On this beautiful morning of draft day, it's time for one final look at some possible future Dallas Mavericks.  As the first round pick has been roundly discussed on this site, I figured I would take a look at some of the possible second-rounders that the Mavs might pursue with their 57th pick.  The second round isn't sexy, but it has given birth to the likes of Marcus Thornton, DeJuan Blair, Jonas Jerebko, and Landry Fields in the last two years, and I'm sure we'd love to pick up a player of that quality.  Of course, the second round (and particularly the second half of it) is somewhat of a crap shoot, so I've decided to profile a handful of players who may be around at the end of the draft and show some potential. 

Roster needs are not as important when it comes to second-rounders, since it's rare for someone picked at the number 57 spot to fight for a starting role early in his career.  However, with precious few open roster spots in 2011-2012 and no summer league for players to demonstrate their skills against lesser competition, the Mavs' second round pick will need to be impressive to be on the roster next year.

That being said, lets look at four of the players who I could see the Mavs selecting at number 57:

Continue reading this post »

With just one day left until the Mavs make their pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, it's time to take a look at another prospect they are likely to consider.   If you read my first post, you will find an overview of the Mavs' likely roster for 2011-12 and what positions are most likely to be addressed in the draft.  I won't repeat all the nitty gritty details here, but I'll reiterate what I believe to be the three types of players the Mavs will be looking to draft:

1.  A role-playing PF who can contribute immediately as a 12-minute backup to Dirk

2.  A developmental SF who will fight for backup minutes over the next couple of years and hopefully earn a starting spot in 2013-14

3.  Anyone who can be stashed overseas and develop without taking up a roster spot

So let's take a look at today's target, Latvian forward Davis Bertans.

Continue reading this post »

Well we're now just three days away from draft day, and it's time to take a look at another potential target for the #26 pick of the 2011 NBA draft.  If you read my last post, you will find an overview of the Mavs' likely roster for 2011-12 and what positions are most likely to be addressed in the draft.  I won't repeat all the nitty gritty details here, but I'll reiterate what I believe to be the three types of players the Mavs will be looking to draft:

1.  A role-playing PF who can contribute immediately as a 12-minute backup to Dirk

2.  A developmental SF who will fight for backup minutes over the next couple of years and hopefully earn a starting spot in 2013-14

3.  Anyone who can be stashed overseas and develop without taking up a roster spot

With that being said, let's take a look at Richmond Senior Justin Harper.

Continue reading this post »

Well folks, it's that time again.  As we bask in the glory of the Mavs' incredible run to the NBA Championship, Donnie and company are already looking ahead to the NBA draft.  Over the next few days, I'll be taking a look at a small group of players that I believe the front office is likely to consider (or those I hope they do) when  they are on the clock this Thursday.

I would like to begin with an overview of Dallas' likely roster heading into next year, and what positions will be available for drafting.  The way I see it, the Mavs will likely resign Stevenson, Butler, Cardinal, and Chandler, while letting Peja and Barea walk (despite our love for JJ, he's going to get overpaid by someone and we need to give his minutes to one of our up-and-coming guards).  With JJ gone, I could see the Mavs buying out Nick Calathes' contract and giving him a shot in the U.S., but that's no certainty, so I'll include him in parentheses.  Obviously, these roster predictions are all assumptions, but I need a framework to operate with and that's the best we have.  Thus the depth chart before free agency will look something like this:

PG - Kidd, Beaubois, (Calathes), Jones

SG - Butler, JET, Stevenson, Jones

SF - Marion, Butler, Brewer, Cardinal

PF - DIRK, Cardinal, Marion

C - Chandler, Haywood, Mahinmi

As we can see, the World Champion Mavs don't have a lot of open slots for player development.  I don't see the Mavs adding another player to the crowded guard lineup, and see absolutely no way that they draft a center.  Thus, I think the Mavs would do best to draft one of the following:

1.  A role-playing PF who can contribute immediately as a 12-minute backup to Dirk

2.  A developmental SF who will fight for backup minutes over the next couple of years and hopefully earn a starting spot in 2013-14

3.  Anyone who can be stashed overseas and develop without taking up a roster spot

With that being said, let's take a look at today's target: Montenegro's own Nikola Mirotic.

Continue reading this post »

Now that we've entered the long gap between Summer League play and the preseason games, I've decided to make an effort to put up a few fanposts speculating on who the Mavs might sign or trade for to fill out their roster.  Whenever I read Mavs or NBA blogs, I tend to find that people discuss the same two or three players that they find to be most likely to be signed.  This is perfectly reasonable but also somewhat boring for those of us starved for content.  So, I've been looking for some unlikely but promising candidates for the Mavs, starting with backup PFs.  Please understand that I am not saying that these are likely scenarios, but simply remote possibilities that the Mavs may pursue. 

