Unfamiliar Territory: Watching The Balls Drop

by Ryan Wilson on May 21, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

The 2013 NBA Draft lineup will be determined tonight in New York City, and for the first time since 2000, your  Dallas Mavericks will be participants. In an off-season full of potential, this marks the first step in that process.

Donnie Nelson and Keith Grant will be in New York to represent the Mavericks, and all of Mavs Nation have their fingers, toes, and anything else you can imagine crossed. After all, it’s really a game of luck.

“As much as we want to say it’s all science, there’s a big part of it that’s luck.’’ – Mark Cuban

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Once Upon A Time: Chris Paul a Maverick?

by Damian Jackson on May 10, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

The Los Angeles Clippers won 56 games and their first Pacific Division title in the regular season.

Postseason play produced only two wins before losing four straight and elimination to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Not quite the conclusion the little brother in Los Angeles expected. More importantly, Chris Paul becomes are free agent July 1st and the early ousting may affect his decision to stay or leave.

Here are some quotes from his exit interview (VIDEO: Complete Version) on Saturday May 4th:

A long, great season hits a brick wall:

“I have nothing to do, this is unreal, like I had no idea this season would be over…we only played two weeks longer than everybody else who didn’t make the playoffs. It sucks.”

You recruited players last summer, will they (LA Clippers) now be recruiting you?

“I don’t know…we’ll see, we’ll see. I don’t know how this whole thing’s gonna go or play out. I’m gonna pray about it.”

Asked to compare the 17-win streak in December and the playoffs:

“December and May, they don’t go together…at all.”

What does ‘built for the playoffs’ mean to you:

“Built for the playoffs means you have to have a little bit of everything. You have to have shooting, defense…all that different stuff.”

Whether it’s difficult or not to watch the rest of the playoffs:

“Yeah. No question…and I watch ESPN, SportsCenter all day…everyday, but not now.”

On liking LA, West Coast guy now? Part of the equation for you, family?

“Did I like it, yeah I liked. I loved it out here – Of course, if everybody hated it…you know what I mean? My family is very easy going, what’s not to like. It’s far away from home, but fortunately I’ve been blessed to be in a situation where my parents, my wife’s parents and my family we always got people in town.”

Paul talks about taking his time to decide on his future in what will be his first true all-out free agency frenzy. A Clippers return on a 5-year max contract worth $107 million appears the probable route.

However, since CP3 isn’t ready to make an official announcement nor should he prior to the July 1st free agent floodgates, we can take some time to at least consider other options for the NBA’s best point guard – with focus on our Dallas Mavericks.

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Once upon a time Chris Paul was ready to be a Dallas Maverick. Reported early in the 2012-2013 season by CBSSports’ Matt Moore which originally derived from Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Marc Spears’ article titled ‘What stopped Dwight Howard and Chris Paul from playing together as Dallas Mavericks?‘.

Inside you’ll understand that this idea spanned over a couple years and would have involved the cooperation from BOTH Paul and then Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Howard’s indecisiveness deflated the opportunity to join forces at that point.

If I take anything away from their failed execution to partner up, it’s the fact that Paul was ready to work for Mark Cuban and the Mavs organization just last summer. Events didn’t materialize then, but now Paul (and Howard) are on the brink of becoming unrestricted FA a year later.

Dallas or any team with cap space could only offer Paul a 4-year max contract worth about $80 million. On the surface that’s a glaring disadvantage, but in reality with some mathematical breakdown of all known money/tax details involved the numbers aren’t far off.

This with the thought process that Paul or Howard would both try for one last max deal which involves them opting out of a fifth year with their respective Los Angeles squad. At that point Paul will be 32 years-old and Howard 31.

For more in-depth coverage on this check out the material from Mike Fisher and David Lord at DallasBasketball.com or this article (Dollar Differences) by Tim MacMahon on ESPN Dallas.

A section in Moore’s report on CBSSports from November 2012 intrigues as it relates to the current situation:

 - Dallas continues to be the “almost but not quite” destination for superstars, and it leaves them both in the running for Paul and Howard in 2013 should their stints with their respective teams go catastrophically wrong, and still huge underdogs despite being really the only other team on the board.

Catastrophically wrong? Both Paul and Howard were ejected in their final games of the season. Howard used ‘nightmare’ to describe his lone year as a Laker, while CP3 was clearly not satisfied playing only six more games than non-playoff teams.

In other words, neither concluded their seasons with a fairy tale ending.

