Jeff Caplan ranks the top five shooting guards in the draft. None of them are expected to be available at 34. Marcus Williams, who I really like and should be available, is listed in the best of the rest category. Williams is also who DraftExpress has Dallas taking in their latest Mock.
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In another article, Caplan ranks the top five point guards. His #5, Tuarean Green, may be available when the Mavs pick. Personally, I'd prefer either Petteri Koponen or Zabian Dowdell.
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Eddie Sefko preview the draft saying the Mavs won't be getting be getting immediate help at 34. He also quotes Donnie Nelson as being interested in Rice's Morris Almond.
"He's definitely in the mix," president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "I don't think he'll get to 34, but stranger things have happened. Somebody has to get there. Of that group, somebody has to slide, and we just don't know who it is."
Ironically, Draft Express lists Almonds best case scenario as Matt Barnes and worst case as Devean George. Seems like a narrow window.At the bottom of the article, Sefko lists 8 free agents that he feels fit for the Mavs and 8 who don't.
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Bill Ingram at Hoops World thinks The Mavs playoff outcome might have been different with a healthy Dampier.
This is not the official story, and it won't come out in any team press release. But rest assured, as we look back at the 2007 playoffs as a retrospective history of the Mavericks organization it will become clear that the reason the Mavericks went small - essentially trying to beat the Warriors at their own game - it was because they simply didn't have the option to do otherwise. Dampier may not be all that, but he is an integral part of the Mavericks' system. Without him the team simply isn't equipped to stop small, penetrating guards. That's why the Warriors had a field day dancing all over the Mavs.
--------------------Says here that Pops Mensah-Bonsu will be playing for Great Britain in this summers Euro Championships.
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Maurice Ager and Gana Diop are headed to the Vegas Summer League. Ager's a no-brainer and Diop has agreed to go (he's not required under the CBA) to work on his offense.