LONE Mavs Fan Forum

Any one hear Donnie on the ticket? n/m

LAJ — Thur, 15 May 2008 15:48:59 GMT

Please give recap.

Marc Stein article from Carlisle PC

gomavsgo — Thur, 15 May 2008 13:41:33 GMT

Here's the link...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=carlisleintro-080515

And here's my favorite line:
"This roster is going to change between now . I'm certain of that."

Forum: General Mavs Talk

Quote of the day

gomavsgo — Thur, 15 May 2008 01:20:22 GMT

If anyone had any doubts about what Dirk thought of Avery....

"So I'm looking forward to communicating a lot," Nowitzki said. "I think that's what Avery was missing a little bit, the communication with the players individually. I think that's the way to go -- not only find your way as a coach, but find out what the players like, where they like to catch the ball, what sets they like. Because it's still a player's league, it's not a league of coaches. You've got to find the way to get the best out of players."

Forum: General Mavs Talk

Did anyone hear or read the Avery Johnson comment about the Mavs next year

dmutt — Thur, 15 May 2008 00:28:27 GMT

It was reported during the Carlisle press conference that Avery had said this about the team next year.

"I don't see them as a playoff caliber team next year"

LOL, I wonder if that is true.

Forum: General Mavs Talk

Ariza-nable Alternative

TMavFan — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:47:57 GMT

ESPN has Trevor Ariza as a Player-Option free agent this summer http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=2008freeagents. He doesn't have much offense, but he always shows very well in the various rating systems out there (WP48, PER, TPR). He had a 17 PER in the 24 games he played with LA before he got hurt. He carried a 16.4 the year before in Orlando and a 16 the partial season before that in Orlando.

The trade and injuries make it hard to judge his on court/off court this past season. But, he was quite impactful in the minutes he got at Orlando the season before. It bothers me that two teams have given up on such an efficient player so quickly. If he does opt out I'd be interested. Signing him would provide a good player and weaken an opponent at the same time. He rebounds and gets to the line at about the same rate as JHo and racks up assists (who doesn't) and steals at a much higher rate. He's a bit of the slasher/defender that Josh used to be before he decided he needed to be a big time scorer to get the big contract. Ariza is set to make $2.9 million next year. If he and his agent think he can get that much or more and extend it out a few years, he could test the waters.

Forum: General Mavs Talk

Karl Malone falls short, as a father

David — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:33:06 GMT

This is how Demetrius Bell, drafted a couple of weeks ago by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round, describes his relationship with his father:

Karl Malone had an incredible NBA career -- but he hasn't been nearly as exemplary in another role.
"I treat it as if my mother went to the sperm bank. I don't hate him for . It made me a better person."

But it's pretty hard to reduce your father to a DNA dispenser when everyone else in the world knows him as the NBA's second-leading scorer of all time, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and arguably the greatest power forward ever.

Yes, Bell's father is Karl Malone. And if you're wondering why you've never heard of Bell or seen these two engaged in any father-son moments, it's because Malone apparently wants nothing to do with him.

Malone has never publicly spoken about Bell. Attempts were made to contact Malone through the NBA office, but he never responded.

It's hard to tell which is more astonishing -- that Malone actually feels this way, or that Bell was able to overcome the heartbreaking reality of being rejected by a parent.

What matters most is that Bell triumphed in spite of how his father behaved. He grew up in Summerfield, La. -- Malone's hometown -- and earned a basketball scholarship to Northwestern State, nearly 2 hours away from Summerfield. Everyone there describes Bell as a gem. When I called the school to find out more about Bell, the sports information director talked nonstop about how polite, well-liked and determined Bell is.

Malone aside, Bell's story is unbelievable. He thought he was going to be a big-time basketball star like you know who, and didn't start playing football until three years ago. The football staff looked at Bell's size and relative speed, and hatched the idea that Bell would make an outstanding defensive end.

He played that position in 2005, appearing in just one game. The next season he was pressed into duty as an offensive tackle three weeks before the season started. After 22 straight starts, Bell became an All-American, a first-team All-Southland Conference selection, and now a proud NFL player. Plus, Bell is expected to graduate this spring.

"I was crying," Bell said when asked what it was like to be drafted. "I was just so happy."

Bell isn't the only Malone child to fall victim to this rather heinous pick-and-roll. Bell is one of three children Malone has fathered outside of wedlock, although he is the only one who Malone has apparently refused to have a relationship with. Malone's other two children outside his marriage are fraternal twins Daryl and Cheryl Ford. Both of them played basketball at Louisiana Tech, like their father, and Cheryl is a forward for the WNBA's Detroit Shock.

