How to Improve the Mavs

It has been a tumultuous fallout in Dallas: NBA champions to being swept in the first round at the hands of the Thunder. With an aging roster and this current roster's championship window essentially closed, an overhaul will need to take place if Dirk Nowitzki's crew will make it back to last season's stage. Here's three suggestions.

1) Let Jason Terry and Jason Kidd walk (and consider O.J. Mayo and Deron Williams).

Terry is the engine that makes this team go, and Kidd remains on of the best passers in the league. But both aging players require more money than they are worth at this point. Terry's role as a spurt scorer off the bench is replaceable, and Kidd has become a liability on defense and shooting the ball (36%). O.J. Mayo is a guy who needs a change of scenery, and Dallas could be a place where he could play Robin to Dirk as a Terry replacement. And I know it is far-fetched, but all signs are saying that Deron Williams wants out of Brooklyn.

2) Take a flyer on Greg Oden.

Many of you will stop reading here. But hey, why not? Centers are at a premium and Dallas doesn't have a capable starter at the position. While Brendan Haywood is a stellar defender, 5.2 ppg won't cut it for an NBA starter. Oden will be a no-risk option: they can pay him under a million at this point, and if he ever gets healthy, he could be a double-double machine. Odds are he won't, but why not try?

3) Sign Landry Fields.

This is a guy who in New York will never have a chance to break out as long as Carmelo is there. Sure, he's friends with Jeremy Lin and all, but Fields will use his head that got him into Stanford and realize there would be an opportunity in Dallas for him far greater than the one in NYC. He's a young gun who could average 15 a game.

Melo Watch

He's still in Denver, and as the days go on, the chances Carmelo Anthony will stay in Mile High can only increase. He's voiced that he wishes to play under the bright lights in New York, but the Nuggets and Knicks can't seem to work out a deal, much like the current NFL situation. As the February 24 trade deadline approaches, Anthony might end up once again signing with Denver, or becoming a coveted free agent.

Earlier today Knicks GM Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni both declared the Nuggets' asking price for Anthony was to steep. The offer consists of the Nuggets also trading away point guard Chauncey Billups, in exchange for key Knicks players Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton, Eddy Curry's expiring contract, a first-round pick, and a third unnamed starter (Gallinari and Felton are the other two).

Indeed the price for the Knicks would be high, trading away most of Amare Stoudemire's supporting cast. They would be in a similar situation as the Miami Heat, but with two superstars instead of three. It'd be like Miami without James/Wade. However, the Nuggets aren't about to just hand over one of game's best, as earlier expected. A few weeks ago, there were rumors the Knicks would acquire Anthony in a three-team deal that would consist of them only having to surrender talented rookie Landry Fields and a few other players not in the rotation.

Will this deal fall through, an eventual historical swap? Only time will tell. For now both teams, and the players involved, are at least saying that they are playing like nothing is going on.  Certainly the thought of them changing cities is constantly on their minds, but that's part of sports. The fans in New York, they would be ecstatic if Anthony arrived in the Big Apple. But the cost to acquire him may be too great, and may even hurt the team in the long run.

Underachieving

Just when it seemed as if the Miami Heat's struggles were over, and they were well on their way to a championship, they suffer a skid, picking up Ls in five of their last six. The most recent occured earlier tonight: a 93-88 loss courtesy of the Knicks, who coming in were losers of seven straight.

After watching a good amount of the Knicks game, the reason why loomed right out at me, or anyone who knows the tiniest bit about basketball. It's the same problem you would see at an elementary school pick-up game. What's amazing is that coach Erik Spolestra didn't pick up on it at all, or maybe he did, but was afraid to say anything. He might not have wanted to tell LeBron and Wade (but mostly LeBron) to stop hogging the basketball.

Possession after possession in the 4th quarter I'd see the Knicks kick the ball around on offense, set screens, and find Landry Fields or Danilo Gallinari for an open three, or Amare down low, etc. Then Miami would take the ball down, Wade would and hand it off to LeBron (who shot just 7-24 on the night), and the King would dribble around and promptly take an acrobatic, contested J. One guy has the ball, the other four stand there was Miami's offense in the late stages. Not a single rehearsed play was recognizable.

Much of this seems to be at the fault of Spolestra, who is looking like the same inexperienced coach many were begging to be fired after the Heat's mediocre 9-8 start to the season. The timeouts he called amounted to nothing, unless he just repeatedly told his team to run the iso. Because that's all they were doing. The Heat's play looked like their coach either didn't know what he was doing, or didn't have control of the team.

LeBron and Wade are certainly the top players in the game; everyone knows that. But, LeBron especially, needs to realize that he doesn't need to do everything alone, that he has a team around him, regardless of its talent. The guys around him in Miami are certainly much better those in Cleveland, as demonstrated by their current woes. But instead of driving to the hoop every time and throwing up prayers, LeBron should kick it out to James Jones a few more times; the guy's money from beyond, or find a cutter (the few times there is one). I realize he's missing Bosh, but everyone on that team is an NBA player, which means they all have to be at least kind of good. Actually running set plays would help the Heat as well.

I certainly am not one to talk, but I can just see by watching the Heat for a few minutes the problem staring them straight in the eye. If LeBron played more like the point forward he did in Cleveland, top ten in assists, that would drastically improve his play. As power forward filling in for Bosh, he seems to think every time he touches the ball, he must score. The Heat will be fine as the season goes on, but this current stretch shows that they haven't jelled just yet.