Let’s start, of course, with the news earlier this week that both Gerald Green and DeSagana Diop have agreed to join the Mavericks next season. Neither one of these guys is a big-name free agent, but the could help in their own way.

However, did the Mavericks get a good deal for these guys? Let’s look at them individually.

Gerald Green

I love this kid’s athleticism and his ability to get to the basket. Really you need no proof that the guy has freakish skills once you’ve seen in performance in the 2007 Dunk Contest.

The issue with Gerald Green has never been his talent. It has to do with his commitment to the game of basketball. He made a big mistake back in 2005 by coming straight out of high school to the NBA. He wasn’t mature enough, quite frankly, to play the game yet on a professional level. His second season with the Boston Celtics made it appear that he was really starting to develop into something–he averaged 10.8 minutes a game–but this was on a weak roster that managed to lose more games than any team in the NBA. Obviously there was some sort of red flag that led Danny Ainge to include him in the Kevin Garnett deal. The same red flag appeared pretty quickly in Minnesota; the guy obviously has the talent to succeed in the NBA, but he doesn’t always practice or play as hard as he should. He only managed to play in one game after being traded to his hometown Houston Rockets.

The good news for the Mavs is that Green’s contract lasts only for a year and is at the minimum salary. It won’t cost against the MLE and he will certainly be worth the risk if he develops into a halfway decent player.

DeSagana Diop

I’ve always liked ‘Gana, even if some of the skills he brings to the floor are limited. He can rebound the ball well, block shots, and play some pretty solid defense. Guys with Diop’s size are hard to come by in today’s NBA, especially ones who will play with his level of hustle.

Unfortunately, Diop has no offensive game to speak of. The guy didn’t even score much in the 2007 Vegas Summer League when he was up against NBDL players and rookies. He’s a horrible free throw shooter and for some inexplicable reason rarely dunks the ball. I did have the pleasure of meeting him back in 2006, so if it’s any consolation Diop loves the Mavericks organization and is a really great guy with the fans. His sense of humor, in addition to his good relationship with Dirk Nowitzki, are clearly reasons Donnie Nelson was willing to overpay for him.

That said, Dallas clearly did overpay to get Diop back from New Jersey. $5.75 million isn’t the kind of salary you give to a guy who averaged 3.0 points a game in his best season. With Diop eating up the full MLE, it prevents the Mavs from signing a Corey Maggette or a James Posey this offseason.

However, there is hope. My friends as Dallasbasketball.com are reporting that Dallas is hoping to execute a sign-and-trade with New Jersey for the big fella so that Diop’s salary doesn’t count against the MLE. Potential trade pieces? Eddie Jones, who picked up his $2 million player option, is a possible target, as is a sign-and-trade with Devean George.

J. J. Barea

Spanish-language site Primera Hora is reporting that fan favorite Jose Juan Barea (known affectionately around here as J. J.) will be signed to a 3-year deal worth approximately $1.8 million a season. While this hasn’t been officially confirmed, it seems likely that Barea will remain a Mav next year. He’s a solid third point guard due to his scoring and passing ability, but his size (he’s listed at 5′11” and that’s a stretch) will probably keep him from becoming elite. $4.8 million over three years is certainly not too much of a financial burden, so I can’t object to the move.

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So there hasn’t been any major moves yet this offseason, but the activity by the Mavericks so far suggests that at least Rick Carlisle, Donnie Nelson, and Mark Cuban are looking for creative ways to get their team prepared for next season. We’ll have more as it breaks.

At only 26, he’s still on his way up, and he’s already been to the Finals with most of this team.  He should usurp Erick Dampier’s starting spot and hopefully be a 20-to-25 minutes per game player.  I favor Damp’s strength and somewhat-better offensive ability over ‘Gana, but it looks like the team views Diop as “the guy” and wants him to separate himself in camp.  Hopefully he’ll take after his counterpart and his scoring numbers will also jump with him playing alongside Jason Kidd.  After signing this deal, there’s no reason why Diop shouldn’t come back to Dallas motivated and ready to prove himself.