Bell overcame the absence of his father to become an NFL player.
In fact, you may have seen the Louisiana tourism commercial featuring Cheryl Ford and her famous father, who finally appeared in his twin children's lives when they were 17. Bell lost out in the father lottery. According to Bell, Malone told him it was too late for him to be his father, and he'd have to make it on his own.

Nice to meet you too, Dad.

"I grew up around good people," Bell said. "I never turned to a father figure. I was lucky. I didn't need one. I'm happy. I don't need anything else."

If Al Sharpton is itching to picket something, he should organize a protest outside Malone's house, since the National Fatherhood Initiative says two out of three African-American children grow up without their father in the home.

Roger Clemens' alleged seedy indiscretions -- including a possible sexual relationship with a 15-year-old -- are nothing compared to what Malone has done. Malone reportedly impregnated Bell's mother when she was 13 and he was a sophomore at Louisiana Tech. Malone is lucky Chris Hansen wasn't around and he didn't have to answer to the authorities.

It would be one thing if Malone was unable to financially provide for his son, but he made more than $100 million during his NBA career. The Salt Lake (Utah) Tribune reported that when Bell's grandparents initially took Malone to court for paternity in 1986, his second year with the Jazz, they requested Malone pay $200 a week. Malone didn't respond to the suit, but a Louisiana judge ruled he was Bell's father -- after a paternity test showed that was indeed accurate -- and ordered Malone to pay $125 a week, plus past and future medical expenses. Malone claimed that was too much and later reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with Bell's family between 1988 and 1989.

Worse is that Bell has developed a good relationship with Cheryl and Daryl, who also grew up in Summerfield. The three have gone fishing together, and Bell describes them as a tight-knit group. Though one can't help but wonder, if Cheryl hadn't starred at her father's alma mater and gone on to play professionally, would Malone have felt so inclined to reappear in her life? If the media hadn't done so many stories about how Cheryl was following in her dad's footsteps, would we ever have seen Malone in the stands when his daughter won a WNBA championship in 2003?

"I just can't fathom how someone can't acknowledge their own child," said ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose, who had a nearly nonexistent relationship with his father, Jimmy Walker, a basketball legend at Providence and the No. 1 pick in the 1967 NBA draft.

Rose spoke to his father for the first time nine years ago, but he was fortunate in the sense that when his father played, the NBA wasn't as popular as it is now, and Walker didn't have the same distinguished career as Malone.

The first time Rose and Walker "met" was at Walker's funeral last year.

"I know about kerosene heaters, sugar milk and syrup sandwiches," Rose said. "Those are the days when it was bitter and personal. But I went to college, became an All-American and had a NBA career. I had to realize that was God's plan for me. I was healthy and happy, and it wasn't like I was living under some freeway."

Malone has, after many years, acknowledged and embraced his daughter Cheryl.
But Rose admitted that when he was growing up, his father's abandonment drove him to be both a great player and a good student. He wanted to show his father what a huge mistake he'd made by not being a part of his life. It's the reason Rose chose No. 42 when he was at Southwestern High School in Detroit. He knew his father wore 24.

"I wanted sorely to let him know my name and rub it in his face and let him know what he was missing," Rose said.

Bell says he has nothing to prove to Malone, although no one could blame him if he secretly wanted to show up his old man. I asked Bell what he would do if his father called him up one day, ready to be what he's never been.

"It's something I haven't thought about and I'm not really ready to talk about it," Bell said. "I just don't know right now."

Absentee father certainly isn't the image most have of Malone -- especially in Summerfield and Salt Lake City, where he's revered. In fact, in 2003 Utah governor Mike Leavitt presented Malone and his wife, Kay, with a special declaration to "commend and thank Kay and Karl Malone for their incredible service, friendship, and generosity to the state of Utah." In the press release, Malone's frequent visits to sick children were praised, as well as his Karl Malone Foundation for Kids, which aids children and families in need. It makes his apparent reluctance to be a father to Bell that much more astounding, especially when you consider that Malone also grew up fatherless. Malone's father committed suicide when he was 3.

A decade ago, Malone and his wife -- with whom he has fathered four children -- spoke at a conference on families and talked openly about the children Malone has fathered outside of their marriage.

Of course, the Malones were talking about Daryl and Cheryl, not Demetrius.