So why would Luc Richard Mbah a Moute fit as the backup PF on the Mavs?  Well, he's a 6'8", 230 pounder capable of playing both forward positions (though he would likely see very few minutes at the 3 in Dallas).  He has a wingspan that is listed between 7'0 and 7'2", which gives him the length to defend taller players, which he does quite well.  In his time in Milwaukee, he has excelled defensively while putting up efficient, if not overwhelming, offensive numbers:

In Dallas, Mbah a Moute would be a productive player behind Dirk and a defensive stopper at the 4 if that is ever necessary.  He is also quite young and carries an unbelievably risk-free one year, $854,000 contract.

So why would the Bucks give him up?  This is the question that will likely prevent the Mavs from acquiring Mbah a Moute (on the off-chance that they try do so), but there are reasons to believe he might be available for the right price.  For one thing, Mbah a Moute is now finding himself buried behind a handful of players in the Milwaukee frontcourt.  Among the options at Mbah a Moute's two forward potential forward positions are Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova, Corey Maggette, (occasionally) Carlos Delfino, and all three 2010 draft picks: Larry Sanders, Darington Hobson, and Tiny Gallon.  With all the hype that Sanders is getting this summer, it seems like Mbah a Moute will not be seeing too many minutes as the backup 4 behind Gooden.  The 3-spot is similarly blocked, since Maggette will certainly start.  Iyasova will likely pick up minutes at both the 4 and 3 spots, forcing Mbah a Moute to fight for scraps.  It's not that the Bucks dislike Mbah a Moute at all, it's simply that their frontcourt depth may make him somewhat superfluous.

The Bucks are lacking in depth at two mainly at two positions: center and PG.  Though backup PG minutes will not be plentiful with Brandon Jennings starting, the Bucks may feel uncomfortable with Keyon Dooling as the only backup option.  They also a bit thin at center, with Andrew Bogut being the only real C on the team.  We all know that Drew Gooden can play the 5 as well, but he's a natural 4 and the Bucks might be on the lookout for added depth here.  Thus, I see any trade for Mbah a Moute involving either J.J. Barea or Alexis Ajinca (but not both, due to salary issues).  Obviously, Mbah a Moute is more valuable than either of these players, so the trade will also feature draft picks and/or money as well.  The Mavs would also likely pick up the 1-year, $854,000 contract of PF Darnell Jackson (who has no value whatsoever in the NBA) to make the salaries even out and make the deal more appealing to Milwaukee.  Here are a couple of trade scenarios where this could work out.

Scenario 1:    Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Darnell Jackson for J.J. Barea or Alexis Ajinca, a second-rounder or two, and money

Scenario 2:    Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for a TPE and a first-round pick, maybe even some money since it's Cuban. 

          - A first-rounder seems like a high price to rent Mbah a Moute, but I think this is the only way that the Bucks                     would part with him if they were completely uninterested in J.J. or Ajinca. 

Time for the mandatory poll:

So we all know that most of the free agent class is already signed and gone, and Dallas will likely make no more big splashes on that front.  However, there are still some needs that need to be filled, and I hope I have found the answer to one of them.

Right now the only areas that seem to need additional depth are PF and (arguably) SG.  I won't address our needs at the 2-spot in this post, but it is clear that somebody needs to back up Dirk. The current in-house answers that I've seen discussed most often are Shawn Marion and/or Ian Mahinmi, and none of these are exceptionally satisfying.  Marion, though a great defender, is undersized and Mahinmi is too inexperienced and injury prone to be trusted with the role.  Thus, an outside solution seems to be in order. 

So why not Ike Diogu? I know that most people who view this question will probably ask, "why on earth would we want a guy who didn't play in the league last year and put up 4.1/1.9 the year before?"  This is a perfectly reasonable question, although "earth" in this instance should be capitalized, generic question-asker I made up.  Anyway:

He's certainly not the sexy answer, but with names like Anthony Tolliver and Craig Smith being thrown around, I'm not sure there's a sexy answer in the league right now.  I was recently looking at the PF options being discussed, and decided to compare them based on their 36-minute averages.  Here's what I found:

Craig Smith:   17.1pts./8.4reb (2.8 offensive reb.) - not bad at all, certainly good enough production to be a backup PF on a contending team.

