Bleacher Report - Articles by Alex McVeigh

Dallas Mavericks Finding Sucess Outside The Box

Alex McVeigh — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:27:01 -0500

The first month of the NBA season can be called a success for the Dallas Mavericks. Besides a slip-up on opening night and a loss to the six-deep Warriors, the Mavericks have done everything they needed to do on the court, and their second place standing in the West is a testament to that.

Simply put, these Mavericks aren't repeating the mistakes of teams past (yet), in that, they're showing up for every game.

With the exception of the opening night loss to the Wizards, the first Spurs game, and the trip to Cleveland last weekend, the Mavs have been in a position to win every game, which is more than can be said for last year, when they required frantic, sometimes historical, comebacks to beat teams like the Timberwolves.

And throughout it all, the Mavericks have dealt with more than there fair share if injury and illness, as Josh Howard, Shawn Marion, Erick Dampier, Drew Gooden, and Quinton Ross have all missed time due to injury.

Notice how that list includes their three big free agent acqusitions, as well as their starting small forward and center.

So, how have the Mavs been pulling it off? Well, it's simple: players are evolving past their usual games, and the results can be seen in the win column.

For better or worse, the likes of Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, and Drew Gooden have been pigeonholed into certain types of players.

But each of these players have added new aspects to their game, and it's wreaking havoc on opposing teams, as it's tough to gameplan for weapons like the Mavs have.

Shawn Marion: From Run-and-Gunner To Low Post Threat

We all remember Shawn Marion as playing foil to Amare Stoudemire during the Suns' heyday, whether it is finishing with an athletic dunk or nailing a corner three.

As far as his tenure with the Raptors and Heat...well...I sure don't remember much, do you?

But this year, with the Mavs, I've seen Shawn Marion with another dimension to his game. He's griding down low, and giving us all a glimpse of some pretty good chops down there.

He's posting players up, often players who have a significant size advantage over him, and he's doing it successfully.

The Mavericks haven't had a player with a good low post game in a long time, as Erick Dampier can barely finish dunks, and certainly doesn't have the moves to outwit anyone down low.

Marion's quickness and reach make up for his lack of size, and he's often able to spin around people to get an easy look, something that had no place in Mike D'Antoni's system.

And the numbers don't lie. Although Marion's aren't eye-popping, he's back to shooting over 50 percent, which he hasn't done since his last full season in Phoenix. He's also shooting less, making way for the real weapons like Terry and Nowitzki, giving Marion the energy to focus on his defense.

Jason Terry: From Instant Offense To Scourge of the Passing Lane

We all know Jason Terry is able and willing to adjust his game to his team's needs. Move from point guard to shooting guard? Done. Come in off the bench? Done and done.

So we know Terry can shoot the ball, it's what he's made a career of. But he's also getting a little defensive, in a good way.

Maybe he's learning from Kidd, or maybe the team's focus on defense has re-ignited his sticky hands, but Jason Terry has been downright nasty when it comes to causing turnovers in the backcourt.

Kidd has always been proficient when it comes to steals, but he lacks the horizontal speed and finishing ability that Jason Terry has.

Terry's steal numbers are the highest they've ever been on the Mavericks, and before that he was playing primarily point guard.

The Nets, whatever flaws they may have, are a fast team, but watching Jason Terry, get his hands into the passing lanes, create the steal, drive it down, and finish is something I was hoping to see from Shawn Marion, but not Terry.

After all, Terry is usually the player you put in when you're ready to cede a defensive edge for the sake of putting points on the board.

Terry has also been using his quickness to get around picks faster, and is contesting shots more.

Now, he's clearly not a defensive stopper by any means, but the fact that he's becoming less of a liability, while also shooting better than he has since the 2006-'07 season, means that Terry is an integral cog in keeping the Mavs machine up and running.

Dirk Nowitzki: From Dead-Eye Shooter To Low-Post Defender

We all know and love Dirk's game. Shoot the ball, from anywhere, at a 50 percent clip. Good, great, gotta have it.

But Dirk's also been getting a little grabby this season, and the man who was once nicknamed 'Irk' (no 'D') is starting to get a little tougher down low, and it's helping the Mavs win games they might not be able to otherwise.

Take the OT win over the Spurs a few weeks ago. We know Dirk dropped 41 points. But when Drew Gooden fouled out with 30 seconds to go, and Dampier still sidelined with an illness, who was going to take on Tim Duncan, who had scored 22 points with someone pushing him around the whole game?

Enter Dirk Nowitzki, who kept Duncan scoreless through the overtime period, instead forcing him into 0-for-3 (with no shot further than eight feet), while scoring 11 points of his own. Game, set, and match.

Like other members of the Mavericks, Dirk has toughened up defensively, and while he's no world-beater, it's a new dimension to his game, and one that clearly isn't hampering his ability to score.

Dirk is averaging more than a block and a steal per game for the first time since 2004-'05, and he's doing it in almost a minute less on the floor.

With Dampier back and healthy, Gooden not likely to foul out too many more times, Dirk's low post defense is going to help the Mavs in the long run, especially when he needs to be out on the floor against bigger lineups like the Lakers or Nuggets.

Drew Gooden: From Brick Factory To the Low-Post Player the Mavs Have Dreamed of

Close your eyes. Picture Drew Gooden, launching brick after brick from the baseline, often from as far as 15 feet. What jersey is he wearing? What is his facial hair style? There are many answers to the first question. Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings.

But the most important part about that one is what jersey he's not wearing. The glorious blue and white of the Dallas Mavericks. Because Gooden just isn't taking those shots any more.

Instead, he's a double-double, put-back, tip-in, offensive rebounding machine that possibly took over Drew Gooden's body during the course of the summer.

When Gooden started the season out with his usual knuckleheadedness (yeah, that's a word), and then Damp was taken out of commission, the Mavericks looked as if their low post was about to become a dam on the brink of exploding, overflowing with opponent points in the paint.

Instead, Gooden came out and averaged a double-double, shot something in the neighborhood of 55 percent, and provided countless momentum boosting tip-ins and offensive rebounds to help the Mavs overcome what could have been a tough stretch.

And, from the looks of his minutes off the bench since the return of Damp, his knuckleheadedness could be gone for good (I know, it's a lot to ask, but let me dream, people).

Drew Gooden is playing like the low-post player that teams (seven and counting) have wanted when they signed him.

I was at the Mavericks-Spurs game four playoff game last season, and I saw Gooden in person. He is a monster. He looks sort of skinny on TV, but in person he is a giant, and it struck me after that that he was wasting his size with these terrible jumpers.

Well, something seems to have clicked for him this season with the Mavs, because he's getting into the paint and having his way with other teams, whether it be a true center or a forward playing center, Gooden is eating them alive.

In fact, something seems to have clicked for quite a few Mavericks this season. I don't know if it's the impending guillotine of father time coming down on their careers, if Rick Carlisle took a Tony Robbins seminar over the summer, or what, but these Mavericks look poised, ready, and willing to make a serious run this season.

And they're doing it by breaking out of the molds they've been cast into over their long careers. Whether it's Terry coming up with steals, Dirk bodying up a fellow power forward or Shawn Marion backing his man down to the basket, these Mavericks are changing, and in a good way.

And with some luck, maybe their postseason fortunes will also change in a good way.

Dallas Mavericks Submit a Masterpiece of a Quarter

Alex McVeigh — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:22:13 -0500

I'll admit it. I thought the Mavericks were going to drop it last night to the New Jersey Nets. I had a whole article written that I was going to publish yesterday about how the Mavs had no choice but to beat the Nets and make history, otherwise all the success of this young season were for naught.

Here's an excerpt:

But tonight, as the Mavericks attempt to make the New Jersey Nets start with the worst record in NBA history, it's all on the line.

And I mean it. Everything.

The hot start. The rumblings in the Western Conference hierarchy. The deep, dark dreams every Mavs fan has of a healthy Josh Howard, Erick Dampier and Shawn Marion leading the Mavericks to a stunning upset in the Western Conference Finals over the Lakers, and an even more stunning victory over the Magic or Celtics in the Finals.

It will be all gone if the Mavs don't make history tonight and send the Nets to the worst start in the history of the NBA.

Notice anything (besides the wonderful flowing prose and perfect grasp of the English language, of course)?

Yep, I had it all played out in my mind. The Mavs were going to blow this one, and it would just be another in a long line of disappointments of this franchise of late.

But alas, I didn't have to wander into incoming traffic, collapse in the shower while sobbing, or any of my other melodramatic stuff that I claim to do when my teams lose.

Because the Mavericks pulled one out. They did more than pull one out. They beat the Nets pretty bad.

After the first quarter, the game was anyone's. It was tied 28-28. Both teams went on some runs, the Nets were moving the ball well and forcing turnovers, and the Mavs were shooting well and contesting shots.

Then the Mavericks unleashed one of the finest quarters of professional basketball this world has ever seen. For realsies.

49 points. 89.5% shooting on 17-19. 10-10 from the charity stripe. Yowzas.

I know what you're saying. "It was only against the Nets, get over it."

Well, guess who only played the Nets and didn't drop that many or shoot that well? The Magic, Nuggets (though they dropped 44 in a quarter), and Celtics all failed to do so in the Izod Center.

The Magic, Nuggets, Trailblazers, and Lakers failed to do so on their own home court.

The Mavericks did it on the road, and by doing so, they proved just how unstoppable this team can be when the offense is clicking.

And here's the thing—they didn't do it in 12 minutes, they did it in less. The first minute featured a bucket by Tim Thomas, one by Devin Harris, a Dirk turnover, and a bucket by Bobby Simmons.

Even with eight and a half minutes to go, it was a two-point game. So how did the Mavericks average about five point a minute for the next eight minutes?

The Mavs spread the floor (Tim Thomas hit a three), worked on defense (Kidd rebound, fast break and Kidd lay-up), then pounded it inside to Dampier.

And while the Nets have a terrible record, they're strong down low with Josh Boone and Brook Lopez, but Dampier was able to come out strong for the game.

By using such a multi-faceted attack, the Nets weren't able to cheat on defense, and so the Mavericks were able to exploit the match-ups they were given.

The used Marion and Damp down low, Dirk, Terry and Kidd on the perimeter.

Now obviously the Mavs aren't going to shoot 89.5 percent any more this season. But they're using their weapons, and that's always a good thing.

Marion's low post game has been a revelation, and it helps the Mavericks use Dirk around the floor without sacrificing a rebounding edge.

Kidd's hands are getting very busy of late, jamming the passing lanes, and taking advantage of sloppy play. Terry is getting in there defensively, too.

Overall, it was the best you could expect from the Mavericks. A good team should pound a weaker team, and the Mavericks performed about the best beat down you can give a team in that second quarter.

Did they get a little sloppy during garbage time? Sure, but they pulled the win out and that's what really matters.

As far as being a footnote on the New Jersey Nets wall of shame? Well, we'll call that a little sweet revenge.

For Now, Jason Kidd Is The Mavericks' Point Guard of the Future

Alex McVeigh — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:22:56 -0500

This summer, the Mavs' front office repeatedly said that re-signing Jason Kidd was priority No. 1. Some (at the risk of sounding like a Kobe fan, I'll call this group the "haters") thought that it was a face-saving move by owner Mark Cuban that the Mavs had to retain Kidd's services in order to make it seem like they didn't give Devin Harris away for a year-and-a-half of disappointing basketball.

After the Mavs got into a little bit of a bidding war with the New York Knicks, they ended up offering the 36-year-old point guard a three-year deal.

It was a strange move, even for the Mavs faithful, because even though the front office declared objective No. 1 "accomplished," we still had the same point guard we had last year, nothing had changed; enter the haters.

The haters are saying that the Mavs should have let Jason Kidd go and that they should have gone after someone else; that Kidd is too old to be at the helm of a contender.

Well, those people are idiots. Jason Kidd is the best point guard the Mavs could realistically have right now.

Did I wait until Kidd had one of his best performances of the season last night against the Philadelphia 76ers to run this article to make my point seem especially poignant?

That's none of your damn business and I'll thank you to stay out of my personal affairs.

But digressions aside, for right now, Jason Kidd is the point guard of the future for the Dallas Mavericks.

Sure, we've all been wowed by Rodrigue Beaubois acrobatics and ginormous wingspan, but Jason Kidd is clearly it right now.

For those of you who think the Mavs shouldn't have re-signed Kidd, I ask you, who would be their starting point guard right now?

Last I checked, Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Deron Williams weren't on the market last season. Last I checked, Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, Ty Lawson, and Jonny Flynn were picked before the Mavs even got a chance to draft last year.

Beaubois, as gifted as he is, isn't ready to start for a contender right now and allowing him to do so, would have put the Mavs in a rebuilding mode, something that veterans like Dirk, Marion, Terry, and Josh Howard simply do not have time for right now.

I know Ramon Sessions was a hot name, but we've seen all the good he's done for the Timberwolves, when he can even get off the bench.

Anyone else that you think the Mavs should have signed? Because a trade for a good point guard would have certainly cost the Mavs a significant part of their core and they certainly wouldn't be sitting as pretty as they are right now with a piece gone.

There are several reasons why Jason Kidd is the perfect point guard for the Mavs right now:

1) He is a distributor on a team full of scorers

Sure, we've all been wowed by some of the point totals put up by Jennings, or by Harris when he was healthy last year, but the fact is, a point guard is supposed to be a pass-first guy and Jason Kidd is that to a fault.

Sure, he can't score (except for the wide-open three), but with Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, and Josh Howard, Kidd doesn't need to score. He needs to get his teammates better shots.

And that's what he does, whether in the halfcourt off the pick and roll, on the fast break, or once every blue moon on a drive and kick.

When you've got shooters like the Mavs have, you need someone willing to defer to get his teammates better looks. Better shooters with better looks equals more points. It's just that simple.

2) He's a world-class mentor

In addition to Rodrigue Beaubois, the Mavericks have J.J. Barea, who is becoming a legit backup point guard right now, no small (pardon the pun) feat for an undrafted guy who tops out at 5-11.

Barea has learned from Kidd, and you can see it when he runs the fast break, sees the passing lanes, gets open for three and even drives to the rack for the occasional layup.

I've been watching almost every Mavs game for the past three seasons now, and looking at the 2007-08, Barea and the 2009-10 Barea is like night and day. He's simply a better basketball player and Kidd is directly responsible for that.

You don't think the Mavericks had that in mind when they drafted a raw talent like Beaubois right before gunning for Kidd?

Who better to teach the young guy how to run a pro-basketball offense? Face it, Beaubois is getting the best on-the-job training that a young point guard could ask for right now.

3) Good basketball players like to play with Jason Kidd

Ask LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony or Dwight Howard, all of whom played alongside Kidd on the redeem team. People just like to share the court with him.

They like to be on the business-end of his passes, to be a cog in his offense.

And come the free agent summer of 2010, you think that's going to help the Mavs land a big fish? I sure do.

Sure, LeBron and/or Wade might be out of reach, but any free agent whose worth his salt, would love to play alongside Kidd, even a Kidd on the downside of his career.

If the players I mentioned above, the best basketball players in the world like playing with Jason Kidd, then who wouldn't want to play with him?

If I'm a smart, big-name free agent, do I want to play for the Knicks, with their terrible roster and no first-round draft pick or do I want to be fed passes in traffic for a contender? I thought so.

Now, will Kidd be the same player when he's in the final year of his contract at age 39? Probably not, but will he still be able to mentor players like Beaubois and play 10-15 minutes a game? Absolutely.

That is why despite his age and despite some fairly obvious shortcomings, both offensively and defensively, Jason Kidd is the point guard of the future for your Dallas Mavericks.

Attention Sports Fans: Get Ready To Hate Brandon Jennings

Alex McVeigh — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:50:50 -0500

Everybody loves a good story. The problem with a good story in these days of the 24-hour news cycle, is that a good story quickly becomes an old story, beaten to death by countless talking heads for hours, days, weeks.

Welcome to this world, Brandon Jennings. After getting ripped by the "experts" in the pre-draft conversations for A) Not being mature enough; B) Not having a good jump shot; and C) not being a good leader, it has taken him less than five months to become the new darling child of sports media everywhere.

And here's the rub: Brandon Jennings is a blast to watch, he is bringing back basketball in Milwaukee, and he is the most exciting rookie we've seen splash onto the scene in a long time.

Which is why it's so frustrating that he's being shoved down our throats with such alarming intensity already.

After his 55-point explosion (which is better than the hype, believe you me, I saw it live, and I was reduced to a slack-jawed yokel for most of the third quarter), it seems media outlets, particularly ESPN (always known for restraint when it comes to storylines), cannot get enough of shoving it down our throats.

We've already seen the stories for weeks populating ESPN.com, and today, it rose to a fever pitch. I logged onto ESPN.com's NBA section to see what I missed while I was in my gravy-induced coma.