Malone told the audience: "Everything I've been through, everything I'm about to go through in my career and my life, if my family wasn't with me and didn't support me, it would be really tough."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080507

Forum: Off Topic Forum

The Spin Move

ashcan — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:18:28 GMT

I just finished watching the Lakers/Pistons from the year that Pat Riley guaranteed a repeat title. During game 6 of the Finals back in L.A. of that series, I saw something I haven't seen in the NBA in years: a spin move done without traveling. Sometime in the second half of that game, Magic Johnson came down the court, took a step to the right with his left foot, spun around and landed on his right foot and, instead of continuing like they do today by landing with that left foot again, he shot the ball without travleing, per the rule. Look at Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Jason Williams, A.I., and just about everymodern point guard in the game, and you will see that they all travel when making that spin move. Does it look pretty and does in make the ESPN Top Ten? Sure, but it's traveling and back when Magic, Isaiah and others played, you got called for walking if you took the cross- step with your left, spun back with your right and continued on with the left foot before shooting. That's 3 steps. You are allowed two of course. Phil Jackson has been calling Wade out on that move for atleast 2 years now, but one of the worst, if not THE worst offender, is Chris Paul. I saw him do it several time against Dallas and some of those where just on passes.
Hey, I know this has nothing to do with Mavs ball right now, but it was good to watch the game played like it should be. To see the physical nature of the game, unlike the Heat/Knicks of the 90's, was refreshing. To see the rules interpreted and have the players play ball good fundamental ball was also refreshing. Just thought I'd bring this up. I hate seeing some of these "great" point guards who palm the ball and are allowed to take 3 and 4 steps and have announcers like Mike Tirico blow a wad looking at some guy who is actually traveling. Go Mavs.

Forum: General Mavs Talk

Stack Praises Carlisle Hire

mavfan2390 — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:53:15 GMT

It's good to see at least one of the vets coming out and saying they like the hire....even if it is the worst player on the team

"He's the best guy available and the best coach for our team with our personalities," said Stackhouse, who played for Carlisle in Detroit. "He's the best fit without question.

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/52460/20080511/stackhouse_carlisle_is_the_right_coach_for_mavs/

Forum: General Mavs Talk

What would CJ Miles Bring?

TMavFan — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:22:54 GMT

Word from Fish is that Dallas product C. J. Miles might be on the Mav's radar this summer. The home town connection makes sense. Miles is restricted, but Utah has Brewer, Korver and Morris Almond who play the same position. So spending money to keep Miles probably isn't a big priority. So what would we be getting out of a signing like this.

Joe Schaller at Rivals.com keeps a per minute rating system he calls TPR (think PER or WP48...it's just another system where they weight various aspects of performance to try to figure value). I like the per-minute aspect of it because it allows you to compare young players who get limited minutes. The last time Schaller rated players Miles was carrying a rating of 81. That is at the low end of what Schaller judges to be a good number for an NBA starter. Some other young players that are in the same neighborhood are Garcia 76, Gibson 77, J. Moon, 76 and M. Webster 77. To give some perspective, here are some vets in the same neighborhood: Finley 83, Bobby Jackson 83, J. Crawford 77, S. Battier 70.

One of the things I like about Miles is he gets better the more minutes he gets. This year he had 28 games where he got 12 minutes or more. I used 12 as a way of filtering out games where he basically got garbage minutes late in the 4th quarter. In these 28 games he averaged 18.8 minutes, shot .502 fromt he field and .436 from 3 pt. land. His 8.4 points and 2.25 boards would equate to 16 points and 4.3 boards if calculated to equivalate a 36 minute per game starter. The shooting and scoring get even better as you set the mark at a higher level of minutes. Miles is a pretty good offensive SG. In fact, I would suspect he could easily take his 81 TPR (which includes a lot of garbage time appearances) and move it up to something closer to what we see from J R Smith 94 or Monta Ellis 91. Bottom line, if we can split the MLE and get Diop and a starter level SG who is something north of S. Battier and Frankie Garcia and something just south of J R Smith, that's not bad at all. Without other big changes, it leaves you with a rotation of:

Damp/Dirk/JHo/Miles/Kidd
Diop/Bass/Wright/Terry

Forum: General Mavs Talk

Blow up

andymo — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:00:50 GMT

Just board here a a little disheartened by the end of the season. If Mark decided to blow up the Mavs because if they did not make it this year then the following teams are going to be even better next year: New Orleans, LA Lakers, and Portland. Unless the Mavs are able to incorporate Kidd into the offense more effectively, Bass grows into and all-star, or the Mavs luck out in some signing or draft pick in the second this could be the start of the long walk into night. Cuban does not seem like the type of guy to let his team fade away without a real chance. So here is my long and convoluted trade:

Mavs trade Dirk Josh and Damp to the Heat
They get back the Heat's lottery 1st rounder this year (I would want Rose from Memphis) and Mark Blount

Heat send a resigned Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Bulls
Bulls send Larry Hughes and Tyrus Thomas and a future first to the Mavs

The Mavs then would need to figure out what they could get for Terry and Stack.
Maybe they could get the Knicks to take Terry for Balkman and Malik Rose

This would leave them with:

C               Blount         Free Agent
PF             Thomas                   Bass
SF             Balkman or Stack    Reyshawn Terry
SG             Hughes
PG             Kidd                       Rose

They could keep Kidd around to help tutor Rose and then get the benefit of his contract being done or could send him out before the trade deadline to a team that needs help but also needs a PG.
Malik Rose's contract ends this coming season.
Blount's and Hughes' contracts are up the next year .

This would get the Mavs salaries down to about 64M this coming season. Tehy then would have to deal with a new contract for Bass if it was close to the 5M then the next season assuming the buy out Stack the Mavs would have salary commitments of about 38-43M assuming the Mavs would pay this years pick from the Heat about 5M and next year's high lottery pick about 5M The next year Hughes would be gone and the Mavs would be at about 35M and be able to sign a top free agent.like James, Wade, Stoudamire, Tyson Chandler, Bosh, Paul, or Deron Williams (all of whom have the the option of getting out or the season before is the last year of their contract)

I know I am just playing and board but it is going to be along off-season.

Forum: Trading Post

Baron Davis - Golden St. rift?

jsig — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:46:27 GMT

http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_9217881?source=rss

Any interest in Baron Davis as a Mav?

Kidd for Baron?

Forum: General Mavs Talk

Are we really a good defensive team?

TMavFan — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:43:52 GMT

The perception exists that Dallas is a good defensive team. Most of the concern around Carlile revolves around his ability to coach offense here. His defensive credentials are very good. But is the new coach really inheriting a good defensive team? Yes, we were 6th in the league in points allowed. But, pace has a lot to do with that number. When you look at defensive efficiency, we ranked closer to average at 11th. We were just plain awful some nights. We were 17-27 in games where we gave up 97 or more points (including all 4 playoff losses). In the Kidd era, that has included 5 losses to New Orleans, 3 losses to the Lakers. Points allowed is a poor metric when trying to decide the defensive prowess of a team...especially a slow paced team like Dallas.

Opponent efficiency is a little different than defensive efficiency. It tells a more positive story with Dallas ranked 5th in the league at 104.6 overall. Post all-star break our opponent efficiency went from 102.4 (5th) to 107.9. (9th) (opponent efficiency went to Memphis-esque levels in the playoffs...122.0). But our good overall number was largely a mirage achieved against weaker teams (99.6 at home, 95.3 against sub-500 teams, 98.6 against the East). We were terrible when it mattered (116.5 against the top 8 in the West).

So where are the weak links defensively? Some of this can be attributed to the loss of Diop. He and Bass have almost identical per48 efficiency. But in games where Bass got 25 minutes or more, we were 7-10 and in games where Diop got 25 minutes or more we were 10-2. When Diop was in the game opponent points per 100 declined by 5 and the effective FG% allowed declined. (that is pretty incredible when you consider how bad our bench is defensively and that much of Diop's time came with the second unit). When Bass plays opponent efficiency goes up 3.4 points and their shooting percentage increases. Not surprisingly, center is our worst position on an efficiency differential basis and it got worse after the all-star break moving from -2.1 to -4.5. Defensively speaking, we were much better with Wright or Jones in the game and much worse with Stackhouse and a little worse with Terry. Terry was good enough offensively to offset his defensive issues. We were actually worse offensively and defensively with Bass or Stackhouse in the game. Post trade our bench's differential dropped dramatically from +8.1 to +1.6 (thankfully our starters went from +3.2 to +8.0). So how do we help RC make this a better defensive team?