Anthony Tolliver:  13.6pts./8.1reb. (2.1 offensive reb.) - not particularly inspiring, though he does shoot .329 on 3-pointers, for what it's worth

Ike Diogu (2008-2009 stats, since he didn't get any minutes with the Hornets last year): 19.9pts./9.4reb. (4.4 offensive reb.) - pretty good, especially considering the high proportion of offensive rebounds

Brandon Bass's last year with the Mavs (for the sake of comparison):  15.7pts./8.4reb. (3.0 offensive reb.)

So Diogu seems to have potential to be a pretty decent backup PF, but he hasn't yet had the opportunity.    In 2008-2009, he found himself doing a decent amount of sitting in Golden State.  That year, he only played more than 20 minutes in two games, and in those two games (the last two of the year) he put up 32/11 and and 28/13, respectively.  He then foolishly parlayed this impressive year-end performance into a one-year contract in New Orleans, where he found himself sitting behind about a half-dozen PF candidates. 

If the Mavs were to give him an opportunity to get into the mix behind Dirk could he turn that potential into consistent production?  If they had the roster space, they could almost certainly acquire Diogu for one year on the vet's minimum.  His low-post game would fill an offensive hole on the team, but his defense will need to be more consistent than he has given in the past.  At the very least, he would be a cheaper, taller towel-waver than Matt Carroll.  At the best, he would be an offensively potent, low-post option behind Dirk.

Personally, I'd like to see Craig Smith or even Brandon Bass (if he can be had) in the primary backup 4 role, but if the Mavs are unable to do this, I would like to see Ike get a shot as the last man on the bench.

What do you think?

So now that the Dampier for Chandler trade has gone down, much debate has ensued.  I know that everyone on this board would have loved to see the DUST chip go for a genuine star player, but that seems to have been impossible all along.  The debate now centers (pun intended?) around the question of whether this usage of Dampier's expiring contract was better than the acquisition of Al Jefferson.  I will state it right now, I believe that Dampier for Chandler was a better trade, but I would like to see who agrees with this and who feels differently.  So I present you with the two trade scenarios, and ask you to choose which you would prefer.

Scenario 1:  Dampier, two first round picks and filler for Al Jefferson.

The Jazz ended up giving up a TE for Jefferson, plus a guaranteed pick from Memphis (probably will end up being a lottery pick) and another first rounder.  Of course, both first round picks of theirs are more valuable than ours (since ours would be lower in the draft), so we may have had to sprinkle in some money and a second rounder to fill the gaps. 

The Good:  Jefferson has been a 20/10 player for much of his career; he's young; he fills two needs for the team (backup C, backup PF); and provides the low-post presence this team needs

The Bad:  Jefferson's contract is a bit much at $14mil/year (that's $28mil/year in Mark Cuban over-the-cap money); his knee injury is a concern that clearly hampered him last year but will hopefully heal over the next year; his defense is especially bad, which could be very unfortunate when paired he's paired with Dirk on the floor (see this article from DB.com for an interesting look at Jefferson's impact on his team: http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullArchiveColumn.php?id=3274&yr=2010); the Mavs could use those draft picks to prevent this team from getting any older than it already is

Scenario 2:  Dampier, Carroll and Najera for Chandler, Alecis Ajinca, 6.8 million dollar trade exception

The Good:  Chandler is a solid option as a backup C, and has an expiring contract that can be added to Dallas' growing pool of expirings to trade for a good player in the next year; Dumping Carroll's and Najera's crappy contracts further assists the Mavs in this effort; Alecis Ajinca is an interesting prospect and a likely trade chip in the next year; the trade exception is obviously a very valuable trade asset; the Mavs keep their draft picks

The Bad:  The low-post problem is still unanswered; Chandler is an injury risk, Ajinca will likely not play for the Mavs, who now have three centers other than him

So basically, my opinion is that Chandler is not as sexy as Jefferson, but it may be just as good a fit for the Mavs.  Throw in the fact that Chandler can be had for a much lower cost and includes the dumping of crappy contracts, and I think we did fairly well with the Dust chip.  Most importantly, this trade facilitates future trades to fill other holes in our roster.

What do you think?

It's been a while since a poorly-thought-out trade proposal was put up here, so I thought I'd give it a wing. 

We all know that the Mavs and Timberwolves are flirting with each other over the idea of trading Al Jefferson for Dampier's contract.  Here's a link with a bit of information, for those who haven't been following this:  http://www.nba.com/news/features/aldridge.2010.freeagency/

Let me preface this post by saying that this won't happen.  I want it to, but I know it won't.  There's just too much disappointment in the air this offseason for me to feel confident in good things happening to the Mavs.

