Enter the Suck: Wizards @ Mavs

8:30 EST, Tuesday night

After feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve for most of the day, I finally sit down on my couch, cold frosty beverage in hand. It's about to begin. The Dallas Mavericks play the Washington Wizards, and since I live in D.C., I get it on real television, not my computer screen.

8:47 EST

Shawn Marion is looking great, throwing down some nice hook shots, looking like the best low post player I have ever seen on the Mavericks.

11:45

I'm curled up in on my couch, sucking my thumb, tears streaming down my face. What happened? After everything the Mavericks did in the offseason, it's the same lackluster defense, the same anemic offense, the...same old story.

I woke up Wednesday feeling hungover the game was so bad, only I didn't even get the fun of a good night out.

The Mavericks were one of the most, if not the most, active teams in the offseason, and going from the game I saw, not a single thing has changed.

That game was so poorly played, that while I originally thought the Mavericks would battle the Spurs for the second seed, I'm ready to put them at five or six in the West.

The cock-eyed optimist in me thought a few lucky breaks and a trade-deadline acquisition might be able to get them into the Finals, but not anymore.

They'll be lucky to squeak out of the first round.

They talked all summer about being ready to run more, and with Marion on board, I thought they were ready.

Nope, they resorted back to the Avery Johnson days of the awkward half-court offense, the one that results in a contested jumper to beat the shot clock.

Marion, good as he was, clearly isn't in game shape yet, as he looked completely winded by the end of the first quarter.

Dirk, while he did great in getting to the line, wasn't hitting his jumper at all. He still managed to put up more than 30, but he can't do it by himself.

J.J. Barea, for all his brilliance on the offensive end in the second quarter, turned into a turnover machine late in the game, and resembled a screen door on defense.

Drew Gooden, who came into the year ready to compete with Erick Dampier for the starting center spot, showed exactly why he's been bounced out of so many teams. He made stupid plays on both ends of the floor, and took terrible baseline jumper after baseline jumper.

The Mavs continued their woes from behind the arc, shooting a dismal 22 percent. They shot 39.5 percent from the field too, so clearly they're not getting it.

Except for Marion early, the Mavs were just shooting their normal jumpers, and shooting them with people's hands in their face.

They made Fabricio Oberto look like Hakeem Olajuwon out there, as he got blocks, steals and everything else.

The rim was practically the Wizards' playground. Brendan Haywood looked like Stoudemire getting passes from Steve Nash the lane was so wide open. Gooden, Dampier, Kris Humphries—no one could stop them, and the Wizards aren't exactly low-post powerhouses.

I know it's only one game, and I know the Wizards are riding pretty high on emotion now with the return of a healthy Agent Zero, but the problems I saw last night were all too familiar.

They're exactly the same as last year, despite all the turnover, which suggests that there's something more fundamental wrong with this team, and that depresses me beyond belief.

In my season preview, I wrote that the Mavs seemed to address most of their shortcomings in the offseason, but none of the issues got fixed.

We all know this Mavericks team. The one that can push the Lakers to the brink on the road, then drop one at home to the Grizzlies.

The one that lets scrubs like Kyrylo Fresenko and Beno Udrih have career days against them. It's disgusting.

Looks like we can expect a whole season of this garbage, if we're lucky. We know the Mavs can stink up the joint. We don't yet know if they can hang with an elite team.

The Mavs have weathered slow starts before, but it always comes back to bite them in the end, where one win can be the difference between a three or a six seed.

So get to know the folks at the liquor store people, and smoke 'em if you got 'em, because I have a feeling it's going to be a long, disappointing season from the Mavericks.

Something Better Than In The Middle: Season Preview

The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2009-10 season as tweeners. They are geared up for a run at the title this year, but they are also in position to snag a superstar in the Summer of 2010.

For Mavericks fans, it's a mixed blessing. They are in danger of becoming like the Pistons of 2005-2007, good enough to get deep into the playoffs, not good enough to win.

At the risk of being overly simplistic, the Mavericks' goal for this season should be progress: namely, a trip to the Western Conference Finals. With all the improvements they have made, the Dallas Mavericks simply need to go further, or it was all for naught.

Welcome My Son, Welcome to the Machine

The Mavericks were among the biggest movers and shakers this summer, with six of the Mavericks' 15 players coming in during the offseason.

These players cost the Mavs nothing but a few role players and a few long-term contracts, but we'll take it.

More importantly, each addition seems aimed at a fixing a problem, which is is what you want to see from a team determined to take home a championship.

The Mavs weren't athletic enough to compete with the Denver Nuggets in last year's playoffs, so they added Shawn Marion.

They struggled with three-point shooting, so they added Tim Thomas.

They didn't have reliable depth at center, so they added Drew Gooden.

All of these pieces came at a pretty cheap price. Jerry Stackhouse, who hasn't done much since 2007, and Antoine Wright were given away from Marion. I'll take that deal any day of the week.

Now, Marion's brief stops in Miami and Toronto might persuade one that his prime is long gone, that his freakish athleticism has gone the way of say, Detroit's salary cap space (too soon?).

But Marion seems to thrive when he's got a pass-first PG leading the offense. With the Heat, the offense revolved around D-Wade naturally. But Wade also brought up the ball much of the time, and passing (like not flopping) isn't what Wade is great at.

In Toronto, the offense ran through Bosh, and while I do like Jose Calderon as a PG, he's no Steve Nash or Jason Kidd. From what I saw up close and personal Marion will fit right in with these Mavericks, both defensively and offensively.

Addition by Subtraction

The key loss for the Mavericks, with all due respect to Antoine Wright and Ryan Hollins, was that of Brandon Bass. He provided a spark off the bench on the boards and with a good mid-range jumper.

But playing behind someone like Dirk, he wasn't going to get the playing time he wanted, so he decided to bolt. The fact that he went to the Magic rubs a bit of salt in the wound, but he deserves the opportunity. And hey, if he wants to throw the game when the Mavericks and Magic meet in the Finals, who am I to judge?

One thing the Mavericks have had a knack for doing is finding gems in trade throwaways. Kris Humphries is the latest on a list populated by Ryan Hollins and others.

Orginally the mavs sought to dump him in a way to pare their roster down to 15, but his play in the preseason has given him a regular spot in the rotation, in the same kind of role as Bass.

He brings much of the same to the table, a good jumper, good rebounder, defender who can body up to some of the bigger people in the league.

He has proven effective in small minutes, but on previous teams, it hasn't translated to bigger minutes. I don't think he'll have to worry about getting too many minutes in Dallas, so if he can make the most of it the Mavericks should have a deep bench.

Meet the Old Boss, Same as the New Boss

Jason Kidd has been signed to a three-year deal, and if the Mavericks are lucky, he will have two good ones.

Kidd, while not exactly a glamour signing was very important to the Mavericks' offseason plans, as well as the future of the franchise.

For those who are hating on Kidd's three-year deal, please, do tell, who else was available?

Try as Cuban did, he wasn't able to pry Chris Paul away from the Hornets. And call Cubes and Donnie Nelson crazy, but they didn't hold out for Deron Williams or Derrick Rose to become available.

Ramon Sessions? An interesting notion, but ultimately irrelevant. It took him a while to find a deal, which shows me that he probably isn't a game changer. Good player? Yes. Someone you want at the helm of a veteran team with championship aspirations? No thank ye.

Jason Kidd is exactly what the Mavericks need at this stage of the game. He's still a great passer, he can still knock down the open three, and the pieces around him (particularly Marion) can use someone like Kidd.

And when it comes to next summer's free agency, it can't hurt to have a PG that people like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Kobe, 'Melo and co. all love playing with. I'm just saying.

What Have You Got on Draft?

Bookended by two years without a first-round draft pick, the Mavericks made some good decisions in 2009. Despite giving their fans a collective heart attack with a selection of B.J. Mullens, they turned him into Rodrigue Beaubois, the heir apparent to Jason Kidd.

A 6-3 PG with Tony Parker-like speed and a better jump shot, Beaubois will have a few years to learn under one of the best PG mentors in the biz, and he should get some minutes as a rookie, especially during garbage time.

Beaubois will probably get some run alongside Kidd at the shooting guard, which brings me to my next point.

The Mavericks can run out lineups as flexible as any team in the NBA, and Rick Carlisle proved last year that he's not afraid to get a little unconventional if he thinks it will help the team win.

Last year they trotted out a few two-PG lineups, most notably with J.J. Barea and Jason Kidd. One would think that a backcourt that small would get run over, and with certain teams, it might.

But it also gives the Mavs a speedy tandem that can exploit big, slow players, which is why it proved successful in small bursts.

They can trot out a sharp-shooting lineup of Kidd, Terry, Howard, Dirk and Drew Gooden, or a defensive minded lineup of Beaubois, Quinton Ross, Marion, Humphries and Damp, or various combinations of the two.

Dirk can also play center, Howard will see some time at the shooting guard, Marion can play both forward spots, and so on.

The point is, the Mavericks have the bodies and skill sets to match up with any team, and that's going to prove to be an asset. Against teams with traditional centers, Dampier can get a bulk of the minutes, but someone quick like Drew Gooden can see some time, because he can get around the big guys easier.

One of the strengths of the Mavs in 2006-07 was their flexibility. They had the personnel to match up with teams, and they could out-talent them in those matchups.

Those Old Chestnuts

Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki. The remaining core that were so close to the ultimate prize in 2006.

Jason Terry, reigning sixth man of the year and the heart and soul of the team brings the same thing to the table every year. Emotional support, a sharp-shooter's eye and a hot and cold streak that would make......uh.....someone who has hot and cold streaks jealous?

I'm sorry, I sat here for about 45 minutes trying to think of a way to complete that sentence. Let's just move on.

Josh Howard is finally healthy, and if we are to go off his performance when he was banged up in last year's playoffs, the future is bright indeed.

Howard is entering an interesting situation. He is an expiring contract this year, and the Mavericks just signed someone who plays his position to a five-year deal.

He will have his chance to prove his worth this season, either to stay with the Mavericks, or get a new deal from someone else.

In my opinion, the better Marion does, the more likely Howard is to be shipped. Unless Howard becomes the kind of slashing, explosive scorer that the Mavericks have been looking for at the 2-guard positions (which, I believe, he is probably capable of doing), then I think he'll be floated out there come the trade deadline.

If Howard could become the dynamic scoring two-guard that the Mavs have been missing since the departure of Michael Finley, then he would solve the Mavs' problem at the 2-guard, freeing them up to turn Erick Dampier into an upgrade at center.

And Dirk. We know what we're getting from Dirk. You're getting 24 and 8, bumped up to 27 and 10 during the playoffs.

You're getting the sweetest jumper known to man, and an unguardable one to boot.

You've got Dirk playing at his lowest weight in years, and rejuvenated after taking the summer off from international ball.

The Verdict

The Mavericks unquestionably got better in the offseason. The problem is, so did the Spurs, and it's unclear at this point if the Lakers did enough damage to themselves to leave the west wide open.

Pencil the Mavericks in for 54-26, 3rd seed in the West, second in the Southwest division.

Want more?

Then you'll have to wait for my NBA preview.

Shawn Marion link

Hello jerks. Why don't you click here to read my piece about the Mavs' newcomer Shawn Marion.

Getting in Tune

Please to be clicking here for a slide show of the pre-season game between the Mavericks and Wizards.

Rodrigue Beaubois

The season is inching close, so here is a little piece I wrote about Rodrigue Beaubois, the Mavs rookie.

Mavs Lose Gortat, I Lose My Dignity

Congratulations Otis Smith. You've managed to do what only the NBA referees have been able to do. You have caused basketball to disgust me.

Not the game itself, but the process. The concept of a restricted free agent. The whole city of Orlando. Anyone with the name "Otis." I hate you all.

Not only did you do something stupid, Mr. Smith, but it was downright cruel of you.

The entire world knew that Gortat wasn't in it for the money. He just wanted minutes.

Is that any way to show respect for Gortat as a human being, when you know he wanted to leave and was ready to take the next step as a basketball player?

At least the Mavs did the classy thing with Brandon Bass. Bass wanted more minutes, but like Gortat, he just happened to have one of the top five players in the game today in the starting slot.

And it looked like things were going to work out swimmingly. You got Bass who could start at the four, and Rashard Lewis could replace Turkoglu at small forward. Lewis excels there anyway, due to his size and shooting ability.

And we got Gortat. It's not like he would play any meaningful minutes in front of Dwight Howard. He just wanted minutes. And like Bass, Gortat did it in a classy way. They didn't tweet about being unhappy or go to the media. They did it by busting their asses every minute they were on the court, and their teams were better off for it.

And when the Magic gave Bass an offer, the Mavericks let him go. They knew he would never be happy in Dallas as long as Dirk was playing, and they were essentially turning Bass into a major need for them, an athletic center.

Just as a good will gesture, Cuban and Co. helped the Magic out to the tune of an $8 million trade exception by facilitating Hedo's move to Toronto. In no way did the Mavericks have to do that.

When you look back, sure it made the numbers go a little smoother, but really it was a gesture. Sort of like a, "Hey, we really need Gortat and you don't, so here's a couple of million to just, *wink wink* let him go."

But Otis Smith had to get too smart for his own good.

Now what do the Magic have? Well, they're paying $35 million to back up the best center in the league. He's stuck there until at least December 1, and it's pretty clear that he's not happy to be there.

That should be real good for the locker room chemistry.

Then, you've got your first team All-NBA center, who is fresh off of a disappearing act in the playoffs. Now, you're sending him a message, "Look Dwight, we really need someone to back you up. We're going to pay out the wazoo to have someone to back you up."

Nice show of faith. It's already been shown that the Daily Double isn't the most robust player mentally. After a heartbreaking game two in the Finals, he was never the same.

So you've got Gortat until December 15? Then what? You send him somewhere. Houston is the most likely candidate. They made a pretty hard push for Gortat as soon as free agency opened up.

What are you getting from Houston? Kyle Lowry and Von Wafer? Yeah, those guys will take you far.

Then you send Gortat into an unfamiliar offense, with an unfamiliar coach in the middle of the season.

And what happens if Houston finds a big man in the meantime? With all the salary clearing happening around the league in preparation for the summer of 2010, who wants to sign a freshly inked big man?

I can't tell you how sick this makes me. The only thing I can liken it to is an unexpected breakup.

Not to trivialize relationships, but the feeling is the same. That black hole in your gut, a feeling that wasn't there earlier today. Earlier today the world was full of possibilities.

If the Lakers lose Odom, could the Mavs make a serious run at the title? With Marion on 'Melo, with the Celtics big three and Shaq a year older, and with no mismatch at the three with Turkoglu gone, could the Mavs have gone all the way?

Sure, by the time the season rolls around, I'll have convinced myself that I didn't really want to get Gortat anyways. Just like you convince yourself that you never really liked her all that much.

Like we needed another center (a foreign whitey to boot!) for the midlevel to pull a Diop. But every time you see Gortat in another uniform, part of you will wonder...

I can picture myself in my office this afternoon, sitting there all fat and happy, no idea of the train wreck that it about to hit me. Now we're in lean times, and the world is a little colder place than it used to be.

This afternoon I had not a care in the world. I was talking to the Polish guy I work with, working on the proper pronunciation of "Marcin Gortat" and thinking of a nickname that involved changing lightbulbs.

Hours ago I was imagining Jason Kidd pulling down rebounds, with Marcin Gortat and Shawn Marion streaking on the wings, and Dirk trailing the play, ready to knock down a three if necessary.

Now all I see is Erick Dampier's rock-gloved hands, reaching out, not for a basketball that will surely bounce right off, but for my throat, and he's draining all the life out of me until at least February.

If you really want to get real, it's almost worse than a breakup. At least then you can call your buddy and say, "Hey, just got dumped, let's go get hammered on a Monday night."

If I call someone and say, "Hey, the Magic just matched the offer for Marcin Gortat, let's go get wasted on a Monday night," I'm just not getting that sympathy.

Of course, it won't hurt like this for long. Sure you might have pangs keeping you awake in the dead of night for the next few nights, but those go away.

But when those go away, so does a part of you. The part that knew what it meant to love. And in it's place is nothing, which is the scariest part of all.

So, Otis Smith you want to match the Mavs' offer for Gortat? Well, how about a fly down to Orlando and match a crowbar with Dwight Howard's kneecap? How does that sound.

The only consolation prize in this whole mess is that I can now use this line when the Mavs play the Magic:

"Dirk was really on fire in the paint last night. You'd think Gortat of all people would know what happens when you grant the German even the smallest of concessions, whether Panzer divisions or the one-legged Euro fade-away."

So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to crank up Pat Benetar's "Love is a Battlefield" and cry myself to sleep.

How about a new Center and Shooting Guard? Is that something you'd be interested in?

The Dallas Mavericks are in a unique, yet unenviable position this offseason. Twelve months before the expected free agent bonanza of 2010, they face the prospect of fading completely out of contention, and taking the Dirk era to an unhappy conclusion.

They are also in an unenviable position when it comes to free agents. Their No. 1 target, Jason Kidd, won't offer something new and different. Rather, the Mavs are just trying to hang on to the player who helped them the year before.

While the re-signing of Kidd can be called a triumph, it is a mixed blessing. Without another move, the Mavericks are in the same place they were last year, and only the Rockets are showing signs that they will not be the same or better than last year.

The Blazers, Nuggets and Spurs have taken steps to put them to the next level, while the Lakers are already at the next level.

The Mavericks do not want to be left in the lurch, especially with a rapidly aging, but effective, core.

Assuming they sign Kidd, the Mavericks have a need at the center position and the shooting guard. With Hall of Famers at the one and four, and an All-Star at the three, the addition of two impact players at the off guard and center position will go a long way towards putting the Mavericks back into the race for the west.

Let's look at the two-guard first.

The Pistons might have already done the Mavs' first step for them. They signed Ben Gordon to a big free-agent deal, who also happens to play the same position as Rip Hamilton, another highly-paid and talented two-guard.

So unless they want to have their two highest players playing the same position, one of them has to move. Logic would suggest that the one to move is the older player—the one without the contract with the still-drying ink.

I've alwasy been a Hamilton fan. He's great at creating his own shot, especially off the dribble, which is exactly what the Mavs need from a two-guard. They don't need a Kobe/D-Wade style shooting guard, who will score 30 points on 25 shots.

No, they need someone like Rip, who will score 20 on 10-15 shots.

So what can the Mavs offer for Hamilton?

Detroit could use a backup point guard, with Stuckey taking the reins this season. J.J. Barea, or even new Mav Rodrigue Beaubois could offer a serviceable backup for Stuckey.