Could the Mavericks have gambled by using the MLE on someone like a Corey Maggette and later pulling out a sign-and-trade to bring back Diop?  In an ideal world, yes.  I’m sure the Mavs at least inquired about Maggette before deciding to give all of the midlevel to ‘Gana.  But young seven footers that can play defense and don’t cause any problems in the locker room can sometimes be hard to come by, and that’s why teams are willing to pay a premium to get ‘em. If you’re having trouble remembering what Diop brings to the table, maybe this will jog your memory.

In other Mavs free agency news, Gerald Green made it official today by inking his new one-year deal with Dallas.  I guess because he was released by the Rockets before the end of last season and only signed a one-year deal for the minimum, he didn’t have to wait until July 9 to put pen to paper.  Green is expected to be on the Mavs’ summer league roster and will have to earn himself a roster spot for next season by proving that he’s got his head on straight.  The signing involves little to no risk from the Mavericks’ perspective, and with the potential addition of Foster on the roster as well, there’s a chance Dallas could have two up-and-coming Michael Finleys on their hands.

With the MLE now gone, the Mavericks have only two more places from which to pick up some players: either through a trade or via the summer league.  Once Diop signs next week, the roster will have ten spots accounted for, leaving five for the taking.  That means they aren’t done yet, and neither am I.  Stay tuned…

EDIT: Brush up on your español, because Jeff Caplan found a Puerto Rican news outlet that is reporting that the Mavericks have agreed to a two-year deal including an option for a third year with restricted free agent (and Northeastern alumnus) J.J. Barea.  Nothing from the team yet on this, but I suspect the report is pretty reliable.  I like Barea as our third point guard behind Kidd and Jason Terry.

So, assuming Diop and Barea both sign next week, the Mavericks will officially have 11 men on the 15-man roster.

I’ve seen Green play from his time in Boston, and the kid (yes, he’s still a kid at only 22 years old) can play.  We all know about his freakish athleticism, but he’s also got three-point shooting range and good size (6′8″ tall and an even longer wingspan).  His addition should strengthen the Mavs’ depth at both shooting guard and small forward and give the Mavericks a much needed dose of youthful energy and athleticism.

Much more on this signing and other free agent happenings as the week rolls on.

Seibutis spent the past year in Greece as a member of the Olympiacos but played in only three games before undergoing back surgery.  He’s 6′5″, can supposedly play both guard positions, and he’s only 22 and has been playing professionally in Greece and Lithuania since he was 18.  “Ronnie,” as he prefers to be called, is currently property of the Olympiacos and would require a buyout in order to join the Mavericks in the Fall, but a good showing in the summer league may net him a roster spot if the Mavs are as inactive in free agency as some predict.

Foster, the former Vanderbilt standout, will have to adjust to the speed of the NBA game, and he already admitted that he is working on modifying his shot in order to “minimize all excess motion.”  I’m usually not in favor of messing with someone’s shot, especially if the guy has had a lot of success with it in the past, but who knows how much or little tweaking the coaches are trying to make.  I assume they know what they’re doing.  The Mavs are looking for shooters, so Foster will need every edge he can get in order to make the team.

Stay tuned for more on the Mavericks and the Vegas Summer League, which begins on July 11.

All of this can’t officially happen until Tuesday when teams will finally be allowed to start talking to players. Who else could possibly be on the Mavericks’ radar? There’s a decent amount of quality free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, but it remains to be seen whether Dallas has enough assets to entice any of the big name ones. Let’s take a look at who’s out there and whether or not the Mavs have a shot at getting him.

The Almost-Impossibles

1. Gilbert Arenas (ETO) - His early termination option allows him to become an unrestricted free agent should he choose to, but everybody’s banking on him staying in Washington.
2. Baron Davis (ETO) - Like Arenas, Davis likely will be staying put. Who would walk away from $17 million?
3. Shawn Marion (ETO) - See above. There’s no way Marion gets any more playing somewhere besides Miami.
4. Elton Brand (ETO) - An intruiging option for many teams, but not the Mavericks who are all set at power forward. He wants a new long term deal, but it’s more likely that he doesn’t get it and stays a Clipper for at least one more season.

The Unlikelys

1. Antawn Jamison - I really like the way Jamison plays and he’s supposedly a very high-character guy, which is always a good thing. He will command more money than the Mavericks are likely willing (or able) to pay, although a sign-and-trade remains an option if the Wizards are dumb enough to want to let him go.
2. Corey Maggette (ETO) - Maggette would make a lot of sense for the Mavericks as far as filling up a hole at the swingman position, and he would also be an excellent compliment to Nowitzki and Kidd. He’s due about $8 million if he doesn’t opt out, and unless he would consider taking a pay cut to come to Dallas for the midlevel exception, the Mavs seem to have no shot of signing him without pulling off a sign-and-trade.
3. Ron Artest (ETO) - Artest is due nearly $8.5 million next season, so to me it seems unlikely that he’d leave. Say what you want about him, but the guy is flat out tough and can still score and play defense with the best of them. If he wants out of Sacramento enough, the Mavs should try to swing a deal to get him. If it doesn’t work out, his expiring contract would make a nice piece of trade bait before next year’s trade deadline.
4. James Posey - I wanted Dallas to go after him last summer, and my feelings haven’t changed a year later considering the impact he made on yet another championship team. Posey has said through his agent that he wants to stay in Boston, but you never know…

The Legit Possibilities

1. Bonzi Wells - Although his production has dipped alongside his playing time over the last couple of years, Wells would make a solid addition to the Mavs’ bench. I’ve heard that he’s not the greatest locker room guy, but he could be worth a gamble with the MLE.
2. Ricky Davis - Clearly on the downslope of his career, Davis has seen better days but is still another swingman that would fill a need and could reasonably be had by the Mavericks. He’s a streaky shooter like Wells, however he’s a few years younger and has the edge in athleticism. Also worth the full MLE.
3. Maurice Evans - He’s bounced around the league quite a bit, but he had his best season yet last year in Orlando and also fills a need at shooting guard. If Wells and Davis are unavailable, Evans is my third-best option at swingman. He can shoot, defend and is only 29, and it may not even take the full MLE to get him.
4. Kurt Thomas - Thomas is getting up there in age, but his low post defense and veteran savvy still make him attractive in the eyes of NBA GM’s. San Antonio may decide to bring him back.
5. DeSagana Diop - As reported earlier by the DMN, the Mavericks are supposedly willing to offer about $5.5 million - the full MLE - to bring Diop back to Dallas. Who knows how much weight that story really carries, but regardless, Diop would be a welcome addition in my book, even for that much money.

Expect more from me as the free agency period gets rolling.

More from me on this pick and some other Mavericks happenings over the weekend.

From the perspective of the Dallas Mavericks, this may end up being one of the quieter nights in draft history as the currently only possess the #51 pick. While there are some curious prospects available at that point in the draft: Mustafa Shakur, James Gist (of Maryland fame), and Ante Tomic of Croatia are all possibilities, but really it depends more on whether or not the Mavs move up (which may or may not be on GM Donnie Nelson’s radar on the moment). Dallas will be in the hunt for players, since they currently have seven potential roster spots.

So check back at 6:30 Central time and I’ll hopefully get everything updated as it happens.

6:30- The show officially opens with a look at the Bulls draft room. Will they take Derrick Rose? Considering how the league runs on great point guards, they would be stupid not to.

6:31 the Bulls are on the clock, and they have 5 minutes to make their pick.

6:36- The Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose to lead their team! I don’t know if he’ll make them good overnight, but Rose is a player with Chris Paul-like potential. If he stays focused and if GM John Paxson can get some good talent around him, he could very well be a future star or even an MVP. Now the real mystery begins…

6:41- I thought Miami would be crazy to not select Beasley, and he is of course their pick. Beasley will be a great compliment to Dwyane Wade, and could average 20-10. He’s so good, I can think of a dozen teams that would have taken him #1.

6:46- The Minnesota T’Wolves pick O. J. Mayo, who some thought might have been picked over Michael Beasley. Mayo may not have the upside of the top two picks, but he can step in and play right away. The Timberwolves need a player like this, a solid compliment to Al Jefferson.

6:53- Russell Westbrook is selected! This is a shocker to me, since I thought Westbrook would go later in the lottery. He’s going before Bayless, Lopez, and some other talented players, so it could be a risk worth taking.

6:59- The Memphis Grizzlies take the second straight player from UCLA in Kevin Love. I can’t imagine a better fit for the team who gift-wrapped Pau Gasol to the Lakers. He can play the post, score, and even shoot from long range.

7:05- Knicks fans rejoice! Your team is selecting…Danilo Gallinari. Okay, they’re not exactly cheering. It’s a dumb reason to boo, since Gallinari will be a great fit in Mike D’Antoni’s system. He’s still young, can play multiple positions, and he still has a good bit of upside. While New York needs a point guard, they got a solid player here.

7:11- The Clippers select Eric Gordon, a guy many around Dallas felt Donnie Nelson would try to trade up to get. Gordon to me is underrated because of Indiana’s collapse in the NCAA, but he is one heck of a shooter.

7:16- With the 8th pick in the draft, Joe Alexander is sent to Milwaukee. He’s another guy who can shoot in the post or capitalize on his mid-range game. Most importantly, the guy is an absolutely insane athlete. With Richard Jefferson and Michael Redd, Scott Skiles could make this team dangerous. I’d have my eye on them next season.

7:23- The Charlotte Bobcats may have made a major mistake at number 9. The Bobcats need a big man–why not take Brook Lopez? Augustin is a very good player, but he’s undersized.

7:28- The New Jersey Nets do the right thing and select Brook Lopez. They seriously need help down low, even after acquiring Yi Jianlian. He may not be super-athletic, but he will be very, very good.

7:33- Indiana selects Jerryd Bayless, a guy who I also thought would go earlier in the draft, since he’s such a good scorer and can be either the point or the 2.

10:14- So what happened? There was a little bit of technical difficulty on my end here, so let’s run real quick through the players that have been selected.

12- Jason Thompson, Sacramento- A good (though surprising) who will help them vastly improve their frontcourt.

13- Portland drafted Brandon Rush from Kansas, and then promptly sent him to Indiana along with Jarrett Jack for the rights to Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu. Probably a good trae for both teams, since Portland was shopping Jack and they got a good PG for the future in Bayless.

14- Anthony Randolph (LSU) is selected by Golden State, marking the 6th freshman taken among the first 16 picks (a record). Randolph is a solid guy, but needs to pack on some weight to be good at an NBA level.

15- Phoenix takes the OTHER Lopez in Robin. Like I was surprised to see Brook go so late, I am shocked to see Robin go so early. Nevertheless he is a pretty good defender and could help change the philosophy in Phoenix.

16- Philidelphia takes Marresse Speights, giving them a pretty solid forward to compliment Iggy. He might not be to effective early on, but I see him as a possible starter in a few years.

17- Toronto takes Roy Hibbert from Georgetown, but it’s all but a given at this point that he’ll be heading to Indiana in the Jermaine O’Neal trade. Hibbert will help Indiana, who is making a lot of moves tonight. (They will be even better if they can dump Jamaal Tinsley.)

18- JaVale McGee is taken by the Washington Wizards, which seems to fit well considering the uncertainly of Antawn Jamison at the forward position and the inability of Andray Blatche to stay out of trouble. McGee is a freak athlete, but still needs to learn the game.

19- Cleveland, yet again leaving Darrell Arthur of Kansas (who many thought would be gone by now) on the board, takes J. J. Hickson, another freshman (the eighth taken in this draft). Like most of the others Hickson is an unknown because his knowledge of the game hasn’t caught up to his ability.

20- Charlotte executes a trade with Denver, getting their pick for a future first-rounder. Charlotte then takes Alexis Ajinca from France. The guy has a 7′8” wingspan (really?) but he hasn’t been so great yet. He’s just a very raw player, a surprising pick this early in the draft.

21- New Jersey has the Mavericks’ pick due to the Jason Kidd pick, and they take Ryan Anderson. Once again, it makes me wonder why teams have forgotten Darrell Arthur.

22- Orlando takes Courtney Lee from Western Kentucky! Why am I excited about this? I was rooting for them as the underdogs in the NCAA tourney, and I loved watching this guy play. He may not be a star but he does play with a ton of energy.

23- Utah picks Kosta Koufus, in my opinion one of the best European-born players in the draft. He did go to an American college in Ohio State, so he does know the game pretty well. At 7′ tall and 265 pounds, it will give Utah another guy to bang down low.

24- Seattle takes Serge Ibaka, making him the second player in the NBA born in Congo (after former Mav DJ Mbenga). Ibaka’s very young, so it’s not likely we’ll see him in an NBA uniform for a while.

25- The Rockets have taken the third straight foreign-born player! Nicolas Batum slid a little bit on people’s draft boards, but he’s a very athletic and young player, but once again he won’t be ready to play for a while.

26- San Antonio becomes another team to pass on Arthur (apparently he has an undisclosed kidney problem that makes teams nervous). They take George Hill, a relatively unknown Summit League player. I don’t doubt the Spurs, though–they draft better than most teams out there.

27- Portland gets ANOTHER draft pick from the New Orleans Hornets, who get some cash considerations (nice for a small market team). So for the Blazers, they choose…Darrell Arthur! The New York fans cheer for him louder than anyone else.

28- Memphis is on the clock due to the Lakers trade, and take the 10th freshman of the draft, Donte’ Green of Syracuse. Donte’ is a guy with potential, but needs to work on his shooting and ball control.

29- D. J. White from Indiana is taken by the Pistons, and honestly I’m surprised DeAndre Jordan from Texas A&M is still on. He’s a player with a great upside, but he has slid drastically down draft boards.

30- J. R. Giddens from New Mexico is taken by the championship Celtics, who has potential to be a great combo guard. There’s a ton of veterans in Boston to help him develop, so in time he could be special and a nice pick this late.

31- The second round begins! Minnesota gets some help in the front court by taking Nikola Pekovic from Serbia. ESPN claims he just signed a multi-year deal with a team in Greece, but by the time he comes over he could be great.

32- Another trade! This is a small one where D. J. White goes to the Sonics, while Detroit received both the 32nd and the 46th pick. The first player selected is Walter Sharpe from UAB, a decent forward but not necessarily a guy you would think of picking.

33- Memphis has another player entering the NBA in Joey Dorsey. I watched this guy play against SMU in college and he is a beast. Portland will be lucky to have him, and he reminds me of a less talented Glen Davis.

34- Minnesota picks Mario Chalmers from the champion Kansas Jayhawks, and he’s a guy who may be able to play the point for the T’Wolves. It’s a position where they need some serious help.

35- DeAndre Jordan gets his due as a selection of the Los Angeles Clippers. Early on people thought Jordan could be the next Dwight Howard. However, he needs some major help offensively. With some improved effort he could be great, but give him time.

36- Omer Asik is taken by Portland, and he’s another guy we won’t see for years . Like Pekovic earlier he just signed a contract with a European team, so we may not seem him for a while.

37- The Bucks take the award-winner for the funniest name: Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, a supposed prince back in an African village. He does come from a great program in UCLA, so more than likely that will help him.

38- Charlotte takes Kyle Weaver, a guard from Washington State. He’s a taller guard, and he can really pass the ball and defend. While he doesn’t have much of an offensive game, Larry Brown will love his hustle.

39- Sonny Weems is taken by the Bulls, and he is a guy with good skills and the ability to dunk like nobody’s business. He needs to improve on the rest of his game, though.

40- After dropping nearly 20 picks from ESPN’s projection, Chris Douglas-Roberts is taken by the New Jersey Nets. They really got a steal here, as he was probably the most consistent player for Memphis last year.

41- Indiana picks Nathan Jawal from Austrailia, and he will be heading to Toronto along with Jermaine O’Neal.

42- The Sacramento Kings, in the first of two picks, take Sean Singletary from Virginia. A good guard for sure, but he isn’t exactly what you would call tall.

