The Stars should trade Jaromir Jagr but can't

Even in this lockout shortened season of 48 games the Dallas Stars are hurriedly getting to another off-season by again skipping the playoffs. That should help spike season ticket sales.

They are 16-16-3 for 35 points, good for 12th in the Western Conference. They are only three points behind St. Louis for eighth place but a 4-0 loss on Monday night against Anaheim isn't exactly good for morale.

The team remains all-in with the young players, which is why general manager Joe Nieuwendyk needs to trade veteran center Jaromir Jagr before the NHL's trade deadline on Wednesday.

Signing Jagr to a one-year deal has worked out - he has 14 goals and 12 assists in 34 games and clearly still has something left. But if the team is going to be so committed to its young players and Jagr can get something of value in return, it would be best to move the 41-year-old forward.

Here is the rub - there is absolutely no trust in the man making the trade. Between the lopsided trade of James Neal, the extension of Kari Lehtonen and some coaching hires that have not clicked, the faith in Nieuwendyk's ability to make the right move is at a new all-time low.

Dealing Jagr for a prospect makes the most sense, but considering who is pulling the trigger on the deal you may as well cross your fingers the Stars can catch the eighth seed and ride out this nice production from the future Hall of Famer.

 

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Dallas Stars trade one of FW/d's all-time great guys

This day was coming but it is sad nonetheless: According to TSN.ca, the Dallas Stars have traded veteran forward Brenden Morrow to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Brenden Morrow agreed to waive his no-trade clause to complete the deal. In return, the Stars receive a package that will include defenseman Joe Morrow.

According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Stars sent Brenden Morrow and a third round pick to Pittsburgh for Joe Morrow and a fifth round selection.

Here is top hoping Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk doesn't get fleeced on this deal with the Pens the way he did when he sent James Neal up there for Alex Goligoski.

Brenden Morrow, 34, was going to be a free agent after the season and all signs pointed to the Stars not resigning him in the summer. He was the 25th selection by the Stars in the 1997 draft and broke in the fall of '99. 

Since then, Morrow was one of the most decent and professional pro jocks this area has known. His performance against the San Jose Sharks in the 2008 Western Conference semi-finals was one of the most physically dominant and inspiring performances this franchise has ever seen. The Stars reached the Western Conference Finals that season, and have not returned to the playoffs.

The problem was the team around Brenden Morrow was not good enough, and his to-the-wall style does not age well.

Morrow had been the captain, and the soul of this team. The decision to trade him is another sign the Stars are turning over their keys to their stable of young guys, led by center Jamie Benn.

In 29 games this season, Morrow has six goals and 11 points in 29 games.

He is a great guy who deserves the chance to compete on a team that has a shot at the Stanley Cup, which the Penguins do.

Best of luck to Brenden Morrow. Wish him the best on Twitter @Minimo1zero.

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Depressing stats for Dirk Nowitzki

Not that anyone is noticing, but the Dallas Mavericks lost at home on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. The Mavs are 32-36, and four wins behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

There are many reasons for this reality - cough-cough Tyson Chandler cough-cough - but one of the bigger is the decline of Dirk Nowitzki. He is either not looking for his shot, the ball is being forced out of his hands, age (34), the recovering from his surgery thing, etc. All of the reasons are legit, but what we are seeing is the worst season for Dirk since he was a rookie.

Dirk is averaging 16.4 points per game, his lowest since he was a rookie in 1998-'99 when he averaged 8.2 points.

The most alarming number is that he is averaging just 13.2 shots per game, his lowest since that first season. That figure is tied with guard O.J. Mayo to lead the team. This shouldn't even be a contest; Dirk should he averaging around 16 to 17 shots per game, which is the approximate average for his career.

Against the Nets, he had 10 field goal attempts (made 8) while Chris Kaman and Mike James each attempted more shots. That's insane.

Right now Mayo leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game.

The last time Dirk didn't lead the Mavs in scoring was 1999-2000 when Michael Finley had that dinstinction.

You want to win more, get the ball in the hands of your best player and let him do his thing.

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Former Maverick helping his team make a playoff push

Forward Dahntay Jones didn't do a lot in his brief time with the Dallas Mavericks before he was traded to Atlanta, but on Wednesday night he did his former team a major solid by knocking out Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers have been hot of late, and were into the eighth seed in the Western Conference thanks largely to Bryant. But the Lakers are now in serious dog-doo and may miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005 thanks to a former Mav.

The Atlanta Hawks were leading the Los Angeles Lakers by two late on Wednesday night when Kobe went up for a long jumper with Jones guarding him. Kobe turned his left ankle on the play is out indefinitely.

The question whether the play was dirty. Looked clean to me.

  

 

 

 

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Jerry drafts vs. Parcells drafts - the results are scary

This week, tight end John Phillips signed with the San Diego Chargers; that leaves none of the 12 players who were drafted by the Cowboys in 2009 still with the team. That is one of the primary reasons this team is in such mediocre shape - the guts of a team in 2013 should be comprised by a few guys from 2009.