So I though I would create three trade scenarios, ranging from great to crazy-never-gonna-happen-but-amazing-if-it-did.  Here goes:

1 (great).  Dallas trades DUST (and maybe dumps the contract of Deshawn Stevenson) to Minnesota for Al Jefferson.  The Mavs get a great low post presence (crappy defense, I know, but worth it) and Minny gets to get rid of Jefferson, which they desperately need to do.

C - Haywood, Jefferson

PF - Dirk, Jefferson, Najera

SF - Marion, Butler

SG - Butler, Terry, DoJo, Stevenson?, Carroll

PG - Kidd, Roddy, JJ

2 (unlikely). Dallas trades DUST, JET, and J.J.  to Minnesota for Al Jefferson, Corey Brewer, and Ramon Sessions.  I'm still trying to force myself to believe that Minnesota would take this, but I doubt they would.  I would love this move because it would give us Jefferson and allow us to move JET's unfortunate contract for the less-explosive, but still talented Corey Brewer.  Brewer is not yet an incredible all-around player, but he does do pretty well in two areas: spot-up shooting and defense.  Fortunately for us, this is exactly what we need from our 2-guard spot.  Brewer is a young, improving guard who could possibly even contend for a starting role much later in the season, which would allow Butler to spend more time at his natural SF position.  He also would be improving over the 4-year Dirk window, while JET would continue his decline.  Minny on the other hand would get JET, who is more exciting (casual fans don't notice the weak D), cousins with Martell Webster, and the bearer of a soon-to-be-half-guaranteed contract.  They may also be somewhat willing to move Brewer due to the drafting of Wayne Ellington and the dim hope that Ricky Rubio may one day play for the team.  Sessions and J.J. are added to the trade in order for the salaries to work out.  J.J. and Sessions have almost identical value, but Sessions has a two-year contract paying him twice as much per year as J.J.'s expiring contract does.  The real question with this trade is whether or not we would be getting better by adding Brewer for JET.  At the least, we would be saving money.  At the most, Brewer's defense and spot-shooting could fit well with the team's needs and also allow DoJo a bit more playing time as a change-of-pace guard.  

In a much more complicated three-way trade I could envision Chicago ending up with JET, since they are in desperate need of a 2-guard, but that scenario will have to wait.

C - Haywood, Jefferson

PF - Dirk, Jefferson, Najera

SF - Marion, Butler

SG - Butler, Brewer, DoJo,

PG - Kidd, Roddy, Sessions

Towel Boys - Stevenson, Carroll

3. (crazy-never-gonna-happen-but-amazing-if-it-did) - DUST, 2 first-rounders, maybe the rights to Nick Calathes, money, some other crap and a gun to the head of Minnesota for Al Jefferson and the rights to Ricky Rubio. 

Like I said, this is crazy and won't happen, but it wouldn't be a trade proposal FanPost if I didn't put something very unlikely down.  Here's why this could possibly work in this fantasy world of my creation.  The Timberwolves are probably getting to the point where they may begin to think that Ricky Rubio may not be right for them.  For one, Rubio's camp has insisted that he doesn't want to play for such a crappy team, and who could blame him.  Despite the T-Wolves' best efforts last season, they were unable to convince the Spaniard to cross the Atlantic to play for them.  As it stands, Rubio could hold out indefinitely, or even choose to sit out of professional basketball for one year and then reenter the draft.  This would be devastating to Minnesota.  They really, really want Rubio to play for them, but it seems somewhat unlikely and they stand to lose everything if Rubio decides on this option.  Also, the solid performance of Jonny Flinn at PG means that Rubio would have to play the 2, which wouldn't be taking advantage of his natural point-guard abilities (Flinn is 6'0", so probably not going to move spots).  In return, they would get a couple of picks, money, and possibly another tall, promising PG/SG currently playing in Europe in Calathes.

The Mavs, on the other hand, should be very, very interested in Rubio.  The man is an absolute beast and is a world-class point guard at the tender age of 20.  He is quite simply a devastating player who would change any team he played for.  He would be able to play for the Mavs (a contending team, and thus, appealing to the discerning Spaniard) after one more year in Barcelona, and would likely compete for the rookie of the year in 2011-12.  This would benefit the Mavs for a number of reasons.  Not only would we have an excellent, young, natural PG, but we would also have the option to use Roddy as an explosive SG/backup PG or even use him as a very valuable trade chip if Caron's potential departure in 2011 is not filled through other means.  The 2011-12 roster:

C - Haywood, Jefferson

PF - Dirk, Jefferson, Najera

SF - Mystery SF or Butler, Marion

SG - Roddy, DoJo

PG - Rubio, Kidd, Roddy

Mascot - Carroll

(2 additional players would be added to form a 15-man roster)

That is some scary stuff.  Assuming we got a half-decent SF, this lineup would make Lebron, Bosh, and Wade cry themselves to sleep every night. 

So there they are.  Soon we will have to go back to reality, but until then (and by then, I mean the moment that Cleveland snatches up Al Jefferson and makes this a moot point), let's ponder what kind of world it would be if we robbed Minnesota of all their young talent.

This one is a bit more of a long-shot than some of the other proposed FAs, but I thought I would toss it out there and see what you all think.

We all know that the Mavs need to see improvement from the 2-spot.  Caron Butler is a small forward masquerading as a shooting guard, Terry has looked increasingly ugly of late, and Deshawn Stevenson's defensive prowess is counterbalanced by his total lack of offense.

So why not Anthony Morrow?  The man is a sharpshooter from behind the arc (an amazing 46% on threes for his career) and he'll turn 25 a few days before the season starts.  His defense may be a concern, but I doubt it could be worse than JET right now. 

Two important things about this potential signing:

1.  I would probably want to see the Mavs move one of their 2-guards before doing this.  Obviously Caron should be the starter at 3 this year (with Marion coming off the bench), but that still leaves 3 SGs (including Dominique Johnson, who I would like to see get playing time) or even 4 if you count Roddy B.  If we get rid of Barea (giving Roddy all the backup PG minutes) and one of these SGs, we're in shape to sign Morrow.

2. Morrow is a restricted free agent, so we will have to make an offer that Golden State won't match.  This could be the trickiest part.

So what do you guys think, do we spend an MLE on this guy, or look elsewhere for other options?

So I was looking today at some of the draft grades given to the Mavericks this year, and I realized that they were all shockingly different in their appraisals.  This convinced me to look back at ESPN's draft grades from last year to see just how accurate those grades were.  It turns out, they weren't.  Here are some examples (along with my commentary in bold italics) to demonstrate the Ouija-board uselessness of "expert" draft grades:

BOSTON CELTICS                                                                                                                                        GRADE: B+

Round 1: None

Round 2: Lester Hudson (58)

Analysis: Danny Ainge didn't have a lot to work with (the Celtics' first-round pick was sent to Minnesota in the Kevin Garnett trade) and drafted a guy who put up huge numbers in college. Hudson is a combo guard who can shoot, score, pass and rebound. He is old for the draft and hasn't played against great competition, but at No. 58, you usually don't find players with his ability.

The Celtics were given a B+ for drafting a player who would score a total of 22 points for the team before being waived in the middle of the season.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS                                                                                                                               GRADE: B+

Round 1: Gerald Henderson (12)

Round 2: Derrick Brown (40, via Nets and Thunder)

Analysis: The Bobcats had a nice, solid draft. Henderson is a really good fit in Charlotte and eventually should be able to replace Raja Bell. He is a great athlete and can really defend. Brown was a great value in the second round, a terrific athlete who can play both the 3 and the 4.

Overall, the Bobcats helped themselves with solid picks who might not be superstars but who could be in the league a long time.

Henderson sucked, putting up less than 3 ppg on abysmal shooting.  He was actually outplayed by Derrick Brown, which isn't saying much at all.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES                                                                                                                                    GRADE: A-

Round 1: Hasheem Thabeet (2), DeMarre Carroll (27)

Round 2: Sam Young (36)

Analysis: I am not a huge fan of Thabeet but understand why the Grizzlies went that way. Ricky Rubio wasn't cooperating, and Thabeet can help the Grizzlies, who needed a big, athletic shot-blocker. He is limited offensively, but he can change the game on defense.

Later in the draft is where the Grizzlies really shone. I loved the Carroll and Young picks. They give the Grizzlies toughness and two players who can come in and contribute immediately.

I've been pretty harsh about some of the Grizzlies' shortcomings in the past, but for the second year in a row, I think they've drafted really well.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER                                                                                                                        GRADE: A-

Round 1: James Harden (3), B.J. Mullens (24, obtained from Dallas)

Round 2: Robert Vaden (54, obtained from Thunder via Spurs)

Analysis: While I thought the Thunder might be able to use Ricky Rubio as a trade asset, if nothing else, it's hard to fault Sam Presti. Harden is a better fit in the backcourt with Russell Westbrook, and I think the Thunder got a terrific value pick in Mullens. On talent and upside, he was one of the most intriguing players in the draft. If coach Scott Brooks can get effort from him, the Thunder will have intriguing young talent at every position on the floor.

Harden was good, but not as good as several guards drafted immediately below him.  Mullens has bust written all over him, and was acquired for Roddy Beaubois.