Brandon Jennings is the picture on front, due to his clash with Kevin Durant and the Thunder, which is the second game of the ESPN double-header.

Side note: That was the final sign that the hype is in high-gear. How often does ESPN change its programming like that, but they bumped Phoenix-Minnesota (not that I was all that upset about missing that one) for Bucks-Thunder.

Of the five headlines on the front graphic, there's the story about the Thunder-Bucks preview.

Next, there's a J.A. Adande piece about how Allen Iverson is passing the buck onto Brandon Jennings.

Really? That's just ridiculous. I know Jennings has been impressive, but he has played in 14 NBA games. Let's hold off all this talk about passing torches, until maybe he plays a half-season, fellas.

It speaks to the media's obsession with instantly categorizing anything new as the "next (fill in the blank)."

They've been looking for the next Jordan since 1998. They've been looking for the next Isiah, the next Magic, the next Shaq, and anyone else who makes an impression.

And not only does it take away from the person who you are now trying to replace, all it does it set up expectations for that person to fail, unless they manage to climb the mountain that lies before them.

Take people like Jerry Stackhouse or Vince Carter. Good, sometimes great players, who played the game well, and had a fair amount of success.

But since they were athletic shooting guards who went to UNC, they were thought of as the next Jordan. And they're looked down upon for not fulfilling that destiny, a destiny that they didn't ask to be a part of.

Jennings shouldn't be compared to Iverson; they're two different players. Sure, they could put the ball in the basket, but Jennings doesn't have that cold fire behind his eyes that characterized AI while he was taking the league by storm in his early years.

AI doesn't have Jennings' passing skills, or rebounding skills, and he also doesn't seem to have the sense of team and the sense of the moment that Brandon Jennings has.

Brandon Jennings has been more than open about his flaws, and his mistakes, and he addresses them in a very mature manner, always vowing to fix them.

The next article on the NBA front page was titled, "Brandon Jennings for MVP."

My jaw dropped at that one too, and not in a good way. Brandon Jennings as a serious MVP candidate? For real?

Of course, you click on the page, and Brandon Jennings is ranked nine out of 10 on the list, which is probably fair, but the fact that they're blaring "Brandon Jennings for MVP" to stir up that hype machine is very annoying.

Side note: It's the same thing ESPN did when they ran a headline that Jim Kelly says Tim Tebow would be perfect for the Bills. All Kelly said in the article was that the Bills need to look at the top three quarterbacks in the draft, whether it's Tebow or someone else. That's it. Talk about a misleading headline.

The next link was for the Weekend Dime, which promised to chronicle all the buzz on Jennings.

As if we hadn't seen enough buzz already.

Now, I get that they're trying to embrace a young star, but they are really just beating it into the ground, and in record time.

And I don't know about you, but I start to resent athletes (and people, for that matter) who are overexposed. No matter how I might feel about them personally, I just get sick of hearing about them, and that in turn causes me to resent the person themselves, because it's their face plastered across all the stories.

And it's not Brandon Jennings' fault. Hell, he's just playing amazing basketball and trying to help his team win.

That's why its so frustrating to see people blown up so quickly, and now, should Jennings and the Bucks hit a skid, or Jennings has a few sub-par games, then we get to see all the stories about how Brandon was all hype, about how he was a flash in the pan, about how overrated he became.

And all he does is play basketball every day, has a good game, has a bad game.

That's why I titled this article the way I did. Because it seems like it's going to be a matter of time before I'm sick of hearing about Brandon Jennings.

But I want to watch him play, I want to learn about who he is and how he became the player he is, I just don't care about who he is the "next" of and any of that other crap.

The real catch-22? The better he is, the more sports fans (myself included) want to watch him, and the more the hype gets overblown until he cannot possibly live up to expectations.

It's a vicious cycle, but it seems like it's the only one we have now.

Kidd and Beaubois: Mavericks' Defensive Dynamic Duo

Alex McVeigh — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:00:02 -0500

The Dallas Mavericks are making a strong defensive stance this season. Previously, they lived and died by their jump shot—when it was cold, they lost; when it was falling, they won.

Instead, when the Mavericks shoot poorly, they still manage to keep it close. When their shot is falling, they're damn near unstoppable.

That being said, they still have some defensive weaknesses, namely defending quick, smaller point guards. Chris Paul and Tony Parker routinely shred the Mavericks in the playoffs.

As recently as four days ago, we saw a small-guard duo of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis decimate the Mavericks particularly in the closing period, where the Warriors outscored the Mavericks over the closing stretch by almost 20 points despite the Warriors only playing six players.

Now, its understandable that the Mavericks are going lose games that they should win. Hopefully, it only happens three or four times per season.

But the closing stretch of the Warriors game showed us that, as much as J.J. Barea is a great layer off the bench, he's a weak point defensively. In fact, teams are going to attack him over and over if he is in there at crunch time.

The Mavercks were up nine points with seven minutes to go, and then the Warriors decided to start attacking Barea. The rest, as they say, is history.

I wrote a previous article about how the fearsome foursome of Barea, Jason Kidd, Rodrigue Beaubois and Terry is helping the Mavs get things done. But now I'm going to whittle that down to Beaubois and Kidd, who really help the Mavs get things done on the defensive end.

We all know Kidd's legs have slowed down a step, but his hands are still pretty quick as evidenced by his average of almost two steals per game over his career and 1.67 steals per game this year.

Kidd also has a great body for defense for a guard, his 6'4, 210 pound frame—the same one that helped him become one of the best rebounding point guards of all time—is great for fighting around picks, as well as giving a driving defender a little bit of a bump.

He just lacks the footspeed to keep up with people like Paul and Parker.

Enter Beaubois. About 6-1, but with an amazing 6-10 wingspan and an unbelievable 40 inch vertical leap, he has the physical tools to provide exactly the kind of defense that Kidd suffers from.

Beaubois was the difference on Brandon Jennings in the OT win a few weeks ago, when Brandon Jennings dropped 13 on the Mavs in the fourth quarter.

Beaubois started the OT period and held Jennings to a pair of free throws, guarding him on two missed three-pointers, including one where he made a physics-defying block to set up Dirk's game winner.

Beaubois' combination of wingspan and footspeed help him keep up with those guards, and he can always get a hand in the face, if not a hand on the ball.

While Kidd is weak directly defending the ball, he's a great help defender. There's no reason that a competent defender couldn't force people into Kidd's waiting hands/arms to go for a steal.

Which is why the Golden State Warriors game was such a tragedy, because Beaubois could have more than likely stopped the bleeding as Curry ripped the Mavs apart in the closing minutes.

I understand if the Mavs prefer to close out the game with Terry at the two, because they need some late game offense to take the scoring load off Dirk. But the Warriors are one of the only teams the Mavs could get away with playing Kidd, Beaubois and Terry, because of their lack of size.

I mean, the Warriors played Mikki Moore the whole night as their center!

It's a tough way to learn a lesson because come the end of the season, the Mavericks will need every mark in the win column they can get.

Hopefully Carlisle can learn once and for all that unless it's garbage time, JJ Barea does not need to be in there, and the Mavs can get some late game defense from the duo of Kidd and Beaubois.

For more of my articles about the Dallas Mavericks, and the other teams in the NBA Southwest division, check me out at Fan Huddle .

Revenge of The Knuckleheads: Tim Thomas and Drew Gooden Coming Through

Alex McVeigh — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:04:47 -0500

When the Dallas Mavericks announced the sign-and-trade that brought Shawn Marion to Dallas, I was quite excited. Whatever else the Matrix might be, he's an exciting, athletic defender and an explosive scorer, and I was glad to see him coming to Dallas.

I wish I could have said the same about two newcomers, Tim Thomas and Drew Gooden.

Those two seemed like a dangerous mix for the Mavericks and their team chemistry, because let's face it, Thomas and Gooden weren't exactly known as teammates that everyone wanted to play with—as their combined 12 teams in 19 years in the league would attest to.

And it's not like they were bouncing around with cellar dwellers the whole time either. Thomas spent time with the Bulls and Suns, while Gooden was on the Bulls, the Cavs team that made it to the Finals and the Spurs last season.

But that's not what came to mind when I thought of the two.

For Tim Thomas it was two memories, both of which helped the Mavericks at the expense of his own teams.

Number one: in the 2006 Western Conference Finals, Thomas decided it would be a good idea to taunt Dirk Nowitzki, and Dirk responded on the court, by dropping 50 points and helping the Mavs beat the Suns in 6 games.

Number two: in 2008, with the Clippers holding on to a two-point lead in the closing seconds against the Mavericks, Jason Terry turned the ball over with 27 seconds left in the game, seemingly clinching the Mavericks' fate.

Instead of dribbling most of the shot clock out, Tim Thomas decided to go for an ill-advised dagger from the elbow, instead bricking the shot, and setting up a buzzer-beating three-ball from Jerry Stackhouse, giving the Mavericks the win.

Both times, I sure was glad Tim Thomas wasn't on my team.

And now he is. I always liked his game, but he was just one of those guys who took more away from the team than he gave it, and that's the last thing the Mavericks need.

Drew Gooden was always more memorable for his obnoxious hairdos, whether it be the stripe of hair on the back of his head under his headband, the long Capt. Jack Sparrow-style beard, or the ridiculous hippie beard he wore for most of last season.

After being traded from the Cavs, he was waived by the Kings, picked up by the Spurs, then dropped from them after last season's defeat at the hands of the Mavericks.

When there were rumblings that Gooden would be the starting center for the Mavs coming into this season, I was not a happy camper.

So here the Mavericks are, with two "knuckleheads" fresh off the scrap heap, and these two players were supposed to play a role in getting the Mavs back to the top o the Western Conference.

You'll forgive me if I was skeptical.

When Thomas hurt his knee in a pickup game over the summer, and Gooden started the season taking boneheaded baseline jumpers, trying to take the ball upcourt, and then suffering an abdominal injury, it seemed the perfect time for a loud chorus of "I Told You So's."

But then a funny thing happened. Dampier got ill (well, that's not funny) and Tim Thomas got healthy.

All of a sudden these two knuckleheads are playing their butts off, and looking like they could be everything the Mavericks signed them for—and more.

Drew Gooden has been filling in for Dampier like a man possessed. Gone are the terrible baseline jumpers. Instead he's a double-double machine, tipping in misses at key moments, and providing the low post defense that Dampier has only given us every few games.

In the last five games, Gooden has pulled in 11, 14, 11, 16, 12 rebounds, including three, four, five, nine, and four offensive boards. I'd say that's a step up from Dampier's inconsistent ways.

He's also been close to lights out from the field, shooting 51% from the field, which would be much higher if it wasn't for a 4-16 outing against the Kings last week.

Drew Gooden is becoming the player that team's have been waiting to see for so long, and he's doing it when the Mavericks have needed the consistency he's provided at center.

More important than the numbers is the timeliness of Gooden's play. When the Mavs need a bucket that Dirk and Terry are unable to drain, Gooden often comes out of nowhere for the tip-in, giving the Mavs a huge momentum boost.

Thomas hasn't been putting up gaudy numbers like Gooden, mostly because he hasn't been given the minutes.

But he has been filling the role the Mavericks signed him for—a big body off the bench that can do some work on the low post, as well as hit the three.

At 6-10, Thomas has got a very underrated low-post game for a guy who is always (rightfully so) talked about as a gunner. Against the Warriors last night, he was posting up their small guys, even good defenders like Anthony Randolph, and finishing strong either with a nice jumper or a thunderous dunk.

Now, Thomas isn't exactly a lock down defender, but on smaller teams his size in and of itself is an advantage. And while Thomas isn't shutting people down, he's definitely not giving up easy buckets either.

Now, if these two are your top players, there's not a chance you're going deep into the playoffs. But as role players—with Gooden as a backup center and Thomas as an 8th, 9th, 10th man—the Mavericks are getting production off the end of their bench, and as far as good teams go, that's something they certainly have.

It remains to be seen whether the two "knuckleheads" can keep up their torrid pace, but I for one have been impressed with their efforts. As the season progresses, maybe the rest of the West will be impressed (and that's how you rhyme, FYI) with the way they and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks are playing.

For Dallas Mavericks, Strong Starts are Paving the Way for Solid Finishes

Alex McVeigh — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:25:32 -0500

Over the past few seasons, the Dallas Mavericks have been historically slow starters.

In 2006, they dropped their first four before going 67-11 to finish the season. In 2008, the Mavs started out 2-7, and ended up a six seed only by good fortune on the last day of the season.

This year, after dropping the opener, the Mavericks have kept up a torrid pace. They dropped two roadies—an OT battle to the Hornets (with Dirk Nowizki having fouled out in the fourth), and a game against the nicked-up Spurs.

The Mavs are currently 10-3. Not a bad way to start the season, especially since Maverick teams of late have had trouble putting away bad teams.

Last season, a single game separated the number two through five seeds in the Western Conference. Let that sink in. A single game. A single game meant the difference between home court advantage in the first round and beyond, to no home court advantage.

The Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and Portland Trailblazers all finished with 54-28 records, while the Houston Rockets finished at 53-29.

You think the Rockets weren't regretting the game-winning tip-in by Danny Granger on Nov. 26, 2008, where they lost to the Pacers by one? One more made field goal, and they could have been the second seed in the West.

That very same night, Marcus Camby missed a three-pointer at the buzzer at the Staples Center, and the Clippers fell short to the Denver Nuggets, 105-106. If that shot, or any other shot had gone in for the Clippers, it could have been the Rockets with home court advantage.

In a West that has become increasingly competitive over the past few years, every game counts.

Which is why the Mavericks hot start could make a huge difference down the road, when every win is important.

But it's not just the big picture for the Mavericks, because just as they are winning games they should be winning right now, they're also starting strong at the micro level, by jumping on good teams when they should be.

Too many times last season, the Mavericks went cold from the field and fell behind to bad teams—like the Minnesota Timberwolves game last year.

Now, since the Mavericks finished 50-32 and the T-Wolves finished at 24-58, you would think the Mavericks should have handled the Wolves easily.

But the Mavericks found themselves down by 29 points, and were forced to create a franchise-best comeback to pull out the win. While a win is always a win, it's not a good sign when you have to pull out such a historic effort to beat such a crappy team.

And the Mavs won that. What about the losses to the Clippers (by nine), the Nets (by 24), the Grizzlies (by 20), the Kings (by seven), the Thunder (by nine, Thunder didn't have Kevin Durant or Jeff Green) or the Warriors (by nine).

Hold on, my blood pressure is rising exponentially as I remember those. Give me a minute...

Okay, I'm back. Those were the games where the Mavericks fell behind and couldn't crawl out of their hole within their allotted 48 minutes.

This season, I've seen the Mavericks in the opposite position. They're the ones putting the other teams in the hole.

When they were playing the Bucks the other night, the Mavs jumped out to a double digit lead, and while Milwaukee came back, it was the Bucks who had to spend their effort getting back into the game.

Same with the game against the Sacramento Kings Friday night. The Mavericks were able to jump out to a 7-0 lead, then they gave up eight straight points, answered by rattling off nine straight points.

While the lead bounced back and forth for the next quarter and a half, the Mavericks were able to always stay within four points, and they would lead by as much as six.

Ideally, you would want to be blowing out the Kevin Martin-less Kings, but it's better than having the positions reversed, which they did a lot last year.

And remember, the Mavericks are doing all of this without shooting the ball particularly well, which is something that has plagued them for the last few seasons.

The Dallas Mavericks are showing us this season that by starting strong, you can finish strong, at least on the micro level, on a game-to-game basis.

We know they've started strong on the macro level, when it comes to the season-long picture. And if things continue they way they are going, they must just be finishing the season on a strong note well.

Dirk Nowitzki Is Your MVP Front-Runner

Alex McVeigh — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:14:50 -0500

I won't lie. I'm not what you would call an impartial observer when it comes to the Dallas Mavericks or Dirk Nowitzki.

As a generally positive person, I tend to believe that my teams can do better than they can, but years of Red Sox fandom has also taught me that disaster is always lurking.

But you'd have to be an idiot not to think Dirk isn't having an incredible season. He is. An MVP caliber season so far, with everything you could have asked of Dirk.

Lead a comeback over a good team? Against the Jazz, he scored 29 points in the fourth quarter.

Perform in the clutch? How about a buzzer-beater against the red-hot Milwaukee Bucks, who hadn't lost at home before?

What's that? You want more clutch? Okay, how about Dirk hasn't missed a free throw in the fourth quarter or overtime?

How about 11 points in overtime against the Spurs earlier in the week? And while he was doing that, on the defensive end he was keeping Tim Duncan scoreless throughout overtime.

All this leads to one conclusion: Dirk Nowitzki is the front-runner for the 2009-10 NBA Most Valuable Player.

