Mark Cuban: Mavs Better Off Without Deron Williams

by Eldon Khorshidi | @eldonadam

Mark Cuban has been in the news quite a lot recently, making a slew of bold statements. Well, those statements may pale in comparison to his most recent remark, which is probably the boldest of them all—Cuban, whose Dallas Mavericks made an all-out effort to sign then-free agent Deron Williams, believes Dallas is actually in a much better situation without the star point guard on its roster. Um, huh? In all fairness, only time will tell how things pan out, but on the surface, Cuban’s remarks are a bit mind-boggling. From a purely basketball standpoint, it could be a fair point. From a purely personal standpoint, though, one could say someone is still a bit salty that Deron chose Brooklyn over his hometown Mavs.

More details, via FoxSportsSouthwest.com:

The Mavericks owner said Tuesday that the team is actually better off with Williams not on the roster. ”In hindsight, I don’t know if I would have been happy,” Cuban, a guest on the Ben and Skin Show on 103.3 [KESN-FM], said of the possibility of inking Williams to a long-term, maximum contract. “I think we’re in better position now then we would’ve been if we’d gotten him.” Wait. What? ”I don’t want to pick on Deron Williams because he’s a great, great, great, great player, so it’s not necessarily him per se,” Cuban said. “Obviously the decision was to go for him. But the conversation was, ‘OK, once you take $17.1 million in salary to what we have with Dirk and [Shawn Marion], then what do you do?’ That’s your squad. And it’s not just your squad for this year, it’s your squad for next year, other than the $3.3 million mini mid-level [exception]. ”So, that was a challenge that we had because we want to win. Everybody talks about Dirk’s window, but not only would it have been difficult to add players, it also would have been difficult to trade players. In reality, that was the same problem that Deron had. Because he looked and saw the same thing and said, ‘Now what are you going to do?’” In regards to not attending the final face-to-face July meeting with Williams, Cuban said: “Obviously, I had a conflict, but I was texting him. I was texting him. We were going back and forth quite a bit.”

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Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Deron Williams, Mark Cuban

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http://slamonline.com Allenp

Explain Bird as number one.
I don’t know how we can make that argument. It would be different if he came to Boston with nothing and then dominated, but when he came, Red also made the trade that got Parish, who was a beast in his own right. And they copped DJ and McHale.
I say
1. Wilt
2. Kareem
3. Shaq
4. Oscar
5. LeBron
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Gin%C3%B3bili nbk

You have Oscar over LeBron even though Oscar’s only title came with Kareem? – as a game changer, i think LeBron is right behind Shaq. In terms of turning a team into a contender. I’d put Jordan above him too actually.
MirChilly

Admiral???? I can understand your logic but top 5? Naw… Rose is a game-charger. He can lead bad teams to the playoffs, something that deron hasn’t proven he can do. But Deron on a good team can make it very good and if all cylinders are hitting (Dirk in ’11) he can make them great. But he isn’t the type of player who takes a 30 win team to 50. Them players are extremely few and far between
http://www.slamonline.com L.E.

I’m still not giving Dwight that game changer role.
He is a beast, but does need other players to carry the scoring load for him in many games, scenes. One can argue, that he never had the possibility to show everything in Orlando, but thats something, that will not change in LA. When he went to the finals with ORL he really had some offensive weapons and his squad was a real team, back then. (Hedo,Jameer,Rafer,Rashard,Gortat as decent backup). I know the names are not that big, but they were all ballin’. They of course benefited on defense having Dwight, but they did their thing on offense.
So I’m not convinced, that he can carry a team in a way, LeBron does.
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

Tyler, good point. I was on the fence about KD but I’m too much of an admirer of his game not to have him on there even though we have never and probably never will see just how well he can carry a bad supporting cast. I wouldn’t have had him on there a year ago but after watching him play during the RS into the Playoffs all the way to his Finals peformance (which was significantly better than LeBron’s 2007/11 Finals showing) and finally in the Olympics, I’m a little bit more certain in having KD on the 2nd tier of gamechangers.
http://slamonline.com Datkid

MikeC: why are magic and MJ not on the list?
http://slamonline.com Datkid

and allen. if a game changer is someone who can make a bad team good, make a good team great, and can drag a good team deep into the playoffs.. is Nash a game changer? and if so, would you say 1st? or 2nd tier? is prime J.Kidd?
http://slamonline.com Allenp

