61 replies to this topic

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://www.dallasnew... ... pntnt1.ece

Mavericks' full 66-game schedule released: Two long road trips, 20 games on ABC/ESPN/TNT.
SportsDayDFW.com .

"The Mavericks' full 66-game schedule for the 2011-2012 season has been released.

The Mavericks actually have 22 back-to-back situations this season, if you count their three games in three nights on March 8-10 as two back to backs.

Almost 25% of the Mavericks' road games come from two separate four-game road trips. The first is a four-games-in-six-days trip that includes games against the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz and Hornets from January 16-21.

Then comes a year-end road trip that has four games in five days (April 12-16). Those four opponents are the Warriors, Trail Blazers, Lakers and Jazz.

As of right now, the Mavericks have three games planned to be played in front of a national audience on ABC: the Christmas Day contest vs. the Heat, a February 19 battle with the Knicks in New York and an April 15 matchup vs. the Lakers in Los Angeles.

The Mavericks currently have nine games scheduled to air on ESPN and eight others on TNT."

[jcisco loboe'77]

2011-12 Dallas Mavericks (0-0)
Preseason Schedule
December
........Date.............Opponent.......Time.......TV.
Dec. 18 vs Oklahoma City Thunder 6:30 PM CT......
Dec. 20 at Oklahoma City Thunder 7:00 PM CT......


Schedule
December
.....Date..............Opponent.........Time.......TV.
Dec. 25 vs. Miami Heat..............1:30 PM CT..ABC.
Dec. 26 vs. Denver Nuggets.........7:30 PM CT.......
Dec. 29 at Oklahoma City Thunder.7:00 PM CT..TNT.
Dec. 30 vs. Toronto Raptors........7:30 PM CT.......

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://mavsblog.dall... ... uirks.html
Mavericks' schedule has some crazy quirks.
By Eddie Sefko/Reporter.

"The Mavericks actually have 22 back-to-back situations this season, if you count their three games in three nights on March 8-10 as two back to backs.

Here's a look at the schedule.

Sun 18 vs Oklahoma City Preseason 6:30pm
Tue 20 @ Oklahoma City Preseason 7:00pm
Sun 25 vs Miami 1:30pm
Mon 26 vs Denver 7:30pm
Thu 29 @ Oklahoma City 7:00pm
Fri 30 vs Toronto 7:30pm

January
Sun 01 @ Minnesota 6:00pm
Mon 02 vs Oklahoma City 7:30pm
Wed 04 vs Phoenix 7:30pm
Thu 05 @ San Antonio 7:30pm
Sat 07 vs New Orleans 8:00pm
Tue 10 @ Detroit 6:30pm
Wed 11 @ Boston 7:00pm
Fri 13 vs Milwaukee 7:30pm
Sat 14 vs Sacramento 8:00pm
Mon 16 @ LA Lakers 9:30pm
Wed 18 @ LA Clippers 9:30pm
Thu 19 @ Utah 9:30pm
Sat 21 @ New Orleans 7:00pm
Mon 23 vs Phoenix 7:30pm
Wed 25 vs Minnesota 7:30pm
Fri 27 vs Utah 7:30pm
Sun 29 vs San Antonio 5:30pm
Mon 30 @ Phoenix 8:00pm


February
Wed 01 vs Oklahoma City 7:00pm
Fri 03 vs Indiana 7:30pm
Sat 04 @ Cleveland 6:30pm
Wed 08 @ Denver 8:00pm
Fri 10 @ Minnesota 7:00pm
Sat 11 vs Portland 7:30pm
Mon 13 vs LA Clippers 7:30pm
Wed 15 vs Denver 7:30pm
Fri 17 @ Philadelphia 6:00pm
Sun 19 @ New York 12:00pm
Mon 20 vs Boston 7:00pm
Wed 22 vs LA Lakers 8:30pm
Tue 28 vs New Jersey 7:30pm
Wed 29 @ Memphis 7:00pm


March
Fri 02 @ New Orleans 7:00pm
Sat 03 vs Utah 7:30pm
Mon 05 @ Oklahoma City 7:00pm
Tue 06 vs New York 7:30pm
Thu 08 @ Phoenix 9:30pm
Fri 09 @ Sacramento 9:00pm
Sat 10 @ Golden State 9:30pm
Tue 13 vs Washington 7:30pm
Thu 15 vs Charlotte 7:30pm
Sat 17 vs San Antonio 8:00pm
Mon 19 @ Denver 9:30pm
Wed 21 vs LA Lakers 8:30pm
Fri 23 @ San Antonio 7:30pm
Sat 24 @ Houston 7:00pm
Tue 27 vs Houston 7:30pm
Thu 29 @ Miami 7:00pm
Fri 30 @ Orlando 7:00pm


April
Mon 02 vs LA Clippers 7:30pm
Wed 04 vs Memphis 7:30pm
Fri 06 vs Portland 7:30pm
Sat 07 @ Memphis 7:00pm
Tue 10 vs Sacramento 7:30pm
Thu 12 @ Golden State 9:30pm
Fri 13 @ Portland 9:30pm
Sun 15 @ LA Lakers 2:30pm
Mon 16 @ Utah 8:00pm
Wed 18 vs Houston 7:30pm
Fri 20 vs Golden State 7:30pm
Sat 21 @ Chicago."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/d... ... oking-good
J.J. Barea not optimistic about return.
Comments By Jeff Caplan.
ESPNDallas.com.

