ESPN

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

Caron Butler: On a night that Chris Paul desperately needed a scoring sidekick in the starting lineup, Butler had five points on 2-of-5 shooting in 19 minutes. He had two rebounds, no assists and a turnover. His plus-minus (minus-14) was the Clippers' worst in a home loss to the Grizzlies that gave Memphis a 3-2 series lead.

Corey Brewer: The Nuggets stayed alive with a win over the Warriors despite Brewer's off night. He was 1-of-11 from the floor (0-of-5 from 3-point range) during his four-point performance. He did come up with three steals, helping Denver force 17 turnovers.

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

Caron Butler: Butler was a role player during the Clippers’ thrilling win over the Grizzlies. He scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and grabbed one rebound in 21 minutes. He watched from the bench as Chris Paul carried the Clippers during crunch time.

The Mavericks aren’t in the playoffs for the first time since 2000, so we have to find something to fill the time this spring. Might as well keep up with the players from the Mavs’ title team who are scattered throughout the postseason. We’ll have daily updates as long as Mavs championship alums are still alive in the playoffs.

Jason Kidd: This was classic late-career Kidd. He didn’t post a spectacular line (eight points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals in 35 minutes), but he was a significant force during closing time in the Knicks’ win over Boston.

All three of his steals came in the final five minutes. On the first steal, the 40-year-old Kidd deflected a pass and outhustled 26-year-old Jeff Green by diving for a loose ball to spark a fast break. With 2:20 remaining and New York up five, Kidd diagnosed a play that’s a Celtics staple and helped from the weak side to strip Green under the basket. Kidd’s strip of Kevin Garnett on a mismatched post-up in the final minute essentially sealed the win.

“He beats everyone with his brain,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said at his postgame press conference. “If you think quicker than a guy can move, you’re still quicker. That’s why he’s there first, because he thought what the guy was going to do before he did it. He’s just a valuable player to have on a basketball team.”

Tyson Chandler: The fiery big man was a nonfactor in Game 1 against the Celtics after missing 16 of the Knicks’ final 20 regular-season games due to a neck injury. He had five rebounds and one steal in 20 scoreless minutes, and the Knicks opted to play Kenyon Martin at center instead of Chandler in crunch time.

"I knew I would be rusty. I knew I would be a little winded. I knew at some point my legs would get the best of me," Chandler said, according to ESPNNewYork.com. "I just wanted to be out there with my team."

Chandler said his neck didn’t bother him. He acknowledged that conditioning was a factor.

“I should obviously be much better in Game 2,” he said.

Jason Terry: For the first time in his career, Terry failed to score a point in a playoff game.

JET was 0-of-5 from the floor in 20 minutes. His only contributions to the Celtics were three rebounds and one steal. Meanwhile, Boston’s bench was outscored by a 33-4 margin.

"You don't get too high or down too low," Terry said, according to ESPNBoston.com. "It's a long series. If I bet on myself, I know how this is going to end up. I'm going to keep grinding, do the things necessary to win."

Corey Brewer: Brewer scored 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 21 minutes during Denver’s Game 1 win over the Warriors. He didn’t have any rebounds, assists, steals or blocks.

Caron Butler: Butler, who was sidelined by a serious knee injury during the Mavs’ title run, had a terrific Game 1 to help the Clippers blow out the Grizzlies. Butler scored 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds and had a block and a steal in 24 minutes.

DALLAS – Mark Cuban makes one guarantee about any potential moves the Mavericks make before the trade deadline.

“If you read about it,” Cuban said, “it ain’t happening.”

Of course, that comes from the man who once advised a reporter to “put the crack pipe down” in response to an inquiry about a package the Mavs might send to New Jersey for Jason Kidd. That blockbuster deal went down days later and looked a lot like the reporter’s proposal.

There was also a lot of pre-trade buzz the last time the Mavs pulled off an All-Star weekend blockbuster, shipping Josh Howard and spare parts to Washington for Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson.

One good rule to follow around this time of year is to take anything said on the record by an NBA decision-maker with a few big grains of salt.

“That’s probably true,” Cuban said. “You’re a very handsome man.”

It seems like the Mavericks hit a new dozen-year low on a daily basis.

It happened again Wednesday night despite a spirited fight against the team with the NBA’s best record. The Mavs’ 99-93 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers dropped the Mavs to 10 games below .500 for the first time since March 30, 2000, the last season the franchise failed to make the playoffs.

