How to Fix the Mavs - Part I: How We Got Here

HOW WE GOT HERE

Over the last few seasons, this team has gone from 9 minutes away from a 3-0 lead in the Finals to an historic first round playoff upset after winning 67 games in a season to a disinterested early playoff exit last season. As it stands right now, the Mavs are looking square in the eye of the team’s first playoff-less season since 1999-2000. They stand 2-5 in the ridiculously deep Southwest Division of the Western Conference and exhibiting many of the same flaws that have doomed them over the last few years. The franchise needs a major overhaul and this is the time to start doing that.

But before we can discuss the future of the team, we must first look back on the moves of the past to see how this team was constructed. Let’s have a look at the trades, signings, and drafts, both good and bad, that have made this team what it is.

We will begin this little history lesson with the moves made following the 2004-05 season. That season, their first without Steve Nash, the Mavs finished 4th in the West. Avery Johnson took the coaching reigns with 18 games left in the season and the team responded well, finishing the season 16-2. In the playoffs, the Mavs fell behind the Rockets 2-0 before storming back to win the series in 7 games. In round 2, the team struggled against Phoenix and lost the series in 6 games.

THE GOOD

Signing Brandon Bass (Summer, 2007) – I’m still not really sure if the Mavs knew what they were getting in Bass or if they just lucked out. Personally, I always thought Bass had something to offer so I have to believe the Mavs saw some potential there. Still, my gut tells me they signed him to be summer league filler and unearthed a gem. Either way, the signing of Bass to a minimum contract in the summer of 2007 was a great find. Bass has brought incredible energy and toughness to this team, something they seriously lacked beforehand.

Commitment to Young Players (Summer 2006 and 2007) – Prior to the 2006 season, the Mavs gave Josh Howard an extension worth 40 million dollars over 4 years. The following off season, they extended Devin Harris for 5 years and 50 million. As has usually been the case, Mark Cuban made it clear that money was not a concern and that they were making a commitment to their young players. This seems like such a small thing but in truth, there are plenty of owners in the NBA who don’t put the resources into their teams that Cuban does. They don’t even come close to doing what Cuban does. That’s not something that even the most hardened Cuban-hater can underestimate.

And therein lies the problem, doesn’t it? The truth is, GM Donnie Nelson has done almost nothing in the past few years that I would have to unquestionably count as a great move. The big pieces on this team (Dirk, Terry, Howard, Stack, Dampier, etc.) minus Jason Kidd were put in place prior to the 2004-05 season. In that time, for good or for bad, the team has stayed relatively intact. Very little change has taken place in that time and the change that has happened hasn’t been great.

THE QUESTIONABLE

Releasing Michael Finley (Summer 2005) – I put this in the “Questionable” department because I’m not sure where I really fall on this. I am a self-admitted Finley apologist who was ADAMANTLY against this move when it took place. Regardless of his legacy with the team, Finley represented far more than the 16 points and 4 rebounds per game that he averaged in that 2004-05 season. He was a team leader, the best shooter on the squad not named Dirk, and one of the faces of the franchise. More to the point, his release didn’t do anything to bolster the team, it was a simply a move made to save money, something that Cuban had never done before. Whether or not the 16 million dollars saved actually went back into the team or not is in question. In addition, Finley promptly signed with the Spurs and helped them to a championship in 2007.

Trading for Jason Kidd (February 2008) – I think I am one of about 5 people in this world who still counts this move as “Questionable” and not “Terrible.” I admit the results haven’t been pretty. Devin Harris, Gana Diop, and two 1st round picks is a lot to pay for an aging point guard who isn’t fast enough to stay with the other points in the West. I still defend this trade for a couple of reasons. The Mavs DESPARATELY needed an infusion of basketball IQ and Jason Kidd is one of the smartest players in the league. At the time of the trade Kidd was averaging close to a triple double and leading the league in assists, something else the Mavs seriously lacked. And while Devin Harris is a really nice player, never in the history of the NBA has a player’s contribution to a team been over exaggerated after his departure. Harris is inconsistent and a poor shooter who was constantly in foul trouble and showed no signs of growing out of that. In addition, the game that he plays, driving and getting into the lane, combined with his slender frame is very, very likely going to lead to a short career as an effective guard in the league during which he will continually miss 12 to 25 games a season because of injury.

