Photos from my trip to the Mavericks-Wizards game

Sorry about the lack of updates. There is obviously plenty of catching up to do with respects to the Mavericks this week, but I've been pretty busy at work, and when a day off finally came, writing was the last thing on my mind.

But I did go see the Mavs yesterday, so click here to see the photos and read my witty comments.

Updates coming soon, I promise.

I never get tired of being right

Well, it's happened again.

Posted today, Dec. 18, on the website for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

It seems the development process of Gerald Green has hit something of a snag. For the first time this season, Green was inactive [against the Raptors], meaning he wasn’t one of the 12 players in uniform.

Green has played a total of eight minutes in the Mavs’ last eight games. He did not play at all in four straight games before logging one minute at the end of Monday’s loss to the Nuggets.

Interesting, especially when I made note of that on Tuesday.

Updates coming soon about this week's games.

Championships

There are two things in this life that I love: the Dallas Mavericks and championships.

This blog is supposed to chronicle the combining of the two, assuming it ever happens. But I've spent a lot of pixels writing about the Dallas Mavericks in the few months of this blog's existence, and the topic of championships has been neglected.

Championships, and by extension, champions fascinate me. It is the goal of every single player that steps on the hardwood (or field). So look for more upcoming posts about championships and the champions who win them.

And with any luck, Dirk and the Mavs will join that group sooner rather than later.

You heard it here first...

A wise man once wrote:

Here's what I would like to see from Josh Howard on his return:

Play exactly like J.J. Barea has been playing.

It's not as ludicrous as it sounds. Barea has been incredibly aggressive, only resorting to the jump shot when he has tons of space around him.

There's no way Barea is as athletic as Howard, so there's no reason he can't do the same things. Howard has eight inches on Barea, so he shouldn't have as much trouble scoring in the paint.

Howard also has a better jumper, though Barea might be better with the three-ball.

If Josh Howard can play like Barea, the Mavs will be a real force.

Brilliant stuff when you think about it.

And apparently I'm not the only one that thinks so.

According to the Dallas Morning News' MavsBlog:

Josh Howard explained to reporters that he didn't think he'd have a problem fitting in with a team that went 9-2 while he sat out with a sprained ankle. His reasoning: Recent star J.J. Barea and him "bring the same thing to the table."

Howard was referring to their ability to drive to the basket. Never mind the fact that he's eight inches taller than Barea and plays a different position.

Sounds like they got their stuff together over there at the MavsBlog.

Oh, and also here at Dirk is my Homeboy.

Because, you know, I wrote my post on Wednesday, Dec. 10, but the Mavs Blog didn't come out with it Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Just saying...

How about some love?

I admit it completely, I love Dirk.

I love him more than one heterosexual male should ever admit when regarding another heterosexual male.

But I don't think I'm letting my man-love for the Dirkster cloud my judgement when I'm saying that he is being vastly ignored for what he is doing this year.

He is third in the NBA in scoring, only behind D-Wade and LeBron James.

Take Wade out since his team lives and dies by him, and even then, they have lost when he scores 30, 36, 40. He has scored 21, 17, 15 in the last few games, and they have lost to Atlanta, Memphis and Milwaukee by an average of 15 points.

LBJ's average is actually a little lower than his career average, but his team is dominating everyone they meet.

But guess what? All you've been hearing about is the return of Wade, the dominance of James, James in 2010, Kobe becoming less selfish, and the like.

No one is talking about the amazing season Dirk is having. In addition to his scoring being the second-highest it's ever been, his rebounding is the second highest ever, a full RPG above his career average.

Always great from the charity stripe, he's currently at 91.4%, a full percent point than his best season ever.

His percentage from the field is down to the lowest since 04-05, but barely. He is also taking more of the offensive load with Howard being out and Terry coming in off the bench.

The NBA is giving him love, with Dirk being named the Western Conference Player of the Week twice.

But you would never know if you were just reading ESPN. I read the Dallas News Mavericks Blog, and that's the only way I found out.

So please, NBA fans and media alike, give Dirk some love. He's having an incredible season, and while the Mavs can't be called contenders, Dirk is doing more than his part, and if the team comes together, they could be very dangerous.

