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Five observations on a lackluster loss to the Washington Wizards, after the jump.

1. Though it didn’t necessarily feel that way while sitting in the stands, it’s good to see Gilbert Arenas close to his old form again. He had an efficient 29 points and 9 assists, letting the game come to him. He got others involved early, most notably during a sequence where he fed Brendan Haywood for a couple of wide-open dunks that had the rank-and-file fans grumbling. And, if possible, he had a quiet game. When the second half of the season rolls around, he should be right where he was before a series of knee injuries sidelined him for almost two full seasons.

2. Dirk Nowitzki, true to his word, got off to a slow start, even if his 34-point, 9-board night doesn’t necessarily reflect it. He only really found his range in the second half, after piling up a dozen points at the line before the break. He wasn’t taking bad shots or getting poor looks at the basket. He was just a tick or so off; he had a pair of would-be momentum-building threes that swirled around the rim, and looked like they were going in, before spinning out. If this was a “bad” night for him, though, I think he’ll be fine.

3. Shawn Marion also was a tick or so off. I noticed two instances where he was set up for what normally would have been dunks. On both occasions, however, he took off about a foot or so too far away from the bucket, leading to two awkward-looking misses. I think this is more the function of still getting his bearings. He, too, will more than likely be fine.

4. Jason Terry, on the other hand, looked very much like where we left him in the playoffs against Denver. His 4-15 night  (including 1-6 behind the arc) was ugly. Honestly, I can’t remember the four shots he actually hit. In the second half, he killed runs with ill-advised threes, and just generally had a bad floor game. I’m not sure what the problem was, other than osmosis: the entire operation felt like it was still in pre-season mode, from the whisper-quiet (and surprisingly absent) fans to the new HD video board (which was stuck in distracting picture-in-picture mode all night) to most of the team on both ends. They played with a we’ll-fix-it-in-the-mix lack of urgency that was reflected in bad defensive rotations and a general lack of plan on offense.

5. The Mavs were supposed to have an edge on the bench, with reigning Sixth Man of the Year Terry, along with Drew Gooden, last year’s spark plug J.J. Barea, and pre-season surprise Kris Humphries. Barea (13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) was the only one who added anything at all. The reserves were badly outplayed by Randy Foye (19 points) and  Andre Blatche (20 points). So, in other words, nothing went right. But remember: the team started 2-7 last season, and dropped their first four at home. So don’t panic.

In the bonus: Playboy Playmate and pizza-place scion Amber Campisi won a name-that-tune contest during a timeout. In-arena announcer Chris Arnold didn’t appear to know who she was. Unless he was just acting and she was a plant.

Man, do I feel like I was drinking the Kool-Aid!  So much for this great chemistry the Mavericks have and obsessive focus on defense.  It’s only one game and I don’t want to rush too quickly to judge but the Mavericks season opening loss to the Wizards proved this team has some work to do.

Where was the D?
Not in the American Airlines Center Tuesday night.  The Mavericks gave up 56 first half points (35 in the second quarter) and let Washington shoot 52% percent in the first two quarters.  The Wizards finished shooting 46% for the game.

“We missed a bunch of defensive coverages,” Dirk Nowitzki said after the game.  “We gotta plenty of stuff to work on.”

“Our team defense stunk,” Jason Kidd added a little more bluntly.  “We didn’t rebound the ball.  It was a no-show tonight.”

Remember what we heard in the preseason?  It was all about defense, defense, defense.  It just wasn’t there on Tuesday and when the Mavericks shoot just under 40%, they have to get stops defensively to have a chance to win.

Also notice that Nowitzki starts the fourth quarter quite a few times on the bench.  This happened quite a few times last season, as well.  I’ve been told he’d rather be on the court.  I certainly understand why Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle chooses to give his star some rest to start the final period to save him for late in the game but look what happened against Washington.  Dallas trailed by just three points after the third quarter 77-74.  Granted Shaw Marion hit a shot and the Mavericks trailed by just one to start the fourth but with Nowitzki on the bench it quickly became a six point deficit.

What About the E?
“It was just average on the energy front,” said Rick Carlisle.