PHOENIX SUNS                                                                                                                                              GRADE: A-

Round 1: Earl Clark (14)

Round 2: Taylor Griffin (48)

Analysis: Judge the Suns on whom they grabbed at No. 14, and you have to be impressed. Clark was a top-five talent in this draft. He can play multiple positions, and if he gets motivated, he can be a dominant player who should be a terrific fit in the Suns' up-tempo system.

Griffin is about grit and athleticism, but he has the talent to stick in the league as a 10th man.

And if you factor in a possible acquisition of Stephen Curry, it gets even better for Phoenix.

Earl Clark a top 5 talent?  Nope. 

UTAH JAZZ                                                                                                                                               GRADE: A

Round 1: Eric Maynor (20)

Round 2: Goran Suton (50)

Analysis: Fans never like their teams drafting bench players, but Utah GM Kevin O'Connor didn't try to make a crowd-pleasing choice.

The Jazz really needed to find a competent backup for Deron Williams, and in my opinion, they walked away with the most underrated player in the draft. Maynor is a pure point guard who sees the floor well, makes players around him better, isn't afraid to take over a game late and rarely makes mistakes. On top of that, he's a great kid and a hard worker who should fit perfectly in Utah.

Suton has talent, but he'll probably be honing that talent in Europe next year.

Maynor was a crappy backup at best, and has a long way to go to prove that he shouldn't be cut when his contract expires next year.  Considering he was drafted immediately before Darren Collison, I think the A grade is a bit of a reach.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS                                                                                                                           GRADE: A

Round 1: None

Round 2: None

Analysis: Washington had the No. 5 pick in the draft but traded it, along with Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov, to the Wolves for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. The Wizards understood they were unlikely to get a player at No. 5 who could crack their rotation, and they wanted to be serious contenders right away in the East. I think the addition of Foye and Miller puts them there.

The Wolves were willing to pay significantly more than any other team, giving up two solid starters. I don't think the Wizards could have done any better in getting value for the No. 5 pick.

Stephen Curry, anyone?

And the final piece de resistance:

DALLAS MAVERICKS                                                                                                                                 GRADE: B-

Round 1: Rodrigue Beaubois (25, obtained from Thunder)

Round 2: Nick Calathes (45, obtained from Wolves via Sixers and Heat), Ahmad Nivins (56, via Blazers)

Analysis: I like the Mavericks' second-round picks more than their first-rounder. I'd be willing to bet Calathes becomes a much better player than Beaubois, both in Europe and in the NBA, and Nivins is an up-and-comer.

I am not sold on Beaubois and think Toney Douglas would have been a better pick here.

Lol.

So those of you who watched the NBA draft on ESPN today may have seen something surprising at #29.  This is the pick in which Orlando chose Kentucky center Daniel Orton.  The funny part is that last year Orlando GM Otis Smith seemed to think that it would be a good idea to match the Mavs' offer to their backup center, Marcin Gortat, and sign him to an appallingly expensive contract for a backup to the best center in basketball.

So it seems that old Otis has seen the error of his ways, and is willing to let Gortat go and replace him with a much cheaper, younger alternative. 

My question is: do the Mavs look to trade for Gortat?  He's younger and slightly cheaper than Big Wood, and could possibly turn out to be a better starting center.  This would obviously be a gamble, but it could pay nice dividends to the Mavs. 

If the Mavs were to do this, I don't think they should give up much of anything for him.  They would be doing Orlando a favor by taking a $5mil-a-year backup off their hands.  Maybe they could swap second rounders or bench players just to make it look a little bit less like a pure dump.

What do you think, folks?

Here's some love from NBA Draft Net:

Strengths: The biggest strength Alabi has going for him are his physical tools ... 7'1, long and athletic, Alabi is the ideal protector of the rim that teams dream of having in regards to clogging the lane and preventing penetration ... Unlike most 7-footers, Alabi can adjust, position himself, use his immense wingspan and jump better than most centers his size ... These physical tools make him an excellent shot blocker on and off the ball, and a likely candidate for offensive tips and putbacks off misses ... He only averages around 2.3 fouls per game, a solid indicator that he positions himself correctly in regards to contesting shots ... Offensively he is capable of being productive, with the ability to hit the over the shoulder shot in the post, while taking advantage of his height and length ... He has the ability to hit medium to short range jump shots when facing up around the foul line extended, and if this aspect of his game can develop further, it will be a big asset to a team in that it will force his defender away from from the basket, opening things up underneath ... (his 79% from the ft line is a good indicator that his short range jumper can become more consistent) ... He can get up and down the floor more quickly than most players his size and has an active motor ...

