Transition game: Ever-changing Mavs have a new nucleus - again

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Transition game: Ever-changing Mavs have a new nucleus - again

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

And Mark Cuban thought he only spawned one reality television show.

Truth be known, he's primarily responsible for a whole genre of TV gab that preys on consumers who are starved for video competency.

Extreme makeovers began with the Mavericks. And their version rambles on in its fourth season. It's been a ratings blockbuster with fans, if not a technical success yet. Critics remain skeptical.

This is the perception around the NBA: The Mavericks are the only team with no more patience than a teen-ager, no willpower to see a project through to completion.

Instead, they trade in defective parts for better versions. If Juwan Howard doesn't plug seamlessly into the system, he's pulled and replaced with Raef LaFrentz. When that new part develops flaws, you exchange it for a different flaw, such as Antoine Walker.

When he ends up being like an appendix – serving no known purpose and something you can live without – you perform a 'Toine-ectomy and insert Jason Terry.

The reputation is earned. What is wrong is the popular misconception that the Mavericks are the only NBA team doing this.

"How many people did San Antonio turn over?" Cuban asked. "How many people did Utah go through? That's the nature of the business. It wouldn't surprise me if it became more like football."

Loyalty in the NBA, clearly, rates somewhere below ref-appreciation ratings.

Making their point

Dirk Nowitzki leaves nothing to the imagination when analyzing the Mavericks.

"We have all the weapons we need," he said. "We got so much talent offensively, we'll be fine if we just handle the ball."

That was his way of throwing the ball, figuratively, to the point guards, which is a key issue on this version of the Mavericks. Of all the face-lifts they have given themselves, they've never had to do so much as a manicure on their point guard.

Now they have two new ones. Both good, mind you. But this is like a new nose on the face. It's the first thing people notice. Terry and rookie Devin Harris are the future of the franchise at the point, in no particular order.

Their play will be scrutinized this season, the Mavericks' first without Steve Nash since 1997-98. So will that of Erick Dampier, who parlayed one great season into a monster free-agent contract. He must prove it wasn't a mistake.

And then, of course, there is Nowitzki, who has the double-edged job of being the Mavericks' best player/leader-by-actions.

They are all under 30 and, with the exception of Terry, under contract for at least four more years.

Their presence begs the question: Is the Mavericks' annual makeover about to be retired?

"Eventually, you have to establish a team and let it grow and play together," coach Don Nelson said. "Those things take time. You can't move players every year and expect consistency."

Yet that's what the Mavericks seem to do. Until now. Cuban said he hopes to never to make another trade. Of course, he also admits he said that when the Mavericks added LaFrentz. The pledge lasted only a few months.

Indeed, the Mavericks matched the best season in franchise history by reaching the Western Conference finals in 2002-03. They made no trades before or during that season.

Of the 15 players who played the following season, eight of them were new. This year, 10 of the 15 players expected to be on the roster weren't here last season.

"It definitely makes it harder," said Michael Finley, the unquestioned leader of this new pack. "Normally, it takes a whole season, at least, to get acquainted and really comfortable with key new guys. But GMs and owners want to win now."

Growing places?

If there are problems this season, nobody expects the Mavericks to stand pat. Even if things are smooth, there are no guarantees. The basic foundation seems to be solid. But it seemed solid with Nash, too.

As Nelson said, the Mavericks now have a new nucleus. Where once there was the Big Three of Nowitzki, Finley and Nash, now it's Nowitzki, Dampier and Harris/Terry.

"That's three of the toughest positions to fill that should be together for the next six years," Nelson said. "We think this is going to grow into something special. I'm not saying it'll be this season, but if we let this group play a few seasons and go through some hard times, then I think it has a chance."

Not that Nelson will be around to see it. He has stated his preference to retire when his contract expires following the 2005-06 season.

"I'm not the most important thing going on here," he said.

In addition to a nucleus spearheaded by the 26-year-old Nowitzki, the Mavericks have younger players with plenty of growth potential in Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels and D.J. Mbenga.

"This team could be really good somewhere along the line," Nelson said. "If you say you're going to grow a team, you have to have a young nucleus. You can't do it if you have older players."

With a new core, the time has come to see if it will ferment into a championship-caliber team, although the owner isn't focusing on any windows of opportunity.

"I don't look that far out, five or six years," Cuban said. "But we would do damn good in a 23-and-under league. And sometimes, that's what the NBA seems like."

Now if they can just exert that weakest of all Mavericks traits.

Patience (and you thought we were going to say defense).