Let the hate begin (in the comments below, of course), but the fact is, Dirk is having the best season of any possible other MVP contender.

The Mavericks currently sit tied with Phoenix for the best record in the West. While the Lakers and Spurs were handed the West at the season's start, they are currently behind the pack.

Defenders of the Lakers and Spurs will say that they've been injured, after all, Pau Gasol just saw his first game action this week, and Duncan, Ginobili and Parker have all missed varying amounts of time with injuries.

Well, the Mavericks have had their fair share of injuries, with their two primary free agent pickups (Shawn Marion and Drew Gooden) their other All-Star (Josh Howard) and their starting center (Erick Dampier) all missing significant time.

And instead of stumbling out of the gate like the Mavs have done the past few seasons, instead they're off to the second-best start in franchise history.

Dirk Nowitzki is a huge part of that. He's currently putting together career highs in blocks, steals and assists, three stats that his detractors have always pointed to when they talk about his one dimensionality as a player.

Let's face it, if the words "Dirk Nowitzki" and "MVP" didn't conjure up images of Dirk receiving the award after his team was bounced ignominiously from the playoffs in 2007, he would be number one on every one's ballot.

Well, he's No. 1 on this ballot, No. 2 on this one, and ESPN seems to have been smoking something, because they have Dirk sixth .

Seriously, ESPN, Dwyane Wade is having a better season than Dirk? They give two reasons for having Wade so high, his game winner against the Nets (a winless team that the Heat should have blown out if they expect to contend) and his dunk over Anderson Varejao.

Meanwhile, Dirk has a buzzer-beater against a Bucks team that hadn't lost at home, and is probably a playoff team.

Sure, Wade's dunk over Varejao was pretty, but if that qualifies him for an MVP over Dirk's momentum changing three-point play over San Antonio this week, then the system is seriously flawed.

LeBron James? Sure, he's putting together a great season, as always, but his team is still struggling to find an identity, and they've lost several winnable games.

Dirk on the other hand has risen to the occasion time and time again this season, providing his team with a boost whenever they need it, including in several close games. In fact, the only OT game they've lost this season was against the Hornets, when Dirk fouled out in the fourth quarter.

People loved to proclaim Dirk on the downhill side of his career as his numbers dipped last year, but instead Dirk is evolving into the most complete game he's ever had.

For someone who has been handing the ball so much for the Mavs this season, Dirk has only turned the ball over 19 times in 13 games. For a 7-footer who often gets double-teamed, that's a a pretty amazing stat.

Last night against the Kings, Dirk was having an off night shooting the ball, so he decided to dish out a season-high seven assists.

A criticism of Dirk has always been his reliance on his jumper. While it's his best shot, people (me among them at times) have said he needs to get more aggressive.

Well, he's done that this year, and the results are spreading to the Mavs as a team. Dirk is seventh in the NBA in getting to the line, and at 90 percent from the charity stripe, is shooting a better percentage than everyone in the top 50 in free throw attempts except Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is No. 50.

Everybody loves to hate, and maybe Dirk wasn't the most deserving candidate for the 2006-07 MVP (Steve Nash probably deserved it the most, but he won it in the two years past, when I don't think he should have, but that's a whole other can of worms), but he's certainly deserving of it so far this year.

I know it's a long season and a small sample size, but Dirk Nowitzki is playing better than anybody in the league right now, and if he continues to perform when the Mavs get healthy, an MVP trophy might not be the only trophy he gets.

Dallas Mavericks' Fab Four Point Guards Leading the Way

Alex McVeigh — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:49:23 -0500

Even as the Dallas Mavericks have made it deeper and deeper into the playoffs in recent years, they've had weaknesses at two key positions; some might say THE key positions.

Center and shooting guard have been two holes in the Mavericks' game, and one would argue having a superstar at either position is the quickest way to a championship.

I've already discussed the Mavericks' center woes, and believe you me, I'll get into that more as the season progresses.

Now let's take a look at what the Mavericks are doing with the shooting guard position. For next year, I hope they land Joe Johnson, but once again, we'll have to get into that later.

Let's look at what the Mavericks are doing this year. They have four point guards on their roster (Jason Kidd, JJ Barea, Jason Terry, Rodrigue Beaubois), and only one true shooting guard, Matt Carroll, who won't be seeing much of the floor this season.

The original plan was for a healthy Josh Howard to start alongside Kidd, Marion, Dirk, and Erick Dampier. Howard's ankle has put a kink in those plans, so the Mavs are left to figure out something else.

And that something has been a two— and three— PG lineup, making the best use of the four point guards the Mavs have on their roster.

The Mavericks are using point guards to fill in the shooting guard position, and are having a good amount of success doing so.

Jason Kidd brings Finals experience, Hall of Fame credentials, and a passer's eye that has rarely been equaled in NBA history. With shooters like Terry, Dirk, and Howard in the lineup, the more open looks they get, the better.

Kidd is also one of the best rebounding point guards to play the game.

While Jason Kidd brings a lot of little things into the mix for the Mavericks, he has two glaring flaws, namely, offense and defense.

Okay, that sounds a bit harsh. He can run an offense, he's just not a scoring threat. For someone who can rebound and pass as well as he can, there are nights like last night against the Bucks when the only thing keeping him from a triple-double was low scoring.

Jason Terry, on the other hand, provides scoring and not much else. The starting point guard (until Devin Harris took the reins) at the start of the 2007-08 season, Terry has found his niche coming off the bench as instant offense, a role for which he seems to be destined.

His defense is lacking and his passing isn't his strong suit (to be polite), but he's also the heart and soul of the team, connecting to his teammates and fans alike in a way many professional athletes seem incapable of doing.

J.J. Barea is the guy no one saw coming.

Who he bribed to be listed at six feet tall we'll never know, but the guy is a spark plug. Not to mention my inspiration for maybe one day playing in the NBA.

J.J. plays wherever he's needed, and in the past two seasons, he's done much to earn himself playing time with an ability to squeeze under and around big men to get through to the rim.

He's also developing a pretty good jump shot and decent passing skills. Sometimes he gets a little too reckless, especially when he's on the floor in crunch time, but he's exciting enough to usually make it worth my while.

The final member of this Fab Four is Rodrigue Beaubois, the X-Factor. He showed flashes of brilliance in summer league play and seems to be adapting to the NBA faster than anyone could have imagined.

Speaking of imagining, envision someone with Tony Parker's speed, Ben Gordon's range, and Chris Paul's defensive chops. Not only is that a distinct possibility, we're seeing it right now; he's playing less than 10 minutes a game.

He saved the game for the Mavericks last night against the Bucks, with an incredible block on Brandon Jennings as he tried to launch a go-ahead three-pointer with less than 10 seconds left in overtime.

Beaubois managed to get enough of a hand on it that Dallas was able to pull down a rebound and call a timeout, and Dirk sank the buzzer— beating game— winner (is there a sweeter combination of compound words in the English language? Methinks not) 3.5 seconds later.

So what, exactly, does having this fearsome foursome mean for the Dallas Mavericks?

Well, with the absence of Josh Howard, possibly until the end of the year, it gives the Mavs options at the shooting guard besides Quinton Ross, who can't shoot his way out of a paper bag.

It also gives them a deeper backcourt than anyone else in the league, and youth and experience in one package.

Call me crazy, but as Jason Kidd's skills inevitably decline over the course of his freshly-inked three-year deal, I really like the thought of him passing on pearls of wisdom to J.J. Barea (we can already see the benefit he's gotten from a little more than a whole season) and Rodrigue Beaubois.

Last year we saw coach Rick Carlisle roll out a three-guard lineup against smaller teams, and it played out pretty well.

Now, they have a well of three point guards who together offer a few different looks to opposing teams.

Kidd and Beaubois offer a nice pass— and— receive offense that has already produced a couple of highlight reel alley— oops. Because really, who expects a point guard— to— point guard alley— oop?

On the defensive end, I'm dying to see what Beaubois can do one— on— one against those quick point guards that have torched the Mavs for years.

He did pretty well against Brandon Jennings, who is about as quick as they get, so that could add another dimension to a Mavs defense that's experiencing a resurgence this season.

How about Beaubois and Terry, a combination that is sure to get plenty of time together as the seasons go on? Both players are great on offense, and as long as the team doesn't have a quick point guard and a strong, athletic slasher at the two, the Mavericks should be able to pull this combination off.

Beaubois and Barea give the Mavericks an explosive combo on the offensive end, and while J.J. is a weak link defensively, the team shouldn't be running it in crunch time too often.

Imagine Kidd, Beaubois, and Terry, alongside Dirk and Damp/Gooden. That's three very good offensive players, combined with some low-post bulk and a world class distributor.

You get the point. With a Fab Four of point guards, the Mavericks are wide open to throw some crazy looks at opposing teams, even more so than last season.

Throw into the mix Rick Carlisle's ability to find successful, unorthodox lineups, and the Dallas Mavericks are poised to do some major damage this season.

For a more in-depth look at what Beaubois is doing in Howard's place, click here. For more analysis on the NBA's Southwest Division, check my work out at FanHuddle.

Washington Capitals Host Wounded Warriors on Veterans Day

Alex McVeigh — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:16:48 -0500

More than 50 wounded warriors and their Families headed to the Verizon Center on Wednesday to spend Veterans Day watching the Washington Capitals take on the New York Islanders. The event was sponsored by the USO and Microsoft, as part of their ‘‘Salute to Our Troops” program.

Soldiers were invited to a pre-game reception, where they were treated to free food and drinks, and were given Capitals jerseys and other merchandise.

‘‘It’s good to get out of the hospital for a change,” said Marine Sgt. Michael Richards. ‘‘Normally someone my age wouldn’t get a chance to hang out in a suite like this, so it definitely shows us how appreciated we are.”

The Salute to Our Troops program started this week with the trip to the Verizon Center, and will continue throughout the holiday season. The Fisher House in Bethesda will get a holiday makeover Dec. 5, and 8,200 service members are invited to see the Rockettes at the Verizon Center for free Dec. 20.

‘‘This is our chance to give back to all of you, and to thank you for your support and sacrifice,” said. John Marselles, chairman of USO-Metro.

Dr. Joseph Westphal, Undersecretary of the Army, also spoke at the event, also thanking the veterans for sacrificing for their country.

‘‘We think often of the sacrifices you all are continuing to make on behalf of America, and we are truly grateful,” Westphal said.

After he spoke, Westphal gave each service member present his coin and personally thanked them.

Teresa Carlson, vice president of Microsoft Federal, also spoke at the event, and she started by asking for a moment of silence to remember the victims of the shooting at Fort Hood. She also invited all service members present to the upcoming Salute to Our Troops events.

Afterwards, she said she was very happy with the turnout to the game.

‘‘I’m thrilled that 55 wounded warriors and their Families could make it out here tonight,” Carlson said. ‘‘An event like this is small enough that everyone can feel appreciated, but we’re glad it could be a special evening for everyone.”

It was a special evening to watch hockey, as the Capitals won in a thrilling shootout, 5-4.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Horne, director of Human Resources Policy directorate, told the service members present that they should be proud of themselves for deciding to stand up and fight for their country.

‘‘It’s been said that the two greatest days one can have is the day they’re born, and the day they find their purpose,” Horne said. ‘‘the [ service members] here have found their purpose, they stand for something larger than themselves.”

Erick Dampier: The Cause of and Solution To The Mavericks' Center Woes

Alex McVeigh — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:31:10 -0500

Erick Dampier. An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in a headband. No Mavs player has caused fans more disgust, delight, optimism and pessimism in the past five years.

And now, as his tenure with the Mavericks comes to a close, he is in position to help the team more than he ever did wearing the blue and white.

You see, Erick Dampier is the most valuable commodity in the league entering the vaunted free agent summer of 2010. An expiring contract worth $16.4475 in savings.

The details can be found here , but allow me to summarize:

Due to a minutes clause in his contract, Erick Dampier's contract will not be guaranteed for the 2010-2011 season unless he averages 30 minutes per game in 70 games, which he hasn't done since his first year in Dallas.

What does this mean for the summer of 2010? Well, a team (say the Raptors, Cavs, Hawks or Heat) who is about to lose their superstar (Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Joe Johnson or Dwyane Wade) for nothing in free agency can instead exchange their superstar for a massive amount of cap space, perhaps to offer to one of the other premium free agents in the class of 2010.

So why would a free agent like James choose Dallas over New York (besides the obvious) when it appears Dallas was never in the picture for any of these free agents?

Simple. Since the superstar would be technically resigning with their old team in a sign-and-trade, salary cap rules for a max contract come into effect.

A max contract for a free agent next season will be something like five years, $96 million. For a team resigning its own player, a max contract would be worth something like six years, $125 million.

Quite a difference.

Add to the fact that Dallas has A) Jason Kidd, who everybody wants to play with; B)Mark Cuban, who has proven willing to spend to win, unlike a lot of other owners; C) Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and a cast of other players that are vastly superior to (especially) the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, or any other team that would re-sign its own superstar.

Now, I'm not putting Dallas out there as a likely destination for James, Wade and co., but the Dampier factor sure makes it interesting.

But here's where it gets a little sticky.

More than any other player in sports, Erick Dampier defines the phenomenon known as the "contract year."

In 2003-04, Dampier was playing for the Golden State Warriors and entering the last year of his contract. He put up a career high 12.3 points per game and 12 rebounds per game on a then-career high 53.5 percent from the field.

His play that year made him one of the most sought-after free agents that summer, finally landing with Dallas with a seven-year $73 million contract.

Since then he's shown flashes of brilliance and been a serviceable center. But you would like more from a center who makes that much money, especially when you know he's capable of it when properly motivated.

Which brings us to this year, another contract year for Erick Dampier.

And, what do you know, he's been a machine this year, shooting a career-high 65 percent from the field (good for 2nd in the NBA), and averaging 2.22 blocks per game (6th in the NBA).

Last Tuesday against Houston, Dampier took advantage of the Rockets' lack of size, and submitted a 14 point (on 6-6 from the field, 2-2 from the line), 20 rebound, three block performance.

Sounds like Dampier's back in contract year mode.

Now here's where things get a little sticky for the Mavericks. With Drew Gooden's underwhelming start, combined with Damp's success, especially on the defensive end, what if the Mavs have to play him more than they were planning to, especially in a Western Conference where a single win can be the difference between a three-seed and a six-seed?

Before the season, it was made pretty clear that Rick Carlisle and GM Donnie Nelson were going to keep a pretty close eye on Dampier, but I hardly think they'll sit him just to save on his contract, especially if the Mavs are in position to make a deep playoff run.

Now, this could cost the Mavs a shot at landing a big fish this summer (though with Josh Howard, Drew Gooden and others expiring, they could still land someone, though not necessarily a top-tier guy), but stick this one in your thought-box and turn it over a bit:

What if the Mavs could get two contract years from Erick Dampier?

It's pretty clear that the window for the Mavs are currently constructed is going to be about two years. Jason Kidd probably has two seasons left where he can be effective as a starter, Dirk maybe three, and the Mavs only have three players under contract for 2011-12, Kidd, Marion and Carroll, adding up to a little less than $20 million.

For a long time, the holes in the Mavericks' lineup have been at center and shooting guard. Well, with Dampier playing motivated, the center position might be okay for the next two seasons.

At shooting guard, there's Joe Johnson (my secret hope for the summer of 2010), and the Mavericks have about $14 million in expiring deals this summer with Howard and Gooden to chase him with.

A lineup of Kidd, Johnson, Marion, Dirk and a motivated Dampier (for the second year in a row, because his contract is definitely done after the 10-11 season) isn't too shabby going into next year.

Dampier has been pretty reliable when it comes to staying healthy (he's only missed 17 games in his 13-year career), and since he's not particularly athletic, his game shouldn't decline too much.

Sure, I know many a fan has had their hopes crushed by counting on a player's motivation to help the team, but the possibility of getting two seasons of a motivated Dampier is reason enough to get optimistic.

Finally, Dallas Mavericks Aren't Living and Dying by Field Goal Percentages

Alex McVeigh — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:44:39 -0500

I’m officially off of the ledge. After an opening night loss that sent me into a spiral of shame and intravenous drug abuse, the Dallas Mavericks seem to be finally realizing their potential.

Even a crushing loss to the New Orleans Hornets hasn’t derailed what has been a good week and a half for the Mavericks, and with Josh Howard’s return, things are looking up.

So what changed my mood you ask? Well, it’s simple. I looked at some stats, read some articles, and came up with a fact that really makes me feel good about the Mavs’ season.

The Dallas Mavericks aren’t shooting very well.

You read it right. The Mavericks have shot better than 50 percent only once (the blowout against the Raptors) and beat the Lakers, Clippers, and Jazz by shooting 41 percent.

