The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

[Playmakers]

If your Mavs fan it was good to see Marquise Daniels finally back healthy playing. He nearly had a triple/double with 29-pt's, 9-reb's and 8-assist tonight vs the Kings.

I'm not sure why Dallas never gets mentioned with high regards when it comes to finding young guy's in the draft. But these three guy's Daniels, Josh Howard and Devin Harris is going to be scary tandem in Big D for many years to come. They are all very atheletic and skilled and they each play multiple posistions in Dallas scheme. The Mavs had the luxury of bringing along both Howard and Daniels slowly last year and they became very good players by the end of their rookie year and into the playoffs. Now, it seems Devin Harris after 3 month's of being fed conservative minutes is about to take off aswell. These guy's are all going to be apart of Dallas future and they all probably benefited from staying in school 3-4 years.

How in the world did Dallas manage to snatch up Howard as the 29th overall player in last years draft is beyond me because I don't think there was 10 players better than him coming out of college from Wake Forest. Daniels wasn't even drafted at all and I know there has to be atleast 20 teams kicking themselves in the rear end for this screw up within their scouting department. Harris was a top 5 pick but Dallas had to trade Jamison to acquire him so they obviously did their homework because Jamison is an All-Star player and they saw something Harris that was worth the reward.

Anyway's, even if your not a Mavs fan you have to admit that these three guy's are awfully talented and it's very rare that you find this kind of talent two years in a row especially if your drafting late in the first round as a result of your team being a perenial playoff contender. Props to Donnie and Don Nelson not to mention that they also stole Dirk from Milwaukee for Robert "Tractor" Traylor about 6 years ago.

[PopoWRX]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

Yea, excellent young players to keep my mind from thinking about the Drew Bledsoe era!

[PopoWRX]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

Yea, excellent young players to keep my mind from thinking about the Drew Bledsoe era!

[utexas]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

We do have a pretty impressive collection of young talent, remeber Dirk is just 26 and Terry is just 27. Now if we can hit on one of the big men projects!!

[utexas]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

We do have a pretty impressive collection of young talent, remeber Dirk is just 26 and Terry is just 27. Now if we can hit on one of the big men projects!!

[Playmakers]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

We do have a pretty impressive collection of young talent, remeber Dirk is just 26 and Terry is just 27. Now if we can hit on one of the big men projects!!

MBENGA-unleash this 7'0 beast in two years.

[Playmakers]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

We do have a pretty impressive collection of young talent, remeber Dirk is just 26 and Terry is just 27. Now if we can hit on one of the big men projects!!

MBENGA-unleash this 7'0 beast in two years.

[utexas]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

I think its alot sooner than that.

[utexas]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

I think its alot sooner than that.

[Freelance]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

I was at the game last night, five rows up baseline. It's so great to see Daniels back. Howard is my favorite player, but Daniels is like a carbon copy with better inside post moves. Harris just gets better and better, too. Loved him at Wisconsin, and by mid-next year, we'll forget all about Nash.

[Freelance]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

I was at the game last night, five rows up baseline. It's so great to see Daniels back. Howard is my favorite player, but Daniels is like a carbon copy with better inside post moves. Harris just gets better and better, too. Loved him at Wisconsin, and by mid-next year, we'll forget all about Nash.

[cdubdiggity]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

I was at the game last night, five rows up baseline. It's so great to see Daniels back. Howard is my favorite player, but Daniels is like a carbon copy with better inside post moves. Harris just gets better and better, too. Loved him at Wisconsin, and by mid-next year, we'll forget all about Nash.

lol yea howard and daniels do kkinda play the same game....and I was jus thinkin this last night. Dallas imho has the best team in the league when it comes to depth

[cdubdiggity]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

I was at the game last night, five rows up baseline. It's so great to see Daniels back. Howard is my favorite player, but Daniels is like a carbon copy with better inside post moves. Harris just gets better and better, too. Loved him at Wisconsin, and by mid-next year, we'll forget all about Nash.