One of the criticisms the people at Valley Ranch had towards former head coach Bill Parcells was they thought he wasn't much in the way of running a draft. Take a look at the four drafts of the Cowboys' run by Parcells, and the four immediately after he left.

2003 (Parcells)
Terence Newman, DB. Pro Bowler. Still in the league.
Al Johnson, C. Played and started for a while; 5 NFL seasons. Too small.
Jason Witten, TE. Likely Hall of Famer.
Bradie James, LB. 9 seasons with Cowboys. Solid player. Now with Texans.
B.J. Tucker, CB. Never made it.
Zuriel Smith, WR. Never made it.
Justin Bates, G. Never made it.

2004 (Parcells)
Julius Jones, RB. Four seasons in Dallas. 7 NFL seasons.
Jacob Rogers, OT. Bust.
Stephen Peterman. OG. Never made it with Cowboys. Caught in Detroit where he remains a starter.
Bruce Thornton, DB. One season with Cowboys. One with SF.
Sean Ryan, TE. 2 seasons with Cowboys and six in NFL.
Nate Jones, DB. Four seasons with Cowboys and eight overall.
Patrick Crayton, WR. Solid No. 3 WR for years.
Jacques Reeves, DB. Four seasons with Cowboys and seven in NFL.

2005 (Parcells)
DeMarcus Ware, OLB. Arguably the best player selected in the class.
Marcus Spears, DT. Solid player. Was cut this week.
Kevin Burnett, OLB. Couldn't stay healthy. 3 year starter in Miami.
Marion Barber, RB. Very good when healthy. Burned out quick. Retired.
Chris Canty. DE. Still in the league. Starter for Super Bowl Giants team.
Justin Beriault, S. Had to retire early because of injuries.
Rob Petitti, OT. Forced to start much of rookie year.
Jay Ratliff, DL. Developed into Pro Bowl NT.

2006 (Parcells)
Bobby Carpenter, OLB. Still in the league. Barely.
Anthony Fasano, TE. A starter for the last 5 years in Miami.
Jason Hatcher, DL. Regular starter for the Cowboys.
Skyler Green, WR. 3 seasons with 3 teams.
Pat Watkins, S. Played for Cowboys for 4 seasons and 5 NFL seasons.
Montavious Stanley, DT. Four seasons, four teams.
Pat McQuistan, OT. Still in the league
E.J. Whitley, OT. Injuries forced him to give up football. 

2007
Anthony Spencer, LB. Took a while but a solid player.
James Marten, T. Never made it.
Isaiah Stanback, WR. Great athlete, didn't make it.
Doug Free, T. Starter for the Cowboys.
Nick Folk, K. Solid NFL kicker had one very bad year for Cowboys.
Deon Anderson, FB. Played four seasons for Cowboys.
Courtney Brown, CB. Two years with Cowboys.
Alan Ball, DB. 5 seasons with Cowboys. Spent last season with Texans.

2008
Felix Jones, RB. Things just never quite lined up right. 
Mike Jenkins, DB. Decent player but injuries, attitude were a problem.
Martellus Bennett, TE. So much talent. Spent last season with NYG. Just signed with Bears.
Tashard Choice, RB. Four seasons with Cowboys. Spent last season with Bills.
Orlando Scandrick, DB. Decent nickel player with the Cowboys.
Erik Walken, LB. Developed into a decent producer with the Packers.

2009
Jason Williams, LB. 10 games w/Cowboys. Played 5 games last season with Panthers.
Robert Brewster, T. Never made it.
Stephen McGee, QB. Couldn't play.
Victor Butler, LB. Backup linebacker. 
Brandon Williams, LB. 6 games with Cowboys.
DeAngelo Smith, CB. Nope. Played 7 games for Lions.
Michael Hamlin, CB. 12 games with Cowboys. 4 for Jaguars.
David Buehler, K. A great athlete and a strong leg but was not accurate.
Stephen Hodge, LB. Total waste of a pick. Way too small.
John Phillips, TE. Decent blocking tight end. Just signed with Chargers.
Mike Mickens, DB. Nope
Manny Johnson, WR. Nope. 1 catch for 6 yds in his Cowboys career.

2010 
Dez Byrant, WR. Developing into one of the league's best.
Sean Lee, LB. Great when healthy.
Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, S.  Cut. Played a little bit in Jacksonville in 2011.
Sam Young, T. 2 games with Cowboys. Played 12 games in Buffalo last season.
Jamar Wall, CB. Never made it with Cowboys. Played 2 NFL games.
Sean Lissemore, DL. Started some last season for Cowboys. 

 

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The rub on Vince Carter winning 6th man of the year

Add this to the things I have been wrong about - The Dallas Mavericks decision to bring Vince Carter on to the team. Granted, they are not winning a lot of basketball games since he arrived but he has been a solid pro.

In 62 games, the veteran guard/forward is averaging 13.3 points, 4 rebounds and 2.1 assists coming off the bench. 

