Toure Murry, Gal Mekel Show the Affect of Wichita State's Final Four Run on the NBA

WSU alum Toure Murry is benefiting from the Shockers' 2013 NCAA Tournament success. (Thomas Boyd/Oregonian)

Wichita State's unpredicted run into the Final Four ended at the hands of eventual national champion Louisville, but the impact of the Shockers' successful NCAA Tournament trip wasn't over when they were eliminated. One former Wichita State player is set to make his NBA debut and another is expected to receive a training camp invite from a projected playoff team.

Anyone catching a Dallas Mavericks game will get the chance to see Gal Mekel, a 6'3" point guard, play as a reserve. Mekel, who played at Wichita State from 2006-08, was signed with the intention of competing against newly-drafted rookie Shane Larkin as the first point guard off the bench, but he should expect a boost in minutes until Larkin returns from a broken ankle suffered in summer league play. After Omri Casspi, Mekel is the second Israeli player in NBA history. As a pro in Israel, Mekel helped lead his team, Maccabi Haifa, to a league title in 2013, which helped secure his current three-year deal with $2.3 million guaranteed. Before inking a contract with Dallas, the Milwaukee Bucks were rumored to have an interest in adding Mekel to their summer league roster.

Though important to the Mavericks' upcoming season, Mekel is just the second-most hyped former Shocker on the cusp of NBA playing time. After showing improvement during a stint in the D-League, Toure Murry was added to the New York Knicks' summer league roster and proceeded to put on a show, throwing outlet passes and highlight-reel dribbles to the content of relatively sparse crowds and NBA social media specialists. Most notable is this series:



It ends with his teammate, Jeremy Tyler, throwing down a major slam that earned Dunk of the Night honors, but look at what Murry does. First, there's the steal as the opposing point guard attempts to go through traffic toward the hoop, then Murry dribbles between a defender's legs as he nears mid-court and finishes with a perfectly placed behind-the-back pass. Given, most summer leaguers are not up to par with the competition faced during the NBA's regular season — usually for obvious reasons — but Murry's combination of athleticism and instincts on this single play is a microcosm for what he did for the Knicks' prospects as a team. Murry comes from the Shockers' defensive-minded culture and, while dribbling between an opponent's legs is more of a streetball move than NBA de rigueur (hey, Jamal Crawford!), Murry's precision aim at the end of the play is indicative of his creativity with the ball — something he is still developing as he transitions to playing point guard from his natural shooting guard position.

At 6'5", Murry would have great height for a one-guard on the NBA level and the Knicks are not only reportedly planning to invite him to training camp, but are also said to be in contract discussions with Murry for the 2013-14 season, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. The move would culminate Murry's transition from WSU, where he played from 2008-12, to the professional level after he spent a productive year with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Houston Rockets' D-League affiliate. Through the course of 30 regular season and six playoff games, Murry averaged 8.3 points, 2.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. Between sharing a backcourt with the likes of Andrew Goudelock and Patrick Beverly, however, Murry was not always permitted the space to show his full skill set. Still, he worked to refine his three-point shooting (36.9 percent) and execution of pick-and-roll sets, around which most NBA offenses are built.

Though Murry would likely have made it onto an NBA roster based on his own merits, the Shockers' success in a single tournament could have hurried the alum's expected entry into the Association. It almost certainly did that for Mekel, whose name was largely off the NBA radar until after the NCAA and Israeli seasons were over. Wichita State was not necessarily an unknown program before this year's NCAA Tournament, but their postseason success came as a surprise to most. With the opportunities now in front of them, Shocker alums like Murry and Mekel may find their own success past the collegiate level.

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Saturday Roundtable: Post-Superstar Free Agency

"I mean this much to the Pistons." (AP)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: What non-superstar signing is the biggest thus far in NBA free agency?