Oscar didn’t win a title, but his team was in contention every year. Losing to Russell and the Celtics is not shameful which is why both Oscar and Wilt are on my list. They had clearly inferior teams compared to some of them contemporaries, but based on their level of amazingness, those teams were contenders.
From what I’ve read at least.
http://slamonline.com Datkid

lmaoooo @ deron can’t lead bad teams to the playoffs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Gin%C3%B3bili nbk

oh alright, that makes perfect sense. I wasn’t thinking about the Celtic buzzsaw
http://slamonline.com Allenp

Rose never took a bad team to the playoffs. The Bulls team that drafted him was one year removed from the playoffs when they got him, and they had a string of high draft picks thanks to Isiah Thomas. Kill that noise on Rose. Deron struggled in New Jersey, but before that, he had basically the same talent as Rose and was having the same sort of success in a tougher conference. There is not a huge disparity between Deron’s Utah teams and Rose’s Chicago teams. Not at all.
Nash never made a bad team good. That’s a media myth. But he was still pretty awesome in Phoenix, and he was a second tier game changer in his second MVP year. I’m actually not as upset as I once was about that second MVP. The first is still a problem, but the second one is less bothersome now. I still think Kobe or LeBron should have got it though.
http://slamonline.com Datkid

fair enough allen. LE I’ll happily give dwight that game changer title. yes he doesn’t score as much as other great centers. but part of that is the team and coach, who really should be force feeding dwight the ball every time down the floor remember that 46/45 game he had against Atlanta in 11? against “dwight stopper” Jason Collins? the only person who can legit stop dwight is perkins and not without garnett’s frantic help defense. One on One nobody his size can match his combination of strength and quickness. w/ the right coach dwight will give you more than enough offense.
http://slamonline.com Datkid

I’ll also slide cp3 into that 2nd tier game changer slot. we forget that he hasn’t been healthy in 2 years. he took NO to the wcf right? w/ nobody but David West and a not quite there yet Tyson Chandler. homie scores and defends at an elite level and his shot is quickly becoming elite. plus looking at him in the olympics he’s finally regained the majority of his quickness.
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

My Top-3 all-time game changers:
1. MJ- those late 80s Bulls teams (before Grant/Pip blossomed) went toe-to-toe numerous times with an all-time great Pistons squad)
2. LeBron- 07 Cavs. nothing else needs to be said
3. Kareem- Hooked up with a past-his-prime Oscar and won the ’71 Championship and 60+ games the next two seasons.
I stopped at 3, quite a few cats that I had in mind failed to even lead their teams to the playoffs a couple of times in their prime (Wilt/Oscar).
http://Slamonline.com Tyler

Jtaylor I admit KD’s game a lot too. I think he can get buckets at ease no matter the defense. But that also applies to Carmelo who is known as an outstanding scorer and bad bad teams. I just think Durant couldn’t contribute enough in any other stat than scoring to help a bad team out. I think if we switched Carmelo and Kevin’s careers as far as year and team drafted by, we would think of Carmelo as this prolific scorer and overall great player while we would just think KD is just some scorer on on mediocre teams.
MikeC.

@AllenP -my bad. It’s just a list, not a ranking. I put Bird first because he popped into my mind first, no actual reason.
@MrChilly – for Admiral, I just looked at the sorry roster he had to work with, and how he completely changed the Spurs as a legit NBA force. Sure they didn’t win it all without TD, but one season sans Admiral allowed the Spurs to suck enough to win the lottery and get Duncan.
I didn’t include Jordan because his true impact wasn’t felt until he’d been in the L for a few seasons. Magic could be on the top-5 list in anybody’s spot. He was a tough cut.
IAMORANGE4EVER

Mark Cuban is delusional.
bike

You could probably throw George Mikan into the mix. In addition to multiple titles, he forced two big rule changes in the NBA (wider lane and shot clock). I know he’s before everyone’s time but he does have the honor of the first true big man.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Gin%C3%B3bili nbk

he didn’t force the shot clock rule. teams playing keep away because they had the lead caused the shot clock. specifically, though, you could point to a game Mikan played in that ended with a final score of 19-18 because the opposing team didn’t want him making too big of an impact. But all teams did the same thing, the League couldn’t attract fans. Which was the main reason they implemented the shot clock.
http://Slamonline.com Datkid

Tyler. Durant is much more efficient and a much harder worker than melo. I think they would be seem they same way they’re seen now
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

Tyler. the thing is KD’s better in every aspect of scoring except for post game than Melo. He’s a better shooter (from mid/3/FT), better catching/shooting, better playing off-the-ball, slightly better handles, better at converting around the basket. He just as dangerous with the ball as he is without. Going into his 6th season, he is already a better rebounder, passer and defender than Melo.
Those DEN squads and the current Knick team will be much better with KD as their go-to guy than they were and are with Melo.
MirChilly

@MikeC… I understood your logic for Admiral, he def changed that franchise but when I think of game-changer, he doesn’t really fit the mold. Also being a game changer is really less about winning titles. JKidd was a absolute game-changer in his prime. Same for payton, pippen, Grant Hill and others.