Sure, Barea isn't exactly a world-beater, but ask anyone who watched the Mavs regularly last season, there were many times when he came in, slashed to the bucket, made a key defensive stop, or did some other play that got the team and the crowd fired up.

He can shoot from all over as well, which could provide a decent Plan B should Gordon get swarmed, which is most certainly will.

With the impending departure of Rasheed Wallace, and the possible departure of Antonio McDyess, the Pistons are also looking frighteningly thin at in the frontcourt.

And as we all know, a backcourt is only as good as the big men that support it.

The Mavs have a young player on the rise, Brandon Bass, who is in search of both time and a payday. While he wouldn't command more than the midlevel, he is capable of being a starting forward on the right team, such as Detroit.

With his inside presence and good midrange jumper, he provides a formidable threat and would be a nice complement to Gordon and Villanueva, especially when Villanueva inevitably goes down with some sort of injury.

Plus, he has proven he can play the center on a small-ball team, which would be an intriguing possibility with so many good shooters on Detroit.

Hell, the Mavs could even toss in Antoine Wright if the Pistons neded a good backup. While he's not the model of consistency, Wright provides a good bargain for the numbers, especially for a backup shooting guard.

Now that we've covered the two-guard, let's take a look at the center.

Erick Dampier needs to go. His dead hands, inconsistent play, and nonexistent athleticism need to be turned into something.

Since he most likely won't meet his incentives for the 2010-11 season, he is basically an expiring contract, which is appealing to a lot of teams.

Package him together with Jerry Stackhouse ($2 million buyout, non-guaranteed), and Mark Cuban has quite a stimulus package for a team that is hurting financially.

Now that you mention, it I've got two such teams in mind.

New Orleans Hornets Center Tyson Chandler has reportedly been on the block since the draft. With his ability to rebound and finish the alley-oop, he is the polar opposite of Dampier.

Sure, he disappeared until December last season, and I know he has some nagging injury concerns, but I think the Mavericks have a decent backup center in Ryan Hollins to make up for that.

Chandler for Stack/Dampier would save the Hornets some much needed money, which they were trying to do when they tried to dump Chandler the first time.

Plus, I'll admit it, I would get a certain sick pleasure in watching Chris Paul try to feed alley-oops to the lead-gloved hands of Erick Dampier. But that's neither here nor there.

Chandler is a moderately appealing option, but here's my No. 1: Emeka Okafor.

He puts up a double-double almost every night, and while the points don't always come, the rebounds (especially the offensive ones) do.

And that's what the Mavs need from a center: Someone that can finish the fast break, get 10 boards a night, and shoot close shots at a high percentage.

The Mavericks also have a plethora (thats right, I said plethora) of second-round picks, and maybe even a few appealing young high-flyers that the Bobcats could use.

Gerald Green, in a possible sign-and-trade, could provide some acrobatic offense for a small price, and Brandon Bass and/or Antoine Wright (if not gone to the Pistons) could also be appealing to a Bobcats team looking to rebuild and save some coin.

I would throw everything the Mavs have at an Okafor trade, including Terry. Josh Howard and Dirk is where I draw the line.

With Dirk, Terry, Howard, and hopefully Rip Hamilton handling the scoring, he wouldn't need to pour in the points, just lock down the glass.

Now let's look at the starting five for this dynamo: Kidd, Hamilton, Howard, Dirk and Okafor.

That's a starting five that could go to war with a lot of teams in the West.

I would take them over the Spurs with Richard Jefferson. I would take them over the Nuggets, since a healthy Howard and an athletic center could have made the difference against the Nuggs this year.

Sure, the Mavs might not be loaded up for a run at an All-Star in 2010, but unless it's Wade (who might sign an extension soon anyway) or LeBron James (who probably won't come to Dallas), that doesn't bother me very much.

Bosh is most effective at playing the four, which is what Dirk plays. Plus, as much as I like him, I'm still not convinced he can be the best player on a contender, as last season showed us.

Either way, this brings the Mavericks into the the 2009-10 season with each of their major issues addressed, which is more than a lot of teams can say.

Mavs Swap Picks with Blazers: What's the strategy?

As of approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, the Dallas Mavericks completed a trade with the Portland Trailblazers. The Mavericks sent the Blazers their 22nd pick in exchange for the 24th pick, as well as a second-round pick in 2009 and 2010.

While it's seemingly insignificant, Mark Cuban's take on the trade speaks volumes about the Mavericks' draft strategy.

"The guy we want will still be there at No. 24," said Cuban.

What does that mean? Is there any sure pick that will be there for the Mavs at No. 24?

Will Ty Lawson, Terrance Williams, Earl Clark, Johnny Flynn, or Eric Maynor still be on the board?

Each of the players listed should be expected to be selected within the 17th-25th range.

The trade makes it pretty clear; the Mavs are expecting a point guard to be available late enough in the round, since those are the only sure picks to be around.

There is a chance the Nets could select Williams, while the Bobcats could take Earl Clark. One of the reasons why the trade may have occurred is because of Omri Casspi, who Portland may be interested in taking. Now that they have the 22nd pick, they are one pick ahead of the Sacramento Kings, who are also interested in Casspi.

Before we get into who the Mavs should pick, let's examine what another point guard on the Mavericks' roster means.

If they re-sign Jason Kidd, then the Mavericks will have three point guards on the depth chart, plus Jason Terry.

As much as I like J.J. Barea, he won't be more than a good backup, which leaves the Mavs a project to work with.

But what if they're expecting Kidd to walk? Or better yet, what if the Mavs are letting Portland make their pick for them, and reaping two additional picks from it?

How about the Mavs do a sign-and-trade with the Blazers with Kidd for the No. 22 pick and Travis Outlaw?

All of a sudden, the Mavericks have the same player they wanted, a decent role player in Outlaw (Outlaw Maverick jerseys would sell themselves), plus a young point guard.

If I had it my way, I would select Eric Maynor as their point guard.

Johnny Flynn is rising in stock, and might not even make it past the Knicks at No. 8. Lawson will most likely be selected before the Mavs have a chance to take him. My guess is the 76ers or whoever ends up with Minnesota's No. 18 pick will select him.

Jeff Teague will probably be there, but the Mavericks should take Eric Maynor, and there is a higher possibility that he will still be on the board.

The combination of his lack-of-star-power and his alma mater not being a major school will probably allow him to slip. Therefore, the Mavs need to take him.

Eric Maynor and Jason Terry could lead the Mavericks' locker room. Maynor can perform well enough to provide the Mavericks a very dangerous offense.

He can create for others and himself. Not to mention he has the quickness to get in front of other point guards such as Chris Paul and Tony Parker. He has the size to bang with Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups.

He's the kind of player that defies predictions in a way that I like. Like Ricky Rubio, teams seem to be talking themselves out of him, and there's something about that that appeals to me.

The Mavs have second-round picks, which will probably be used as trade bait. They've already got a few picks over in Europe (Shan Foster, Renaldus Seibutus) so they don't need that kind of depth.

But the picks will appeal to rebuilding teams that might not be aversed to stashing players overseas in hopes of reaping a finished product somewhere down the line.

But every plan is only as good as its backup, and if Maynor isn't there, the Mavericks need to go after one of the D.J's.

Who are the D.J.'s? I'm talking about DeJuan Blair or Dajuan Summers. Both are poor-man's versions of Jordan Hill, which is who the Mavs toyed with getting at No. 5 via a trade.

But the Mavs need to focus their energies on Maynor, even if it means turning that No. 24 pick right around. They could send Jerry Stackhouse to the Bobcats for the No. 12 pick, where they might even look into Brandon Jennings. Then, they could use Maynor as the backup.

Either way, it's a no-lose move for the Mavs.

Unless, of course, Eric Maynor goes at No. 23, in which I will then delete all traces of this article.

How to be a Draft Day Winner

The draft. It's like free agency, only more exciting.

Generally, with free agents, you've got a decent idea of what you're going to get, as there are seasons too look at to see how someone performs against the best of the best.

The draft? No such thing.

These players have been playing against inferior competition, whether in college or overseas, and there's no guarantee that they will pan out.

Sure, they could be dominant in college. Michael Beasley was. Kevin Durant was. But translating that game to the pros is a different story.

Emeka Okafor was also dominant, and the Magic were lambasted for passing on him to take a kid with braces, the same kid (now sans braces) who is the best player on a Finals-bound team.

So you never know.

Nothing in the draft is guaranteed. Blake Griffin is supposedly a guarantee. So was Kwame Brown, so was Greg Oden. Things happen.

But the draft is also how teams can go from lottery to championship, sometimes within a few years.

Ask the Spurs what happens when you make the right pick. Or the Bulls (1984 and 2008). Or the Cavaliers.

So it is in the draft that the Dallas Mavericks must find a player to fill a need/all needs.

It's a tall order, but it can be done. Miracles can happen, and the Mavs have the tools to accomplish such a miracle.

The combination of a shaky economy, a buyer's mentality, and some attractive free agents/contracts put the Mavs in a unique position.

They can buy picks, trade up, or find themselves a blue-chip free agent.

I'm not the GM of the Mavs (their choice, not mine), but here's a scenario I would love to see.

Mavs trade Erick Dampier, Jerry Stackhouse and the no. 22 pick to Memphis for the No. 2 pick

As lopsided as that trade is, it's not even the worst trade Memphis has made in the past two seasons.