Bringing back Diop would be a good move. But probably the most positive thing you could do is package Bass and Stack to fill a hole. If you play a true center 48 minutes, Bass only gets the 12 or so minutes backing up Dirk. Some will say play Bass at backup SF too. Maybe that works, but I've not seen any ability to pass, handle the ball or defend much out of Bass (he can certainly shoot though). If I could find someone who loves the offense Bass provides, and needs the financial relief (and veteran leadership) Stack provides then I probably do it to fill a hole. Can you get a starting level SG out of that? If so, then you give the entire MLE to Kurt Thomas and have a bench of Thomas/Wright/Terry in an 8 man rotation (would Memphis do Miller for Bass/Stack?). If the plan is to split the MLE between Diop and Miles (or Pietrus) then either Miles or Wright has to start at SG and the other joins Diop and Terry on the bench. At that point you need a backup 4/3 from the Stack/Bass deal so that you have two true centers and backups that can play multiple positions in Terry (backup 1/2), Miles or Wright (backup 2/3) and ___________ (backup 4/3). How would overpaying for Amir Johnson last summer (as I suggested) look right now?

Forum: General Mavs Talk

The rest of the summer...

ddh33 — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:20:53 GMT

So the new head coach is unofficially, officially done. We've known who it was going to be for a while, and now we're certain after the agreement has been made. So what's next, and what does this mean?

If we look backwards for just a few moments, I will say that I thought it was time for Avery to go. It's a part of life, and it happens, but the team had tuned him out. To some extent, I think Avery had tired of coaching them as well. The change was very needed, in my opinion. In fact, I tend to think the team will automatically be better just because they will have a new voice. That always works...for a while.

I was mildly surprised that Carlisle was the guy the Mavs zeroed in on as quickly as they did, but I don't think that makes it any less of a hire. As has been pointed out many times, Carlisle has a very similar reputation as Avery. The biggest difference, in my opinion, is that Rick actually has a reason for doing things, instead of just always saying, "This is the way I (we) have always done it."

I thought it was very interesting to know that Donnie and Rick attended the same school. Apparently, they have known of and about each other for a long time, and with the Mavs targeting Carlisle so quickly, I have to believe that a couple of calls had been placed before Avery was officially relieved of his coaching duties. I think the Mavs knew they needed to make a change, and I think they were exploring as best they could. With what everyone knows about Rick Carlisle, we'll now see if everything works as well as the Mavs hope.

Carlisle's teams always seem to be good defensively. If there was one thing that surprised me about the Mavs over the last couple of months was the defensive "system". I don't know that I saw much of a system. More than just the Xs and Os, very basic and important things like taking the right angles, etc. just about seemed to be ignored. Now, maybe the Mavs just weren't listening when Avery was yelling about that stuff, but either way, a lot of that comes back to the coach. I just know that I was progressively disappointed by what I saw on the defensive end - especially when it mattered.

Carlisle's offense seems to be what is worrying most people. I don't quite see it the same way. For one thing, this is a guy who understands Xs and Os. He's not just a motivator or a yeller. In fact, the Larry Bird coached Pacers often gave Rick a ton of credit for the offensive system that they had. If you remember, those teams were extremely difficult to guard, and they would attack you in a variety of ways. If the Bulls hadn't been in their way, they might have gotten rings.

In fact, I keep going back to those Pacers teams in my mind when I think about the fit here.

Those Pacers played Mark Jackson at point guard. Mark was a great floor general, and he might be one of the most underrated point guards of all time. He just got the job done. He couldn't blow past anyone to finish at the rim. He was very unlikely to create for himself off the dribble and knock down a jumper. Instead, he posted up a lot of smaller point guards, controlled the pace as well as anyone, and stuck standstill three pointers. Sound a little like anyone we know?

Look, Jason Kidd is not going to blow past everyone anymore to finish at the rim. He's going to out-think most of his opponents, and he's going to use his size, strength, and whatever other advantages he has to get the job done. He is one of the best in recent years of controlling the pace, and he will run this show. I think Rick Carlisle will be more than happy to have him doing those things. I don't think he's going to try to change Jason Kidd into something he isn't, and I don't think Kidd needs to be changed.

The Pacers had Reggie Miller curling around screens constantly. I expect to see Jet to get a lot of those looks, and I expect Dirk to get a ton of those too. In other words, I don't think we are going to see as much one pass, stand around, and wait for someone to create stuff. There will be more movement, and that should help this team.

I think Rik Smits was another huge part of those Pacers teams. He kind of got overlooked because he was a little bit of a late bloomer, but Smits was a nightmare for teams. He had a very soft touch and was 7'4. Rik would step out and hit jumpers against big men, and he would post up weaker players. Anybody think Rick is going to be at a loss to get Dirk shots?