The Mavs are 13-23 after losing 10 of their last 11 games and 13 of their last 15. They head to Sacramento for the butt end of a back-to-back staring up at the lowly Kings in the West standings.

It’d take an absolute miracle for the Mavs 12-year playoff streak to be extended. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no West team has qualified for the playoffs after being 10 games below .500 at any point of the season in at least 15 years.

“We’re going to keep digging,” point guard Darren Collison told reporters after leading the Mavs with 22 points. “It’s early on in the season. We’re going to keep a positive mindset. I tell you one thing: Once we get this rolling, we turn this thing over, I don’t think there’s no looking back for us.”

It’s early in the season, but it looks like it’s too late for the Mavs.

A few more quick notes from the Mavs’ loss in L.A.:

1. Fourth-quarter failure: The Mavs managed to build a double-digit lead in the third quarter and it lasted all of 3:15. The Clippers closed the third strong and outscored the Mavs 27-18 in the final frame to claim the win.

That’s the continuation of a troubling trend for the Mavs, who have been miserable closing games. It’s been especially painful lately, with the Mavs leading entering the fourth quarter in the last three games and losing each time.

“It just seems like the same story I keep telling you guys over and over,” said Collison, who didn’t score any of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. “We’re right there, making the same mistakes. We’re all hurting, too. We’re feeling the same pain after every game.”

The most painful moments down the stretch in this loss were a couple of offensive rebounds by ex-Mav Caron Butler on one late possession. The Clippers didn’t score, but the extra possessions basically served like a couple of first downs for a football team protecting a two-score lead.

Vince Carter, who was on the floor instead of Mavs’ leading rebounder Shawn Marion, failed to box out Butler.

“Down the stretch, you’ve got to get a rebound,” Dirk Nowitzki said. “You can’t give up two offensive rebounds when you get a good stop.”

2. CP3 special: Sometimes you’ve just got to give the other guy credit. Clippers point guard Chris Paul showed why he’s a leading MVP candidate with a 19-point, 16-assist performance.

Paul took over the game in the fourth quarter, scoring six points and dishing out six assists.

"They've got the best leader to me right now in the league," Nowitzki said. "Chris Paul can turn it up anytime he wants. He can take games over.”

3. Look at Lam Lam: Lamar Odom’s line (four points, two rebounds, three assists, five fouls, one steal) doesn’t look very impressive, but one of the biggest dogs in Dallas sports history continued to help the Clippers.

Odom was a key part of the Clippers’ closing unit, doing a respectable job defending Dirk down the stretch. L.A. was plus-8 in his 27 minutes. L.A. is plus-191 in Odom’s 671 minutes this season despite him being in awful shape for the first month or so.

LOS ANGELES -- Elton Brand leaned against the wall next to his locker, shook his head and smiled.

He wouldn't go as far as to say it's as bad now as it was 13 years ago, when the futile Chicago Bulls finished 17-65 his rookie season. But right now, it's bad for the Dallas Mavericks, who dropped yet another game -- this one by a 99-93 score to the Los Angeles Clippers.

PODCAST
Would you trade Dirk Nowitzki for Dwight Howard? Ben and Skin discuss and debate. Listen

The Mavericks blew a 10-point lead. Down by two possessions, they failed to grab a much-needed rebound twice in the final minute, all but sealing their fate. It was their 13th loss in the last 15 games.

"Words can't even express it right now," said Shawn Marion, standing nearby. "This is painful. To be losing like this, when we were so close, we just find a way to bite ourselves. When we get right there, we do something to mess it up."

The Mavericks had a chance late, getting two stops on perimeter shots, but former Mav Caron Butler pulled down both loose balls. Vince Carter missed a jumper that would have trimmed the deficit to two with less than seven seconds remaining.

Losing a double-digit lead against the team with the best record in the NBA, in a sold-out arena, was not an excuse, even for a reeling squad that continues to search for answers.

"Our motivation is to get wins, plain and simple," Carter said. "If you can't motivate yourself off of that, you shouldn't be playing."

Four Mavericks starters scored in double figures, led by point guard Darren Collison's game-high 22. O.J. Mayo had 10 points in the second half but needed 10 shots to get there. Dirk Nowitzki had nine in the second half and finished with 15.

"We're right there," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We just have to keep working to get over the hump."

In the locker room, Brand leaned against the wall and smiled.

"Once we break through," Brand said, "we'll be fine."

Let’s just say Darren Collison didn’t do anything in Los Angeles to convince Rick Carlisle that it was a bad idea to give away the point guard’s starting job.