Memphis has two problems. They don't have size, and they don't have money.

Their lack of size is so extreme, that Hasheem Thabeet is an option for them at no. 2.

Well, why not take Erick Dampier, who's a serviceable center with an expiring contract? It's not like Memphis is gunning for the Finals anytime soon. Pair Dampier with Marc Gasol, and suddenly you've got a pretty solid frontcourt.

Not world-beaters by any means, but a decent combo, which will give them some room at the end of next season.

And Stack's basically expiring deal, plus the lack of a top-five pick to pay, will give Memphis even more cash to not spend on free agents and try and keep themselves afloat.

"With the no. 2 pick, the Dallas Mavericks select Ricky Rubio."

I won't lie. I hear those words in my dreams. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

Assuming the Mavericks can re-sign Kidd, Rubio would be the perfect pick. Not only can Rubio learn from one of the greatest point guard mentors the game has ever known, he can split time with Kidd, and by the time Kidd's two-year deal is up, Rubio will be 20 years old, and ready to lead the Mavs into a bright and uncertain future.

Rubio is everything Kidd is, without the slow feet on defense. He can pass with angles never before though possible, he can hit the open shot, and he is young and quick enough to be able to lead the fast break, something the Mavericks got very good at with a full year under Kidd.

Plus, let's be honest here. The word coming out of Rubio's camp is that he doesn't plan on leaving the comfort of Spain without a few guarantees.

Paul Gasol, Marc Gasol, and Juan Carlos Navarro have pretty much warned Rubio of the quagmire his career would become in Memphis.

Rubio also doesn't want to join a team that's going nowhere, which is precisely the destination that most of the lottery teams are heading.

We've knocked out Memphis, but Oklahoma City would be an interesting option for Rubio.

They could move Westbrook to the 2, Durant to the 3 (both of their natural positions) and be set with a young, dynamic core. But OKC isn't exactly the market Rubio and co. had in mind.

Sacramento? They''ll be lucky to have a head coach by the draft, plus they dumped their talent in the trade with the Bulls. They're on the slow train to nowhere (or Las Vegas/Kansas City).

The Wizards? Anothe promising option, but it looks like the No. 5 pick could belong to the Suns in an Amare trade, so we can't count on them.

Rest assured, if the Wiz or the Suns have the No. 5 pick, that's where Rubio will go. The Mavericks need to find a way to jump before those teams, and secure their point guard of the future.

We've seen what a rookie PG can do with a team that has previously failed to live up to its potential. Derrick Rose has got the Bulls in the winning mood again.

It would be perfectly lovely to see Ricky Rubio doing the same thing for the Dallas Mavericks.

Season in Review

As I wipe the tears from my face and drain the last of my pint bottle of whiskey into my morning coffee, it's time to reflect on the 2008-'09 season.

Unlike last year, the Mavs went out with a bang, sending Tim Duncan and his dirty crew to an early exit. Sure, the final series might say "Nuggets win 4-1," but two horrendous fourth quarters and a horrible call are the difference between a five-gamer and a six or seven-gamer.

Did the Mavs overachieve? With an aging point guard past his prime and a few cast-offs from other teams and the Euro leagues, they shot up to the sixth seed on the last day of the season, due to some fortunate losses by other teams.

Did they underachieve? With two hall-of-famers, a former MVP and the current Sixth Man of the Year, they shouldn't have gone out in five games against a Nuggets team that had previously been the doormat of the eventual Western conference champs?

The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle, and that's been the story of the Mavericks this season.

They showed flashes of brilliance, followed by flashes of incompetence, big road wins against good teams, followed by home losses to awful teams, good quarters followed by abysmal ones.

Come Together Over Me

The Mavericks just never seemed to get it all together, like a car with a bad timing belt, they couldn't fire on all cylinders very often.

If the defense was clicking, usually the offense wasn't. The Mavs were able to win a few 85-80 type games, but usually if the shot wasn't falling the defense wasn't exactly stifling.

If the offense was dropping shot like they were hot, too often the other team would come back and reciprocate. The Mavs were much better off in games around the 105-110 range, but those can get away from you real quick with stupid mistakes, especially on the road.

Some of it is due to injury. Josh Howard missed significant time, and played banged up towards the end of the season. While he has been criticized in the past for saying and doing stupid things, he hobbled around on two bad wheels throughout the playoffs and made his mark on quite a few games.

Jason Terry also missed time, although he was on the court for some of it. He was virtually invisible for the playoffs, and this was especially noticeable against the Nuggets, where he bricked three-pointer after three-pointer.

Normally, no team in their right mind would give Terry those shots, but the Nuggets called his bluff time and time again, and he never made them pay.

During the season Jason Terry was an absolute assassin, dropping many a dagger from beyond the arc and/or off the elbow.

Dirk did what he always does, better than he always does, with hardly a shred of recognition. Sure, he was named All-NBA first team, but he beat Tim Duncan by five measly points.

Ask anybody who watches the NBA who was the better player this year, and the answer has to be Dirk. Fourth leading scorer in the league (second for a good chunk of it), less turnovers than ever, and as usual, he stepped up his game in the playoffs.

He got better as the odds got worse, responding to turmoil on his personal life by dropping 33 and 16, 44 and 12, and a near triple double in the Mavs' final game: 32, 10, and seven assists.

Your Love (read: season) Is Like A Roller Coaster Baby

As far as the Mavs got this year, it was a long shot in mid-November, when the Mavs were staring down the barrel of 2-7, rumors of a mutiny with their new coach, and not much to look forward to except the end of their streak of 50-win seasons.

Then came the awakening. An OT win in Madison Square Garden, before the New York Knicks became the New York Cap Space. Dirk and Howard officially began the season that night, with 39 and 15, and 31 and 14, respectively.

The Mavs went on a tear from there, winning 11 out of the next 13 games. Then the questions came again. Devin Harris demolished them in New Jersey, San Antonio beat them in OT and a Christmas Day win at Portland was negated by an ugly finish in Utah.

A rally from 29 points down against Minnesota showed that the Mavs weren't ready to go away, but for every good win, it seemed like the Bucks, Kings, Thunder or Warriors were right there to take away the mojo.

The Mavs showed flashes of their 2006-'07 selves, when they were the most complete team in the NBA. They had a hot starter in Howard, a finisher in Terry, and Dirk to drop his 25 in the middle.

The defense came and went, but it seemed like there were certain nights when the offense could let them win in a shootout.

Centrifugal Force (or Lack thereof)

With All-Stars at the point, shooting guard, small forward and power forward, the one area that was lacking this year was the center.

Erick Dampier had another typical year, flashes of dominance followed by disappearing acts, but his fundamental flaws were quite evident.

His lack of athleticism, his poor hands, and his questionable dedication reared their ugly heads this season. When up against a traditional, bang 'em and hang 'em centers (I just made that term up, it sounds cool though), such as Andrew Bynum, Fabricio Oberto, Chris Kaman, or Kendrick Perkins, they seemed to offset one another.

But find a center than has a little bit of range to his jump shot, and a little zip in his step, and Dampier was left in the lurch. Yao Ming, Chris Bosh, Mehmet Okur, Tyson Chandler, and Nene all took advantage, the latter was especially evident during games one, two, and five of the Denver Series.

Ryan Hollins has some potential, but he needs to bulk up a bit. A legit seven-footer, he weighs 215 pounds, which is the same as people a foot shorter than him weigh. He's got the athleticism, he's got the intensity, but he just doesn't have the body to bang down low with the likes of a Shaq or even a Bynum.

Some good coaching, and another year under his belt should be good for him, but it's yet to be seen if he's anything more than a backup.

And with a team that tends to fall in love with a jump shot like the Mavs, a strong low-post presence can make up for the times when the shot goes cold.

Know Your Role (Players)

During the season, certain players emerged into the spotlight and other faded away.

J.J. Barea was a flash of lightning, giving the Mavs a taste of the Devin Harris/ Tony Parker speed, and giving them an unexpected boost.

Brandon Bass started handing out tickets to the gun show, with thunderous dunks, elbow jumpers, and the knack for just the right play to swing the momentum in the Mavs' favor.

DeSagana Diop, who was once part of a two-headed center tandem that brought the Mavs to the finals, left his game in New Jersey, and was turned into a three-point specialist and a young center.

The three-point specialist didn't live up to his billing, but Ryan Hollins turned into yet another sparkplug off the bench, giving the Mavs an attitude and a knack for the thunderous play.

James Singleton, fresh off the boat from the Euro leagues, has his time in the sun, pulling down incredible amount of rebounds while he was on the floor.

You've Gots To Pay (off) To Play (off)

Coming into the playoffs, a series against the Spurs could have been the quick way to an easy exit, or a chance to start the playoffs with a win over foes of old.

The Mavs came out firing in game one, something they failed to do in the past two postseasons. And it goes to show how important that game is, especially on the road, for a team looking for an upset.

Even a rout in game two couldn't stop the Mavs from handing down a beatdown, despite Parker's almost inhuman scoring throughout the series.

Dirk took a few games to get in the groove, and Terry really never found it, but luckily the bench was able to fill in, and help them get those early wins in game one, three and four.

When Dirk finally awoke, the Spurs were done for.

Now here's the conundrum: The poor bench play of Dallas in the Denver series could be assumed to be a regression to the mean. After all, if they play above average for a few games, chances are they're going to play below average for a few.