43- Patrick Ewing was taken! Wait, never mind…this is Patrick Ewing, Jr. Sacramento has found a great athlete, but a guy who still needs to improve offensively.

44- Ante Tomic, a guy who I thought the Mavs could select, is taken by the Jazz.

45- Goren Dragic from Slovenia is taken by the Spurs, taking yet again a foreign player who will stay overseas for a while.

46- Trent Plaisted is the next guy taken by the Sonics (who will be traded to the Pistons), and he is from BYU and a solid player. He may not do much in the NBA, but he’s a solid second-round pick.

47- Bill Walker from Kansas State is taken by the Wizards, and he’s a guy who knows how to play with some good guys. He played with Michael Beasley in college and O. J. Mayo in high school.

48- Phoenix takes Malik Hairston, a forward from Oregon.

49- Golden State adds another athletic forward to the mix with Alabama’s Richard Hendrix.

50- The Sonics get Devon Hardin, a guy who might actually have a chance of playing some minutes considering the Sonics’ shortage of reliable big men.

51- And now for our beloved Mavericks. With pick #51, Dallas takes Shan Foster, a guard from Vanderbilt. He plays a position desired by the Mavs in shooting guard, but I worry about his range. The best part: he’s a musician! I’m excited about having him on board, and with the shortage of players right now he might be able to make the team.

52- Miami takes Darnell Jackson, the fourth guy taken from Kansas.

53- Utah- Tadija Dragicevic is picked for Utah, but he’s a Serbian player who may never join the team.

54- Houston now has another Oregon Duck on their team, taking Maarty Leunen to compliment second-year pro Aaron Brooks.

55- First of all, we have a new trade! Minnesota trades Mario Chalmers to the heat for a 2nd rounder in 2009 along with cash. Interesting move, since I personally found Chalmers to be a steal. Anyway, at #55 Portland takes Mike Taylor from Iowa State, who has also played in the NBADL.

56- Seattle takes Sasha Kaun, whose name reminds me too much of Shaka Kahn. He’s another Kansas Jayhawk.

57- The Spurs take James Gist, one of the guys the Mavs were looking at with #51.

58- First, Washington trades Bill Walker to Boston for cash. Now, it’s Joe Crawford. I’m not talking about the ref here…

59- Detroit picks Deron Washington from Virginia Tech.

60- The Celtics finish it off with Semith Erden from Turkey.

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We leave with a decent draft. It wasn’t as exciting as previous ones in terms of draft-night trades, and it’s hard to see what Dallas will get from Shan Foster. Only time will tell.

“Look at the two teams in the Finals. In LA, there’s Kobe and a nice supporting cast. In Boston, they have their Big 3. We think there is not a huge or significant difference or gap in talent between our top players and theirs.”

Now don’t get me wrong - I like the Mavs’ trio and am very excited to see how they will perform next year under a new coach with a different system.  It’s sounding like Rick Carlisle is doing everything he can to ingratiate himself with his players (including spending time with Nowitzki in his hometown), and I’m hoping that his fresh, post-Avery approach to coaching will make a difference in the win column and hopefully in the playoffs.

But at this point, to put Dallas’ Big 3 on the same level with either Boston’s or L.A.’s respective trios is just ridiculous.  It’s no secret many around the league believe that Josh Howard is on the trading block, yet Nelson continues to insist that the Mavs’ core trio is a “good foundation for a contending team.”

He may be right there.  Sure, the Mavericks may have been a contending team, but there are at least a dozen other contending teams out there also.  I want the Mavericks to be more than just a contending team.  I want them to be a championship team.

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen is the crown jewel of “Big 3’s” and no other team’s comes close in my mind.  The Lakers’ Bryant, Gasol and Odom are up there as well, along with other trios such as Duncan-Parker-Ginobili, Billups-Hamilton-Wallace, Nash-Stoudemire-O’Neal and Boozer-Williams-Okur.  Heck, the Mavericks got beaten down by the Hornets’ Big 3 of Paul, Chandler and Stojakovic so one would have to put them above Dallas as well, right?

