The New Mop Up Mav

The Mavs season is slowly slipping away. It will quickly be every fan's hope that the Mavs can luck into Blake Griffin in the lottery.

Meanwhile, a trade was made bringing a new center for mop up duty: Ryan Hollins. By now, we know this the 24-year-old from UCLA.

Sure, he is just a throw-in to the DeSagana Diop for Matt Carroll trade. But this guy might be fun to watch. He's certainly the most athletic center in Dallas working the pick-and-roll better than Erick Dampier and Diop ever did. The question is, can he do anything else. So far, the returns look unpromising.

But this was a decent move by the Mavs. You got the outside shooter in Carroll if he regain form. Plus you got Hollins to replace Diop. We know who Diop is. He has leveled off. Maybe even regressed. So why not get a younger, more athletic center and see what he might be able to give you.

At worst, he becomes just another of the many Mavs not named Dirk or Jet who can produce on occassion but more often lay eggs. Then, the Mavs drift closer to the lottery, a Josh Howard trade, and remain poised to make a free agent splash in 2010.