04/19/24
August 18, 2004
Will the Mavs finally salvage something from this off-season trading frenzy?: The latest rumors have Laettner, Eddie Najera, some draft picks, and money going to Golden State for Erick Dampier, Evan Eschmeyer and Dan Dickau. Due to restrictions on trading recently acquired players, this trade can't be official until Mid-September. I like the trade for the Mavs, but not getting Dampier here until the season is about to start leaves me a bit concerned.
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 12:12 PM - 8 comments
Would that be because Dampier comes with a big warning label: 'Do not open until last year of contract'? There is that and the question of who, other than perhaps Howard and Daniels, is going to play defense on this squad? If Dampier plays like he did last season, great. But even if he does you are still starting from scratch chemistry wise. You have effectively lost the leader of your team (Nash), and your best hustle guy (Najera). How do you replace that? With Dampier and Stackhouse? I don't think so. Dallas is a work in progress, though I still think they're a playoff team. By the bye, keep your eyes on Dickau, when he got minutes with Portland last season he looked like he could stay in the league. He won't make up for the loss of Nash, but he could be a diamond in the rough.
posted by lilnemo at 03:05 PM on August 18, 2004
Well, it's kind of like with Walker coming in so late in the preseason last year. The Mavs kind of stumbled out of the gates and didn't quite have the teamwork thing down yet. The West is going to be tough this year, and Mavs need to come out prepared. I don't have enough faith in Nellie to do that very quickly. I remember Dickau from a couple of games last year, nemo. I was pleasently surprised at his skills. And I have no misconceptions about the Spurs/Wolves being the teams to beat in the west. If Brent Barry comes out blazing, the Spurs are going to be tough for anyone but Detroit to beat. That said, I've got a ten game ticket package and would rather see some more exciting games, and I do think the Mavs with Dampier are better than the Mavs with Najera/Laettner. I expect Eschmeyer will be dropped.
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:31 PM on August 18, 2004
this trade can't be official until Mid-September Change my nickname to Mr. Picky but the papers here this morning said the soonest is next Tuesday because 60 days must elapse between Laettner's last trade and his next one. And the papers here also said it wasn't a terrible deal for the Wounds because of the cap impact next Summer. Not to mention that Dampier didn't want to play here and that Eschmeyer is a $10M waste of bench space.
posted by billsaysthis at 06:08 PM on August 18, 2004
The Sept. thing isn't a Laettner thing. It's a Dickau thing. If Dickau's not part of the trade, then they can execute it next week. And yes, Eschmeyer's return isn't sending little bumps of joy up and down my spine.
posted by Ufez Jones at 06:20 PM on August 18, 2004
Don't be hatin'.
posted by yerfatma at 08:37 PM on August 18, 2004
You have effectively lost the leader of your team (Nash), and your best hustle guy (Najera). Best hustle guy? That's pretty slim praise. Was he also their best set shot? I think the Mavs have already blown up their chemistry, so I don't think this deal could possibly hurt the team in that regard. I like the idea of a talented big man in the middle.
posted by rcade at 11:26 PM on August 18, 2004
Okay, just read in this AM's paper that the deal can include Dickau and be executed next week via a loophole that would involve trading Dickau straight up for one of the draft picks and then doing the rest separately. Crazy league rules...
posted by Ufez Jones at 08:43 AM on August 19, 2004
Would that be because Dampier comes with a big warning label: 'Do not open until last year of contract'? And it's not not just 'some draft picks' - 2 future firsts. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that the T-Wolves and Spurs are the teams to beat.