Isn’t that kind of surprising in the season opener?  It’s been 5 months since this team played games that counted and for the Mavericks to come out a little lifeless is shocking.

Nowitzki said he was really fired up for the game so much so that he couldn’t get a nap in that afternoon.  He overcame his 1 for 6 start and finished with 34 points so his effort wasn’t a problem (and never is, frankly).

“When those big lights come on you gotta be prepared tonight and we just didn’t execute the game plan at all,” Kidd said.  “There were too many mistakes.”

I asked him if that surprised him and he sort of smirked and said “Yes, especially in game one.”

A number of players told they were completely surprised by the effort put out there.  That’s got to change.

Not Again.
The Mavericks don’t want a repeat performance.  They lost to the Rockets in the season opener last year.  The loss to the Wizards drops them to 17-13 all-time in season opening games.  Dallas started 2-7 and dropped their first four games at home before going 48-25 the rest of last season to finish 50-32.

“It was kind of like the deja vu,” Kidd said.  “I think I felt like I was playing Houston last year and this is the exact same way we started off.”

They don’t want to climb that Western Conference hill again.  They have to make some adjustments and with a game against the Lakers on Friday, they’ve got to figure them out quickly.

Post-Game Fashion Report
Tuesday night it wasn’t Josh Howard’s jacket but my boots that caught attention of Shawn Marion.  They were little Prada numbers I scored for a song.  Turns out, he’s a multi-millionaire who appreciates a deal!  I told I got them at a local outlet mall and that REALLY caught his attention.  I may have to take him shopping.

After the jump, a short conversation between me and Eric Celeste regarding the Western Conference and the Dallas Mavericks’ place in it. It is unedited, to preserve the likely idiocy of our opinions. And also, let’s be honest: because we didn’t do it via Gmail so either one of us would have to work too hard.

Grab a cup of coffee, and settle in. We’ll be waiting after the jump in a game-worn Nick Van Exel jersey with a big pile of words.

PART 1: MEET THE NEW GUYS

By Eric Celeste

3 Rodrigue Beaubois G 6-0 170 02/24/1988   Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe

I was home sick while the Vegas summer leagues were going on, which meant the only joy I had was downloading Mavs games and doing a little pre-preseason scouting. Having watched every minute of every Mavs summer league contest, then, let me assure you that the team was not surprised by Beaubois’ flashes of talent during the official preseason. From jump, he showed a lightning quick first step — he’ll be able to get in the lane against anyone — against a bunch of bigger-name rookies who were all lauded for their quickness. His three-point shot is too funky for me to feel comfortable with him hoisting 3s in a real NBA game, regardless his percentage. But make no mistake: he will contribute this year, as a long-armed defender and person who will pwn many backup point guards. He’ll also turn the ball over way too much, rarely see crunch time unless players are injured, and disappear come playoff time. (Unless, of course, his development affords them the luxury of including JJB in a trade come February.)

90 Drew Gooden F 6-10 250 09/24/1981   Kansas

I hated this acquisition because I made two inexcusable mistakes from a fan’s perspective: believing the conventional wisdom of the NBA press, and faulting a guy for what he can’t do instead of appreciating what he can do. (It’s the same reason many people sighed when they heard the team signed Tim Thomas.) The idea that Gooden is a knucklehead who forgets his defensive assignments and exasperates teammates may still be proven true, but he’s shown none of these problems so far. And how about what the eighth-year pro has always been able to do: rebound, score in the low post, and hit open 15-foot jumpers. The last time a Mavs center could do all those things was 19NeverAgo. Forget about his trade value. If this team makes a playoff run, he will be an integral part of it. He’s also the perfect compliment to a bruising, screen-setting center (Damp).

43 Kris Humphries F 6-9 235 02/06/1985   Minnesota

The fact that Jason Terry was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last year hid the fact that the Mavs had very little depth. Like a lot of people, I was skeptical when I read Chris Ford and John Hollinger say that if Humphries could get some run on a good team, he could be very productive. After all, 6-9 white guys from Minnesota don’t often get markedly better in their sixth season. But Humphries has been a revelation in preseason: hustling, defending, and knocking down that weird little flip shot of his. I’m still a little skeptical he can pull it off in the regular season — see how much you love him the first time he goes 1-for-11 in a big game – but ZCrain says he’s convinced Humphries will be a 20-minute-a-game stud. I hope so.