Dallas may not have the most attractive roster to alone lure Paul away from his highlight reel big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Mavs have veterans in Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion and Vince Carter, but the Clippers have some too in Caron Butler, Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups.

The Mavs do have positives in their favor.

Mark Cuban – Owner with unmatched passion for his team, savvy and involved.

Donnie Nelson – GM that’s advantageous, bold and beyond diligent in his work to always make the Mavs better.

Rick Carlisle – An upper-echelon coach in the league today. Respect. Relentless to get the most of his players.

Dirk Nowitzki – He’s going to be 35, we know, but let’s get that out of the way. Dirk’s work ethic combined with his unique style of play should grant him three or four more solid years in his legendary career, a couple still at an elite level. Dirk isn’t Blake, but more importantly Blake isn’t Dirk. 41 is an accomplished player, future first ballot Hall of Famer and NBA champion – a winner.

It’s not fair to say Paul has the best shot at winning a title with Dirk and the Mavs, because a player of CP3′s caliber could go to most teams and morph them into title contenders.

The point here is more about visualizing his short-list options IF he surprised people and decided to move on from the Clippers. On that list you probably have Dallas, Atlanta and Houston.

Each has its reasons to attract Paul. I already went over Dallas, but what about the Hawks and Rockets?

With the Houston Rockets, you envision CP3 merging into an already rich environment of untapped youth potential and a superstar in the making – James Harden. Chandler Parsons elevated his game this season which would provide Paul with two sweet treats on the wing. Houston has always wanted Dwight Howard and may be able to entertain the idea of Paul and Howard finally joining forces as Rockets.

Atlanta owns plenty cap space to sign both Paul and Howard, similar to the Rockets. They have their own star free agent in Josh Smith who isn’t sure about his future either. The Hawks would LOVE to sign Chris Paul, the point guard they passed on in 2005, drafting Marvin Williams instead. Paul running the show with Al Horford, a re-signed Josh Smith and other solid free agents has appeal.

It all comes back to the Mavs and playing alongside Dirk though. Chris knows something when it comes to German father-to-be…

He is a problem, Chris. Now imagine Paul and Dirk working pick and roll/pop. Dirk and Terry had formed themselves into quite the impressive two-man game, but it would not compare to the deadly duo of 3 and 41.

One thing you see in Chris Paul – he’s hungry. Paul wants to win more than anything and at 28 the time in now. It’s safe to say that realistically looking at the options available to him, Paul cannot join a better superstar than Dirk in this moment.

James Harden exploded this season and is on the verge of superstar status, but Dirk is still the better option and fit. Dwight Howard and Paul would be fun to watch and it could happen, in what city though? Not LA. After those two, no one is close to Dirk’s level.

All in all, we must continue to wait this process out until the new season officially begins on the first of July. We already know Mark, Donnie and staff are in the battle room devising multiple plans and scenarios, prepping for what they would like to be the best summer in Mavericks history (2011 was pretty good, Champs!).

It starts with Chris Paul.

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Feel free to comment with your thoughts and questions!

Follow and contact me on Twitter @thedfactor and @TheMavsFanatic

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Mavs Game Night: Mavericks at Lakers in Late Night Showdown

by Damian Jackson on April 2, 2013 in Mavs 09 comments

The Dallas Mavericks are in Los Angeles to face the Lakers, the start of a four-game road trip. It’s a battle of two teams involved in a playoff-chasing triangle along with the Utah Jazz.

Utah leads the trio and currently owns the Western Conference’s 8th and final playoff spot. This will be the fourth and final season meeting between the Mavs and Lakers, the Mavs looking to even the series 2-2.

Dirk Nowitzki’s go ahead three led the Mavs to a Saturday afternoon victory. Nowitzki put on a shooting exhibit going 14-for-17 with 35 points. Brandan Wright had a big game with 17 points and 13 boards.

The Mavs survived a fourth quarter Nate Robinson explosion (25 points; 7-for-7 3PT) and 50 combined points from Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng.

Later that evening the Lakers edged the Sacramento Kings 103-98 on the road. Kobe Bryant moved up to 4th on the all-time scoring list, passing Wilt Chamberlain. Dwight Howard led the Lakers with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Already without Metta World Peace (knee) Steve Nash exited the Kings game and would not return. Nash (hamstring/hip) is OUT for tonight’s game.

Pau Gasol has averaged 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in five games since his return from plantar fasciitis.

