Mavs Moneyball: FanShots

Barnes sign with Suns for Minimum

Toddy — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:04:00 -0000

Barnes sign with Suns for Minimum

The sixth-year NBA veteran signed for the league’s veteran minimum contract ($1.2 million, about $400,000 of which is paid by league funds) and will immediately step into the rotation as either a starter or bench player on the wing. He will be in Phoenix to take his physical on Monday morning and is expected to finalize his deal afterward.

Why the Mavs and Artest need each other

Toddy — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:34:10 -0000

Why the Mavs and Artest need each other

All we need now are a few more weeks of Artest e-mails to various reporters and his showing up unexpectedly in offseason gyms as he did the other day at the Las Vegas summer league, happy to oblige the notebooks and recorders one way or another. Demanding, pouting, apologizing or professing love and loyalty, it doesn't really matter -- the more Artest talks, the more he looms as a liability for Sacramento. The threat of blackmail by disruption shouldn't be rewarded, but this is pro sports. Guys like Artest, Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson or, in the NFL, Terrell Owens and Jeremy Shockey can drive down their own trade value and still end up winning, if they land with clubs they prefer.

So maybe come August or September, a Dallas package of emerging forward Brandon Bass and high-mileage Jerry Stackhouse (a.k.a. expiring $7 million contract) might not seem too lopsided to the Kings to end an Artest circus. Or, just maybe, the Mavericks soften a little on swapping out Howard, whose touches and swingman contributions would drop, anyway, if Artest were around. Howard averaged 19.9 points and 7.0 rebounds last season, while Artest was at 20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

I cant stand this guy usually, but he talks about the Artest-Howard deal that wont happen. Nothi...

Toddy — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:01:55 -0000

I cant stand this guy usually, but he talks about the Artest-Howard deal that wont happen. Nothing new though really that you already havent heard or read.

ESPN Article on Green

Toddy — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:43:43 -0000

ESPN Article on Green

"Everybody thinks I'm just a dunker,'' Green said at Salt Lake Community College, where he has been the Mavs' leading scorer in each of their first two Rocky Mountain Revue NBA summer-league games. He scored 15 points in a reserve-role showing in Dallas' 79-62 win Saturday over the Beijing-bound Iranian Olympic team, a game in which he soared for one especially impressive slam. Against Atlanta on Friday, he had a 20-point effort off the bench.

"So, I honestly try not to do a lot of dunking. Really. That's not my game. I'm not no dunker,'' Green said, desperately trying to sell his point. "I think I work on other things besides that, and I'm just being able to show people and show the Mavs organization that I'm more than just that.''

One thing my job is is to make sure everybody pays for passing on me or for letting me go. That's just my job in my heart.

Cubans take on the new Sen. Referee

Toddy — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:16:09 -0000

Cubans take on the new Sen. Referee

Mavs owner Mark Cuban didn’t criticize the NBA’s recent hire of Army Maj. Gen. Ronald L. Johnson on Tuesday as senior vice president of referee operations. In fact, the noted league critic, especially when it comes to officiating issues, praised the move.

"I’m thrilled," Cuban said. "I think it’s the perfect hire. He has experience managing professionals in high-stress situations."

That he does. Johnson recently retired after 32 years of service as a combat engineer, including a stint in Iraq. The newly-created position comes in the wake of the Tim Donaghy scandal, as the league attempts to clean up its image and its officiating programs.

Source: Dallas Mavericks say no to Artest-for-Josh Howard offer

Marie — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:26:06 -0000

Source: Dallas Mavericks say no to Artest-for-Josh Howard offer

Mavs do not want to include Josh Howard in any offer for Ron Artest.

Sam Amick: Mavs offer Bass and Stackhouse for Artest

Toddy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:52:51 -0000

Sam Amick: Mavs offer Bass and Stackhouse for Artest

Yet another internet rumor that gets our hopes up, only to let them back down again... But at least we are trying, and that counts for something... right?

