The NBA has been in full-on arms race mode this summer, starting when Shaq packed his bags for "The Rock N' Roll Capital of the World." And it hasn't just been high-profile starters being snatched off the market by contenders. Teams are also focusing on depth as a way to gain an advantage. The Dallas Mavericks have been particularly active, re-signing Jason Kidd, acquiring Shawn Marion, and making a failed bid for Marcin Gortat. After the Magic surprisingly matched their offer for Gortat, it appeared the Mavericks had accepted fate and were content to head into the season as is.Well, not so much. Saturday night Marc Stein (you may have heard his name once or twice) confirmed details of a one-year deal struck between the Mavericks and free agent forward Drew Gooden, which Gooden also confirmed via Twitter (it's so hot right now).
So what exactly does Gooden provide the Mavericks?
Well, for one, he takes the sting off of losing Brandon Bass. Bass was a low-post scorer for the Mavericks with range, something they sorely needed with the way their roster was constructed. When Bass took off for much richer pastures, the Mavericks needed someone to fill that gap. And Marcin Gortat was a no-go, so the Mavericks turned to Gooden. But unlike the Blazers turning to Andre Miller, this deal isn't necessarily as bad as your typical third-option signing.
Gooden will only be 28 this season and has a heap of experience, so there's no green shades that coach Rick Carlisle will have to beat out of him. He can play multiple positions, which is good given the high flexibility inherent in the Mavericks lineup. Gooden can score, defend, and put in meaningful minutes, but also was only a one-year, $5 million deal total (counting incentives) according to Stein. Compare that to the $16 million Bass got, and the Mavericks are able to compete for a title now while avoiding any long-term hindrances to a potential rebuilding effort a few years down the line (when a certain German retires).
The Mavericks may not have broken the bank to line up every top free agent in this summer, but they've definitely upgraded their roster, and done so at reasonable costs. They may not have done enough to bring a trophy back to Dallas, but you certainly can't say they haven't done everything they can in pursuit of that goal.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-26-2009 @ 4:01PM
ricanvegan said...
"bring a trophy back to Dallas" To bring it back means it would have to of been there first.
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7-26-2009 @ 3:37PM
winner said...
It was the nineties. The sport was football.
7-26-2009 @ 5:54PM
ricanvegan said...
Oh....ok. I must have misread, I thought this article was about basketball.
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7-27-2009 @ 2:40AM
Giles said...
I`m glad for Drew he`s got a job, and glad for Dallas they have a post man who is better than Erick Dampier. I hope Nowitzski will start at center, and if Dampier stays, I hope he will come off the bench, with Gooden starting at power forward. Now the Mavericks still need another power forward, to replace Bass. Maybe David Lee, who is better than Gooden, if they deal off enough salary, or maybe Lamar Odom. Or if they prefer a younger, smaller forward, maybe Hakim Warrick.
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10-16-2009 @ 3:03PM
orravan14 said...
Gooden can score, defend, and put in meaningful minutes...
OK, stop right there.
Reel it back. Back, back, back.
Gooden defend??!!
Look, the Spurs don't cast-off many so-called good players unless there's something wrong with them or financial considerations are involved. And the fact is that S.A., a declining defensive force looking to return to its former glory, could've had Drew Gooden again. But they let him walk in favor of Antonio McDyess, a solid vet who's seven years older and has a lot more miles by giving McDyess essentially the same contract, slighter larger, and with more years. And why?
The main culprit -- Drew's defense. As in he doesn't play any. He's got a great post game, can spread the floor with his J up to 20 feet, but when the ball goes into him in the post, it never comes back out. Ever. In his short stint with the Spurs, fans started calling him the black hole: he seemed to forget that there were snipers out there on the perimeter who could make the game easier for him. Probably got to thinking his points level would equate directly into his contract dollars. Maybe so, in the past, but not in this economy.
And the guy is INVISIBLE on the defensive end, something you could never accuse McDyess of being. A good indicator is how few blocks Gooden has for a guy who's a legit 6'10. McDyess, barely 6'9 and with shaky knees, still manages about one a game, forces tough shots, and keeps post players honest.
Which is why you never saw Drew around at the end of games when he was in Cleveland; AV was the closer at his position and it's also why he didn't play much for the Spurs even though they were getting wiped out by the Mavs in the last playoff series. That's a huge indicator...and lack of confidence for a guy that has that much talent.
He won't be on the floor with the Mavs at the end of tight games, especially in the playoffs. It's only a matter of time...
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