner is 32. Phoenix will only have this (or maybe next) season to win a championship with this roster. I'm not soled on the Marion-for-Shaq trade, and only time can tell if that was a good trade or not. Just because the Lakers traded for Gasol doesn't mean that they will be the best in the league, but it does mean that they (maybe) can start playing like they did before Bynum got injured, and that they maybe will be the best team in the Pacific division.
And for Jason Kidd,... He is not worth $20 million/per year, and he is not worth to trade for if Dallas can't get him for practically free; it is NOT worth trading away the future of Mavs for one player who might be able to play 1 or 2 more seasons. Devin Harris is the quickest point-guard in the league and can guard the fast players,... Jason Kidd can guard bigger and stronger point-guards like Baron Davis, but Jason Kidd can't play defense to save his own life. That's why the Mavs signed Eddie Jones and Trenton Hassel, to play defense on bigger stronger guards. No team in the league has made a trade so good that the Mavs can't handle with it. They believe in their roster, and they are most likely to give this roster one more chance to prove themselves in the playoffs, but if they don't go all the way this year, we probably will see some key-players be traded, players not named Harris, Howard, and Dirk.
9 months ago
Nice article Brandon. For the most part I agree. But, Dallas' first round exit last season wasn't a collapse. It wasn't because they played bad or didn't have the right personel. It was simply a matter of conflicting styles. Golden State creates matchup problems for every team they play. Their frenatic style has caused many defenses to look silly. If you think running with Phoenix is bad, try 48 minutes of Warriors-pace basketball. While it wouldn't hurt Dallas to make a move to give them a surge going into the playoffs, it isn't absolutely necessary either. Dallas will be fine. Golden State will be the 8th seed if they make the playoffs, and Dallas is not going to be number one, so the two will avoid each other and Dallas should easily make the second round. However, its gonna take a special team to win the west this year and at this point, your guess as to who that team will be is as good as mine.
from 9 months ago
Well, sure, it was indeed about conflicting styles. That collapse I'm speaking of isn't exactly the Mavericks not being able to win, but the inability to adjust.
This is why it relates to the two trades made by the Lakers and Suns recently. Los Angeles has beefed up their frontcourt, having three seven-footers up front (Odom is nearly at seven), which allows us to play big. However, they are versatile bigs, and they can run the floor like deer.
Phoenix did something a bit different, by bringing in someone they can dump into the post and watch him bang down low. I'm definitely not a fan of that (I've got another article on the Suns deal), but the idea is there: the ability to adjust to the West's variety of teams is more important than how many all-stars you can place on a roster.
I'm a little worried that Dallas will find a way to play Golden State, because I don't think the Suns will play well at all with O'Neal, and the Warriors could topple them in seven.
write a new comment