A moment early in the fourth quarter illustrated why the Mavs can’t trust Collison to run their team. His sloppy, careless pass was easily intercepted by Matt Barnes, leading to a fast-break opportunity for the Clippers that Barnes finished with a layup.

Carlisle responded by calling a timeout. The reason he wanted the break was to bench Collison, who was replaced by Dominique Jones with the Mavs trailing by 21 points.

Collison got back off the bench for garbage time. He committed another turnover on his first possession after checking back into the game.

Collison padded his point total during garbage time, but his line in the box score was still butt ugly: eight points, two assists, two rebounds, four fouls and five turnovers in 18 minutes. The Mavs were outscored by 24 with him on the floor, the worst plus-minus of any player.

By contrast, Fisher was the only Mav who finished with a positive plus-minus. Dallas outscored the Clippers by two points in Fisher’s 25 minutes, with the 38-year-old point guard scoring 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

A few more quick notes from the Mavs’ lopsided loss in L.A.:

1. Lam Lam shows life: As if getting blown out by the Clippers wasn’t bad enough, the Mavs actually let Lamar Odom look like he belonged in an NBA uniform.

Odom, who stunned people who paid no attention to his disastrous stint in Dallas by reporting to Clipper training camp in terrible shape, played 24 active, productive minutes in L.A.’s rout. He grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds and had four points, two steals and two assists. Odom didn’t have a double-digit rebounding game during his abbreviated season in Dallas.

Oh, there was one classic Lam Lam lowlight, when he had zero lift on a layup attempt he managed to miss by several feet.

2. Butler did it: Another ex-Mav on the Clippers’ roster also enjoyed facing his former team. Caron Butler, who left Dallas with nothing but the utmost respect and admiration from the Mavs’ franchise, contributed to the Clippers’ win 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting and five rebounds.

Of all the Clippers’ highlight-worthy dunks – and there were a bunch of them – Butler might have had the most impressive. He put Chris Kaman on a poster while finishing a baseline drive with a ferocious one-hand slam.

3. Crowder’s struggles continue: Rookie second-round pick Jae Crowder’s offensive woes as a starter continued with an 0-of-6 shooting night. Crowder is now averaging 4.0 points on 25 percent shooting as a starter, compared with 8.7 points on 52.7 percent shooting as a reserve.

Elton Brand started the second half instead of Crowder, perhaps a sign of things to come.

How it happened: Chris Paul, Chris Paul and some more Chris Paul.

The point guard, who Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle dubbed "probably the best in the game" in his pregame interview, had 14 points, 13 assists and five steals. He exerted his will from start to finish and harassed the Mavs' backcourt all night.

But Paul had a lot of help, too.

Blake Griffin, fresh off a 30-point, 11-rebound performance in Utah, chipped in with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Jamal Crawford added 20 points off the bench, including a four-point play off an O.J. Mayo foul.

Speaking of Mayo, the Mavericks' leading scorer came back down to earth Wednesday, scoring only 11 points on 4-for-12 shooting. The Clippers paid specific attention to him any time he touched the ball, which resulted in seven assists, tying his season-high.

With Mayo struggling, the Mavs looked elsewhere for offensive production and found it in Vince Carter (16 points off the bench), Derek Fisher (15 points), Chris Kaman (14 points) and Shawn Marion (14 points).

In a perturbing road trend, the Mavericks turned the ball over 22 times, resulting in 26 points off of turnovers for the Clippers. Even worse, 18 of those turnovers came off Clipper steals, a clear sign that the Mavericks were not making smart decisions offensively.

The Clippers took control in the second quarter, when they outscored the Mavericks 29-15 over the final 8:14 and turned the contest into a blowout. L.A. also outrebounded the Mavs 49-41 and held Dallas to just 40.5 percent shooting from the field.

What it means: The Mavericks, who have lost five of their last seven games, drop to 8-10 on the season and a disappointing 2-7 on the road. What's worse is that five of those seven road losses have been by double-digits. They will look to bounce back in Phoenix on Thursday.

Play of the game: Crawford's four-point play with 3:15 remaining in the second quarter. The basket, which was preceded by consecutive 3-pointers by Caron Butler and Crawford, gave the Clippers an 18-point lead and established permanent control. Crawford is the all-time leader in four-point plays with 34 throughout his 13-year career.