Which brings us to the Nuggets series. Dirk found an answer for every defender they threw at him, but the bench couldn't give him much help.

As mentioned before, Jason Terry never really hit the shots he had been getting all season. Though a streaky shooter, a 10-game sample of games should have been a sufficient cycle for him to heat up.

Nene looked like Shaq circa 2001, by abusing Dampier, and 'Melo took the art of the clutch shot and the step-away mid-range jumper to another level.

In the end, it's pretty clear the Nuggets were a better team. Whether it was George Karl or Chauncey Billups, someone taught these guys some defense. All of a sudden Denver has the home crowd of the Warriors of 2007, and the players that feed off of them, e.g. Chris 'Birdman' Andersen and J.R. Smith.

Anthony Carter and his abnormally shaped head also decided on showing up, after a long vacation that coincided with my fantasy ownership of him.

In the end, the series came to athleticism in the frontcourt, where Dampier was thoroughly outplayed (but not outclassed) by Nene and Andersen on both ends of the floor.

Antoine Wright also became Raja Bell to 'Melo's Kobe, though if that meant he was a better defender and three-point shooter I'd gladly take it.

What Are You Thinking, Where Do We Go from Here?

And now the future comes to the forefront. While you're still playing, next season doesn't matter, but now suddenly reality creeps in.

The reality that Jason Kidd is now on the market, the reality that Brandon Bass might want more minutes and a bigger payday, the reality that Mark Cuban is willing to be a buyer in a seller's market, and the reality that we're only 12 months away from the Free Agent Summer of 2010.

Unless Ryan Hollins gets some great coaching over the summer, the center position is a big question mark. Someone like Tyson Chandler might be available, but with his injury history, he might not be worth it. Though someone who can actually finish an alley-oop might be a welcome change.

But I'm not here to talk about the future just yet. Right now I'm content with looking back on a season that was at least interesting, and appreciating what could have been a last hurrah for this incarnation of the Dallas Mavericks.

Is a trip to the second round enough to make Cuban back off his threat to blow up the team? Are the role players worth investing another year (Dirk's 31st)?

I'm not quite ready to noodle over those questions yet. Right now, it's time for a trip to the liquor store, another box of Kleenex and a month of basketball without a 7'0" German with the finest cheekbones this side of the Rhein, followed by five months of a basketball-less vacuum.

Go Mavs.

Anatomy of a Swish

Interested in how your favorite players make their shots look so good?

Click here to see my analysis of different NBA superstars and their shots.

Mavs-Nuggs Game One: Crunching the Numbers

I've never been a big numbers guy. You can use numbers to prove anything. 76 percent of people know that.

But statistics are a booming business for a reason. They look at the past to predict the future, and that holds very true in sports.

Sure, Nene might have dropped 24 on the Dallas Mavericks yesterday, but seven seasons worth of stats tell us that he averages about 11.2 PPG, so that output probably isn't normal.

A look at the numbers from game one aren't exactly promising for the Mavericks, so let's take a look.

10: The number of shots taken by Carmelo Anthony

23: The amount of points he scored on those shots.

6: The number of points scored and assisted dished by Chauncey Billups.

What do those three numbers tell you? That the two best players on the Nuggets didn't exactly have breakout games, but the Nuggs were able to win by 14.

'Melo only shot 10 times, but he made seven of those, and hit another seven free throws. A very efficient game from him, despite him sitting out much of the first half with foul trouble.

The Mavericks couldn't have asked for a better opportunity in the first half, and yet when it ended they were trailing by four.

The defensive gameplan also worked on Billups, as he didn't get to the line, and his six points were a result of two three-pointers, which I can live with.

What I can't live with is the fact that Billups scores 17.7 PPG, so we can be counted on do do a lot more damage as the series goes on.

What I can't live with is that 'Melo takes 18.3 shos a game, and if he is shooting as his current clip, that means a few over-30 point games.

Let's look at some of the Mavericks' numbers.

28: The number of points scored by Dirk Nowitzki.

32: The number of minutes played by Jason Terry.

15: The number of points scored by Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Jason Kidd

For the first two on that list, 15 is much too low, for the third, more than you can expect.

For a guy who played 32 minutes, Jason Terry was absolutely invisible. If him and Brandon Bass had a "who can make the least impact off of the bench in game one" competition, they would go into more overtimes than the Bulls-Celtics series.

Bass, whose athleticism is going to be sorely needed to compete with the likes of Chris Andersen and Nene, did not come out of the gates with the physicality and energy that the Mavs needed.

Ryan Hollins and Bass are going to be needed to make much more of an impact than they did in game one, because Dampier is a step too slow to hang with Andersen and Nene.

A few more numbers:

8: The number of turnovers committed by Jason Kidd in game one

3: The number of turnovers committed by Jason Kidd in five games against the Spurs.

The Kidd turnovers only bother me because they wasted an otherwise great offensive game from Kidd. For a while in the first half, it was 2003 all over again. Kidd was hitting open threes, hitting elbow jumpers, he even tossed in a floater that made me think that the Mavs had traded for Chris Paul at halftime.

Kidd can't be counted on to drop in 15 a game, and he shouldn't be. In a way, he deserved a lot of credit for contributing. It was clear that after Howard's ankle injury that Howard couldn't (or wouldn't) get as aggressive as he needed to be, so Kidd tok up some of the slack.

The Nuggets gave him space, and he made them pay for it.

But in the debacle known as the fourth quarter, Jason Kidd went to another rarely seen aspect of his game, a turnover machine. Forced bounce passes, miscommunications with other players and sloppy ball handling became a disease that Kidd quickly spread to the other Mavericks as the fourth quarter got away from them.

Now here's where the numbers game gets a little bit ugly. You could argue that the Mavericks beat the numbers against the Spurs. Dirk and Terry didn't play up to their usual levels for most of the series, but the reserves like Bass, Hollins and J.J. Barea played above their levels, so the Mavs were able to win.

ell, yesterday, aside from Jason Terry, we saw a regression to the mean. Dirk got his points, and the role players didn't. Which is bad news since a regression to the mean seems to mean an "L" for Dallas against the Nuggets.

So do the Mavericks come out tomorrow night and have another game that defies the numbers? More importantly, will that matter?

Assume Kidd doesn't turn the ball over eight times, assume Terry and Howard score 20-plus, assume Brandon Bass puts up eight and four, his season average. Sounds good right?

Except we have to be fair. Assume 'Melo shoots more than 10 shots. Assume Billups scores more than 6 points.

Sure, Nene probably won't score another 24, and Andersen probably won't block six more shots, but when the last two paragraphs are thrown together, does it help the Mavericks gain an extra 15 net points? Especially at the Pepsi Center?

I sure hope so, but I don't know if the numbers are behind me.

2009 West Playoffs: (4) Blazers vs. (5) Rockets

(4) Portland Trailblazers vs. (5) Houston Rockets

Interestingly enough, this matchup was decided before the Blazers/Nuggets game, all that remained was to see who would get homecourt.

The person who has the most to lose in this series won't even be on the court. Tracy McGrady. If the Rockets beat the young, upstart, Blazers, the team that people are saying are the only challengers to the Lakers in the West, then people McGrady loses a lot of value.

Teams that could have been thinking about taking his contract in a trade will think twice, given his injury history and the economy, and the Rockets will view him as the guy who was holding them back.

Rockets fans can envision a world where Yao and Artest can take them beyond the first round, and if they can dump McGrady for another, better free agent in 2010.

The Blazers can shed the ghosts of the past, and accelerate their plans as the team of the future, and with Kobe age, the decline of the Suns, Spurs and Mavs, and Hornets' owner George Shinn's notorious penny-pinching, they could be poised to take over the west.

PG: Steve Blake vs. Aaron Brooks

Who knew at the beginning of the year that it would turn out like this? Steve Blake has experiences a mini-resurgence and has a young heir in Jerryd Bayless to take the reins, and he has played perfectly within himself to help his team be the best they can be.

Besides hitting the occasional three and making some end-of-game free throws, not much of the shooting burden will fall on Blake.

Aaron Brooks started the year second on the depth chart, and filled in so well during Rafer Alston's injury, that the Rockets were willing to trade Alston to give Brooks the reins. He's capable of a breakout game or two on the offensive end, and he runs the offense nicely.

Winner: Aaron Brooks

SG: Brandon Roy vs. Ron Artest

A great matchup. Roy has emerged into a genuine assassin, and probably has the most complete game of any player not named Kobe in the game today. He can kill you on both ends of the floor, and from every spot on the floor. He's capable of miracle shots, momentum killers and boosters, and has a very bright future in the NBA.

But can Ron Artest stop Roy? Between Battier and Artest, Roy has to deal with the two most talented perimeter defenders in the game. As the primary offensive threat, Roy will have to be careful and pick his moments, but he's smart enough to do that.

If Artest can do damage on the offensive end, the Rockets could really be onto something. With McGrady out, Artest needs to provide those points, and he needs to be smart about his shots, something he sometimes gets away from.

If he gets rattled and start jacking up bad threes, especially if Roy starts abusing him it will be very easy for Houston to come unglued and suffer yet another first round defeat.

Winner: Brandon Roy

SF: Nicholas Batum vs. Shane Battier

This is the chance for Nicholas Batum to make a name for himself, other than being the French guy who isn't Tony Parker or Boris Diaw. If he can score with regularity, that spreads Artest and Battier apart, and will open things up for Portland's primary weapon, Roy.