0 Shawn Marion F 6-7 228 05/07/1978   UNLV

I was astonished that anyone could find fault with the acquisition of Marion. Granted, I’ve been in the tank for him since I watched he and Dirk put on a one-on-one clinic in a summer league game 10 years ago, but c’mon. He’s an athletic freak who doesn’t need the ball to score. He can defend four, sometimes all five, guys on the floor. He struggled offensively in Miami (who doesn’t, except DWade — see: O’Neal, Jermaine) and Toronto (enough said), and people wonder whether or not he can still ball? Do they watch basketball? Mavs fans will love this guy. I don’t even know why I’m typing this it’s so obvious to me.

6 Quinton Ross G-F 6-6 193 04/30/1981   Southern Methodist

Everything you could hope from such a low-cost, defense-first pickup. Phil Jackson believes you can never have enough big guards who can defend (example: Ron Harper), and he’s right. The problem is, Quinton Ross is such a good defender, he shuts down the offense on both ends. I keeed, I keeed. But seriously, his shot is awful, and he should be fined every time he attempts anything but a layup. But how great would it have been to have him guarding J.R. Smith for stretches in the Denver series last year, while Marion guarded Melo? The Mavs have rarely had two elite-level perimeter defenders on their team, so they can’t often play the “make someone else beat you” game when going against two great scorers. Now they can, at least on occasion.

7 Tim Thomas F 6-10 240 02/26/1977   Villanova

As noted, suffers from Drew Gooden disease. Take him for what he is: a soft defender, a solid three-point shooter who can stretch the floor, and a veteran who will be stashed on the bench until the second half, where he will become more and more valuable once the playoffs arrive.

**************

PART 2: GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER

By Zac Crain

41 Dirk Nowitzki F 7-0 245 6/19/1978 Germany

For the first time since he entered the league, Dirk spent an extended period away from the game over the summer (right around two months), thanks to Mark Cuban’s decision not to let him play for Germany in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is. Dirk is 31. He’s played 11 seasons in the league. That’s 839 games, plus almost another 100 in the playoffs, and a bunch more for his national team. (Despite a history of ankle injuries, the fewest games he’s played in a single season, not counting his lockout-shortened rookie year, is 76.) Two months off the court, at this point, is enormous.

That might mean he starts the season a tick off his normal pace, as he fins his rhythm. But it should pay off huge down the line. Beyond that, what do you want? He’s Dirk. You’re getting an efficient 24 points, 9 rebounds, a few blocks and assists, and at least one shot per game that is the exact opposite of what every coach teaches. He’s even become a capable, if not exactly lockdown-caliber, defender. If you think otherwise, you’re not watching the games and/or are Charles Barkley.

31 Jason Terry G 6-2 180 9/15/1977 Arizona

Will Jet duplicate last year’s Sixth Man of the Year-winning output? Doubtful, since his 19.6-point scoring average was his highest since 2001-02, when he was one of the few options on a bad Atlanta Hawks team. So, yeah, there will likely be a bit of a drop-off. But will he fall off completely? Again, doubtful; during his time with the Mavericks, Jet has winnowed down his game to the essentials. He (generally) does what he’s good at, and leaves the rest to someone else. He’ll be solid, just maybe not as rock-solid as last season.

Something to watch: his three-point percentage has dipped noticeably in the past couple of seasons. One explanation: without a reliable inside presence and few other long-distance threats, it’s been easier to close out on him. A better one: he just shoots WAY too many bad threes. (Most assume that is his game. But a closer looks reveals that where he really excels is leaking out and getting easy transition buckets; he was second to only LeBron James most of last season in that category.) Also, the Denver series in last year’s playoffs proved that if a team has enough athletic defenders to run at him, he can disappear. This will not get better as he continues to drop a step or two.

That said, I think you can expect what we’ve come to expect from Jet.

