Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 30, 2011 under The Grapevine | View Comments

Johnny Ludden, Yahoo Sports: In a lot of ways, Nowitzki is not unlike David Robinson before Tim Duncan joined his side. Robinson waded through the same torrent of criticism each year the Spurs went out early in the playoffs. Many times, it should have been an indictment on the supporting cast around him rather than his own shortcomings. The soft label has never really fit Nowitzki, no matter how many times someone tries to hang it on him. He plays tough. He plays clutch. This series offered more evidence. In three of the Mavs’ four victories, Nowitzki scored 18, 14 and 14 points in the fourth quarters. On Thursday, the Blazers’ Chris Johnson raked Nowitzki across the face, a flagrant foul that left Nowitzki sprawled on his back. After a few moments, Nowitzki picked himself, made both free throws then promptly stuck a step-back jump shot. The next time down the floor, he drove for a reverse layup. ‘Toughness doesn’t always mean throwing a punch back,” Chandler said. “It means getting up and going at ‘em even tougher. … Dirk got up. Instead of getting in some dumb altercation, he said, ‘All right, I’m going to punish you.’’”

Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News: “As the Mavericks were leaving the court after ending Portland’s season, some of the Blazer fans were understandably yelling at them. But the message wasn’t one of anger. ‘They were great,’ Dirk Nowitzki said of the fans. ‘When we won and were walking off the court, a lot of them were yelling ‘go beat LA.” The Mavericks will give that their best shot, of course, but they understand that it will not be easy. They went 1-2 against the Lakers in the regular season and everybody knows that beating the two-time defending champions is going to be a huge challenge.”

The Brothers Kamenetzky, Land O’ Lakers: “Zone Defense. The Mavs play a ton of it, and with a great deal of success and, unlike many other squads, a great deal of pride. Rick Carlisle has used it to take advantage of their frontcourt length and protect his smaller lineup, too, all with positive results. Dallas finished the season just behind the Lakers in defensive efficiency (102.3 points allowed per 100 possessions), and while they don’t dominate in any particular statistical category, the Mavs are a top 10 bunch in opponent’s field goal percentage, three point percentage, free throws allowed, and defensive rebounding percentage. The Lakers, a mediocre jump shooting team often too easily seduced into taking them, will need to show discipline offensively in attacking it.”

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Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 29, 2011 under The Grapevine | View Comments

Kevin Pelton, Basketball Prospectus: “That said, I’m open to the criticism that I’ve spent too much time talking about the Blazers’ offense in this series and not enough on their defense. Scroll back up and check out the offensive ratings in this game, both well over 120. That should be more than good enough for Portland to win at home. Why wasn’t it? In addition to the hot shooting of Nowitzki and Terry, the two key factors were the Mavericks’ offensive rebounding (12 second chances in 38 attempts) and their excellent turnover rate (nine in the game, but just three during the first three quarters). Both Zach Lowe of the Point Forward and Benjamin Golliver of Eye on Sports have noted recently that the Blazers were unable to force turnovers in this series the same way they did during the regular season, especially after dealing for Wallace. Not only did that mean fewer empty trips for Dallas, it kept Portland from getting easy opportunities in transition.”

Ben Golliver, Eye on Basketball: “His team was favored heading into the series so Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle isn’t likely to be showered in praise. He should be, though, as his team made all the necessary adjustments as this series unfolded. The Mavericks eliminated easys buckets for LaMarcus Aldridge, forced the Blazers to hit three-pointers, limited their turnovers and remembered to run their offense late. He threw wrinkles at the Blazers by mixing up his defensive assignments and was able to get production from his bench even though J.J. Barea had a forgettable series and Terry was a bit up and down. Most of all, he kept things together after a giant momentum swing following Portland’s dramatic come-from-behind Game 4 win. A much bigger test awaits in Los Angeles, but he aced this one.”