So why is that a good thing?

The Mavericks feature a lot of good shooters. Things tend to regress to the mean, there’s a reason people like Jason Terry, Dirk, and Marion are good shooters, they tend to average out at 44, 45, and 48 percent, respectively. So when they’re shooting below that, you know they’re going to rebound (pardon the pun).

That means the Mavericks are finding other ways to win besides their shooting, which used to be the only way they could win.

The Mavericks used to be the poster boy for teams that lived and died by their jumper. A jump shot is by its very nature hot and cold, and when it’s not falling, good teams find a way to overcome.

The Mavs used to not be able to overcome, and the result last season was no win streak longer than five games, and crushing losses to terrible teams right when it seemed the Mavs were gaining momentum.

Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News makes a fantastic point in an article, calling the Mavs “a team that once believed the fastest way to the win column was getting to 100 points.”

And it’s true. How many times have we heard the stats about how Dallas is sub- .500 in games where they don’t score 100 points, or that when Josh Howard scores 20 or more, the Mavs win at an 80 percent clip?

This year’s Mavs seemed to have discovered a secret, one passed down from the gods themselves: defense.

They are rotating to the ball very well, something that used to give them a lot of trouble. Teams like the Spurs and Jazz move the ball around the perimeter very well, and in the Jazz game, we were able to see a lot better switched on defense, not letting people take open jumpers.

Erick Dampier has been clogging the lane, averaging 2.5 blocks per game (!!!) this season so far.

Shawn Marion is making life hell on perimeter players. Alright, to be fair, except for Kobe, the Mavs haven’t faced too many dynamic perimeter scorers except for Kobe, but it’s a start.

They’re also getting smarter with the ball, forcing 15.5 turnovers per game (12th), while only turning the ball over 13.8 times a game (10th). The ratio is among the best in the league, with the Mavs being one of only eight teams that are forcing more than one turnover per game higher than they are turning it over themselves.

And those are the kind of tendencies that stick with teams, so that when the jump shots are falling and the defense is clicking, that’s when you see blowouts and garbage time.

And for a team like the Mavs who rank among the oldest, garbage time sounds pretty good to me.

Philadelphia Eagles: When Bad Coaching Happens to Good Teams

Alex McVeigh — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:14:16 -0500

I root for the Philadelphia Eagles twice a year. At Dallas, and against Dallas at home. That's it. So last night, I tuned in hoping that the Philadelphia team that beat up on the New York Giants would show up, and take advantage of a weaker Dallas team.

Instead, I watched Wade Phillips out-coach Andy Reid. Let that sink in for a second.

How Andy Reid continues to draw paychecks as a professional football coach, is both mind-boggling and awe-inspiring.

I mean, most of us watching the game who had played Madden football understand the basics of football. Like, say, that timeouts are a good thing to have in the fourth quarter.

Or, perhaps, that a field goal is only worth three points, therefore giving the ball back to the other team down four with no timeouts isn't a good thing.

You would think so?

This is a man who has held this job for a decade. A job where he is paid millions to make decisions that put the talent he has in the best position to win?

Basically, he is stealing money.

The blame doesn't rest on him alone. Donovan McNabb was abysmal. He missed open receiver after open receiver, a glaring example being when he missed a wide-open DeSean Jackson over the middle.

If history shows us anything, it's that a wide open DeSean Jackson catching anything in stride equals six points.

Jeremy Maclin dropped a couple of key passes, and Asante Samuel made his share of boneheaded plays as well.

But they were handcuffed by incompetent calls from the top, and were still in a position to win, until Reid's blunders took center stage.

First of all, how badly can you botch a 4th-and-inches? Until I saw last night's holocaust, I thought just missing it was the worst you could do.

Andy Reid showed me.

You can challenge the spot, even though it was pretty clear that LeSean McCoy went backwards because of his own momentum. There's a timeout wasted.

Then, they decided to try and draw the Cowboys offsides, a questionable strategy for two reasons:

A) If they failed to draw Dallas offsides, then they would either have to use another timeout (which Andy Reid has no problem doing), or convert the first down.

B) They drew the Cowboys offsides!!! They did it. A Cowboy clearly jumped the line, but the Eagles didn't snap it, leading to a false start on one of their own linemen. How does that happen?

So now they had to punt anyways, only one timeout lighter.

As the Eagles continued to blow chance after chance, it became clear the Cowboys were going to do something which they did, in the form of a 49-yard pass to Miles Austin.

Quick side note: I refuse to believe that Miles Austin is good. Refuse. He was undrafted. The New York Jets decided that he wasn't worth a second-round pick in a trade.

He didn't catch more than three balls for four years, until the KC game a few weeks ago. And all of a sudden he's Jerry Rice? I don't think so.

Another quick side note: Roy Williams might be the worst receiver on the planet. Sure, I'm being a little facetious, but I've never seen someone have more worth assigned to him and do nothing.

He jogs his routes when he's not the primary. Last night, with the game still very much up in the air, he was running down the sideline and decided to step out of bounds rather than try to put a few moves on the linebacker that was the only person between him and the end zone.

Instead, he acted like a quarterback and just stepped out of bounds. What a diva. A diva who hasn't had a good season since 2006, by the way.

Back to the Andy Reid. He sucks. If I were an Eagles fan, I would be downright disgusted with the way he is ruining one of the most talented rosters in the NFL.

Dirk Nowitzki and the Anatomy of a Comeback

Alex McVeigh — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:37:21 -0500

I'll admit it: I'm a weak person. Not physically (well, okay, physically), but when it comes to my sports teams, I'm mentally weak. I hate seeing my rival teams win, and even more than that, I hate seeing my teams lose.

This has caused me to miss a number of fantastic comebacks, including the Red Sox walk-off win in game four of the 2004 ALCS and the dramatic game five win against Tampa in the 2008 ALCS.

Last night's amazing comeback against the Utah Jazz happened while I was two feet away from my computer blaring League Pass Broadband, passed out, and probably drooling all over myself.

I woke up to a scoreboard that gave me very good news and an e-mail from a fellow Mavs fan, saying it was the most exciting comeback she had ever seen.

Luckily, League Pass lets you watch old games, and as I killed time at the office watching the fourth quarter, I had to stop myself from weeping out of the sheer glory of what I saw.

Dirk Nowitzki pulled off a performance for the ages, and the fact that it came at home, against a good team, makes it all the sweeter.

And seriously, Dirk was absolutely unstoppable, driving to the hoop, hitting contested three-pointers, getting to the line, and surprisingly not shooting his mid-range jumper a whole lot.

The Mavs were down by 15 when the fourth quarter opened after suffering a 9-0 run to close the third, and the lead soon became sixteen, with the Mavs down 70-54.

The Mavericks were shooting 32 percent, while the Jazz were shooting 58 percent.

As recently as a week ago, as I wrote, that would have been it for the Mavs. Always a primarily jump-shooting team, the Mavs always seem to fade when the shots aren't falling.

But with a renewed commitment to defense, led by Shawn Marion, the Mavericks are starting to show that they don't have to outshoot the other team to win.

We'll start with the Mavs down 70-54 with 10:36 to go. At this point, the Jazz are getting stops and steals, and the Mavericks seem like they would be lucky to match the Jazz basket for basket.

But the Jazz only had 15 more points in them, while the Mavs had another 41 points, 29 of which would come from Dirk's hands.

But the foundation was laid in the first three minutes of the quarter, where the Jazz committed five fouls. For a team like the Mavericks, who shoot 28 FTs per game, and make 83 percent of them, that's not a recipe for success.

The other key foul-related play came with 5:12 remaining, when Carlos Boozer committed his fifth foul. All of a sudden, Mehmet Okur is the only one on the Jazz who can guard Dirk, and Okur plays defense as well as, well, Dirk.

Dirk gets out of his rhythm when he gets bumped by a Boozer-style big body, but the defenders who simply rely on blocks usually wind up on the business end of Dirk's one-legged Euro fadeaway.

The Jazz actually played this one pretty smart, they didn't give the game away, to their credit. They burned some shot clock, didn't take too many bad shots, and just went cold for too long. The Mavs' hands in their faces certainly didn't help matters much for them.

A key sequence occurred with 7:11 to go, one that provided a microcosm of exactly what the Mavs have improved upon on the offseason.

Deron Williams was shooting the ball, and Marion left his feet with Williams' pump fake. Williams made the smart move, tried to initiate the contact, and get a shot off with Marion in the air.

Only Marion is athletic enough to twist his body around so he makes little to no contact with Williams. On a play like that, the refs are just waiting to blow their whistle, except Marion made it impossible for them to do so.

When the Mavs got the ball, Dirk did the same thing, making Okur leave his feet, except Dirk did a much better job of initiating the contact, and he got the call.

Up to that point, the Jazz still kept it to double digits, but the Dirk couldn't be stopped. It was about a minute and a half after that when Boozer was whistled for his fifth foul, and Okur was switched to Dirk.

Instead of bodying up Dirk, they gave him space, and Dirk responded by putting on an offensive show that I haven't seen the likes of since LeBron dropped 48 on the Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals.

He scored on everything. The Jazz couldn't stay in front of him, and by the time they started double teaming him, he was easily able to pass out of it.

Dirk was trailing the fast break, but crashing into the lane instead of waiting behind the arc.

Boozer kept the Jazz afloat with a couple of 20-footers, but that was all the offense the Jazz had left in the tank.

Dirk had more than enough to carry the Mavs over the top, and Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and J.J. Barea were able to capitalize when the pressure on Dirk got too much.

Dirk's line at the end of the night? Oh, only 40 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, five (!!!) blocks, and two steals, that's all.

So basically, he did everything and more, and pretty much single-handedly won the game for the Mavs on a night when they were not shooting well.

And this didn't come against a team like the Timberwolves, like the 29-point comeback that happened last year, where the Mavs shouldn't have let it get out of control.

The Jazz are a good team. I think the Mavericks are better than the Jazz, and I did before the game, but the best team doesn't always win.

The Jazz have a good point guard and strong low-post presence, two things that have given the Mavs fits on defense in the past few seasons, but the Mavs were able to overcome.

Will Dirk be able to bail them out if it happens again? Probably not. But the Mavericks are showing the ability to hang with teams when the shot isn't falling. And with scorers like Dirk, Terry, Marion, and a healthy Howard coming off the bench, the shots are going to start falling.

And that's when the rest of the league really better look out. Because a hot Mavs team that all of a sudden can play defense should scare everyone, even the Lakers and the Spurs.

Meet the New Team, Same as the Old Team: Dallas Mavericks Come Out Flat

Alex McVeigh — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:40:33 -0400

8:30 EST, Tuesday night

After feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve for most of the day, I finally sit down on my couch, cold frosty beverage in hand. It's about to begin. The Dallas Mavericks play the Washington Wizards, and since I live in D.C., I get it on real television, not my computer screen.

8:47 EST

Shawn Marion is looking great, throwing down some nice hook shots, looking like the best low post player I have ever seen on the Mavericks.

11:45

I'm curled up in on my couch, sucking my thumb, tears streaming down my face. What happened? After everything the Mavericks did in the offseason, it's the same lackluster defense, the same anemic offense, the...same old story.

I woke up Wednesday feeling hungover the game was so bad, only I didn't even get the fun of a good night out.

The Mavericks were one of the most, if not the most, active teams in the offseason, and going from the game I saw, not a single thing has changed.

That game was so poorly played, that while I originally thought the Mavericks would battle the Spurs for the second seed, I'm ready to put them at five or six in the West.

The cock-eyed optimist in me thought a few lucky breaks and a trade-deadline acquisition might be able to get them into the Finals, but not anymore.

They'll be lucky to squeak out of the first round.

They talked all summer about being ready to run more, and with Marion on board, I thought they were ready.

Nope, they resorted back to the Avery Johnson days of the awkward half-court offense, the one that results in a contested jumper to beat the shot clock.

Marion, good as he was, clearly isn't in game shape yet, as he looked completely winded by the end of the first quarter.

Dirk, while he did great in getting to the line, wasn't hitting his jumper at all. He still managed to put up more than 30, but he can't do it by himself.

J.J. Barea, for all his brilliance on the offensive end in the second quarter, turned into a turnover machine late in the game, and resembled a screen door on defense.

Drew Gooden, who came into the year ready to compete with Erick Dampier for the starting center spot, showed exactly why he's been bounced out of so many teams. He made stupid plays on both ends of the floor, and took terrible baseline jumper after baseline jumper.

The Mavs continued their woes from behind the arc, shooting a dismal 22 percent. They shot 39.5 percent from the field too, so clearly they're not getting it.

Except for Marion early, the Mavs were just shooting their normal jumpers, and shooting them with people's hands in their face.

They made Fabricio Oberto look like Hakeem Olajuwon out there, as he got blocks, steals and everything else.

The rim was practically the Wizards' playground. Brendan Haywood looked like Stoudemire getting passes from Steve Nash the lane was so wide open. Gooden, Dampier, Kris Humphries—no one could stop them, and the Wizards aren't exactly low-post powerhouses.

I know it's only one game, and I know the Wizards are riding pretty high on emotion now with the return of a healthy Agent Zero, but the problems I saw last night were all too familiar.

They're exactly the same as last year, despite all the turnover, which suggests that there's something more fundamental wrong with this team, and that depresses me beyond belief.

In my season preview, I wrote that the Mavs seemed to address most of their shortcomings in the offseason, but none of the issues got fixed.

We all know this Mavericks team. The one that can push the Lakers to the brink on the road, then drop one at home to the Grizzlies.

The one that lets scrubs like Kyrylo Fresenko and Beno Udrih have career days against them. It's disgusting.

Looks like we can expect a whole season of this garbage, if we're lucky. We know the Mavs can stink up the joint. We don't yet know if they can hang with an elite team.

The Mavs have weathered slow starts before, but it always comes back to bite them in the end, where one win can be the difference between a three or a six seed.

So get to know the folks at the liquor store people, and smoke 'em if you got 'em, because I have a feeling it's going to be a long, disappointing season from the Mavericks.

Something Better Than In The Middle: Dallas Mavericks Season Preview

Alex McVeigh — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:27:07 -0400

The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2009-10 season as tweeners. They are geared up for a run at the title this year, but they are also in position to snag a superstar in the Summer of 2010.

For Mavericks fans, it's a mixed blessing. They are in danger of becoming like the Pistons of 2005-2007, good enough to get deep into the playoffs, not good enough to win.

At the risk of being overly simplistic, the Mavericks' goal for this season should be progress: namely, a trip to the Western Conference Finals. With all the improvements they have made, the Dallas Mavericks simply need to go further, or it was all for naught.

Welcome My Son, Welcome to the Machine

The Mavericks were among the biggest movers and shakers this summer, with six of the Mavericks' 15 players coming in during the offseason.

These players cost the Mavs nothing but a few role players and a few long-term contracts, but we'll take it.

More importantly, each addition seems aimed at a fixing a problem, which is is what you want to see from a team determined to take home a championship.

The Mavs weren't athletic enough to compete with the Denver Nuggets in last year's playoffs, so they added Shawn Marion.

They struggled with three-point shooting, so they added Tim Thomas.

They didn't have reliable depth at center, so they added Drew Gooden.

All of these pieces came at a pretty cheap price. Jerry Stackhouse, who hasn't done much since 2007, and Antoine Wright were given away from Marion. I'll take that deal any day of the week.

Now, Marion's brief stops in Miami and Toronto might persuade one that his prime is long gone, that his freakish athleticism has gone the way of say, Detroit's salary cap space (too soon?).

But Marion seems to thrive when he's got a pass-first PG leading the offense. With the Heat, the offense revolved around D-Wade naturally. But Wade also brought up the ball much of the time, and passing (like not flopping) isn't what Wade is great at.

In Toronto, the offense ran through Bosh, and while I do like Jose Calderon as a PG, he's no Steve Nash or Jason Kidd. From what I saw up close and personal Marion will fit right in with these Mavericks, both defensively and offensively.

Addition by Subtraction

The key loss for the Mavericks, with all due respect to Antoine Wright and Ryan Hollins, was that of Brandon Bass. He provided a spark off the bench on the boards and with a good mid-range jumper.

But playing behind someone like Dirk, he wasn't going to get the playing time he wanted, so he decided to bolt. The fact that he went to the Magic rubs a bit of salt in the wound, but he deserves the opportunity. And hey, if he wants to throw the game when the Mavericks and Magic meet in the Finals, who am I to judge?

One thing the Mavericks have had a knack for doing is finding gems in trade throwaways. Kris Humphries is the latest on a list populated by Ryan Hollins and others.

Orginally the mavs sought to dump him in a way to pare their roster down to 15, but his play in the preseason has given him a regular spot in the rotation, in the same kind of role as Bass.