2 Jason Kidd G 6-4 210 3/23/1973 California

It’s interesting how Kidd has reshaped his game in the season and change he’s been (back) in Dallas. I doubt anyone expected he’d become one of the team’s most reliable three-point threats when he came in from New Jersey. Or that he’d make more of a difference in the half-court rather than on fast breaks. The Mavs should run a bit more with Shawn Marion in the fold, but I’d still expect his difference to be felt more during the course of the regular offense.

People have questioned Kidd’s defense since his arrival in the trade that sent Devin Harris to the Nets. Stop. Please. Harris wasn’t going to shut down Tony Parker or Chris Paul either. Kidd is valuable as a quarterback on both ends, and he’s still disruptive in the passing lanes, knowing when to make the smart pass. And this year, he’ll have some help when the Mavs cross-match on defense with Quinton Ross chipping away at Parker and Paul. It’s still a problem, but unless the Mavs sign Venom as a backup PG, it’s not going away.

5 Josh Howard G-F 6-7 210 4/28/1980 Wake Forest

Now that he’s starting at shooting guard, Josh Howard’s transition from a guy who played hard on defense, took it to the rim at every opportunity, and just generally made things happen without ever needing the ball into latter-day Mike Finley (read: a ton of ill-advised fadeaway jumpers either too early or too late in the shot clock) is complete. Now, he’s been dealing with on-court injuries and off-court drama for the past couple of seasons. But I think, even when healthy, he’s just a different player now. Not a bad player. Just not what you hope for, necessarily. But, the addition of Marion allows the Mavs the spackle over Howard’s late-game fades. I still think the Mavs should have tried harder to reunite Josh with Marquis Daniels. One, I think it would have helped his game. And two, I think that off-court situation would have been off the charts.

11 Jose Barea G 6-0 175 6/26/1984 Northeastern

The NBA is a confidence league: if you have it, you can outperform expectations. Rick Carlisle has given JJ confidence, and so he is a wholly different player than the kid Avery Johnson would yank out of games at the slightest misstep. He’s the team’s most reliable player at getting into the lane, and he’s become a solid playmaker along with a creative finisher. I keep thinking he’s going to completely lose it. Doesn’t look like that’s happening anytime soon. Also, if he’s six-feet tall, then that makes me 6-3. At least.

25 Erick Dampier C 6-11 265 7/14/1975 Mississippi State

Two things could happen this season with Erick Dampier. He could sulk about his new role sharing time with Drew Gooden, take his pan hands and decide to mail it in. (I know: what’s the difference?) Or, since he’s essentially in a contract year, he could turn in a season like his last year in Golden State, when he was a double-double machine and convinced Avery Johnson to convince Mark Cuban to pay him iPhone money. I figure split the difference, and you’re probably close to Damp’s ‘09-10. As consistently consistent as ever.

33 James Singleton F 6-8 230 7/20/1981 Murray State

He gained a bunch of muscle this year, but he still looks like a real-life version of Mavs Man, which is as awesome and creepy as it ever was. At any rate, that should help him soak up whatever frontcourt banging comes his way. Other than his propensity to believe too much in his jump shot, Singleton is the stickiest of glue guys, doing whatever is required of him at any given time.

13 Matt Carroll G 6-6 212 8/28/1980 Notre Dame

Now that he’s taken to wearing a headband, he’ll look sharper waving a towel on the bench. Plus, he gives Kris Humphries someone to shoot threes against in practice, and that can’t be discounted. Probably.

**************

PART 3: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Can the Mavericks make it through the entire season relatively injury-free? This roster, as presently constructed, is a bit of a house of cards. If someone misses an extended period of time, we’re looking at a repeat of last season. At best.

How will Erick Dampier react to his new role, and all the discussion about what the Mavs will do with him at the trade deadline or in the offseason? Follow-up: does it matter?

Is it possible the team has come up with a scheme that combines the best of the Nellie (super versatile, constant match-up nightmare) and Little General (everyone is held accountable on defense; offense is practical, if not flashy) eras? Or the worst of those two (no consistency game-to-game in lineups and rotations; over-reliance on veterans)? I think it’s the former. I hope it is.