"Free-agent point guard J.J. Barea said he believes he will be following Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler out of Dallas.
"It's not looking good here in Dallas, I don't think," Barea said Tuesday night. "I'm disappointed. I wasn't expecting this. Hopefully, it gets better."

The defending champion Dallas Mavericks appear to be sticking to a plan that will get the franchise below the salary cap next summer for the first time in the Mark Cuban era. The goal is to create enough cap space to aggressively pursue one of the top three potential free agents, All-Star point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul, and three-time defending defensive player of the year, center Dwight Howard.

The casualties appear to be the Mavs' four free agents that played key roles in winning the franchise's first championship, including Chandler, the galvanizing defensive force, Butler, Barea and possibly also hard-edged shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson.

Barea stressed that returning to Dallas, the team that signed him five years ago as an undrafted rookie out of Northeastern, remains his priority. But, he said, talks with the Mavs and agent Dan Fegan lead him to believe that the Mavs are not prepared to offer close to what he can reap elsewhere.

"It's disappointing they're not going to do what needs to be done to bring back the team," Barea said. "I want to be come back. I think the fans want me to come back. But, I don't know."

Teams and players were allowed to begin face-to-face meetings on Monday, and players can sign contracts starting Friday. Barea said he hopes to know where he is playing soon.

"I have options," he said.

A source close to the situation said the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and the Sacramento Kings still have interest, with several other teams jumping up.

Barea, who has increased his scoring average and assists in each of the last three seasons while emerging as a 20-minute-a-game player, said he believes that Chandler, the Mavs' fiery, 7-foot-1 center, will sign with another team.

Butler, the 6-foot-7 veteran forward, who underwent major knee surgery in early January and missed the remainder of the season, visited the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday after having met with the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Butler was also expected to visit the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, with the New Jersey Nets and possibly the Detroit Pistons also on his itinerary this week. Butler is seeking a multiyear deal, while the Mavs are interested in a one-year contract.

Stevenson, the defensive-minded shooting guard who knocked down big 3-point shots throughout the postseason, and especially against the Heat in the NBA Finals, is discussing options with a "number of teams," according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.

Barea averaged 8.9 points and 3.9 assists in the 21 postseason games. His quickness and ability to get to the rim flustered the Lakers in the second-round sweep and he started at the shooting guard for the final three games of the NBA Finals.

In the regular season, Barea averaged career highs in scoring (9.5), assists (3.9) and minutes (20.5). He bounced back from an awful first two months shooting, ranking among the league's worst in 3-point percentage, to finish at 34.9 percent after a sizzling second half.

Barea served a critical role that allowed coach Rick Carlisle to limit Jason Kidd's playing time by nearly three minutes from the season before when Kidd, 38, entered the playoffs exhausted and was ineffective in a first-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

The plan this season was to continue to decrease Kidd's regular-season minutes and that will become especially important during the compressed, 66-game schedule that includes 20 back-to-backs and one back-to-back-to-back.

Barea maintains that he hopes talks with Dallas take a U-turn and that a return is possible. But, he reiterated, he has serious doubts."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/l... ... pers-again

Caron Butler, Clippers meet again.
Comments By Arash Markazi.
ESPNLosAngeles.com.

PLAYA VISTA, Calif. --"For the second day in a row free-agent small forward Caron Butler met with the Los Angeles Clippers as he spent Tuesday morning and afternoon at the team's training facility, talking to coaches and front office officials.

Butler was not only getting a sales pitch from Clippers general manager Neil Olshey, but from some of the players who were at the facility to workout.


"My selling point was that we're going to win," said Clippers guard Mo Williams. "He's coming from an organization in Dallas that won a championship. We're all fully aware of the culture or the persona of the Clippers and I told him you can forget about that. That's no more. We're going to win. That's the selling pitch I gave to him and his response was, 'Yeah,' and I said with this talent and with you we can go even further."


"I'm excited about the talent and walking by Caron and me seeing that, that's getting me more excited, knowing that we have an opportunity to get a player of his caliber. He's definitely going to help us tremendously."


Williams was one of a handful of players along with Blake Griffin, Eric Bledsoe, Randy Foye, Al-Farouq Aminu, Brian Cook and Travis Leslie who worked out at the team facility on Tuesday. Williams said he and the team weren't affected at all by the trade talks Monday that the Clippers would like to make a move for Chris Paul and/or Dwight Howard.


"I'm not bothered by trade talk," Williams said. "Trade talk is always going to be around the league. If you're mentioned in a trade, it's a good sign, that means you're wanted by another team."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/b... ... o-1-target
Sources: Chandler Warriors' No. 1 target.
December, 6, 2011.
Comments By Marc Stein.


"Make that two known teams that have directly courted Dallas Mavericks free agent Tyson Chandler.

The Golden State Warriors had their first direct contact with Chandler on Tuesday, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.

