ESPN

OKLAHOMA CITY -- As limited as Brandan Wright's role might have been in a playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, it might as equally unlimited against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Each team's starting centers -- the Mavericks' Brendan Haywood and the Thunder's Kendrick Perkins -- could be more spectators than participants in this series that promises to be played at a high tempo. Lineup strategies will unfold, but it certainly would seem to bode well for Mavs backup center Brandan Wright, who is the only Dallas player assured of making his postseason debut (Yi Jianlian would also be making his debut).

Wright said he's anxious to Game 1 going, but that he is not nervous.

"I woke up a little early this morning though," Wright acknowledged.

Wright played in just one of the four games against the Thunder this season. Since he didn't become a regular rotation player until Feb. 1 against OKC, he rode the bench in the Dec. 29 and Jan. 2 meetings. He missed the March game with a concussion. He played 25 minutes and scored 12 points with three blocks off the bench with Haywood out with a back injury and Ian Mahinmi in the starting lineup.

"We have to be big," the bouncy 6-foot-10 Wright said about all three centers. "We have to play our roles and do the things we need to do to win the game. I think all of us have great opportunities to make plays and have a big impact on this series."

DALLAS -- Rotation? Who needs a stinking rotation?

It's not the first time in his four seasons coaching the Dallas Mavericks that Rick Carlisle hasn't exactly had a set rotation. Oh, he'd like one four games away from the start of the playoffs, but the banishment of Lamar Odom and other issues have made Carlisle's substitution patterns more of a game of feel than habit.

"At this point it may be kind of a game-to-game thing going forward," Carlisle said. "I'd like for us to be able to settle on something, I just don't know if it's possible because the teams we're facing are all different, the dynamics and a lot of things. But we'll see. I really don't have the answer."

The most interesting positions of fluidity are center and power forward with Odom gone. At center, Brandan Wright and Ian Mahinmi tend to go up and down with their minutes depending on the opponent. Bigger centers often keep Wright tethered to the bench.

Shawn Marion is now tasked with more time at power forward with Carlisle experimenting a bit with Wright at forward and Mahinmi at center. Yi Jianlian and Brian Cardinal are also low-minute options at power forward.

"Marion is the guy that is the most proven, we know how that group works," Carlisle said. "The Wright-Mahinmi experiment has had some good moments, but it's been difficult to really evaluate that in four games. We'll see. Tonight it will depend on the game. I don't have a definite rotation laid out. Unless there's some kind of a glitch, Marion will be the first guy to play the power forward spot when Dirk [Nowitzki] goes out."

SALT LAKE CITY -- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle thought there was a chance that Rodrigue Beaubois would play tonight against Utah. But shortly after Beaubois tested his strained right calf on the Jazz's home floor, Carlisle ruled the third-year guard out for a second consecutive game.

It's too bad for Beaubois, who has had two of his better performances against the Jazz, averaging 14.0 points on 57.1 percent shooting (54.5 percent on 3s) and 3.7 assists in 24.7 minutes.

And it's too bad for the Mavs, who could use Beaubois if for nothing more than to eat some minutes after Sunday afternoon's overtime loss to the Lakers. Jason Kidd logged 39 minutes, Jason Terry played 37 and Delonte West logged 39. Vince Carter should be fairly fresh after playing just 21 minutes.

Carlisle said he's hopeful Beaubois will be ready to go for Wednesday's second-to-last home game Wednesday against Houston.

LOS ANGELES -- Expect Mavericks starting center Brendan Haywood to see a significant bump in minutes today against Lakers big man Andrew Bynum. Where that leaves lanky Brandan Wright is a key issue, especially if these two teams meet in the first round of the playoffs.

Wright has been sensational recently and racked up minutes against teams that play smaller lineups with the exception of playing 36 minutes against the burly Grizzlies when Ian Mahinmi was out during the birth of his daughter.

"We don't want to get in that situation if we can avoid it," coach Rick Carlisle said of Wright defending Bynum. "He was in that situation last game [against the Lakers] because Wood was out. We'd rather keep bigger-bodied guys on Bynum if we can. If we have to go smaller, he'll be on him."

With Haywood injured during the last meeting, the Mavs double-teamed Bynum, averaging 35.4 minutes a game, early and often. The 7-footer finished with just nine points on five shots, but Kobe Bryant had 30, Pau Gasol scored 27 and Ramon Sessions went for 17.

Could Wright find time at power forward guarding Gasol now that Lamar Odom is out of the picture? Wright has seen limited time at power forward since Odom's departure, but Carlisle clearly prefers the 6-foot-10 leaper at center.

"It's possible, it's possible. We have to see how things are going in late first, early second quarter," Carlisle said of the power forward option. "That's a possibility, but it's not something that's a for-sure definite because of the dynamics of this game. But, we'll see, we'll see. Last game without Haywood it put is in a difficult spot with our smaller big guys having to guard Bynum."