We’ll be back to answer some of those in more depth on Monday. Feel free to jump in downstairs.

Hardcore NBA observers have long been familiar with the sports-nerd greatness that is 82Games. Now the man behind the site, Roland Beech, is applying his mastery of arcane stats and numbers on the side of the angels, aka the Dallas Mavericks. The Two Man Game’s Rob Mahoney has a brief Q&A with Beech right … here.

The Dallas Mavericks kick off their season Tuesday night at the AAC against a finally healthy (for now) Gilbert Arenas and his Washington Wizards. Yrs truly will be in attendance in my usual spot in Sec. 319. Here is what you can expect from us in the next few days, as well as the coming weeks and months.

FRIDAY: A two-part Mavs preview. I will be taking a look at the returning members of the roster, while Eric Celeste will cast his eyes (and keyboard) toward the new additions.

MONDAY: A conversational look at the Western Conference (and the Mavs’ place in it) between me and Eric. We hope to have a few voices popping in to share their insights as well. I think it’s safe to say you will get predictions here. I don’t want to jinx myself, but I called the Mavs’ record EXACTLY last year.

TUESDAY: Eric will focus in on the season opener, followed that night (or the next morning) by me with our first Mavs game book. We’re calling it “Five on Five,” and, as the name implies, expect five cogent, potentially mind-blowing observations about the game. (Usually when Eric is writing it.)

For the rest of the season, look for a breakdown at the week ahead every Monday, previews of every game, recaps of the important or notable ones, and the occasional chat, as well as more good basketball talk from TXA 21’s Gina Miller, and a few guests we’re solidifying as I type this. And, of course, the great Bob Sturm will jump into the fray when the mood strikes and show us all up with his big sports brain.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for the stray Mavs/NBA thought: @InsideCorner, @zaccrain, @EricCeleste, @ThatSportsGirl (Gina Miller), and @bobanddan (Bob Sturm).

BASKETBALL!

If you can have a “big day” NBA training camp, Wednesday was one for the Mavericks: forward-turned-two-guard Josh Howard practiced. It was the first time he did any real contact stuff since having off-season ankle surgery. There’s no timetable set for his return.

“I’m just working myself into practice,” Howard said.

“He’s worked extremely hard,” head coach Rick Carlisle said.  “He had a serious procedure and this was a positive sign today but no means is he ready to jump into game.”

I mentioned in this space earlier that I thought Dirk Nowitzki had sort of returned; perhaps the popular phrase is “back to his old self.”  I think we can say the same for Howard.

Last season he was coming off that Youtube nightmare in which he was caught saying some things he really regretted saying.  The entire 2008-2009 season he wanted nothing to do with the media. Any conversation I had with him was forced. His answers were short, he wouldn’t make eye contact with me, and there wasn’t a smile or laugh to be found. He felt like we (the media) almost vilified him. He even told me he used it as motivation to be a better player.

When I’ve talked to him this off-season and preseason, I’ve noticed a big change. He’ll look at you, answer questions thoughtfully without being dismissive, and actually try to make a joke and laugh. It seems like his head is right with the world again.

People close to the team are encouraged by this. They’re not sure if the “old Josh” is back, but they, too, certainly hope he is. Wednesday was a perfect example. He ran off the Mavericks practice court after practice was essentially over. This typically means a player isn’t talking the media. We asked a Mavs PR person to get him for us so the throng could talk to him. Last season, Howard wouldn’t have come back out. Wednesday he did and answered our questions and did it without that “I can’t stand being here and can’t stand any of you” demeanor he seemed to have last season. He probably still can’t stand us, but that’s ok.

What does this all mean to the team? A lot. Just about every person I’ve talked to referred to Josh Howard as this team’s x-factor this season.

“I think a big key is we need to keep Josh healthy,” Dirk Nowitzki has told me. “I think he showed in the San Antonio series how valuable he is for us. If he plays on a high level, we’re a different team.”

“A healthy Josh Howard is really key for us,” agreed Rick Carlisle earlier this preseason.

