Draft-Day Donuts: Happy Hanukkah, Mavs Fans!

    It’s Draft Day. … which is like Christmas … unlike you are a Mavs fan watching Shaq go to Cleveland and watching the Spurs get better and watching the Lotto Shuffle and you are worried that your team isn’t going to accomplish anything. … in which case it’s like Christmas for a Jewish kid.

     DONUT 1: I’m adding to my Mavs pinpoint list (featuring Eric Maynor, Terrence Williams, the slipping Marcus Thornton and stash-away Nick Calethes) for three reasons: One, I’m told Sam Young needs to be on it. And I do what I’m told. Two, it seems Terrence Williams – seen as an “Artest Jr.’’ is now climbing up the draft charts far out of Dallas’ reach at 24.

     DONUT 2: In fact – and I’m just spit-balling here – say Dallas was targeting Williams as the best of a five-to-six-man bunch. And then they get good info that he’ll be gone well before 22. (And maybe even in the top 15.) Maybe that explains why they feel they can slip down. No Williams. … and five other guys, one of whom is certain to be there at 22/23/24? So they grab a couple of bags o’ magic beans and end up with the same non-Williams they were gonna get anyway.

    Yes? No? Maybe?

    DONUT 3: The Mavs’ tea leaves on the availability of “their guy’’ at 24? We’ll see. Their tea-leaf reading on Jason Kidd?

    Dead-on.

    The Blazers are looking elsewhere (Hinrich?) Teams that need PGs are thinking of drafting ‘em. Others? We’re talking Sign-and-Trade (and teams giving up value) or we’re talking them hoping Kidd will jump at the MLE (of $5 mil or so).

    For reasons of comfort and finance, the Mavs planned on him staying. … and I think he is.

    We’ve said for months that a three-year deal worth $8 mil a year (with the third year just half-guaranteed) is a nice fit. … and we still think it is.

     DONUT 4: The hustling Brian Windhorst in Cleveland reported last night that Phoenix center Shaquille O’Neal is very close to becoming Cleveland property. And now it’s done, with Phoenix not getting its wish to have a player thrown in.

     What of Dallas here?

    DONUT 5: One person who has been very close to Shaq told me last night that O’Neal’s fuel is to go counter Kobe’s title with another championship of his own. I am also told that same issue came up in a Mavs staff meeting in the last two weeks.

    This figures to be a deal that the Mavs will spend the year keeping a “should-we-have?’’ eye on. And if he plays on the terms of his existing contract without pouting for a three-year extension, this figures to be a non-Mavs move that I spent the year giving the side-eye to.

     DONUT 6: I said this for years and years in covering the NFL: Teams study guys for 15 months. … and then screw up 15 months of work in 15 minutes.

   That seems to be happening right now with clubs in the Lotto who are examining point guards. Some teams can’t decide between Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans and Jonny Flynn?

    That’s paralysis through overanalysis. … and 15 months of study ruined by 15 minutes of second-guessing.

    DONUT 4: No disrespect to anybody who thinks the Spurs “took a risk’’ on adding Richard Jefferson, but … “He’s a stud,’’ one NBA scout tells me. “I’m seeing people say, ‘He’ll only be San Antonio’s fourth-best player!’ Which is true – but that’s only because the first three guys are Hall-of-Famers, MVP candidates and All-Stars.’’

    And, let me add: Of those three guys SA dumped to get Jefferson, they’ll end up getting at least one to boomerang back. The deal might scuttle their hopes of being players in the Summer of 2010. But given SA’s rep. … I wouldn’t count on that, either.

    DONUT 5: Here’s a heartbreaker: I’ve got an NBA guy (not with the Mavs) telling me that Erick Dampier’s expiring contract is, at this moment, not near the attractive chip some think it is.

    “That will change at the (February) trade deadline,’’ my man says. “It’ll have value then. But now? You still have to pay him. So your trade partner is going to be somebody that has a need for a Dampier as a player … and then, later, as an expiring.’’

    My man’s point, specifically: You’re going to have to do a heckuva sales job on LAC to trade Damp to, say, the Clippers to get Kaman or Camby. … because they’d be shuffling oversized furniture, is all.

    DONUT 6: So I mention to an NBA big-shot that Milwaukee was kind of in a pinch financially, and did the best they could by getting cap room for 2010.

    “Yeah, but you’re assuming a big-time free agent will want to go to Milwaukee,’’ the big-shot says. “That franchise has been doing bad business for 20 years. Not only will they not get a big-time free agent, they won’t even land a medium-sized one. You watch.’’  

    DONUT 7: Apparently Portland’s motivation in swapping up from 24 to Dallas’ 22 was because the Blazers caught wind that Sacto – at 23 – shared their interest in Israeli player Omri Casspi. (Omri Casspi? I’m not familiar. Didn’t he used to date Jackie O?)

    So there’s another Mavs’ “keep-your-eye-on’er’’ … If Sacto pinpoints Casspi as about the 22^nd best guy AND Portland pinpoints the exact same person as about the 22^nd best guy. … and the Mavs don’t have him in their pinpointed bunch of guys. …

    But wait: Now comes word that Sacto might use 23 to move up. It’s one big Poker game for the Kings, whose GM Jerry Reynolds recently called ESPN’s Chad Ford “a tool.’’

    Hey, with a little mystery and a little Poker, the Kings might make us all look like tools.

    DONUT 8: A sensible offering on Rondo from Stein: The Celtics consider moving him for, say, the No. 2 pick in the Draft. That doesn’t explain the nonsense coming out of Celtics management’s piehole, though. One more thing here – and this comes from Avery Johnson ruining me – but every time I hear a coach leading a campaign against his own PG, I assume the coach himself is an “I-could-do-it-better’’ ex-point guard.

    Good morning, Doc Rivers.

    DONUT 9: Out of the NY papers: The Knicks are the ones who really want Rubio and really want pick No. 2. Out of the Minny camp: Not so fast. The Wolves need him – and have the ammunition to do it.

    DONUT 10: Twitter. Join me. Be a follower. Which essentially means simply having access to the website Twitter.com/fishsports

    DONUT 11: Now that Phoenix dumped Shaq, they’re ready to listen to offers for Amare. Amare-for-T-Mac means major future cap room (and the end of The Era That Never Was in Phoenix). It also would mean a monster assemblage of talent in Houston. … though the news that Yao’s foot isn’t healing properly gives the whole organization a noticeable limp.

     Meanwhile, most every team in the league is speed-dialing on Amare (Nellie?!), but you know what? Because of T-Mac’s huge expiring, most every team should be making that phone call, too.

    DONUT 12: We’re on Kaman/Camby/Chandler/Vince watch, yes. But am I the only one who thinks that pending a thorough physical exam, Elton Brand is worthy of trying to steal from an already-sick-of-paying-him Sixers ownership?