This game decides the fate of the Mavericks. That’s my take. A loss would set the Mavs at a major disadvantage to both the Lakers and Jazz – forced to win outright over both. The Jazz already own the tiebreaker over Dallas and a loss to LA tonight would give it to the Lakers.

Dallas’ level of play has improved dramatically of late and much has to do with Dirk’s dominance.

Mavs will once again need Dirk to be special.

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Playoff Picture Update:

MAVERICKS - 10th seed in West; 2 GB of the Utah Jazz (8th) and 1.5 GB of Los Angeles Lakers (9th) for final playoff spot.

LAKERS - 9th seed in West; 0.5 GB of the Utah Jazz (8th) and 1.5 games ahead of 10th seeded Dallas Mavericks.

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Mavericks at Lakers tip at 9:30 p.m. CT and airs on TNT.

Let’s Go Mavs!

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Mavericks Spoil New Look Lakers Debut

by Ryan Wilson on October 31, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

Steve Nash. Dwight Howard. Pau Gasol. Kobe “Bean” Bryant.

Darren Collison. Shawn Marion. O.J. Mayo. Elton Brand.

That’s how last night looked on paper.

Things didn’t play out that way when the final whistle blew. The Dallas Mavericks put forward a gritty effort, as they dominated the Lakers for the last 3 quarters, and went on to beat Los Angeles 99-91.

“I told you we’re a scrappy little team,” Marion said. “It’s going to be like that all year.”

The Mavericks entered last nights game without Chris Kaman, and Dirk Nowitzki. The Lakers had everyone. Nobody gave Dallas the time of day. Even some of our Dallas Mavericks writers have waived the white flag.

“Your Dallas Mavericks, among the NBA’s best franchises since owner Mark Cuban bought them, are headed to the lottery for the first time in forever.” – Jean Jacques Taylor (ESPN Dallas)

The problem with all these naysayers is that you can’t judge a team that has 9 new players on it before they even hit the court for their first game of the year. I will also be quick to add that you can’t judge a team based off one performance. This is important to reiterate to all of MavsNation. It was a huge win. Did we catch the Lakers at their best? Probably not.

“It’s growing pains, and it’s a struggle,” Nash said. “We’re out of sync, and we’re going to probably have some more moments in games like that.”

The key to last night’s win, and a sight for sore eyes was the play of Darren Collison. How nice it is to see a point guard with speed, and one that can offer some scoring as well. Everytime the Mavs got possession of the ball, they were looking to push. These guys are FAST. Ricky Bobby Fast. Collison outplayed the future HOF Steve Nash putting up 17 points to go along with 4 assists.  The veteran and much older Lakers looked a bit slow as the younger and faster Mavericks had their way in the 2nd half. The bench of the Mavericks outscored the Lakers bench 37-17. Vince Carter and Roddy B poured in 11 points, while Jae “The Beast” Crowder was impressive early and finished with 8 points.

If you took away anything from this game it’s this. Rick Carlisle gets everything he can from each and every player on the roster. The Mavericks are also very deep. On paper, you overlook it. However, they have the ability to wear you down.

“We got a locker room full of guys who can play, man. And we know that.” – O.J. Mayo

The Mavericks will now head to Salt Lake City to play their 2nd game in as many nights. Taking a back to back to start the season is far more than everyone expected.

Maybe these new look Mavs can stay the course while the German prepares to return. Once again, it’s important to not underestimate Mark Cuban and Rick Carlisle’s Mavericks.

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Mavericks Blueprint Changing?

by Ryan Wilson on August 24, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

The long-range plan is to keep the powder dry and wait out a superstar. It’s why when Deron Williams chose Brooklyn over Dallas, Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson didn’t get in a bidding war for a player such as Goran Dragic but rather targeted players either on the last year of their current deals or who were open to a one-year contract.

Check out the current roster. Of the five players acquired this summer — excluding the three rookies that give Dallas eight new faces on the 15-man roster — all are on one-year deals. O.J. Mayo‘s reduced-rate contract is technically for two years, but the second year is a player option that he will almost certainly exercise.

One-year deals allow the Mavs to easily create cap space for next summer to chase marquee free agents. But with the 2013 “big fish” free agency class threatening to be a dud with Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum and Chris Paul all with good reason to stay put, could the Mavs’ philosophy be moving away from the rent-a-player approach of these last two offseasons?

After all, how do you sell player jerseys of guys that won’t be around but eight or nine months?