Battier has both the easiest and most difficult job of the game. He has to play good D, and make the open three when called to do so. But he has to play good D against someone like Roy or LaMarcus Aldridge, and he has to do it well.

Winner: Shane Battier

PF: LaMarcus Aldrige vs. Luis Scola

The two frontcourt matchups in this series are the most intriguing pair. Aldridge has the potential to be one of the top power forwards in the game, combining a pretty decent low-post arsenal with a sweet jump shot, and a pretty good skill set. His shot is streak at times, and he tends to slack on defense, but he is rapidly improving.

With Scola, you have a "sophomore" who is one of the most physical players playing in the game. A good shooter, a great rebounder, he will give Aldridge all the bumping he can handle, and then some. It will be interesting to see those two go at it, and to see who comes out on top, as this matchup may very well decide a series that goes seven games.

Winner:LaMarcus Aldridge

C: Joel Pryzbilla vs. Yao Ming

With his low-post skill set, the Trailblazers are going to need every single foul they can get. The problem with Greg Oden is that he might give too many of those away.

Yao can make anyone pay from anywhere inside of 18-feet, and he has managed to stay healthy this season. The pessimist in me says that this means he's facing an injury in this series, which will spell doom for the Rockets. The optimist in me says that playing more than 50 games (77 to be exact) for the first time since 2004-05 will give him the confidence he needs to break through to the next step.

If Yao can get the Portland big men in foul trouble, this will place an extraordinary strain on their reserves, and he could have a huge series.

Winner: Yao Ming

Bench:

Two good benches. Portland's features two people that could be starters on a number of other teams in Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw, as well as Greg Oden. Greg Oden has a real chance to make a splash if he can stay out of foul trouble and make life difficult for the Yao.

Houston's features a promising point guard in Kyle Lowry, who has started to usurp minutes from Aaron Brooks, and two possible difference makers in Von Wafer and Carl Landry.

Portland's bench should have the edge here, but if they cede that to Houston, then they won't go very far.

Winner: Portland

Pick: Portland in 6

2009 Playoffs: (3) Spurs vs. (6) Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have closed the season with a flourish, or so I'm told, I don't follow them all that closely. The Spurs have limped to the finish, which stands in stark contrast to how they usually finish the season, playing their best basketball. Both of these teams have will have a chance to extend their window by at least a week, a the expense of slamming the other's shut.

For the last few years, the hierarchy in the West has always been Spurs, Mavs, Suns. The Suns are stuck in third place as far as that goes, and now the Mavs have a chance to climb to the top, possibly for the last time.

Ginobili has always been a Mavs killer, and with his absence and Duncan's knees, the Spurs are as ripe for the plucking as they have always been.

PG: Tony Parker vs. Jason Kidd

Old-school vs. new school. For two people who play the same position, the two couldn't have more opposite games. With Manu out, Parker must be the first or second option on offense, while Kidd is often fourth or fifth.

We all know that Parker will probably have a field day on Kidd on the offensive end. His speed can't be matched by Kidd, and any help the Mavs will give Kidd will only open the window for another shooter to bomb the Mavs from long range.

Kidd needs to do exactly what he has been doing. Push the ball in transition, set up Dirk, Terry and Howard, and make the open three when given the space. If the Mavs can find a way to slow down Parker, the Spurs simply don't have enough firepower.

Winner: Tony Parker

SG: Roger Mason Jr. vs. Antoine Wright

While Roger Mason's late game heroics have made SportsCenter all year long, what he does in the other 47 minutes can't be overlooked as well. Simply put, he's a smart player. I had the privilege of watching him go overlooked on the Wizards last year, and his play this year hasn't been surprising.

Mason's strength lies in the fact that he doesn't try to overstep his bounds. He doesn't take shots he has no business taking, which is more than can be said of a lot of NBA player. Unfortunately, most of those other players aren't on the Spurs.

Antoine Wright is at his best when he is acting as foil to Josh Howard. When Howard is hot in the first, Wright needs to be lockdown defensively. As Howard cools off, Wright needs to be driving to the cup, drawing fouls.

Wright shouldn't have many defensive problems with Mason himself, but he needs to be careful about shifting to Parker and leaving Mason open. The Spurs have won four rings on the drive-and-kick offense, and this is no time to let them take advantage.

I think Wright is much more capable of leaving his mark on the series than Mason.

Winner: Antoine Wright

SF: Michael Finley vs. Josh Howard

Ah, how fitting. The Mavs' small forward of the past against the small forward of the present (and hopefully, future). Josh Howard has been playing on a leg and a wrist that will go under the knife after the season (hopefully not until late June).

It's been said ad nauseum, but Josh Howard is the X-Factor. His return and subsequent stellar play have everything to do with the Mavericks hot finish.

Michael Finley's role is far more reduced, but no less important. He needs to hit jumpers. Plain and simple. When the defense collapses on Duncan or Parker, he's one of the few that will be taking that shot.

But no one on this postseason, save maybe Kobe, has more riding on this postseason than Howard. Short of an admission that he is a cokehead, Howard has hit the bottom, and has nowhere to go but up. Not that it's going to be easy, but it's possible.

Winner: Josh Howard

PF: Tim Duncan vs. Dirk Nowitzki

As far as star power goes, this is it for first-round matchups. Besides LeBron and Pierce, there isn't another matchup that features two sure hall-of-famers going at it.

At this point in their careers, Duncan is slowing down fast, and Dirk is still plugging along. Of course, Timmy can still relax on a mattress of championship rings (at least, that's how it feels) when he's done. Dirk still has work to do.

Dirk's offensive game is still unparalleled, his one-legged Euro fadeaway is near unguardable (though Carl Landry managed to block one last night), and he can still get to the rim. Duncan, on the other hand, will break you down with his arsenal of low-post moves, and he can hit the elbow jumper and rebound better than anyone.

During this series, Tony Parker can take up most of Duncan's slack on offense, but Dirk's 20-plus points are going to be hard to replace, even with their depth. Dirk needs to have a strong series, otherwise next year's Mavericks are going to look very different, maybe not in a good way.

Winner: Dirk Nowitzki

C: Matt Bonner vs. Erick Dampier

There's not many centers in the league that I would pick Dampier over, but Matt Bonner is one of them. While he is a good outside shooter, he doesn't have the low-post presence to compete with Dampier, and that speaks more to his shortcomings (read: he's a whitey with red hair) than to Dampier's strengths.

This hasn't killed the Spurs because of Duncan's low-post dominance, and his ability to play a passable center.

Dampier needs to show up for every other game as opposed to every four or five, and Dallas should be okay at the center. Dampier does tend to get in foul trouble, and if Parker is particularly aggressive it may come down to that, but that's where Dallas' bench comes in.

Winner: Erick Dampier

Bench:

Dallas has emerged as having a very deep bench. Jason Terry aside, J.J. Barea, Brandon Bass, James Singleton, Ryan Hollins and Gerald Green are capable of making their own marks on the game.

What to say about Jason Terry that hasn't been said already? Your Sixth Man of the Year, instant offense, instant energy and a cold-bloodedshooter to boot. With Terry in at crunch time, the Mavs are looking pretty good in close games.

Let's go back to Brandon Bass. His ferocity and athleticism should play a huge part for the Mavs during this series. Big, athletic guys have always given the Spurs trouble, and that's Bass to a T.

If he can lock down Duncan for a few minutes, throw some crowd-pleasing dunks, and make the occasional elbow or baseline jumper, he could be a huge part of the Mavs living to fight again in the second round.

The Spurs have George Hill (who might be ready in a few years), Ime Udoka (who isn't ready after a few years), and Fabricio Oberto (who lost his starting gig to a big, red-deaded 7-footer who can't rebound). 'Nuff said.

Winner: Dallas

Pick: Mavericks in 6

2009 Playoffs: (2) Nuggets vs. (7) Hornets

This should be a doozy. A transcendent point guard and an All-Star forward vs. an All-Star point guard and a transcendent forward. A former first round doorman vs. a team trying to prove last year wasn't a fluke.

One team pulled off a monster trade, one didn't and you could argue both came out better because of it.

For the last two seasons, the Western conference champion has started their run against the Denver Nuggets. The "I shoot then you shoot" of the Iverson-Anthony combo didn't do justice to either one's talents, and it got them nowhere. Now, the game's most selfish player has been replaced by one of the most unselfish, and Denver seems poised to advance for the first time in 'Melo's career. Denver also lost a defensive rock in the paint, but added one of the game's most mercurial talents in Chris Andersen.

New Orleans is another low-seeded team still coping with the disappointments of a season in which they were picked to be a sleeper, but Chris Paul has spent the season redefining his position.

PG: Chauncey Billups vs. Chris Paul

What Billups has done to this Denver team has gone largely unnoticed, yet people are not taking them seriously to come out of the West. Partly because of the Lakers, but partly because people are ready to see if Carmelo can join his other All-Star draftmates and finally advance. Billups figures to play a big part in this because of the nature of his game.

He can distribute, he can shoot, he can play defense, in roughly that order.

Unfortunately, the man on the other end of the ball could end up as the best to play his position. It's a case of "everything you can do I can do better," because Chris Paul does everything Billups can do to an amazing level.