Dave, Blazersedge: “The reality of this series was that Portland always occupied the back seat while Dallas drove.  The Blazers came in as a 6th seed with 48 wins.  They played like a 6th seed with 48 wins.  If there’s a critique to be offered it’s that, aside from 13 magical minutes in one of the most improbable finishes in league history, they couldn’t rise above themselves.  Portland lost on the road against good teams during the regular season.  They did in the playoffs too.  Portland went through offensive dry spells in the regular season. Ditto here.  Portland had trouble handling the pick and roll during the regular season, also in the playoffs.  If anything, Portland appeared to play much of the last two weeks as if the games were a series of regular season matchups.  Dallas, on the other hand, brought intensity, fire, timing, and extra guts to go along with their skill.  The result?  Portland’s normal advantages barely applied whereas Dallas excelled at theirs.”

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Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 22, 2011 under The Grapevine | View Comments

Kevin Pelton, Basketball Prospectus: “[Nate] McMillan also changed his finishing lineup. While [Brandon] Roy got back on the court when the Blazers needed more shooters and ballhandlers to close out the game, Portland played with its starting lineup most of the stretch run, putting more size and rebounding on the floor. I’m not sure there was a verdict on that decision, as the teams played even during the stretch the Blazers used their starters. Over the course of the season, however, Portland has been much more effective with Aldridge at center and Wallace at power forward in a smaller, quicker unit. Looking ahead to Saturday’s Game Four, the Mavericks can feel good that they had a chance to steal a game in which the Blazers rode their crowd to an early lead. Dallas can also point to missed opportunities at the line, where they shot just 56.5 percent (13 of 23), including an atypical 4-of-7 effort from Nowitzki. Nonetheless, if Roy has found a way to contribute for Portland in this favorable matchup, that might prove the most crucial takeaway of all.”

Ben Golliver, Blazersedge: “Portland’s initial push came courtesy of Matthews, who practically refused to talk about his individual play after leading Portland with 25 points on 8-12 shooting. Thankfully, LaMarcus Aldridge was there to do it for him. ‘I think every game [this series] the team that’s won it has had someone play really, really well,’ Aldridge said. ‘Tonight it was Wesley.’ There’s been so much to like about Aldridge’s maturation this season but that quote is near the top. Aldridge, Matthews and everyone else with a pulse in the Rose Garden knows that the bulk of the headlines are going to Brandon Roy, who finished with 16 crucial points off the bench to help push Portland over the hump. But it was Matthews’ hot shooting that got Portland up early. 16 points in the first quarter. 22 points in the first half. Good shot selection (even including the heat checks, which you know are coming). Solid defense throughout the game on top of it. That Aldridge would single out Matthews with praise — despite his own success on the night and the mountain of questions about Roy — is a moment that will endure. Credit where credit is due. Recognition and rewards for those who have earned it.”

Tim MacMahon (and Ben Rogers), ESPN Dallas: “An object thrown from the Rose Garden stands hit Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the face during Thursday night’s Game 3 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The incident occurred midway through the fourth quarter after Cuban had been interacting with the fans in the section behind the Mavericks’ bench. Cuban was not injured. ‘I don’t know what it was, but something hit me in the face,’ said Cuban, who encouraged fans to boo him more by putting his hand by his ear. Extra security was assigned to the area behind the Mavericks’ bench for the remainder of the game. There were no other issues.”

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Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 20, 2011 under The Grapevine | View Comments

Jeff Caplan, ESPN Dallas: “In the first three quarters of both games, Nowitzki has scored 29 total points on 10-of-31 shooting and 9-0f-9 from the free throw line. In the fourth quarter, however, Nowitzki’s numbers are mesmerizing: 32 points on 6-of-11 shooting — 1-of-1 from 3-point range — and 19-of-21 from the free throw line. And he’s earning every one of them, pounding his body inside, absorbing contact and finishing strong. ‘This team is going to keep fighting,’ Nowitzki said. ‘I’m going to keep fighting.’”