Howard is changing positions, moving from small forward to shooting guard on most nights. He’ll need to be focused, have his head right with the world, and be healthy to be successful.

The thing is Howard doesn’t give a rat’s ass what you or I think of him.

“To be honest, I couldn’t care less what people think right now,” he told me at media day. “My whole thing is just playing for me and my team.”

As long he focuses on that on that part, he’ll be ok.

From the Did You Know department:

Howard had a son in August 2008, named Bryson Jay. I asked him how Bryson has changed him. Get this: Howard opened up a daycare center. It’s almost complete and he hopes to have another. I’m dying to see him run that business.

Baseball’s playoffs have begun. And don’t the teams look familiar? When compared to the other three sports over the past 10 years, MLB has had less movement between the haves and have nots, according to calculation performed by yours truly. While I can’t approach Sports Sturm in detailed dissection of numbers, I offer the following in trying to examine parity in the sports leagues – and how it’s decreasing in baseball.

For the purpose of this exercise, I’ve looked at the last 10 complete regular seasons and annually grouped the teams into three areas: the elite eight who were the last ones eligible to win the overall championship (E8), the worst eight according to records (W8) and those in between (M). For baseball, the E8s are the teams that qualified for the playoffs. In the other leagues, it’s the teams that reached the conference semifinals. Not necessarily the best teams based on won-lost records, but I consider this the best way to compare teams across the sports.

Teams get one point for every season that they finished among the elite eight and get one point deducted for every season in the worst eight. The best score would be +10 (10-0-0) for 10 seasons among the last eight alive, the worst score -10 (0-0-10).

MLB has the most teams with a score of at least +5 with six: Yankees (+9), Cardinals (+7), Angels (+6), Red Sox (+6), Athletics (+5) and Braves (+5). MLB also has the most teams with a score of -5 or worse with five: Nationals (-6), Orioles (-7), Pirates (-7), Rays (-7) and Royals (-7).

The NFL has the most movement in and out of its elite and bottom feeders. Only three teams were at least +5: Colts (+6), Eagles (+6) and Patriots (+5). Only two were -5 or worse: Browns (-5) and Lions (-6).

MLB and the NBA had the fewest cases of teams jumping straight from the worst eight to the elite eight in one season or vice versa with eight compared to 14 in the NHL and 16 in the NFL.

In MLB, there were seven teams that never made the elite eight (or the playoff field) from 2000-09, including the Rangers. The NHL likewise had seven franchises fail to reach the conference semis, the NBA five and the NFL five.

Teams that failed to fall into the worst eight? The NHL had seven, MLB and the NBA five each, and the NFL only one (Colts).

It’s tougher to turn things around for a bad baseball team, and it doesn’t appear to be getting any easier. The Yankees are in the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years. The Red Sox have made it three straight and six of seven. The Angels three straight and six of eight. The Twins are in for the fifth time in eight years. Of the four teams in the N.L. Division Series, all four have qualified at least twice in the last five years.

Seven baseball franchises have reached the elite eight at least half the time during the past 10 seasons compared to seven in the NHL, five each in the NBA and NFL. In the NFL, only three teams have spent at least half that time in the bottom eight compared to five in the NBA and NHL and six in MLB.

Does MLB need to tweak its structure in some fashion? Commissioner Bud Selig wants to institute an international draft to better level the field for incoming talent. He also wants a rookie slotting system. That tells me there’s concern about competitive balance.

I welcome your input. Below are the teams’ rankings by sport (there were some ties in MLB’s worst eight since there are no tie-breaking procedures between leagues). Tie-breakers are most appearances in the top category. An asterisk indicates an expansion team started at or during the 10-year period:

Major League Baseball

The NFL

The NBA

The NHL

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As Eric has taken pains to point out, I’m not a sports fan. But you know what? I know sports fans. In fact, I know sports fans who work on television and are hot. I speak, of course, of the greatness of Gina Miller. I asked Gina what she thought of last night’s Mavs pre-season game. I think we can all agree that her analysis — especially of Josh Howard’s sidelines getup — is far more trenchant than Eric’s. Jump for what she told me.

