Rumors turned into reality on Friday when the Mavericks opened the trade season by shipping backup center DeSagana Diop to Charlotte for sharpshooter Matt Carroll and young reserve center Ryan Hollins.
The Mavs are, in essence, a jump-shooting team, but they’ve had trouble all season connecting from behind the arc. They entered Saturday’s game against the Jazz ranked 26th in the league from 3-point range at 33.3 percent. That’s exactly what they made against Utah (6-for-18).
They hope the 6-foot-6 Carroll can do what Kyle Korver did for the Jazz last season—spread the floor, drain shots and provide a boost the team can use to climb back into the top half of the Western Conference.
“He’s a proven NBA shooter,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s not just a 3-point shooter, but he’s a terrific mid-range player, too. That’s why we made the deal, to get better with our overall shooting.”
The Pistons have lost five straight, their longest slide since the 2003-04 season, when they lost six straight in February before acquiring Rasheed Wallace in a trade. The Pistons went on to win their third championship that season.
Fourth-quarter woes have been their biggest problem. They have scored a grand total of 76 fourth-quarter points during the streak.
The veteran unit, led by Chauncey Billups, knew what to do in those situations, but coach Michael Curry is still searching for the right combination with this group. The Pistons will try to end the malaise in Memphis on Monday.
“Any time you lose a game, your confidence may get shaken a little bit, but I’ve (been) telling you all year, this is a different team,” Curry said. “That team had been together for so long, and they had a 10-year veteran running the team. No excuses for us, but this group has to learn its way as well.”
Well so I guess all I can do is to wish good luck to the Pistons on their up coming game vs. the tough and winning Dallas Mavs.
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