Jason Quick, The Oregonian: “Brandon Roy has fought through a lot of things in his career, but never has he had to do what he did Tuesday in Dallas during Game 2 of the Trail Blazers’ first-round series. Brandon Roy, the face of the franchise, had to fight off tears. ‘There was a point in the first half, and I was thinking ‘You better not cry,’ Roy said. ‘I mean, serious. I mean, there was a moment where I felt really sorry for myself. Then I was like, nah, you can’t be sorry for yourself. I’m a grown man, but there was a moment there that I felt sorry for myself. Especially when I think I can still help…I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little hurt, or disappointed,’ Roy said. ‘But the biggest thing is to keep moving, to try and keep my spirits up. But it’s tough man. I just…I just always thought I would be treated better. That was a little disappointing for me.’”

Ben Golliver, Eye on Basketball: “Roy has maintained for the last month that his struggles are mental and that his knees feel fine after arthroscopic surgery earlier this season. He’s also talked at length, since before the surgeries, about his need to adjust his game to accomodate his physical changes. There is a clear disconnect for Roy. While his knees feel good that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s the player he once was, nor even a productive player. A lack of swelling or pain doesn’t equal 25 points a night, or 10 points a night. Or, even, a single point on Tuesday night. Playing without pain doesn’t mean he’s playing well. Those two have long gone hand in hand for Roy in the past, but that simply hasn’t been the case for months now. When Roy says his struggles are purely mental, he’s either kidding himself or he hasn’t fully come to terms with his current abilities. Scouts, former players, media observers and fans see a player whose quickness and power off the dribble have disappeared, a player whose ball fake and dribble combinations no longer mesmerize, a player whose lift is gone, a player who has been a defensive liability — slow laterally, slow to rotate, slow to close out — for the entire season, and a player whose confidence is clearly shaken. ”

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Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 18, 2011 under The Grapevine | View Comments

Kelly Dwyer, Ball Don’t Lie: “You’ve got to love the way the playoffs move every dial back to zero. Sure, the Trail Blazers might be the deeper team in this series. They might be more talented, and they might match up in a way that could have the Mavs ending their season five or six games from now, but … make it happen, cap’ain. Go ahead and take all those well-researched “should bes,” and turn them into a win, Portland. Because while we were right to point out how much this series seems to tilt in Portland’s favor, the Blazers still had to go out and guard Dirk Nowitzki…It hurts to see Dallas more than double you up from the line, but [Nate] McMillan has to be happy with the fact that his team played the Mavericks to a near stand-off despite a middling, 100 points per 100 possessions performance. Dallas was at home, and needed Jason Kidd to hit six three-pointers to pull away. Dallas will no doubt improve upon this game, but there’s only so much improving you can do on Jason Kidd hitting six of 10 treys. And best for McMillan? Portland will improve by leaps and bounds from here on out. Or, they ’should’ improve. It’s still on paper for Portland, at this point.”

Ben Golliver, Eye on Basketball: “The most head-scratching coaching decision of this game — and arguably of Portland’s season — came when Nate McMillan opted to play guard Brandon Roy the entire fourth quarter instead of starting guard Wesley Matthews, fellow reserve Rudy Fernandez or center Marcus Camby. Just once in the last month has Roy played more than 26 minutes — a recent home win over the Lakers — and nothing about his recent play suggests he should be playing the crunch time minutes in this series…What’s even more confusing, though, is that McMillan has almost always turned to Matthews late in games recently when the Blazers have held the lead late. Portland led 72-66 with less than six minutes to go, the perfect situation to swap Roy for Matthews to slam the door shut. Not only is Matthews a superior defender, he’s also a superior outside shooter (Matthews has shot 40.7% from deep this season while Roy has shot 33.3%). As a team, Portland shot 2-16 from deep on the night , including 1-7 in the final quarter. While Matthews struggled early with turnovers, he certainly has shown this season that he deserves more than 19 minutes and three shots. Even if McMillan decided Matthews simply didn’t have it going in the pressure-packed situation that is Game 1, he had other options. Rudy Fernandez, although not a true impact player on Saturday, had six points, two rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes. If not Fernandez, then going back to a larger lineup — with Marcus Camby in the middle — would have been another option. While that would likely have led to easier double teams and more congestion for LaMarcus Aldridge — who was excellent on the evening, finishing with 27 points and six boards — Camby, who 18 rebounds in 29 minutes, would have been a difference-maker on the boards late, as Dallas center Tyson Chandler’s four fourth-quarter rebounds were huge in extending Dallas possessions and ending Portland possessions. Really, this was about Anybody But Roy. He finished 1-7 on the evening for two points and played exactly how recent history suggested he would play: flat, over-thinking and not in tune with a flowing offensive team concept. What’s more, it was a departure from the usual rotation necessitating an adjustment from all of his teammates late in the game.”

