Cuban very excited about this year's Mavs

DALLAS -– The regular season doesn’t start until Oct. 30. But Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wishes it was starting today.

That's how much Cuban believes his team is trending. 

“I’ve got a lot of fans that are fired up about this team, and I am as excited,’’ Cuban said before Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. “This is the start of our future and I’m fired up to see what we’ve got.’’

The Mavs are trying to weave eight new players with the seven holdovers that were part of a team that posted a 36-30 record last season and were swept by Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs.

Cuban is confident new veterans OJ Mayo, Chris Kaman, Darren Collison, Elton Brand and Dahntay Jones –- along with rookies Jae Crowder, Bernard James and Jared Cunningham –- will make the Mavs a formidable opponent in the Western Conference.

“I’m excited that we’re going to be a running team,’’ Cuban said. “It’s such a big change.

“And we’re going to be an in-your-face defensive team. That’s a big change. It’s going to be fun.’’

-- Dwain Price

Follow me on Twitter

@dwainprice