Enter the Suck: Wizards @ Mavs

8:30 EST, Tuesday night

After feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve for most of the day, I finally sit down on my couch, cold frosty beverage in hand. It's about to begin. The Dallas Mavericks play the Washington Wizards, and since I live in D.C., I get it on real television, not my computer screen.

8:47 EST

Shawn Marion is looking great, throwing down some nice hook shots, looking like the best low post player I have ever seen on the Mavericks.

11:45

I'm curled up in on my couch, sucking my thumb, tears streaming down my face. What happened? After everything the Mavericks did in the offseason, it's the same lackluster defense, the same anemic offense, the...same old story.

I woke up Wednesday feeling hungover the game was so bad, only I didn't even get the fun of a good night out.

The Mavericks were one of the most, if not the most, active teams in the offseason, and going from the game I saw, not a single thing has changed.

That game was so poorly played, that while I originally thought the Mavericks would battle the Spurs for the second seed, I'm ready to put them at five or six in the West.

The cock-eyed optimist in me thought a few lucky breaks and a trade-deadline acquisition might be able to get them into the Finals, but not anymore.

They'll be lucky to squeak out of the first round.

They talked all summer about being ready to run more, and with Marion on board, I thought they were ready.

Nope, they resorted back to the Avery Johnson days of the awkward half-court offense, the one that results in a contested jumper to beat the shot clock.

Marion, good as he was, clearly isn't in game shape yet, as he looked completely winded by the end of the first quarter.

Dirk, while he did great in getting to the line, wasn't hitting his jumper at all. He still managed to put up more than 30, but he can't do it by himself.

J.J. Barea, for all his brilliance on the offensive end in the second quarter, turned into a turnover machine late in the game, and resembled a screen door on defense.

Drew Gooden, who came into the year ready to compete with Erick Dampier for the starting center spot, showed exactly why he's been bounced out of so many teams. He made stupid plays on both ends of the floor, and took terrible baseline jumper after baseline jumper.

The Mavs continued their woes from behind the arc, shooting a dismal 22 percent. They shot 39.5 percent from the field too, so clearly they're not getting it.

Except for Marion early, the Mavs were just shooting their normal jumpers, and shooting them with people's hands in their face.

They made Fabricio Oberto look like Hakeem Olajuwon out there, as he got blocks, steals and everything else.

The rim was practically the Wizards' playground. Brendan Haywood looked like Stoudemire getting passes from Steve Nash the lane was so wide open. Gooden, Dampier, Kris Humphries—no one could stop them, and the Wizards aren't exactly low-post powerhouses.

I know it's only one game, and I know the Wizards are riding pretty high on emotion now with the return of a healthy Agent Zero, but the problems I saw last night were all too familiar.

They're exactly the same as last year, despite all the turnover, which suggests that there's something more fundamental wrong with this team, and that depresses me beyond belief.

In my season preview, I wrote that the Mavs seemed to address most of their shortcomings in the offseason, but none of the issues got fixed.

We all know this Mavericks team. The one that can push the Lakers to the brink on the road, then drop one at home to the Grizzlies.

The one that lets scrubs like Kyrylo Fresenko and Beno Udrih have career days against them. It's disgusting.

Looks like we can expect a whole season of this garbage, if we're lucky. We know the Mavs can stink up the joint. We don't yet know if they can hang with an elite team.

The Mavs have weathered slow starts before, but it always comes back to bite them in the end, where one win can be the difference between a three or a six seed.

So get to know the folks at the liquor store people, and smoke 'em if you got 'em, because I have a feeling it's going to be a long, disappointing season from the Mavericks.

Something Better Than In The Middle: Season Preview

The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2009-10 season as tweeners. They are geared up for a run at the title this year, but they are also in position to snag a superstar in the Summer of 2010.

For Mavericks fans, it's a mixed blessing. They are in danger of becoming like the Pistons of 2005-2007, good enough to get deep into the playoffs, not good enough to win.

At the risk of being overly simplistic, the Mavericks' goal for this season should be progress: namely, a trip to the Western Conference Finals. With all the improvements they have made, the Dallas Mavericks simply need to go further, or it was all for naught.

Welcome My Son, Welcome to the Machine

The Mavericks were among the biggest movers and shakers this summer, with six of the Mavericks' 15 players coming in during the offseason.

These players cost the Mavs nothing but a few role players and a few long-term contracts, but we'll take it.

More importantly, each addition seems aimed at a fixing a problem, which is is what you want to see from a team determined to take home a championship.

The Mavs weren't athletic enough to compete with the Denver Nuggets in last year's playoffs, so they added Shawn Marion.

