Full-Court Press

FAST START? FAST START? YOU'RE TALKING FAST START?

Well my last pose was with the score 17-12 with Dallas leading and now Utah is leading 29-17. I'll save you the math. That's 17 consecutive points.

Didn't mean to send bad luck to the home team. As it turns out, the fast start slowed down considerably.

I think I'm going to sit in the stands. I'll check in later.

-- Jan Hubbard

Gettin' high, you can't beat it

OK,calm down. I'm not talking about that kind of high. Actually, the subject line is a lyric from the album Quadrophenia and since I'm sitting in the hockey press box, it just popped into my head, which is full of lyrics by the Who anyway.

But enough of that. We're talking basketball tonight. The Mavericks and Jazz started 30 minutes later than usual because the Stars played here this afternoon and they had to changeover the arena. For those who might have missed it, the Stars defeated L.A. 3-2 in a shootout.

We're not having a shootout tonight but we're not without baskets. The two teams have combined for 25 points in the first six minutes with the Mavericks up by one. Along with Dirk, Kidd and Damp, Antoine Wright and Devean George got the start.

One new guy (Ryan Hollins) is here and the other (Matt Carroll) will join the Mavericks for their game in Philadelphia on Monday.

Sorry to see DeSagna Diop go. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. But he was playing rarely and the Mavericks had a chance to pick up a shooter in Carroll, so it's a good risk.

Mavericks now lead 17-12 and Jerry Sloan took a timeout. Good start for the Mavericks, who have been plagued by lack of good starts all year.

-- Jan Hubbard

Howard likely out; Cuban fined

Josh Howard is not expected to play Saturday against the Utah Jazz. He would miss his fourth consecutive game since spraining his left wrist last Friday at Phoenix.

On another front, Mavs owner Mark Cuban was fined $25,000 by the league on Friday for his interaction with Nuggets players during halftime and for coming onto the court and screaming after the game.

Cuban was hot about J.R. Smith swinging an elbow that missed Antoine Wright. After the game Cuban said he would see to it that Smith was suspended. The league concluded Smith's actions did not warrant a suspension.

-- Jeff Caplab

No major damage to J-Ho's wrist

The medical report from back in Dallas is that Josh Howard sustained no structural damage to his left wrist. It is diagnosed as a sprain, which is good news for Howard. Obviously, he's out for tonight's game against the Nuggets and coach Rick Carlisle said it's highly unlikely he'll be ready to go Wednesday night at home against the Hornets.

"Beyond that we'll see how it goes," Carlisle said.

Howard injured the wrist Friday night at Phoenix when he tried to brace himself after falling awkwardly. It's the second time this season he's sprained that wrist.
All in all, Howard will miss his 15th game of the season tonight in only the Mavs 38th.

He's missed more games in a season only once in his five previous years with the Mavs. He played in 59 games 2005-06.

-- Jeff Caplan

Felton to Dallas; Diop to Charlotte?

This one seems to make some sense. The Boston Globe, reporting on a source says a three-way deal is in the works that would send Mavs backup center DeSagana Diop to Charlottle, Oklahoma City guard Earl Watson to Charlotte and Charlotte point guard Raymond Felton -- who has fallen out of favor with coach Larry Brown, who loves former Longhorns point guard and Bobcats rookie D.J. Augustin -- would land in Dallas.

The one area that's unclear is who the Thunder would take back. Speculation is that Charlotte shooting guard Matt Carroll and perhaps another low-salary player such as Sean May, could be in the package.

This deal, unlike the one rumored last week sending Josh Howard to Toronto for Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker, makes sense for Dallas, and Charlotte. Diop has been nothing more than a bit player under coach Rick Carlisle who seems happy with Erick Dampier starting and Brandon Bass playing center with a smaller lineup. The Mavs could also get out from under Diop's five-year, $32-million deal. The Bobcats pursued Diop over the summer and it's believed they were believed to pay the full mid-level exception, which the Mavs did.

The Bobcats could use Watson as a backup to Augustin, who is appears on the fast track to becoming a star, and the Mavs would get a solid guard in Felton to backup Kidd, and also provide insurance if Kidd does not re-sign with the Mavs this summer as a free agent.

Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson reiterated his stance of not commenting on trade speculation, only to say, "We talk to everyone all the time."

The Bobcats want to deal Felton because he becomes a restricted free agent in the summer. He's good enough that he'll entertain some good offers, which would put the Bobcats in the position of re-signing him for a figure they don't to or losing him for nothing. In a trade they players -- Watson and Diop -- they feel help their situation.

-- Jeff Caplan

Trade rumors will fly

Publicly, the Mavericks' front office says they are not shopping Josh Howard. That doesn't mean they won't take phone calls and it doesn't mean they ultimately won't trade him.

However, most inquiries have been low-ball offers. Tuesday came the rumor of Howard for Toronto's Andrea Bargnani, a former No. 1 pick many thought would be the next Dirk Nowitzki, and guard Anthony Parker. The rumor also adds DeSagana Diop and Antoine Wright in the deal. It's hard to see anyone taking Diop's five-year, $32 million salary at a time most teams are avoiding adding salary to position for 2010.

This isn't a scenario that can be trusted. It's highly skeptical from the Mavs' point of view in giving up a talent such as Howard (when he wants to be) for a poor man's Dirk. If the Mavs feel their best move is to trade Howard, offers will become more interesting as things move closer to the Feb. 19 trade deadline and teams jockey for playoff position.

-- Jeff Caplan

Josh Howard seeking positive publicity

Good for Josh Howard. The Mavericks' forward is looking for positive things to attach his name to these days back in his home state of North Carolina. The Greensboro News & Record reports that Howard's foundation, The Josh Howard Foundation, sought out the North Carolina Scholastic Classic, a six-game high school basketball event held on the Martin Luther King holiday at the Greensboro Coliseum, to be the event's presenting sponsor.

It's the first time Howard's two-year-old foundation has lent its name to an event.

"We often help solicit local sponsorships for events we host. In this case, the foundation actually approached us," Andrew Brown, public relations manager for the Greensboro Coliseum, told the News & Record.
"Josh is looking for positive things to attach his name to in the community where he grew up."

So good for Josh.

-- Jeff Caplan