lol yea howard and daniels do kkinda play the same game....and I was jus thinkin this last night. Dallas imho has the best team in the league when it comes to depth

[Playmakers]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

Mavs allowed to toot own horns

Van Horn adds to depth and talent, especially with return of Daniels


08:54 PM CST on Friday, February 25, 2005




If the Mavericks can survive, and even prosper, as they have in the wake of losing Steve Nash, they certainly can do both in the aftermath of what was essentially a swap of reserve center Calvin Booth for a career-long starter at forward in Keith Van Horn.

And they will, especially given that defensive specialist Alan Henderson, who also was dealt to Milwaukee in the deal, was waived Friday by the Bucks and was expected to be rescued from free-agent waters as soon as possible by the Mavericks. That should happen Tuesday after Henderson clears waivers. His fat contract ought to keep him afloat until then.

That will mean that the Mavericks added a guy (Van Horn) who, before he was hurt, was averaging 17 points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes for the Bucks in place of a fellow (Booth) who was scoring two points and grabbing as many rebounds in seven minutes a game.

I'd jump on that as fast as Don Nelson did. Let us not confuse Booth or Henderson with Bill Russell, or Van Horn with Chris Anstey.

Van Horn can score, shoot, rebound and block a shot every now and then. He won't be asked to counter Shaq. Can he stop Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett? No. Duncan and Garnett are the only ones who can shackle the other, and Garnett's Timberwolves don't pose a threat anymore, either.

"We had a very big interest in [Clifford] Robinson at Golden State," Nelson said Friday. "We were very interested in [Donyell] Marshall.

"And in the last hour, we never even dreamed that Van Horn would be available. Donnie [Nelson] woke me up at 10 in the morning ... and said you better get down here, something's hot. But we were looking for that kind of player and he fell right in our lap."

How best to judge the trade? Easy. If the Mavericks lose home-court advantage in the playoffs, it will have been a failure. If they can move up in the conference standings and avoid a second-round playoff matchup with the best team in the league, Duncan's Spurs, then this swap will have been a success. If it gets them past the Spurs, it will have been a steal.

"With Avery [Johnson] here cracking the whip on the defensive end, our emphasis is still going to be there," Nellie promised.

But this last-minute deal isn't the most important thing that has happened to the Mavericks since the All-Star break, which they entered with a four-game winning streak that on Thursday grew to six. Instead, it is the return to health of second-year point guard Marquis Daniels, who really made it possible for the Mavericks to pass on ensuring that Nash remain in Dallas for good. In his first start since early December, Daniels managed 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists against the Kings' should-be All-Star lead guard Mike Bibby.

Dirk Nowitzki is the MVP on this team, and Van Horn can spare him some wear the rest of the regular season and keep him fresher for the playoffs. Michael Finley is the leader.

But Daniels is the X-factor.

"We've been waiting on him all year," Nellie said. "Marquis opens so many avenues for me, because I have point guards who aren't really true point guards, except for D.A. [Darrell Armstrong]. Marquis can give me a post-up game, can give me a point forward, or he can actually play the point. He's got the uncanny ability to make that little hard 8-, 10-foot jump shot. And he does it so easy.

"I'm just shocked that we have as good a record and we haven't had him all year. Last night [Thursday], he was really a dominant player."

Daniels represents one of the ironies about the Mavericks since they've been put under the full Nelson of Don and Donnie. All these years Don and Donnie have looked like Columbus and Magellan combing the world for basketball gems, and they've found one: Dirk. But it's homegrown talents like Daniels and second-year swingman Josh Howard of late who've turned into the real difference-makers.

"He [Daniels] was one of our best players last year," Nellie reminded. "We thought he'd really be a star this year."

Where would this club have been a year ago without Daniels and Howard and where would they be this year? They wouldn't be daring as they are right now to be the second-best team in the West, that's for sure. A healthy Van Horn won't subtract from that.

