I would like to know how trading Stackhouse to NJ is any different than trading Gary Payton to Atlanta. Critics blasted Danny Ainge for doing this yet no one is complaining about the Mavericks. I don’t see one bit of difference.

Nice job Steve.
You have to give to get.
NJ and Dallas both have given, both have gotten.
Here’s hoping it’s a horrible failure for both franchises.
Can’t stand either team.
Dallas because of the annoying Mark Cuban.
NJ becuase, well, they’re in NJ…the armpit of the country.
I’ll actually, probably, like the Nets if and when they ever move to Brooklyn.

Big Ticket,

I’m not sure whether or not the point guard switch improves the Mavs enough at that position to turn them into contenders, but I would hasten to maintain that for at least this season and next in my estimation (and perhaps another after that, although that stretches it), Kidd gives the Mavs a quantum leap forward over Harris at the point. He is a far superior passer, and his ability to make everyone around him better isn’t replicated by many in the league. Though his defense has slipped, he is still a capable defender, and he is a great rebounding guard (8 per game). I really believe that this guy would add a completely new dimension to the Dallas offense, although there are plenty of voices out there (John Hollinger in particular comes to mind) that see it your way.

So far as the long-term future is concerned, there’s no question your right: the age tells the story there. But I’ll still take Kidd for now. The issue comes back to whether or not this makes the Mavs a title team (I’m not sure, but they certainly are no cinch) and how much they are giving up in addition to Harris. Diop alone makes it too much in my eyes.

-sw

BleedinGreen417,

I’m not entirely sure what you mean. On what grounds was Ainge blasted for bringing GP back right after reacquiring Antoine? If I recall correctly, I believe the rule allowing Ainge to do what he did was blasted, but Ainge was credited for his ability to acquire the player he wanted (Toine) while not having to give up his point guard for more than a few hours. As you may know, the rule has since been changed, thus forcing Dallas to wait 30 days before they can re-sign Stack if he is bought out by Jersey (though he is free to go anywhere else in the league in the interim). Why should Dallas be criticized for this?

-sw

mcpu40,

Thanks as always for writing in. No arguments from me here. I’m not as anti-Cuban as most, but I have no particular affinity for the Mavs. Meanwhile, it’ll be nice to have J-Kidd out of the division, and I can’t stand any team whose focal player has become Vince Carter. I’m with ya.

-sw

Who,

As I wrote to Big Ticket, I think the Kidd acquisition helps more than some are giving it credit for, but I understand your concern regarding the quickness, especially against guards such as Parker, Nash, CP3 and D-Will. I’ll maintain that the interior defense really becomes the crucial issue here though.

-sw

Joe,

Wholly agreed. While he may be a pariah now in Dallas, I cant help but wonder whether or not Dallas will be saying “Thanks, Dev!” (if the deal never gets done) or “Why didn’t we take our mulligan to think this over again when he gave it to us?” (if it does) come springtime.

Always good to hear from you.

-sw

P.S. For anyone interested in coverage of this deal from the Mavs’ side of things, check out Joe’s work over at Showboating (http://mvn.com/nba-mavericks), Most Valuable Network’s Mavs page. It’s quality stuff.

Jon,

Much thanks for the kind words. Glad to see we agree on this issue — for the most part.

I’m with you on everything except for your insistence that Diop sucks as an individual player. 11.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per 40 should be standard for a 7 footer."

Ultimately, I’m really not sure what that means. Because he is primarily a defensive specialist, he sucks? No, Diop isn’t a scorer. He is even somewhat valuable on the offensive end thanks to his offensive rebounding and his good hard screening. Further, regarding the rebounding and shot-blocking stats, perhaps those numbers should be standard for 7-footers, but the fact is that this isn’t necessarily the case. Diop sits at 18th in the league in boards per 40 minutes and 11th in blocks per 40. Not mind blowing by any means, but I can’t see how those numbers are grounds to say “he sucks” either.

But perhaps I’m just not understanding you on what it means for a player to “suck as an individual player.” My manner of evaluating an individual player is by considering what he contributes to his team. Yes, individual numbers often help to indicate that, but in Diop’s case, what he brings to the overall defense means quite a bit to his team. There are a lot of individual players in this league who bring assets to their teams that don’t show up in the box score. In my book, that doesn’t mean they suck.

Thanks for taking the time to write in; always good to hear from you.

-sw

Jon76MVN said:
Offensive rebounding is overrated anyway because it requires a missed shot. Setting screens – perhaps. I’ll give you that one.

Jon,

I’m having a hard time believing you actually said that, and I’m really not sure what to say. Sure, if a team hits every shot it takes, then offensive rebounding becomes obsolete. But here’s the catch: There isn’t a team in the history of the game that has shot 100 percent from the field. In fact, most basketball teams don’t even hit half of their shots. This season, no NBA team is making 50 percent of its field-goal attempts. Because these players are human, that’s the reality of it. They are going to miss. However, taking more shots is more conducive to scoring more points, because you can’t score without shooting. As such, rebounding those missed shots and allowing one’s team to have second and third chances on a particular possession is an invaluable skill.

I’m really not even sure how else to address that point. That’s an insult to the lunch-pail guys of this league if I’ve ever seen one. That said, there is always a chance that I’m misconstruing what’s being said here, and as such, I would be curious to hear you expound upon this point.

-sw