Dampier can make some plays, witness that two block (well one was a foul) sequence in the 4th quarter. However, you also saw his bad hands after the first block where he lost the ball. He's always going to be a sleepy looking player, he's been the same since I've watched him when he first got to the W's. Too bad he's got bad hands, if he had some good hands and could finish the chippies he would have had 25 last night.
I think he was a good pickup during the off season, but he was over paid . Though Shaq is out of the Western conference, there are teams that explioted Dallas's half court defense such as SA and Sacremento. Dampier's presense in the middle has improved the overall team defense this season. He is more valued for his defense than his offense. He's just another option to use depending on matchups..Play Dirk at 5 when going small and Damp at 5 when playing big..
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">There's something I never got about why the Mavs would have gone out to get Damp in the first place. I know that with the departure of Shaq, the West is short of quality big men and that the Mavs thought that acquiring Damp, a quality big man, would increase their chances of making it to the NBA Finals. However, Dampier is not suited for Nelly's style of offense. He is more of a halfcourt, offensive putback type player, but he won't be able to fully do what he does because the Mavs may have jacked up a shot before he even got half way upcourt. With Nellie, and more AJ, preferring to play a more uptempo style of basketball, I really think that Damp is the odd man out. Do Mavs fans feel that the Dampier trade did the team more harm than good?</div> After Dallas' first round exit last year, they decided to move towards a more conventional line-up. Getting a quality center was the first step towards that end. As long as Dampier plays at his ability, then I think it was a good thing. So, to answer your question, Trip, I think time will tell if Dampier does more harm than good. Right now, despite his inconsistency, Dampier makes this Mavs team better when he is on the floor.
