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And the consolation prize is … Drew Gooden.
To which I say, not bad. Not bad at all. He’s no Marcin Gortat or Carlos Boozer or Emeka Okafor, but the 6-foot-10, 250-pound 27-year old journeyman can be a nice fit on a nice team.
Gooden seemingly has the size and skills and athleticism to be difference-making big man in the paint. But there’s a reason – after agreeing to a one-year contract worth $4.5 million – that he’s now with his seventh team in eight NBA seasons.
The bad news: He’s moody. He meanders from the paint. He misses defensive rotations.
The good news: He’ll at times keep Erick Dampier off the court.
Gooden was the fourth overall pick in the ’02 draft, and he’s been a 10-point/8-rebound producer for most of his career. Last year he missed 31 games with injuries and was hardly noticable as a Spur in Dallas’ first-round playoff victory.
Don’t know what Dallas’ plans are now with backup big men Ryan Hollins and James Singleton, but I do the Mavericks are a better team with the addition of Gooden.
Right?
