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1. I have come here to chew bubblegum...: Mark Cuban isn't one for subtlety. This summer he was determined to acquire Chandler Parsons. It was a personal mission. Daryl Morey, GM of the Houston Rockets, swiped Dwight Howard from Cuban's grasp a few years ago, after all. It's not surprising that Cuban wanted to "kick [Morey's] ass" this summer. I had the opportunity to attend Morey's ping pong tournament in Las Vegas during Summer League. Morey was out for blood that night on the tables. I guess Cuban got to him.
2. Overpaid?: Speaking of Parsons, there are some that still believe that Dallas gave Parsons too much money. These folks clearly aren't the type who are out to kick some ass and I'm guessing that they don't fully grasp the concept of restricted free agents. Remember Marcin Gortat and Otis Smith? You can bet Cuban does. None the less, Parsons came in at number nine on ESPN's small forward projection list. Not too shabby.
3. Have it all: Monta, Monta, Monta! Well, what do you know? Looks like Monta Ellis has turned some heads. He ranks third in ESPN's shooting guard projection list. Is this the same player that Basketball Twitter collectively bemoaned just a few years ago? Obviously not. Ellis has evolved in Dallas under the tutelage of Rick Carlisle. He still has some flaws but no one is perfect. So, who ranks higher than Ellis? James Harden comes in at number one (I guess defense doesn't matter) and Dwyane Wade ranks second. Wait, what? Yeah, okay, sure...I mean, he looked sooooo great in the playoffs. Whatever, it's not my list.
4. Beat the system: The two previous posts are ESPN Insider links. Uggh, so frustrating, right? Don't worry, I got you. Read what was written about Parsons and Ellis right here. The Dallas Morning News was kind enough to print the blurbs about them for free plus some added #analysis. Internet!
5. You're welcome: It's not just the players and coaches that are getting ready for the upcoming season. The Mavs Dancers are also gearing up and adding some new members. Take a look: