"Diop it like its hot"

[Sam The Man]

Sources: Center Diop commits to Mavericks
By Marc Stein
Updated: July 2, 2008, 4:03 PM ET

Free-agent center DeSagana Diop on Tuesday gave a verbal commitment to sign a new contract to return to Dallas Mavericks, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Diop, traded by the Mavericks to New Jersey in February as part of the Jason Kidd deal, will receive the Mavericks' full mid-level exception in a five-year deal starting at nearly $6 million.

Diop cannot officially sign and the Mavericks cannot officially comment until July 9, which is the first day NBA teams can announce signings and trades after a league-wide moratorium on roster moves is lifted.

Diop was a key member of the Dallas team that toppled its in-state rivals from San Antonio and reached the 2006 NBA Finals. It was the franchise's first trip beyond the Western Conference finals.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3471169

Seems like a bit much, using the FULL MLE on this guy.
Maggette will most likely get the MLE, and he is a borderline all star.
Udrih got the full MLE, and although it is probably overpaying him, he is still young and shows promise.
Diop is too big and slow to really do any offensive damage.
It was dumb trading him away like he was worthless. It's even dumber throwing the whole MLE at him to bring him back.
He is a very good defender, but so bad at offense, it seems he just gives his production all back.

[Andrew]

It does seem wasteful, especially in light of the Jason Kidd trade not working out the way the Mavericks would have hoped.

[Alejandrov011]

Diop it like ist hot jajajajajajajajaaj

I can't stop laughin xD!

[Lamrock]

Why didn't they just keep Magloire?

[GoHornets]

Maybe because they think Diop is better. He's also younger.

[benji]

Why didn't they just keep Magloire?

Because Diop is awesome while Magloire sucks?

Diop is a winner, Dallas is fixing the error they made in trading him. I think you're all confusing the Diop that was in Cleveland with the player he turned into in Dallas.

He is a very good defender, but so bad at offense, it seems he just gives his production all back.

That sentence seems weird for some reason...

Anyway, ranks 5th for all centers in offensive rebounding over the last three years? Only a handful of centers are more productive on offense than Diop.

Players don't have to take five hundred shots a game to be useful on offense. Especially on teams where one guy averages 30% of possessions (Dirk), another uses 25+% (Howard) and a couple more guys use 20% or more (Terry, Stackhouse, Harris, Kidd this season probably). Even using last years rates, anybody can add up the numbers (29+26+22+16) of the other four starters and see there's only 7% left for someone to use. Better to have a top offensive rebounder, who uses a few possessions and doesn't shoot horribly (see: Dampier, Erick and Diop, DeSagana...even better if like Diop he's a hott defensive player) than try to jam in another guy who wants to use 25+% of possessions. (see: O'Neal, Jermaine and Curry, Eddy)

Besides, they already have Brandon Bass to come in and lead all big men in mid-range jump shooting off the bench.

The stupid FA moves Dallas is making has nothing to do with Diop, it's their desire to bring back Devean George and Antoine Wright.

[Lamrock]

DeSegana Diop: the black Jeff Foster

[Alejandrov011]

DeSegana Diop: the black Jeff Foster

The black and bigger ^^

[Indy]

DeSegana Diop: the black Jeff Foster

Diop is the better shotblocker, but Foster is the better help defender overall.

Jeff also developed a shot out to 18 feet last year that he knocked down pretty consistently. People didn't really realize that all year, even late in the year announcers were shocked when Jeff took the open 15-18 footer and swished it, while I knew it was money the second he caught it.