The Warriors, sources said, have made Chandler their No. 1 roster target -- no matter what happens with their recent trade talks with the New Orleans Hornets about Chris Paul --- and join the Houston Rockets on the list of teams to directly engage Chandler in the past 48 hours.

The New Jersey Nets are also expected to talk with Chandler this week.

Sources say negotiations between the Mavericks and Chandler are essentially frozen, with Dallas determined to maintain as much payroll flexibility as possible for the summer of 2012, even if it means losing the defensive lynchpin of the first championship team in franchise history.

The Mavericks fear that matching the offers Chandler will get on the open market will not only take them out of the race for 2012 free-agent stars Dwight Howard, Deron Williams and Paul but also prevent them from finding a younger cornerstone player to team with Dirk Nowitzki as the 33-year-old gets older.

According to one source close to the situation, Chandler's deal from whoever wins the race to sign him will be at least $50 million over four years."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/v...clip?id=7324979
Chandler The Key To A Mavs Repeat?
Tim Legler joins SportsCenter to discuss the Mavericks' chances of repeating as NBA Champions.

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/d... ... ining-camp

Tyson Chadler expects to leave Mavs.
Comments By Chris Broussard and Marc Stein.
ESPN.com.

"In a surprise development on the first day that NBA teams and agents could start talking about new contracts, Tyson Chandler came away convinced that his time with the Dallas Mavericks is coming to an end.

"I really think I'm going to be on a new team come training camp," Chandler told ESPN.com in a telephone interview Wednesday night. "I'm really taking a hard look at all of my options, trying to see what best suits me."

Tyson Chandler has options. He's in high demand. The Dallas Mavericks have less options. The smart move is to re-sign with the team he helped win an NBA championship, writes ESPNDallas.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor. Story

Chandler's doubts about the Mavericks' willingness to re-sign him to a lucrative long-term deal are bound to be welcome news for the teams already courting him in these early stages of free agency. Chandler and Denver center Nene rank as the two most coveted unrestricted free agents in the 2011 class, but the overwhelming sentiment in many front offices has been that Chandler's return to Dallas was essentially a lock after the 7-footer's role in helping the Mavericks win their first championship.

Chandler, though, insisted Wednesday that such assumptions are a misnomer and admitted for the first time that he's disappointed by the club's decision not to offer him a contract extension after he was widely credited -- most notably by Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki -- for changing the team's defensive culture after three first-round exits in the previous four years.

Chandler maintains that staying in Dallas has always been his first choice, but he expressed disappointment that the communication between the sides was minimal from the end of the NBA Finals in mid-June and the June 30 deadline for extensions. On Wednesday, when teams and agents were allowed to commence free-agent negotiations, NBA front office sources listed New Jersey, Golden State, Houston and Toronto as the teams chasing Chandler hardest.

The Mavericks have likewise long maintained that bringing Chandler back is their No. 1 offseason priority and that they were reluctant to talk about an extension before July 1 because no one knew how drastic changes to the NBA's collective bargaining agreement would be at that time.

But sources with knowledge of club's thinking have told ESPN.com this month that management does fear that trying to match the offers Chandler gets on the open market -- even if Dallas' other free agents, such as Caron Butler and J.J. Barea are all let go -- will only leave them with about $5-to-$6 million in salary-cap space in the summer of 2012.

That's when the Mavericks had hoped to be under the cap for the first time in the Mark Cuban era to join the free agent bidding for Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Dallas-area native Deron Williams.

As one of the league's oldest teams and with Nowitzki as its lone certifiable All-Star, Dallas knows it has to start looking to the future by trying to find a younger cornerstone player -- like Williams -- who can help the 33-year-old transition to more of a co-starring role. The Mavs' big quandary, however, is that the presence of Nowitzki on the roster in July 2012 without Chandler as his frontcourt sidekick might not be enough to tempt the league's top free agents.

One source close to Williams, for example, says it's unlikely that the New Jersey Nets' point guard would consider signing with the Mavericks unless he was joining both Nowitzki and Chandler. The Mavs, though, privately worry that, with Nowitzki and Chandler on the books, they won't have enough money to compete for Williams or Howard outright and would be forced to rely on acquiring one of those stars through a complicated sign-and-trade arrangement.

Chandler, for his part, says he hopes to know where his home will be soon, even though the league announced Tuesday that teams and players can't strike written or verbal agreements before the officially scheduled start of free agency on Dec. 9.

"I would like this to be settled by early next week," Chandler said. "I want to be in camp with my new teammates as soon as possible."

Cuban could not be immediately reached to respond to Chandler's comments. Earlier Wednesday, Cuban told ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan: "We are going through and digesting all the new rules and waiting on others. Once everything is in place we will have a far better idea on what we can and can't do. In the meanwhile, we certainly are going to be talking to everyone's agent."

Chandler, 29, was acquired by the Mavericks in July 2010 in a deal with the Charlotte Bobcats co-headlined by Erick Dampier, but he was widely billed at the time as a consolation prize after Dampier's cap-friendly contract failed to get Dallas in the bidding for the league's marquee free agents -- Miami stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh among them -- through various sign-and-trade offers.

Yet Chandler wound up meshing with Nowitzki better than anyone anticipated, supplying length, athleticism, rim protection and a brand of vocal leadership that no big man who previously lined up alongside the eventual NBA Finals MVP had ever provided in Dallas.

Chandler wound up playing in 74 regular season games -- after missing nearly 70 games over the previous two seasons through injury -- and finished third in the league's Defensive Player of the Year voting. In the Western Conference finals, Chandler helped Dallas to a 4-1 series win over the same Oklahoma City Thunder team that traded for him in February 2009 and then rescinded the trade one day later because of concerns about a toe injury."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/d... ... -mavericks


Tyson Chandler: Mavs future murky.
ESPNDallas.com.

"Center Tyson Chandler expressed concern Friday that the NBA owners' proposal is so restrictive financially that it would prevent him from re-signing with the defending world champion Dallas Mavericks.

"With the collective bargaining agreement and some of the things that they're trying to enforce, it would basically prohibit me from coming back," Chandler told the "Ben and Skin Show" on 103.3 FM in Dallas. "It would take it out of my hands -- and the organization's -- because it would almost be pretty much impossible for me to re-sign. I just think that can be the worst thing that can happen."

The owners have consistently proposed various mechanisms that would strongly deter teams such as the Mavericks -- who have shown no hesitation to enter into luxury-tax territory during owner Mark Cuban's reign -- from having payrolls that stray into that territory in the future.

"For years, the Lakers have been able to win championships and re-sign their players and keep them there so they can go out for another title," Chandler said. "Now, to put that deal in place after we win ours, I don't like it one bit."

The Mavericks were to receive their championship rings and raise the banner before what was supposed to be their opener Nov. 1 against the Chicago Bulls. The NBA lockout entered its 127th day Friday.

Chandler shed light on the players' attempt to decertify the union and said the process was a move in the right direction. A group of players was briefed by an antitrust lawyer twice this week, ESPN.com reported Thursday.

"What I do agree with is we're all meeting, we're having these conversations and they're very productive, so that's definitely a plus right now," Chandler said.

The owners' labor committee will reopen talks with the players Saturday afternoon. Chandler said he hopes that ramped-up pressure to resolve the NBA lockout proves fruitful during the meeting.

"I'm very hopeful, but I've been hopeful for a while," he said. "I definitely want to play basketball again. It's what I do, it's what I enjoy, it's what I love. It's what I'm passionate about. Not being able to play is tough on everybody."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/d... ... ources-say
Sources: Tyson Chandler gets offer.
Comments By Marc Stein.
ESPN.com.

"One NBA star named Chandler is not enough for the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in China.


Having already signed Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Wilson Chandler, Zhejiang Guangsha has extended an offer to Dallas Mavericks free-agent center Tyson Chandler, according to sources with knowledge of the talks.

Teams in China are permitted, under new league rules enacted for this season, to sign NBA free agents. Chinese teams likewise can't offer in-season outs to return to the NBA, meaning any player who signs there is obligated to stay there until the end of the Chinese season in March.


Wilson Chandler decided early in the summer that he could live with those terms, but sources told ESPN.com that Tyson Chandler -- projected to be one of the top free agents in the NBA along with Nuggets center Nene and New Orleans Hornets forward David West when the 143-day old lockout ends -- is starting to weigh the pros and cons tied to making the same jump.


Sources say one scenario that has been presented to Tyson Chandler would be taking the deal with Zhejiang Guangsha and then returning to the NBA in March, assuming the lockout does eventually end, to sign a short-term contract with the Mavericks or another contender for what's left of the 2011-12 season. Going that route could prove risky if Chandler didn't return to Dallas and thus surrendered his Bird rights, but it is an option on the table that could shift Chandler into the mighty free-agent class of 2012 that's also projected to feature Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Steve Nash.


Wilson Chandler is Zhejiang Guangsha's current star import and longtime Phil Jackson assistant Jim Cleamons is the Lions coach. Orlando Magic free-agent big man Earl Clark signed with the Lions early in the summer as well but returned to the States in September for personal reasons. According to NiuBBall.com, Cleamons' team has also pursued Los Angeles Clippers restricted free-agent center DeAndre Jordan and Boston Celtics big man Glen Davis in recent weeks.


Now that the NBA season is in legitimate jeopardy, Chinese teams have made a renewed push to acquire established NBA players, as evidenced by Guangdong's signing Friday of Phoenix Suns free-agent guard Aaron Brooks.


ESPN.com reported earlier this week the big-spending Xinjiang Flying Tigers, who already have Nuggets free agent Kenyon Martin under contract, have extended offers to Atlanta Hawks free agent Jamal Crawford and Mavericks free agent J.J. Barea in an attempt to fill the void created by a long-term wrist injury suffered by former Sacramento Kings first-round pick Quincy Douby.


Xinjiang is also one of the Chinese teams that negotiated with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant earlier this summer. The Flying Tigers, sources say, would love to make another run at Bryant, but the CBA instituted a rule in the summer that prevents its teams from signing any player with an existing NBA contract.


Chandler, 29, is coming off his best season as a pro in which he was credited, most notably by Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, with changing the defensive culture in Dallas after his arrival via trade in the summer of 2010 in what became the first championship run in franchise history.


But in a recent interview with The Ben and Skin Show on ESPN Radio in Dallas (103.3 FM), Chandler expressed concern that the league's next collective bargaining agreement might be too restrictive -- especially on teams in luxury-tax territory -- to bring him back.


"With the collective bargaining agreement and some of the things that they're trying to enforce, it would basically prohibit me from coming back," Chandler said in the interview. "It would take it out of my hands -- and the organization's -- because it would almost be pretty much impossible for me to re-sign. I just think that can be the worst thing that can happen."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/d... ... team-offer
Tyson Chandler not playing in China.
Comments By Chris Broussard.
ESPN The Magazine.

"Tyson Chandler has decided not to accept an offer to play basketball in China during the NBA lockout.

The Dallas Mavericks free-agent center told ESPN The Magazine that he rejected a lucrative contract offer from the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions.

"I was considering it but I don't think I'm going to do it," Chandler said in a text message. "It was hard to turn down."

Chandler, who will be one of the hottest free agents on the market after helping the Mavericks defeat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, said he will probably stay in the United States during the lockout and forgo any other overseas opportunities.

Chandler, 29, is coming off his best season as a pro in which he was credited, most notably by Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, with changing the defensive culture in Dallas after his arrival via trade in the summer of 2010 in what became the first championship run in franchise history.


But in a recent interview with "The Ben and Skin Show" on ESPN Radio in Dallas (103.3 FM), Chandler expressed concern that the league's next collective bargaining agreement might be too restrictive -- especially on teams in luxury-tax territory -- to bring him back.


"With the collective bargaining agreement and some of the things that they're trying to enforce, it would basically prohibit me from coming back," Chandler said in the interview. "It would take it out of my hands -- and the organization's -- because it would almost be pretty much impossible for me to re-sign. I just think that can be the worst thing that can happen."

[jcisco loboe'77]

2011-12 Dallas Mavericks Team Roster
NO.........NAME...........POS AGE HT WT COLLEGE 2011-2012 SALARY
3 Rodrigue Beaubois........G 23 6-2 185 $1,236,720
13 Corey Brewer...........SG 25 6-9 188 Florida $3,059,000
0 Rudy Fernandez.........SG 26 6-6 185 $2,180,443
33 Brendan Haywood.......C 32 7-0 263 North Carolina $7,624,500
20 Dominique Jones......SG 23 6-5 215 South Florida $1,193,280
2 Jason Kidd...............PG 38 6-4 210 California $9,621,000
28 Ian Mahinmi.............C 25 6-11 230 $947,907
0 Shawn Marion...........SF 33 6-7 228 UNLV $8,225,932
41 Dirk Nowitzki..........PF 33 7-0 245 $19,092,873
31 Jason Terry...........SG 34 6-2 180 Arizona $11,658,000

