The train wreck that is called the Washington Wizards have begun to disassemble a talented but highly dysfunctional team that never got untracked and was already reeling, when Gilbert Arenas’ locker room ‘cowboy-tricks-with-guns’ nuked any hope of reaching normalcy and potential for this group.
Buried deep in snow right now, D.C. has decided to plow its way out of a pile of ‘me first’ toxicity that was simply too deeply embedded for coach Flip Saunders to unravel.
Caron Butler aka ‘Tuff Juice’, one of UConn’s prolific swing men who made it big in the NBA, and a fan of Paul Pierce’s, is now a Dallas Maverick.
The Mavericks also receive 7′ Brendon Haywood, an under rated center who will serve them well.
As reported by Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News…
The trade bringing Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to the Mavericks for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, James Singleton and Quinton Ross was approved by the NBA on Saturday evening.
Deshawn Stevenson is a solid defender at the 2 guard spot.
Quick breakdown
Dallas just got quite a bit better. While both are swingmen, Butler is currently better than Josh Howard overall, though both have had their struggles this year. Caron has admittedly styled his game after Pierce’s, though he is more of a Pierce Lite, in my opinion.
Butler’s numbers this season are 16.9 points, 6.7 rebounds. 2.3 assists, FT 87%, FG 42% overall, and 26% from the three point line.
Caron is a two time all star and earlier in his career played with Kobe Bryant in L.A. Josh Howard was an all star as well, but Josh has been slowed by health issues this season.
Kobe on Butler in Sefkos’ article…
“You’re going to love him,” Bryant said. “I hate to say that, but you guys are going to absolutely love him. You put him on a contender and I’m telling you, you’re going to love him. And he’s tough as nails, too.”
Toughness is something that Dallas could really use.
Dallas needed to do something if they really want to be a contender in the west. Faltering of late, they are 2-5 over their last 7, have lost to the Lakers twice (once in a beatdown of 131-96) and are currently 32-20 overall. That won’t get it done if a title is what you are looking for.
What is unclear at this time is where Butler will play. Both he and Shawn Marion are better suited as small forwards. Butler can play some shooting guard (though he hasn’t played there much this season) so the natural assumption is that he will start and play there in place of Jason Terry or Juan Jose Barea. Marion will continue to start at the 3 (small forward), I assume.
It was rumored earlier in the year that Butler was having trouble fitting into in Saunders new offensive system and with teammate Arenas. A fresh start with a playoff bound team should help Caron.
Haywood Will Help
The sleeper part of the trade is 7’ Brenden Haywood, a center, who, not unlike the Celtics own Kendrick Perkins, has quietly improved his game over the years. He gives you 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in 33 minutes this season. He is a defensive factor and offers better balance at the center position than either Drew Gooden or Erik Dampier could give you.
This is the kind of center that Dallas has lacked for years. He has a very efficient, if modest inside game. 77% of his attempts are inside shots and he is scoring at .684 eFG rate. He has length and size and plays a solid interior defense.
Dampier has had troubles with his knees and Haywood takes a load of his shoulders now, though it remains to be seen who starts.
Donn Nelson said that Shawn Marion may move over and play power forward a bit to give Dirk Nowitzki more rest. Marion played power forward at times on the Suns with great effectiveness.
For the Wizards, Howard is solid if not quite up to what he was previously, Drew Gooden is better as a contributor off the bench, but can fill in at the 4 or 5.
Like Stevenson, 6’ 6” Quinton Ross is defensive minded and kind of an even swap, though Stevenson had a bigger role with Washington.
6’ 8” James Singleton has struggled to get minutes and appears to be a throw-in.
Contracts
Josh Howard has this year at $10.9 mil and team option for next season at $11.8 that I doubt will be picked up.
Drew Gooden is $4.5 (expiring)
Quinton Ross is $1 mil with a player option for $1.1 mil in ’11.
James Singleton is $1 mil (expiring)
Caron Butler is at $9.8 mil this season and $10.5 next year.
Brendon Haywood is $6 mil (expiring)
DeShawn Stevenson is $3.8 this season with a player option for $4.1 next year.
Net result: Dallas adds around $1.6 mil. in additional guaranteed money for next season. Haywood will have be dealt with.
Summary
The problem with Dallas hasn’t been talent over the years, though a serious low post game has been largely missing. Dallas has not demonstrated it has the mental toughness and defensive commitment to get beyond teams like Denver or the Lakers.
Will any of that that change with this move?
Not enough to envision them beating either Denver or Los Angeles in a seven game series.
But I’ll leave the door open a bit. Rick Carlisle is a solid coach and I’ll be curious to see how well he can incorporate the new talent in over the last 30 games.
Caron Butler definitely gives Dirk and Dallas a top offensive option to take some of the burden off Nowitzki’s shoulders. Jason Kidd is great at getting people the ball where they work best with it.
Haywood and Stevenson makes the team stronger defensively. They should move up, but how much will be hard to tell. It should make Dallas the 3rd best team in the west.
We will see.
