Heard It Through the Weekend Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on March 28, 2010 under The Grapevine | 6 Comments to Read

  • The Beaubois debate rages on, but before you light up your torches, grab your pitchforks, and head over to Rick Carlisle’s place, keep this in mind (from Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News): “And even the most diehard Roddy fans must remember that not every game is going to be like Saturday’s. When Beaubois doesn’t have his shot working and becomes a liability on defense, he deserves to sit – just like any other player.” I think we’ve entered the stage of the season where given Roddy’s ability to produce, DNP-CDs shouldn’t even been an option. I don’t think there’s any excuse not to give him a shot, but that doesn’t mean we won’t hear any.
  • Did you know that Dirk Nowitzki has scored more points in a single game against the Charlotte Bobcats (the league’s 3rd ranked defense) than any other Bobcat opponent this season? (Per NBA.com’s John Schuhmann.)
  • If Monta Ellis is the second best player in the game, what does that make Roddy?
  • Caron Butler’s technical foul from Thursday night’s game against the Trailblazers, which from the TNT broadcast seemed like poor judgment on the part of the baseline official, was apparently assessed the tech for a comment he made to fans sitting sidelined (as was indicated by Mark Followill the night of). Whatever he said was bad enough to cost him $25k, apparently.
  • Beaubois’ 40 fell just two points short of the Maverick rookie record, set by Mark Aguirre in 1981.
  • Adam Lauridsen of Fast Break: “With the exception of watching Rodrigue Beaubois go Brandon Jennings on the Warriors, Saturday night’s game was one of the toughest tests yet this season of Warriors fans’ pain thresholds.  Anyone who watched this entire game at the Arena without the benefit of libations or at home without the benefit of a DVR deserves combat pay from the Warriors.  Loyalty rewarded, right?”
  • Coup of Rip City Project took a look at some of Portland’s defense sequences from their match-up with the Mavs on Thursday.

Tags: , , ,

  • http://twitter.com/PitchBlackMind Brian D

    Wha…WHAT?! Monta Ellis thinks he’s the second best player in the league???

    Maybe dial back the ego a little bit Monta, everyone who read that is laughing at you right now.

  • jackofarcades

    The “defensive” liability argument is laughable, considering he’d be getting minutes from Barea and Terry.

  • Cynthia

    Thanks Rob. I haven’t had a really good laugh today until I read what Ellis said. OMG!! Absoluetly freakin’ hilarious !!!!!!

  • Cynthia

    Agree with “defensive liability” comment. Since when is Beaubois a greater defensive liability than Jason Terry or JJ Barea?

  • Kirk Henderson

    Cynthia, I think it has more to do with his reactions, not his limitations. Roddy is obviously more gifted than JJ and Terry in terms of athleticism, but those two also have a better grasp of the Mavericks defensive game plan than roddy. For defense to succeed all 5 players must be able to anticipate what the other 4 do, and because Roddy is young, his instincts often get in the way of his judgement, and he makes the wrong play. The other two guys are simply limited atheletically, so Carlyle would rather have them in the game trying to do what he coaches as opposed to Roddy occasionally flying off the handle.

    That said, I agree with your sentiment. The Mavs arent getting any younger. Might as well get him acquainted with the gameplan!

  • JL

    For most of the season I watched Roddy and thought of Rajon Rondo. But now I’m starting to see a lot more Jamal Crawford/JR Smith in him: a small guard with long arms, sick handles, crazy range and the ability to fill it up in a hurry. He is unselfish, but doesn’t really create shots for other guys.

    Beaubois may not be the point guard of the future, but instead the Jet Terry of the future. This is not a bad thing at all, given that Roddy is a decade younger, makes millions less, and is already a better defender. He doesn’t have JET’s charisma, but give him a couple years to get his ESL on and let Terry tutor him on how to give interviews and he’ll be good to go.

home top