“I’m not a big believer in rent-a-players, not in your top seven or eight guys anyways,” Cuban said during his Tuesday appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s Ben & Skin Show. “I want these guys to stay and develop because they can be a great, young nucleus. The devil you know is always better than the devil you don’t know in basketball, particularly when you have an infrastructure that hopefully can continue to develop these guys. That’s the goal and we still have flexibility then to do sign-and-trades, potentially sign a free agent; just see where it takes us.”

Cuban’s great, young nucleus comment is in reference to 24-year-old guards Darren Collison, penciled-in to start at point guard, and Mayo, who will start at shooting guard. Collison will be a restricted free agent next summer and can entertain offers from other teams with the Mavs being able to match. Mayo, with a strong year, could get the payday he hoped for this summer. Chris Kaman and Elton Brand will be seeking to play their way to multiyear deals as well, either with Dallas or somewhere else.

The Mavs might be the team to give it to one or all of them, but likely only after they are convinced that none of the superstar free agents will be available to any team but their current one, which can offer one more year and millions more than other teams. And they’ll also keep an eye on the bottom line for the summer of 2014, when the Mavs will have no players under contract and could chase multiple potential free agents such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony.

“The blueprint is to say, like a Jet (Jason Terry) scenario, or even Josh Howard’s first year, Marquis’ (Daniels) first year, where it’s not apples to apples, it’s like wow; we want these guys to develop into a D.C. and O.J. tandem that can be a foundation for years to come and we keep them together and we improve and we grow with them and have the ability to continue to add players,” Cuban said. “So the optimum scenario is everybody plays great.”

And then perhaps instead of gutting the club to chase a Dwight Howard, the team-building focus turns to re-signing their own and chasing, say, a Josh Smith and cohesion.

Jeff Caplan

ESPNDallas.com

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Jeff Caplan joined ESPNDallas.com in December 2009. Jeff covers the Mavericks, Rangers and colleges. He has a wealth of experience in the area, covering multiple beats in his 11-plus years with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

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We Need The CBA To Save Us, Not Superman

by Ryan Wilson on August 10, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

For a brief moment, during the Olympics and while looking into the eyes of the USA basketball team; I caught a glimpse of something special.  I saw those millionaire superstars putting money and contracts aside and playing hard for a cause.  Playing for their country and representing our brand of basketball against the world.  Then last night we learned about this  Dwight Howard trade and my love for the NBA took a hit.  I was quickly brought back to the reality of today’s game.  These superstars, with exception of a few (Mostly Texas based) always get what they want.  They want flashy lights, endorsement deals, and easy wins.  Respect for their country is one thing, but respect for the city they once represented is another.  They could care less.  They don’t care that they’re leaving cities with young fans that live and breathe with their team.  They could care less that a cities economy can depend on that team at times. These players don’t care about parity or the repercussions of their moves when going to big markets.  Today’s NBA superstars are full of pride but only for themselves, nothing external.  It’s a bad lesson taught to today’s youth, and it’s terrible for the game.

I once wrote a blog after hearing an ESPN personality predict the OKC Thunder and Miami Heat Finals series in the middle of last year’s NBA season.  I couldn’t believe the nerve of this guy for predicting the series based on “Star Power” alone.  The saddest part is that he was right.  In that blog I tried to stick up for other teams in the league, believing that they had a chance, i.e. Mavericks, Pacers, and Bulls.  I was wrong.  As if I were consoling a friend that was going through some hard times by telling him to think positive and that it’s not a certainty that the bad thing you think will happen, will happen.  That bad thing happened.  Hope was lost.

But the great thing about sports is that THERE’S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR!  Right?

Another NBA offseason has come, and another joke of an NBA transaction has transpired.  Not only did the Lakers acquire Dwight Howard, but they also kept Pau Gasol and gained Chris Duhon and Earl Clark.  They shed a player in Andrew Bynum that they weren’t fond of anyways as he was sent to the 76ers and also lost Josh McRoberts.  What’s that?  You’ve never heard of McRoberts?  Neither have a majority of Laker fans.  And in a weird twist, the Lamar Odom move last season ended up opening a door for Steve Nash.  The Lakers got what they wanted……again.

Everyone keeps telling me that it’s no big deal because Howard hasn’t agreed to resign in LA in the offseason of 2013.  Don’t believe that.  It’s obvious that the guy loves attention and loves getting what he wants.  Plus he’s been in LA all summer long; mucking it up with the locals.  He’s been seen at Dodger games, getting ice cream at Sprinkles, and walking around Beverly Hills.  Oh yea, it just seems soooo terrible in LA.  Why on earth would he want to resign there?

