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I'm glad the media's picking up on that. Put a little bit of a damper on Cuban's self-congratulation.
Cuban's Finals come early — trade's impact
Buck Harvey
ARLINGTON — Mark Cuban walked up, smiling as if he was dancing with 108,713 stars.
“Feels like a Finals game,” he said.
To him, it probably did feel that way. Dirk Nowitzki lost, and Dwyane Wade was the MVP.
To San Antonio, it felt more like the first round. The only All-Star who the fans booed during introductions was the opponent Dallas knows the best, Tim Duncan.
These are the details of a Cowboys Stadium-induced atmosphere. They set a basketball attendance record in a football stadium for a game that didn't matter.
Or: Never have so many paid so much to see so little from so far away.
But the weekend won't be remembered for these things in April and May. Then, instead, it will be about what the Mavericks did in the trade market.
Cuban won't like this line, either.
It won't change much in the Western Conference.
That won't stop Cuban from hanging onto this weekend. He somehow fit into a retractable dome with Jerry Jones, and the two made history and some money.
“Spectacular collaboration,” is how David Stern described these big-as-Texas owners.
One camera managed to capture both their images. Then, told Cuban had given credit to Jones for this event, Jones shook his head.
“He's being modest and kind,” Jones said, and it's not often those two words are used to describe Cuban.
That said, Cuban is a smart man who is forever optimistic and energetic. He also doesn't mind spending his sizeable fortune on his basketball team; especially in this economy, this is the kind of owner who has impact.
So with his Mavericks struggling, Cuban bankrolled the kind of trade the Spurs could have used. For a troubled Josh Howard, Dallas got two solid starters in Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood.
Two years ago during All-Star Weekend, the Mavericks made similar news. Then, they traded Devin Harris for Jason Kidd.
Cuban was hopeful then, too. But that trade ended up crashing the Mavericks' season, as well as resulting in the firing of Avery Johnson.
This trade shouldn't be as dramatic. Kidd was caught in Johnson's controlled sets, and now Rick Carlisle will be blending complementary players.
“On paper, it puts us right there with those guys,” Kidd said of the Nuggets and Lakers. “Length-wise, with Haywood, that helps. And Butler is a compe or. So I think those pieces fit. If you look at it, we get bigger, and you got an All-Star in Caron.”
So the Mavericks should be better, and the Spurs have even more reason to be discouraged. After all, the Spurs are already below Dallas in the standings.
The Spurs also had interest in Haywood in previous years, and they likely did again this season. They clearly need another shot-blocker.
Still, the Mavericks already had the edge on the Spurs. Did this trade take Dallas any further?
One NBA general manager wonders, and he has some credibility. When two earlier acquisitions were announced, he privately gave his opinion and was right both times.
First, he dismissed Elton Brand as too damaged to help the 76ers. Second, he thought the Spurs were dreaming when they gambled on Richard Jefferson.
Now he sees Butler similarly. He's tougher than Jefferson, but he's also showing signs of decline. The GM added he's not alone with this view.
As for Haywood: Next to Duncan, he would have been a nice partner, but can he stand in against the Lakers or Nuggets without this kind of help?
On Sunday, beaming at the event he had pulled off, Cuban wasn't about to see the other side. Asked whether the Mavericks could ever host the Finals in Cowboys Stadium, Cuban was as upbeat as ever.
“There's a way,” he said.
Just not with this trade.
He wasn't alone with that sentiment.
Seriously, I've attended many games at the Alamo Dome, and that was in a HALF dome configuration. The players looked like ing ants in half a dome. How much can you really see from upstairs? I wouldn't pay a dollar for any seat above the Jerry World luxury boxes for a basketball game, and I'd have to think twice about football. Who cares about some huge video screen? If I want to watch it on TV, I'll ing stay home.
this article is right on the money.I dont think the mavs are significantly better with this trade.I know everyone is discourage but you shouldnt be. Butler is averaging 16 pts on a crappy wizards team where he is always the number 1 or 2 option on offense.with the mavs he wont get as many shots because dirk takes A LOT of shots.His average will go down to equal that of josh howard (12 pts/game).the only plus is that butler is a better defender.
With haywood, they did get an upgrade simly because dampier sucks.He can block shots but he wont average 10 boards with the mavs and his play will slip.
The spurs shouldnt worry.Its all about RJ.The spurs know he sucks and thats why they have called teams twice to take him but noone wants him.if he starts to man up and play up2 his potential then he will save the season for us.I am sure our 2nd half of the season will be better.this team has the potential as was seen in the denver game without parker and we won by 20.
All we need is thomas to guard dirk or odom and to block shots.thats all.we dont need salmons. i expect pop to start playing big for the rest of the season because teams got bigger.
Conclusion: trade is overhyped.It gives the mavs a slight advantage if any.
The trade gets hyped, fans get excited, more tickets are sold, so on and so forth. Cuban might know this trade doesn't put them over the top, but he sure knows it will spark the fan's attention. Ultimately, he's there to fill up the AA center, and he does a pretty good job at that.
On the other hand, while I already have my tickets to go see my Spurs when they come to NJ, I was wondering if it was wise to invest the $200 to go see them in Philadelphia. Eventually, I decided to get the tickets and I'll be there next Friday. But it's harder to justify that kind of cash in this economy and with this team's performance lately when I already paid for league pass.
Is it just me or is Buck starting to lose his grip on his columns a little bit? I didn't quite get the Mark Cuban "...this is the type of owner who has impact" line. Was that a not so subtle jab at the Spurs ownership?
Well, the goal coming into the season wasn't to beat the Dallas Mavericks in a seven game series. The ultimate goal is to win a championship and that means going through the Lakers which they simply can't do with their current roster. I don't think Dallas has improved to the point where they can topple the Lakers either. If the spurs don't make some sort of trade to acquire a big man, I don't see them getting out of the first round.
Jesus. Buck's claws came out w/ this one...
Back in the summer, when the entire basketball world was praising the RJ trade, a story citing the contrary opinion of an anonymous GM would have made for an interesting item in a column. Now, not so much.
him. dallas. the mavs. cowboy stadium. jerry jones. GO SPURS GO
I wonder who that "anonymous" GM is?
Did he privately give his opinion to the writer or did he tell the writer that he privately gave his opinion to others at the time?
PJ Carlesimo?
Mark Cuban walked up, smiling as if he was dancing with 108,713 stars.
“Feels like a Finals game,” he said.
To him, it probably did feel that way. Dirk Nowitzki lost, and Dwyane Wade was the MVP.
I think it's Kerr of Ferry
PJ's not even employed now. When he was, it wasn't as a GM.
Raise the bar.
Bob Bass ? Is he still a GM ?
Could be Presti as well.
R. C.?
You're the sort of person who won't be leaving the house after forty because they're too scared of the world.
Yeah keep being scared of everything north of 1604.
They aren't going anywhere with that trade. If anything the wiz came out on top. How are you going to trade Drew F'n Gooden and expect to be better than the Lakers? Gooden was the X factor!
Because he wouldn't want to sit at the very top of Jerry World? I wouldn't either.
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