Most importantly, this trade was based upon the fact that then-coach Avery Johnson was never going to trust Devin Harris to run the offense. Spending 10 million dollars a year on a kid that was never going to have much of a chance with the coach is a waste. The thinking was (and it’s clear that Avery professed this when the trade was discussed no matter how much he tries to backtrack on that) that Johnson would be more willing to trust Kidd, who is one of the top 5 point guards in NBA history. Obviously that didn’t happen and Johnson was let go. But I contend that Cuban (not Donnie, mind you, because Donnie hasn’t done anything but talk to the media in four years) did what he thought was best for the franchise with what he had to work with.

With that said, Kidd was destined to struggle here because the Mavs lack the athletes that fly to the bucket like Kidd has had to work with in the past. Kidd and Dirk excelled together but everyone else has had issues ever since the trade. The Kidd-Dirk offensive benefit doesn’t make up for Kidd getting torched on a daily basis by the speed of the Western guards. In hindsight, I believe Cuban wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on this trade. Instead, he would have just allowed the team to take their lumps for the remainder of the season, fire Avery Johnson, and come back with Harris at the point under a new coach who would (presumably) allow him to play the game instead of constantly looking over his shoulder. But how can you think in those terms in mid season? To finish out the season with the intention of just firing the coach at the end of the year rather than trying to make the team better now is a tough pill to swallow that I can’t blame Cuban for fighting against.

Resigning Jason Terry (July 2006) – The Mavs team that made the Finals in 2006 overachieved, plain and simple. They were carried by a determined Dirk to the Finals and then fell flat on their face when Dirk couldn’t carry them any longer. What that team did was amazing and as a fan, I was stoked to be a part of it. But that overachievement led to some poor decisions. The biggest one of all may have been the resigning of Jason Terry. Up until the playoff run, Terry was considered trade bait and a guy who might be too expensive to bring back after the season. But after the Finals run, of which Terry was a big part, how could they allow him to walk away? It would have been a major hit to let Terry move on to the highest bidder no matter how much it cost to keep him.

Look, Terry is what he is. He’s a dynamic shooter. He’s a great guy and a great locker room influence. He makes clutch shots. And he’s capable of playing a couple of positions. But he’s also too small to play the shooting guard spot and lacks the mentality and skill set of a real point guard. When he is asked to run the offense it is a train wreck. His history of taking and making big shots is impressive but I’ve said numerous times that if he’d play well consistently throughout the rest of the game, those big shots wouldn’t be needed. His lack of penetration has been a sore spot for the Mavs since he first came on board. The Mavs were caught in a bad spot in that some owner was going to pay him a contract similar to the one he ended up getting from Dallas (6 years, 57 million dollars). I think everyone involved would admit that 10 million dollars a year for a guy who doesn’t have a position is an overpayment but it was either that or let him walk away for free. I guess the real issue with Terry is not that the Mavs resigned him but that in the time since that resigning, they haven’t traded him to bring in the big 2 guard they’ve so badly needed.

Resigning Jerry Stackhouse (July 2007) – This signing is a lot closer to “Bad” than “Good” in my opinion. The contract (3 years, 21 million, partially guaranteed) isn’t really so bad. The issue has more to do with the fact that Stackhouse had a big bag of nothing to contribute when he was resigned and has since dipped further into said bag of nothing. Here’s what to expect from Stackhouse each year: He’s going to miss between 20 and 30 games a year with a variety of injuries; by the playoffs, he’s going to have next to nothing left to give; his free throw attempts per game, the stat that used to make him so valuable, will continue to decrease; every game he will force up between 4 and 8 terrible shots and give out 3 very bad turnovers; and approximately once out of every 5 games he will come up with a big night and score 15 or 20 points, thereby insuring his place in the rotation for the rest of the season. What Stack brings in terms of intensity and passion is almost always overshadowed by his complete lack of tangible contribution. There is almost nothing sadder in the whole realm of sports than an aging slasher.

Signing Gana Diop (July 2008) – It should be said that I really like Diop. He works hard, he’s a good rebounder and shot blocker, and he’s a valuable part of a good team. With that said, he isn’t worth the value of the full mid level exception, which is the contract he got this off season (5 years, 32 million). 6 million a year for a guy who will average around four points per game is risky, at best. More to the point, this team was going to be seriously lacking in available bodies going into the season because of the number of free agents they had. The MLE badly needed to be used on a couple of quality players to fill out the roster rather than to one single player who isn’t going to make THAT much of a difference. A play could have been made for any of the following players, all of whom could have easily had more impact on this team than Diop: James Posey, Leon Powe, Chris Duhon, Matt Barnes, Kwame Brown, Mickael Pietrus, Dorrell Wright, Ronny Turiaf, and even Ricky Davis. Instead, the MLE was spent on Diop, which is why the current roster is being filled out by JJ Barea, James Singleton, and Devean George.

