Mavs should be looking out for No. 1

[kriD]

Mavs should be looking out for No. 1

By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News

There's a theory floating around that it's imperative for the Mavericks to finish with the best record in the Western Conference if they want to advance to the NBA Finals.

Coach Avery Johnson doesn't buy it.

"Everybody says we desperately need to be a No. 1 seed to have a shot of winning the West," Johnson said. "I disagree. I just think we need to be playing good basketball and we need to be healthy, mentally and physically. That, to me, gives us our best shot.

"There is no matchup for us that is perfect. The only thing that would be perfect for us is if we're healthy mentally and physically, and playing good basketball and playing good defense. Then I like our chances against anybody."

I understand what Johnson is saying and agree to a point; that point is Game 7 of a series against San Antonio. The Mavericks have a chance to unseat the defending world champions this season, but I don't think they can do it in a Game 7 in San Antonio. To get past the Spurs, the Mavericks need to land the No. 1 seed – or beat San Antonio in six.

MAVERICKS Q&A

Q: I've searched the Internet, trying to find the official order of division and playoff tiebreakers. I've seen some where conference record comes before division record and others where division record comes before conference record. And both were on NBA.com. Do you know the actual order that is used by the league? It could come down to conference and divisional records.

Jim Christie, Bossier City, La.

MOORE: You're right. Look in two different places and you're likely to get two different answers. Even when you tell someone the right answer, it's listed incorrectly in so many places it makes the person question the information.

So here we go again, and I assure you this is correct: The tiebreaker after head-to-head between the Mavericks and Spurs is division record. If the two teams are tied after each of those tiebreakers, the third is conference record. San Antonio owns the edge in that category.

The confusion comes from the fact that conference record was the second tiebreaker after head-to-head for a long time. But when Charlotte entered the league for the 2004-05 season and the league finally had a balanced division schedule – with five teams in each of the six divisions – the league decided to move division record ahead of conference record. The problem is the change wasn't reflected on its own Web site.

It is now.

• • •

Q: I was thinking more about re-signing Jason Terry this morning. Do you think Devin Harris' injury will have any impact on that? I remember Avery saying Devin might need to put some more meat on his bones this off-season. Will that be more of an incentive to keep Terry around a few more years? Regardless, have I said before that I'd hate to see the Mavs lose such a clutch shooter, one with ice water in his veins?

Chris Baecker

MOORE: If you're thinking about re-signing Terry, that must mean you have in excess of $40 million in your bank account. Congratulations.

How much Terry wants will have a much bigger impact on negotiations than Harris' injury. The Mavericks want him back. Terry wants to be back. But remember, Steve Nash and the Mavericks said all the same things, and that didn't end well.

Both sides have declined to address this during the season. But my guess is if Terry wants something that averages $10 million or more, the club will be reluctant to pay it. Remember, owner Mark Cuban will also have to come up with a substantial raise for Josh Howard.

I agree with you. Terry's ability to produce in the clutch is a quality the Mavericks would find difficult to replace. But if he prices himself out of the market – or rather, what the Mavericks consider to be the market – I believe the club feels good enough about Harris' future that it will move forward without Terry.

• • •

Q: What are the chances that Terry and Howard stay with the Mavs next season? And if they do re-sign JT, do you agree that he should continue to be the starting point guard and have Devin Harris back him up?

Paul Jochico

MOORE: I think the chances are good.

Howard will definitely be with the Mavericks. Even if he doesn't agree to sign an extension, the club still has him under contract for another season. He's not going anywhere. I think Terry will be back as well, although that's more problematic for the reasons I discussed above.

Who will start at point guard? This is a question I think will be debated into next season. Terry has earned Johnson's trust and will enter the off-season as the starter. But if Harris improves as much this summer as he did last year, it will be hard to keep him off the court. Don't be surprised if both of them wind up in the starting lineup with Terry moving over to shooting guard.

• • •

Q: I am a big fan of Marquis Daniels and feel he needs to be the starting off guard, even when Adrian Griffin returns. I think we are more dangerous offensively when Daniels handles the point, allowing Terry to be freed up off picks and play the two-man game with Dirk. Your thoughts?

Ryan Kahn, Dallas

MOORE: I think you'll be disappointed. Griffin probably won't go back in the starting lineup, but it doesn't look like Daniels will take his place. Jerry Stackhouse has that spot at the moment and will likely carry it into the playoffs. Terry is more dangerous when he's taken off the ball, but Johnson likes doing that with Harris at the point.

An observation: If former coach Don Nelson owned an inflated opinion of Daniels, Johnson doesn't think nearly enough of him. Daniels has played well of late and gotten more minutes at the point, but you always get the sense that Johnson isn't sure how to make him fit.

• • •

Q: In the April 5 edition, you mentioned that Steve Nash is the MVP front-runner. He may be, but I don't understand why. I watched the Detroit-Phoenix game last weekend, and Chauncey Billups was clearly the best point guard on the court.

John Schneeberg, Confused in McKinney, Texas

MOORE: Dear Confused, I understand why you're baffled: You read something Big Ed wrote.

I'm not sure that there is a front-runner heading into the final eight days of the regular season. I believe the race will come down to three players: Nash, Billups and Dirk Nowitzki. Nash was probably the favorite when Big Ed wrote what he did, but the Suns have faded here late, and Nash had one game of five points and another where he failed to score. Billups has reminded everyone why he was being touted as a top candidate early in the season, and Nowitzki came up big on the road against San Antonio and just beat the Los Angeles Clippers with a last-second jumper. He's finishing strong.

Cleveland's LeBron James, Miami's Dwyane Wade and LA's Kobe Bryant have also garnered support, but I believe it will be hard for them to crack the top three.

• • •

Q: Hey guys, I've noticed during pregame warmups and shootarounds, as well as during games, the Mavs' players don't miss an opportunity to slap hands and high-five or display any other form of brotherhood. I'm wondering, is this coming from the coaching staff in their attempt to build team chemistry or is this a genuine feeling among the players?

Brian Ray, Little Elm, Texas

MOORE: The coaching staff does emphasize the importance of putting aside individual goals and egos for the sake of the team. It's such a constant theme that it's bound to impact how the players interact.

But I'd say these players genuinely like each other. There aren't the clicks that are obvious on some other teams, and you see a good mix between young and veteran players. It's a good group that treats each other with respect and has bought into Johnson's vision. That makes for a good working environment.

• • •

Q: First of all, great job on the newsletter. Forgive me if you guys have addressed this before, but why is there not any public or media outrage about Brad Davis being the only person having his number retired? That fact, in and of itself, is laughable, especially when you consider the contributions made by Mark Aguirre, Derek Harper and Rolando Blackman. Why won't Mark Cuban address this and honor these great members of this not-so storied franchise?

Matt Packard, Southlake, Texas

MOORE: The Mavericks slipped one by you. Blackman had his number retired a few years ago.

But your question is one I hear a lot from Mavericks fans who go back to the Don Carter days. Why haven't Aguirre and Harper been recognized? Strong arguments can be made that they belong alongside Davis and Blackman in the rafters.

The problem: Cuban wasn't the owner when Aguirre and Harper played. Carter was. If that regime didn't retire the jerseys, why should Cuban? It's the same argument Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has offered in the past to explain why players who failed to make the Ring of Honor under Tex Schramm weren't on the fast track with him.

Cuban hasn't ruled out honoring Aguirre or Harper some day. But it's not a priority. And he doesn't have the emotional ties to them that he does to the current group.

• • •

Q: Does Keith Van Horn's hand injury end his chances of returning to the Mavs? Who else will be gone during the off-season?

David Krause, Seattle

MOORE: It's not official, but I believe you've seen the last of Van Horn in a Mavericks uniform. There's a chance the team will put him on the playoff roster, but unless the Mavericks are still playing in late May, I doubt you'll see him again.

Van Horn won't be the only one to go. As we discussed earlier in the letter, Terry may leave if he gets a better offer. It's unlikely that Darrell Armstrong will be back, and D.J. Mbenga has flashed enough promise to get a decent offer elsewhere. With Erick Dampier, DeSagana Diop and Pavel Podkolzin all under contract, I think there's a good chance Mbenga will leave to develop elsewhere.

• • •

Q: What Mavs are potential free agents after this season, and what do you think will happen with each of those players?