They struggled with three-point shooting, so they added Tim Thomas.

They didn't have reliable depth at center, so they added Drew Gooden.

All of these pieces came at a pretty cheap price. Jerry Stackhouse, who hasn't done much since 2007, and Antoine Wright were given away from Marion. I'll take that deal any day of the week.

Now, Marion's brief stops in Miami and Toronto might persuade one that his prime is long gone, that his freakish athleticism has gone the way of say, Detroit's salary cap space (too soon?).

But Marion seems to thrive when he's got a pass-first PG leading the offense. With the Heat, the offense revolved around D-Wade naturally. But Wade also brought up the ball much of the time, and passing (like not flopping) isn't what Wade is great at.

In Toronto, the offense ran through Bosh, and while I do like Jose Calderon as a PG, he's no Steve Nash or Jason Kidd. From what I saw up close and personal Marion will fit right in with these Mavericks, both defensively and offensively.

Addition by Subtraction

The key loss for the Mavericks, with all due respect to Antoine Wright and Ryan Hollins, was that of Brandon Bass. He provided a spark off the bench on the boards and with a good mid-range jumper.

But playing behind someone like Dirk, he wasn't going to get the playing time he wanted, so he decided to bolt. The fact that he went to the Magic rubs a bit of salt in the wound, but he deserves the opportunity. And hey, if he wants to throw the game when the Mavericks and Magic meet in the Finals, who am I to judge?

One thing the Mavericks have had a knack for doing is finding gems in trade throwaways. Kris Humphries is the latest on a list populated by Ryan Hollins and others.

Orginally the mavs sought to dump him in a way to pare their roster down to 15, but his play in the preseason has given him a regular spot in the rotation, in the same kind of role as Bass.

He brings much of the same to the table, a good jumper, good rebounder, defender who can body up to some of the bigger people in the league.

He has proven effective in small minutes, but on previous teams, it hasn't translated to bigger minutes. I don't think he'll have to worry about getting too many minutes in Dallas, so if he can make the most of it the Mavericks should have a deep bench.

Meet the Old Boss, Same as the New Boss

Jason Kidd has been signed to a three-year deal, and if the Mavericks are lucky, he will have two good ones.

Kidd, while not exactly a glamour signing was very important to the Mavericks' offseason plans, as well as the future of the franchise.

For those who are hating on Kidd's three-year deal, please, do tell, who else was available?

Try as Cuban did, he wasn't able to pry Chris Paul away from the Hornets. And call Cubes and Donnie Nelson crazy, but they didn't hold out for Deron Williams or Derrick Rose to become available.

Ramon Sessions? An interesting notion, but ultimately irrelevant. It took him a while to find a deal, which shows me that he probably isn't a game changer. Good player? Yes. Someone you want at the helm of a veteran team with championship aspirations? No thank ye.

Jason Kidd is exactly what the Mavericks need at this stage of the game. He's still a great passer, he can still knock down the open three, and the pieces around him (particularly Marion) can use someone like Kidd.

And when it comes to next summer's free agency, it can't hurt to have a PG that people like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Kobe, 'Melo and co. all love playing with. I'm just saying.

What Have You Got on Draft?

Bookended by two years without a first-round draft pick, the Mavericks made some good decisions in 2009. Despite giving their fans a collective heart attack with a selection of B.J. Mullens, they turned him into Rodrigue Beaubois, the heir apparent to Jason Kidd.

A 6-3 PG with Tony Parker-like speed and a better jump shot, Beaubois will have a few years to learn under one of the best PG mentors in the biz, and he should get some minutes as a rookie, especially during garbage time.

Beaubois will probably get some run alongside Kidd at the shooting guard, which brings me to my next point.

The Mavericks can run out lineups as flexible as any team in the NBA, and Rick Carlisle proved last year that he's not afraid to get a little unconventional if he thinks it will help the team win.

Last year they trotted out a few two-PG lineups, most notably with J.J. Barea and Jason Kidd. One would think that a backcourt that small would get run over, and with certain teams, it might.

But it also gives the Mavs a speedy tandem that can exploit big, slow players, which is why it proved successful in small bursts.

They can trot out a sharp-shooting lineup of Kidd, Terry, Howard, Dirk and Drew Gooden, or a defensive minded lineup of Beaubois, Quinton Ross, Marion, Humphries and Damp, or various combinations of the two.

Dirk can also play center, Howard will see some time at the shooting guard, Marion can play both forward spots, and so on.

The point is, the Mavericks have the bodies and skill sets to match up with any team, and that's going to prove to be an asset. Against teams with traditional centers, Dampier can get a bulk of the minutes, but someone quick like Drew Gooden can see some time, because he can get around the big guys easier.

One of the strengths of the Mavs in 2006-07 was their flexibility. They had the personnel to match up with teams, and they could out-talent them in those matchups.

Those Old Chestnuts

Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki. The remaining core that were so close to the ultimate prize in 2006.

Jason Terry, reigning sixth man of the year and the heart and soul of the team brings the same thing to the table every year. Emotional support, a sharp-shooter's eye and a hot and cold streak that would make......uh.....someone who has hot and cold streaks jealous?

I'm sorry, I sat here for about 45 minutes trying to think of a way to complete that sentence. Let's just move on.

Josh Howard is finally healthy, and if we are to go off his performance when he was banged up in last year's playoffs, the future is bright indeed.

Howard is entering an interesting situation. He is an expiring contract this year, and the Mavericks just signed someone who plays his position to a five-year deal.

He will have his chance to prove his worth this season, either to stay with the Mavericks, or get a new deal from someone else.

In my opinion, the better Marion does, the more likely Howard is to be shipped. Unless Howard becomes the kind of slashing, explosive scorer that the Mavericks have been looking for at the 2-guard positions (which, I believe, he is probably capable of doing), then I think he'll be floated out there come the trade deadline.

If Howard could become the dynamic scoring two-guard that the Mavs have been missing since the departure of Michael Finley, then he would solve the Mavs' problem at the 2-guard, freeing them up to turn Erick Dampier into an upgrade at center.

And Dirk. We know what we're getting from Dirk. You're getting 24 and 8, bumped up to 27 and 10 during the playoffs.

You're getting the sweetest jumper known to man, and an unguardable one to boot.

You've got Dirk playing at his lowest weight in years, and rejuvenated after taking the summer off from international ball.

The Verdict

The Mavericks unquestionably got better in the offseason. The problem is, so did the Spurs, and it's unclear at this point if the Lakers did enough damage to themselves to leave the west wide open.

Pencil the Mavericks in for 54-26, 3rd seed in the West, second in the Southwest division.

Want more?

Then you'll have to wait for my NBA preview.

Shawn Marion link

Hello jerks. Why don't you click here to read my piece about the Mavs' newcomer Shawn Marion.

Getting in Tune

Please to be clicking here for a slide show of the pre-season game between the Mavericks and Wizards.

Rodrigue Beaubois

The season is inching close, so here is a little piece I wrote about Rodrigue Beaubois, the Mavs rookie.

Mavs Lose Gortat, I Lose My Dignity

Congratulations Otis Smith. You've managed to do what only the NBA referees have been able to do. You have caused basketball to disgust me.

Not the game itself, but the process. The concept of a restricted free agent. The whole city of Orlando. Anyone with the name "Otis." I hate you all.

Not only did you do something stupid, Mr. Smith, but it was downright cruel of you.

The entire world knew that Gortat wasn't in it for the money. He just wanted minutes.

Is that any way to show respect for Gortat as a human being, when you know he wanted to leave and was ready to take the next step as a basketball player?

At least the Mavs did the classy thing with Brandon Bass. Bass wanted more minutes, but like Gortat, he just happened to have one of the top five players in the game today in the starting slot.

And it looked like things were going to work out swimmingly. You got Bass who could start at the four, and Rashard Lewis could replace Turkoglu at small forward. Lewis excels there anyway, due to his size and shooting ability.

And we got Gortat. It's not like he would play any meaningful minutes in front of Dwight Howard. He just wanted minutes. And like Bass, Gortat did it in a classy way. They didn't tweet about being unhappy or go to the media. They did it by busting their asses every minute they were on the court, and their teams were better off for it.

And when the Magic gave Bass an offer, the Mavericks let him go. They knew he would never be happy in Dallas as long as Dirk was playing, and they were essentially turning Bass into a major need for them, an athletic center.

Just as a good will gesture, Cuban and Co. helped the Magic out to the tune of an $8 million trade exception by facilitating Hedo's move to Toronto. In no way did the Mavericks have to do that.

When you look back, sure it made the numbers go a little smoother, but really it was a gesture. Sort of like a, "Hey, we really need Gortat and you don't, so here's a couple of million to just, *wink wink* let him go."

But Otis Smith had to get too smart for his own good.

Now what do the Magic have? Well, they're paying $35 million to back up the best center in the league. He's stuck there until at least December 1, and it's pretty clear that he's not happy to be there.

That should be real good for the locker room chemistry.

Then, you've got your first team All-NBA center, who is fresh off of a disappearing act in the playoffs. Now, you're sending him a message, "Look Dwight, we really need someone to back you up. We're going to pay out the wazoo to have someone to back you up."

