[MavsFanFinley]

Notebook: Nelson will give Johnson control against Spurs

By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Avery Johnson is the heir apparent. That will become even more evident Tuesday, when he will coach the Mavericks against San Antonio.

"It will be good for him," said coach Don Nelson, who will cede control of the game to give Johnson experience. "He could be a head coach tomorrow. He's got the whole package. He has great ideas. I definitely use more of the things he says than the things I say."

Nelson picked Tuesday's game because Johnson is familiar with the Spurs after all the years he spent in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich. Nelson will sit on the bench and serve as the assistant.

"I'll give him my opinion and he'll have to make the call," Nelson said. "Just like when he gives me his opinion, I reject some of them. He can reject mine."

Nelson said he intends to give control of the team to Johnson five or six times during the season.

"This is the most fun I've had coaching I can remember," Nelson said. "Just being around Avery, watching him grow... . He's such a great guy along with a great coaching talent. I'm having a ball. The older I get, the more he can do."

Daniels hurting:

Guard Marquis Daniels continues to be bothered by a sprained ankle. Mavericks coach Don Nelson said Daniels was only about 70 percent in Saturday's win over Memphis.

"He said that much?" said Daniels, who had two points in 22 minutes. "I wish. It's internal. It's not swelling. That's the good part."

Daniels said he hoped to play Tuesday against San Antonio.

"I don't know," he said. "I think I can play, but I don't know."

Coaching carrousel:

The Grizzlies punctuated the evening with several video tributes to Hubie Brown, who stepped down Thursday. Meanwhile, the man who's likely to replace Brown as coach, Mike Fratello, was in town to meet with president of basketball operations Jerry West.

Fratello last coached during the 1998-99 season with Cleveland. He has ties to Brown and was regarded as the leading candidate for the Grizzlies job a few years ago before Brown emerged.

"I'm shocked it's been so long since he's had an opportunity to get back in," Don Nelson said. "I'd say it's about time. He gets the most out of every team he's ever coached. He didn't have the personnel to run in Cleveland. You've got to give the coach the credit to get the max out of his team. I thought he did that in Cleveland, and he still got fired. I always had to over-prepare for the Cleveland games when he was coaching."

Briefly:

Center Erick Dampier, who is from near Jackson, Miss., had a large group of tickets spread out in front of his locker before the game. The final count: 25. "It would have been more, but my family is in Dallas."... Don Nelson concluded training camp by saying D.J. Mbenga would be his backup center. It hasn't worked out. Mbenga had played only 27 minutes entering Saturday's game. "I was a bit premature on that statement, probably," Nelson said. "He must have excited me for a day or two. He's just another rookie. I've got one [Devin Harris ] I'm playing already. Two is a bit too many to play consistently."