Nowitkzi is Back (in More Ways Than One)

Dirk Nowitzki finished with 23 points, thank to hitting 17 out of 19 free throws.  He made just three of 12 shots from the field.  “I took a first-class flight back (from Germany) but my jumper took a boat.”  Hah!  Kudos to the Big German!  I am loving that he is sharing his wonderful sense of humor.

He told me on media day that the one thing people would be surprised to learn about him is that he is funny and fun-loving and that his on-court persona leads many to believe he’s the uber-man with no soul.  I know it’s early in the season and we really haven’t had much of a chance to beat him down but I like everything I’ve seen from him: he’s joking with people, smiling, and genuinely seeming to enjoy himself, something we didn’t see a ton of late last season.

I’m not worried about the jumper, btw.  Everyone after the game admitted things were a little scrambled on offense.

JJ “Don’t Ask Me About the Paint” Barea

Backup guard JJ Barea did it again.  He came off the bench, played almost 26 minutes and scored 17 points, 13 in the second quarter in which Dallas outscored Orlando 27-20 en route to a 47-45 half-time lead.  Many of them were on those drives in traffic that have almost become his signature.

He’s told me that he’s sick of people asking him about his size and what it’s like to go into the lane with all these big guys looking to kill him.  “It’s just a part of the game and what I do,” he said last week.  So, of course I asked him about the success he had against the Magic.  He laughed and had a hint of an eye-roll but did admit that Orlando was one of the tougher teams to try and penetrate.  “They like to block shots and are very aggressive,” he admitted.  “My job is to get them to collapse on me to create shots for my teammates.”

It worked, at least when he was in the game last night.

Fouls Fouls and More Fouls

Usually during the course of a game, I look at the box score and bug Derek Harper and producer Cody to no end.   During the third and fourth quarter of the Mavs/Magic game, I looked at my watch time and time and time again.  This seemed like the longest NBA regulation game ever!  The replacement refs called 64 freaking fouls.  Both teams shot a combined 92 free throws!  It was a beating – for everyone involved.  One player told me he was surprised they didn’t call a foul on the fans.

The players understand there will be a feeling out process with these replacement refs but as hungry as some are for NBA basketball, no one wants a three-hour game.  New forward Kris Humphries put it best saying that his “butt was sore from sitting so long.”

And Speaking of Humphries

He’s a hit.  No doubt, he’s impressed his teammates and coaches with his play.  Humphries finished with 10 points and three rebounds against the Magic.

Humphries is an even bigger hit with the female MFFL’s.  I happened to be sitting two rows from the court in front of four of them and they couldn’t get enough of the 24-year old Minneapolis native.  They cheered at an ear-drum blasting level every time he touched the ball.  Seriously, my ears are still ringing.

“We like him,” said the oldest wannabe cougar of the bunch who projected such a throaty passion, I was almost uncomfortable in the workplace.  Sorry ladies, he’s got a girlfriend.

Fashion Faux Pas or Fab?

Josh Howard won’t see much time in the preseason as the team is bringing him along slowly after he had offseason wrist and ankle surgery.  Head Coach Rick Carlisle hopes to have him play in the latter part of the exhibition season.

Monday night he made news for what he wore.  It was a unique dark wool jacket (more on that later) that had light purple, quarter-inch piping around the lapel.  The pocket featured a custom-made 28 design.  Very cute, I thought.  Very preppy-chic and Rugby by Ralph Lauren-esque.  I told him how much I liked the look and he said he had it custom-made for his birthday (yes, THAT birthday which he celebrated with that ill-timed party).  He also said Shawn Marion (who was sitting out with a sore calf) was giving him crap about it and to tell Marion that I thought it was cool.

So, with nothing else better to do after the game, I did.   Marion, who apparently also had nothing else better to do, was stunned.  He couldn’t believe I liked it and told me it was wrong on many levels: color, design and material.  I told him the design was fresh and fun but he interrupted and said “It’s WOOL!”  I was even more stunned he knew that.  I’m with him that it might be too warm to wear the wool jacket but I was just curious how he knew: did he touch the wool jacket? Did look at the label to find out?  I couldn’t get that answer out of him but I did determine he knows a few things about clothes.