[Playmakers]

Re: The new Tripletts in Big D...Howard/Daniels/Harris

Mavs allowed to toot own horns

Van Horn adds to depth and talent, especially with return of Daniels


08:54 PM CST on Friday, February 25, 2005




If the Mavericks can survive, and even prosper, as they have in the wake of losing Steve Nash, they certainly can do both in the aftermath of what was essentially a swap of reserve center Calvin Booth for a career-long starter at forward in Keith Van Horn.

And they will, especially given that defensive specialist Alan Henderson, who also was dealt to Milwaukee in the deal, was waived Friday by the Bucks and was expected to be rescued from free-agent waters as soon as possible by the Mavericks. That should happen Tuesday after Henderson clears waivers. His fat contract ought to keep him afloat until then.

That will mean that the Mavericks added a guy (Van Horn) who, before he was hurt, was averaging 17 points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes for the Bucks in place of a fellow (Booth) who was scoring two points and grabbing as many rebounds in seven minutes a game.

I'd jump on that as fast as Don Nelson did. Let us not confuse Booth or Henderson with Bill Russell, or Van Horn with Chris Anstey.

Van Horn can score, shoot, rebound and block a shot every now and then. He won't be asked to counter Shaq. Can he stop Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett? No. Duncan and Garnett are the only ones who can shackle the other, and Garnett's Timberwolves don't pose a threat anymore, either.

"We had a very big interest in [Clifford] Robinson at Golden State," Nelson said Friday. "We were very interested in [Donyell] Marshall.

"And in the last hour, we never even dreamed that Van Horn would be available. Donnie [Nelson] woke me up at 10 in the morning ... and said you better get down here, something's hot. But we were looking for that kind of player and he fell right in our lap."

How best to judge the trade? Easy. If the Mavericks lose home-court advantage in the playoffs, it will have been a failure. If they can move up in the conference standings and avoid a second-round playoff matchup with the best team in the league, Duncan's Spurs, then this swap will have been a success. If it gets them past the Spurs, it will have been a steal.

"With Avery [Johnson] here cracking the whip on the defensive end, our emphasis is still going to be there," Nellie promised.

But this last-minute deal isn't the most important thing that has happened to the Mavericks since the All-Star break, which they entered with a four-game winning streak that on Thursday grew to six. Instead, it is the return to health of second-year point guard Marquis Daniels, who really made it possible for the Mavericks to pass on ensuring that Nash remain in Dallas for good. In his first start since early December, Daniels managed 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists against the Kings' should-be All-Star lead guard Mike Bibby.

Dirk Nowitzki is the MVP on this team, and Van Horn can spare him some wear the rest of the regular season and keep him fresher for the playoffs. Michael Finley is the leader.

But Daniels is the X-factor.

"We've been waiting on him all year," Nellie said. "Marquis opens so many avenues for me, because I have point guards who aren't really true point guards, except for D.A. [Darrell Armstrong]. Marquis can give me a post-up game, can give me a point forward, or he can actually play the point. He's got the uncanny ability to make that little hard 8-, 10-foot jump shot. And he does it so easy.

"I'm just shocked that we have as good a record and we haven't had him all year. Last night [Thursday], he was really a dominant player."

Daniels represents one of the ironies about the Mavericks since they've been put under the full Nelson of Don and Donnie. All these years Don and Donnie have looked like Columbus and Magellan combing the world for basketball gems, and they've found one: Dirk. But it's homegrown talents like Daniels and second-year swingman Josh Howard of late who've turned into the real difference-makers.

"He [Daniels] was one of our best players last year," Nellie reminded. "We thought he'd really be a star this year."

Where would this club have been a year ago without Daniels and Howard and where would they be this year? They wouldn't be daring as they are right now to be the second-best team in the West, that's for sure. A healthy Van Horn won't subtract from that.