He brings much of the same to the table, a good jumper, good rebounder, defender who can body up to some of the bigger people in the league.

He has proven effective in small minutes, but on previous teams, it hasn't translated to bigger minutes. I don't think he'll have to worry about getting too many minutes in Dallas, so if he can make the most of it the Mavericks should have a deep bench.

Meet the Old Boss, Same as the New Boss

Jason Kidd has been signed to a three-year deal, and if the Mavericks are lucky, he will have two good ones.

Kidd, while not exactly a glamour signing was very important to the Mavericks' offseason plans, as well as the future of the franchise.

For those who are hating on Kidd's three-year deal, please, do tell, who else was available?

Try as Cuban did, he wasn't able to pry Chris Paul away from the Hornets. And call Cubes and Donnie Nelson crazy, but they didn't hold out for Deron Williams or Derrick Rose to become available.

Ramon Sessions? An interesting notion, but ultimately irrelevant. It took him a while to find a deal, which shows me that he probably isn't a game changer. Good player? Yes. Someone you want at the helm of a veteran team with championship aspirations? No thank ye.

Jason Kidd is exactly what the Mavericks need at this stage of the game. He's still a great passer, he can still knock down the open three, and the pieces around him (particularly Marion) can use someone like Kidd.

And when it comes to next summer's free agency, it can't hurt to have a PG that people like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Kobe, 'Melo and co. all love playing with. I'm just saying.

What Have You Got on Draft?

Bookended by two years without a first-round draft pick, the Mavericks made some good decisions in 2009. Despite giving their fans a collective heart attack with a selection of B.J. Mullens, they turned him into Rodrigue Beaubois, the heir apparent to Jason Kidd.

A 6-3 PG with Tony Parker-like speed and a better jump shot, Beaubois will have a few years to learn under one of the best PG mentors in the biz, and he should get some minutes as a rookie, especially during garbage time.

Beaubois will probably get some run alongside Kidd at the shooting guard, which brings me to my next point.

The Mavericks can run out lineups as flexible as any team in the NBA, and Rick Carlisle proved last year that he's not afraid to get a little unconventional if he thinks it will help the team win.

Last year they trotted out a few two-PG lineups, most notably with J.J. Barea and Jason Kidd. One would think that a backcourt that small would get run over, and with certain teams, it might.

But it also gives the Mavs a speedy tandem that can exploit big, slow players, which is why it proved successful in small bursts.

They can trot out a sharp-shooting lineup of Kidd, Terry, Howard, Dirk and Drew Gooden, or a defensive minded lineup of Beaubois, Quinton Ross, Marion, Humphries and Damp, or various combinations of the two.

Dirk can also play center, Howard will see some time at the shooting guard, Marion can play both forward spots, and so on.

The point is, the Mavericks have the bodies and skill sets to match up with any team, and that's going to prove to be an asset. Against teams with traditional centers, Dampier can get a bulk of the minutes, but someone quick like Drew Gooden can see some time, because he can get around the big guys easier.

One of the strengths of the Mavs in 2006-07 was their flexibility. They had the personnel to match up with teams, and they could out-talent them in those matchups.

Those Old Chestnuts

Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki. The remaining core that were so close to the ultimate prize in 2006.

Jason Terry, reigning sixth man of the year and the heart and soul of the team brings the same thing to the table every year. Emotional support, a sharp-shooter's eye and a hot and cold streak that would make......uh.....someone who has hot and cold streaks jealous?

I'm sorry, I sat here for about 45 minutes trying to think of a way to complete that sentence. Let's just move on.

Josh Howard is finally healthy, and if we are to go off his performance when he was banged up in last year's playoffs, the future is bright indeed.

Howard is entering an interesting situation. He is an expiring contract this year, and the Mavericks just signed someone who plays his position to a five-year deal.

He will have his chance to prove his worth this season, either to stay with the Mavericks, or get a new deal from someone else.

In my opinion, the better Marion does, the more likely Howard is to be shipped. Unless Howard becomes the kind of slashing, explosive scorer that the Mavericks have been looking for at the 2-guard positions (which, I believe, he is probably capable of doing), then I think he'll be floated out there come the trade deadline.

If Howard could become the dynamic scoring two-guard that the Mavs have been missing since the departure of Michael Finley, then he would solve the Mavs' problem at the 2-guard, freeing them up to turn Erick Dampier into an upgrade at center.

And Dirk. We know what we're getting from Dirk. You're getting 24 and 8, bumped up to 27 and 10 during the playoffs.

You're getting the sweetest jumper known to man, and an unguardable one to boot.

You've got Dirk playing at his lowest weight in years, and rejuvenated after taking the summer off from international ball.

The Verdict

The Mavericks unquestionably got better in the offseason. The problem is, so did the Spurs, and it's unclear at this point if the Lakers did enough damage to themselves to leave the west wide open.

Pencil the Mavericks in for 54-26, 3rd seed in the West, second in the Southwest division.

Want more?

Then you'll have to wait for my NBA preview.

Mavericks at Wizards: A Preseason Slide Show

Alex McVeigh — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:12:38 -0400

As a native of Washington, D.C., I am located a few thousand miles away from my beloved Dallas Mavericks. So when they come to play the Wizards, I'm there. When they come in the preseason, and front row tix behind the Maverick's bench are $40, I'm SO in. What follows is a slide show of that magical evening, when I was literally a few feet from several Mavericks, and only about 20 feet from their bench.

Begin Slideshow

NFL Power Rankings: Ravens, Giants, Vikings, Jets Lead the Way

Alex McVeigh — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:47:43 -0400

It's shaping up to be a pretty interesting football season, that's for sure. A few teams are starting to look downright invincible, and a few teams look like they could go 0-16.

Coming into the season, there were enough storylines to interest even the most casual fans, and we've picked up a few new ones on the way.

I don't really plan to make this a weekly thing, but every once and a while, I'll break one of these out and give my takes on the state of the NFL.

I'm going to put them in groups, a la Bill Simmons, because I believe there are tiers in the NFL landscape this season. Also a la Bill Simmons, I've used theme to name the tiers. See if you can guess.

Without further ado:

I Look Good: Hey Everyone! Come See How Good I Look!

These guys are the cream of the NFL crop so far. These teams could be facing off two weeks before the Super Bowl if all goes well.

1. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have looked absolutely phenomenal so far. Joe Flacco is making plays, Ray Rice is making plays, they just look unbeatable right now. The defense is giving up a lot of points, sometimes to bad teams, but they look like they're able to outscore people when that happens, which is a dangerous combination.

2. New York Giants

Take away the run? Eli will find Smith, Manningham, or even Sinorice Moss. Take away the pass, Brandon Jacobs will run down your throat, while Ahmad Bradshaw breaks your ankles. Are you the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Then you don't stand a chance in hell. Giants look to be pulling a good team together right on schedule, which is key, since they've got a tough late season.

3. Minnesota Vikings

This team has been a quarterback away from amazing ever since they drafted Adrian Peterson. While Favre hasn't been a world-beater, he hasn't needed to be. And when they needed him, he came through. Looking pretty good through three weeks, if Favre can hold up in the cold weather, this is a team that nobody wants to play in January.

4. New York Jets

Great defense, good running backs and a hilarious coach. Add a potentially special rookie season from Mark Sanchez, and things are looking pretty good on Broadway. With the talent surrounding Sanchez, they should be okay, even if Sanchez has a shaky outing or two.

I Have Many Leather-Bound Books, and My Apartment Smells of Rich Mahogany

These teams have plenty to be proud of, but aren't quite at the top of the league. They could go deep in the playoffs, but they're not perfect.

5. Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning is still terrifying to defenses, and unlike Brady, he hasn't really slowed down. If he's down by four and driving with a minute left, you're pretty nervous if you're not a fan of the Colts. Losing a good slot receiver like Anthony Gonzalez hasn't slowed them too much, with Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne doing plenty of damage. A strong couple of weeks from Donald Brown, and the Colts could be looking down on most of the league.

6. New England Patriots

Sure, they haven't looked as explosive as 2007. But it's still Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. It's still Randy Moss. They're off to a bit of a slow start, but as Brady gets more comfortable and Welker gets healthy, they're still as dangerous as ever.

7. New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees is playing like his Madden 2010 counterpart on 'rookie' right now, throwing out gaudy stats week after week. The Saints have the weapons, and while the defense is a little suspect, as long as they hold the other team under 30, they should be good.

8. San Diego Chargers

The health of their offensive line is so bad it's almost tragic right now, which means they won't be sending Darren Sproles up the middle too much. They still have a solid defense and an offense capable of making big plays, but they struggle making the small plays. With big receivers like Chambers and Jackson, no corner on the field is off limits for Rivers.

9. Philadelphia Eagles

Let's face it. Michael Vick is a luxury, one the Eagles could be ill-fitted to afford. With four quarterbacks on their roster, they're getting pretty thin, especially with one out and one that plays intermittently. Kevin Kolb is picking up the slack, and when McNabb comes back they should be good, but they need to rack up some wins early to stay in the mix.

10. San Francisco 49ers

Patrick Willis haunts my nightmares. Their defense is looking very solid, and for some reason Shaun Hill doesn't completely suck. A gutsy performance against the Vikings showed that they might be for realsies, and if Frank Gore can be healthy, they'll be loaded.

11. Green Bay Packers

On paper, they look great. But as we all know, that doesn't mean squat on the field. I think they'll straighten it out, after all, the Bengals might be good. If they can keep it respectable against the Vikings, they will move up for sure.

You're Crazy Man—I Like You...but You're Crazy

These are decent teams. They're just not playing great. Maybe they don't have the talent, maybe they're a little too unproven, but they aren't looking like real Super Bowl contenders just yet. Could they be? Absolutely. But not yet.

12. Atlanta Falcons

They certainly aren't dropping off from last year, but they haven't made any huge leaps. Unless they get stiffer on defense and Michael Turner starts taking over some games, they'll be lucky to be another first-round exit.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben has trouble getting his offense going sometimes, but he's not someone who you want to bet against in a two-minute drill. A hard-hitting defense keeps them competitive. If they can't get a running game going, then it's all going to fall on Roethlisberger's broad shoulders.

14. Chicago Bears

Hard to tell with these guys. Without Urlacher, they have a less fearsome defense, but Cutler-to-Hester is always a wild card. They're in a tough division though, and it looks like they could be on the outside looking in during the playoffs.

15. Arizona Cardinals

Their offense stops and starts a little too much for my comfort, but you could have said that last year. I don't think two teams from the NFC West will go to the playoffs though, and the Niners have jumped out to a good lead.

16. Dallas Cowboys

Seem to be running hot and cold. They were hot against the woeful Buccaneers, cold against the G-Men and in the first half of the Panthers game. With Barber out and now Felix Jones, they could suffer, because they have been secretly relying on the running game for the last two weeks. I'm sure Romo will shred the way overrated Broncos this week though, and everyone will be back in love with him.

What's That You Said? I'm Sorry, I Don't Speak Spanish

I'm not too sure about these teams. They're like the base of a house of cards, my rankings above rely a lot on how these teams have done.

17. Cincinnati Bengals

Were they just due to beat Big Ben in Ohio? How good are the Packers really? Both of these questions are tough ones, and this from a guy who pencilled the Bengals into Super Bowl XLII (before you laugh, I also had the Giants in it, and winning).

18. Houston Texans - They're up, they're down, they're getting shut out, they're tearing up the field. If we presume the Jets are good (which I have), then they could be a fearsome offense. Bearing in mind the struggles of the Titans, the Texans might be able to do some damage in the AFC South.

19. Denver Broncos

The Broncos have played two awful teams and benefited from a miracle finish. They sit at 3-0, and you've got to think they'll come crashing down to Earth. A win over the Cowboys, and they will be legit.

20. Tennessee Titans

Could the Kerry Collins era be rapidly coming to a close? Another loss or two and the Titans are going to get really desperate.

21. Buffalo Bills

They've got some talent on offense, but I don't think Trent Edwards is ever going to be the franchise guy that some think he will be. With Marshawn Lynch coming back, the running attack might get a lot stronger though, opening up some space to throw.

You Need To Get Control, because I'm Barely Hanging on Here!

Three short weeks ago, these teams looked like the season was theirs to piss away. And that's exactly what's happening.

22. Seattle Seahawks

Last year they just had so much bad luck with the injury bug, you figured they were due. Well, the injury bug is back, and it's still hungry.

23. Washington Redskins

On paper, this team made some significant upgrades to a team that started off strong this year. A loss to the Lions will take the wind out of anyone's sails. If the offense can't get going, then Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell might be looking for other gigs.

24. Miami Dolphins

The wildcat looked pretty good against the Colts on Monday Night Football, but I think teams and coordinators are starting to catch on. It's fun to watch, but with no Chad Pennington, the Dolphins could be old news real fast.

25. Carolina Panthers

It's to the point that Jake Delhomme can't be trusted with any lead. Now, how that translates to three times as many passing plays as running plays against the Cowboys is anyone's guess.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

One of the most generic teams in the league. They're not explosive, and they don't do anything particularly well. David Garrard's ceiling seems to have been hit.

They're Winners—That's How Winners Talk!

These teams have gotten that elusive win, but that's probably the high point of their seasons.

27. Detroit Lions

They had to win one sometime, right? If allowed to grow, the Matt Stafford-to-Calvin Johnson connection could be very entertaining, but they've got a long way to go to be considered anything else but doormats.

28. Oakland Raiders

It's a testament to how poorly the Chiefs are coached that the Raiders have one win. They're terrible, and aside from Darren McFadden, they're filled with first-round busts.

I Got a Belly Full of White Dog Crap and You're Going To Lay This S@$t on Me?

These teams already have had some dismal years, and things aren't getting better for a variety of reasons. Look for them to be bottom-dwelling for the next few years. It's going to be like Paper, Scissor, Rock for Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford.

29. St. Louis Rams

...Uhhhh...At least the Cardinals are good?

30. Kansas City Chiefs

With Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe, they could have a young nucleus, but Larry Johnson is on his last legs, and they just can't do much right. Sucks for them, since they won't be going after any of the good QBs coming out.

31. Cleveland Browns

Nothing good happening here. They can't even decide which crappy quarterback is sufficiently non-crappy enough to not suck for a few games in a row.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Flashback to 2006, when the Tampa Bay was one of the worst teams ever. They had no defense, they couldn't run, they couldn't pass. This is looking to be one of those years.

Pardon Me If Michael Beasley's Problems Aren't Breaking My Heart

Alex McVeigh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:55:58 -0400

I'll start off by saying what Michael Beasley is going through is probably no joke. Unlike some health problems, mental issues just can't be cured by throwing money at the problem (insert your own Magic Johnson quote here), and fame and fortune is no guarantee for a happy life.

That being said, I'm having a difficult time feeling more than a little bit of sorrow for Beasley.

Before you call me cold-blooded, perhaps you should read some of the comments made by his father, Michael Beasley Sr., on the radio, as printed on Deadspin.

"He talks about how it's a job now. In college there wasn't a lot of pressure on him so he could go out and play, but now he's got high expectations and it's work now. I think that became kind of stressful for him going from playing 30 games to 82 games and the playoffs, and it probably took a toll on him."

Here's where my sympathy really starts to wane.

No one put a gun to Michael Beasley's head and forced him to leave college after only one year.

It's kind of a consensus that Beasley has had maturity issues, and his father states above that he's having trouble dealing with the pressure and toll of an NBA season.

Last I checked, the NBA has had an 82-game schedule for several decades. When he made the decision to bolt college, he did so full well knowing what the schedule is, and I'm assuming he was hoping his team would get to the playoffs.

The quote "he talks about how it's a job now" really gets me.

Of course it's a job! You get paid now! That's the very definition of a job. There wasn't a lot of pressure on him in college because he wasn't being paid millions of dollars, nor did he have a city looking to him to produce wins.

But guess what? I'm sure Beasley knew all of that before deciding to leave college.

But I'm also sure that all he really saw was the chance to get a fat paycheck and the adoration that comes with being a professional athlete, and he figured the rest would sort itself out.

Well, life just doesn't sort itself out. You have to be able to make an educated decision when it comes to things like that. Otherwise, you don't jump into the world of professional sports before you can legally drink.

The thing that bothers me about this is that people seem perfectly willing to accept that Beasley is nothing more than a victim in all this.

He is the one who willingly chose to leave the relatively green fields of college ball and jump headfirst into the pressure-packed waters of professional basketball.

Is he a victim? Sure.

But he's also at fault—maybe a lot, maybe a little.

His decisions brought him into the situation, and if he was having these problems as far back as a year ago, then it was up to him to get things figured out before even more pressure (which he must have known would come).

I know he's only 20, and I know that 20-year-olds do stupid stuff. But there's doing stupid stuff, and then there's allowing yourself into situations where things can turn against you.

