DALLAS -- With Dirk Nowitzki finally turning the corner, Jason Kidd at a standstill and theDallas Mavericks threatening to become the first reigning champion in NBA history not to boast an All-Star, is there any way to know who this team is or even which direction it's headed?

The popular theory was to withhold judgment until the one-third point of the season because of the radical changes to the roster and the lockout-driven condensed schedule. But the one-third point has come and gone with no authoritative ruling to be found, and the halfway marker is quickly approaching.

Eight days ago, a nifty three-game win streak had the Mavs riding high, a season-best six games over .500. Their team game was lauded for scoring while Dirk was slumping.

Then three consecutive losses, including Saturday's blown lead at struggling Cleveland, quickly dimmed excitement levels and prompted team leaders Nowitzki and Jason Terry to openly pine for the return of their injured 38-year-old point guard, who is nursing his second injury of the season.

And so here we are at the end of a rare three-day respite with so few answers to so many questions about this team.

"I definitely didn't think we were going to lose in Cleveland," said Nowitzki, who ironically is coming off his best two-game scoring run of the season, yet the team couldn't crack 90 and lost both. "I was going to think we were going to win either OKC or Indy, but we lost those two. So it is what it is."

What is next is one heck of a 15-day, nine-game schedule leading up to the All-Star break that features only one opponent, the Jeremy Lin-revived New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, with a losing record. If ever there was a two-week stretch that could define the direction of a team, this is it.

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