When I look at the Mavericks, I see a team that is coming off two straight first round exits at the hands of teams that lost in the second round.  I see a team in transition with a lot of question marks surrounding its future.  I’m every bit the optimist like Nelson seems to be, but I don’t overvalue the team’s talent as much as he does.

To me, Nowitzki still has a couple more years left of being a solid number one option.  Kidd, in the right situation, is still an elite point guard and great facilitator but no longer a good second offensive option, while Howard is a legit number three under the same circumstances.  The rest of the roster is made up of a mix of complimentary veterans and youngsters, most of whom made little impact in the playoffs and can’t all be counted on consistently.

The point here is that the Mavericks’ Big 3 plus a decent group of compliments still didn’t even come close to cutting it.  Donnie acknowledged that the team has a “long way to go” before the season starts, and for that I’m glad.  But can he (and more importantly, will he) do something about it?  By the looks of what the Mavs have (a late second round draft pick, an assortment of aging veterans with bloated contracts and a handful of promising but unproven newbies), it’s not going to be easy.

After watching the Celtics’ domination in last night’s championship series finale capped off by Paul Pierce’s Finals MVP crowning, I started to think about how Pierce’s legacy will be looked at from here on out. If you remember, Pierce was taken 10th overall by the Celtics in the 1998 NBA Draft - one pick after the Milwaukee Bucks selected a lanky German kid by the name of Dirk Nowitzki. Milwaukee then swapped picks with Dallas, which took Robert “Tractor” Traylor with the 6th pick, and the rest is history. Nowitzki struggled during his rookie year but then went on to blossom into the NBA’s best non-American player. Pierce, meanwhile, entered the NBA with an already well-polished game, and Dallas took some heat for passing him up in the draft.

If we went back 10 years, it’s pretty obvious that Nowitzki and Pierce would go 1-2 in the draft, although not necessarily in that order. Before this season, I would have put Nowitzki at the top of the ‘98 class and Pierce just below him. Now, however, is a good time to revisit this debate. Let’s take a look at their career averages and totals:

Dirk Nowitzki - Regular Season:
22.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 47.1% FG, 37.9% 3-PT
758 games played, 16,990 points

Paul Pierce - Regular Season:
23.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 44.2% FG, 36.3% 3-PT
732 games played, 16,945 points

At first glance, the difference in career numbers is virtually negligible. Nowitzki’s height naturally makes him a better rebounder, while Pierce has an edge in assists. Dirk is also a slightly better shooter and has played in a few more games than Pierce thanks to his propensity for avoiding injuries. Additionally, Nowitzki has seven All-Star appearances, one more than Pierce.

Now let’s look at the players’ postseason stats:

Dirk Nowitzki - Playoffs:
25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 44.7% FG, 37.3% 3-PT
87 games played, 2,204 points

Paul Pierce - Playoffs:
22.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 42.0% FG, 32.4% 3-PT
63 games played, 1,419 points

Once again the statistics are pretty comparable. Nowitzki has led the Mavericks into the playoffs for eight straight seasons, while Pierce’s Celtics have only made it five times since the 2001-02 season. However, Pierce wins the latest battle for leading his team to a title and garnering Finals MVP honors this season while Nowitzki’s Mavericks got knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for the second straight year.

So, while just going by the statistics might relegate this debate to a coin flip, yesterday’s dominance in the Finals by the Celtics adds an interesting twist. Before this season, I would have put Pierce in a level just below Nowitzki along with fellow ‘98 draftees Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and Rashard Lewis. Now, Pierce has elevated himself in my mind to elite, franchise-player type status. His performance in that classic Game 7 duel against LeBron James and the Cavaliers laid the foundation, while his rock solid play on both ends of the court in the Finals against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers cemented it.

If I could go back to 1998 knowing what I know now, I probably would have taken Nowitzki first overall without any regrets. Pierce would be the easy second choice, however, sort of like Kevin Durant, the Sonics’ consolation prize for having the second pick in the draft in 2007.

What do you all think? If you were the GM of the L.A. Clippers (the team that had the #1 pick in 1998), who would you pick? Nowitzki, Pierce, or someone else?