Bradford Doolittle, Basketball Prospectus: “The Blazers got plenty of mileage from LaMarcus Aldridge, who scored 27 points in 40:39 despite foul trouble. In fact, the Blazers’ bigs had a big night, as Marcus Camby grabbed 18 rebounds in 29:02 and handed out five assists. However, Camby was absent down the stretch, getting just 1:16 in the final period while Nowitzki went to town. For that matter, Wesley Matthews, one of Portland’s crunch performers this season, played just 25 seconds in the final period. Meanwhile, the ghost acting the part of Brandon Roy played all but one second of the fourth quarter. Roy went scoreless in the period and scored just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in 26:22 for the game. If you’re scratching your head on that one, join the club.”

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Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 15, 2011 under The Grapevine | View Comments

Zach Lowe, SI’s The Point Forward: “To call this Dirk Nowitzki’s ”last ride” is obviously dramatic, but the future of this Mavericks team is uncertain. Jason Kidd is 38 and will be a free agent after next season along with Jason Terry. Tyson Chandler, the anchor of Dallas’ semi-revived defense, is a free agent after this season and plays the same position as Brendan Haywood, to whom Dallas has already committed more than $50 million. Caron Butler will be a free agent, Roddy Beaubois’ development has hit a snag, Shawn Marion is declining and Corey Brewer is at the edge of Rick Carlisle’s rotation. In other words: This team badly needs a playoff run now, especially after going out in the first round in three of the last four seasons.”

Jeff Caplan, ESPN Dallas: “The fact is that Nowitzki, 33, is one of the game’s premier playoff performers — one of four players in history to average 25 points and 10 rebounds — yet he is arguably the most underappreciated player in the game because his teams have failed to convert marvelous regular seasons into postseason parades. ‘I can’t really change peoples’ opinions. I’ll try to win it for me and to kind of top it off with the career that I’ve had. That’s why I’m trying to win it,’ Nowitzki said.’I'm not trying to win to shut anybody up. I’m trying to win for myself and this franchise, which really deserves it; for Cuban, who’s been amazing since he bought it, and for all my teammates. And if I don’t, it just wasn’t meant to be. The only thing that I can tell myself is that I left it all out there. Every summer I tried to get better. I play hurt. I play sick. I try to be out there for my teammates and for my team and ultimately win it all.’”

Sekou Smith, NBA.com: “A veteran NBA advanced scout gave us his breakdown of the two teams, and these are teams that he swears bear a striking resemblance to one another in that they have perimeter big men as their offensive anchors and crafty veteran point guards running the show. ‘The Mavericks definitely will play up and down more than any of Rick Carlisle’s teams in Indiana and even Detroit did in the past,’ he said. ‘Rick has definitely loosened the reigns since then. He’s still a guy that has a lot of sets and runs a lot of things. He lets [Jason] Kidd call his own plays and really lets them go. They run a lot more stuff in early offense. His Indiana teams he would slow them down and call plays, but not with this team. He really does let Kidd do his thing. And with [J.J.] Barea out there with Kidd, you have two ball handlers in the game, if the ball comes out to Barea, they’ll get into their transition game just as easily.’”