According to a source close to Dallas, the Mavs have offered Brandon Bass and Jerry Stackhouse for the Kings small forward. The chatter was first reported by Hoopsworld here, but I've independently confirmed the pieces in the offer. Stackhouse has a contract that's almost identical to Artest's ($7.4 million, expiring for Artest; $7 million expiring for Stackhouse), and Bass is a young beast of a big man who comes at the bargain price of $826,269 (also expiring). I can't even come close to seeing Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie doing this deal, not unless Josh Howard is involved.
And from what I'm told, that's not going to happen. As the Mavs see it, the perceived risk of taking Artest is acceptable so long as the price of getting him is Bass and Stackhouse. Lose Howard to get Artest, though, and the gamble is too great. As is always the case, though, things could change.

Tyronn Lue and Malik Allen to Milwaukee

Marie — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:01:57 -0000

Tyronn Lue and Malik Allen to Milwaukee

Good riddance, I say, though there might be some who feel differently. Curious as to why he chose the Bucks when he thought of going to Phoenix and maybe Miami.

UPDATE: Malik Allen joins Lue as well.

Posey agrees to four-year deal with Hornets

Marie — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:46:33 -0000

Posey agrees to four-year deal with Hornets

The deal is for four years, around $25 million.

Crap

Toddy — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:22:22 -0000

Crap

Thanks to zkmavs for reporting this first... Imagine if we had done this for a second rounder, then had the full MLE to sign a quality SG. Words cannot describe the frustration right now...

The Los Angeles Clippers, exactly one week after finding out they had lost their face of the franchise, have rebounded with a significant trade acquisition.

The Clippers on Tuesday acquired Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby as their replacement for Elton Brand.

The Clippers will only have to surrender a future second-round pick to acquire Camby, who is being jettisoned into the Clippers' salary-cap space vacated by Brand to generate payroll relief for the Nuggets.

Camby, 34, is coming off a productive season in which he averaged 9.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 3.61 blocks for the Nuggets, who won 50 games to claim the final playoff spot in what is regarded as the most competitive conference race in league history.

But the Nuggets have yet to advance out of the first round with their Allen Iverson-Carmelo Anthony-Camby core and, according to sources, opted to shed the remaining two years on Camby's contract (worth nearly $15 million) to create the flexibility that could allow for more changes.

The Nuggets had the league's fourth-highest payroll last season and are required to pay $13,572,079 in luxury taxes for last season by July 23.

VERY amusing PtR article

Toddy — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:02:57 -0000

VERY amusing PtR article

I'm not going to say anything, cuz I like some of the passionate guys (yes, you CMoney) who write over there at PtR, but this is a funny read.

"my mind drifted back to the fact that the Spurs haven’t been quite right since the 05-06 season, the year of the infamous Manu Ginobili foul. We all remember that moment and, thanks to Gregg Popovich, we know that if it weren’t for that foul the Spurs would have repeated as champions and gas would still be less than $2 per gallon....

Do you agree with the following statement?

The Spurs lost the WCF because Manu Ginobili was hurt.

I have a feeling most Spurs fans and Spurs management would agree with that statement. That agreement is a symptom of the disease plaguing the Spurs. The problem is not that the statement is false; the problem is what it implies. It implies, similarly to Popovich’s numerous statements about the ’06 Dallas series, that the Spurs would have won if it not for one bad break. That leads to the conclusion that there was only one variable controlling the Spurs fate; one flip of the coin. It’s saying the odds of coming up heads four times in a row is one out of two, because you’re assuming the first three events turned in your favor. The reality is that the Spurs lost to the Lakers because any one of the following four things happened:

1. Tim Duncan was less than 90%.
2. Manu Ginobili was less than 90%.
3. Tony Parker was less than 80%.
4. Bruce Bowen was less than 90%....

Pop dicked around with lineups / game plans / time out calling / substitution patterns all year, openly admitting he didn’t care about home court advantage. Well, hmm, that might have come in handy against New Orleans. (Sound familiar?)

Anthony Johnson to sign with Magic

Toddy — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:48:44 -0000

Anthony Johnson to sign with Magic

Also Lue is now limited his last three options to the Suns, Boston and Miami (why?).

