French Cuffs! Beaubois Styles Into Dallas

By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

Rodrigue Beaubois has style. (Skeets says he wins the NBA Draft award for ‘Best Accessories’’ due to “the watch and pocket square; love the tiny French flag accent on the cuffs. Très excellent!’’)

“The World’s Most Interesting Man’’ arrived in Dallas today. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,’’ Roddy said Friday at Mavs HQ, while. … I think. .. wearing the French French cuffs again!

More notes on the last 24 hours at the AAC coming this afternoon, but for now, some Roddy Ramblings:

*The Mavs argue that Roddy Beaubois is 6-3 but “plays like he’s 6-5.’’ That’s due to that 6-10 wingspan (which ranks with most anybody in this draft). Meanwhile, at the NBA testing, he graded out as quick and as fast as Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, Jeff Teague and Jrue Holiday. And when the Mavs had him down in the AAC Laboratory, his athleticism tested out on near-par with Devin Harris.

*ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla has a rep as somebody who knows his EuroBall and who knows his Big 12 ball. So this is a notable view of Roddy: “If he was drafted out of Kansas or Texas, Mavericks fans would be holding a block party today."

* From Bill Simmons' 13th annual NBA Draft Diary B.J. Mullens (is) this year's token white center who will bounce around for eight years without ever making a dent) … Rodrigue Beaubois (is) the French Leandro Barbosa)’’ …

*I don’t know this for certain, but. … isn’t it weird that Roddy came here for a workout, and then sort of disappeared? Didn’t pop up in Mocks? Didn’t get his name reported as a visitor to other teams? Didn’t get featured as an interesting “human interest story’’ in USA Today or wherever? It’s almost enough to make me believe the Mavs’ “pinpoint’’ talk … almost as if they got to know him, got to like him, and told him to go back to France and lay low, you know?

Did he not appear in Mocks because he was suddenly low-profile … because he’s just volunteered for the basketball version of the French Foreign Legion?

(Fish note: That figures to be the second of a million French jokes around here. Get used to it.)

*In the Underwear Olympics, Roddy Beaubois (Donnie calls him “Roddy’’ plus it’s easier to type) is a champion. But the best thing so far about Frenchy? He’s GOT to be better than his previous countrymen—turned-Mavs.

Or don’t you remember Antoine Rigadeau and Tariq Abdul-Wahad?

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457pm june 26 2009