Weaknesses: Alabi  will have to bulk up, as GMs and coaches worry after seeing an unproductive rookie year from #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet ... Similar recent African first round centers such as Saer Sene and Thabeet remain on NBA team's minds ... Foot speed and reaction time are not at a high level ... Offensively, he does not have a diverse range of moves in the post, and relies too much on his height and length, which he won't be able to use as much against taller and stronger defenders at the next level ... He lacks the ability to put the ball on the floor and take his man off the dribble and his post moves appear mechanical ... Also not the most efficient passer out of the post ... He really struggles on the defensive glass for his size, averaging less than 4 defensive rebounds a game for likely the biggest guy on the floor ... He seems to get too comfortable as just a protector of the basket, and with the defensive 3 second rule in the NBA, he won't be able to just sit in front of the rim ... Will struggle against quicker and more agile centers ... Did not put up the shot blocking numbers that he appeared capable of despite having good agility is not quick off his feet ...

Overall: There's no arguing that he has the potential to become a defensive centerpiece for a team that lacks a presence in the paint... He is capable of scoring on basic post moves right now, but this part of his game will be the toughest in terms of translating to success at the next level ... Like most 7-footers, he is a project and will be a backup for his first few years until his game expands on the offensive end, and until he adjusts to guarding bigger and stronger players on the defensive end ... While he has a positive track record off the court, there is some debate whether his age is 100% correct due to the fact that he's from Nigeria: facially he appears older. But most likely it won't be a factor in his draft status ... Some team in need of a shot blocker who has time to develop this mature, hard working, high character, and high energy center should take a chance on him somewhere in the late-first to early-second round ...

Excuse me if someone else has made this same prediction, but I don't hear too much discussion about Davis these days.  Anyway, I'm pretty sure I've figured out exactly how Chris will rejoin the team, and how it will be beneficial in many ways. 

First of all, barring any trades, by August 1, Chris Davis will be on the team and Andres Blanco will be released. 

And here's why:

Andres Blanco is on this team for one reason, and one reason only.  He, and nobody else on this Rangers team, is capable of backing up Michael Young at 3rd base.  When it comes to second base and/or shortstop, he represents a defensive upgrade over Arias while making up for that with poorer offense.  The two players are virtually interchangeable (Fangraphs has them within 0.1 WAR of each other).  So why not DFA one of them, since it makes no sense for the two of them to platoon as utilitymen of equal value?  The obvious choice seems to be Arias, who is incapable of playing third.  The fact that this has not yet happened suggests to me that the Rangers are unwilling to part with Joaquin, who they likely view as having a ceiling higher than the level he's currently playing at.  Arias is also a much more complete bench player, as he can be used as a full-game substitute (just like Blanco, although not at 3rd), a pinch hitter (unlike Blanco, who should only ever pinch-hit for a pitcher) and a pinch runner (unlike Blanco, who has an atrocious lifetime line of 1-for-8 on stolen bases and otherwise runs the bases quite poorly, especially for a middle infielder).  So that leaves Blanco, who is a very replaceable player who seems to have already reached his peak.  Releasing Blanco, however, is completely impossible, as that would leave no backup for Young should anything ever go wrong (God forbid).

The solution:  Chris Davis.

Though some may not know it, CD has 169 minor league games at 3B to his credit, including 26 this year in addition to the 43 games in he's played at the position in the majors).  Now, am I saying that Davis is an excellent defensive third baseman?  Probably not, but he doesn't need to be.  We all know that Michael Young does not take many days off in the field.  In fact, Blanco has played third base for all of 17 innings this year so far.  However, we simply can't enter a game without a potential backup at any position.  Chris Davis would be that backup, allowing Michael to get some late innings off and providing an emergency option should anything happen.  Davis's defense would almost certainly be a step down from Blanco's, but his offense would almost certainly more than compensate (assuming that his .361/.414/.564 line in AAA is an indication that his swing has returned in a fashion similar to last year's post-AAA performance).

Of course, if anything happened that put Young on the DL (once again, I'm knocking strongly on wood here), the Rangers may be hesitant to put either Davis (assuming that his defense isn't superb) or Blanco (who has an abysmal OPS of .515) in as the full-time 3B.  In that case, the team would likely call up someone like Esteban German, who has demonstrated the ability to handle the position and the bat fairly well.  Thus, no matter what, our backup 3B will only be called upon to back up Young for about 20 innings this season, as well to be a one-game emergency fielder. 

