Jameer Nelson is the best option for Dallas at point guard. (USATSI)
It looks like Jameer Nelson is going to start at point guard for the Dallas Mavericks, with Devin Harris and Raymond Felton coming off the bench. Head coach Rick Carlisle hasn't said that is definitely the way it'll shake out, but he's dropping strong hints. From ESPN's Tim McMahon:
“When we were recruiting him this summer, I told him we were looking for the best guy to be a starter for us,” Carlisle said of Nelson. “I really like Harris off the bench. That said, I think Harris is one of our three or four best players. But we've had a history here of bringing some of our better guys off the bench.
“At this point, Devin and I have talked about it and continue to talk about it. He's willing to do anything. He wants to be a Maverick and wants to win.
“I like Jameer in that spot and Felton, he's going to be out the first four games. So if there were some tea leaves here, that's what it may look like. But it's early to commit to anything. We got to see how it goes in games.”
Nelson, who signed with Dallas as a free agent after 10 seasons with the Orlando Magic, is the best offensive option at the position. As CBSSports.com's Matt Moore pointed out, starting Nelson next to Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler will make the Mavericks incredibly tough to stop. That's a lot of firepower and floor spacing.
Dallas finished third in offensive efficiency last season, per Basketball-Reference, and Nelson's skill set should allow him to play the same role Jose Calderon did. Harris is the superior defender and might end up closing some games for that reason, but if you want a game manager and a shooter, Nelson's the guy. He suits the Mavericks' identity, and he's played on Magic teams that were constructed similarly.
Harris will absolutely get minutes in Dallas as a backup, so it'll be interesting to see what happens with Felton. He's been declining for years now, but part of that has been injury-related. While he's said he's ready to accept any role he's given, you have to wonder how he'd handle being demoted to the third-string option at point guard. If he manages to find his mojo again, Carlisle could slide Harris over to backup shooting guard.
(HT: PBT)
Basketball Hot News
Report: Nuggets and NBA discussing Kenneth Faried’s extension, could drop to four years
Apparently, the Nuggets and Kenneth Faried reached an agreement on a five-year, $60 million extension.
One or both sides leaked the details to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, who reported on it.
The problem: Such a deal violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Now what?
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
I don’t find it ambiguous.
Here are the relevant excerpts from the CBA:
Article IX, Section 1:
(b) an Extension of a Rookie Scale Contract with a player other than a Team’s Designated Player may cover, in the aggregate, up to but no more than five (5) Seasons from the date such extension is signed, and (c) a Designated Player Rookie Scale Extension with a Team’s Designated Player must cover six (6) Seasons from the date such Extension is signed. For the avoidance of doubt and consistent with Article VII, Section 9(a)(2), the maximum Contract and Extension lengths described herein are inclusive of any Option Year contained in a Contract or Extension.
Article I, Section 1:
“(p) “Designated Player Rookie Scale Extension” means an Extension of a Rookie Scale Contract entered into between a Team and its Designated Player that covers six (6) Seasons from the date the Extension is signed and provides for Salary for the first Salary Cap Year covered by the extended term equal to the player’s applicable Maximum Annual Salary under Article II, Section 7 (or, in the case of a First Round Pick who has satisfied or may satisfy the 5th Year 30% Max Criteria (as set forth in Article II, Section 7(a)(i)), provides for Salary for the first Salary Cap Year equal to twenty-five percent (25%) or thirty percent (30%) (or such other percentage between 25% and 30% as agreed upon by the Team and the player) of the Salary Cap (as calculated pursuant to Article II, Section 7) in effect during the first Season of the extended term), with annual increases in Salary for each Salary Cap Year following the first Salary Cap Year of the extended term equal to seven and one-half percent (7.5%) of the Salary for the first Salary Cap Year covered by the extended term.
Want that in a more digestible format? Here are the key excerpts from Larry Coon’s CBA FAQ:
Rookie scale contracts may be extended for up to four seasons beyond the last option season in the contract, bringing the total contract length to five seasons. Teams can also select one player (called their “Designated Player”) who can receive a five-year extension, bringing the total contract length to six seasons.
The salary in the first year of an extension to a rookie scale contract for a team’s Designated Player must be the player’s maximum salary.
Raises in a rookie scale extension for a team’s Designated Player must be 7.5%
This seems pretty straightforward to me. If the Nuggets sign Faried to a five-year, $60 million contract extension, the NBA should void the deal. I doubt the league lets them get that far, though.
Most likely, Denver and Faried will have to re-open negotiations on a shorter extension or max five-year extension. Maybe they’ll quickly reach another agreement, or maybe one side won’t budge in the face of these regulations. But these are the rules every team is working with as the Oct. 31 extension deadline nears.
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