There’s also the fact that the Lakers have NEVER been without a powerful center on the team.  Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Bynum, now Howard.  So I don’t see the Lakers letting Dwight Howard get away next summer.

Also, what in the WORLD was Orlando thinking?  I know they were concerned about Bynum not resigning in Orlando so the straight up trade didn’t interest them.  But after months of this Dwight drama, I assumed they were holding out for some key pieces.  They ended up with Aaron Afflalo and Al Harrington from Denver.  Decent players but not worth the time and effort put into to the Dwightmare.  It seems that all other teams in the trade got better (Lakers, Nuggets, Sixers) and the team that was holding the biggest piece, the Magic, got worse.

Hands down, without a doubt, the absolute worst part about this whole trade is the fact that the media has started with the predictions.  Just last night, SECONDS after learning of the Dwight trade, the first tweet surfaced.  (Dallas media, Dwaine Price Ft. Worth Star Telegram)

“@DwainPrice: Its official. The #Lakers will beat the #Heat in six games in the 2013 NBA Finals.”

Then another, minutes later……..

“@DwainPrice: With Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace, Kobe is going to pass Michael Jordan and win 7 NBA titles.”

I thought for sure he was being sarcastic.  But after a few twitter exchanges with him I learned that he was dead serious.  That’s great!!  Let’s just not even watch next year or put any other team on the floor.  It’s Game. Set. Match for the NBA finals right?

I’m certain there were other tweets but the tweets above particularly bugged me due to the timing of it.  Nobody knows how healthy Dwight will be.  Nobody knows if Nash’s body will hold up.  Nobody knows how much the pressure will get to the Lakers now that they’re a “shoe in.”  It reminds of that scene in Black Sheep when Chris Farley is falling down that hill and finds a tiny twig to hold on to. “Thank you little Root, please stay strong.”  My root is Howard and Nash’s back and the media pressure.  But most likely, much like Farley, NBA fans will be falling to the bottom wondering, “What the hell was that all about!?”

There’s also this article from Arash Markazi of ESPN LA.  It’s as unbiased as the sky is Yellow.  In the article he’s basically calling out the Heat and is probably working on getting to Kinkos as soon as possible to get the “2013 NBA World Champion” banners made.  These smug LA sports writers so confident that they’ll be in the Finals and so sure it will be against the Heat.  “Uggghhhhh” I say with a fist in the air!!

Moves like this take away the fun of following the game.  It tilts the scale so far to one direction that making a prediction on Lakers/Heat finals is an easy one to make.  It will most likely come to fruition and that’s sports-depressing.  I still feel that the new CBA might find a way to level out the playing field some but not as long as these teams are finding ways to land star players and somehow losing minimal assets.  I also feel that regardless of the pessimism surrounding the Mavs that they have as shot to make a decent run in the playoffs.  And if not, then my only hope at this point is to enjoy watching the Heat and Lakers lose as much as possible.  Come playoff time, I’ll be rooting for any other team to defeat these monsters, even if it means the Spurs.  Yes, it’s come to that.

MFFL

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End To The Madness

by Ryan Wilson on August 10, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

It’s not hard to picture Dwight Howard in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.

For the better part of the past two years, Lakers fans have superimposed a Lakers jersey on every imaginable image of Howard. Type Howard’s name into Google, and you’d think he has played the majority of his career in Los Angeles.

It’s not hard to picture Howard living in Los Angeles and enjoying life in Hollywood.

For the better part of this summer, Howard has been spotted around Los Angeles by the paparazzi as much as a Kardashian. He’s on the Dodger Stadium video board during the seventh-inning stretch, going for a walk outside his hotel in Beverly Hills and waiting in line with kids for ice cream at Sprinkles. He has been in the city more than any Laker this offseason.

And after Thursday’s news that Howard will be traded to the Lakers as early as Friday, it’s not hard to picture him winning his first championship in Los Angeles.

Yes, that’s right, Miami, there is a new challenger to your throne, and this team has a “Big Four” to trump your “Big Three.”

There will be no pep rallies filled with smoke and pyrotechnics when the deal officially goes down. Los Angeles usually saves such bells and whistles for championships, but such a celebration in June is certainly what the Lakers have in mind now with Howard and Steve Nash.

And there will be no proclamations of winning “not six, not seven, not eight” titles, but you have to believe that is what Kobe Bryant is thinking now as he sits next to LeBron James in London and counts his number of championship rings.