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Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on December 14, 2010 under The Grapevine | View Comments

• Mark Cuban’s sage concern, expressed prior to the Mavs’ loss last night (via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News): “Some parts of what we do have gotten better (during the streak). I think we’ve let up a couple times instead of really focusing on what it takes to be a championship team. We try to say this is what it takes to win this game. That’s my biggest concern with this team. We try to win games instead of focusing on executing for 48 minutes so that we’re championship caliber. That’s just my concern.”
• Sebastian Pruiti broke down the Mavs’ final play from last night’s game over at NBA Playbook. It would have been tough to overcome a four-point deficit with less than 11 seconds remaining regardless, but Dallas didn’t do themselves any favors by botching the play. The primary culprit looks to be Jason Terry, though it can be tough to tell without the clipboard in hand.
• Rick Carlisle’s evaluation of last night’s game (via Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas): “They kicked our ass. I don’t know any simpler way to say it.”
• Jeremy Schmidt of Bucksketball: “When things looked their bleakest during the game, it was usually because Dirk Nowitzki was doing something awesome.  Dirk scored 30 points on 12 of 24 shooting (3-6 3FG 3-3 FT) and it looked for a second like he was about to take the Bucks back in a time machine.  His impossible looking fadeaway jumper beat the Bucks in overtime last season and he had an even better look to tie the game with :11 to go in regulation this season, but failed to convert on the 8-footer.  The defense was there, but Dirk was shooting over and around every Buck all night.  This time though, all he had left was a blank.  For once.”
• Frank Madden of BrewHoop gave praise to Keyon Dooling, the sadly forgotten man from my recap. Damn the limits of my own self-imposed bullet format. “We easily could have gone with the more efficient CD-R here, but I’ll give the nod to Dooling, whose 16 points (4/10 fg, 3/4 threes, 4/4 ft), four assists, and no turnovers included a number of big plays that helped the Bucks stick around and eventually put the game away. His three with less than two seconds remaining in the first half kept the Bucks within nine at the break, and he followed it up by drawing a transition foul on Dirk near the third quarter horn to boot. When Nowitzki got a tech for bickering he turned it into a three point play that gave the Bucks the lead, and he later sealed it with two free throws that provided the final margin.
• Statistically speaking, the Mavs had only a 0.3% chance of successfully executing their late 12-game winning streak. Never tell them the odds.
• Apparently, the Mavs are set to win the title. Good to know.
• Andrew Unterberger is on a quest to visit every NBA arena in 60 days, and has been keeping record of his journey at The Basketball Jones. He caught the fantastic Mavs-Jazz game in Dallas this past weekend, and this bit might resonate with those who have been lucky enough to catch Mavs games at the AAC this season: “‘Do they talk up defense as much at other stadiums?’ Mat asked me at some point during the third quarter. No, not really — the AAC called out its fans to get the ‘DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!’ chant going just about every time the Mavs trotted back on their heels downcourt, even though no one but a group of young girls in attendance seemed to pay it any mind until the fourth quarter. You gotta use that sh*t in moderation, Mavs PA guy.”
• Here’s how the $100,000 Mark Cuban gave to the city of Dallas is being used.
• Dominique Jones is a little dinged up.
• Is the intentional fouling of Brendan Haywood (a.k.a. Hack-a-Haywood) a legitimate concern? I see it as probably being a situational problem, but find it hard to believe that this is a strategy we see all too often. The combination of coaching strategy and opportunity make this a situational tactic at best, and while it may be unfortunate every now and again, it’s no epidemic.

Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on December 7, 2010 under The Grapevine | View Comments

• Zach Lowe names his award candidates with a quarter of the season in the books over at SI’s The Point Forward, and the Mavericks are well-represented.
• Tyson Chandler on Jason Kidd (via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News): ““J-Kidd, he surprises me all the time. He keeps digging into that tank and pulling out tricks. One night he’s making every single pass. (In Utah), he’s making every single three. (Against Sacramento), he’s making every single defensive play. The guy’s amazing.”
• Dirk casts his vote for the Mavs’ MVP.
• Sam Amick profiled Tyson Chandler for NBA FanHouse, and hit on some of the familiar themes of Chandler’s season: his tremendous defensive impact, his recovery from injury, his time with Team USA, and his leadership.
• Speaking of Chandler, he may end up missing tonight’s game with a stomach bug.
• Anthony Tolliver, currently of the Minnesota Timberwolves and formerly a D-League staple, threw some praise and took a bit of a shot at current Texas Legend Rashad McCants (via Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune): “I knew he could score, but…He’s amazing, really, really good. It kind of lets you know if you’re super talented and don’t do the right things, you still won’t be in this league. You have to be a professional.”
• An idea, courtesy of Noam Schiller of Both Teams Played Hard: Should Tyson Chandler be considered for the league’s Most Improved Player award? That likely depends on your interpretation of the meaning of the award, but if we’re going strictly by a difference in production between this year and last year, Chandler has to be up there. Then again, by that same logic, so does Blake Griffin.
• John Schuhmann of NBA.com used a simple — very simple — measure to look at the Most Improved Player race, and Chandler’s name also came up. Also, among the “Most Regressed” players? Brendan Haywood. Burn.
• Hey, remember that Jeremy Lin guy?
• Fantastic diagrams illustrating the diversity of the league’s top assist men, including the Mavs’ own Jason Kidd.
• tcat75 of Mavs Moneyball went back through the Mavs’ win over the Utah Jazz and classified every defensive possession by the top of D (man or zone) that Dallas played for comparative purposes. The final verdict: Dallas forced a ton of turnovers in a relatively small number of possessions while in the zone, but completely suffocated the Jazz while playing man-to-man.
• See how the Dallas bench measures up in terms of cost, minutes used, and production.
• It looks like Dominique Jones will continue to play for the Legends, and this is a great, great thing. This is a crucial part of the system, and exactly the kind of thing Dallas needs to use their affiliate for.
• Shawne Williams has made 10 of his first 12 three-pointers as a member of the Knicks. What?

Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on November 19, 2010 under The Grapevine | View Comments

• Your sizable news du jour: Dallas may be among several teams interested in acquiring Carmelo Anthony without the guarantee of a contract extension, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. It’s indicated that the deal would likely have to include at least three parties, so you can close up the Trade Machine for now unless you want to get really zany.
• Rick Carlisle isn’t too high on his team these days. From Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News: “Asked to take his team’s pulse at the 10-game mark, [Carlisle's] assessment was frank: “I think it sucks.” And with that, it became clear that the Mavericks have plenty of work in front of them. Carlisle must again re-configure playing rotations with Butler back in the lineup. Beaubois, when he returns, will force another adjustment. The defense has been commendable much of the time, but when it’s been bad – like that third quarter, when the Hornets shot 72 percent and forced seven Mavericks turnovers – it’s been terrible. ‘We’ve got to get tougher,” Carlisle said. “I’m not into looking back. I’m into what’s going on right now and what’s going on tomorrow and the next day. You can’t get in situations where we get distracted by officials’ calls. This is a game about aggression and poise. You have to have the right amount of both.’”
• Caron Butler seems pretty convinced that he’ll be a long-term starter.
• From Marc Stein for ESPN Dallas: “In just the latest indication that the purportedly deep supporting cast repeatedly promised going into the season isn’t delivering, Dallas is being outscored by 23.1 points per 48 minutes with Nowitzki off the floor through 10 games. The Mavericks, by contrast, are outscoring the opposition by 13.8 points per 48 minutes when Nowitzki is on the floor.” Yikes.
• The Legends lost their season opener last night to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, 115-123. I didn’t have a chance to catch the game myself, but from what I understand there wasn’t all that much defense played by either team. Antonio Daniels finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Sean Williams added 15 points, five rebounds, and five blocks. Kelvin Lewis chipped in 18 points (on 19 shots, but he did score 12 in the first quarter alone) and six assists. Justin Dentmon led the Legends in scoring with 21 points off the bench, but he turned the ball over four times.
• Speaking of the Legends, Rashad McCants is set to join the team soon, per Donnie Nelson, and will start pretty much immediately. Glad to be putting that episode to rest.

