Mavs Moves to Success

The Mavs just completed one of the most shocking exits in the history of sport. I'm still not right, but picking the trifecta box and Pretty Boy over the Golden Boy helped pick me up...I really need to start charging for those picks...we're giving away your bookies money here at Sports Bullies! But I still can't fathom basketball in May and June without the beloved Mavs. Now this ship needs to be righted, not blown up. Here are the 3 trades, as well as draft picks and signings, the Mavs should make to become the champions they really are.

First off, the players that won't be going anywhere:

Dirk
There's been a lot of Dirk bashing given his playoff performance, but he's one of the five best players in the association. Period. They got to the finals last year with him as the #1 and won 67 games with Dirk as Kaiser. Dirk goes off every year and focus on improving one part of his game, my guess is this year it is his low post game. Fear not Mavs fans, Dirk will drown his sorrows, get over it and come back as good as new... Man, it's lonely on the bandwagon now, at least I have lots of elbow room.

Harris
He can be maddeningly inconsistent, but that's only because his tremendous potential is so obvious. He's the future at PG, and the future is good. He should have starting point guard duties to himself next year...but more on that later...

Ager
I really thought he made great strides in his game. Sure it took him half the season to figure out that the secret to more playing time isn't jacking up crazy shots every time the ball gets in your hands, but he has all the tools to develop into a really good, dynamic player.

J-Ho
He's got crazy game. He can play D, or make it rain.

Pops
I have an unbridled man crush on Pops. He has all the size, athleticism, skill, and desire to be a player.

Diop
Athletic, good rebounding, defensive minded centers don't grow on trees. Sure he's about as comfortable with the rock in his hands as this kid is talking to girls... but what he does, he does well. Along with Dirk, Harris and Howard, Gana is part of the Mavericks core that can...WILL win multiple championships.

Mbenga
Like I said, athletic, good rebounding, defensive minded centers don't grow on trees. DJ gives Dallas two of them. Plus with Popeye Jones too old to play, the Mavs need to fill their quota of goofy looking centers with giant ears.

Stack**
I note that Stack is a free agent and NEEDS to be brought back. He has heart, can drive to the hole, and is a leader that bring legit toughness to a roster that has a growing problem of being labeled soft. The Mavs must bring him back first and foremost.

Trades

Abdur-Rahim for Buckner,Barea,and George(George can't be traded till the end of the season hence the reason we have Mbenga here as his salary is almost identical.)

This deal would provide the Mavs with one of their biggest needs; a true PF to back up the Big German. Abdur-Rahim is no superstar anymore but he is still a viable option coming off the bench. Injuries have been a problem in the past but last year he played in 80 games, starting 35+ so that is encouraging. He is a 10/5/2 guy that is gritty and can play a little D, especially in the kind of D played here in Dallas. Abdur-Rahim is a tough cover because he can take big men away from the basket and beat them off the dribble, but he also has a low-post game centered around an extremely effective right-hand jump hook. When he plays away from the basket, he shoots a line drive jump shot that's surprisingly effective from mid-range, and unlike most American big men he's deadly from the foul line at 81.5 percent for his career. He fills a HUGE NEED for the Mavs, a guy who can actually play in the paint and actually force people to cover him offensively. The whole point of having a 4 like Dirk who can stretch D's is if you have someone down low that is also a threat, forcing opponents to try and cover way too much ground. As currently constituted, Dallas is just a bunch of perimeter players, SAR would give Dallas it's best low post player since the glory days of Roy Tarpley. For Sac this has to be an appealing deal. They get a young PG with lots of upside in a time when the future of Bibby is uncertain. They also get two veteran defenders, one of whom is a proven champion. They might even throw in a second rounder. Odds on a scale of 1-10 this deal can be done: 9.

Caron Butler, Etan Thomas, and Brendan Haywood for Terry, Damp, and 2008 1st round pick.