In terms of today’s current batch of players, Deron is not a game-changer. His Utah teams was extremely functional and talented. Great coach, Great system with good to very good players. He was a piece of it, but a piece in the sense a qb is to a prolific college spread offense. You can win games with him but he isn’t going to elevate you to super elite championship status. I think that is the point Cuban is making. He already has that type of player in Dirk, so if your gonna add a player like Deron, you will still need the cap room to have a JJ or jason terry, tyson, marion, kidd, deshawn stevenson which they wouldn’t have been able to do. Only 3 players currently fit that mold (Lebron, Durant, Rose… kobe is old now). The nets will be nothing but a 2nd rd team that can get bumped in the 1st rd by the right team. Point blank
http://Slamonline.com Tyler

I don’t think so. They both just score. That may seem pretty narrow minded but it’s true. KD would have been a ball dominant player in Den and wouldn’t mesh well with Amare. Carmelo would be just fine in OKC and they would probably be close to their level now
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Gin%C3%B3bili nbk

.Melo just shot 43% from the field last season to score 23 points on 18.6 shots a game.
.Durant just shot 50% from the field last season to score 28 points on 19.7 shots
.
It’s safe to say that Durant is the better scorer.
http://Slamonline.com Tyler

I never said he wasn’t. I think both are just scorers. I think KD could be much more than that but as of now they’re both scorers playing in totally different environments
http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

@nba: do you really think durants numbers wouldve been much better if he wouldve played under the same circumstances as melo did in that knick roster / system / rollercoaster season? probably a bit but i dont think it wouldve been such a great difference between these guys. durant is a better scorer but when melo plays in the right system like he did with billups when they made it to the conf finals with denver then the difference between both is not too big.
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

KD’s ability to play off the ball is one of the reasons why he excels playing next to two ball-dominant players (Russ/Harden). I think he will do just fine playing next to Amare and on those DEN teams that lived to run/shoot.
http://www.nba.com/knicks danpowers

nbk, not nba. sry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manu_Gin%C3%B3bili nbk

I think Durant would have scored over 30 a game in New York.
Allenp

Why do you keep throwing Rose on this list? He is not better nor has he ever been netter than Deron.
http://Slamonline.com Datkid

I think KD might actually have done better in Denver. How much better do you think KD would have been with guys like Andre Miller, and Chauncey Billups feeding him the ball instead of Eric Maynor and Russell Westbrook? and since KD can play off the ball, he would have done fine next to A.I. And George Karl is superior too Scott Brooks as well. And cosign JTAYLOR… Durant would’ve been just fine next to Amare, in fact KD passes and rebounds more than melo so he’s probably a better fit there too.
http://Slamonline.com Datkid

Very soon KD will be able to do more than “just score” melo has been in the league for 10 years and can’t say the same
http://slamonline.com LakeShow

I’m of the kind that says KD is already doing more.
His passing has improved over the course of his career.
His defense is no longer below average.
He rebounds better than anyone else at the SF position.
He is one of the best 3 point shooters in the L if not “the best”.
He is efficient.
He has a good head on his shoulders and isn’t showing signs of succumbing to the pressures before him.
KD is AMAZING.
The same can’t be said of Melo.
LA Huey

KD has surpassed Melo. There isn’t a situation where Melo could thrive and KD wouldn’t. The same can’t be said for Melo.
http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

Allenp about to get me started on the whole Rose leading a bad team to the playoffs topic.
davidR

the year the nuggets went to the conference finals and lost to the lakers, they had an easy ride to get there. a crippled hornets team, then a weak dallas team.
look what happened the next year.
also, dirk was destroying the nuggets that year, but had no help. check his numbers. had to be his best playoff series statistically
http://www.slamonline.com nbk

Slic Allen is going to tell you the same thing about that bulls team as I did
derby

Off topic ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^°°°^^^^^^
http://Slamonline.com Tyler