Gimme some typical!

Well, no actually, don't give me some typical.

But that's what the Mavs did last night, with a typical loss to a good team.

It wasn't just the fact that they lost. Hell, I was OK with the Spurs loss. Well, as OK as you can be after a heartbreaker at home, but we'll let that one lie.

No, this one was typical because it featured a classic Mavs model of losing:

• Ice cold start from the field. The Mavs missed their first five shots, and only managed four points in the first four and a half minutes, leading to a 15-point first quarter.
  
• Conversely, the Nuggets came out swinging. Billups, Anthony, Martin, even DANHTAY FREAKING JONES was throwing down dunks.
  
• The Mavs make it semi-respectable by halftime, and then make a great third quarter run, eventually tying the game at 65.

And here's where it became the most depressing kind of typical Mavs game ever, one I have seen too many of.

The Nuggets have the ball, tied at 65. The crowd is getting into it, Dirk has sunk a few buckets, even George is draining the three-ball.

'Melo misses a jumper, Dirk gets the rebound, and tried to hit George in transition. George isn't paying attention, 'Melo gets the steal.

Now, I knew the Nuggets would hit a three-pointer on this possession. I knew it with every breath in my body.

But the thing about the Mavs is, they like to toy with you. Billups missed a 3-pointer that he makes all the time, and I dared to hope.

Foolish me, Chris Andersen takes a break from blowing lines on the bench (cheap shot, I know, what do you want from me?) and gets the offensive rebound, then finds 'Melo for the three, which were his only points of the quarter.

Dallas stayed close for another three-and-a-half minutes, getting within one, but the deficit turned into three, then five, finally ending the quarter down by four, 75-71.

The Nuggets then proceeded to open up the fourth with a 12-2 run, putting our heroes down for the rest of the game.

Except for, oh, I don't know, a FOUR MINUTE STRETCH where the only points from either team was a pair of free throws from both Nene and Kidd.

Now, this a situation you couldn't have drawn up better.

The Nuggets shot the lights out for most of the game, while Dallas did the opposite. If you can hold them to two points in a four-minute stretch, then you should be able to close the distance, especially if you are holding onto championship aspirations.

But the Mavs churned out:

• 2 turnovers
• Four missed shots (two threes, two layups)
• 1 blocked shot
• A partridge in a pear tree (except replace 'partridge' with 'basketball' and 'pear tree' with 'not in the basket')

The three-PG lineup that was so dynamic for most of the homestand seems to be stale.

While it's been fun to see the Mavs go 5-2, Antoine Wright, Gerald Green, James Singleton, and Shawne Williams, all of whom have looked promising, haven't been getting minutes.

Here's their minute counts for the 7-game homestand:

• Gerald Green: 8
• James Singleton: 2
• Shawne Williams: 79 (played 4 games)
  
• Antoine Wright: 36 (played 2 games)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a Mavericks bench that, while it has faltered at times, also stood up very well to the Lakers, who have to be considered the benchmark that Western teams are measured by.

These are all young guys (at 27, Singleton is the oldest, the next oldest is 23) who need minutes to develop into players.

Youth is supposed to be something the Mavs are pushing, especially since Dirk just hit 30 and J-Kidd is waging a losing battle with Father Time.

Hopefully Carlisle will learn from what transpired during the homestand. While they went 5-2, they lost to both of the good teams they played.

In fact, the only wins this season that the Mavs have had against good teams were against the Yao-less Rockets, the Manu-less Spurs and the soul-less Suns.

In closing, I leave you with a hilarious quote from Carlisle regarding last night's shooting performance, courtesy of the Dallas Morning News MavsBlog:

"We couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a bass fiddle. When you're not guarding them and not making shots, you're going to suck."

Crisis Averted

I'm not going to lie to you.

It almost ended, right then and there.

I told you about being in the ledge when the Mavs played the Knicks, where I almost changed this site to "Oden is my Homeboy."

I'm not proud of it, but it's the truth.

Luckily, the Dirk and co. pulled it out, and they have been on a tear since then.

