Dallas and Cents: 8/16/12

I'm having basketball withdrawal.

• Randy Galloway of the Star-Telegram actually writes a very positive, optimistic column on the Mavericks after the Dwight Howard trade. I believe this is one of the first big, main-stream media types to actually praise Dallas for its efforts in working on the fly and constructing a pretty solid team.
• Our buddy Earl K. Sneed over at Mavs.com wonders if the 12-13 season will be a breakout one for young guard Dominique Jones. Before the additions of Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo, it seemed likely that Jones could have a breakout season, just due to a substantial minutes upgrade. Now, not so much. Jones could still breakout and impress if his jumper really has gotten better, but that Rick Carlisle quote isn't exactly a glowing endorsement. It sounds like he's being poked by a cattle prod the entire time he's saying that quote.
• The 76ers introduced Andrew Bynum the other day, and he says all the right things. Like all top-tier pending free agents, Bynum has been linked to Dallas on multiple occasions, although Bynum sounds like he's very much going to re-sign with Philadelphia after the season. Our own Andrew Tobolowsky (say that five times fast. Ready? GO!) will go into the matter in more detail later today, but basically, don't get your hopes up on Bynum coming to Dallas. On a personal note, I'm not sure how well Bynum would fit in with Dirk Nowitzki, but he's such a talent that it'd probably be worth it in the long run.
• David Hughes of the Tribune-Star caught up with former Portland Trail Blazer and No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden and got Oden to open up and give some pretty great quotes. It seems Oden is realistic about his chances of playing next season and says that 2013-2014 is a more likely target for return...if he even returns at all. It sounds like Oden is starting to realize he might not ever play basketball again and trying to accept that fate. He's still working to come back, but he's being a realist about his devastating injuries. Why do I bring this up? Well, the Mavericks don't have a center for the 2013-2014 season under contract. If Dallas is forced to once again scramble to rebuild a roster, Oden could be a potential high-risk, low-reward candidate. Oden was pretty damn fantastic when he was actually on the court a few years ago. If he can somehow get close to that level again, he'd be a wonderful front-court mate for Dirk Nowitzki.
• NBA.com has a nice post featuring which NBA players have played the most, combining minutes played from the regular season, playoffs and the Olympics. It's really nice to not see Dirk Nowitzki near that list.
• Remember Kevin Martin? Of course you do! Martin is currently a two-guard for the Rockets, a player that offers little on the defensive end but is an efficient scoring machine. Martin has been someone I've wanted to see in a Mavericks uniform for some time, but with O.J. Mayo, the Mavericks have their new two-guard. Rahat Huq of Red94.com details the dilemma that now faces the Rockets, who really have no use for Martin anymore, especially with the drafting of Jeremy Lamb. If the Mavericks didn't sign O.J. Mayo, I'd be in full-support of finding a way to make him get to Dallas. That time has passed now and I wonder where Martin will ultimately end up now that most teams are finished with their off-season moves.