Winner: Chauncey Billups

SG: Dahntay Jones vs. Rasual Butler

I would consider J.R. Smith the official shooting guard for the Nuggs, but according to their depth chart, Jones is number one. I don't know too much about him, but I know Rasual Butler can be a threat. He's not a game changer by any means, but wth Chris Paul giving him great looks, and with the attention given to Paul and West, he should have some room to operate.

If the Hornets are going to advance, Butler needs to make his mark on the series.

Winner: Rasual Butler

SF: Carmelo Anthony vs. Peja Stojakavic

Peja is without question on the downside of his career, and 'Melo is still finding exactly what his peak is. This is make or break time for 'Melo. Without Iverson, he needs to take control of the offense, and he needs to show the team that he is the superstar he's billed to be.

He's got the talents to do it, and he talks like he's motivated to do it, but if the Hornets advance, the blame will be on no one but Anthony, and the Nuggets might start preparing for a future without him if he can't deliver.

Peja has much lower expectations, and if he can hit the corner three, and stay out of his own way on defense, he should add to the Hornets nd not take anything away.

Winner: Carmelo Anthony

PF: Kenyon Martin vs. David West

Another intriguing matchup. Martin has shown flashes in his career, but is far from a given at his position. David West, on the other hand, is a bona fide All-Star, and a physical low-post presence combined with a sweet shoooting stroke.

The offense runs through him and Paul, so the two of them need to keep producing for the entire series. West is more than capable, but the question is, can he sustain it for an entire series?

He did well against the Mavericks last year, but during the Spurs series, he shot .565, .182, .526, .267, .640, .286, and .421 across the seven games, not exactly a model of consistency.

He's going to do better than that, especially with the Hornets situation at center.

Winner: David West

C: Nene vs. Tyson Chandler

This is where the series will be made for the Nuggets. You know what you're getting from 'Melo and Billups, but Nene needs to work hard on both ends of the floor.

With Chandler banged up, suddenly Chris Paul's favorite alley-oop target isn't there, and suddenly the paint isn't locked down on defense. A less-than-100% Chandler, combined with Melvin Ely and Hilton Armstrong, means that Nene needs to make a difference down low, which he is more than capable of, given his performance over the last month of the season.

In April, Nene is shooting better than 60 percent from the field , better than 70 percent from the free throw line, and averaging 7.4 rebounds and a block per game. If he can keep it up, the Nuggets should advance.

Winner: Nene

Bench:

New Orleans is frightfully thin, with the exception of James Posey. Antonio Daniels and Ely/Armstrong are far apart from their starter counterparts. Julian Wright is talented, but he won't be able to do much this series.

Denver on the other hand, has sharpshooting J.R. Smith coming off of the bench, not to mention a sparkplug defensive player in Chris Andersen, and Linas Kleiza provides a multi-faceted attack as well.

Denver's depth should give them the edge, because West and Paul can't play all 48 minutes.

Winner: Denver

Pick: Nuggets in five

2009 Playoffs: (1) Lakers vs. (8) Jazz

Over the next few days, I will be breaking down each playoff series.

It was pretty clear that the Lakers didn't want to play the Jazz. I think they're ready to beat anyone, and they should be, but the Jazz play a physical game that could place some strain on the Lakers, particularly Kobe who's coming off of a run to the Finals last year, the Olympics, and then a full 82 game season this year.

While Kobe's not an old man, he's no spring chicken, and he's still got that finger injury that he never got fixed.

The Jazz are coming off of a strange year. Once thought to be sleepers for the '09 title, the injuries/shenanigans of Carlos Boozer, and a woeful road record have left them as an afterthought to the NBA playoffs, which is strange, given that they've added a talent in Paul Millsap, and haven't really lost anyone of importance.

As bad as the Jazz are on the road, they're that good on the road. The absence of homecourt means they have to steal a game in the Staples Center, and it's hard to imagine them doing that against one of the best teams in the NBA.

PG: Derek Fisher vs. Deron Williams

Really no contest, and one of the few matchups that the Jazz have in their favor. The young, physically imposing Williams should have his way with the older, slower Fisher.

Fisher is no slouch on the defensive end, but he's going to have his work cut out for him trying to stop Williams from doing a lot of damage.

Winner: Deron Williams

SG: Kobe Bryant vs. Ronnie Brewer

I like Ronnie Brewer. He's got decent speed, is pretty good on defense, and is a solid shooting guard. Pity for him he's going against the best shooting guard of the last decade, one who's deadly on both ends of the floor.

With Kobe likely focusing on defending Williams, Brewer should have a chance to make his mark on the series. But can you upset a No. 1 seed with Ronnie Brewer handling the scoring? I don't think so.

Winner: Kobe Bryant

SF: Trevor Ariza vs. C.J. Miles

Trevor Ariza is one of the most underrated defenders in the league today. Though his numbers from three-point land aren't spectacular, it seems like every time I see the Lakers, he makes a timely three. With him and Kobe guarding the best wingmen, they're a formidable duo, and it's going to take more than C.J. Miles to put pressure on them.

Winner: Trevor Ariza

PF: Pau Gasol vs. Carlos Boozer

One of the most intriguing matchups of the first round. A physical low post scorer against a finesse shooter and skilled passer.Gasol's defense against the much more physical Celtics in last year's finals was one of the reasons the Lakers seemed unable to generate much firepower, and stop the Celtics, and it could be a factor here.

I don't see Pau Gasol giving Boozer much trouble when he tries to post up, but Gasol's reach could help him. With Boozer on defense, he's more than capable of handling Gasol, but he will be helpless when Gasol is able to make quick passes to a streaking Ariza or Bynum.

As far as who is going to have more impact on the series, I think it is going to be Boozer. He's got a new contract to think about, and he's got Paul Millsap just waiting to show him up to grab the Power Forward spot.

If Gasol comes out swinging, this could be a four or five-game series, but I think he'll be outmuscled.

Winner: Carlos Boozer

C: Andrew Bynum vs. Mehmet Okur

This provides an interesting contrast as well. As different as Gasol and Boozer are, Okur and Bynum are even more so. Bynum is just a low-post presence, while Okur lacks in that area, but he's a great perimeter guy.

Look to see the two guys switching up on defense. If I were Phil Jackson, I would put Gasol on Okur, start Odom on Boozer, and let those two play their games.

Bynum on the bench could provide a good boost, especially if he comes in when Boozer and/or Okur are on the bench.

I think Bynum will have a chance to make his mark on the series, but I'm not sure he's ready to do it. If he's getting muscled by someone like Boozer and/or Millsap, then he could be hesitant given his injury problems.

While I've always been an Okur fan, I think the nod has to go to the true center.

Winner: Andrew Bynum

Bench:

The Lakers used to have one of the deepest benches in the league, and Odom coming off of it certainly helps the second unit. After Odom, it gets pretty thin, with a streaky Farmar, even streakier Vujacic, and the seldom seen Luke Walton.

Utah boasts a guy who will probably be starting for them next year in Millsap, a sniper in Kyle Korver and one of the most complete players off the bench in Andrei Kirilenko.

Utah's depth will be a major reason they can stretch the Lakers to six or seven games, but they need to take advantage of their matchup advantages, particularly when Kobe is out. If AK-47, can slow down Kobe, the Jazz should be able to make the series interesting. Otherwise, it will be a joke.

Pick: Lakers in 6

How the Mavs can win the title THIS year

The Dallas Mavericks will open up the playoffs facing the San Antonio Spurs. While this will prove to be a daunting task, no Ginobili and a banged-up Duncan could make the raod easier. I'll go deeper into this matchup when I break down the individual matchups for the first round.

Let's just say that this series is entirely winnable, and with the way the Mavs have been playing of late, they should be able to stop the Spurs.

They will play the winner of the Hornets-Nuggets series, which will probably be the Nuggets. While Chris Paul will probably have a big series and David West should have some good games, I think Chauncey will make enough of a difference to help the Nuggets finally advance past the first round.

The Mavericks haven't fared well against the Nuggets this season, but I see no reason why they can't beat them in seven games. Chauncey Billups provides a good matchup for Kidd, but I think that Kidd wins that battle, since Billups lacks the explosiveness of Paul and Parker.

They can put someone like Howard or Wright on 'Melo, and I don't see J.R. Smith dropping 30 points a game like he tends to do against the Mavs in their regular season matchups.

If the Mavs can steal one at the Pepsi Center, then they could very well advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Let's look at the other side of the West. We assume the Lakers will beat the Jazz, probably in four or five games. We can also assume that the Blazers can beat the Rockets, although Aldridge will have his hands full with Scola, the combination of Pryzbilla and Oden and their 12 fouls should be enough to stop Yao.

The Blazers are the one team that the Lakers should be afraid of in the playoffs. They matchup very well with one another, and I think Aldrige and Pryzbilla/Oden can really make life hard for Gasol and Bynum down low, and I think Outlaw could make things hard for Odom.

Let's say the Blazers steal either game one or game two at the Staples Center. The Rose Garden will be on FIRE, and the Blazers should be able to take care of business there. Let's say the Blazers win in five, maybe six, because they are capable of stealing more than one at the Staples Center.

Then you've got a Mavs/Blazers western conference finals, which is the perfect scenario for any Mavs fan. They Mavs have had the Blazers' number at the Rose Garden, and they match up very well with the Blazers.