I didn't think I could sink any lower.

But I did.

I had to cover a local basketball tournament on Saturday night, the night the Mavs were hosting the worst team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If the Mavs were any sort of contender, they should have beaten the Thunder by 30, and used the fourth quarter to get Green, Singleton, Williams and others some garbage minutes.

But it was not to be.

I got off work around 9:30, and on my way home, I checked the score on my phone.

I almost drove off the road.

OKC 76- DAL- 65, 5:08 to go in the third quarter.

What went through my mind at that moment? A lot of things:

• The Rick Carlisle experiment had failed.
• The Jason Kidd experiment had failed.
• The Mark Cuban experiment had failed.
• The 7-foot German experiment had failed
• THE NBA IN THE CITY OF DALLAS EXPERIMENT HAD FAILED!!!!!

I'm not proud of these thoughts, but it is what went through my head. Everything up to this point in history had failed if it led to this, the Mavs losing to the Thunder at home.

I hurried home to watch the game on my League Pass Broadband, and I contemplated what I would do if they lost.

I considered walking into oncoming traffic, but then again, a fine American automobile shouldn't suffer when my corpse shatters its front end just because the Mavericks can't play defense.

Luckily, my thoughts didn't get far. Thanks to the third best game of Dirk's career (scoring wise) the Mavs pulled it out.

But the Mavs' bench, besides Terry, had almost led me to ruin.

Some days, in my darkest nightmares, I see the score at the AAC that night as it could have been: OKC 110, DAL 100.

Then I wake up in a cold sweat, and spend a few minutes getting adjusted to reality, a reality where the Mavs were able to get the win.

The season is about a quarter of the way through, and I'm already in the nightmares stage.

Not a good sign.

Steve Nash, you lying hussy

How dare you Steve Nash?

When speaking to the Arizona Republic about the Bell/Diaw for Richardson trade, Nash said:

"It's tough," Nash said after a big exhale. "While I'll welcome my new teammates with open arms, it's tough when you lose your best friend. It's tough when you lose two of your best buddies. It's tough and it hurts. It's tough."

You whore! After everything you and Dirk have been through!

Was Raja Bell there when you were in Dallas, fresh from Canada and Santa Clara, helping you adjust to the life of an NBA-er?

Is Raja Bell the godfather of your twins?

Is that Raja Bell standing by you with an equally bad haircut?

IS IT??!?!?

IS IT????

You better watch your tongue Nash. Dirk is a better best friend than Raja Bell could ever be.

Unless you have some sort of strange fetish for players that are far past their one-year prime, then you better remember who you're dealing with here.

Dirk is the best friend a man could ever ask for. I would sell my left nut just to meet Dirk, and here you are throwing him out like he's yesterday's incredibly handsome garbage.

Write this down Steve Nash: you are officially on notice.

The Spurs

I had forgotten how much I despise the silver and black.

The only Spurs game I have seen this year was the tail end of the Spurs-Heat game that was right before the Mavs-Nuggs game. I was rooting for the Heat, for the only time ever, but I wasn't too involved in the game.

I didn't watch the first Mavs-Spurs game, I was still getting my League Pass sorted out, and without Ginobili and Parker, I wasn't too worried about it.

Last night I renewed my hatred for the Spurs.

It's weird how it works. When I'm following Red Sox baseball throughout the heat of July and August, the pinstripes fill me with hate, but the silver and black of the Spurs or the silver and blue of the Dallas Cowboys are far away.

If you are a sports team, almost as important as your favorite team is your archenemy. The team that, for brief moments, you swear to the sports gods that you will trade away your own team's success just to make sure that the hated enemy will never win.

In basketball, that is the Spurs.

What pisses me off even more is that they are the class of the NBA in every sense of the word. They are well run, well coached, they make all the right personnel decisions. Their superstars are among the classiest in any sport, especially Tim Duncan.

I want the team I hate to be a dirty team (which the Spurs kind of are (Bowen, Oberto)). I want people that otherwise don't care about my enemy to hate them, just because of the disgrace they've brought upon the sport.

And I hate the Spurs.

