Mavs will look different today

Without Jason Kidd, it'll be interesting to see how the Mavericks play against the Knicks.

They will be different. Even the coach knows that.

"You lose a guy like that, it's going to change the way you play somewhat,'' Rick Carlisle said. "He's a great player and he's our leader. But we got other guys who are going to have to step up and we have confidence in them.''

Funny, but nobody asked whether the Mavericks will look different without Erick Dampier.

By the way, there's a rumor making the rounds at the Garden that Kidd's absence is because he would have been served with legal papers on some issue if he were here.

OK, maybe. But I can assure you there's another reason, too, and it's not nearly as juicy.