The window was supposed to be closed — or at least closing — on the Lakers’ pursuit of a championship after this past season, and the new collective bargaining agreement was supposed to have locked that window shut for the foreseeable future.

This offseason, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss took a sledgehammer to that window, and now it’s wide open. In the process, they might have also made the Lakers the favorites to win the NBA title yet again.

After the disappointment of “basketball reasons” robbing them of Chris Paul, the Lakers somehow got Nash for a package of draft picks and the trade exception they received from the Lamar Odom deal with Dallas. Then they finally found the right mix of teams and players to get Howard from Orlando for Andrew Bynum and a protected draft pick.

If you’re keeping track at home, that means the Lakers essentially got Howard and Nash for Bynum, Odom and draft picks, and were able to keep Pau Gasol in the process.

The Lakers have had their fair share of favorable trades in their history, but this combination might top them all.

As great as the star power of Howard and Nash is, keeping Gasol as well as Metta World Peace when all is said and done is what makes the Lakers the team to beat going into next season.

If you thought the combination of an enigmatic and inconsistent Bynum and Gasol was hard to beat, try handling a frontcourt of Howard and Gasol with World Peace freed up to focus on being a defensive pest.

And if you thought the Lakers were a potential contender with Derek Fisher or Ramon Sessions at point guard, try stopping them with Nash running the floor and directing the fast break better than anyone in Los Angeles has since Magic Johnson was running “Showtime.”

The Lakers improved at the two positions where Miami is weakest. The Heat listed Joel Anthony as their starting center during the Finals but leaned heavily on Chris Bosh. It was a successful patchwork job that ultimately worked out for them but would be a matchup disaster against the Lakers’ frontcourt.

Miami also rode the hot hand of the much-maligned Mario Chalmers at point guard during the Finals and bypassed getting a more experienced veteran at the position this offseason. The Heat’s basic philosophy is to surround James, Dwyane Wade and Bosh with as many shooters as possible. It’s a solid game plan against most teams that are not rolling out a starting lineup of Nash, Bryant, World Peace, Gasol and Howard.

And for those of you in Oklahoma City, the Lakers are not looking past Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Oklahoma City’s five-game dismantling of the Lakers in the playoffs this season on the heels of their being swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks last year was the wake-up call this team needed to realize it could not continue and contend maintaining the status quo.

When Oklahoma City eliminated the Lakers from the playoffs in May, Bryant smiled when he was asked about the Lakers’ future. Despite a second straight ouster in the second round and adjusting to a new locker room without two of his closest confidants in Odom and Fisher, Bryant wasn’t ready to quietly ride off into the sunset.

“I’m not fading into the shadows,” Bryant said. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere. It’s not like one of those things where the Bulls beat the Pistons and the Pistons disappear forever. I’m not going for that.

“I’m not the most patient of people, and the organization is not extremely patient, either. We want to win and win now. I’m sure we’ll figure it out. We always have, and I’m sure we will again.”

It was an optimistic outlook that came to fruition Thursday, but not even Bryant could have imagined the Lakers would end up with both Howard and Nash while finding a way to keep Gasol. The Lakers have not only figured it out, they have catapulted themselves back atop the NBA.

It might have seemed unimaginable a couple of months ago, but it’s not hard to picture now when you look at the talent on this team.

Arash Markazi

ESPNLosAngeles.com

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• Former columnist and writer after five years with Sports Illustrated
• Markazi has also written for Slam, King, Vibe and Playboy
• On board of directors for Jim Murray Memorial Foundation.

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NBA Releases Schedule: 5 Games To Circle

by Ryan Wilson on July 26, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

Perhaps not since the 2003-04 season when Mark Cuban brought in Antawn Jamison and Antoine Walker have the Dallas Mavericks been a bigger mystery than they are entering the 2012-13 season.

With the roster now appearing to be finalized – barring any trades before the start of training camp in late September — the re-tooled Mavs now know who and when they’ll play as the NBA released the full 82-game regular-season schedule Thursday.

There’s no Christmas Day game and no Martin Luther King Jr. day game. Dirk Nowitzki and his new pals won’t be on national television at the rate that they were a season ago as defending champs. Still, the Mavs will have eight games on TNT — including the opener at the Lakers — seven on ESPN, seven on NBATV, one on ABC and two on ESPN Radio.

None of it means this won’t be one of the more intriguing seasons of Cuban’s ownership. At the moment, just about anything — from being lottery bound to a top-four finish in the Western Conference — seems possible.

We take a look at five games to circle, and why not start with the opener?