I hate the wide-eyed look Tim Duncan gets after he's called for a foul, and the similiar look Bruce Bowen gives after doing things that are illegal in ten states.

I hate the way Tony Parker can't seem to find a razor that works, or the way he licks his gigantic lips while dribbling the ball up the court.

I hate that stupid "Heeyyyyyyyyyyyyyy-oh!" song that plays in the AT&T Center.

I hate that they can afford to drop players as good as Luis Scola, and don't suffer at all.

I hate the Spurs.

But I do enjoy watching the Spurs-Mavs game. I'm trying to plan a vacation around going to the AAC during a Mavs' homestand, and the Spurs game must be included.

The rest of the sports nation has since lost its' fascination with those games, but they are riveting.

Especially last night.

Well, I should qualify that. Last night would have been great if my internet didn't cost me the chance to miss the last minute of regulation, and the entire first overtime.

But we'll let that pass.

What to take away from last night's loss? A few things:

• The Mavs' ball movement was phenomenal. They completely neutralized the double team. It didn't matter if it was Dirk or Terry that was double teamed, Barea, Bass, or Kidd were there to make the Spurs pay.
  
• J-Kidd needs some help on the defensive end. Parker fried him, and Paul, Williams, and co. will continue to fry him until he gets some help.
  
• Dirk is a fade-away machine. Until the fourth quarter anyway. He needs to start taking over close games. When the Mavs played the Lakers, as the game was winding down, Kobe would get the ball and wind down the shot clock, and every single human being watching was thinking, "Kobe is going to drain this shot." And he did. Dirk needs to enter that zone.
  

At the end of the day, it's really just another example of the Mavs' inabiity to close out a game against a good team.

All is not lost however. When Jo-Ho gets back, they should be able to hang. And, they're getting reps in, which helps.

Its a long season, and the mavs are bound to get better at pulling these games out.

But still, fuck the Spurs.

Putting Jo-Ho back in the lineup

It's funny how things work. If you had told me that Josh Howard would have one the the best starts of his career, but the Mavs would start 4-7, then he would be hurt while the Mavs go 7-2 in his absence I would have called you crazy.

But that's the situation we find ourselves in.

Now, after a week or so of toying with the idea of Howard playing the Mavericks have come out and said that Jo-Ho will be out indefinitely.

Given the record Dallas has compiled in his absence, I'm not too broken up about that. While I'm a huge Howard fan, I'd rather he get all the way healthy, especially with the Mavs winning without him.

We've all seen (Arenas and Wade) what can happen if an athletic player rushes back too quick.

But unlike Agent Zero, the Mavs will surely benefit from getting their most athletic player back on the floor.

But how exactly? After all, the Mavs have had pretty good success with their three-PG lineup, and that leaves Howard as the odd man out.

So how will Josh Howard fit into the way the Mavs are playing?

First of all, his defense will be crucial. We all saw last night how Kidd/Barea/Terry were decimated by Tony Parker last night, even after he started slow.

In the playoffs, you're going to have Parker, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, an underrated Rafer Alston, as well as people like Fisher and Roy.

Howard should be able to guard those guys. Luckily, there aren't many teams with both a quick, penetrating PG and a long, athletic two-guard.

Kobe has Fisher, who is good, but isn't known for his penetration. The closest thing the Mavs should see is the Alston/McGrady combo, and that depends on McGrady's health.

So if Howard gets put on the other teams best athlete, that leaves Terry or even Barea to go after the person Howard is giving up. I love the way Kidd plays, and I think he plays better defense than ge gets credit for, but I just don't trust him.

So then what happens to the three-PG lineup when Howard returns?

You can't lose Kidd. His ball movement and ability to hit the open shot can't be lost.

It's tough to lose Barea. His heart, defense, speed and ability to penetrate are something that the Mavs have lacked for a while.

It's also tough to lose Terry. While he is a streaky shooter, he is great about hitting the open looks (which he is getting more and more of, thanks to the Mavs' vastly improved ball movement), and he's no slouch on the defensive end.

But you can't sacrifice any more size by taking Bass or Dirk out of there, so gun to my head, I think you have to drop Barea.

I love the way Barea has been playing as of late, but he tends to push things too far, often getting facialed by a forward when he tries to go over him. In a close game against a good team, you can't give away possessions like that.

But the problem is this: The lineup of Kidd, Terry, Howard, Dirk and Bass is nothing new, and it hasn't done all that much.

But it really hasn't been around too much with Carlisle, and not after they've had some time to get familiar with his offense.

The way Dallas is moving the ball now, Howard should be able to get looks. The Spurs game highlighted the ability to get out of the double team, and with Howard in there, the Mavs are way too dangerous to double team.

Here's what I would like to see from Josh Howard on his return:

Play exactly like J.J. Barea has been playing.

It's not as ludicrous as it sounds. Barea has been incredibly aggressive, only resorting to the jump shot when he has tons of space around him.

There's no way Barea is as athletic as Howard, so there's no reason he can't do the same things. Howard has eight inches on Barea, so he shouldn't have as much trouble scoring in the paint.

Howard also has a better jumper, though Barea might be better with the three-ball.

If Josh Howard can play like Barea, the Mavs will be a real force.

In crunch time, you can put out Dirk, Terry, Kidd, Howard and Bass/Damp (depending on the size of the opponents).

That gives you four legit shooters (five if Bass is there), plus an inside presence. You've got speed and passing with Terry and Kidd.

Most importantly, you've got that combo that has helped the Spurs so much: people who can penetrate and kick it out to shooters on the perimeter.

The Spurs bread and butter has been setting up Parker in the halfcourt offense, then when he drives, he can score, give it to a low post threat in Duncan, or kick it out to a perimeter threat like Mason, Ginobili, Bowen, Finley or Bonner.

Now the Mavs have a setup like that. With Barea in at the PG, and Howard at the three, you have two legit guys who can get into the paint. With Damp/Diop/Bass as your low post threat, and Dirk, Terry, George (whose outside shooting is picking up), or Wright in there, those are legit threats.

Sure, Damp/Diop/Bass is no Tim Duncan. Sure, Devin Harris can penetrate better. And you can argue that Ginobili, Bowen and Finley are more lights out than Terry, Dirk and Devean George.

But if the looks are there, good shooters will get them. That's why Jason Terry has had such a resurgence as of late. Due to the Mavs' good ball movements, he has gotten great looks, and he's too good of a shooter not to capitalize on those.

I just hope that Mavs fans aren't using the latest streak as a "We can win with out Howard" platform.

While the Mavs have looked good, they have played some pretty dreadful teams (and barely escaped, mind you), but there's no reason that inserting someone as athletic and talented as Josh Howard in the mix won't push them to another level.

Jealousmuch?

Well, it's official.

After long years of fandom, I finally have tickets to go see the Mavs in person.

Yes, I've seen them live before, at a preseason game against the Wizards, who happen to be my hometown team.

But Dirk never even got out of his warmups. Although the occasional is now notable, since it was my first experience watching J.J. Barea, who would soon (14 months) emerge out of nowhere to become the baby-faced assassin.

I had tickets to last year's Mavs-Wiz games, it was on MLK day, at one in the afternoon.

But alas, previous travel committments took me to the other side of the country, so I missed it.

But Sunday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m., I will be eight rows from the Mavericks' bench. EIGHT ROWS!!!

If I get hit by some of Dirk's sweat, I might just spontaneously combust with sheer pleasure.

Of course, I will be wearing my Dirk Nowitzki #14 jersey from the German Olympic team.






Here's how it will all go down, at least in my mind.

Dirk (walking back to the bench after hitting a three-pointer to tie the game with 10 seconds left): Hey, you! Up there, eight rows from our bench! Is that my Olympic jersey from the Fatherland?

Me: Yes it is Dirk, I love you!

Dirk: Well son, that sure is something. Tell you what, I'm gonna hit this game winner for you.

Dirk then steals the inbounds pass, dribbles to the three-point line, and nails the game winner while staring at me.

Dirk: Thanks a lot man. You gave me the lift I need. Tell you what, I could use a strikingly attractive man with a clean, musky odor to sit behind us and inspire me to sink trizzles all day long, you up for the challenge?