However, Davis will not only be a better 3B option than Blanco.  More importantly, he would be a much, much better backup option at 1B than Arias, both defensively and offensively.  If his hitting is what we all hope it will be, then he will be a good choice as a DH against RHPs to give Vlad a day or two off without having to use the wimpy bat of David Murphy.  Importantly, he will provide us with a good pinch hitter off the bench, very much unlike Blanco. 

The Rangers will also get bonus points here for maximizing Davis's trade value.  The team has to know at this point that they are unlikely to keep both Smoak and Davis on the roster.  With Smoak looking better and better at 1B, it seems that Davis is the likely trade target.  However, JD may be hesitant to trade a player with such a seemingly high ceiling at a point in which his trade value is quite low.  If Davis is allowed to return to the majors and put up some better offensive numbers, the team may be able to sell him for a better crop of players in the offseason. 

So that's what I strongly feel will happen.  I think the decision to have Davis play 50% of his games in AAA at 3B seems to suggest that this is the Rangers' ultimate goal for Davis this year (although the presence of Chad Tracy and Ryan Garko at Oklahoma City certainly affects this as well). 

Readers of this FanPost may find themselves asking one of two questions:

1. Who's to say that Davis's batting isn't going to crap out yet again?

           I feel that this won't happen.  If you look at the pattern of the last three years, a pattern seems to emerge.  When Chris begins the year in the majors, he sucks.  I don't know what it is, but beginning to swing the bat again against major league pitchers after taking the winter off seems really tough for him.  After that, he goes to the minors, where he continues to struggle for a while, and then becomes an unstoppable hitting machine there.  The past two years (the first of which he began in the minors), that AAA success carried over quite well when he was called up.  This year, once again, his trip to AAA has resulted in a powerful offensive performance there.  It seems to me that Davis needs to calibrate his swing each year against crappier pitching before he is prepared to hit in the majors.  I don't know what the Rangers can do about this in the long term (other than working very seriously with him in Spring Training next year), but it shouldn't affect us for the rest of this season at least.  Of course, this is all just a prediction, but it is hard to imagine a player with a .978 OPS in AAA not hitting at least fairly well in the majors.

2. Why not cut Arias instead of Blanco?

     People are allowed to have different opinions on this one, and they likely will, as the WAR of these to players is so very close.  However, the important opinion is that of the Rangers front office, which seems to be clear.  Frankly, they could have cut Arias at any time this year.  Releasing him would not have left any defensive vacancies, except for backup 1B, which he isn't very good at anyway.  Despite this fact and the pressure that they felt for having two backup infielders, they chose to keep Arias.  Basically, they NEEDED Blanco, but they WANTED Arias.  Now, their reasons for this are somewhat understandable.  After all, Arias is a product of their minor league system, he has a higher ceiling than Blanco (especially if he continues to recover arm strength), and his creepy mustache-growing prowess is possibly unrivaled (except, of course, by Ron Washington himself).  Whatever the reason, the Rangers have demonstrated their unwillingness to cut Arias.  Once Blanco becomes just as replaceable, however, I think the team will part ways with him. 

So there it is.  I'd love to hear questions or comments from all you at LSB to see how logical you think this scenario is.

I just read that Duke Preston has decided to retire to attend divinity school, so his roster spot will be open this year.  I wish him the very best in his endeavors.  Here's the link: 

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/050810dnspocowdate.2ddabaa.html

And for the sake of the 75-word minimum, here's a quote:

"As Barron arrives, another Cowboys offensive lineman departs. Duke Preston will retire and attend divinity school, the office of agent Craig Domann said.

Preston was inactive for 17 games with the Cowboys last season after being picked up from Green Bay late in training camp. The Cowboys had offered Preston a contract for this season."

I don't know why it took so long, but I just got around to checking out Lonyae Miller, the UDFA running back from Fresno State.  I'm not sure how he could fit into our system, but this dude looks like he might be worth a roster spot.  He's a 6'0'', 220 pound guy with 4.4 speed who had the misfortune of playing being Ryan Matthews at Fresno.  The bust possibility is certainly there, but still I can't wait to see how he performs in camp.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=68135&draftyear=2010&genpos=RB

I found this in a WalterFootball 2009 mock.  Not the heavy sarcasm about the "great" Miles Austin.  Sometimes it's nice to see that Jerry's "love affairs" sometimes happen because a player is so damn talented and lovable.  Dillard, by the way, had about 100 receiving yards for the Jags last year.

Dallas Cowboys: Jarett Dillard, WR, Rice
Competition for the great Miles Austin at flanker. It should be noted that Jarett Dillard doesn't stand a chance, given Jerry Jones' love affair with Austin.