Mavericks steer clear of white Euros in 2008 NBA Draft

Shan Foster and one of his more high-percentage shots

I would wholly commend GM Donnie Nelson and the Dallas Mavericks for not taking some wild leap and selecting some European guy who's still three years out in the NBA draft last night.

However, they were assisted by the fact that they had one pick the entire two rounds and by then all of Europe had already been selected.

Instead, they took the SEC Player of the Year Shan Foster from Vanderbilt.

I don't know Foster from Adam. Don't watch a ton of Vandy games. He's 6-5, 195 and a pure shooter. Great from beyond three-point range, but marginal every where else. Hell, we put up with Michael Finley for three years too long, we can put up with this guy.

Here's what intelligant people had to say:

Chad Ford:
Foster is a great shooter, but one-dimensional. A poor Orlando pre-draft camp hurt his stock.

Scout.com:
Foster is a deadly shooter who also has outstanding leaping ability.

Dallas Morning News:
Has a super shot from long range, hitting more than 42 percent from 3-point range in his college career ... He's long and perfectly sized for shooting guard ... Is good at using screens and is a capable catch-and-shoot gunner ... Needs to work on his strength and defensive ability.

I do not mind this pick for several reasons:

1. At No. 51, it's a real crapshoot. So just take the best on the board.

2. He played all four years of college. Nothing against the guys coming out early, but there's value in sticking it out all four years and gaining that experience.

3. He's an accomplished musician. Now, this has little to do with shooting a basketball. But it has everything to do with intelligence. The Mavs are not a smart team, especially with Devin Harris gone and Josh Howard smoking out as his brain cells drizzle from his ears to the ground. Foster seems like a smart kid.

But here's the deal: We have to see him get significant minutes this year. The Mavs are a borderline rebuilding franchise. Not all the way rebuilding, but it's important for guys like Reyshawn Terry, Foster and others to get good looks this year. The future is now, whether Nelson likes it or not.