How Will DeSagana Diop's Absence Affect the Dallas Mavericks?

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The Dallas Mavericks these past few seasons have shown they are a solid team capable of reaching the end of the playoffs race, even in the light of their disappointing exit against the Golden State Warriors in their last campaign. Part of this solid lineup was DeSagana Diop, who was sent to the New Jersey Nets along with valuable young point guard Devin Harris. While discussions of the trade emphasized the Mavericks' decision to let go of a great future guard in Harris in exchange for a tried and tested All Star (and probable future Hall of Famer) in Kidd, there also is the fact that they lost a valuable center in Diop. The 26-year-old, 7-feet-tall Senegalese center split time with Erick Dampier at the five position and his role got even more important when they lost their other center in DJ Mbenga (now with the Los Angeles Lakers). The trade left them thin at center, and they had to sign former All Star Jamaal Magloire to fill in their big man needs. Can Magloire fill the shoes of Diop? The latter was considered a great defensive presence down the block, being one of the best shot-blockers per 48 minutes right now in the NBA. One of his best performances was in the seventh game of the Dallas-San Antonio playoff series, when he played solid defense on Tim Duncan despite a broken nose in the fourth quarter and in overtime. They would later win the game but fall short in their campaign against the then-surging Miami Heat who won the championship. Magloire, on the other hand, is almost four years older than Diop, about an inch shorter, and despite an All Star appearance in the 2003-04 season, has been a disappointment in the lineups of his two previous teams, the Portland Trail Blazers and the New Jersey Nets, who waived him four days before the Mavericks signed him. In all truth, no one is expecting Magloire to be the defensive monster Diop has been for the Mavericks, but his help will be very much needed by Dampier inside the paint. Dampier himself hasn't been a very strong defensive presence for Dallas and does not really figure into becoming one at this stage in his career. Dirk Nowitzki doesn't provide that much of a defense, either, leaving Dallas searching for an answer to their Western counterparts' big man strengths: Duncan, Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers), Andrew Bynum (Los Angeles Lakers), Tyson Chandler (New Orleans Hornets), Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns), and Yao Ming (Houston Rockets). Diop will be missed by the Mavericks, this season and in their next campaigns.