Nice show of faith. It's already been shown that the Daily Double isn't the most robust player mentally. After a heartbreaking game two in the Finals, he was never the same.

So you've got Gortat until December 15? Then what? You send him somewhere. Houston is the most likely candidate. They made a pretty hard push for Gortat as soon as free agency opened up.

What are you getting from Houston? Kyle Lowry and Von Wafer? Yeah, those guys will take you far.

Then you send Gortat into an unfamiliar offense, with an unfamiliar coach in the middle of the season.

And what happens if Houston finds a big man in the meantime? With all the salary clearing happening around the league in preparation for the summer of 2010, who wants to sign a freshly inked big man?

I can't tell you how sick this makes me. The only thing I can liken it to is an unexpected breakup.

Not to trivialize relationships, but the feeling is the same. That black hole in your gut, a feeling that wasn't there earlier today. Earlier today the world was full of possibilities.

If the Lakers lose Odom, could the Mavs make a serious run at the title? With Marion on 'Melo, with the Celtics big three and Shaq a year older, and with no mismatch at the three with Turkoglu gone, could the Mavs have gone all the way?

Sure, by the time the season rolls around, I'll have convinced myself that I didn't really want to get Gortat anyways. Just like you convince yourself that you never really liked her all that much.

Like we needed another center (a foreign whitey to boot!) for the midlevel to pull a Diop. But every time you see Gortat in another uniform, part of you will wonder...

I can picture myself in my office this afternoon, sitting there all fat and happy, no idea of the train wreck that it about to hit me. Now we're in lean times, and the world is a little colder place than it used to be.

This afternoon I had not a care in the world. I was talking to the Polish guy I work with, working on the proper pronunciation of "Marcin Gortat" and thinking of a nickname that involved changing lightbulbs.

Hours ago I was imagining Jason Kidd pulling down rebounds, with Marcin Gortat and Shawn Marion streaking on the wings, and Dirk trailing the play, ready to knock down a three if necessary.

Now all I see is Erick Dampier's rock-gloved hands, reaching out, not for a basketball that will surely bounce right off, but for my throat, and he's draining all the life out of me until at least February.

If you really want to get real, it's almost worse than a breakup. At least then you can call your buddy and say, "Hey, just got dumped, let's go get hammered on a Monday night."

If I call someone and say, "Hey, the Magic just matched the offer for Marcin Gortat, let's go get wasted on a Monday night," I'm just not getting that sympathy.

Of course, it won't hurt like this for long. Sure you might have pangs keeping you awake in the dead of night for the next few nights, but those go away.

But when those go away, so does a part of you. The part that knew what it meant to love. And in it's place is nothing, which is the scariest part of all.

So, Otis Smith you want to match the Mavs' offer for Gortat? Well, how about a fly down to Orlando and match a crowbar with Dwight Howard's kneecap? How does that sound.

The only consolation prize in this whole mess is that I can now use this line when the Mavs play the Magic:

"Dirk was really on fire in the paint last night. You'd think Gortat of all people would know what happens when you grant the German even the smallest of concessions, whether Panzer divisions or the one-legged Euro fade-away."

So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to crank up Pat Benetar's "Love is a Battlefield" and cry myself to sleep.

How about a new Center and Shooting Guard? Is that something you'd be interested in?

The Dallas Mavericks are in a unique, yet unenviable position this offseason. Twelve months before the expected free agent bonanza of 2010, they face the prospect of fading completely out of contention, and taking the Dirk era to an unhappy conclusion.

They are also in an unenviable position when it comes to free agents. Their No. 1 target, Jason Kidd, won't offer something new and different. Rather, the Mavs are just trying to hang on to the player who helped them the year before.

While the re-signing of Kidd can be called a triumph, it is a mixed blessing. Without another move, the Mavericks are in the same place they were last year, and only the Rockets are showing signs that they will not be the same or better than last year.

The Blazers, Nuggets and Spurs have taken steps to put them to the next level, while the Lakers are already at the next level.

The Mavericks do not want to be left in the lurch, especially with a rapidly aging, but effective, core.

Assuming they sign Kidd, the Mavericks have a need at the center position and the shooting guard. With Hall of Famers at the one and four, and an All-Star at the three, the addition of two impact players at the off guard and center position will go a long way towards putting the Mavericks back into the race for the west.

Let's look at the two-guard first.

The Pistons might have already done the Mavs' first step for them. They signed Ben Gordon to a big free-agent deal, who also happens to play the same position as Rip Hamilton, another highly-paid and talented two-guard.

So unless they want to have their two highest players playing the same position, one of them has to move. Logic would suggest that the one to move is the older player—the one without the contract with the still-drying ink.