Signing Eddie Jones (July 2007) – I was behind this move when it was made so I have no room to talk. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Eddie was brought in to shoot and help with ball movement. The investment (2 years, 4 million dollars) was minimal. Unfortunately, Eddie was never able to get on the floor because of injury and ineffectiveness and the Mavs went into the season relying on him to be their starting shooting guard.

THE BAD

Trading for Shawne Williams (Fall 2008) – Shawne Williams is destined to be out of the league in two years and he is currently sitting at the end of the Mavs bench. Donnie Nelson, in all his wisdom, felt it would be a good idea to give up two 2nd round picks for a guy that will never see the floor on a good team. This came just months after Nelson told the media that the reason they didn’t make a move on Draft Night was that 2nd round picks were selling extremely high. Following that logic, isn’t there a slight possibility that those picks will have a high value yet again this year and three years from now when Dallas has basically given these picks to Indiana?

Signing Greg Buckner (July 2006) – This was an overreaction to the BEATING Dwyane Wade put on the Mavs in the 06 Finals. In search of a defensive stopper to go up against the Wades and Kobes of the world, the Mavs quickly handed out a 5 year, 30 million dollar contract to Buckner. Buck is a great guy and a quality complimentary player. But to pay him like a starter is insane. This was destined to backfire.

Resigning JJ Barea (July 2008) – I want to like JJ Barea. Believe me, I do. There’s a place in my heart for a short guy trying to make it in the NBA. But in all honesty, Barea just isn’t a true NBA player. Maybe he’s a backup point guard on a bad team but he’s AT BEST a third stringer who never makes it onto the active roster for a good team. For some reason the Nelson and Cuban are in love with the scrappy little guy and decided it would be a good idea to sign him to a 3 year, 5 million dollar contract. If Barea was the third string point guard, this wouldn’t be such an issue. The real issue is that Nelson has left Barea as the backup point to an aging Jason Kidd, meaning either he’ll have to play significant minutes for the Mavs this year (not a good idea) or Jason Terry will have to play the point for a significant amount of time (also not a good idea).

Resigning Devean George (Summer 2008) – The contract (2 year, 4 million dollars) isn’t the issue. The issue is the message that this resigning sent to both players and fans. George was the guy who blocked the original Jason Kidd trade last February which resulted in the Mavs giving up even more than they had initially intended. For all intents and purposes, he burned his bridges here. But then, because the team was seriously lacking in viable options to fill out the roster, George suddenly became an option again. I don’t care if the guy ends up averaging 20 points per game (though it’s more likely that he’ll score 20 points all season). It’s the principal of the matter that gets to me here. The message was sent that the setback George helped push the franchise into wasn’t as important as filling out the roster. A bad move all around.

Trading Marquis Daniels (Summer 2006) – I was completely okay with trading Daniels. As much athleticism and potential as the guy had, it was pretty clear that he was very likely to never be able to put it together consistently. I was tired of seeing him hustle one game, shrug off the next, and never seem to have a problem with that. With that said, the trade the Mavs pulled off for Quisy was awful. Austin Croshere, in his one year here, was used less than even Daniels was. He never found his way into the rotation and on the occasions that he was allowed to step onto the floor, he almost always disappointed. The team got older and MUCH slower in one fell swoop. Daniels could have been moved for a much more significant player than Croshere. Essentially, the Mavs gave up an asset for nothing.

Drafting Maurice Ager (June 2006) – After the 2006 Finals, it was clear that the Mavs needed a few things: a little more athleticism; a little more toughness; backup point guard help; interior offense (and defense); and someone who could penetrate and get to the basket. When the NBA Draft rolled around a couple of weeks later, the team ended up taking Maurice Ager with the 28th pick in the draft. I really wanted to like Ager and I tried to convince myself to buy into what the Mavs were selling me about him. But the truth is, every scouting report concerning Ager said that he was a streaky shooter who relied on his outside shot too much, shirked away from big pressure shots, and lost focus on defense. Pretty much all of the things the Mavs needed LESS of. Mardy Collins, who would have been a solid backup, was drafted right after Ager and there were several other players who went in the second round that could have really helped the Mavs. The big name here is Paul Millsap, who the Mavs considered at pick 28 but ended up passing on. Millsap is a bit undersized but he’s a big body who rebounds EXTREMELY well and can score with his back to the basket. He ended up going 47th to Utah and has given the Jazz production from Day 1.