No. 1: Mavs at Los Angeles Lakers, Oct. 30
Not only will it be the first real game for a Mavs club that features five new key players around Nowitzki, but it will also be Steve Nash‘s debut with the Lakers. And for that matter, since we’ve already mentioned Jamison, he’ll also be wearing the purple and gold for the first time. The big question as of July 26 is if Andrew Bynum will still be calling the Staples Center home or if Dwight Howard be manning the rim and playing alongside Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Nash?

No. 2: New York Knicks at Mavs, Nov. 21
Coach Rick Carlisle predicted that Jason Kidd would receive a standing ovation when he returns to the American Airlines Center. We won’t have to wait long to find out if he’s right — and he probably is. Two-fifths of the Mavs’ championship starting lineup will suit up for the Knicks as Tyson Chandler makes his second trip back to Dallas since the title. Kidd’s last-minute departure to the Big Apple was stunning, but in retrospect it’s allowed the Mavs to add a bit more shake-n-bake to their backcourt with Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo.

No. 3: Mavs at Boston Celtics, Dec. 12
A trip to the Garden is always special, but now that Jason Terry will be writing ctc on his green and white sneakers, it’s extra special. And don’t think that Terry, who played eight seasons with the Mavs, won’t want to drill about 15 buckets from downtown and send his former team out of town with a loss. Terry never wanted to leave Dallas, but he knew he was no longer in their plans. He’ll try to fill the very large shoes of Ray Allen, who took his talents to South Beach. Terry won’t make his Dallas return until March 22.

No. 4: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Mavs, Jan. 18
It’ll take a few months for the Western Conference champs to make it Dallas, which isn’t a bad thing since the Mavs will need some time to break in the new rotation. Although Dallas is a drastically different team than the past two seasons, consecutive playoff series have elevated the Thunder to the top of the Mavs’ rival list, or at least just notch below the Spurs. This game will show the Mavs how far they’ve come or how far they still have to go.

No. 5: Mavs at Brooklyn Nets, March 1
Who knows if the Nets will have Dwight Howard by this first meeting of the two teams, but this game is all about Deron Williams, who spurned his hometown Mavs to re-sign with the Nets as they move to Brooklyn. In the grand scheme of things, this game will mean little, but the free-agent process was emotional for Williams and the two teams, and that could make this the most intense Mavs-Nets game of all-time. Less than three weeks later, Williams will make his return to Dallas. He won’t be staying.

Jeff Caplan

ESPNDallas.com

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Jeff Caplan joined ESPNDallas.com in December 2009. Jeff covers the Mavericks, Rangers and colleges. He has a wealth of experience in the area, covering multiple beats in his 11-plus years with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

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Cuban Has Mavs Set Up For Future Run

by Ryan Wilson on July 26, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

Hours before the Dallas Mavericks‘ title defense fizzled in a first-round sweep, a first in Mark Cuban’s dozen seasons, the outspoken and out-of-the-box owner of the dismantled champions chastised sports writers, demanding the know-it-alls digest the new collective bargaining agreement before questioning his suddenly scaled-back spending approach to team building.

For the many fans who didn’t find the enthralling document on the best-sellers shelf at their local bookstore, a perception surfaced that the new fang-bearing CBA, with its harsher luxury tax penalties, scared the billionaire Cuban from re-signing Tyson Chandler this past December and into becoming cheap.

What other explanation could there be for an $88 million payroll — in the top three in the league and $18 million over the luxury tax line — during the championship season and a payroll today that stands to top out at about $61 million, $9 million below the tax line?

In actuality, Cuban doesn’t fear the larger luxury tax hammer the CBA starts swinging in 2013-14 nearly as much as the roster handcuffs it will slap on luxury tax offenders.

This is not about being cheap versus spending extravagantly, as Cuban unabashedly had done throughout his ownership and as the Brooklyn Nets did this summer in an attempt to put a competitive team around prized free agent Deron Williams, who spurned the Mavs and sent them scrambling for contingency plans. This is about differing interpretations as to how to best build a team under the new rules.

The Nets and Mavs have emerged as a fascinating case study in opposing approaches to the new CBA that will play out over the next three to five years.

Brooklyn, boasting a payroll approaching $82 million next season with five projected starters each earning at least $10 million and a slew of long-term deals, is locked into restrictive luxury tax territory through 2015-16. The newly fiscally self-restrained Mavs, with only Dirk Nowitzki ($20.9 million) scheduled to make more than $8.5 million next season and no one locked up beyond 2013-14, are flush with cap space for the foreseeable future.

