A Dirk-less Dallas: Cringe at the Thought

• Richie, thanks for considering me a loyal reader. I admittedly have never been called a "ignoamus" before, but it's definition of "no dictionary results" leads me to believe I do not want to be one. Let's just get this part out of the way first, most people being reasonable think Dirk Nowitzki will be back with the Mavericks next year. (Though I would like to point out what Carlos Boozer did to the Cleveland Cavaliers a few years ago.) In any event, if Brendan Haywood returned to the Mavericks, they could start -- PG Jason Kidd, SG Jason Terry, SF Caron Butler, PF Shawn Marion, and C Brendan Haywood. You seem to have forgotten that Marion has played power forward at various points in his career. In fact, for his career, Marion has been a better rebounder, defender, and shot-blocker than Nowitzki, three things a team should have in its power forward. The Mavs would also have a very deep bench with Roddy Beaubois, Dominique Jones, DeShawn Stevenson, Tim Thomas, and Eddy Najera. They'd be a small team, but that's nothing Mark Cuban couldn't fix with a reasonable deal. Look, I'm not a Dirk-hater. He's the best Maverick ever and probably the best European player ever. But since the Magic-Bird era ended, every championship team has played defense and has been led by a player that could play defense. Dirk is good for 50 wins. He's good for some exciting shooting nights. He's not good for a championship. Every year that Dirk is in Dallas and dominates the ball is another year Dallas will not win a championship. He has the same flaw in his game that prevented Allen Iverson, Chris Webber, and Steve Nash from winning. He does not make his teammates better on either end of the court. You can write more blog entries throwing fits. You can throw me in the 1% club. But what you can't do is win a championship with Dirk. No amount of space wasted on your blog will change that fact. Love the show. Lord willing, I'll have my ears on tomorrow.

• Sizzle must be friends with Blue in the 'Grove. I was wondering when the full-on Dirk bashing would commence. Well played, Sizzle, well played.

• @sean, I see you've read up on the situation Sean, one point about Al Jefferson and Minny, Minny is tired of him and Love together..He's not a "true" center, and they like Love better.

• get a grip yall, the mavs will never win a championship with Dirk as their #1. mark it down, etch it in stone, tattoo it on your eyelids, take it to the damn stock market: The Mavs will NOT win a championship with Dirk as their #1.

• If the Mavs could land Al Jefferson, that could be a very interesting move. Jefferson will give Dirk something he has never had, a center who actually knows what to do with the ball when he gets it in his hands. The problem is why would Minnesota let him go? He is a young, semi-star caliber center and the Mavs have practically no young talent or draft picks to send them.

• Damp's contract is very valuable as trade bait, so the Mavs have assets to make a trade. However, they have no cash which means they can't afford the max contract players. They have been trying for years to sign a good player or two and plug them in but it always results in the same result. Cuban and Donnie have tried and tried but they have ultimately failed to get that superstar player to come play with Dirk. Kidd is well past his prime (we have seen that the last 2 trips to the playoffs), Terry has been a no-show in the playoffs, they aren't going to re-sign Damp (thank God), they may end up losing Haywood in free-agency, and they have no guarantee of being able to land anyone good enough to put them past the Lakers.

• I predict this year will end up much like it does every year. Very little switching of teams, because the players current team can pay them more (extra year), that being said the Mav's do have something attractive to some of the poor sisters of the NBA..Fish calls it the Dustchip, maybe y'all should look it up..(it's an instant expiring contract, the team he's traded to can send us back about 15 million worth of contract/s and receive Damp and maybe RoddyB, and then cut Damp and enjoy a savings of 13 million on their cap figure.) Predictions: Dirk stays, Amare in Miami, BronBron in Chi or just stays in Cle, Dwade resigns, Bosh takes the cash and moves to the Big Apple. We bring somebody like Al Jefferson with the Dustchip (could be Shaq and maybe Antawn), and that's about all we're going to get..except for the our mid-level..you can get somebody like Mike Miller

• Amare is too expensive. He wants a max contract and the Mavs don't have the money. David Lee most likely won't leave New York because he is valuable when bringing in LeBron as trade bait. I agree that lots of players would be better than Marion but the Mavs have to find a team willing to take on Damp's contract and lots of garbage players that the Mavs don't want. I would love to see Dirk stay and the Mavs land a solid player or two, but I don't see it happening. I see another second tier player who helps the Mavs win 50-53 games and flame out in the playoffs again.

• amare*

• amare*

• so what if they play the same position? i'd rather have 2 great pf than a sf and a pf. yes neither of them are centers but it'll be hard for teams to match up kinda like wht the lakers are doing w/ gasol and odom. rudy gay would be a great fit better than marion ever was. and those were just a few names i was putting out there. there is still so many more players Amir? Lee? yes i know amir watns to play for the heat but you never know if wade doesn't resign w/them??

• I agree with Brad... the Mavericks don't always land the biggest fish, but its not from a lack of trying. Cuban is never afraid to pull the trigger on a deal if one comes up. It is no accident Dirk is making a pit stop in NYC today. What will come of it? Probably nothing. Except that Dirk/Donnie/Mark and probably Kidd (still lives there) will have a hand in the proverbial free agent pot.

• Andy Wade and Bosh have said on numerous occasions that they don't want to come here. Bosh at least twice has put out a list of his teams he wants to go to and Dallas wasn't on either list. He and Dirk play the same position, and he wants to play with LeBron. Boozer is a power forward, Rudy Gay and Miller are not enough to get them over the hump and Dirk knows it. I like Boozer but he isn't a center and neither is Dirk. You can't just sign any player, they have to actually fit a need.

• johnson hasn't signed yet you never know and we have lots of player to trade also.

• we can always get boozer,gay, miller, and there are more and more out there. who says wade doesn't want to come here? or bosh? we all thought T.O. hated dallas what happened? we signed him. business is business sean they want rings!

• I have to wonder what Andy #2 is thinking? How exactly are the Mavs going to sign someone? The only way they can get LeBron is in a sign and trade, and the Cavs said they will not do a sign and trade for LeBron. Wade doesn't want to come here, Bosh doesn't want to come here and the Hawks are about to offer Joe Johnson a max contract that the Mavs can't afford because they have no money. The Mavs will be lucky to get Mike Miller or another third tier player. I love Dirk and I love the Mavs, but let's wake up and take off our Mavs-blinders.

• hahaha brett good one andy #1 somethings wrong w/u dude. and andy 2 i agree good point who doesn't want to play for the mavs and cuban?

• Andy what are you talking about dirk is going to be back and we're going to pick up a really good player to help him out or maybe 2 players that will help us win a chamionshit next year! after all that's what everyone wants. EVERY play wants a ring at the very least one and they know Dallas is really really close. So why not come play for hte mavs???

• andy = mavs fan fail

• If you truly love Dirk, set him free he will never win here. Dirk deserves a ring. Go to Miami and do it right with DWade.

• I suspect a smokescreen coming from Donnie/Dirk/Kidd. They are in NYC for a reason, and let's hope it is a good one.

• This is irrelevant because he is obviously going to re-sign with Dallas. He's not going to fly halfway around the world for nothing.

• Actually, Dirk will be in New York tonight. Donnie will sit down with Dirk and Hoelger tomorrow. JKidd is supposedly having dinner with the big German tonight in NYC. Could be the last supper to borrow a parlance of this blog.

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