Full-Court Press

Nowitzki named West's best for last week

Dirk Nowitzki Monday became the first Mavericks to be named the Western Conference's Player of the Week since he did it in March 2007. Nowitzki led the Mavs to a 3-0 record with averages of 27.0 points and 10.3 rebounds. He shot 46.6 percent from the floor, 50.0 percent from 3-point range and 92.3 percent at the free throw line. During that span, Dallas won by an average margin of 13 points.

On the season, Nowitzki ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring average (24.7), seventh in free throws made (80) and tied for seventh in free throw percentage (92.0). He leads the Mavs in scoring, rebounding (8.4) and minutes (37.0).

-- Jeff Caplan

Randolph not a good option

I wouldn't start hyperventilateing over the Mavs trading for New York Knicks power forward Zach Randolph. The New York Daily News reported earlier that the Knicks are working on sending Randolph to the Mavs for Jerry Stackhouse...of course it would take about another $5 million in salary to make the deal work.

A play for Randolph doesn't make much sense for the Mavs in the present or future. The Mavs would have to find a way to play Randolph, who can score and rebound but can't defend, and Dirk Nowitzki together.

But, it also makes no sense if the Mavs want to be a player in the 2010 free-agent extravaganza.

Getting Randolph now locks him into the Mavs payroll for three years for big, big money -- $14.7 this season, $16 million in 2009-10 and $17.3 in his final year, 2010-11, virtually taking the Mavs out of the picture in the summer of '10 when Dallas native Chris Bosh can become a free agent, along with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and others.

As for

-- Jeff Caplan

Zach for Stack?

New York Daily News is reporting that the Knicks are in talks with the Mavs about sending big body Zach Randolph to Dallas for Jerry Stackhouse and what would have to be another player or two, at least, to make the money work. Or perhaps Donnie Nelson can wrangle a third team into the works to get it done.

Stackhouse on Monday publicly voiced his desire to be traded or released. He won't be bought out, according to Mavs owner Mark Cuban. One would think a trade to New York would qualify as better be careful what you ask for. If Stackhouse is a poor fit in coach Rick Carlisle's up-tempo offense, as Stackhouse said, how's he going to play 20 minutes, as he wishes, in Mike D'Antoni's full-throttle offense. Doesn't seem plausible. The Knicks would be using him for his expiring contract, while also dumping Randolph's big-sized contract that runs through 2010-11. Not sure how this makes much sense for the Mavs, who have a guy named Dirk Nowitzki at power forward.

Randolph is due $14.7 million this season, $16 million next season and $17.3 million in his final year.

-- Jeff Caplan

T.G.F.J.T

At least that's how the Mavericks feel. Thank goodness for Jason Terry, who picked up the slack left by the absence of Josh Howard and willed the Mavericks to victory. Terry had 31 points, including a key drive down the late with one minute left, to help the Mavericks hold off the Rockets 96-86. Dallas has now won three consecutive games and has a decent schedule coming up. It's not like they are on the move big time, but unlike last week, they are going forward, not backward.

-- Jan Hubbard

Cruisin' at the Toyota Center

The Mavericks are playing without Josh Howard tonight because he has a sore left ankle. Apparently someone fell on it in the Charlotte game on Tuesday and Howard couldn't play. The Rockets, however, are without Yao Ming, who has a sore left foot, so both teams are without a star player and the Rockets' guy happens to be 10 inches taller. The Mavericks have done a good job tonight, They led most of the first quarter, trailing only a couple of times by a point. They led by as many as 12 in the second period and are hanging on wit a seven-point lead with 6:06 left in the third quarter at 59-52. -- Jan Hubbard

Latest on Stackhouse

If Jerry Stackhouse is going to leave the Dallas Mavericks, his agent will have to present a palatable trade offer. Mavs owner Mark Cuban said Tuesday during pre-game warmups that he will not buy out the remainder of Stackhouse's contract. Stackhouse is due $7 million this season and the team holds the option for next season.

Stackhouse is inactive tonight and will be indefinitely, coach Rick Carlisle said tonight, to rest his ailing right heel. Stackhouse said Monday that he hopes his situation will be resolved by the time he comes back.

On an unrelated note, despite being ready to play, swingman Devean George is inactive tonight. He was actually active Sunday at New York but did not play. George said Carlisle knows he's ready to go, but said, "It's a long season. I've been around a long time. Very seldom do things stay the same."

-- Jeff Caplan

No demand, but Stackhouse seeks change

Jerry Stackhouse opened up on Monday, one day after being inactive at New York, and said he wants an opportunity to play elsewhere. Believing he can still contribute at a high level, but is perhaps not a good fit in Rick Carlisle's up-tempo, motion offense that is more freelance than structure, Stackhouse has requested that his agent begin to explore trade scenarios or a possible buyout.

A buyout would obviously give Stackhouse more flexibility. He is due $7 million this season and $2 million next season with that total decreasing with each passing day. Stackhouse was adamant that he is not demanding a trade and that he remains loyal to the franchise, but he is seeking a resolution he hopes can both benefit him and the team. 

"I'm exploring options," Stackhouse said after the Mavs' Monday workout in Charlotte, N.C. "The team is always going to protect itself, I can't force their hand to do anything. I don't really know all the options right now. I talked to [agent] Jeff [Schwartz] yesterday. We've had dialogue over the last few weeks. I think it's to the point now where it's time to start researching some things and seeing if there's other possibilities that make more sense for me right now.

Stackhouse said his agent has been gauging interest in Stackhouse around the league.

"Now it's time to take that discovery to [Mavs president] Donnie [Nelson] and to [owner] Mark [Cuban]," Stackhouse said, "and hopefully it adds up."

Stackhouse has struggled this season. He's shooting just 29.8 percent from the floor and 18.8 percent from 3-point range. The 14-year veteran has played in eight of 10 games this season. He was saddled with a rare DNP - Coach's Decision against Cleveland and was not active Sunday at New York.

He's also been keeping very quiet about a nagging right foot injury, plantar fasciitis, that required a cortisone shot three weeks ago and that coach Rick Carlisle said has been more of a problem than Stackhouse has let on.

None of it helps his trade value at this point. Teams could be interested in his virtually expiring contract. An eventual buyout might be the ultimate scenario.

Either way, one of the prime faces of the Mavericks franchise during over the past five seasons, is likely soon to be headed elsewhere, eager for a shot to see if he still can contribute in a significant way.

-- Jeff Caplan

Stackhouse struggling with role

Earlier in the season when Jerry Stackhouse registered a DNP-Coach's Decision, he wasn't happy about it and could read the writing on the wall. His minutes were being reduced, his role becoming diminished. But, Sunday's stint on the inactive list seemed to crystallize everything. The Mavs want their veteran swingman, a hugely important player in the franchise to accept playing more of a spot role and mentor younger wings like Antoine Wright and Gerald Green.

That's a hard pill to swallow for a prideful player like Stackhouse, who's put together some great scoring years, then proved critics wrong that he could come to Dallas and accept a role off the bench. He perfected the role and was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate nearly ever season.

Coach Rick Carlisle has basis for his decisions to scale Stackhouse back. He has had an awful start to his 14th season. His shot just isn't falling. He's scored more than four points in a game just twice and is shooting 29.8 percent and 18.8 percent from 3-point land.

Now the difficult part. Stackhouse believes he still can contribute a high level. He's not interested in retiring, let alone slowing down. He's been in constant contact with Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson, Carlisle and his agent about where they go from here.

Will Stackhouse want to be traded if his role isn't expanded? Will his role be expanded if he starts hitting shots again? Actually, Stackhouse averaged 20 minutes a game in the four games preceeding Sunday's game at New York when he was inactive.

-- Jeff Caplan

George dresses; Stack doesn't

One positive for the Mavs is Devean George is in uniform. Coach Rick Carlisle sounded doubtful that he'd actually be able to play against the Knicks, but first steps first.

Now onto another player, Jerry Stackhouse, who's start to the season has been bizarre and disappointing. He is not in uniform tonight, but rather sitting on the bench in coat and tie. It might not be an injury that has Stackhouse on the bench, but more will be known after the game.

-- Jeff Caplan

J.J.'s minutes crunch

Here in NYC where Stephon Marbury isn't being held hostage, at least that's how Starbury's peeps word it to the NY media, Mavs backup point guard J.J. Barea is having a hard time getting on the floor. The Mavs signed him to a two-year contract to be Jason Kidd's backup, but Jason Terry is having to pull double-duty at shooting guard and point right now.

Mark Cuban has said that'd he be interested in exploring the possibility of bringing Marbury to Dallas if the Knicks and Marbury can come to some sort of solution, in other words a buy out. Cuban said he's not sure Marbury would be eager to become Kidd's backup. The two guards will always be linked when they traded places in a deal that landed Kidd in New Jersey where he led the Nets to two Finals appearances.

But, back to J.J., who really needs to assert himself and prove that he can be a reliable backup. Carlisle reiterated Sunday that he won't hesitate to put Barea in -- if the situation, meaning from a defensive matchup perspective, is a good one. Who knows, maybe he'll get a chance to defend the super-quick, 5-foot-9 Nate Robinson.

-- Jeff Caplan