The gathering of stars has worked in Miami for one reason, Lebron is the best player on the planet. He can isolate all he wants, he can also distribute for those open jumpers when teams collapse on him. One, I don't know that Howard's game provides anywhere close to that with his low post game, and two, I ain't sure about his kick-out ability. Once again, his strength is his size, much like Shaq. But Shaq had Kobe. That ain't Dirk's game. I want a big man that compliments Dirk, not one that wants to be the core. And yeah, Dirk ain't gonna be forever...
But I don't want to put all my eggs in the future Dwight basket. He's a flake. We've all seen the last couple years. Running Van Gundy outta town and brazenly mocking it at SVG's press conference. The odd opting back in with Orlando after basically saying goodbye. The guy who couldn't handle Kobe and his desire to win. He only got comfortable when Kobe got injured, giving us that silly pep talk from the movie 300. I dunno, seemed really stupid to me. I guess I see a line between being loose and free, and being silly. I want my superstar to want to carry the team at that moment. After Kobe went down, that's when he shoulda demanded the ball and been a force. Instead it was a forgone conclusion. Whereas, Durant went balls out when Westbrook went down. That dude wants it. Not just living a comfortable, rich, celebrity life but also wanting to win. Some people just ain't got that gene.
I've seen and heard a shitload about the Mavs "losing" in their pursuit of Howard. He just didn't choose here, it wasn't for a lack of effort. They didn't lowball him. Hell, for all we know this was decided long ago between Howard and Harden. We've all heard how confident Houston was the entire time. Would it shock you to think Howard just enjoyed the attention while already knowing where he'd end up? And on the flip side, I don't begrudge him for listening to others. Hell, something mighta persuaded him. I seriously doubt the Mavs did anything wrong.
The one complaint that can be made towards the Mavs is how they've constructed their roster to deal with attracting big names to come here. i.e. Should they have kept Chandler, not so much to keep the band together, but as an asset for trades and such? I don't know enough about the CBA to figure that shit out. Chandler is still owed another $28 million for the next 2 years, which would seemingly be what the Mavs would have had to pay to keep him. Lets be clear, we weren't winning it bringing everyone back. So, it comes down to the assets portion.
Well, we ain't got the assets because we put together an older team that gelled perfectly. We weren't developing younger players, because we had a group of veterans determined to win the title. Who doesn't make that trade every time? The Mavs have the 2nd highest winning percentage of the 21st century, behind only the Spurs. And now it's time to pay, but they're still trying to put something together for the Dirk twilight. It's not for lack of effort. Deron took more money, and Howard chose the team with the younger star. That's it. Hell, I bet OKC woulda loved to get Dirk when they decided to get rid of Harden. Anyone wanna get rid of Dirk?
Now lets see what kinda roster they can construct. Step 1 was signing point guard Jose Calderon. Always been a fan of this guy. An unselfish player always amongst the leaders in assist-turnover ratio. He's a dead-eye shooter that led the league in 3 point percentage last year. Twice he's just barely, and I mean barely, missed becoming a member of the 50-40-90 club(50%FG-40%3FG-90%FT). Six guys have done it in NBA history- Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Kevin Durant, and the great Dirk. One time he didn't have enough FT attempts, and another year he finished with a .497 FG%(the club doesn't round up)...One year he shot 98% from the free throw line(I could take a cheap shot at Howard here...I guess I did). I can't wait to see the pick-and-roll game with Dirk. Deadly.
Now we need to get that aforementioned guy in the middle to deter driving opponents, and provide a low post game to compliment Dirk and Calderon's outside one. I think it's basically down to 2 guys, barring any unforeseen trades(which shouldn't be discounted). That would be Nikola Pekovic and Andrew Bynum. My preference would be Pek. 27 years old, 6'11", and a bull. Last year went 16 and 9, shooting 52% from the field. He's restricted, and I don't know if Minnesota has a ceiling on what they would match. I think I'd be cool with 4/48...I actually wished death on Bynum after his cheap, pussy-ass foul on Barea during the Mother's Day Massacre. I still don't like him, but if healthy, he's a great talent. Still just 25, his last year in the league he went for 19 and 12, 56%FG. He's gotta lot of that Howard flakiness, too. Very risky long-term investment because of those knees. If you can get him on 1-2 year make-good deal, all the better. If it takes 3-4, shit I dunno. Lets get Pek.
Obviously, this doesn't complete a roster. I haven't thought enough on how that will shake out, still so much time. Vince, Crowder, and Larkin are likely on the bench. I hope we can retain Wright. I love Trix, but he may become a valuable trade asset. Like I said, I dunno enough about the CBA and whatnot, but if they get Pek and can work in Monta Ellis, I wouldn't be mad. Ellis on his own would be disappointing, but with Dirk, Pek, and Calderon........Oh shit, that defense would suck. Fuck it, I'm still excited....2011 forever, mofos.
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