http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/12/19/SPGAAAED5L1.DTL


Erick Dampier's honeymoon in Dallas is over.

The starting center totaled 47 minutes in the three games leading up to Saturday's meeting with Atlanta, and sat the entire second half of Tuesday's home loss to the Warriors as coach Don Nelson used a zone defense anchored by 7-foot-6 Shawn Bradley.

"I'm trying to find out exactly who he is,'' Nelson said of Dampier, who received a seven-year deal worth more than $65 million after a career season with the Warriors.

Nelson said "there's more to get'' from the nine-year veteran, a sentiment echoed by assistant coach Avery Johnson, who played with Dampier last season and lobbied the Mavericks to acquire him.

"We're asking him to do a lot,'' Johnson told the Fort Worth Star- Telegram. "To whom much is given, much is required.

"This is not his last six years'' in Golden State, Johnson said (Dampier spent seven seasons with the Warriors). "We're a different organization, a different team, heading in a different direction. He has to accept that responsibility. If not, then this is not the place. He's trying, he's working hard, but we know there is more there. And I really believe that he's going to give us more.''

Dallas fans can't be feeling good about that contract...Knick fans however?

ditto.

neveer liked that guy. say what you want, but good play during contract year should be considered once for all as misleading.

how many garbage players earnt a great contract while doing that ? we learn from history that we learn nothing from history.

A wise man once told me "Never want something so bad you can't walk away from it". He was right about the accreage in the Poconos and that same attitude applies to players a GM or fan wants to acquire. How would the knx look without Crawford but with Dampier in the middle? What would the knx record be now?

One note of dissension here - Nellie always does something to bring the worst oout in his centers. He always seemes to be antagonistic towards them. WHether it's a young Chris Webber, a Patrick Ewing with still plenty of tread left on his tires. Maybe now with Dampier. Contract year heroics notwithstanding, I would still say it's possible that a lot of coaches other than Nellie would be getting a lot more out of Dampier right now.

Posted by Marv:

One note of dissension here - Nellie always does something to bring the worst oout in his centers. He always seemes to be antagonistic towards them. WHether it's a young Chris Webber, a Patrick Ewing with still plenty of tread left on his tires. Maybe now with Dampier. Contract year heroics notwithstanding, I would still say it's possible that a lot of coaches other than Nellie would be getting a lot more out of Dampier right now.

Give Don Nelson a passing center(divac-B.Miller etc... and you would see how he would utilize his big men in his system.