That should be good enough for Carter to be considered for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. If Carter wins, he would join Jason Terry, Antawn Jamison and Roy Tarpley as Mavericks to be named the NBA 6th Man of the Year. 

There is, however, the small issue of the Mavericks' record - 30-33 as they head into tonight's game in San Antonio. And there is the matter of the history of this award, too.

Since the NBA began this award in 1983, only three times has it gone to a player whose team has been .500 or worse. And only once did it go to a player whose team did not make the playoffs.
1993-94, Dell Curry, Charlotte (41-41, missed playoffs)
1991-92, Detlef Schrempf, Indiana (40-42, made playoffs)
1990-91, Detlef Schrempf, Indiana (41-41, made playoffs)

How do Carter's stats compare to those players?
Curry averaged 16.4 points and was one of the league's best shooters.
In '92, Schrempf averaged 17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He was a matchup nightmare, but refused to guard anyone.
In '91, Schrempf averaged 16.1 points, 8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He was a matchup nightmare, but refused to guard anyone.

Carter will be considered for this award, but to think he will win it is a stretch.

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Don't worry - the Mavericks will be in the lottery

It's March, which is the time of the year when veteran NBA players start to give a bleep. Notice your Dallas Mavericks are winning now.

The Mavs win in Milwaukee on Tuesday night is their fourth straight, has them three games under .500 and now supporting their belief they can not only shave soon, but will reach the playoffs.

And that's all well and good until they go to San Antonio on Thursday night where they will eat from a plate of reality. They will eat the same dish on March 17 when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Mavs have 19 games remaining to make this run to extend their impressive playoff streak, but the problem is the Lakers are now awake, too.

There are too many losses remaining on the Mavs schedule for them to really have a shot. 

Consider these remaining opponents
3/14 at San Antonio (49-16)
3/15 vs. OKC (47-17)
3/18 at Atlanta (34-29, 19-11 at home)
3/20 v. Brooklyn (38-27)
3/22 vs. Boston (34-29)
3/24 vs. Utah (33-31)
3/26 vs. LA Clippers (45-20)
3/28 vs Indiana (39-24)
4/2 at Lakers (34-31)
4/4 at Denver (43-22)
4/12 vs. Denver (43-22)
4/15 vs. Memphis (43-19)

Alas, if you consider a push for the eighth seed entertaining this should be at least interesting.

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Video: Galloway & Big Mac debate whether to sign or wait on Tony Romo

 

 

 

 

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A match made in stupid: The NHL & expansion

Months after the second lenghty NHL lockout, the league that can't shoot straight has followed that exercise in stupidity with the long overdue realignment plan only to be followed by the incredibly bad, stupid and painfully dumb talk of expansion.

The league stuck in niche-dom wants to get bigger.

The NHL's new realignment plan calls for unbalanced conferences. The East will feature 16 teams while the West will have 14. Oh the humanity! This scenario lends itself to talk of adding two more teams for a pretty two 16-team conference set.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby is a fan of adding two more teams, specifically one in Quebec City and another to the Toronto area.

Actually, that is a good idea. The problem is the cities that are most viable for a team are in the east. Quebec City should have its team (didn't it already have one), and Toronto is big enough to be able to support another franchise.

Just because Kansas City has a new arena with no primary tenant is a reason to put a team there. Just because Houston is large market is a reason to even consider it. Seattle is close to Vancouver, but that does not mean there is a hunger for an NHL team. The same goes for Portland. And no league has the stones to consider Las Vegas (it should).

What the NHL does not need is another non-traditional market team, such as South Florida and Phoenix, that thrive provided they make the third round of the playoffs every spring. If they don't, they are in trouble.

The NHL should strengthen its current lineup before expanding into markets that are going to require more assistance to survive.

 

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More evidence the Cowboys nailed the '05 NFL draft

Not that we didn't already know this, but amid all of this talk about the Dallas Cowboys and their ability to screw up a draft class it should be mentioned the team killed it back in 2005.

We know this because Buffalo Bills LB Shawne Merriman recently announced his retirement. He is 28.

In April of 2005 there was some debate the Dallas Cowboys should have selected Merriman with the 11th overall pick of the draft. They selected DeMarcus Ware. Merriman went 12 to the San Diego Chargers.

The fear was "Lights Out" was going to be an enormous pain to sign, and coach, so the Cowboys went with a player who went to the smaller Troy. 

Merriman had 39.5 sacks in his first three years in the NFL, and then a total of six the rest of the way. And there was that suspension for testing positive for roids in 2006.

A case can be made that DeMarcus Ware is the best player to come out of an entire class that included: 
Aaron Rodgers (24th), Packers, Cal
Roddy White (27th), Falcons, UAB
Frank Gore (65th), 49ers, Miami
Justin Tuck (74th), NY Giants, Notre Dame
Darren Sproles (130th), Chargers, Kansas State 

The obvious debate will be Rodgers, and certainly a case can be made he is the one.

Ware will turn 31 in July, played in all 16 games since he entered the league in '05, has 111 sacks in his career, and will likely end up in both the Cowboys' Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

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