Those Pacer teams also relied on the tough, physical defense and rebounding of the Davis boys. Antonio and Dale just bruised people. They weren't great scorers, although they were both better than anything Dallas has at the 5 when it comes to scoring. But more than anything, they just used what they had. Most of the time that was Antonio shooting a little jumper he got comfortable with (Bass anyone?), and Dale was banging people around and finishing at the basket (Damp?).

I know that plenty of people are worried about Dallas not having any post scoring, and I think those are legitimate concerns. Here is some good news though. Carlisle is very familiar and comfortable with not having big post scorers. Ben Wallace, Jeff Foster, and several others got plenty of minutes with Rick, and they weren't exactly big scorers.

Rick Carlisle was also partially responsible for Jalen Rose blossoming (no pun intended). Remember, Rose was a malcontent who wasn't living up to his draft status until he went to Indy. He got moved all around, posted up other guards, occasionally ran the team, and became a very good defender for a couple of years.

I just look at it, and I think Carlisle will be more comfortable with a lot of the parts on this roster than some people might think. But I don't think this roster is going to be the same next season.

I think this team will look at the team this summer with a couple of goals in mind. They'll want to keep winning and trying to compete. They'll also want to get younger and quicker. They'll try to clear out some of the trash and build around an identified core.

Dirk and Kidd are going to be here. I think everyone needs to put any other thoughts out of their mind. I suppose you could argue whether they should be traded, but it's not happening. Beyond that, everyone is likely available for something.

I think you're probably stuck with Damp. He only makes sense in places where the power forward is a big scorer and needs a tough guy beside him. That describes Dallas perfectly.

Jet earned a lot of points from me. He was jerked around as much as Devin was the last couple of years, and he never said a word. I think he's a much better player than he gets credit for, and I have him down as the second best scorer on this team.

Stack looks older and slower than ever, and I don't think he and Rick got along very well the first time around. I wouldn't be surprised to see him moved.

I think Josh gets moved too. I believe the Mavs are trying to sell the entire world that they would be happy to keep him. I don't buy it. For one thing, I don't think they could trust him ever again. For another, I think he burned a lot of bridges - even with players on the roster with him. I even wonder about his fit with the rest of the roster. He's become a lot like Antoine Walker in some ways, and I worry about how his current game meshes with the rest of the team. Finally, I think he wants out. Just my opinion, but I think Josh wants to lead a team or be, at worst, a second star. He's not that in Dallas. I think he's gone, and I think the Mavs make a pretty good deal out of it...

I think Barea comes back because the Mavs will need bodies. I think Wright comes back too as a bigger part of the team. I think the two young kids (Siebutis and Terry) get opportunities too. The rest of the free agents from the team are not high priorities. Maybe they come back, maybe not. Wouldn't expect George back though.

So who do I think the Mavs will target?

I think they'll bring Diop back.

I know that CJ Miles gets mentioned a lot, but I'm not so sure. I think he's still restricted, and that could work against a deal. I would say to keep an eye on Fred Jones. He played for Carlisle at Indiana, and he can play a couple of positions, run the floor, and defend. He shouldn't cost too much either. That's just a different name than the same one always thrown around.

Alright, it's getting late, and I'm getting tired. I think I'm babbling anyway. But more or less, I don't think this team is quite as broken as some have let on. Like Dirk said, I think the window can always be opened back up, and I think it could happen this summer with a couple of good moves.

Forum: General Mavs Talk

It IS Official!

WildArkieBoy — Sat, 10 May 2008 02:37:17 GMT

Mark Stein reporting that the Mavs have reached a verbal agreement with Carlisle.

wab

Forum: General Mavs Talk

Why is this taking so long?

pabbi1 — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:03:26 GMT

Ok, this is almost as bad as the Kidd fiasco, dragging on and on. Is Carlisle talking with others, leveraging for more money? The agent being in Europe is a ruse - more than meets the eye comes to mind.

There is some real backstory here - can any of the writers chime in?

Edit: Nevermind - Carlisle's agent is also D'Antoni's agent... that is the cluster. He is too busy leveraging Dolan against Rheinsdorf to bother with the sure deal with Cuban.... unless... he is using Dolan's offer for D'Antoni to see what he can get for Carlisle?

Ugh.

Forum: General Mavs Talk