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/n... ... -mavericks

Dallas Mavericks Power Ranking.
WEEK RECORD RANK COMMENT
"Week 24 55-25 9 How will you remember the season in Mavsland? For the 11th straight 50-win season of the Cuban era? Or the panic-inducing recent nosedive that has turned them into the elite team everyone wants to see in the first round?
Week 23 53-24 10 Last week's shoves and barbs have illustrated precisely why we've been clamoring for a Mavs-Lakers series for months. The problem? The Mavs' ongoing 8-8 funk makes it harder and harder to picture them getting there.
Week 22 52-21 4 Caron Butler (knee) continues to insist he'll be back at some stage in the playoffs, but Dallas has an effective replacement if it can keep Peja healthy. How effective? The Mavs are 15-0 when Peja plays at least 15 minutes.
Week 21 49-21 6 We were half-joking with last week's crisis talk, but the locals are in a full-blown panic now. After six straight narrow defeats to teams in the West's top eight, no one wants to hear a word about Dallas' recent 18-1 tear.
Week 20 47-19 4 For all the talk about how much Chandler's presence has changed them, few teams out there can match the Mavericks' innate ability to turn a 20-4 run into a crisis ... because of how painfully they took the four L's.
Week 19 45-17 4 The margins are indeed so ridiculously slim in the ultra-competitive top five that the Mavs losing for just the second time in 20 games (both by just one point) and temporarily losing Chandler causes a two-spot dip.
Week 18 43-16 2 Tough to nitpick a team on a 16-1 roll, but it is a concern that the Mavs -- thanks to their trouble holding leads -- have already played 23 games decided by five or less. That was their season total in Carlisle's first two.
Week 17 40-16 2 One L in 14 games, by one point, has them back to No. 2 in the West over L.A. despite that 2-7 funk without Dirk. We repeat: With Roddy back, Barea scalding and Caron talking playoff comeback, do they even need a deal?
Week 16 38-16 2 Barea is en fuego, Peja broke out in Houston, Beaubois will make his long-awaited comeback this week ... and Caron keeps insisting that he's coming back for the playoffs. Maybe the Mavs really don't need a trade.
Week 15 35-15 2 If anyone in Big D feels triumphant after a week of havoc-wreaking, rep-
staining weather, it's the Mavs. Their mojo is back and they're now 5-2 against the Spurs, Celtics and Heat. (PS: Dirk didn't play in either L.)
Week 14 31-15 7 Still not rolling like they were before Dirk and Butler got hurt, but beating the team from DC that can't win on the road would ensure that the Mavs (7-8) avoid their first losing January since going 3-11 in January 1998.
Week 13 28-15 9 What keeps the Mavs in the top 10, even after that horrific 3-10 stretch? Their slump-busting victory over the champs means Dallas has W's over every 30-win team (Spurs, Celtics, Lakers and Heat) except the Bulls.
Week 12 26-13 8 Losing Caron Butler for the season right after Dirk went down robbed Dallas of the Mav best suited to fill in for Dirk as its go-to guy. The result: Dirk's finally back, but a troubling amount of the Mavs' 24-5 momentum is gone.
Week 11 26-10 6 DeShawn Stevenson is the 3-ball-draining MIP candidate who absolutely no one talks about. Then again, let's face it: No one in Dallas wants to talk about anything but Nowitzki's return with the Dirk-less Mavs in a 2-6 funk.
Week 10 25-8 4 Received a tweet asserting that the famed Power Rankings jinx, after the Mavs' rise to No. 1 last Monday, is what caused Dirk's knee injury that night in OKC. Someone out there wants to hurt the committee (of one) bad.
Week 9 23-5 1 Very aware that the Mavs lost on a Monday last time we had them No. 1, and that they're playing Monday night at OKC after a rust-building five days off. None of that can matter when this is where they deserve to be.
Week 8 21-5 2 Their win streak and No. 1 ranking are gonzo, but the Mavs still have to feel decent about themselves. First they send Miami straight into that team meeting, then Phoenix makes a huge trade hours after a heavy L in Big D.
Week 7 19-4 1 The considered view of Dallas-area native Deron Williams after D-Will's Jazz became victim No. 12 in a row: "Best Mavs team I've seen since I've been in the NBA ... by far the best defensive team we've seen from them."
Week 6 16-4 1 It'll be fascinating to see what The Streakbusters can do with their six straight home games. I'd buy into Hollinger's idea that they can stretch this thing to 15 ... except that the Mavs lose focus at home so often.
Week 5 12-4 2 Seminal week in the Big D: Mavs sweep four games in five nights for just the third time in team history ... and The Sports Guy launches a passionate Dirk4MVP campaign on his podcast that sees us trying to calm him down.
Week 4 8-4 6 Good luck trying to explain why the Mavs, for the second straight season, are so much more ruthless on the road than at home. You called that like you predicted Dallas -- Dallas! -- would be winning games with D.
Week 3 6-2 6 No surprise Dirk missed zero time after spraining one of his bionic ankles yet again. Huge surprise, however, that team D has been the Mavs' salvation while they wait for Beaubois' return to give the offense a spark.
Week 2 3-2 10 The Rangers couldn't quite close. The Cowboys are suddenly America's Laughingstock. The town is there to be taken ... and the Mavs are averaging 14.0 points and 8.5 turnovers in their past two fourth quarters at home.
Week 1 2-1 9 Remember how the Mavs swore they were lasered in on sprucing up last season's 28-13 home record? It took only two home games for the issue to be reraised thanks to a late meltdown against the Zach-less Griz.
Preseason 55-27 6 How much urgency is already bubbling in Big D? The Rangers are just four World Series wins away from leaving the Mavs -- despite those 10 straight 50-win seasons -- as the only franchise in town without a championship."

[jcisco loboe'77]

<p class="postbody">http://espn.go.com/nba/standings
NBA Standings - 2010-11
Western Conference
WESTERN W L PCT GB HOME ROAD DIV CONF PF PA DIFF STRK L10
1 z - San Antonio 61 21 .744 - 36-5 25-16 10-6 38-14 103.7 98.0 +5.7 Lost 2 4-6
2 y - LA Lakers 57 25 .695 4 30-11 27-14 12-4 36-16 101.5 95.4 +6.1 Won 2 5-5
3 x - Dallas 57 25 .695 4 29-12 28-13 8-8 35-17 100.2 96.0 +4.2 Won 4 6-4
4 y - Oklahoma City 55 27 .671 6 30-11 25-16 13-3 33-19 104.8 101.0 +3.8 Lost 1 7-3
5 x - Denver 50 32 .610 11 33-8 17-24 9-7 30-22 107.5 102.7 +4.8 Lost 1 7-3
6 x - Portland 48 34 .585 13 30-11 18-23 10-6 30-22 96.3 94.8 +1.5 Lost 1 6-4
7 x - New Orleans 46 36 .561 15 28-13 18-23 9-7 27-25 94.9 94.0 +0.9 Lost 3 5-5
8 x - Memphis 46 36 .561 15 30-11 16-25 8-8 30-22 99.9 97.6 +2.3 Lost 2 6-4

Houston 43 39 .524 18 25-16 18-23 5-11 25-27 105.9 103.7 +2.2 Won 1 5-5
Phoenix 40 42 .488 21 23-18 17-24 9-7 23-29 105.0 105.9 -0.9 Won 2 4-6
Utah 39 43 .476 22 21-20 18-23 7-9 21-31 99.4 101.3 -1.8 Won 2 3-7
Golden State 36 46 .439 25 26-15 10-31 5-11 21-31 103.4 105.7 -2.3 Won 1 6-4
LA Clippers 32 50 .390 29 23-18 9-32 7-9 19-33 98.6 101.8 -3.1 Won 1 4-6
Sacramento 24 58 .293 37 11-30 13-28 7-9 15-37 99.4 104.7 -5.3 Lost 2 4-6
Minnesota 17 65 .207 44 12-29 5-36 1-15 7-45 101.1 107.7 -6.6 Lost 15 0-10

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/b... ... agent-wall
Writing sure looks to be on free-agent wall.
Comments By Jeff Caplan.

"For Dallas Mavericks fans still holding out hope that Mark Cuban would bring the team back to defend its title, J.J. Barea became the latest to likely extinguished that hope.

Barea told ESPNDallas.com Tuesday night that his free-agent discussions with the Mavs aren't going as he hoped and he now believes he will follow Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler out of Dallas.

"It’s not looking good here in Dallas, I don’t think. I’m disappointed. I wasn’t expecting this," Barea said, who added, "It’s disappointing they’re not going to do what needs to be done to bring back the team."

It certainly appears that Dallas is prepared to let Chandler, who first announced his belief that he will be playing elsewhere last week, Butler, Barea and perhaps also DeShawn Stevenson, walk. Such a scenario would set a plan in motion to get below the salary cap next summer to be able to make a serious run at potential free agents Deron Williams, Chris Paul or Dwight Howard -- assuming any of the three reach actually reach the open market.

Howard and Paul could be traded before this season even starts with the Mavs lacking impact pieces that would likely be needed to entice New Orleans or Orlando to send their stars to Dallas.

"It’s going to be very interesting to see how things unfold," Mavs forward Shawn Marion said prior to a workout Tuesday morning with a handful of teammates at the American Airlines Center. "But, we’ve got to stay optimistic and stay positive and hopefully we’ll be able to keep most of our team intact. That’s the positive side of it, hopefully we’ll be able to, but you never know."

Dallas has 10 players under contract and if the Mavs don't re-sign their free agents it would seem logical that they will seek to fill remaining rosters spots (13 minimum on the 15-man roster) with one-year, minimum salary veterans. Brian Cardinal would seem to fit that bill, as would Peja Stojakovic.

A few players on the Mavs' radar might be able to get better deals elsewhere. Agent Bill Duffy said Tuesday that power forward Jeff Foster, who played four of his 12 seasons at Indiana under Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, as well as several other clients, possibly centers Francisco Elson and Joel Przybilla, and guard Earl Watson, have received interest from the Mavs, but are entertaining more aggressive overtures elsewhere.

"With whatever roster we come back with, your core nucleus is intact and you have a lot to be excited about," guard Jason Terry said Monday. "Again, we’re still a contender. We’re right there whatever happens."

Chandler is believed to be the No. 1 choice of Golden State, and Butler is visiting with at least four teams this week.

It certainly has been an interesting week starting last Wednesday when teams were allowed to begin speaking to player-agents. Many believed the Mavs' top priority was re-signing Chandler and then bringing back the others to make a run at a repeat. They'll make that run, but apparently without some key pieces, and with both eyes fixated toward a risk-filled summer."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/b... ... -physicals
Mavs missing one player for physicals.
Comments By Jeff Caplan.

"As the Dallas Mavericks await the start of training camp Friday, which is also the day free agents can sign contracts -- and that will be an interesting day for the defending champions -- the players under contract were at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday to take physicals.

Make that nine out of 10 reported to the AAC. Rudy Fernandez has not yet made his way to Mavs (also, Jason Terry is in New York for the players' vote on the collective bargaining agreement). Fernandez is being delayed because of visa issues. He has been playing for Real Madrid (until recently injuring his knee).

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, who spoke with the media in a basketball setting Wednesday for the first time since the start of the lockout, couldn't offer many details on the 6-foot-6 shooting guard's expected arrival.

"I don't know the exact timetable," Carlisle said, "but he'll be here soon enough."

Fernandez's agent did not return a message. A week ago, source with knowledge of Fernandez's thinking rebuffed a report out of Spain that Fernandez planned to seek a buyout from the Mavs to return to Spain immediately.

The other nine players under contract were accounted for, including Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki, who took in the Jay-Z concert at the AAC Tuesday night and is expected to talk to the media on Thursday."

"In other news:
* Carlisle added Tony Brown as an assistant coach. Brown, 51, served under Carlisle with the Detroit Pistons and will replace Dwane Casey, who took over as the head coach for the Toronto Raptors. Brown played seven seasons in the NBA and has made several stops as an assistant coach."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/b... ... -physicals
Mavs missing one player for physicals.
Comments By Jeff Caplan.

"As the Dallas Mavericks await the start of training camp Friday, which is also the day free agents can sign contracts -- and that will be an interesting day for the defending champions -- the players under contract were at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday to take physicals.

Make that nine out of 10 reported to the AAC. Rudy Fernandez has not yet made his way to Mavs (also, Jason Terry is in New York for the players' vote on the collective bargaining agreement). Fernandez is being delayed because of visa issues. He has been playing for Real Madrid (until recently injuring his knee).

