Miscellaneous Mavs News and Postings

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benjamin hochman
Hochman: Mavericks clearly mean business

By Benjamin Hochman
The Denver Post
Posted: 03/07/2010 01:00:00 AM MST

Brendan Haywood has helped the Mavericks rebound from a slow start with an 11-game winning streak, including Saturday's victory over Chicago. (Glenn James, NBAE via Getty Images )
John Ross Ewing Jr., the Dallas businessman with the devilish grin, famous- ly said that "anything worth having is worth going for all the way," which brings us to another Dallas businessman with a devilish grin, who, yes indeed, is going for it all the way, thanks to a Texas-sized trade and 10-gallon gall.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the basketball baron, is making a run not only at the Nuggets' seemingly predestined No. 2 seed in the West, but also at those high-and- mighty Lakers. No, Cuban's Mavericks probably won't catch L.A. in the regular season, but the way the post- trade Mavericks are playing, one wonders if they could knock off the Lakers when it matters. Since acquiring Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, Dallas has won 11 straight games and this week has daunting matchups against Minnesota, New Jersey and New York.

"They think the trade has made them a better team, and they're hoping to prove they moved up a level that they weren't at last year," said Denver coach George Karl, whose Nuggets beat Dallas in the playoffs' second round last year. "And I think most people think they have."

Butler is the bigger name, but Haywood might be the bigger difference-maker — the big provides big "D" in the Big D.

"Haywood is a legitimate starting big," said Indiana coach Jim O'Brien, who watched Haywood snatch 20 rebounds against the Pacers in a Feb. 20 Dallas win. "We've seen him in the East for a long time, and I think he's one of the most underrated big guys in the league. That was a tremendous pickup."

Butler might bring similar production as did Josh Howard, sent to Washington in the big trade, but Butler brings more grit on both ends of the court.
[b]"I think Howard's time ran out in Dallas," Karl said, "but they replaced him with just as good a player, if not a better player."[b]

The trade resuscitated the Mavericks, who had lost four of five by Feb. 5 — including one to Minnesota at home — and led to Cuban saying the team "(stinks) right now" in the Feb. 6 edition of The Dallas Morning News, under the headline: "Results aren't changing; perhaps the roster will."

Now, after the roster change (and resulting change in results), the Mavericks have the look of a champion — the star (Dirk Nowitzki); the veteran, pass-first leader (Jason Kidd); the complementing scorers (Butler and Jason Terry); the hawking, long- armed defender (Shawn Marion); the hustling pest (J.J. Barea); and the size (Haywood and — if he gets healthy — Erick Dampier too).

"It remains to be seen how they do in the playoffs," O'Brien said, "but they're certainly a much-improved team. . . . That was a huge trade — changed their team around."

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/...#ixzz0hbmpSWnD