“The money is secondary to the team-building strategy,” Cuban said. “Once you get above the tax apron [the $70.307 million luxury tax plus $4 million], there are limitations in player movement that I think have a big impact on how to build a team.”

If the Nets manage to land Dwight Howard in a midseason trade, their high-dollar offseason maneuverings — signing Gerald Wallace to a $40 million contract and trading for Joe Johnson‘s enormous contract, which ultimately enticed Williams to stay — will give Brooklyn a roster it can love long term and a luxury tax bill that Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov will pay as if checking his luggage on a flight home to Moscow.

But if Brooklyn doesn’t acquire Howard and the Nets aren’t contending in two or three years, they will be locked into the current roster, limited to making only minor adjustments. It’s why Cuban ultimately decided that sacrificing a true title defense in favor of trimming the payroll and creating future cap space was a wiser bet than backing the franchise into a corner with an aging, potentially unmovable roster.

Two key CBA restrictions are at the center of Cuban’s 180-degree philosophical change.

In the past, he would pursue trades and take back bloated salary that added to his luxury tax bill. He was happy to pay the phasing-out dollar-for-dollar luxury tax in the name of acquiring the player or players he wanted in order to keep his teams consistently competitive. It’s a strategy Cuban believes is no longer sustainable under the new rules.

It has little to do with the coming luxury tax that grows larger for every $5 million spent over the cap and a one-time crushing hit for taxpayers in any four out of five seasons.

Starting next summer, and more pertinent to Cuban, teams above the tax apron can no longer receive a player in a sign-and-trade. If the rule had been in place this summer, the Lakers would not have been able to deal for Steve Nash. Next summer, the Lakers and Nets will be prohibited from making sign-and-trade proposals for Dwight Howard, if he has yet to be dealt, or any other player. They also won’t have the cap space to sign Howard outright as a free agent.

The Mavs, one of three teams along with the Nets and Lakers on Howard’s original trade list, will weigh heavily in both potential discussions.

“It will be interesting to see what happens next summer,” Cuban said, “when we hear lots of talk about teams not being eligible to receive free agents in sign-and-trades due to being over the tax apron.”

Teams over the luxury tax apron also will not have access to the full midlevel exception of $5 million, instead relegated to the taxpayer exception of $3 million, a significant blow when trying to sign a quality veteran player.

Cuban’s strategy is obviously not without risk, as the all-or-nothing pursuit of Williams proved. The Mavs then lost Jason Terry and Jason Kidd to free agency, and Cuban and company were getting ripped for a grand offseason failure that threatened to plunk them in the lottery.

They responded with a show of resourcefulness in acquiring five interesting players, and all at low cost and with short-term contracts. The moves might not make the Mavs bona fide contenders, but they should be entertaining and make the playoffs. And, unlike the Nets, Knicks and Lakers, they will be flush with cap space to either sign a max-contract free agent next summer or potentially nab one at some point from a team that wants out from under a weighty contract.

That’s the plan, anyway. Of course, Howard might not reach free agency next summer. The same goes for Chris Paul and Andrew Bynum. The Mavs’ strategy won’t change. They’ll remain patient and seek creative trades for players on expiring deals (such as Darren Collison) and players who slip through the cracks (such as O.J. Mayo), and sign them to reasonable, short-term deals.

At some point, the Mavs believe, their ability to absorb contracts with cap space will facilitate a major trade, or being a rare big-market team with cap space will ultimately land a big fish in free agency.

If either occurs, be sure that Cuban won’t be afraid to cross the luxury tax line on a year-to-year basis to build a contender around a superstar with an eye on only the four-in-five chronic taxpayer crackdown.

“I expect to go into the luxury tax in the future,” Cuban said, although declining to specify the obvious scenario in which he would. “I’m not going to lay down my cards in public.”

Jeff Caplan

ESPNDallas.com

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Jeff Caplan joined ESPNDallas.com in December 2009. Jeff covers the Mavericks, Rangers and colleges. He has a wealth of experience in the area, covering multiple beats in his 11-plus years with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

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Dwight Howard Says He Prefers ONE

by Ryan Wilson on July 2, 2012 in Mavs 09 comments

Adrian Wojnarowski

Author

Adrian Wojnarowski is the NBA columnist for Yahoo! Sports. His book “The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball’s Most Improbable Dynasty”; was a New York Times best-seller. He is a 1991 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, where he considers Butler Gymnasium’s rims to be the most giving in the game.

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