Ex-Spurs teammate (Bowen) has hard time seeing Drew Gooden as a center

[Riverwalkman]

http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/07/ex-spurs-teammate-has-hard-time-seeing-d.html

By Tim MacMahon

I ran into ex-Spur Bruce Bowen, a huge Cowboys fan, at training camp in the Alamodome and picked his brain a bit about the Mavs' off-season.

He really likes the deal to bring in Shawn Marion, saying MFFLs would "see something special" from the Matrix since he's playing again with a passing whiz of a point guard who can get the transition game going. Bowen thought the additions of Drew Gooden and Tim Thomas could help.

But Bowen wasn't aware that Gooden, whom he said struggled to learn the Spurs' system after a late-season arrival in San Antonio, would be logging heavy minutes at center.

"Center? Drew?! Wow," Bowen said with raised eyebrows. "That's a tall order. That'll be interesting."

While the Mavs don't envision Gooden battling elite post scorers too often, Bowen questions whether Gooden can handle the dirty-work duties of manning the middle.

"He can score on the block, but there's more to it than scoring," Bowen said. "You guys have Dirk. Dirk's going to put the ball in the hole. What else is someone going to do to better enhance the team?"

[SpurCharger]

Sounds Like Something Mr Bowen would say..... And I totally Agree with him!

[ffadicted]

:wakeup ....... indeed

[xtremesteven33]

Bowen, always an honest guy....

[clambake]

very diplomatic.

[Danny.Zhu]

Right to the point.

But I still think Mavs shouldn't be underestimated. They just beat Spurs several months ago. Just like Lakers just won the championship. Spurs are still the underdog anyway.

[Riverwalkman]

very diplomatic.
:nope That is called 'integrity' and 'honest'.

[benefactor]

Mavs are the new Suns.

[FromWayDowntown]

I'm not sure that Bowen ever actually said what the headline suggests. He questioned whether Gooden could do things other than score, but there's a pretty big difference between wondering if a guy is one-dimensional and calling him out as a softy who can't do dirty work.

[jag]

very diplomatic.

Not sure how he's being "diplomatic"...If you think Gooden is in any way a defensive upgrade over either Dampier or Bass, you're wrong. Marion would be a better defensive option at center than Gooden.

[BlackBellamy]

Mavs fans: the Mavs fan in you obviously hates Bruce Bowen. But the Cowboys fan in you...

[EricB]

I gaurantee Bowen saw the headline and was like "WTF"

[ChumpDumper]

I'm not sure that Bowen ever actually said what the headline suggests. He questioned whether Gooden could do things other than score, but there's a pretty big difference between wondering if a guy is one-dimensional and calling him out as a softy who can't do dirty work.That isn't actually the headline of the blog -- it's Ex-Spurs teammate has hard time seeing Drew Gooden as a center.

[Riverwalkman]

I gaurantee Bowen saw the headline and was like "WTF"
Or like "You read my mind ! ":rollin
Is the thread title kind of misleading? If so I regret.:depressed

[Amarelooms]

lol WGAS what he thinks...he is old and worthless. He needs to sit his ass on the bench and shut his pie hole :elephant

[jag]

Sensitive mav fan doesn't want to hear what Gooden's former teammate has to say.

lol Gortat

[clambake]

Not sure how he's being "diplomatic"...If you think Gooden is in any way a defensive upgrade over either Dampier or Bass, you're wrong. Marion would be a better defensive option at center than Gooden.

let me help you.

diplomatic adj. tactful, sensitive, discreet, polite,careful, delicate,
thoughtful, considerate, prudent

[Bob Lanier]

Bowen said with raised eyebrows.
How could he tell?

[jag]

let me help you.

diplomatic adj. tactful, sensitive, discreet, polite,careful, delicate,
thoughtful, considerate, prudent

Obviously the word can be used in different contexts...i just wasn't sure what you were trying to imply.

It's really neither here, nor there.

[sprrs]

let me help you.

diplomatic adj. tactful, sensitive, discreet, polite,careful, delicate,
thoughtful, considerate, prudent

Diplomatic like Jason Terry is diplomatic.

[ploto]

"Center? Drew?! Wow," Bowen said with raised eyebrows. "That's a tall order. That'll be interesting.

Considering the Spurs played Matt Bonner at center...

[itzsoweezee]

the black hole is now on the mavs? lol. i wonder if the homer spurs fans will now admit the dude is a ballhog?

[eyeh8u]

Mavs are the new, not as good, Suns.

Fixed

[bigdog]

Considering the Spurs played Matt Bonner at center...

Exactly what I was about to say...

[baseline bum]

the black hole is now on the mavs? lol. i wonder if the homer spurs fans will now admit the dude is a ballhog?

Gooden was brought here to be an efficient scorer, which he was. Spurs fans shouldn't trash the guy after he leaves.

[spursfaninla]

I don't think that Gooden was a "ballhog", although he was a black hole.

This is more a product of his lack of passing skills and understanding of the offense than of bad attitude I think.

That all said, Gooden was brought for scoring, and he was decent at that.

[mystargtr34]

Considering the Spurs played Matt Bonner at center...

Bowen said he cant envision Gooden doing the dirty work a Center needs to do while playing next to Dirk. Im assuming he means defend other Centers, rebound and block shots.

Who do you think does this for the Spurs? Matt Bonner or Tim Duncan.

[Kori Ellis]

I changed the title of the thread. I'm not sure why the original poster wrote it that way ... it wasn't the actual title of the blog post.