Heard It Through the Grapevine

Posted by Rob Mahoney on November 11, 2010 under The Grapevine | View Comments

• John Schuhmann of NBA.com, on which teams could challenge the Lakers this season: “In the East, you have the same three contenders as you had going in: Boston, Miami and Orlando. In the West, I really like what I’ve seen from Dallas. Defensively, I think they’ve taken a step forward with Tyson Chandler replacing Erick Dampier. If their offense can come around, they’ll be a stronger foe than we thought the Lakers would have in their conference.”
• Mavs’ Summer Leaguer DeShawn Sims started the season in Greece, but now he may be headed to the D-League.
• Chris Mannix of SI.com: “Bottom line, to get out of this Groundhog Day-like loop, Dallas needs to make a change beyond what it’s already done. Since February 2008, the Mavs have acquired Kidd, Marion, Butler, Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson and Chandler to revamp their roster. Mark Cuban committed $80 million to Nowitzki last summer and signed Kidd to a three-year, $25 million extension in 2009 because Kidd, even at 37, is still better than most point guards in the league. Cuban didn’t sit on the sideline when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were being courted. He just didn’t have enough to get them. But to avoid history repeating itself again, the Mavericks may need to take even more risks. They have movable assets like Butler ($10.5 million expiring contract) and Stevenson ($4.2 million expiring contract). James, Wade and Bosh are no longer available, but there could be a few potential difference-makers who are.” Mannix goes on to suggest Gilbert Arenas and Andre Iguodala as possible trade returns for Caron Butler. One of those suggestions is tremendous and would be quite helpful, and the other could end up crippling the franchise for a decade. I’m not sure we’re at the stage where Butler has to go or the Mavs have to make a move just yet, but if that day comes, here’s to hoping the Mavs stay away from the guillotine.
  
• Skeets and Tas debate the merits of the Mavs’ success on the latest episode of The Basketball Jones.
  
• It was rumored at one point that Greg Ostertag may be trying to make a comeback (or start his coaching career) with the Texas Legends, but no longer. According to Marc Stein, Ostertag will stay retired for now, citing “family reasons.” Bummer.
• Why doesn’t Erick Dampier have a job?
• Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas: “His 84 field-goal attempts rank third on the team, just 12 shots behind Jason Terry — in one less game – who has made 20 more shots. Marion has made three fewer baskets on 25 fewer attempts. Jason Kidd is the only rotation player shooting a lower percentage (34.7), but Kidd has put half as many attempts and isn’t needed to score in bulk as is Butler. But, that doesn’t mean Marion is the more logical choice to start. Marion has handled the move to the bench with grace and a team-first attitude when at least some outsiders viewed it with trepidation. There’s no reason to stir things up by asking Butler to now come off the bench, a move he probably wouldn’t welcome. During an ESPNDallas.com chat prior to the start of training camp, Butler was asked if the team had plans to bring him off the bench. Butler stated that he’s not at a point in his career where that move makes sense. Plus, the Mavs want Butler on the floor and performing well, not only to accomplish team goals, but to elevate Butler’s value in the case his $10.8-million expiring contract can be flipped in a beneficial trade.”
• A list of the best NBA players making less than $3 million this year, featuring Al Thornton, Matt Barnes, Taj Gibson…and not Rodrigue Beaubois. I try not to harp on list exclusions, but this one speaks to just how far out of the NBA consciousness a foot injury puts you.