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Diop Returns
By Daniel Dessinger | July 2, 2008
It’s a less than exciting day in Dallas where we receive the news that one of our own is returning home. DeSagana Diop was a part of the Devin Harris/Jason Kidd trade last season that many Dallas fans are still questioning. Was it the right move to make? Is Jason Kidd worth the loss of Harris, Diop, and the Mavericks’ only first round draft pick?
Answer: No. It was obviously not worth the lost draft pick if nothing else. Devin will be an excellent 2nd tier point guard in the league as he perfects his slash to the basket. He’s not a team leader or a playmaker, though, and that’s what Avery Johnson and Mark Cuban realized. Harris needs to be led, and the Mavs can’t afford to not have a leader at point.
Jason Kidd is still obviously not the right man for the job. And to lose Diop in the deal was the final blow. But there were rumors that he would return over the summer, and now he’s back. The only problem is, he shouldn’t have left in the first place. Now that Dallas is stuck with Kidd and Kidd’s salary, regaining Diop uses up the only mid-level exception the Mavs have, and their team development may well stop here.
Make no mistake about it. Mavs fans are relieved to have Diop back. He brings energy and hustle to a position too often bogged down by slow, unmotivated, and overpaid centers. Erick Dampier is one of a series of bad center choices Dallas has made since the great Sam Donaldson so many years ago.
DeSagana Diop is not a complete center. He does not have all the tools. But he has most of what Dampier lacks, and for that reason alone, he is a breath of fresh air. He is shot blocking, rebounding, fast break hustle. He could also be a serious offensive threat given the right coach at the right time.
Diop is a fan favorite, and he will help Mavs fans enjoy watching another season. Let’s hope it’s enough.
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