I've alwasy been a Hamilton fan. He's great at creating his own shot, especially off the dribble, which is exactly what the Mavs need from a two-guard. They don't need a Kobe/D-Wade style shooting guard, who will score 30 points on 25 shots.

No, they need someone like Rip, who will score 20 on 10-15 shots.

So what can the Mavs offer for Hamilton?

Detroit could use a backup point guard, with Stuckey taking the reins this season. J.J. Barea, or even new Mav Rodrigue Beaubois could offer a serviceable backup for Stuckey.

Sure, Barea isn't exactly a world-beater, but ask anyone who watched the Mavs regularly last season, there were many times when he came in, slashed to the bucket, made a key defensive stop, or did some other play that got the team and the crowd fired up.

He can shoot from all over as well, which could provide a decent Plan B should Gordon get swarmed, which is most certainly will.

With the impending departure of Rasheed Wallace, and the possible departure of Antonio McDyess, the Pistons are also looking frighteningly thin at in the frontcourt.

And as we all know, a backcourt is only as good as the big men that support it.

The Mavs have a young player on the rise, Brandon Bass, who is in search of both time and a payday. While he wouldn't command more than the midlevel, he is capable of being a starting forward on the right team, such as Detroit.

With his inside presence and good midrange jumper, he provides a formidable threat and would be a nice complement to Gordon and Villanueva, especially when Villanueva inevitably goes down with some sort of injury.

Plus, he has proven he can play the center on a small-ball team, which would be an intriguing possibility with so many good shooters on Detroit.

Hell, the Mavs could even toss in Antoine Wright if the Pistons neded a good backup. While he's not the model of consistency, Wright provides a good bargain for the numbers, especially for a backup shooting guard.

Now that we've covered the two-guard, let's take a look at the center.

Erick Dampier needs to go. His dead hands, inconsistent play, and nonexistent athleticism need to be turned into something.

Since he most likely won't meet his incentives for the 2010-11 season, he is basically an expiring contract, which is appealing to a lot of teams.

Package him together with Jerry Stackhouse ($2 million buyout, non-guaranteed), and Mark Cuban has quite a stimulus package for a team that is hurting financially.

Now that you mention, it I've got two such teams in mind.

New Orleans Hornets Center Tyson Chandler has reportedly been on the block since the draft. With his ability to rebound and finish the alley-oop, he is the polar opposite of Dampier.

Sure, he disappeared until December last season, and I know he has some nagging injury concerns, but I think the Mavericks have a decent backup center in Ryan Hollins to make up for that.

Chandler for Stack/Dampier would save the Hornets some much needed money, which they were trying to do when they tried to dump Chandler the first time.

Plus, I'll admit it, I would get a certain sick pleasure in watching Chris Paul try to feed alley-oops to the lead-gloved hands of Erick Dampier. But that's neither here nor there.

Chandler is a moderately appealing option, but here's my No. 1: Emeka Okafor.

He puts up a double-double almost every night, and while the points don't always come, the rebounds (especially the offensive ones) do.

And that's what the Mavs need from a center: Someone that can finish the fast break, get 10 boards a night, and shoot close shots at a high percentage.

The Mavericks also have a plethora (thats right, I said plethora) of second-round picks, and maybe even a few appealing young high-flyers that the Bobcats could use.

Gerald Green, in a possible sign-and-trade, could provide some acrobatic offense for a small price, and Brandon Bass and/or Antoine Wright (if not gone to the Pistons) could also be appealing to a Bobcats team looking to rebuild and save some coin.

I would throw everything the Mavs have at an Okafor trade, including Terry. Josh Howard and Dirk is where I draw the line.

With Dirk, Terry, Howard, and hopefully Rip Hamilton handling the scoring, he wouldn't need to pour in the points, just lock down the glass.

Now let's look at the starting five for this dynamo: Kidd, Hamilton, Howard, Dirk and Okafor.

That's a starting five that could go to war with a lot of teams in the West.

I would take them over the Spurs with Richard Jefferson. I would take them over the Nuggets, since a healthy Howard and an athletic center could have made the difference against the Nuggs this year.

Sure, the Mavs might not be loaded up for a run at an All-Star in 2010, but unless it's Wade (who might sign an extension soon anyway) or LeBron James (who probably won't come to Dallas), that doesn't bother me very much.

Bosh is most effective at playing the four, which is what Dirk plays. Plus, as much as I like him, I'm still not convinced he can be the best player on a contender, as last season showed us.

Either way, this brings the Mavericks into the the 2009-10 season with each of their major issues addressed, which is more than a lot of teams can say.