I’m not trying to say Melo > KD. Im saying you view KD as you do now if he were to play in Den/NY? Those teams wouldn’t have been much if any better off. If Melo were to be putting up his exact stats but play for OKC would be seen as a more respectable player? I’m not saying change wins or losses or any of that. Just switch players.
http://www.xvideos.com nbk troll

Smart money is on melo. Kd is great too. Also don’t sleep on rudy gay.
http://www.kb24.com The Seed

Lebron in any top 5 game changer is crap. What did he do the last five years, before OKC choked a title away. Also Melo is a better overall player than KD. KD plays smooth and has no fire like Westbrook plays with. Melo is better in how he plays, at least he leaves it all on the court, unlike KD. KD is not what makes OKC a tough team, anybody that knows basketball understands what Westbrook does for OKC and KD.
http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

OKC wouldn’t be as good as they are with Melo as they have been the past 2 seasons with KD at the helm, so I doubt Melo garners the same respect KD currently enjoys. It’s hard to gain respect when the teams you have been on fail time and time again to advance deep into the postseason.
http://www.slamonline.com nbk

I think the seed decides more arguments (albeit on accident) then any commenter here. Good work.
http://Slamonline.com Tyler

@Seed seriously? LeBron James can take over any game and win it by himself. His whole time at the cabs he carried those teams 100% by himself. Lebron took a team with Boobie Gibson, Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes on it to the finals. Didn’t he score 35 straight on the then powerful Pistons? Lebron is the biggest game changer in the L now. Any team you put Bron on instantly is a threat for a deep playoff run.
http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

It doesn’t matter, I know what I speak of because I watched damn near every bulls game the 09-10 season and like I stated before, he carried that team into the playoffs. You can sit up here and say that wasn’t a bad team because Noah, deng and kirk were on it but that would be a mistake on your part for not putting things in there proper context. Kirk was on the decline, he hadn’t had a good season since 2006-7. Deng wasn’t meeting expectations and the bulls wanted to ship him out that season, He would of been gone if not for his contract that nobody wanted. Noah was having his best season to date with the bulls and was the second best player on the team that season. The bulls were one of the worst shooting teams in the league, They were at the bottom five in terms of shooting. Not to mention, Vinny del negro was the coach. Rose struggled in the Beginning of the season and the bulls were getting blown out consistently but all that changed when Rose started to play much better and he won a couple player of the week awards and stan van gundy noticed and said Rose and Durant are the two best young players in the league. He also said he took notice of how much better the bulls are when Rose got out of his early season slump and started playing much better. Bulls went on a five game winning streak against winning teams on the road(the only team to do so) and Rose was the main catalyst outplaying Parker, Aaron Brooks, Westbrook, Nash(game he dunked on dragic) in the process. Noah & Rose got injured and the bulls went on a losing streak for ten straight games and the bulls lost playoff position. The raptors gained their position and Rose guaranteed the Bulls would not be missing the playoffs and they didn’t after Rose played stellar enough the last month of the season to Win player of the month carrying his team past the raptors into the playoffs to face Lebron and the Cavs.
http://Slamonline.com Tyler

Wasn’t Ben Gordon on that team? He may not have been a leader but he could score buckets in a hurry.
http://www.kb24.com The Seed

@Tyler
See Lebron riders think he won the title. OKC lost it. Go rewatch the games. Also it was 25 straight on Pistons, but happend after that. He got swept out of NBA FInals. Lebron is not a game changer off of one season. Lebron needs to be consistent, because he played better, but OKC didn’t play zone on the Heat, didn’t challenge Bron. Let Bron walk and make layups, nobody got in his face or nothing. KD is not that dude and Bron punked him in the friend zone. Lebron is not number one. Rose is doing more with less since being on the BUlls.
http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

@tyler no, ben wasn’t on that team, he left for the pistons.
IAMORANGE4EVER

Team success in the playoffs always shoves a dirty sock in the mouth of the haters.
Rainman

@ allen: i’d liek to bring ap oint up, about ur nash argument a lto of comments ago. Nash took a team arguably worse in talent than deron williams nets, to a .500 record, in the western conference. I have no issue with him being considered a “2nd tier” difference maker. But to say he doesnt make bad teams good is where the myth is to me. Who did he have to work with? he made gortat a 16 point scorer. Who else was there? Frye? lol come on. Dudley? love the guy, but he isnt all that talented, jsut mad hustle, and can shoot when he has shots *created* for him. A 40 year old grant hill? Who? u can argue chris paul can lead that team to .500 too, but what other pg cud?

Mark Cuban: Mavs Better Off Without Deron Williams

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