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, who spoke with the media in a basketball setting Wednesday for the first time since the start of the lockout, couldn't offer many details on the 6-foot-6 shooting guard's expected arrival.

"I don't know the exact timetable," Carlisle said, "but he'll be here soon enough."

Fernandez's agent did not return a message. A week ago, source with knowledge of Fernandez's thinking rebuffed a report out of Spain that Fernandez planned to seek a buyout from the Mavs to return to Spain immediately.

The other nine players under contract were accounted for, including Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki, who took in the Jay-Z concert at the AAC Tuesday night and is expected to talk to the media on Thursday."

"In other news:
* Carlisle added Tony Brown as an assistant coach. Brown, 51, served under Carlisle with the Detroit Pistons and will replace Dwane Casey, who took over as the head coach for the Toronto Raptors. Brown played seven seasons in the NBA and has made several stops as an assistant coach."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/b... ... y-saturday

Mavs hope Rudy Fernandez here by Saturday.
CommentsBy Jeff Caplan.

"Visa issues are indeed keeping Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Rudy Fernandez in Spain for the moment, but Mavs assistant general manager Keith Grant said the necessary paperwork is being processed and the hope is that Fernandez will be on a plane bound for Dallas on Friday and at practice Saturday.

The problem is with Fernandez's P1 entertainment visa, which is a non-immigrant visa that allows foreign nationals who are athletes, artists and entertainers to enter into the U.S. for a specific event, competition or performance -- or in this case, the NBA season. Fernandez's visa still listed his employer as the Portland Trail Blazers, the team in which he spent his first three seasons in the league before the Mavs traded for him in the June draft.

Once Fernandez's revised visa is approved, he'll pick it up at the consulate and be on his way to Dallas, Grant said. The Spaniard has been playing for Real Madrid during the lockout.

The Mavs open training camp Friday."

[jcisco loboe'77]

http://espn.go.com/b... ... roster-set
Rick Carlisle eager to get roster set.
By Jeff Caplan.

"Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is waiting patiently to find out who he'll have on his roster. It's becoming increasingly apparent that Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea will be finding new homes.

When training camp opens Friday -- the same day that free agents can sign contracts -- Carlisle expects to have nine of his 10 players under contract on the practice floor. Rudy Fernandez is being delayed because of visa issues, but the club hopes he will be in town and ready to join the team Saturday.

"NBA rosters may not be settled for a while, so in a way we’re fortunate, we have 10 guys under contract," Carlisle said. "I would think that that’s in the upper tier of the league in guys that are signed. Hopefully we’ll have a couple other guys in here right away, I don’t know, we’ll see. But, we’re going to have to make the best of it and work with the situation that’s presented to us."

If Chandler, Barea and Butler leave, and DeShawn Stevenson could also be among the group, it would seem that Brendan Haywood would slide into the starting center spot he assumed when he first arrived with Butler and Stevenson in the 2010 deadline trade. Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones could be asked to step up to fill the backup point guard slot and Corey Brewer could become a key reserve behind Shawn Marion at small forward.

Those scenarios depend on who else Dallas nabs in free agency to round out the roster. They must fill at least 13 spots on the 15-man roster. Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic are candidates in the Mavs' plan to acquire players on one-year deals.

"Look, this is a creative group of people here. We're going to find a way to compete at the highest level," Carlisle said. "That's just how we do business. That's one of the fun things about being involved in this organization. I'm anxious and excited about how things are going to unfold and there's a lot of things we don't know.

"The approach is going to be the same. We're not going to have the identical team back. We know that. And in time, we'll find out exactly what the roster is going to look like. In the meantime, there's a lot of anticipation. It'll be upon us very quickly."

[jcisco loboe'77]

2011-12 Dallas Mavericks Team Roster
NO.........NAME...........POS AGE HT WT COLLEGE 2011-2012 SALARY
3 Rodrigue Beaubois........G 23 6-2 185 $1,236,720
13 Corey Brewer...........SG 25 6-9 188 Florida $3,059,000
0 Rudy Fernandez.........SG 26 6-6 185 $2,180,443
33 Brendan Haywood.......C 32 7-0 263 North Carolina $7,624,500
20 Dominique Jones......SG 23 6-5 215 South Florida $1,193,280
2 Jason Kidd...............PG 38 6-4 210 California $9,621,000
28 Ian Mahinmi.............C 25 6-11 230 $947,907
0 Shawn Marion...........SF 33 6-7 228 UNLV $8,225,932
41 Dirk Nowitzki..........PF 33 7-0 245 $19,092,873
31 Jason Terry...........SG 34 6-2 180 Arizona $11,658,000



Dallas Mavericks Depth Chart - 2011-12.
............POS........STARTER....2ND....3RD....4TH....5TH.
Point Guard------Jason Kidd
Shooting Guard--Jason Terry..Rodrigue Beaubois..Corey Brewer..Rudy Fernandez..Dominique Jones.
Small Forward----Shawn Marion.
Power Forward---Dirk Nowitzki..Ian Mahinmi.
Center-------------Brendan Haywood.