DALLAS -- Rick Carlisle would be crazy not to consider making Corey Brewer part of the Mavs’ rotation.

“It’s hard to argue against what he’s doing right now,” Carlisle acknowledged.

Yeah, it’s tough to knock a guy who puts up 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and several hustle plays that don’t show up in the box score in his first start in a Mavericks uniform.

Carlisle said before the game that he wanted to see consistency from Brewer, who scored 13 points Wednesday night in his first meaningful minutes in weeks. The slender swingman responded by playing even better.

“He was incredible,” big man Tyson Chandler said. “I love to see that effort. He was everywhere, and that’s exactly what we need. Those are game-changing plays -- stealing inbounds, making deflections, even little things that didn’t show up on the stat sheet. When we have guys playing like that, I think it’s really contagious.”

Brewer looked like the guy who was worthy of being the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft. He performed like the player that had several contenders bidding for his services when he unexpectedly became a free agent in late February.

You’re probably wondering what took Carlisle so long to give Brewer a chance. Never mind that for a moment.

Is Carlisle ready to give this guy a spot in the rotation?

“He’s making a strong case for being active,” Carlisle said. “This game tonight’s going to earn him some more minutes, and I think we’ve just got to keep looking at him.”

It’s impossible for the Mavs coaches not to like what they see from Brewer.