Regardless, budding fashionista (and fan of the Rugby line) that he is we went back and forth on the fabulousness of Howard’s jacket.  What was even more entertaining was the response of the all-male media throng who couldn’t believe such a passionate debate was going on in the Mavericks locker room.  Marion is many things but boring he is not.  Marion’s fashion commentary might show up on a Mavericks Game Night production on TXA21 sometime soon.  Just sayin’.

We’re in the preseason here, too, and we’re trying out different Mavs bloggers and features to entertain you during the season. Right now Zac and I are trying to figure out what our regular after-game analysis will look like. Until the season starts, it feels like you’ll want no more than five observations/opinions/ramblings from the night before. That might not allow me to get all my notes in (examples: “Dirk going more to the up-and-under move after his baseline spin … McHale’s influence?” or “Bob Sturm and Drew Gooden … separated at birth?), but that’s okay. Let’s call it Five on Five, because I can’t think of anything else right now.

1. Seeing Matt Carroll start last night was a bit of a shock, mainly because I had just finished reading John Hollinger’s take on him as I was perusing his 2010 player predictions: “If Carroll wasn’t the worst player in the league last season, he was certainly on the short list.” And if this was an audition for someone other team looking to add a sharpshooter who can’t defend, can’t rebound, and has no handle, mission accomplished. Although Carroll did get frisky with Matt Barnes at one point. What’s the over-under on Barnes dropping Carroll if it came to blows? Six seconds? Four?

2. Speaking of guys who are what we thought they were, Quinton Ross is as advertised: outstanding perimeter defender who can’t shoot. He threw up at least three ridiculous wide-open shots that had not a prayer of going in. But he has incredible lateral movement and can stay in front of quick wings, something no one on this team can do. In one sequence in the second quarter, Ross made tremendous play to get in front of Vince Carter, who was trying to drive to the right baseline. This frustrated Carter, who, Jerry Stackhouse-like, decided he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. So he allowed Ross to funnel him to the lane, where Carter was double-teamed, which led to two more passes late in the shot clock, and Mickael Pietrus ended up having to take a 25-foot heave at the buzzer. This is why Ross was such a nice pickup: late in close games, don’t be surprised if you see Ross on the other team’s best player, trying to prevent what happens so often to the Mavs: one guy beating them in crunch time (see: Denver, JSmith). This is Ross’s value.

3. Kris Humphries is freaking hot.

4. Everybody talks about how smart Orlando was this off-season. Really? Okay, signing Brandon Bass for $18 million was very smart. The Mavs are going to miss him. Trust me. He works hard, he’s a great teammate, and he is a warrior in crunch time. (The team’s recurring flaw in its approach is that it overpays for people who aren’t stars — the list is too long; see the Internet for details — and tries to get too cute by squeezing “value” out of people they underrate, like Nash, Raja Bell, Bass). But that move aside for Orlando — what’s so great about letting one of the game’s great glue guys walk (Hedo) so you can acquire the ghost of Michael Finley (Vince Carter, now hoisting threes at an arena near you) and an athletic center who will get 15 minutes a game and no looks from your three-point-happy team (Gortat)? I know they’re trying to replicate the Hakeem-Rockets model (a dominant big man, surrounded by three-point shooters), but Dwight Howard, beastly as he is, isn’t the low-post offensive force that Hakeem was. That team will live and die by the three, and haven’t we all seen how that turns out?

5. For one night anyway, the knock on Drew Gooden (space cadet, forgets assignments, frustrates coaches and teammates) seemed not applicable. Late in the game, he showed on a high screen, making Carter go around him so that Ross could catch up, another possession that ended in an Orlando miss. (BTW: Skin pointed this out on TV. He’s a good. Second only in game analysis to my daughter Madcat, who noted “Dirk looks like a hippie German,” and “Why do women want to become sportscasters? Unless it’s to marry an athlete. I would do that.”) And Gooden’s low-post offense, always solid, seemed a revelation on this team. Damp, consider yourself a crunch-time cheerleader, please. Thank you.

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