That's what Michael Beasley did.

I'm hoping he puts this all behind him and becomes a great NBA player. He was a blast to watch in college, and he definitely had his moments last year.

Even with this little detour, he could still be a very good NBA player, and I hope he is.

But hopefully he learns from this whole thing, and I'm not so sure he will. He doesn't seem to have learned common sense in his first 20 years.

Orlando Magic Offseason Has Been Smoke and Mirrors

Alex McVeigh — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:19:00 -0400

The Orlando Magic weren't any one's fashionable pick to make the 2009 NBA Finals.

We all knew they had a force in Dwight Howard, along with a pair of mystery forwards in Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, but that's about it.

The guard play, which had been their weakness for the better part of a decade, was dependant (Michael Pietrus) on a Warriors' cast-off with no defensive reputation, a rookie two-guard (Courtney Lee) from an no-name college, and Jameer Nelson was solid, but was it enough to make them serious contenders?

But once the 2009 playoffs started, those questions were answered, and in the fashion every Magic fan hoped they would be, a positive one.

Lewis and Turkoglu became a match-up nightmare for just about everybody in the league. On the wing, Nelson blossomed into an All-Star, and Courtney Lee and Pietrus turned into legit defenders who could provide scoring punch.

With that versatility, the Magic rode their mismatches and prolific three-point shooting into the Finals, where they were outplayed by a determined and deep Lakers team.

After the Finals, Magic GM Otis Smith was faced with numerous tough decisions.

Can we re-sign Hedo? Do we bring in any help up front for Dwight? Do we match Dallas' offer sheet for Gortat?

The Magic were able to re-sign Gortat and bring in extra help for Dwight (Brandon Bass). But they chose not to re-sign Hedo. That questioned has puzzled me since Hedo traded the Orlando sun for the cold of the great white north.

In response to letting Hedo go, the Magic made a big trade for Vince Carter. They essentially traded away a developing Lee for Carter, a proven All-Star.

But despite their high marks with NBA experts, I feel the Magic screwed the pooch by letting Hedo go.

The Magic were intent on not paying the luxury tax in 2009-10. But the Magic committed $53 million to both Bass and Gortat. What did Hedo get signed for? You guessed it, $53 million.

So what would you rather have? A guy at $53 million who's proven himself or two role players?

Magic fans, I'm curious to know how you feel about this.

A lineup of Nelson, Carter, Turkoglu, Lewis, and Howard is something to think about. That's four All-Stars and Hedo.

The payroll is the same as the lineup you're currently trotting out, which is Nelson, Carter, Pietrus, Lewis, and Howard.

Which one would you rather have?

Sure, you say, Gortat probably won't be sticking with the team after Dec. 15. They'll probably trade him.

But are they going to trade him to the Raptors for Turkoglu, the player you already know fits in with your system successfully?

The Magic aren't going to turn Gortat into someone of Turkoglu's caliber. It just won't happen.

You could also argue that Turkoglu, at 31, with a history of ankle problems, isn't worth all that money for all those years.

But if you're the Magic, you'll sell your soul to win that first title, because of everything that comes with it.

Three years ago, the Miami Heat did something similar with the Shaq trade.

They traded Lamar Odom and Caron Butler, two very talented players, for Shaq, so they could team him up with a star like D-Wade. This led to an NBA title.

Ask any player on that team, or any Miami Heat fan (or Bennett Salvatore) if they would do it again, and they'll say "Yes!"

Ask any fan of any team, especially one that has never won before, and they'll give you the same answer.

That's why I'm so curious as to why people are giving a good grade to the Magic's off-season, when in reality, it seems to me that the Magic took a step backwards.

Portland Trail Blazers Losing the Offseason Battles

Alex McVeigh — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:38:43 -0400

I always liked the Portland Trail Blazers. I've had roommates and co-workers from Portland, and they were always into the Trail Blazers, even during the "Jail Blazers" years.

If the Dallas Mavericks are my wife, the Portland Trail Blazers are the hot, nice co-worker. I don't know them nearly as intimately as I do the Mavericks, but every time the Mavericks break my heart, it seems like the Blazers are right there, with a dynamic performance from Brandon Roy or an upset over the Lakers, and they look all right to me.

If I knew them better, I would probably know their flaws, and they would probably be nothing special, but as it is, they are a team I turn to in my darkest hour.

GM Kevin Pritchard deserves a lot of praise for building an exciting young team. Unlike other teams that were lottery-bound between 2004-2007, Pritchard found players that were able to step up in their early years in the league.

He traded for Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Jerryd Bayless on draft day, picked Greg Oden (which was slightly questionable; more on that later), and has dumped some bad contracts while not taking on any more.

But this summer, things have gone very wrong for the Trail Blazers, and now, instead of facing a bright future with up-and-coming likable stars locked in for years to come, it's slowly coming apart and could be over just as soon as it started.

It actually started when they failed to turn Raef LaFrentz into an impact player at the trade deadline, and we saw how that worked out in the playoffs.

There's the Hedo Turkoglu situation, which I don't particularly blame them for. He obviously wanted to live in Toronto, and sometimes you can't fight the family stuff. I don't blame them for that. To be honest, I think they dodged a bullet.

Turkoglu had one-and-a-half good seasons, and now he's making $10 million a year until he's 36. For a guy with a history of ankle problems, that doesn't sound like a good investment.

I also won't jump on them for missing out on Paul Millsap. They did all they could and probably expected it anyways.

But I'm not letting the Blazers off the hook any more. The rest of the summer is all their fault.

For instance, they toss all that money at Turkoglu, but they're almost completely ignoring Lamar Odom. Why?

He's younger, has a championship, and has such a flexible game that he can play both forward spots should they go small with Aldridge at the center.

Plus, the money they offered Turkoglu would be enough to outbid the Lakers easily. Why aren't they pursuing this?

A big three of Roy, Odom, and Aldridge is an exciting thought, and I can't understand why Blazers fans aren't up in arms, particularly when it should have been elementary.

Odom would be perfect. He would be the third (or fourth, depending on Bayless' minutes) option in the offense, but he would provide a much more athletic 6'10" body than Turkoglu, who they chased from day one of free agency.

I would love a Blazers fan to let me know why this is so. I don't follow all the inside stuff, but I'm very curious.

After Odom, the biggest mistake they're making is with Brandon Roy. He wants a max contract, and deservedly so. The Blazers are hesitant to give him a fifth year.

Let me see if I can understand this. You've got the best 25-year-old shooting guard in the game, and he wants to commit to your team for his prime.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE?

They're dicking around with Roy over an extra year of his prime, by which time he will most likely be the best shooting guard in the game. The contract would expire as Brandon turns 30, which is the same age Kobe is, and he just won the title.

Let me tell you something. Brandon Roy is one of the several players around 25 and under that a franchise needs to keep at all costs, and that every other franchise in the league will kill for. Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Danny Granger, Carmelo Anthony and of course LeBron are the others.

If Roy wants you to murder his ex-girlfriend, you call yourself a discrete hitman, and you get it done. It's that simple.

Now Roy is upset, possibly to the point of getting disgruntled. Since his contract is in the air, he's not going to recruit free agents for you.

For an organization that has been lauded for their smarts in building a young team, the fact that the signature on Roy's max contract isn't long dry by now is appalling.

Again, Blazers fans, please comment below. I would be ready to storm the Rose Garden in a bloody coup if my team was doing this.

Now you've got LaMarcus Aldridge's contract situation coming up, and if they're not careful, they're going to be playing "Dueling Banjos" with these two young stars, both of whom want and deserve a bigger payday.

Otherwise Aldridge becomes a restricted free agent next year, and there's a decent chance that some team with a lot of cap space that doesn't get a big-name free agent (*cough* Knicks *cough*) will overpay him an amount that Portland can't or won't match.

This summer just isn't turning out so well for the Blazers. They still bring back a core of Bayless-Roy-Aldridge-Oden, and if they can fill the hole at small forward with Odom or David Lee, they should make some waves.

But it could all come crashing down, and for a region that just lost a basketball team, another one disappearing back into lottery hell is not what they need.

Why Won't ESPN Report on The Ben Roethlisberger Situation?

Alex McVeigh — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:24:02 -0400

(UPDATE: SEE BELOW FOR THE LATEST)

I'm a begrudging fan of ESPN. I watch their coverage of sports, and I usually have SportsCenter on in the background in the morning or while I'm doing random stuff.

But I also don't like their seeming lust for controversy, how they put people like O.J. Simpson (who hasn't played football in decades), Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, or even Terrell Owens at the top of the coverage at the expense of real sports news and/or highlights.

When I got home late Monday night, I heard a thing on the radio about Ben Roethlisberger being accused of assault. Wow, I thought, ESPN is back in their element.

I got home and clicked on ESPN.com, expecting to see a front page spread about Big Ben. You know, the standard witty pun for a headline, an in-game shot of Big Ben looking distraught, the whole standard Pacman, T.O. drill.

It wasn't there. I was surprised, but I thought that it probably came at the end of their news cycle, and maybe they had someone like John Clayton working the scoop, so it would be up bright and early Tuesday morning.

Tuesday morning, check the site—still nothing.

It's at the top of every other mainstream sports news website: Fox Sports, CNN/SI—at least a mention is. It's the first topic talked about on the radio.

Nothing on SportsCenter, nothing on ESPN's radio station, nothing on ESPN.com.

And this is the worldwide leader in sports?

Look, I admit it; I hate the way ESPN puts controversy to the forefront, but if the alternative is a complete and total blackout, then what kind of news organization do they think they are?

How can any legit organization claiming to be in the news business not discuss a story where the Super Bowl champion quarterback is accused of sexual assault, even if it's just a civil lawsuit (this is very important for later, so make a note)?

In fact, as came out later in the day, not only was ESPN not reporting it, they also issued a strict "Do Not Report" memo to their employees, telling them not to address the situation.

Now things are getting a little fishy. What kind of organization sweeps something like that under the rug?

Can you imagine being someone like John Clayton? He's one of the most plugged-in reporters to the NFL in the world, and he's sitting on the 5 p.m. SportsCenter talking about Michael Vick and whether or not Brett Favre will be playing for the Vikings.

How does he not explode and just talk about it? ESPN is muzzling their journalistic talents, and that's the most unforgivable sin in the world of media.

When Vick first got in trouble, there were some people claiming racism, saying that if Tom Brady or Peyton Manning were accused of the same crime, it wouldn't be a big deal.

I was always against that notion. I think it would have been a much bigger deal.

Vick has had troubles before with weed, flicking off fans, and other stuff. Same with Pacman.

Not to mention Terrell Owens. I remember going to work one morning a few years ago, and TO had gone to the hospital on an "overdose." ESPN was in full crisis mode, dispatching reporters and personalities to every corner of the Dallas area to find out whatever information they had.

But now, I have to wonder: Is Big Ben getting ignored because he's pretty much the poster boy for a successful, clean, white athlete?

The answer is no. I think no organization would tread down such dangerous territory. I'm not one of those people that thinks the media is inherently racist, but it did cross my mind.

But apparently, we have a reason for the "Do Not Report" memo. Apparently it's an ESPN policy not to report on civil suits involving athletes.

Hmm...they don't...report...on...civil...lawsuits?

Glad we got that out of the way.

So it's clearly not the "civil lawsuit" thing that's holding them back. So what is it?

Does ESPN not want to alienate a 27-year-old two-time Super Bowl champion for fear of losing access? Do they fear losing page hits from the most rabid (read: obnoxious) fanbase in football?

Does this mean if T.O. or Vick were to win a Super Bowl, ESPN would stop reporting on their various incidents?

Does this mean if Matt Ryan or Mark Sanchez were to get in some sort of trouble, ESPN would ignore it for fear of damaging access to a future superstar?

Does this mean success or popularity affects the facts about a person? Where is the line drawn?

As a journalist, this is the worst crime they could commit. It's also a crime that will not go unnoticed in today's age of watchdog blogs.

At the top of the mountain of the sports world, ESPN is already the target of every other outlet trying to climb that mountain, and they're not doing themselves any favors with garbage like this.

UPDATE: At around 11:30 last night, a full 52 hours after the news broke, ESPN posted an article. The article they posted was the AP's about how no criminal charges will be filed.

Also, makiong the front page this morning, and still on the front page of the NFL section, an article about how the guy who accused Marvin Harrison of shooting him was shot again. Anyone care to comment how that has anything to do with sports?

Dallas Mavericks Lose Out on Marcin Gortat, a Small Part of Me Dies

Alex McVeigh — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:48:24 -0400

Congratulations Otis Smith. You've managed to do what only the NBA referees have been able to do. You have caused basketball to disgust me.

Not the game itself, but the process. The concept of a restricted free agent. The whole city of Orlando. Anyone with the name "Otis." I hate you all.

Not only did you do something stupid, Mr. Smith, but it was downright cruel of you.

The entire world knew that Gortat wasn't in it for the money. He just wanted minutes.

Is that any way to show respect for Gortat as a human being, when you know he wanted to leave and was ready to take the next step as a basketball player?

At least the Mavs did the classy thing with Brandon Bass. Bass wanted more minutes, but like Gortat, he just happened to have one of the top five players in the game today in the starting slot.

And it looked like things were going to work out swimmingly. You got Bass who could start at the four, and Rashard Lewis could replace Turkoglu at small forward. Lewis excels there anyway, due to his size and shooting ability.

And we got Gortat. It's not like he would play any meaningful minutes in front of Dwight Howard. He just wanted minutes. And like Bass, Gortat did it in a classy way. They didn't tweet about being unhappy or go to the media. They did it by busting their asses every minute they were on the court, and their teams were better off for it.

And when the Magic gave Bass an offer, the Mavericks let him go. They knew he would never be happy in Dallas as long as Dirk was playing, and they were essentially turning Bass into a major need for them, an athletic center.

Just as a good will gesture, Cuban and Co. helped the Magic out to the tune of an $8 million trade exception by facilitating Hedo's move to Toronto. In no way did the Mavericks have to do that.

When you look back, sure it made the numbers go a little smoother, but really it was a gesture. Sort of like a, "Hey, we really need Gortat and you don't, so here's a couple of million to just, *wink wink* let him go."

But Otis Smith had to get too smart for his own good.

Now what do the Magic have? Well, they're paying $35 million to back up the best center in the league. He's stuck there until at least December 1, and it's pretty clear that he's not happy to be there.

That should be real good for the locker room chemistry.

Then, you've got your first team All-NBA center, who is fresh off of a disappearing act in the playoffs. Now, you're sending him a message, "Look Dwight, we really need someone to back you up. We're going to pay out the wazoo to have someone to back you up."

Nice show of faith. It's already been shown that the Daily Double isn't the most robust player mentally. After a heartbreaking game two in the Finals, he was never the same.

So you've got Gortat until December 15? Then what? You send him somewhere. Houston is the most likely candidate. They made a pretty hard push for Gortat as soon as free agency opened up.

What are you getting from Houston? Kyle Lowry and Von Wafer? Yeah, those guys will take you far.

Then you send Gortat into an unfamiliar offense, with an unfamiliar coach in the middle of the season.

And what happens if Houston finds a big man in the meantime? With all the salary clearing happening around the league in preparation for the summer of 2010, who wants to sign a freshly inked big man?

I can't tell you how sick this makes me. The only thing I can liken it to is an unexpected breakup.

Not to trivialize relationships, but the feeling is the same. That black hole in your gut, a feeling that wasn't there earlier today. Earlier today the world was full of possibilities.

If the Lakers lose Odom, could the Mavs make a serious run at the title? With Marion on 'Melo, with the Celtics big three and Shaq a year older, and with no mismatch at the three with Turkoglu gone, could the Mavs have gone all the way?

Sure, by the time the season rolls around, I'll have convinced myself that I didn't really want to get Gortat anyways. Just like you convince yourself that you never really liked her all that much.

Like we needed another center (a foreign whitey to boot!) for the midlevel to pull a Diop. But every time you see Gortat in another uniform, part of you will wonder...

I can picture myself in my office this afternoon, sitting there all fat and happy, no idea of the train wreck that it about to hit me. Now we're in lean times, and the world is a little colder place than it used to be.

This afternoon I had not a care in the world. I was talking to the Polish guy I work with, working on the proper pronunciation of "Marcin Gortat" and thinking of a nickname that involved changing lightbulbs.

Hours ago I was imagining Jason Kidd pulling down rebounds, with Marcin Gortat and Shawn Marion streaking on the wings, and Dirk trailing the play, ready to knock down a three if necessary.

Now all I see is Erick Dampier's rock-gloved hands, reaching out, not for a basketball that will surely bounce right off, but for my throat, and he's draining all the life out of me until at least February.