Zach:
They aren't 'superstars,' but the Minnesota Timberwolves' additions of Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin are the best free-agent acquisitions made this offseason. The Wolves, after almost an eternity, have found the shooting guard they needed in Kevin Martin. Martin is signed for four years in a deal worth almost $30 million. Corey Brewer, once drafted by the Wolves, works out with Martin in the off-season. Brewer's deal is worth $15 million over three seasons.

There were times during games last season where the Wolves had three point guards on the floor. Luke Ridnour, now with the Bucks, acted as the shooting guard most of the season. Martin's ability to shoot the ball from outside compliments Ricky Rubio's past-first mentality. Brewer, a defensive specialist, has a game that compliments the Wolves' other swingman, Chase Budinger. Budinger is an offensive-minded player who will be a part of the 3-guard committee that head coach Rick Adelman will use this season. This article, written by Zach Harper of CBS Sports, explains Brewer's skill of leaking out in transition. Adding a defender who sneaks away in transition is sure to have Kevin Love licking his chops. Love's been known not only for his shooting, but his ability to throw long outlet passes since going to Minnesota from UCLA. The Timberwolves are ready to howl this postseason.  The additions of Brewer and Martin are the reasons why. The Wolves already have their stars in Rubio and Love but, President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders went out and got the guys he needed to make a serious run as a competitor this season.

Alex:
There have been plenty of solid pick-ups and team switches agreed upon to this point, but the Dallas Mavericks' acquisition of point guard Jose Calderon is major, especially for a team that just lost out on adding the league's most dominant center. With Dirk Nowitzki in the twilight of his career and Vince Carter carrying more than his portion of the scoring load, Calderon's talents are just what Dallas was severely in need of.

Splitting last season between Toronto and Detroit, Calderon managed to score 11.3 points per game while using only 17 percent of his team's possessions in 29.6 nightly minutes. His efficiency landed him in the top five for both true shooting percentage (61.6) and effective field goal percentage (59.4), but scoring is not the primary issue Calderon will resolve in Dallas. His court vision and selflessness resulted in an average of 7.1 assists per game as he facilitated on a very respectable 39.8 percent of his team's baskets while on the floor. Match this skill with Nowitzki's veteran savvy, not to mention Carter's knack for scoring and the gradual emergence of Jae Crowder, and the Mavericks should get many more open looks in 2013-14 than last season. Adding a player of Calderon's offensive abilities (he finished four in O-rating with a 124.0 grade in 2012-13) would be a game-changer for any franchise, let alone one suffering a steep slide like the Mavericks. If Mark Cuban couldn't snag a superstar, he made the smartest available move in signing Calderon.

Kyle:
While I think the Los Angeles Clippers were smart to bring in Darren Collison as a more-than-competent backup to Chris Paul, and I think Mike Dunleavey Jr.'s skills can help the Chicago Bulls, I'm going to have to say Josh Smith with the Detroit Pistons. I've never thought Smith was worth the hype and production for how much he shoots (15.6 shots per game last season), but the Pistons desperately needed a scorer.

Greg Monroe led Detroit in scoring last year at 16 points per game and Brandon Knight was a distant second at 13.3 ppg. Ranked No. 22 as a team in points per game last season with 94.9, the Pistons offense could benefit from Smith's 17.5 ppg average last season. The fact that Smith will play and take jump shots on the wing should free up Monroe to be more productive inside. Along with scoring, the Pistons need a player with some name power to grow excitement and gain national attention. Smith may be frustrating at times, but he is a name fans know and people in Detroit will come out to watch and will help pump life into a sometimes-stagnant offense.

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Jason Kidd: An All-Time Point Guard

Where does Jason Kidd rank among the greatest point guards of all time?

His longevity was outstanding, allowing him to have 19 years of NBA experience. With his retirement, Kidd leaves the NBA as second all-time in assists, topped only by John Stockton. His longevity also allowed him to amass more total assists than Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and Bob Cousy. He also grabbed more rebounds than hall of fame snub Spencer Haywood.

His greatness is not only defined by his ability to play for a long period of time, but his ability to sustain excellence throughout his entire career, starting when Kidd was drafted in 1994 by the Dallas Mavericks.

(Via. NBA.com)

He quickly showcased his talent his rookie season when he won the Rookie of the Year award alongside Grant Hill. Kidd averaged 12 points, eight assists, and five rebounds during his first season in the league.

Kidd may be most remembered for his years in New Jersey. The Nets were a perennial punching bag for opposing teams. The seven years before Jason Kidd, the Nets averaged only 29 victories per season.

Then Jason Kidd arrived.

Under his guidance, Kidd helped propel the Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances. The 2001 New Jersey Nets finished with a record of 26-56, the 2002 Nets with Jason Kidd went 52-30. The 2003 Nets finished 49-33. The Nets jumped seven spots up in offensive rating with the acquisition of Kidd.

He was a constant triple double threat, his ability to pass, rebound and score made him a nightmare for opposing defenses. While with the Nets, Kidd led the league in assists per game twice and led his team in scoring once. In 2004 he posted a 16/9/6 statline as he showed off every facet of his game.

Even under the leadership of Jason Kidd, the Nets fell short. The Shaq and Kobe-led Lakers and the Tim Duncan-led Spurs managed to overpower New Jersey.

On February 13, 2008, Jason Kidd was traded to his original team, the Dallas Mavericks. In 2011, at the age of 37, Kidd finally won a much deserved championship ring in a victory over the Miami Heat. Even at the age of 37, Kidd was a valuable part of the team. He averaged eight points, eight assists and four rebounds.
Kidd is such a great locker room leader that he is actually already being considered for coaching jobs, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. His style of play and leadership on the court makes many think he will have a smooth transition to the sideline.

Even if Kidd finds himself on the sidelines with a team soon, one thing is certain. We will always miss him being on the court.

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Dirk Nowitzki Reaches 25,000-Point Milestone

Dirk Notwitzki became the 17th player in NBA history to score 25,000 points for his career. (streetball.com)

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has racked up plenty of accolades over his 15-year NBA career.

Already the possessor of 11 All-Star nominations, an MVP and NBA Finals MVP award and a NBA Championship, Nowitzki is now the 17th player in NBA history to score 25,000 points in his career. Nowitzki joins elite company in Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett as the only active players to achieve the scoring mark. The next closest active players are Paul Pierce (24,010), Ray Allen (23,781) and Tim Duncan (23,745). Dirk now needs less than 200 points to pass Jerry West for No. 16 all-time in scoring.

More impressive is Dirk became one of nine players all-time to score 25,000 points and grab 9,000 rebounds. The other names on the list: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon and Garnett. Not bad company.

This milestone further cements Nowitzki's legacy as a player, which is likely to end in the hall of fame, but bigger than his career was that the German-born player's success led the way for the current tend in the NBA. There may not be a 7-footer in the game with a better, smoother, shooting stroke and his European style of play, where big men routinely play outside the paint, is now a normal part of the NBA game.

Dirk's success also had to have an impact on the NBA's international reach. The NBA is filling with international talent who are in the league thanks to Dirk's, and other foreign players of his time, ability to translate the European game to the NBA. No one has made the transition better than the 7-foot German, as proven by the fact that Nowitzki's NBA MVP award is the only won by a European-born player.

Nowitzki has accomplished nearly everything he could have in the game and soon another tall, sweet shooting European player will take his place trying to emulate the 7-footer. This is Nowitzki's greatest gift to the NBA.

A Woman in the NBA: Why Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks Would Draft Baylor Star Brittney Griner

What are the odds Brittney Griner stays in Texas with the Dallas Mavericks? (tvweek.com)

Brittney Griner has been an enigma in college basketball since her freshman year in 2009-10. She has a list of achievements to her name that most players — male or female, NCAA or NBA — will never fathom, let alone accrue. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban knows this. That's why Cuban mentioned he may steer the team toward drafting the Baylor post player, if she is the best option on the board this summer. But not to be overlooked is the caveat that Cuban acknowledged: the financial coup of marketing the NBA's first female player.

See, Cuban is a businessman first and foremost. That is what allows him to be an NBA owner. The fact that he happens to be a good one is a direct reflection of his business acumen and intense interest in his investment. When he spoke about taking a flyer on Griner as a draft pick, Cuban did so knowing the Mavs will likely miss the playoffs after a predictably rocky season; that his team will soon be out of the headlines as its already aging star player comes off a campaign in which he missed nearly 30 games to injury; that even with possibility of a future with O.J. Mayo as a first scoring option and the fully realized potential of Jae Crowder, the Mavericks are not a particularly attractive franchise right now.

Enter the idea of drafting one of the most dominant players in NCAA women's basketball history. An all-conference and All-American selection several times over, a four-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and an Olympian before college graduation, Griner would seem to have the easiest transition to make for any woman hoping to play in the NBA to date.

Ann Meyers, a former UCLA guard, tried out for the Indiana Pacers in 1979, when the pro game was much different than it is in the league's current iteration. At 5'9", 134 pounds, Meyers would have been out-muscled and outmatched, a common argument against the idea of a woman playing any professional sport alongside men. However, that is not the exact case being leveraged against Griner. The Baylor star is 6'8", 208 pounds, according to last summer's Team USA roster.

A survey of every NBA player on an opening night roster in 2007-08 returned an average height of 6'6.98" and a mean weight of 221 pounds, putting Griner an inch above most Association players, albeit slightly leaner. There have been plenty of skinny NBA players — Tayshaun Prince and Kevin Durant, to be current; Reggie Miller, Manute Bol to drop names — that overcame their perceived disadvantage to make professional careers, be it with unorthodox or traditional, one-dimensional or well-rounded skill sets.

Griner's issue would not be a physical unpreparedness, but rather a need to change the fundamental basics of her game. She would have to learn to guard players on every inch of the court, not just the interior. Her scoring prowess has been predicated on muscling through defenses in the low post, being able to dunk over the usual women's NCAA ilk. Griner would not be able to do this against players like Tyson Chandler or Zach Randolph. With an improvement in lateral quickness, Griner could use her already solid footwork to score in the paint, but she could not feast there like she has while at Baylor. Even in the midst of the positional revolution, Griner would be more suited to play as a small forward than in the four or five spot in the NBA. Furthermore, she would need to greatly improve her ball-handling and extend the range of her jumper, moving outside of the 10-foot arc surrounding the basket. Griner has been reliable from 3-point range, shooting 40 percent from downtown through four years, but going two-of-five from long range through 148 games is not exactly a large sample size. If her jump shot is true, it is not unthinkable that Griner could become a spot-up option in the NBA, particularly as a complement to a slashing guard or on possessions against zone defenses.

First, though, Griner has to enter the NBA Draft and get selected. Cuban properly summed up her stock:

"Right now, I'd lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance, and it's not like the likelihood of any late-50s draft pick has a good chance of making it."

The hypothetical if of drafting Griner is compounded by where she would be picked. Draft picks, especially those in the first round, are more valuable than ever under the new CBA, but a "late-50s" pick relegates her to one of the last five spots, which rarely produce viable players from the droves of men's college players or the overseas stock. Fairly, if she was the best option available, this is where Griner would be chosen. It is where history would be made. She would proceed to go through the normal rigors of an NBA freshman, attending the NBA rookie symposium and possibly playing in the summer league. The latter is something Cuban is also aware of, saying "That'd sell out a few games."

He's right, of course. Assigning her to the Mavs' D-League affiliate would do the same for the Texas Legends, a team experienced in making splashy moves. Bringing her onto an NBA roster would do the same. To the general public, Griner would be a novelty until she proved she could compete and, based on Dallas' roster management in recent years, Griner could very well be an option for the Mavericks if she proved herself to Cuban.

On paper, Cuban can break down a defense. He knows what Griner would need to do to help the Mavericks win. Cuban can also break down an expense report and a budget, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he mentioned a chance of the Mavs drafting Griner. It created a buzz about a floundering franchise and executing such a plan would attract a previously unmined interest in attending games, whether they are in the Las Vegas summer league or on Dallas' home court.

Beyond the questions of "Could she compete with men?" and "Could she get drafted?" is another, less bandied but equally buzzworthy query: "Why would an NBA team draft Brittney Griner?" Cuban knows the answer to this question and he knows it is not all about which remaining player is best on draft night.

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Mavs' Mbenga Move Culminates Two-Year Slide

One of these men is in Dallas Mavericks training camp. One is Kenyon Martin. (Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

D.J. Mbenga is a large man by NBA standards. Juxtaposed with anyone who doesn't play professional basketball, he is downright huge. But size does not translate directly into success, and Mbenga — with his muscular 7-foot stature tipping the scales around 245 pounds — does not have a place in the Association.

That is to say that the center does not have the skills necessary to excel in the NBA, not that he is unemployed. ESPN reported this morning that the Dallas Mavericks are adding Mbenga to the team's training camp roster. Depth is important, but after procuring the frontcourt services of Chris Kaman and Elton Brand in the offseason, and already having 15 guaranteed contracts on the books for 2012-13, this move exemplifies how far removed the Mavs really are from the championship-winning team that felled the Miami Heat just 15 months ago.

A two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, Mbenga is a player who is best known for being dunked on (notice there are four links — one of which leads to a compilation), and, in seven seasons, has failed to post even an average Win-Shares per 48 Minutes statistic. As a rookie, his WS/48 was actually -0.029. His closest approach to the league-average mark of .100 came in 2010-11 when he notched .076 with the New Orleans Hornets. In layman's terms, this means that Mbenga's offensive and defensive efforts add very little to team success and sometimes, in the occasion of negative win shares, hinders his team's chances of winning.

True, it is not easy to produce impressive numbers when playing reserve minutes, but plenty of people have made their living as bench-filling stopgaps. Mbenga might be that, barely.

The Mavs' current roster is not devoid of playmakers. There will be at least one as long as Dirk Nowitski is getting meaningful minutes. The ball-handling forward is entering the autumn of his career, though, and Jason Terry is no longer around to bring energy off the bench like he did during the championship run, when he spent more time on the court than any Maverick not named Dirk.

Gone, too, is Tyson Chandler, who cashed in with the Knicks before last season. DeShawn Stevenson, J.J. Barea and a host of other players left Dallas whether due to greener-pastures opportunities elsewhere or front office juggling on the Mavs' behalf. Sometimes both. Not every player jettisoned made major contributions, but those who did were allowed to leave in order to create salary cap space for big-name free agents who never arrived.

The loss that looks worst is Dallas-area native Deron Williams re-upping with the Brooklyn Nets, essentially choosing a franchise that hasn't been relevant for nearly a decade, over his hometown team. There was more money in New York, and the recent addition of oft-overlooked All-Star guard Joe Johnson, but even Nowitski's proven talents and Finals MVP Award from the summer of 2011 could not compensate for the rest of Dallas' shaky squad.

The roster is a shadow of what it once was. Last year saw drops in offensive rating (8th to 22nd) and points allowed per game (10th to 12th).

A 57-25 season that culminated in a Finals victory celebration made the Mavs look like world-beaters, dominating Miami's perceived Goliath triumvirate and showering David in confetti. The just-over-.500, 36-30 follow-up season revealed what Dallas let walk in its gamble to gain another superstar: a formidable cast whose chemistry was more vital to success than having three of the league's best players.

In that series, Miami relied on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to make superstar plays, allowing Chris Bosh to get an occasional touch and letting role players sag on their responsibilities. Nowitski played his tried-and-true game and Terry embraced being a second-fiddle sixth-man, but this left enough room for others to contribute and play a team game.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and his front office cohorts sacrificed that rotation with the hope of pairing Dirk with another star. So far, there isn't one. A chance remains that the Los Angeles experiment chafes Dwight Howard and motivates him to look for a headlining role and a max contract elsewhere. Dallas will be able to offer him both next offseason. But for now, Mbenga's coming to training camp.


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The Deviousness of Dwyane Wade

"LeBron's over there, you guys. Look!" (Reuters/Benoit Tessier photo)

The most obvious – and rightly so – storyline coming out of the Finals is LeBron James procuring his first NBA Championship. Dwyane Wade getting a second ring is notable, and Chris Bosh getting title number one will either be lost in the shuffle or mentioned with the same importance of Mike Miller’s maybe-retirement.

Last night’s series clinching, Game 5 win proved the Heat’s formula can work. Get some superstars, surround them with the right role players at the right (low) price, and with a little luck (see: Derrick Rose’s first-round knee injury all but eliminating the Chicago Bulls’ title hopes; Avery Bradley undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury when he could potentially have swung the seven-game Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics), win the NBA’s most coveted trophy.

It’s been a long two years for players, fans and media members alike. The path has been fraught with actions and statements now familiar to anyone with a passing interest in the pro game. And while James has been under a microscope, Wade has been under decidedly less pressure.

At least where outsiders are concerned.

Remember, prior to the Heatles, Dwyane Wade ran the show in Miami. But when Boston was making a push toward the Finals, at least one pundit was putting Wade’s head on the chopping block if the Heat failed to overcome the Celts.

That’s one reason it was so important that James have a huge season. If not, he would remain in a ringless purgatory and ideas about trading Wade would be more and more common.

LeBron had a banner year – statistically speaking, and by reigning in MVP awards for both the regular season and the Finals – and was at least partially correct when, before Game 5, he said, “I’m the leader of this team.”

Not a leader. The leader.

The situation called for big talk, and James delivered. Wade stayed silent, swallowing his pride and taking the backseat as he did all season. His less-than-stellar postseason didn’t matter because LeBron could have been playing 1-on-5 and won at least two games in the Finals. The patter of LBJ’s footsteps to South Beach were heard by critics as a proclamation of him accepting a secondary role to Wade.

But, after sharing the court for a season that ended with the Dallas Mavericks hoisting their O’Brien Trophy, Wade got it. It clicked. There would be no more trading opportunities to make plays. No more two-superstar routine. James would be the Heat’s centerpiece and Wade would share the glorified role player status usually reserved for Bosh.

Wade made a conscious decision to be the Mega-Pippen that LeBron was supposed to be upon arriving in Miami.

Still, there’s a nagging feeling that James is the brawn to Wade’s brain. It was, after all, Wade who first embraced the bad guy tag attached to the Heat after the Big Three convened, showing LeBron there was no need to apologize after any perceived misstep, no need to hold back. With a little push, LBJ took the same attitude to the court, allowing Wade to take the backseat on a championship run in which No. 6 did all the heavy lifting.

Even from the very beginning, didn’t it seem like Wade was pulling the strings? He didn’t spurn a city where he endeared himself. He attracted two other top-tier players to join him. Wade even let James have the spotlight, avoiding a Decision-like debacle by appearing on SportsCenter with Bosh to jointly announce their respective re-signing and signing with Heat.

Bosh, James and Wade all made their official announcements on July 7, 2010. More than a month before, Yahoo! NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted something that resounds now more than ever. In response to LeBron calling himself the ringleader of the free agent class, Wojnarowski said, “No, Dwayne Wade is the ringleader – with one.”

Thanks to his maneuvering and management, Wade now has two championships to his name. But that’s not the story. The narrative now shifts from LeBron’s struggle to get his first ring to LeBron’s first title defense. Wade will be under the radar, and he’s alright with that.


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