DALLAS -- Delonte West doesn't want to watch any more games from the bench. He's already missed a third of the season due to a gruesomely fractured right ring finger.

Now West is dealing with a fluke ankle injury, but he hopes it won't cost him any time. He's testing the ankle on the Mavs' practice floor, but he plans to play, as evidenced by the padding he put on underneath his jersey.

"These games are too important right now," said West, the Mavs' primary point guard while Jason Kidd recovers from a strained right groin. "I also don't want to hurt my team trying to be Superman."

The Mavs won't have Ian Mahinmi, who is out Friday night for the delivery of his first child. Coach Rick Carlisle said he hopes Mahinmi will rejoin the Mavs for Saturday's game in Memphis.

West has been getting treatment on his left ankle since the morning shootaround. He turned it when he landed on a ball after shooting a jumper.

"Unfortunate kind of deal," West said. "I was shooting a jumper, and the ball just came out of nowhere. I came down on it and tweaked my ankle."

DALLAS -- Apparently the league office didn't see Brendan Haywood throw a punch either.

NBA authorities do not plan to take any action regarding the alleged punch that Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Haywood threw into the back of Magic center Dwight Howard during the Mavs' comeback victory Friday night, according to a league source.

Van Gundy said he turned in film for the league to review. Haywood has maintained his innocence saying that things can get testy between players, but that he never threw a punch.

Howard missed Saturday's practice and did not play in Sunday's game against Denver because of back spasms, just the third game he's missed due to injury in his eight-year career. After Saturday's practice, Van Gundy told reporters that Haywood threw two punches into Howard's back during one possession and that he planned to send the film to the league. Howard still played 44 minutes, recording 19 points and 15 rebounds. Van Gundy said Howard was able to stay in the game because he was loose, but that after the game Howard tightened up.

Haywood said he doesn't know about the film Van Gundy must have sent to New York because the Mavs' staff has scoured the game film and found no evidence of a punch being thrown.

"I guess he’s got something no one else has," Haywood said of Van Gundy on Monday during an appearance on "The Ben & Skin Show" on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM. "Like I said, it’s a physical game and sometimes guys get testy with elbows thrown, forearms, but no one throws any punches out there. Most of the NBA guys, without a doubt, it’s all WWE to us. We’re fake tough guys. No one throws any real punches. It’s unfortunate Stan feels that way. I know he has to protect his guy, but that’s just not the case. No one has any footage of it I guess except him, so unless he had [assistant coach] Patrick Ewing on the bench taping with his iPhone, I don’t think that really happened."

DALLAS -- It seems that ever since the Mavs' ill-fated 2006-07 season, when former coach Avery Johnson opted to rest players down the stretch as they cruised to the No. 1 seed and 67 victories and a first-round date with upstart Golden State, that players don't even want the option of rest.

Dirk Nowitzki has said the last few seasons that he detests the idea of rest for fear of losing his rhythm (i.e. '07). Of course, Dirk does acknowledge that Jason Kidd is one guy who does need the rest, and that's fine.

But count Jason Terry as one who enjoys the pressure of this tight playoff race.

"It’s definitely better than having a huge lead and trying to figure if you’re going to rest guys or not," Terry said Tuesday. "Now you just jump right into it and it will be good playoff-type basketball all the way through until the first round."

The Mavs officially kicked off "playoff-type basketball" Saturday at Houston because of the compact nature of the Nos. 4 through 10 spots. At this point, nothing is guaranteed for a team that is still trying to get all its players back on the court and has the third-most difficult schedule in the final month of the season.

How important is each game? If the Mavs lose tonight, they will have as many losses as the Rockets, Nuggets and Jazz.

"Every game for us right now, coach has made an emphasis on it that it’s a playoff game for us," Terry said. "And we beat them [Houston] in the first game so it’s our time to close them out, so to speak."

HOUSTON -- Lamar Odom will return to the Mavs' rotation after a one-game hiatus.

Odom will play against the Rockets. His role isn't clear, but his job requirements are as simple as could be.

"He’s just got to play hard," said owner Mark Cuban, who huddled with Odom in the corner of the visitors' locker room at the Toyota Center for several minutes Saturday evening. "If he plays hard, good things will happen."

Good things haven't happened very often this season for Odom, who is averaging career lows almost across the board. How often has he actually played hard?

"More often than you think," Cuban said. "He’s a flow player. He tries to get in the flow of the game. I think he’s just got to impact the flow of the game instead of become part of the flow. I think he’s a feel player, and that’s tough sometimes."

Coach Rick Carlisle stressed that Odom is "an important part of our team even though he’s not having a good year statistically." Cuban said the Mavs aren't concerned about Odom's statistics.

"When he comes in, does the lead go up or down?" Cuban said. "That’s all I care about. I think one of Lamar’s challenges is he tries too hard to make the right basketball play. That helps us sometimes and sometimes we just need him to, because he’s the better player, just do what he’s got to do."

The lead has usually gone in the wrong direction for Dallas with Odom on the court. The Mavs continue to hold out hope that can change.

SAN ANTONIO -- Jason Terry hasn’t hesitated to discuss his lack of job security with his contract expiring at the end of the season.

PODCAST
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle makes his weekly appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Galloway and Company, where he refuses to talk about his contract situation but does provide insight on Kelenna Azubuike. Listen

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, on the other hand, refuses to touch the topic of his contract nearing its end.

“I’m not going to talk about my contract situation,” Carlisle said Friday afternoon on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s Galloway and Company, staying consistent with his policy on the matter. “We’ve got games to win. We’ve got a locker room full of free agents and a bunch of guys that I have such great respect and gratitude for. Right now, we’re in a foxhole fighting for our lives. The coach talking about his contract situation is not appropriate.”

Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson is on record saying Carlisle won’t be leaving the Mavs anytime soon.

However, there is already media buzz in Portland about trying to pry Carlisle away from the Mavs. Carlisle enjoyed his time as a Trail Blazers assistant early in his coaching career, and he’d have a young franchise player to work with in LaMarcus Aldridge. The Knicks job could be attractive to Carlisle due to the superstar talent in place along with Tyson Chandler’s leadership. And the Clippers job, which isn’t open yet, is certainly intriguing.

Then again, there’s the possibility that Mavs owner Mark Cuban and Carlisle have already agreed on a new contract but decided to delay making it official until the season is over. As Carlisle said, making the coach’s contract an issue on a defending championship team full of pending free agents isn’t appropriate.

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban continued his stance not to get too down or get too high over anything that happens during this 66-game regular season.

He said it after the 2-7 stretch and he said it again Wednesday prior to his team seeking a fifth consecutive win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"You can’t get all excited when you win and then say it doesn’t count when you lose," Cuban said. "I said if you give us some rest, things will be different and we got some rest. We got to make the playoffs, but that’s all I really care about."

Cuban said preferably he'd like homecourt advantage, if only for the financial gain.

"I don’t care what seed we are," Cuban said. "I mean, I’d like to have home court just because we make more money, but beyond that, from a basketball perspective, I don’t care."

The Mavs enter tonight's game holding down the No. 5 seed and just 1 1/2 games behind the Lakers in the No. 3 spot.

DALLAS -- Mark Cuban has never told the Dallas Mavericks that he’s playing for next year, but he doesn’t mind Jason Terry's take that the front office has sent that message.

“Jet’s an emotional guy,” Cuban said. “I don’t care. Jet’s been here a long time. He’s earned the right to say whatever he wants. I don’t read anything into it. Jet motivates himself in the ways Jet motivates himself.”

Cuban said he’ll probably talk to Terry about the situation at some point, but it’s not like he considers it a pressing matter. The Mavs aren’t about to give Terry a midseason contract extension -- something that they’ve never done with a player during Cuban’s ownership tenure -- and screw up the chance to have significant cap space this summer.

“I went through the same thing last year,” Cuban said, referring to players concerned about their uncertain futures with the franchise. “Trust me, every one of those guys who was in the last year of their deals last year, their agents were calling me every day. So, no different.”

Cuban continues to express confidence that the Mavs can contend again this season.

Terry’s accusation of Cuban essentially not caring this season conveniently ignore the fact that the Mavs traded for Lamar Odom's $8.9 million salary in December. That deal definitely hasn’t produced the expected dividends in Dallas, but the Mavs wouldn’t have willingly gone back over the luxury-tax limit if they were mailing in this season.

“Yeah, you think?” Cuban said. “It’s just Jet being Jet. He’s just an emotional guy and you’ve got to like it. Jet does whatever he needs to do to get himself fired up and get ready, and I’ve got no problem with it.”

DALLAS -- Shawn Marion will continue to be the only member of the Mavs to play in every game this season.

Marion sat out Wednesday's practice to rest a sore left knee, but he's expected to be in the starting lineup for tonight's game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Mavs didn't have a shootaround this morning, but Marion came in early to get treatment on the knee. The Mavs' medical staff doesn't believe he's at any risk of aggravating the soreness by playing against the Bobcats.

"Indications are that he's fine," coach Rick Carlisle said. "He knows that if there's the least question of whether or not he should play, we wouldn't play him."

DALLAS -- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said his worst fears were realized when his team finished off the stretch of nine games in 12 nights Saturday night with seven losses.

"Yes, of course, absolutely," Cuban said prior to Tuesday's game against Washington. "It's not a balanced schedule this year for teams, and it hasn't worked in our favor. But that's the hand you're dealt. We've had to conserve minutes and we had to sit Jason Kidd in one of them."

