Commish Looks Like A Guy Who Hangs Out In Front Of Schools Wearing A Trenchcoat

I was flipping channels yesterday evening and tuned it to ESPN to check up on the Tigers. All else was back-burnered, though; draft coverage.

It's a lot more interesting than I though it would be. Clippers get the No. 1, a former Sooner named Blake Griffin. If he is who I think he is, he's the Really Really Big Man from a Texas-OU game I caught one afternoon, and the Clips are lucky, lucky bastards (they will fuck it up, here's hoping the guy survives). Rubio went to the Timberwolves. Or did he? From what I understand, there's a massive financial fuckarow needs clearing up before he can come to the NBA.

What we got was another BJ, who magically transformed into a Frenchman the Mavs have had their eye on for a while now named Rodrigue Beaubois, a fella that spent a year in the Euroleagues named Nick Calathes, and a power forward named Ahmad Nivins. Aforementioned BJ went to the Thunder.

Beaubois has a standing invite to the preseason and so far as I know that's all. I'm all for adding another point guard to the mix so long as we have Jason Kidd. JJ Barea's development's been speeded up by years just by virtue of having Kidd as the head of the Dallas Graduate School of Basketball. Here's hoping the young man has anything like JJ's work ethic. The Word is the other two are going to be put on ice.

I hate agreeing with Jean Jacques Taylor, but I nod at his headline. None of these guys address any of the Mavs' specific Now needs -- a better inside guy, all-around defensive upgrades, another scorer. I have to remind myself that one doesn't get those things straight out of the draft and it's up to the Organization to get those things through free agency. It's hard to stay patient at the news of the trades going on just lately -- Shaq to the Cavaliers, Carter to the Magic . . . somebody asked the Nets' GM what the reaction was to losing Vince Carter, and I flashed to a scene of an office full of men in suits singing "ding-dong, the witch is dead, the mean old witch, the wicked witch . . ."

And by the way, if Kidd goes to the Cavaliers, I think I will stab myself in the throat.
-BJ

Drafty, Isn't It?

If you detect a marked lack of enthusiasm for the Thrilling Climax Of Our Basketball Year, you're a perceptive sort. Superman and Co sacrificed on the alter of Laker dominance, arguements in MavsLand about whether the 'choker' label will stick to Dwight Howard the way it continues to stick to Dirk (it won't), whining about how history would've been different if the Organization had pulled the trigger on a trade discussed a couple years ago which would've netted us Kobe but lost us Dirk

For the record. Yeah right, you're going to take a top ten player with no ego, put him in the organization that can get anybody for anything, and into a stable run by Phil Jackson -- the guy who somehow convinced Scottie Pippin to live in Jordan's shadow. We'd be in the entertaining but losing position of putting up with Bryant's bullshit while watching Dirk win a ring with another team. And maize is so not his color. I'm just saying.

On our end, what do the Mavs need? Well . . . little bits of everything, really. The most glaring need I can see is an upgrade at starting center -- now I like Dampier, and I'm sure he's a helluva nice guy, but the Mavs have lost an awful lot of games because of weakness inside. Damp's basketball IQ isn't great, his hands aren't great, his defensive skills are good but not great. We have Ryan Hollins, and I hope we hang onto him through next year, but in NBA terms he's practically an infant.

Point guard is going to become an issue. Jason Kidd's not going anywhere for the simple reason the Mavs can throw the most money at him. For the short term, I'm okay with that. JJ can handle the backup duties, plus I'm-faster-than-you swingman. In the long term, the team needs to have someone lined up for the post-Kidd years. I'm one of the ones who's sold on the potential wow factor of Ricky Rubio. Sadly, we're not getting him. At least not this year, she said with a dreamy look in her eyes.

On top of that, we need a two-guard. Preferably one who can play defense. I love Jason Terry down to his knee socks, but his D is not a reason why.

Draft night tonight, and if I told you I've fathomed the thinking and strategies of our Head Babies In Charge, I'd be lying.

Peace.
-BJ

Cue Up The Combichrist

Raise a few of the refreshing beverage of your choice, MFsFL. The .50 Cal, UberMan, our Dirk, turns 31 today.

(raises bottle)

Happy days, a satisfied mind, and may you never suffer another strain sprain break pull ouchie ever in your life.

(drink!)
-BJ

Breathing Again

I've had a month to cool off. Surely I can approach the subject rationally now.

Now that the (bloop) have won the championship, the basketball world takes a deep breath and enters the regeneration phase -- re-evaluating established talent, bringing in the FNGs, copping feels around the wallet region. The fans -- the ones who find aforementioned talent eval, new guy bringing, and cash feeling-up-ing boring -- are left to their own devices.

Everybody's got their preferred coping mechanism. An alternate obsession helps. Mine's Top Gear. I'm not sure why. Though I will say the thought of Shaq trying to fold himself into the world's smallest car is worth a chuckle. (And that's literally what he would have to do.) That'll hold me until October, when the season gets rolling again. I hope. Ignore the glimmer of tears in my eyes as football season starts, the tremble to my hands as I watch snippets of pick-up games, or the touch of mania to the cussing I toss at the engorged SUV flying the (bloop) colors.
-BJ

Oooh, New Toys!

We got a D-League! We got a D-League!

The news came down the pike this morning -- there's a D-League franchise opening up in Frisco! Already home to the AirHogs of AAA baseball and the Tornado of whatever the NHL call their minor leagues.

Ahh, a less expensive way to get your basketball on. Nothing but a good thing.
-BJ