If you really want to get real, it's almost worse than a breakup. At least then you can call your buddy and say, "Hey, just got dumped, let's go get hammered on a Monday night."

If I call someone and say, "Hey, the Magic just matched the offer for Marcin Gortat, let's go get wasted on a Monday night," I'm just not getting that sympathy.

Of course, it won't hurt like this for long. Sure you might have pangs keeping you awake in the dead of night for the next few nights, but those go away.

But when those go away, so does a part of you. The part that knew what it meant to love. And in it's place is nothing, which is the scariest part of all.

So, Otis Smith you want to match the Mavs' offer for Gortat? Well, how about a fly down to Orlando and match a crowbar with Dwight Howard's kneecap? How does that sound.

The only consolation prize in this whole mess is that I can now use this line when the Mavs play the Magic:

"Dirk was really on fire in the paint last night. You'd think Gortat of all people would know what happens when you grant the German even the smallest of concessions, whether Panzer divisions or the one-legged Euro fade-away."

So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to crank up Pat Benetar's "Love is a Battlefield" and cry myself to sleep.

(Note to whoever edits this. Please find a way to put this on both the Mavs and Magic page, I would LOVE to hear what Magic fans can say to justify their GM's actions)

The New Center and Shooting Guard for the Dallas Mavericks

Alex McVeigh — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:54:00 -0400

The Dallas Mavericks are in a unique, yet unenviable position this offseason. Twelve months before the expected free agent bonanza of 2010, they face the prospect of fading completely out of contention, and taking the Dirk era to an unhappy conclusion.

They are also in an unenviable position when it comes to free agents. Their No. 1 target, Jason Kidd, won't offer something new and different. Rather, the Mavs are just trying to hang on to the player who helped them the year before.

While the re-signing of Kidd can be called a triumph, it is a mixed blessing. Without another move, the Mavericks are in the same place they were last year, and only the Rockets are showing signs that they will not be the same or better than last year.

The Blazers, Nuggets and Spurs have taken steps to put them to the next level, while the Lakers are already at the next level.

The Mavericks do not want to be left in the lurch, especially with a rapidly aging, but effective, core.

Assuming they sign Kidd, the Mavericks have a need at the center position and the shooting guard. With Hall of Famers at the one and four, and an All-Star at the three, the addition of two impact players at the off guard and center position will go a long way towards putting the Mavericks back into the race for the west.

Let's look at the two-guard first.

The Pistons might have already done the Mavs' first step for them. They signed Ben Gordon to a big free-agent deal, who also happens to play the same position as Rip Hamilton, another highly-paid and talented two-guard.

So unless they want to have their two highest players playing the same position, one of them has to move. Logic would suggest that the one to move is the older player—the one without the contract with the still-drying ink.

I've alwasy been a Hamilton fan. He's great at creating his own shot, especially off the dribble, which is exactly what the Mavs need from a two-guard. They don't need a Kobe/D-Wade style shooting guard, who will score 30 points on 25 shots.

No, they need someone like Rip, who will score 20 on 10-15 shots.

So what can the Mavs offer for Hamilton?

Detroit could use a backup point guard, with Stuckey taking the reins this season. J.J. Barea, or even new Mav Rodrigue Beaubois could offer a serviceable backup for Stuckey.

Sure, Barea isn't exactly a world-beater, but ask anyone who watched the Mavs regularly last season, there were many times when he came in, slashed to the bucket, made a key defensive stop, or did some other play that got the team and the crowd fired up.

He can shoot from all over as well, which could provide a decent Plan B should Gordon get swarmed, which is most certainly will.

With the impending departure of Rasheed Wallace, and the possible departure of Antonio McDyess, the Pistons are also looking frighteningly thin at in the frontcourt.

And as we all know, a backcourt is only as good as the big men that support it.

The Mavs have a young player on the rise, Brandon Bass, who is in search of both time and a payday. While he wouldn't command more than the midlevel, he is capable of being a starting forward on the right team, such as Detroit.

With his inside presence and good midrange jumper, he provides a formidable threat and would be a nice complement to Gordon and Villanueva, especially when Villanueva inevitably goes down with some sort of injury.

Plus, he has proven he can play the center on a small-ball team, which would be an intriguing possibility with so many good shooters on Detroit.

Hell, the Mavs could even toss in Antoine Wright if the Pistons neded a good backup. While he's not the model of consistency, Wright provides a good bargain for the numbers, especially for a backup shooting guard.

Now that we've covered the two-guard, let's take a look at the center.

Erick Dampier needs to go. His dead hands, inconsistent play, and nonexistent athleticism need to be turned into something.

Since he most likely won't meet his incentives for the 2010-11 season, he is basically an expiring contract, which is appealing to a lot of teams.

Package him together with Jerry Stackhouse ($2 million buyout, non-guaranteed), and Mark Cuban has quite a stimulus package for a team that is hurting financially.

Now that you mention, it I've got two such teams in mind.

New Orleans Hornets Center Tyson Chandler has reportedly been on the block since the draft. With his ability to rebound and finish the alley-oop, he is the polar opposite of Dampier.

Sure, he disappeared until December last season, and I know he has some nagging injury concerns, but I think the Mavericks have a decent backup center in Ryan Hollins to make up for that.

Chandler for Stack/Dampier would save the Hornets some much needed money, which they were trying to do when they tried to dump Chandler the first time.

Plus, I'll admit it, I would get a certain sick pleasure in watching Chris Paul try to feed alley-oops to the lead-gloved hands of Erick Dampier. But that's neither here nor there.

Chandler is a moderately appealing option, but here's my No. 1: Emeka Okafor.

He puts up a double-double almost every night, and while the points don't always come, the rebounds (especially the offensive ones) do.

And that's what the Mavs need from a center: Someone that can finish the fast break, get 10 boards a night, and shoot close shots at a high percentage.

The Mavericks also have a plethora (thats right, I said plethora) of second-round picks, and maybe even a few appealing young high-flyers that the Bobcats could use.

Gerald Green, in a possible sign-and-trade, could provide some acrobatic offense for a small price, and Brandon Bass and/or Antoine Wright (if not gone to the Pistons) could also be appealing to a Bobcats team looking to rebuild and save some coin.

I would throw everything the Mavs have at an Okafor trade, including Terry. Josh Howard and Dirk is where I draw the line.

With Dirk, Terry, Howard, and hopefully Rip Hamilton handling the scoring, he wouldn't need to pour in the points, just lock down the glass.

Now let's look at the starting five for this dynamo: Kidd, Hamilton, Howard, Dirk and Okafor.

That's a starting five that could go to war with a lot of teams in the West.

I would take them over the Spurs with Richard Jefferson. I would take them over the Nuggets, since a healthy Howard and an athletic center could have made the difference against the Nuggs this year.

Sure, the Mavs might not be loaded up for a run at an All-Star in 2010, but unless it's Wade (who might sign an extension soon anyway) or LeBron James (who probably won't come to Dallas), that doesn't bother me very much.

Bosh is most effective at playing the four, which is what Dirk plays. Plus, as much as I like him, I'm still not convinced he can be the best player on a contender, as last season showed us.

Either way, this brings the Mavericks into the the 2009-10 season with each of their major issues addressed, which is more than a lot of teams can say.

Shaq to Cavs: Good News For NBA Fans, Bad News For Him

Alex McVeigh — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:27:43 -0400

I'll admit it.

Though I'm not a particularly big Shaq or Cavs fan, I'm excited to see Shaq on the Cavs. Two stars—one completing his final descent, one just breaking into a possibly untapped section of the stratosphere—are bound to show NBA fans something worth our time and money.

Even though he's not the player he once was, Shaq is far and above the best low post player LeBron will have ever played with.

It will be interesting to see, and I know for sure I'll be watching most Cavs games.

But you know who doesn't benefit? Shaq himself.

He has joined forces with LeBron, and there are only two possible outcomes for next season; the Cavaliers win the NBA championship, or they do not.

Both outcomes will affect Shaq's legacy, and I think in a negative way. Let's take a look.

1. The Cleveland Cavaliers do not win the NBA championship

Given the parity in today's NBA, this is probably the most likely scenario.

Shaq does not add a young scorer that can take the pressure off of LeBron. So what happens to Shaq?

All of a sudden, Shaq brought about the end of the run-and-gun Suns and possibly the LeBron James era in Cleveland.

Suddenly, the man who boasted that he brought championship rings wherever he went, is dead weight.

The Suns went from the number one team in the West to a lottery team during Shaq's tenure.

The Cavaliers, with the best record in the NBA last year, have really nowhere to go but down.

Maybe suddenly people start remembering Shaq a little worse. What happens if he feuds with LeBron over touches?

I think it's pretty clear that the public will side with LeBron. He younger, more dynamic, and has a history of clutch. There's no question who the offense should be running through.

But you would have thought the same thing with the Suns. With Amare and Jason Richardson, Shaq should be a third option, maybe second, but not in crunch time.

Rumors of locker room tensions that originated in Shaq's lack or touches remain his legacy in the Valley of the Sun.

Worse yet, if it's another ringless year for LeBron, the overall philosophy of Cleveland's GM, Danny Ferry comes into question. He has spent LeBron's career trying to surround him with serviceable veterans, thinking that their experience would help guide LeBron to a championship.

While it has led to LeBron being a good guy off the court, it hasn't led to success on the court.

Instead of surrounding LeBron with young guys that could grow with him into a tight knit core, LeBron has been like the talented little brother; taught by experienced, but ultimately untalented older brothers.

Bill Simmons and Chad Ford pointed this out, and it's true: Danny Ferry's philosophy is much different than his other GM friend, the Thunder's Sam Presti.

Presti has drafted a young stud every year, and now he's got three, probably four, future superstars. Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook, 2009 no. 3 pick are 22 years of age or younger. Along with this year's No. 3 pick, these players have the chance to gel for a few years.

The one thing that will drive LeBron away faster than anything is if he believes the way his GM does business is not a winning model.

2. The Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA championship

Thinking about it, it will probably be worse for Shaq's legacy.

You're probably thinking, "How could a fifth ring hurt his legacy?"

After all, it would give him one more up on Kobe, particularly if he beats Kobe in the 2010 Finals.

But what no one has mentioned about Shaq is this: he has only won a title when playing with a top 5 player in the NBA. Kobe, Wade, and now LeBron.

Kobe got crap for years for not winning without Shaq, but Shaq has had the best help imaginable, short of Jordan. When he was playing with a less-than-stellar, but good, lineup, he failed to win it all.

No one ever accused Shaq of riding coattails, but they might if he wins with LeBron.

Then what happens? You don't think Shaq will retire after winning a title do you?

We've all heard about his "countdown", but there's no way he leaves after winning the big one.

So does he stay with Cleveland? Not if LeBron jets. Even if LeBron stays, it could be unlikely that they want to sign a 38-year old Shaq to a two-year deal.

So say someone else, desperate to sell tickets, signs him. You think a 38, 39 or 40-year old Shaq isn't going to be terrible?

Face it, the only way Shaq benefits by going to Cleveland is by winning multiple titles.

And that, my friends, is one tall order, even for the Big Aristotle.

Mavericks Swap Picks With Blazers: What Is The Mavs' Strategy?

Alex McVeigh — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:19:53 -0400

As of approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, the Dallas Mavericks completed a trade with the Portland Trailblazers. The Mavericks sent the Blazers their 22nd pick in exchange for the 24th pick, as well as a second-round pick in 2009 and 2010.

While it's seemingly insignificant, Mark Cuban's take on the trade speaks volumes about the Mavericks' draft strategy.

"The guy we want will still be there at No. 24," said Cuban.

What does that mean? Is there any sure pick that will be there for the Mavs at No. 24?

Will Ty Lawson, Terrance Williams, Earl Clark, Johnny Flynn, or Eric Maynor still be on the board?

Each of the players listed should be expected to be selected within the 17th-25th range.

The trade makes it pretty clear; the Mavs are expecting a point guard to be available late enough in the round, since those are the only sure picks to be around.

There is a chance the Nets could select Williams, while the Bobcats could take Earl Clark. One of the reasons why the trade may have occurred is because of Omri Casspi, who Portland may be interested in taking. Now that they have the 22nd pick, they are one pick ahead of the Sacramento Kings, who are also interested in Casspi.

Before we get into who the Mavs should pick, let's examine what another point guard on the Mavericks' roster means.

If they re-sign Jason Kidd, then the Mavericks will have three point guards on the depth chart, plus Jason Terry.

As much as I like J.J. Barea, he won't be more than a good backup, which leaves the Mavs a project to work with.

But what if they're expecting Kidd to walk? Or better yet, what if the Mavs are letting Portland make their pick for them, and reaping two additional picks from it?

How about the Mavs do a sign-and-trade with the Blazers with Kidd for the No. 22 pick and Travis Outlaw?

All of a sudden, the Mavericks have the same player they wanted, a decent role player in Outlaw (Outlaw Maverick jerseys would sell themselves), plus a young point guard.

If I had it my way, I would select Eric Maynor as their point guard.

Johnny Flynn is rising in stock, and might not even make it past the Knicks at No. 8. Lawson will most likely be selected before the Mavs have a chance to take him. My guess is the 76ers or whoever ends up with Minnesota's No. 18 pick will select him.

Jeff Teague will probably be there, but the Mavericks should take Eric Maynor, and there is a higher possibility that he will still be on the board.

The combination of his lack-of-star-power and his alma mater not being a major school will probably allow him to slip. Therefore, the Mavs need to take him.

Eric Maynor and Jason Terry could lead the Mavericks' locker room. Maynor can perform well enough to provide the Mavericks a very dangerous offense.

He can create for others and himself. Not to mention he has the quickness to get in front of other point guards such as Chris Paul and Tony Parker. He has the size to bang with Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups.

He's the kind of player that defies predictions in a way that I like. Like Ricky Rubio, teams seem to be talking themselves out of him, and there's something about that that appeals to me.

The Mavs have second-round picks, which will probably be used as trade bait. They've already got a few picks over in Europe (Shan Foster, Renaldus Seibutus) so they don't need that kind of depth.

But the picks will appeal to rebuilding teams that might not be aversed to stashing players overseas in hopes of reaping a finished product somewhere down the line.

But every plan is only as good as its backup, and if Maynor isn't there, the Mavericks need to go after one of the D.J's.

Who are the D.J.'s? I'm talking about DeJuan Blair or Dajuan Summers. Both are poor-man's versions of Jordan Hill, which is who the Mavs toyed with getting at No. 5 via a trade.

But the Mavs need to focus their energies on Maynor, even if it means turning that No. 24 pick right around. They could send Jerry Stackhouse to the Bobcats for the No. 12 pick, where they might even look into Brandon Jennings. Then, they could use Maynor as the backup.

Either way, it's a no-lose move for the Mavs.

Unless, of course, Eric Maynor goes at No. 23, in which I will then delete all traces of this article.

Boston Red Sox Pitcher Justin Masterson Speaks at Pentagon

Alex McVeigh — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:14:31 -0400

The closest thing on this site to breaking news, this is a story that I wrote for my paper about Justin Masterson, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson, in Washington D.C. for a three-game series against the Nationals, was the featured speaker at the Pentagon's weekly prayer breakfast. Masterson spoke about how his faith affects him as a professional athlete and the impact God has had on his life.

The Pentagon Chaplain’s Office holds three such prayer breakfasts each week, Tuesdays are for Senior Executive Service and Government appointees, Wednesday is open to any Pentagon employee, and Thursdays are for general officers.

They offer a free (though donations are always appreciated) continental breakfast, which includes fresh fruit, muffins, doughnuts, water, juice, and coffee and a guest speaker. Sometimes it’s a military speaker, sometimes it’s a someone like Masterson, who has a broader appeal.

With athletes like Michael Vick and Alex Rodriguez garnering headlines for questionable behavior, the chaplain’s office was glad to bring in an athlete that can serve as such a positive role model.

“So often we hear about the athlete that messes up,” said Walt Day, who served as a chaplain leader for the Red Sox from 1995 to 2008, as well as other New England sports teams. “Justin is unusually mature in his faith, and he’s got the spiritual sense to try and reach out to as many people as he can.”

Day introduced Masterson to the crowd of service members from all branches, as well as many civilian employees of the Pentagon, recalling Masterson’s days in the minor leagues. Even then, Masterson would make it his habit to reach out to players in as many ways as he could. He even learned Spanish so he could communicate with players that were new to the country.

When Masterson took the stage, he answered some baseball questions first. He called Rodriguez of the Yankees and Vladimir Guererro of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim the two toughest hitters he’s ever faced. He recalled batting a few times last season during interleague play.

“I hit last year. Well, I swung,” he said, drawing a big laugh.

He then spoke about how his faith has kept him humble, throughout his career, as well as handling the pressure. Sometimes you strike out the side, sometimes you give up two runs, he said.

