Monday, July 9, 2007

The definition of insanity

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. By this definition the Dallas Mavericks are insane.

When we last saw the little Mavericks, the completing a waste of a 67 win season being run out of the gym by the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors got to every loose ball and rebound, ran the Mavs ragged with their dribble penetration, and hit every single shoot they threw up there, while the Mavs looked old and slow. But the Warriors juggernaut lasted one round and they were booted out by the Utah Jazz. So the Mavs lost to the team that lost to the team that won the Championship. A complete and total waste of a season.

Unfortunately, it looks like we are going to get the exact same team next year. First, in the draft, the Mavs who admittedly had little to work with in only #34, #50, and #60 picks in the draft, picked another slow white guy. They have been trying to get this exact player for decades! Change regimes and leadership and they pick slow white guys. Nick Fazekas carries on the long and glorious tradition of Uwe Blab, Bill Winnington, Cherokee Parks, Loren Meyer, Shawn Bradley, and Keith Van Horn. Every thing I've read about him is that he is slow. Chad Ford of ESPN said he's Dirk without the ATHLETICISM. Oh, he'll fit right in on the matador defense of this team.

After flirting with possibly trading for Kevin Garnett (a pipe dream that I'll get to in a minute), do they make big splash in the free agent market? No, they resign Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George. I don't mind the Stackhouse move so much as he seems to bring something that they lack, but to just bring back the exact same team from last year is not a good start.

Finally, I'm really tired of the Mavs getting caught in pipe dreams while seeming to leave realistic thoughts aside. This year it's Kevin Garnett. But are they gonna trade Devin Harris and Josh Howard for him? No and they probably shouldn't. Are the T-wolves gonna take Jason Terry, et al. for him? No and they shouldn't. It's foolish to focus on that expecting Kevin McCale to go back to being an idiot. If it happens fine, but don't leave other possibilities on the table. A couple of years ago they put all the eggs in the Rashard Lewis basket even though they couldn't more than the mid level exception while the Sonics could give him a great deal more money. Predictably, he took the Sonics offer.

If this is the team the Mavs go to war with next year, you're hoping for improvements from Harris, DaSagana Diop, and Maurice Ager. At this point, I think the team is behind San Antonio, Phoenix and maybe Utah. And with Seattle getting Durant and Portland getting Oden, the window is closing for this team. And the sad part about it is that it won't matter what they do during the regular season. The Mavs season doesn't start until April. Hopefully, they'll be ready.

2 comments:

Chris said...

As I said right after the first round loss, I was for trading almost everything, including Dirk, for the rights to Oden.

Since that isn't happening, I'm actually OK with bringing back the team largely as is. I didn't like the Fazekas pick, either (Big Baby would have been nice), and I'm very interested in Wallace being signed away from the Bobcats, but otherwise, there isn't much movement this team can do. Not if you are trying to improve.

Remember, San Antonio didn't retool after 2006, and won this year. I'm not confusing the Mavs with the Spurs, but I don't know how many options the Mavs really had.

PJ said...

It could have been worse. They could have tried to get Lewis and WAY overpay him like the Magic did. I would have liked to see them sign some sort of defensive help however. This team made some great strides in the defensive department, but they still need more of an inside game and I'm not sure who could do that.