NBA pre-season games and trades

[knvb]

Big trade yesterday. Sensei, does this make the Mav's better or worse do you think? I'm still up in the air, but I'm thinking the Mav's collective heads (read: c0ckyness for a team who hasn't won shite) just got bigger. Walker is a black hole...ball goes in and never comes out. How will their freak 7 foot 3 point shooter feel about not being able to chuck as many this year? Welcome to the Laker nightmare Dirk.

Anyone else? Anyone still watch the NBA?

-- The Dallas Mavericks bulked up an already strong offense Monday, acquiring All-Star forward Antoine Walker from the Boston Celtics in a five-player trade.


Walker and LaFrentz can still battle, after they switch uniforms.

The Celtics agreed to take center Raef LaFrentz and the four years remaining on a $69 million, five-year contract signed before last season.

The Celtics also get Jiri Welsch and Chris Mills, players the Mavericks got in an offseason trade that also brought Antawn Jamison from Golden State, and Dallas' first-round pick in 2004. The Mavericks will get guard Tony Delk from Boston.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed the deal to The Associated Press, saying it was pending league approval.

"It's not every day that a 27-year-old All-Star becomes available," said Donnie Nelson, Dallas' president of basketball operations. "We feel we've got one of the most versatile coaches in the league. To add a player of Antoine's ability just gives [coach Don Nelson] more options to work with."

Nelson struck the deal with Danny Ainge, who became Boston's head of basketball operations in May. The two are close friends, with Nelson having been an assistant to Ainge in Phoenix.

Between his jobs with the Suns and Celtics, Ainge was a TV analyst and he said on the air he did not like Walker's game. Since joining Boston, he's said he had no intention of trading Walker.

Now Walker, a three-time All-Star who averaged 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds last season, goes from playing alongside one high scorer in Paul Pierce to being joined by four: Dallas' nucleus of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley, plus Jamison, who was added in August.

The Mavericks, the NBA's highest-scoring team the last two years, have now upgraded a roster that won 60 games and reached the Western Conference finals last season. It also counters the changes made by fellow Western Conference opponents San Antonio, Sacramento and the Lakers.

Walker has size (6 feet 9, 245 pounds) but can run the offense. His dribbling and passing skills make him the prototype "point forward" coveted by Don Nelson.

Walker led the Celtics in assists the last three seasons, and he and Pierce combined to average nearly half of Boston's points during that span.

"We see Antoine as a triple-double guy," said Donnie Nelson, the coach's son and an assistant coach. "I know in some form or fashion at the end of the game you're going to see the Big Three and Antoine Squared."

Donnie Nelson said Nowitzki will get more minutes at center. Shawn Bradley and Danny Fortson, also acquired in the Golden State trade, will help man the position. Eduardo Najera could play there, too.

Delk will be a backup swingman, with Travis Best still the primary relief for Nash. Nelson said Delk may be able to provide some of the intangibles lost when Nick Van Exel was sent to Golden State.

"He's not afraid, he's tough and experienced," Nelson said, referring to Delk. "He's got a knack for making big shots and big plays."

LaFrentz was acquired from Denver at the trade deadline two seasons ago, then re-signed last summer. He was mostly a disappointment last season, averaging just 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds.

The Mavericks had coveted Welsch in their trade with the Warriors but were willing to give up on the project to upgrade their roster now. The 6-foot-7 swingman from the Czech Republic was a first-round pick last season but saw limited time as a rookie with Golden State.

The oft-injured Mills was seen as a trading chip from the time Dallas acquired him. The forward played only 112 games the last four seasons but has a big contract that expires after this year, which will help the Celtics clear room under the salary cap. He hasn't played this preseason.

 

[Regs]

I watched bits of the preseason match last week between the Lakers and Cavs. I wished I hadn't... NBA preseason makes the NHL preseason look good

Malone looks old probably because he is. Lemar James looked really good though as reported in this mornings province, his jumper is shite

When exactly does the season start?

~Regs.

 

[knvb]

Pre-season "match"

Your street cred just took another hit Regs. Season starts Tuesday Oct 28 I believe.

 

[BlazeArmy]

the ball shouldn't be a problem. Don Nelson has petioned the league to allow for 2 ball to be used in all Mav games. 1 for the teams and for Antoine Walker only.

Which 7 foot 3 point shooter are you talking about? Walker or Nowitzki?

I realise this makes th Mavs a better team but does it really let them match up with the Lakers or Kings any better. They still need the big man in the middle to be able to put pressure on Webber/Shaq. I thought Walker was shite defensely. Maybe Nelson has some sort of zone scheme in mind to defeat the other teams big men. That or play the run and gun like Paul Westhead and try to win 140 -136.

 

[sensei_hanson]

The Mavs didn't really give up much to get Walker.

Lafrentz never really fit in well with Dallas' style of play. He's more of a traditional, post-it-up type center and really, all Dallas attempts to do is run-and-gun.

I think Dallas is very pleased with the style of basketball they play. In order to win with it, they needed bigger players (and more of them) who are on the same page. Playing a frenzied, up-tempo game, you need to rotate players in on the regular who can 1) run and 2) score.

Nellie can go with Nash-Finley-Jamison-Walker-Nowitzki at times, and that's a lineup with five (count 'em) 20+ppg scorers. There is not another team in the NBA with that kind of lethal scoring. AS far as being undersized, that lineup still presents a 7-footed teamed with two 6'9 forwards. That's not too shabby.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Are we talking about the same LaFrentz?

He's more of a traditional, post-it-up type center and really, all Dallas attempts to do is run-and-gun.

Are you talking about him posting up around the 3 point arc, Sensei? That is where he spent most of his time. Either way, that starting five will be able to score with the best of them but like Dallas in the past few years, can they stop the other team from scoring when it really matters? My guess is no......


CAptain

Lemar James looked really good though as reported in this mornings province,

BTW, who is this Lemar James? Where did he come from?

 

[Regs]

He's Lebron's brother who acts as his agent.

Bet you feel pretty fcuking stupid right now, huh?

~Regs.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Yah, pretty stupid.....

LeBron who?

 

[ParkHead]

Mavs trade

I don't feel they really helped themselves with this trade. Yes Walker is the best player involved in the trade and probably now the Mavs second best player behind Dirk. But what did this deal accomplish. The Mavs weakness is defense and Walker ain't no defensive stopper by any means. Giving up Lefrentz makes the Mavs even weaker at the center/ forward spot. Lafrentz wasn't a great man to man defender but he did bring them shot blocking which they now don't have at all. Clearly they are are going to have to go even more up tempo and Run and gun.


Parkhead

 

[sensei_hanson]

The only reason Lafrentz blocked any shots is because he flailed away at everything that moved in the paint. I believe he was in foul trouble for two straight years in Dallas.

As for him being a post-up player. Perhaps I should rephrase a bit. He basically resigned himself to being a tall three-point shooter in Dallas, because that's what their offense calls for. There's no real time to throw the bal into the post when Nash, Finley and Nowitzki are running around looking to jack a three. Dallas has a perimeter-oriented offense.

I think if Raef is used as a pure center in Boston, where they're still looking for the re-incarnate Kevin McHale, he will have much more success than he did in Dallas. This must be what Ainge is thinking, because he just moved half his offense in Walker for an underachieving center who put up 9ppg last year.

Cap and Parky - you're spot on about the defensive issues with the Mavs. They still have nobody, literally nobody, who can deal with Shaq and Duncan, the two guys who have combined for all the NBA titles since Jordan retired.

 

[knvb]

Pat "I haven't had a solid winner since the Lakers' Reily has just stepped down as coach of the heat.

Who can blame him...