Me: Uh.....

Dirk: Don't worry, it pays 1,000 bucks a week, plus you can help me ghost write my biography, and run the official blog for my website. Hey, maybe we'll even shower together once or twice.

....And that's when I wake up, often stuck to my sheets.

Delusions of grandeur aside, I am looking forward to seeing a great game.

Maybe I'll be able to get even closer, seeing as the Wiz might only have five wins at that point.

A blueprint for Brandon Bass

After a slow start, Brandon Bass is returning to the form that made him a free-agent steal last year.

And as much as I like to watch him play, here's what I would like to see him become:

Amare Stoudemire.

Hold your applause, please.

After watching Bass throw down three of the most vicious dunks I've seen in a long time in the Hawks game, two of which ended up being the difference in the game.

And that got the wheels turning in the ol' noodle.

Why can't Bass be like Amare? That out-of-control freight train that gets feeds from Nash down the middle of the lane, and no force can stop him without fouling him.

Sure, Stoudemire has two inches and about ten pounds on Bass, but that doesn't mean Bass can't get a head of steam and take a pass into a wide open lane.

There's a reason the Mavs got Kidd: his passing. You're telling me that Carlisle can't draw up some plays to clear out the lane, and Kidd can't thread a pass the a streaking Bass, who happens to be great in that same situation?

A little-discussed consequence of settling for jumpers is the lack of fouls for the other team.

If you can get the other team's frontcourt into foul trouble, nothing but good things happen. The starting 4 and 5 get their minutes cut back, which leaves the paint more vulnerable to attack, which in turn leads to higher percentage shots, less turnovers and more points.

During the current stretch of wins, Dallas has done very well getting points in the paint, something they used to struggle to get.

Test.....passed?

Well, they kept the three PG lineup out there for the end of the Hawks game. And they barely escaped with the win.

Let's break it down:

J.J. Barea enters the game with Dallas up by 11, 77-88, and 3:55 to go.

Joe Johnson hits two free throws, then Barea is blocked by Pachulia, leading to a Joe Johnson three.

Dallas up by six: 88-82.

Joe Johnson continues to exploit the size mismatch, by hitting another jumper, only Terry's pair of buckets keep Dallas up by ten.

Two turnovers (by Dirk and J.J.) lead to consecutive threes by Bibby and
Johnson. The size mismatch is hurting them. Badly.

Bibby scores again on a runner, bringing the game to two, Dallas up 94-92, all in the span on 36 seconds.

Two steals and two key outlet passes from Kidd to Bass are able to stem the tide, but this should show Carlisle that he needs to find another crunch time lineup against teams like that.

Of all the teams with big, athletic two-guards (Lakers, Bobcats, Hawks, Rockets, Celtics, Cavs, and the Blazers) the Hawks are the second worst behind the Bobcats.

The Mavs only won by two (five if you take away the last minute, uncontested three from Joe Johnson)

The other five are playoff teams, three of which are in the Western Conference.

How do you think a Kidd, JJ, Terry, Dirk and Bass lineup is going to fare against Alston, T-Mac, Artest, Scola and Yao?

Or against Fisher, Kobe, Odom, Gasol and Bynum?

I don't like those odds.

So the Mavs need to get themselves a different crunch time lineup. Sure, it will be different when Howard and Wright are back, but how does the lineup shake out then?

I would guess: Kidd, Terry, Howard, Dirk and Bass, but that presents the same size problems.

If you put Wright in at the two, then you lose Terry's shooting, speed and energy.

At this point neither Mavs center can be counted on to be in good shape foul-wise at the end of the game. Not against a team that drives to the hoop.

I don't have too many concerns about rebounding, Bass makes up in presence what he lacks in size, but with a 7-foot center in there, what's to stop him from backing to the basket and knocking down five-footers all night?

I'm not saying the new lineup (which needs a nickname by the way) doesn't have a place, I think it's a good way to either end the third quarter or start a fourth quarter with some energy.

But they'll need some size if they're to go deep into the playoffs. Either that or be ahead by more than 15 in the closing minutes.