A deal that makes the Mavs instant favorites. Butler is a proven scorer and slasher at the 2-guard position, a place of sore need for the Mavs. (The Sports Bullies have nothin but love for Jet Terry, but he's just not a great fit here in Dallas anymore.) He also is big and athletic and can guard the likes of Wade, B-Diddy, ect. Etan Thomas is a former Mav that has about half of Damp's numbers for half the price: makes sense to me. Haywood would be shipped off in a later trade. The big question here is, "would Washington trade Butler?" Although the pick would be a late first rounder, it's a nice start. Brendan Haywood as asked to be traded, it is definitely not out of the realm of possibility that a trade starts with Haywood and turns into something much, much bigger. Also, the idea of teaming Jet and Agent Zero up is intriguing. Terry would instantly replace the scoring that Butler gave the Wiz while also giving them the closest thing to a true starting point guard they'd have on their roster. And while Damp is overpaid and somewhat of a bust, he is no Shawn Bradley. (Quick aside here, I miss Bradley. Yeah I know I sound crazy, but I miss him from a pure comedic standpoint. A guy that is know as both "the Praying Mantis" and "the Stormin' Mormin" has to have a place on this team. Can't he be like height coach or something?) Odds of this deal going through: 6.5.

Ty Lue for Haywood

Pretty straight forward deal here. Mavs need a back-up PG and the Hawks could use a big body. Assuming they address guard issues via the draft, Acie Law IV?, a better than zero chance, then this deal makes sense for both teams. Lue is a decent backup with great quickness that can play some D for the Mavs. This deal would have to wait until after the draft because if Hotlanta got lucky enough to draft Oden, then there's no way they'd want Haywood. As a general rule I'm against trading big for small, but this deal would be trading a luxury for a need which takes priority. Odds of this deal going through: 8.73 (...and 1.27 that they get Oden)

Draft

The Mavs have 3 2nd rounders, which is a good thing in one of the deepest drafts in years. Pick 34 from the portly point guard trade this year, pick 50 from the underrated 2006 draft day Pinnick deal, and our own pick 60.

With the 34th pick the Mavs should take Sophomore phenom Kareem...ur...Brandon Rush from Kansas (I would also trade Johnson for Kareem Rush. Mizzo Pride!) The SG/SF is a 6-6, 202 lb. scoring machine that plays huge in crunch time. He is quick, fearless, and a player in the mold of a Josh Howard mixed with the good parts of Rashard Lewis. I have no idea how he could slip this far in the draft, but this is a phenomenally deep year. Would provide instant help to the Mavs.

With the 50th pick the Mavs should trade down 5 spots and pick up an extra 2nd rounder next year. With the 55th pick, the Mavs need to take Boston College SF Jared Dudley. The kid is a big time prospect that can score and play great D. He fits the Mavs scheme very well. A great fit behind J-Ho and Rush. Scouts think that he's too slow to play the 3 and too small to be a 4, but he's a very, very smart player with polished offensive skills. He would immediately be the Mavs best passer off the block.

With the 60th pick the Mavs should trade up 3 spots with this pick and the extra 2nd ronder acquired in the Dudley deal. With the 57th pick, the Mavs should go with the National Champs PG, Taurean Green. Kid is the real deal; passes well, drives to the hoop, and leads well, as is evident from his college hardware. He may never be an all-star or even a starter, but he would be a terrific glue guy coming off the bench. Everyone have tons of credit and attention to Noah, Harfod and Brewer on those Gators squads, but Taurean made them go.

I would like to note it is tuff to pass on Nick Fazekas but the need for a PF has been addressed. Also Reyshawn Terry is a Stephen Jackson clone from Chapel Hill, minus the thug image. He and Dudley are a coin flip but I think Dudley is more polished. Another name to keep an eye on come draft day is Avis Wyatt from Virginia State. He's a 6'10'' forward with great quickness and ball skills who will need to get stronger and adjust to playing at a MUCH higher level of competition, but dude's got skills.

So the line ups would look something like this:

Starters
PG- Devin Harris
SG- Caron Butler
SF- Josh Howard
PF- Dirk Nowitzki
C- DeSagana Diop

2nd Team
PG- Tyronn Lue
SG- Jerry Stackhouse
SF- Brandon Rush
PF- Shareef Abdur-Rahim
C- Etan Thomas

3rd Team
PG- Taurean Green
SG- Maurice Ager
SF- Jared Dudley
PF- Pops Mensah-Bonsu
C- D.J. Mbenga

Mark it down. Championship. I should really be a GM because this team would win a minimum of 5 straight championships, while the 3rd string guys would be the favs to stop Florida's run of dominance in the NCAA tourney. They are that good.