Brad Lill, Milwaukee

MOORE: The players we mentioned above – Van Horn, Terry, Armstrong and Mbenga – are all free agents at the end of the season. I'd be surprised if anyone other than Terry out of that group is left.

[Mavfan + Ravenfan]

If I were D.j I would stay. This is a team thats going to be a contender for a while. With van horn leaving, thats going to open up more minuets behind dirk. And they all won't neccesarily go to powell, or whoever van horn's replacement is.

[wescx]

Only interesting bit in that was the stuff on Terry.

It was the first I had read about how high the Mavs might be willing to go per year. Good chance Moore pulled that number out of his ass, but still interesting.

[wescx]

Is DA expected to retire or just go somewhere else?

Hard to imagine a guy with that much energy turning in his jersey.

[chumdawg]

DA said he wants to play another year. Orlando would like to have him back.

[Dtownsfinest]

that averages $10 million or more

Goh damn. Terry will no longer be a Mav if that's the case.

[dirno2000]

Atlanta should be under the cap. Wonder if they'd be willing to give him a big deal to lure him back. They're a PG away from being a good young team.

As far as I can tell, the other teams with cap room are either very bad or they don't have a need at that position.

[TheBlueVan]

unless my impression of terry is completely mistaken, i think he'll be back, and wont push for huge $$$

[Five-ofan]

I dont think jet wants to be back in atl but if he goes there he would be a nice fit since jj is a great handling and distributing 2.

[blahblehblah]

I doubt JT will get a salary at 10million or even 9 million a year. IMO the Mavs can resign him for a deal around 4yr 32 million or 5 yr 40million. I mean how many teams will be able to offer Terry more than the MLE next year? 3 or 4? And how many of those will be interested in using most of their cap space to sign Terry?

[kriD]

MAVERICKS NOTES

Scoreboard-watching 'normal'

By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Don't think the Mavericks aren't conscious of what's going on with San Antonio.

"It's just normal," coach Avery Johnson said. "It's part of the whole process. But it's not like we're biting our teeth or begging for somebody to win and lose."

The Spurs are scoreboard- watching, too. With only three games remaining for the Mavs and four for San Antonio, the Southwest Division and the Western Conference's No. 1 playoff seed remain up for grabs.

But whatever happens with the Spurs, who have the inside track at the top seed, the Mavs are focusing within.

"That's all we can really do," Johnson said. "Everybody is saying we desperately need to be the No. 1 seed to have a shot at winning the West.

"I disagree. I just think we need to be playing good basketball and we need to be healthy, mentally and physically. That, to me, gives us our best shot."

The Mavs had been playing well, having won five straight entering Wednesday night's game at Golden State following a three-game losing streak last month.

"The good teams, or the great teams, respond to a lull they have in a season the right way," Dirk Nowitzki said, "and I think that's what we did."

Who will it be?

Not only are the first and fourth seeds still undecided (Phoenix and Denver are locked in at Nos. 2 and 3), but the bottom four seeds are also in flux.

The best bet is the Mavs' facing Memphis or the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, though Sacramento, the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah and New Orleans/Oklahoma City remain possibilities.

"We have guys watching all the teams that we can possibly play against ...," Avery Johnson said. "I think over-preparation is a good thing."

Johnson doesn't expect the matchups to be settled until the last game or two. The Mavs finish the season against the Clippers on Wednesday, which could throw a wrench into Johnson's plan for a postseason tuneup.

"If it's not the Clippers," Johnson said of the first-round matchup, "I'd like to have a simulated [playoff] rotation going into the last game."

No Kemp

Shawn Kemp won't be making a comeback in a Mavs uniform, at least not this season. When the NBA rejected the team's request to sign an extra player because of injuries, Kemp no longer became an option.

"It's dead," Avery Johnson said.

Johnson added that the failure to work out Kemp in Houston last week didn't factor into the decision not to pursue the veteran power forward, who's been out of the league three years.

Briefly

The start of Wednesday's game against the Clippers at American Airlines Center has been moved to 7 p.m. for ESPN.

The Mavs have renewed their contract with flagship radio station ESPN/103.3 FM through the 2008-09 season.