Hawks-Mavs: A litmus test

In the previous post, I discussed how the lineup of Kidd, JJ, Terry, Dirk and Bass was working, despite all the size problems it presented.

Tonight should be an interesting case. The Atlanta Hawks are chock full of athletic swingmen, the kind that should easily be able to beat someone like JJ if he's playing the two.

So far (halfway through the 3rd quarter) the ultra-small lineup hasn't come out, but Kidd-JJ and Terry-JJ have been a guard tandem.

One thing that has helped the Mavs in this respect is giving Devean George the start. While he is technically playing the three, he's helping guard people like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith.

The Hawks represent a team that the Mavericks need to be more like, despite the obvious differences in their records over the past few seasons.

They are incredibly athletic and good jump shooters, and they are very good at getting to the line at will. They've caused some foul trouble for both Dirk and George.

J.J. Barea (a recent addition to my fantasy squad, I might add) has provided another bonfire (as opposed to a spark) off of the bench, guiding Dallas to a 15-point lead by scoring 14 in the 3rd quarter.

When Jo-Ho and Wright get back, this could be a very dangerous team.

How DO they do it?

The Mavericks have left me speechless. They are putting a crunch-time lineup out there of: Kidd, Barea, Terry, Bass and Dirk. What's more confusing is that it's working.

It worked (kind of) against the Lakers, it pulled them out of a hole against the Clips, and it worked against the Suns last night, and I don't get it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason Terry wasn't a permanent fixture at the two is because of his lack of size. But somehow putting in a 5'10" guy at the 2, and moving Terry to the three is working.

Now, it won't work against a big two like Tracy McGrady or Kobe, but it will work against most teams.

J.J. Barea is blowing my mind. I picked him up in fantasy last week, and hopefully he will give the Mavs a legit #2 point guard.

The key to winning eight of nine for the Mavs has been: the times without Kidd haven't been a black hole.

Barea looks like he has been learning from both Kidd and Devin Harris, passing well and getting to the basket with ease.

When Howard comes back, it will be interesting to see how the Mavs play it, but all of a sudden the Dallas bench is looking pretty deep, as evidenced when they outscored the vaunted Lakers bench 56-25.

With a presumed starting lineup of (when everyone is healthy):
Kidd
Wright
Howard
Dirk
Dampier

Here is what the bench is:

• Jason Terry - Outscored the Lakers bench by himself, he is coming on strong and getting good looks to the hoop. Already a great character guy, he's making his minutes count for the first time in a year or so.
  
• J.J. Barea - The Wild Card. I'm doubtful that he will be as good as he has been for the rest of the season, but he does provide a spark, he's shooting well, getting to the hoop, playing good defense, and performing all around.
  
• Gerald Green - While his minutes have been cut into, he is still a factor off the bench, and he can provide energy in the late third-quarter, when the stars are resting up for crunch time. I'd still like to see him get more minutes (hopefully in blowouts) where he can get the feel of the Mavs ball movement and defensive schemes, as well as find a niche in the offense.
  
• James Singleton - He has done pretty well on the boards in his limited time, and even hits a jumper of two.
• Devean George - Shooting very well off the bench, and provides the defense that Barea and Terry lack on a big SG.
  
• Diop - Slowly getting back to form, and he's actually getting a little aggressive on the offensive glass. I'd like to see him get fed inside more often, since he's got better hands than Damp.
  

That's not a bad bench there, and if they can shore up the interior defense with someone like Kaman, that could go a long way.

Both alike in dignity

As a Mavericks fan, the Phoenix Suns have always represented a complex set of emotions for me.

I became a Mavs fan while watching Dirk and Nash bloom into the Hall-of-famers they are today.

When the separation happened, I was upset, but I know that the NBA is a business, and I think both sides handled it as well as it could have been handled (besides Dampier getting the money Nash could've gotten, but that's besides the point).

So I started to root for the Suns a little bit. I have always liked Arizona as a state, my parents went to U of A, and my uncle lives outside of Phoenix, so it wasn't exactly a stretch.