Steve Francis isn't the kind of explosive PG that can exploit Kidd, and Jerryd Bayless is too young to really make a difference, although he should be capable of it one day. Wright should be able to stop the bleeding with Roy, and the only real worry is Aldrigde.

He averaged 18.7 PPG on 57 percent shooting this year against the Mavs, but I don't think he's ready to take over a series yet. Mavs can win in five or six.

Now, let's look at the East. I think we can safely assume that the Cavs, Heat, Magic and Celtics will advance to the conference semi-finals.

The Cavs will have their hands full with Wade, but the Heat won't beat them. The Celtics should already be afraid of the Magic, and with KG out, I don't think Pierce and Allen will be able to handle the load, particularly when the Magic's interior defense is so strong.

I don't think the Celtics can win four games from the perimeter.

So you've got the Magic and the Cavs in the Eastern Finals, which is exactly what the Cavs should be afraid of. The Magic are a great road team, going 27-14 on the road. If any Eastern team is capable to getting a win at the Q, it's the Magic.

And we've already seen what kind of beatdown the Magic are capable of laying on the Cavs. With a player like Howard ruling the paint, LeBron's go to scoring isn't so easy, and he can expect to earn every point he gets (barring of course, a 2006 Finals version of the officials, which actually isn't that far fetched).

The biggest hurdle is that the Magic will have to win in five games, which will be tough. But if they can take care of business at home, and avoid a LeBron in game seven, they can do it in six.

It's not a lock by any means, but stranger things have happened.

Then you've got yourself a Magic-Mavs finals, which would be something. Finally, some fresh blood in the finals.

While the Magic are a good team, after all, they beat the Cavs and Celtics, the Mavericks match up well with them. Don't expect J.J. Barea to get much time, because the Magic have a lot of tall shooters, but the Mavs are pretty good perimeter defenders, and I think a combination of Hollins' speed and Dampiers' bulk should be able to stop Dwight Howard, at least, as much as can be hoped.

And there you have it, how the Dallas Mavericks can win the title in 2009. At 60-1 odds according to Vegas, I would think about placing that bet.

Admit it, it's not as far fetched as you thought. Everything I've proposed is possible.

The biggest leaps are the Blazers bating the Lakers and the Magic beating the Cavs, but it could happen. We've seen it happen a few times this season, and there's no reason it can't happen in the playoffs.

Hornets @ Mavs: Preview

Tonight's game is huge. Sunday's game is huge. Monday's game is big. Wednesday's game could be huge.

The Mavericks are in position to climb up the Western Conference ladder, to not only avoid the Lakers, but to have some shot at home court for at least one series.

A win tonight ties them for 6th place, which may or may not involve Utah, depending on how their game at San Antonio shakes out.

So what do the Mavs need to do?

First, they need to take advantage of Tyson Chandler's absence. They haven't fared too well against teams with missing stars as of late, but they need to tonight.

His absence will be felt on the offensive side for the Hornets, as they don't have an alley-oop receptacle to throw to.

On offense, the Mavs need to attack down low. They need to exploit Hilton Armstrong, whether it be Dampier, Bass or Hollins. Since Dampier played well for this month, it will probably fall on Hollins.

He needs to stay out of foul trouble, and he needs to use his quickness and athleticism to pound the ball inside.

Jason Kidd needs to shoot like he did against the Suns. The last time the Hornets and Mavs played, they left Jason Kidd in his own area code, and he couldn't make them pay by hitting threes.

If he can knock down a few early ones, then he will change the defense right away, forcing them to take him into account. Barea could also help with this if he chooses his shots well, like he did against Phoenix.

Chris Paul. He's going to have himself a game. But if Wright and Kidd can help take him out a little bit, then the Hornets place their offense on Rasual Butler, an ailing Peja, and David West.

I would like to see Bass and West matchup. Both physical forwards who can shoot the J, if Bass can outplay West, the Mavs should have a much easier time.

This is a winnable game for the Mavs, but they've lost winnable games to worse teams.

If the Mavs are serious about being taken seriously, then this is a good start, and it takes a lot of pressure off of them playing Sunday on the road.

Been a while, crocodile, and summer trades

Wow, more than two months without an update. But it's not like anything important has happened.

It's not like the Mavs have taken some beatdowns on Sunday afternoon, dished out one of their own, clinched a playoff sport, are active on the summer trade front, and are poised to move up in the Western conference standings.

Right?

Apologies to the dozen (if I'm lucky) readers of there here blog, other writing duties, several hangovers and missing quite a few Mavs games of late have all contributed to the lack of updates.

But I'm back with an empty promise that updates will be more regular.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's take a look at where we are.

After a gutsy win over Miami, in which they were able to take Wade out of the latter half of the fourth quarter, they responded with yet another letdown game against the Grizz.

Then the Mavs took part on yet another Sunday afternoon beatdown, but lo and behold, they were the ones dishing out the punishment.

And now the Mavs are red-hot heading into the last four games, three of which against playoff teams, two of which against the New Orleans Hornets.

If you're like me, you're waiting for the Mavs collapse tonight or Sunday, and the eventual slide back to the 8th seed, followed by a swift dispatch from the Lakers.

But as Andy Dufresne told us, "hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things."

Before we take a look at tonight's game, let's take a look at some of the hot rumors that have been sweeping MavsLand.

Shaq

Shaq and Tony Cubes have been carrying on a twitter romance, and if it weren't for Mark's wife, maybe the two of them could have been something more.

Shaq has wanted to go to the Mavs for a while now. Do the Mavs want/need Shaq next year?

Do they need him? Maybe. Dampier is inconsistent, but if he has a game like he did against the Jazz, he would be tough to lose.

Although he did miss four easy shots, and drop a number of easy passes from Kidd.

The problem Shaq had in Phoenix was that he slowed down their fast break too much, he was taking the place of Stoudemire or Marion.

The Mavs don't have that problem because Dampier isn't a part of their fast break, so you wouldn't lose anything on that front.

Shaq also tends to show up a little more often than Damp, although you never know what another year does to a player, especially one who's been carrying around as much bulk as Shaq.

But tell me a lineup of Kidd, Wright, Howard, Dirk and Shaq doesn't sound good. Three hall-of-famers right there, even if two are past their prime.

I would be all for getting Shaq is we didn't have to give up Howard. Howard has proved in the last few games that he is one tough M.F.er, as well as a defensive X-factor, and the man to set the scoring pace early.

Sure, he might be held together with little more than twine an chewing gum right now, but that doesn't mean he's not helping. A career-high seven steals against the Jazz show that, and he had a beaten-in face.

If the Mavs could trade Damp (now an expiring contract) and Stack (essentially an expiring contract with a $2 million buyout) for Shaq, I am all in.

I think it would help Kidd want to stay, and I think it would fire up the fans without giving up too much.

Chris Bosh

A Dallas native, Chris Bosh has rapidly become disenchanted with what was, a year ago, a promising Raptors squad. It appears Jose Calderon isn't the franchise PG we (or at least I) thought he was.

The rumors have been that he will is excited to come and play for the home team. What would the Mavs have to give up if they were to snag him before his contract expires?

Probably Howard, probably Bass, and probably one more player. Is is worth it?

To be honest, I'm not sure. Bass and Howard are becoming the glue that keeps this team together, and to jettison them as they are blossoming and finding their roles would be a shame.

But Bosh could provide a big jump shooter, which would make it very tough to double-team Dirk, he can rebound, he can hit free-throws, and he's not too shabby on the defensive end.

I think Bosh would be more effective in the 4-spot, with a true center there, but then Dirk has to move to the three, and if you think he'll be stopping the likes of Odom, Pierce or LeBron, you're crazy. So I'm not sure how that would work out. I think there are better options out there, such as:

Chris Paul (!!)

Apparently Cuban went after Paul pretty hard at the trade deadline,and he's ready to make another run.

Always a business man, Cuban's proposal is aimed at saving Hornets owner George Shinn (who seems to have gone to the Robert Sarver school of sports ownership) close to $100 million. In these tough times, it's hard to turn that down, even when it virtually destroys your team from a basketball standpoint.

A scenario could be Howard, Stackhouse and Dampier for Paul, Peja and Chandler, or maybe James Posey. Which, despite my newfound respect and love for Josh Howard, is pretty hard to turn down for the Mavericks.

They get the polar opposite of Dampier, a guy who has trouble staying healthy, but can handle the alley-oop, play great defense, and is very athletic.

They get Peja, one of the best three-point shooters out there, but who also has health problems and is on the downside of his career, not to mention an awful contract.

But you also get some guy named Chris Paul, who is apparently pretty good.

A point guard who has spent the last few months redefining his position, still two years away from his prime, and carried a mediocre (and that's being generous) supporting cast to a seventh game against the Spurs in the Western Conferene semifinals in his first trip to the playoffs.

Having Chandler there to take those alley-oops is huge, and if you think players like Dirk, Terry and Bass aren't going to benefit from better looks, you don't know much about basketball. Bass is like a younger version of West, and that similarity can't hurt either.

I'm sorry, I think I just drooled all over my keyboard.

That is a deal that could be entirely possible in these times, and it may even lead to a scenario like the Celtics has last season, where ring-hungry veterans sign on for one last run.

If the Mavs can keep Gerald Green and Ryan Hollins around, that gives them an incredible mix of superstars, veterans and youngsters that will shoot them right back to the top of the mix in the West.

There's something to chew on for the summer, but let's take a look at tonight's game. In the next post of course.