Josh is 3 outta top 10 to be traded

Toddy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:31:09 -0000

Josh is 3 outta top 10 to be traded

Hmmmm... this is intersting. Based upon what we have heard from the Mavs FO the past few months, I dont see how this is possible.

"You have to wonder if there are any other revelations that will come from Josh Howard in the wake of his mystifying confessions about smoking marijuana last year during the playoffs. If he's got a problem with it, then odds are he'd already have been suspended by the NBA. Instead, he created his own nightmare filled with team, fan and media backlash, with a terrible playoff performance to boot. Nonetheless, he is a very talented All-Star swingman. The Mavs won't get value in return, so maybe Rick Carlisle can help."

Singleton (AKA Damp 2.0) this year's Brandon Bass?

Toddy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:39:32 -0000

Singleton (AKA Damp 2.0) this year's Brandon Bass?

Pretty interesting read. Suprisingly he has been one of the best players on the Mavs summer league team... well, at least yesterday he was with 17 points and 8 boards. I wasnt all that impressed with him the first game against the Clips, but then again, I wasnt really impressed with anyone else from that game either.

At 6'8", 230 lbs, he's seems to be athletic enough that he could play SF for us. He averaged almost 21 points and 12 boards a game over in Europe last year. Maybe he needs to be added to the list of guys who could see some starts for us this year? What do you guys think about him?

Artest seeking trade to Lakers

Toddy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:30:57 -0000

Artest seeking trade to Lakers

We should be involved with this... but if the Kings can get Odem for Artest, they can have him, cuz Im not ready to give up Josh for him yet...

Brrent Barry is Houston bound

Toddy — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:02:00 -0000

Brrent Barry is Houston bound

Bleh.... they can have the 36 year old. Add his name to the ever growing names of guys on that team that will more than likely miss more than 20 + games next year.

It's official, the two-headed monster is back in Dallas

Toddy — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:47:00 -0000

It's official, the two-headed monster is back in Dallas

Looks like we used the MLE on him too... good thing IMO, cuz I think we can get better value at the 2/3 spot with the trading chips we have (Stack, JET, Jones, George if he resigns), rather than to add yet another 2/3 spare with the MLE.

Quote of the Day from Diop: "I’ve got to run the floor," Diop said, "and get my hands up for these easy buckets." -- Yes Diop, you do... finishing those is all we ask for on the offensive end.

Maggette going to Warriors, Brand going to Philly

Toddy — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:26:18 -0000

Maggette going to Warriors, Brand going to Philly

Here is the link to Maggette going to the Dubs...

Best thing to come of Maggette going to the Warriors... The San Antonio Sterns didnt get him

Diop Signed

Toddy — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:54:08 -0000

Diop Signed

Props to N41D for giving us the heads up on this. Here is what Tim McMahon had to say...

Eddie Sefko reports that the Mavericks have agreed to terms with center DeSagana Diop.

More to come ...

By "more to come"... I hope he means that Donnie and Cuban hold a press conference and explain to us how Diop is a better bang for their buck than Maggette was... and why we now have 15+ Million dollars at the center position that hasnt had the best of luck against the likes of quicker bigs like Amare, Bosh, etc...

UPDATE ESPN (link above) says he signs for 5 years... wow.

Free-agent center DeSagana Diop on Tuesday gave a verbal commitment to sign a new contract to return to Dallas Mavericks, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Diop, traded by the Mavericks to New Jersey in February as part of the Jason Kidd deal, will receive the Mavericks' full mid-level exception in a five-year deal starting at nearly $6 million.

Del Harris to Chicago

Toddy — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:18:22 -0000

Del Harris to Chicago

Its no wonder the Front Office has seemed to have brain farted the past few weeks from the Draft til now...

Del Harris is bidding farewell to the Mavericks after accepting a position on Vinny Del Negro’s new staff in Chicago. A former head coach with the Rockets, Bucks and Lakers, Harris came to Dallas to work with former coach Don Nelson back in 2000.

Harris also served on former coach Avery Johnson’s staff before spending last year as a team consultant. Harris owns more than 500 career wins in additional to an extensive international résumé.