Drafting Nick Fazekas (June 2007) – I count this as potentially the worst move the Mavs have made over this period of time. On paper, it wasn’t a bad pick. Fazekas was labeled as a great shooter who also had a knack for pulling down important rebounds. And, in the grand scheme of things, it was only a second round pick, which is always a crapshoot in the NBA. And really, there weren’t many players taken after Fazekas that would have made much of a difference (Glen Davis one pick later would be one that would have helped). But follow my reasoning here.

The Mavs were fresh off one of the best regular seasons in NBA history and one of the worst playoff upsets in NBA history. In the series against Golden State the team was shown to be lacking in athleticism and SERIOUSLY short on gritty, tough minded players. The team didn’t have a first round pick in 2007 but an early second round pick like Fazekas is just as good. What they ended up with was a guy who possessed none of the qualities they needed so badly. Fazekas is slow. He is unathletic. He is pasty white. He is lanky and awkward looking. Whether true or not, one look at him shouts out, “SOFT” to anyone who sees him. In their first attempt to address the issues of the team that had just been embarrassed in front of the entire country, the team drafted Nick Fazekas. Whether anyone else taken after Fazekas would have made a difference or not is beside the point. This pick sent a message to the fans and to the team. The GM was content with the direction of the team and had failed to notice the issues of the team that everyone else in the league was pointing out.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE

Not Using the Mid Level Exception for 2007-08 Season – During the 2007-08 off season, the Mavericks decided to sit on their mid level exception rather than taking the opportunity to potentially fix some of the team’s issues. Steve Blake, Grant Hill, Jason Kapono, Desmond Mason, Joe Smith, and James Posey, all of whom would have helped the team last year, moved to new teams. Travis Outlaw, Andray Blatche, Mickael Pietrus, and Kelenna Azuibuike took qualifying offers to stay with their teams but could have easily ended up in Dallas if the team would have made an offer. More importantly to me is that the team didn’t use this exception later on in the year when it would have benefited them. The signing of Gerald Green is one of the best moves the Mavs have made in a long time. But unfortunately, if he does end up having a great season, he’s likely to either leave in free agency next year or force the Mavs to use their MLE to resign him, thereby eliminating any opportunity to sign other free agents. Green was on the market two weeks before the 2007-08 season closed. He was ineligible to play in the playoffs, but that doesn’t matter. The Mavs could have signed Green to a two year contract and secure partial Larry Bird rights to resign him after this year. Keep this in mind should Green blow up this year.

Not Trading for Allen Iverson (December 2006) – At the time of Iverson’s trade to Denver, it was reported that Dallas could have had him Iverson in exchange for Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse. Apparently Cuban was interested in this move but Avery Johnson shot it down. To me there was no question that, no matter how well the team was playing (and they were playing VERY well), this move had to be made. Iverson would have given the Mavs the unquestioned scorer to compliment Dirk that they so badly needed. In addition, Iverson is one of the toughest players in the league and a guy who gets to the free throw line with incredible consistency.

Not Trading for Kevin Garnett (January 2007) – This lack of a move kills me even more after having watched the Celtics win the NBA Title last year. According to reports, Garnett was offered to the Mavs for Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse. Again, the idea was the team didn’t want to disrupt their winning ways by making a major move. At the time I was on the fence about this trade but eventually came around to the fact that the team HAD to make this move. As Howard has continued to regress, I’ve thought about this potential move more and more. And then watching Garnett lead the Celtics and the way the entire team took on his persona was almost too much to take. A combination of Dirk, Garnett, Harris, Terry, and whoever else would have brought home a championship.

The Loss of the Keith Van Horn Contract (February 2008) – This is the worst “What Could Have Been” potential move in my opinion. Because of the way the NBA salary cap works, Keith Van Horn’s Bird rights were a HUGE HUGE HUGE trade chip. Basically, the Mavs could sign Van Horn to a one year contract for any amount of money they wanted in order to trade for another player with a big contract from a team that was looking to save money. This loop hole doesn’t make any sense to anyone who doesn’t really understand the NBA salary cap. But the ability to potentially use this in a trade could have made a big difference. Because of Devean George blocking the Jason Kidd trade, Cuban had to use this chip in that trade, rather than holding on to it when it could have been a bigger player. I have no idea if Cuban intended to use KVH’s contract at some point or not, or even if the possibility to make a move for a big name player would have come up, but to have it in reserve could have made a big difference to this squad.