I liked watching the Suns, they were never boring, and the tandem of Nash, Marion and Stoudemire never failed to disappoint.

When the Mavs and Suns met in the playoffs, I would of course root for the Mavs, but should the Suns have won, I would have pulled for them.

Then the 2006 NBA Finals came. The series that changed me as a basketball fan forever.

Dirk, who had been the most dominant player in the playoffs, suddenly was overshadowed by D-Wade and the force field that surrounded him.

That's when the bitterness started, and that's when my feelings towards the Suns shifted.

In a way, I take a sick pleasure in their failings, because they echo the Mavs to a T.

Take a look:

• Both teams have an MVP who people say cannot win a championship by themselves.
  
• Both took a major gamble on a trade in late 2008, the Suns filling a need in the middle, Dallas filling a need at point.
  
• Both were ousted after five games in the 2008 playoffs, leading to the firing of their coaches, and the end of their respective eras.
  

Really it's uncanny how these teams are linked.

The Mavs were undone by the calls going against them against the Heat, and the Suns have been undone by so many calls going against them against the Spurs.

The Suns' fatal flaw during their hayday was their lack of commitment on the defensive end.

This led to several things, which eventually led to the end of the seven seconds-or-less era.

When you're team is based around offense and nothing else, players like Amare and Marion get greedy. With a distributor like Nash at the helm, both players wanted to be the person who got the ball from him.

Whether it was Nash feeding it inside to a Stoudemire who was breaking to the rack, or Nash was kicking it out to Marion for a wide open jumper, the system worked.

Except for the two players who always wanted to be the No. 1 option in a high-octane offense.

So they got rid of one of the players, and got Shaq, the antithesis of the running game. After the playoffs, Terry Porter got the job, and he has slowed down the offense, to the point that Nash, usually a great floor general, looks lost for the first time in his career.

Now let's look at the Mavs.

They were never an offensive powerhouse, but they were a complete team. Almost too complete.

You've heard the saying, "A Jack of All Trades is a master of none." That describes the 2005-2007 Dallas Mavericks.

They were good at everything, but not dominant in any aspect of the game.

Jump shots? They could hit them. Getting to the basket? Jet and Stack could do that. Defense? Sure, Terry is quick, and Diop was a good backup center when you needed stops.

But their lack of dominance had a fatal flaw: they couldn't force teams to play their way.

When the Celtics beat a Lakers team that was on paper more talented, it was because they made the Lakers play their game. They made the Lakers play a game where they had to get physical on the boards, devote most of your energy on defense, and the looks on the offensive end would come.

The Spurs are the kings of making people play their way. With Parker, Ginobili and Duncan, they are one of the best halfcourt offenses in the history of the game.

Give Parker the ball, he uses his quickness to get inside. From there, he can kick it out to Manu or Finley, or if the forwards come after him, give it over to Duncan, one of the game's best in the low post. Or, if they keep the point guard on him, Parker would just break to the basket.

And they forced teams to play that way. Teams like the 2007 Cavs, who couldn't play that way, and were swept. Teams like the Suns who thrive on speed to make their offense work.

The Mavericks didn't have a clear identity to shove down teams' throat, so they were forced to adapt. They tried to play small-ball against the Warriors, and look what they got.

They tried to play the iso game in the 2006 Finals, and look what they got.

And now we've come to this. Dallas and Phoenix, Nash and Nowitzki, fighting for a playoff spot.

In the West, the Lakers, Hornets, Rockets and Jazz are in the playoffs. You figure the Spurs will turn it on and be just fine, and the Blazers are young enough to keep up the pace throughout the season.

That's six team. The Nuggets are benefiting immensely from Billups' leadership, so we'll give them a spot.

Now you're down to Dallas and Phoenix. Once again.

Homerism aside, I think the nod goes to Dallas. They are starting to come together without Josh Howard, and when he comes back, he should keep up his hot start.

Phoenix, on the other hand, seems lost. It's easy to skip that when they started 11-5, but four straight losses have the spotlight on them.

While I think Dallas now has a higher ceiling currently than the Suns, I don't necessarily think either one can win a championship in 2009.

And therein lies the rub.