Posted by Rob Mahoney on December 12, 2011 under Commentary, Roster Moves | 
Contrary to popular belief, Tyson Chandler’s departure from Dallas did not leave a gaping hole where a starting center should be. The Mavs may have lost a valuable contributor and an invaluable leader from their championship squad, but they retain Brendan Haywood and Ian Mahinmi, a capable starter and reserve, respectively, to fill minutes in the middle. It’s certainly not an optimal arrangement, but considering the circumstances, Dallas is likely better off relying on their in-house bigs rather than re-signing Chandler to a team-stymying contract.
But even after giving Haywood and Mahinmi every benefit of the doubt, the Mavs were still in need of another utility big. With that need in mind, Donnie Nelson, Rick Carlisle, and Mark Cuban scanned the free agent market, considered the available possibilities, and…signed the unproven, 24-year-old Brandan Wright to a one-year deal for the league’s minimum salary. Wright may not be the free agent big man Mavs fans had in mind, but Carlisle clearly sees Wright’s potential as a reserve center.
But what, exactly does Carlisle see?
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Posted by Rob Mahoney on June 23, 2010 under The Grapevine |
- Marquis Daniels is one of the coolest guys that Nate Robinson knows.
- According to Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com, Darrell Armstrong and Monte Mathis will be coaching the Mavs’ summer league team.
- Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears confirms that the New Jersey Nets have agreed — in principle — to bring in Popeye Jones as an assistant. Popeye, to Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com: “I came to the Mavs as a team that just had a disappointing loss in the Finals, but I was very blessed to be brought into a winning franchise as a coach,” Jones says. “My four years with the Mavs were great. I learned a lot about coaching and I made some great relationships here. It’s a franchise that I will always hold close to my heart.”
- Ed Welland of Hoops Analyst on Trevor Booker: “Any team looking for a player in round two who might provide something in the way of immediate help should take a long look at Booker. He isn’t much of a scorer, but he has good defensive numbers and his role in Clemson’s full court press suggests his defensive abilities extend to the perimeter…Not great, but he does show a decent skill set. The scoring is low in both efficiency and frequency, but it isn’t terrible. The rebounding is adequate and the defense is strong. He’s probably about where Patterson and Aminu are as a 3-point shooter in that he’s shown some promise, but with limited attempts we really don’t know how good he is. I’ll just say that like the ability to defend the perimeter, getting his outside shot to fall will be a key for Booker.”
- Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas looks at the two ingredients necessary for a Mavs-Brendan Haywood reunion. Re-signing Haywood shouldn’t be rocket science, and what he’d want out of a new deal doesn’t look to be any kind of surprise. That said, the Mavs need to nail the formula regardless of its simplicity; Haywood remains an essential part of the Mavs’ off-season plans.
- The Mavs’ own Casey Smith will again be on the training staff for Team USA basketball.
- An anonymous scout, via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, on draft prospect Brian Zoubek: “He’s a nonstop worker who can rebound really well and sets a good, hard screen. He needs to work a lot on his offensive game, but he’s a really good offensive rebounder.”
- Take a gander at the Mavs’ official draft hat. I like.