Kidd sat out Saturday night's loss at Golden State, the final game of the back-to-back-to-back.

The Mavs are the only Western Conference team this season to be dealt a nine-in-12, but they were also given the minimum one back-to-back-to-back. Some teams will play up to three of the triples. Dallas, heading into its 44th game of the season, has played more games than any other West team.

"Hopefully that will work in our favor," Cuban said of the remaining six weeks in the regular season. "Hopefully we'll run into some tired teams like they ran into us."

As a result of having fewer back-to-backs moving forward, particularly throughout the rest of March, Cuban said he expects coach Rick Carlisle to loosen his minutes restrictions on starters, especially with the likes of Dirk Nowitzki and Kidd. Nowitzki's minutes have been on the rise anyway (and some of that was due to Lamar Odom's extended personal leave), but Carlisle has preferred to keep Kidd's minutes at no more than 30 a game, and he has carefully adjusted his rotation to make that work.

"Hopefully going forward we will be able to play our starting lineup more playoff-like and play our second unit more playoff-like," Cuban said. "It will help because we'll get more time together, which will help with late-game situations and late-game confidence and execution."

Cuban has beat the drum during this shortened schedule of just make the playoffs. At 23-20, he said it's time for the Mavs to win as many games as possible to make sure that doesn't become an issue a month from now.

"It's very important," he said. "It's not like we have a cushion. We've got to win games."

More Cuban notes from Tuesday:

* With the trade deadline approaching 2 p.m. CT on Thursday, Cuban reiterated that it's been rather quiet around the AAC offices. With the organizational strategy focused on creating cap space to chase free agents this summer, Cuban said he isn't actively pursuing a major deal to shake things up.

"We don't have the practice time to integrate somebody. We don't have the time to integrate the guys we have," Cuban said. "Unless somebody throws us a gimme why would I?"

* Rumors continue to swirl about Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and his future. Howard lists the Mavs as one of his top destinations and, obviously, the dream of Mavs fans is to see Howard and The Colony native Deron Williams come together in Big D. Cuban again said that the Mavs are not fixated on one or two potential blockbuster free agents.

"We don't know yet what we're going to do this summer," Cuban said.

He can't, at least not yet. The first step is waiting to see if Orlando gives up hope of retaining Howard and pulls the trigger on a deal by Thursday's deadline. A deal to New Jersey would likely all but kill Dallas' chances at either Howard or Williams.

PHOENIX -- The Dallas Mavericks have shown us time and time again this season, they aren’t good enough to take any opponent for granted.

Recent embarrassing losses to New Jersey and New Orleans, each among the NBA’s worst teams, have reinforced that notion.

Well, it’s time for the Mavs to take care of business against some inferior opponents if they’re ever going to find some consistency in a weird season that’s already seen plenty of highs and lows.

The Mavs conclude their nine-game, 12-day odyssey with three consecutive games against opponents who are below .500.

The Mavs get Phoenix on Thursday night, followed by Sacramento on Friday and Golden State on Saturday.

That’s right, three games in three days.

It’s the only time this season the Mavs will have back-to-back-to-back games.

“I can’t look too far ahead,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “These three games are the ones I’m really fixated on, and tonight is the most important because it’s the first one. Looking at things in broad strokes is not as important as sticking to our process and concentrating on rebounding, turnovers and defense. That’s how we have to proceed.”

They’ll have to win tonight without Brendan Haywood, who’s still hobbled with a sprained ankle he suffered in the first minute of the Mavs’ loss to Oklahoma City.

But if the Mavs can sweep the next three games, they’ll finish this journey 5-4 record, a terrific ending, considering its dubious start.

“Every moment that we can embrace and find a way to win is important for us. The standings are so congested, every win is critical for us,” Carlisle said. “The nature of the season is that it’s going to hard for anyone to get a lot of separation because everyone is in the same boat with difficult travel and a lot of games.”

DALLAS – It will take extreme circumstances for Jason Kidd to be pushed past the 30-minute limit.

Even more extreme than his two primary backups not being available.

Delonte West will miss several weeks due to a fractured and dislocated right ring finger, and Rodrigue Beaubois is still away from the team while grieving his father’s unexpected death. That means the Mavs must get at least 18 minutes of point guard play per night from the duo of Dominique Jones and Jason Terry.

Jones and Terry aren’t pure point guards by any stretch, but the Mavs are willing to live with their mistakes to save wear and tear on Kidd’s legs.

“We want to be vigilant about this,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “You never say never, but right now we’ve been pretty consistent with it.”

They’ve been extremely consistent with it. Kidd is averaging a career-low 28.3 minutes per game. His minutes totals since returning from a strained right calf: 27, 31, 26, 22, 30 and 28. The 31-minute stint came in the double-overtime win over the Trail Blazers, when Kidd sat out the second OT.