“But God is there, and he appreciates me, even when the fans are booing,” Masterson said.

Many members of the audience were there for the first time, and Masterson made quite an impression on them.

“To have a professional athlete come out and talk about his faith, it’s really something,” said Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Thomas of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Department. “It’s nice to hear from other professionals who use their spiritual sense for strength.”

Masterson stuck around to sign some autographs and greet some fans, both casual and rabid. With the Red Sox visiting Washington, D.C. for the first time since baseball returned, Day and Masterson both thought it was important to take advantage of the opportunity.

“We’re glad to do anything we can to help the military,” Day said. “We really appreciate what the men and women here to for this country, and we’re happy to help in any way we can. Baseball is nothing compared to military life.”

Masterson was happy to speak to such a receptive audience, made eve more special by the fact that he was in the Pentagon.

“There’s a lot of greatness here, people with a lot of authority, what better place to spread the good news?” he said. “I’m not trying to knock down anybody’s door with my faith, I’m just trying to share some truth and kindness and talk about how good God has been to me.”

If You Pass on Ricky Rubio, You Will Be Sorry

Alex McVeigh — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:43:01 -0400

We're barely scratching the surface of a soul-crushing summer of no basketball. For more advice on how to get over it, click here.

But one of the things that has me occupied until Thursday, is the NBA Draft. I love reading all the scuttlebutt, even if I've read more contradicting reports than in Project Blue Book.

The latest trend has the young Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio falling down the draft boards, as many teams are put of by his large buyout, his poor workouts and his shady demands.

No matter what happens on Thursday, I'm going to lay down some truth for you, right here right now, on this 23rd day of June, in the year of our Lord 2009.

If you pass on Ricky Rubio, you will be sorry.

You will be sorry in April of 2010, when he is awarded the Rookie of the Year. You will be sorry in Feb. 2012, when he is an All-Star. You will be sorry in the years 2013 to 2020, when he will be the point guard on a team that wins at least two titles in that span.

You heard it here first. Ricky Rubio will be one of those once-in-a-generation Point Guards, and by 2012, him and Chris Paul will make the Paul/Deron Williams comparisons look plain silly.

Some skeptics claim that Ricky Rubio is another Kimbo Slice, that is, another You Tube sensation that will fall flat when exposed to the big boys' league.

If you believe that, you're forgetting one thing.

He did it on the biggest stage, with the biggest of boys, in the 2008 Olympics. Playing against Kobe, D-Wade, LeBron and co., all of whom were hungry for a gold medal, Rubio got six points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. I would say that's a pretty impressive all-around effort.

And he was 17 years old.

SEVENTEEN.

When I was 17, I thought a pick and roll involved something that came out of my nose and the underside of a desk.

That's what people don't realize. LeBron James wasn't playing against that sort of competition at 17. You could argue that he could have, and I would agree with you, but if we're starting to compare Rubio's impact with LeBron's, then you're starting to see my point.

Another negative thing coming out about Rubio is poor workouts. The Sacramento Kings worked him out the other day, and were less than overwhelmed with his performance.

The only problem with that is, they worked him out by himself, no one else.

So let me get this straight. You're going to work out the most creative passer since Steve Nash or Jason Kidd, but you're not going to give him anyone to throw to?

What is he doing? Shooting open jumpers and running suicides?

And this and this alone might cause the Kings to bypass him. And you wonder how they fell so fast from the league's elite.

The final, and most annoying thing, is that he has said through his agent that he doesn't want to play for some teams, Memphis, the owner of the no. 2 pick being one of them.

It's understandable to feel bitterness towards and unproven player making demands like that, but it's equally understandable that he feels this way.

Fellow Spaniards Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Jose Calderon and others have gone from Euro teams to poorly-run franchises such as the Grizzlies. They've no doubt told Rubio horror stories about what this can do to a career, as Pau Gasol's half-decade of indifference followed by his string of brilliance with the Lakers has shown us.

Keep this in mind: Rubio is facing a $6 million buyout from his Spanish team to come and play in the NBA. The team that drafts him can only chip in $500,000 to that, so the rest comes out of his pocket.

If Rubio is going to make such a significant investment to play in a foreign land, you damn well better be sure he's going to make sure he isn't tossed into a war zone like Memphis, Sacramento, or any of the other famous dysfunctional team.

So I'll repeat my warning to any team thinking of passing up on Rubio (except for the Clippers, because the thought of Rubio in a Clips jersey haunts my darkest nightmares): if you do you'll be sorry.

You'll be missing out on a once in a generation point guard talent, and with guards like Paul, Rondo, Parker, Williams, Rose and others coming into your prime, it's becoming increasingly evident that the next generation of NBA champions need to have a strong leader.

Draft Rubio, or else plan to watch the banners go up in another stadium.

Let's Make a Deal: Who Can The Dallas Mavericks Acquire This Offseason?

Alex McVeigh — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:32:14 -0400

The following is a roundtable-style discussion between two Dallas Mavericks Community Members, Alex McVeigh and Janet Kessler.

It is the first in a series of articles that will look at the offseason moves that the Dallas Mavericks can/should make.

This one looks at several free agents, from the very possible to the improbable, in roughly that order, followed by the one scenario each of us would like to see.

First off, as hard-core MFFLs (Mavs Fans For Life), it's easy to forget and not be objective about other teams players. It's like I'm pre-programmed to hate this guy, because he plays for the enemy.

But given a second thought, I've come to a sobering realization that the Mavericks need help. Without a miracle pick in the draft, trading with other teams deems are best hope.

So I can warm-up to anybody if they are in a Mavericks uniform. After all, I'm not trading my colors, they are.

Jason Kidd: No longer under contract, Jason Kidd is an unrestricted free agent.

Janet:

His $21.3 million is off the Mavericks books. The question is, will he stay in Dallas, or will he be lured elsewhere? The Cavs, with their Chinese money, are making serious noise about wanting Kidd.

We gave up so much to get him here that it seemed to be too much at times. No one will forget the Harris/Kidd trade. It's looking more like Antoine Wright will be the only thing the Mavericks got in the deal.

Alex:

Unless the Mavs are able to move up to select Rubio or Tyrkee Evans, they need to sign Kidd. They should be able to, but with the Cavs' early ouster, they could be a team that will overspend on Kidd, even if it is just to keep Bron Bron around.

Shaq: Shaq's contract expires after the 2010 season, meaning he could be trade bait for the Suns to get under the luxury tax.

Janet:

At first thought, I would jump on the bandwagon for a trade that involved Shaq for Dampier and Stackhouse. Shaq would be an upgrade over Damp. He's a better shot blocker, he averages 15 points more, and is a better rebounder. Even if Shaq's minutes were limited, I think he could provide enough game to make a big impact.

On the other hand, this a buyer's market. The Mavericks would be very smart to wait and see who will be available. Shaq would be good for an "if all else fails" deal.

The Mavericks need to get younger and more athletic.

With the current economic climate, there are a lot of NBA teams hurting for cash. With salary and Luxury tax lowered, teams with money to spend can hold out for the best deals.

I think with the financial situations some teams are facing, we could see deals the could make the Gasol deal look, well...expensive.

So with this thinking in mind, I believe the Mavericks can do better than Shaq.

Another thing to remember: Owner Mark Cuban is willing to play Monty Hall with his pocketbook, but only if the price is right.

Alex:

Renting Shaq for a year could solve a huge problem for the Mavs. Inconsistent-center play has plagued them since the '06 run, when Damp/Diop formed a two-headed monster.

Plus, we've seen what Shaq can do when motivated. The quest for another ring, particularly if Kobe wins this year, could be started in Dallas, where Shaq could do what he did to (gulp) Miami.

Shaq's presence would take a lot of low-post pressure off Dirk, and hell, maybe Shaq could teach Ryan Hollins how to pack on some pounds.

Chris Kaman: Kaman is signed through 2012-2013, and could be used as bait by the Clips, who suddenly have a glut of big men, assuming they pick up Griffin.

Janet:

My personal favorite for center. Not only is he young enough, but his points and rebound averages are close to what we are looking for.

Most of all, he has history playing with Dirk, as the two of them played together last summer at the Beijing Olympics.

My biggest concern about Kaman, who will be starting his seventh season, is he has had only one healthy season.

It may have come when he was on a losing team, but that does nothing but motivate one to play through anything. I would love to know, if he could gut it out if need to, just like Josh did.

Alex:

While his chemistry issues with Dirk cannot be understated, there's no guarantee Kaman can play healthy. White players over seven feet have trouble staying healthy, and I don't know if Kaman is necessarily an athletic improvement over Dampier.

Baron Davis: Davis has another long contract with the Clippers, and could be traded due to the Clippers' financial woes.

Janet:

Davis would definitely be someone to replace Stackhouse's role as an enforcer. If he was on the Mavericks, we wouldn't have to worry about him pestering Dirk. By that, I mean Davis is a good defender.

Just like Kaman, Davis has a record of not staying healthy. And like Kaman, he has never had a reason or motivation to play hurt.

Alex:

Another player who has torched the Mavs in the past, but isn't necessarily the answer to their future. Davis' contract would completely destroy any chance the Mavs would have of getting a big free agent in 2010, and for someone who struggled to stay healthy in his 20's, that concerns me.

If they sign Davis, they're basically going all-in for the rest of Dirk's contract, and I don't know if he's the player you wager that on.

Chris Bosh: Bosh is eligible for free agency after the 2009-10 season, and has declined to extend his contract with Toronto. He is seeking a max deal.

Janet:

I'd like the idea of having the Dallas native on the Mavericks. But he would have to be second to Dirk, and play the center position.

Unfortunately, Bosh also wants a max deal. From Mark Cuban? Yeah, right. With all the free agents this summer to pick and choose from, I don't see that happening. But then again, Dampier got one.

Alex:

While Bosh would initially seem to be a good fit, I'm not so sure he would be. He doesn't seem capable of carrying a mediocre team, which could be a real issue after Dirk finishes with the Mavs.

He also seems to have peaked as a player, averaging 22 points per game for the last few seasons. While he is athletic and a good shooter, I don't like the idea of him and Dirk fighting for minutes at the four spot, nor do I like him playing most of his minutes at the center, which is out of his position.

Tracy McGrady: T-Mac is an expiring contract, and an expensive one for a team that didn't need him to advance in the playoffs. He could be turned into something the Rockets could use.

Janet:

A hot-shooting two guard. Also great at creating his own shots, someone who can score in bunches. T-Mac only needs the ball and to stay healthy.

But can he stay healthy? That's the million dollar question, or $19.6 million to be exact. T-Mac is in the final year of a $80.2 million contract.

Alex:

An expensive gamble, but the kind that could have the Mavs hoisting the Larry O'Brien in a year's time. A starting lineup of Kidd, T-Mac, Josh Howard, Dirk, and Mikki Moore/Ryan Hollins (see below) with Terry, Bass, Wright and company coming off the bench would be dynamite.

Chris Paul: Now we get to the less likely. A once-in-a-lifetime point guard entering his prime, Paul could be a casualty of the Hornets dire financial straits, as well as the possibility of the team moving in the future.

Janet:

He would be an awesome catch. With him, we would not have to worry about the point-guard position for several years. He's younger, more athletic, always near the top of the league in assists. A legitimate All-Star that will drive to the hoop and take his own shots. Paul has already proven that he can lead from the point.

I like the idea if you can't beat 'em, buy 'em. I've heard he has a contract extension, with a hefty price tag attached. But it can't be as big as Kidd's $103.5 million deal that has expired. Kidd's salary last season was $21.3 million, so anything less than that is added cap space for the Mavericks.

Alex:

It's funny how the addition of a superstar can fix a lot of problems. Sign Paul, and you've got him in his prime along with a young Howard, a Dirk that can still ball, plus whoever they can attract at a discount, like the Celtics did last season.

However unlikely it is, it would be awesome, but crazier things have happened.

Kobe Bryant: Should the Lakers not win a title, Kobe has to face reality that he might not get there again with the Lakers, due to the departures of Ariza and/or Odom. Dallas was once a possible destination for him, an possibly could be once again.

Janet:

Why would I want this egomaniac on my team? Okay, so he's a one-man basketball freak show. He also has a history of not playing well with others, unless he's getting his way.

Unless Mark Cuban is planning a reunion of Kobe and Shaq in Dallas, I'm not going to hold my breath for this one.

Alex:

I don't think Kobe will leave the Lakers should they fail to win a title this year. They got a miracle trade with Gasol and everybody is healthy. Also, I don't think they'll be able to go back next year, not with another year of LeBron, a healthy Garnett, another year for the Blazers, and Chris Paul having another season under his belt.

Kobe wants to win a title for the Lakers, even though he could make an immediate impact on any team (again, funny how a superstar does that). However the Mavs are one of a handful of teams that is perfectly suited for Kobe's skill set.

With unselfish stars like Dirk and Kidd, Kobe could thrive, and not have the chemistry issues that he would with other teams.

Your Ideal Scenario?

Janet:

The Mavericks send Houston Erick Dampier and Jerry Stackhouse or Dampier/Matt Carroll to the Rockets, Houston sends Tracy McGrady to the Clippers, the Mavericks get Kaman/Davis. ESPN Trade Machine.

Alex:

Similar to Janet's, except the Mavs trade Dampier/Stackhouse for McGrady straight up. The Mavs get someone who can fill the hole at the two guard, which has been their problem for years.

The Rockets get someone who is capable of backing up Yao. Even though he may be expensive, Dampier is better than your traditional backup center. Not to mention he can play as a starter if Yao is injured, which is a must for the Rockets.

Also, with T-Mac off their books, the deal makes sense for the Rockets, because they are filling a need for less money.

The Mavs would need to sign a free agent center, which I would suggest Mikki Moore. Also, the lack of a starting center would encourage them to play smaller, something that they need to do more of. ESPN Trade Machine.

Lakers-Magic: The Shadow Of Shaq

Alex McVeigh — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:42:46 -0400

It's funny how things work. This is the first playoffs since Shaq's rookie year that he hasn't been there. And yet, the two teams that are remaining are two teams that are still struggling to fill the hole he left, a whole as big as well, Shaq himself.

Shaq arrived in the Magic's fourth season of existence and had an immediate impact on the team. When the Magic won the lottery two years in a row, the NBA panicked and changed the way they do things.

He quickly brought them to the Finals, where they took advantage of Jordan's absence in the East, but they couldn't get past the Rockets.

Once Jordan returned, Shaq no longer had domination over the East, so he headed West, and the Magic have suffered ever since.

The Magic's next few seasons were filled with close calls and near misses, but never a return to the place Shaq brought them to.

Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, almost Tim Duncan, were given chances to take the Magic to the promised land, but they could barely get the Magic to the playoffs.

Then came the 2004 draft. The Magic bypassed a "sure thing" with Emeka Okafor, to take a center out of high school that was still wearing braces.

Howard was everything Shaq was not. While a physical specimen, he wasn't quite the freak of nature Shaq is.

Howard had that same sort of sunny outlook, but without the brash cockiness that Shaq haters love to bring up.

Soon, the lack of cockiness seemed to be his detriment. Where other players were losing and throwing fits and storming off the court, Howard always had a smile on his face, and he seemed to lack that nasty edge of the great big men of the past, like Malone or Ewing.

With a 40-point finale to the thrashing of the Cavaliers, Dwight Howard seems poised to not only make the Magic fans forget Shaq, but make the Eastern Conference forget about him as well.

Shaq's legacy with the Lakers is much more significant. Shaq brought them to the Finals for the first time since Magic and they were victorious three times before losing in his final year with what some called the greatest starting five ever assembled.

With a loss that year, the tension that had been boiling between Shaq's fun-loving demeanor and Kobe's win-at-all-costs demeanor came to a head, and we know how that worked out.

And it's funny how it all worked out. Kobe's mentality has led him to another Finals loss, while Shaq has another ring. Sure, Shaq was paired with a dynamic player in Wade, but sometimes that's how things go.

And since then, Kobe has faced questions if he can carry a team over the top, which he hasn't been able to do yet.

If he loses this Finals, that's three times he has failed to win a title as the best player, and to be honest, it could be the beginning of the end for him, which I'll discuss in a later article.

This is both the Lakers and the Magic's chance to rid themselves of the ghost of Shaq. One of them is going to do it.

For the Magic, it's about the team. A team that was able to surpass where Shaq brought them.

For the Lakers, it's about one man, as it has been for so many years, Kobe.

He wanted to leave the Lakers because they didn't bring him help, so they got him help.

They needed a physical presence down low with Bynum out. Well, they have Bynum now.

One of these teams will finally end "The Curse of Shaq."

And the other one? Well, with the impending rise of LeBron, the return of KG and Manu, and another year for the Brandon Roy, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant, they might not be back for a while.