[grndmstr_c]

If it can happen for one player it can happen for another (heck, it happened for Nash this year). Whether it would happen for any of the names you brought up (at least outside of guys like Cato, Gad, and Haywood who had good +/- numbers this year) is another question. We can look at it a slightly different way, though, by taking a quick peak at the starting lineups the Mavs fielded before Damp got here and how the production of those lineups compared to the current one.

In 02/03 the primary starting lineups the Mavs used featured the Big 3, along with either Raef or Bradley at C, and either Raja or Griffin playing alongside Fin at the 2/3. The AG/Shawn lineup saw about 253 minutes, and had a +/- of +11.9 with a 16-14 record. The Raja/Shawn lineup saw around 195 minutes at +17.6 with a 19-10 record. The Bell/Raef lineup saw about 178 minutes at +4.4 with a 15-11 record. The AG/Raef lineup saw about 141 minutes at +8.2 with a 12-10 record. In 03/04 the only starting lineup the Mavs used that saw more than 100 minutes that sported a noteworthy +/- was the Nash/Fin/Walker/Dirk/Fortson lineup, which appeared in 176 minutes at 13.1 with a 10-10 record. By comparison, the Mavs primary starting lineup this year of Terry/Fin/Josh/Dirk/Damp saw 409 minutes of court action at +18.9 with a 24-8 record. In other words, this year's starting lineup featuring Damp was the most effective, and consistent one the Mavs have fielded in at least the past three years, probably since the 80's, and possibly ever.