Stat of the night: "Paint points," as Carlisle referred to them prior to tipoff. The Clippers outscored the Mavericks 62-30 in the paint and it wasn't even that close. Wednesday's loss showed the limitations of the Mavericks' front line against more athletic opposition.

Earlier I took a look at where Brandan Wright will fit into the Dallas Mavericks' revamped roster. That question leads to a larger one of which players will ultimately be on the outside of coach Rick Carlisle's rotation.

The mantra under Carlisle in Dallas has been depth, depth, depth, and Dallas believes it will again boast a broad and versatile roster. During the championship season, 11 players averaged at least 16.1 minutes a game (which included Caron Butler and Rodrigue Beaubois, both of whom played only a quarter of the season due to injuries) and nearly every player contributed along the way to the championship. Last season, Carlisle also employed 11 players for at least 16.1 minutes a game (with a minimum of 44 games played).

With 15 players on the current roster, including eight being new to the team, there should be multiple competitive battles brewing when training camp opens in less than seven weeks. It could then take some time for Carlisle to settle on a rotation. With five new additions last season and injuries a constant theme, Carlisle never found a consistent rotation.

So let's begin this exercise with the known, or at least what we suspect to be the known: The five starters will be Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman. There was some early politically correct whispering within the organization that Beaubois would compete with Collison for the starting job, but that is more likely wishful thinking. President of basketball operations Donnie Nelson has said Collison is "penciled" in as the starter.

Those figuring to have clearly defined backup roles include: Delonte West, Elton Brand and Vince Carter.

Those figuring to have less defined backup roles include: Dahntay Jones, Rodrigue Beaubois and Brandan Wright.

That's already 11 players and we've yet to mention rookie Jae Crowder, who's looking to have a legitimate shot to break in at small forward, and rookie center Bernard James, who's also seeking to find time.

Two others yet to be named are third-year guard and 2010 first-round draft pick Dominique Jones, and June's 24th overall pick Jared Cunningham, the 6-4 combo guard out of Oregon State. So it's hardly unfair to begin the outside-looking-in list with DoJo and Cunningham at the top, which also means those two are the most likely not to be among the 13 active players when the season opens Oct. 30.

From there it gets a bit more complicated, especially at the guard positions. West is best-equipped among the plethora of guards to handle the point and the Mavs still hope to develop Beaubois there. At 6-6, Dahntay Jones offers little offensively, but brings size and stingy defense. The dynamic hardly affords the 6-2, 185-pound Beaubois guaranteed playing time and reinforces his need for a standout training camp.

Wright is another veteran who needs an impressive start or risks being squeezed.

With hungry rookies, veterans like Beaubois and Wright who need to produce and others like Dahntay Jones looking to create a niche with a new team, Carlisle's rotation could be as fluid as ever.

When Brendan Haywood first arrived in the big trade that shipped out Josh Howard in February 2010, the big man in the headband was putting up double-doubles and instantly became a favorite among fans starved for aggressive, enthusiastic center play.

At the time of Haywood's arrival (along with Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson), Erick Dampier was injured. Once Dampier returned, Haywood lost his starting gig -- and he wasn't exactly thrilled with it. He would get a promise that summer from coach Rick Carlisle that the starting job would be kept warm for him as they looked to unload Dampier and his fully non-guaranteed final year.

Only they unloaded Dampier and acquired Tyson Chandler, who wasted no time winning the starting job, another decision that didn't sit well with Haywood for much of the championship season.

Haywood's production in Dallas was a roller coaster. The flashes came and went, and so did the duds. His engine didn't run nearly as hot as his fervor for fantasy football, and that was a big issue when the Mavs needed much more out of the position this season.

He was injured for the majority of the NBA Finals and was horrible this past postseason in the sweep to the Oklahoma Thunder, having his playing time basically stripped while averaging 3.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes a game, less than backup Ian Mahinmi.

The writing was on the wall at that point that if the Mavs landed Deron Williams -- therefore forcing the use of the amnesty clause on either Haywood or Shawn Marion to create enough cap space -- the 7-footer would be the one to get it.

Even though the Mavs did not get Williams, Wednesday's one-year agreement with Chris Kaman and the Mavs' desire to pursue amnestied 76ers forward Elton Brand, have made Haywood expendable. If the Mavs get Brand, they'll essentially swap out Haywood and Mahinmi for Brand and Kaman.

Haywood, 32, will now be up for bid among teams with cap space. Portland, which lost out on Roy Hibbert after making a max offer to the restricted free agent and was prepared to make an offer for Brook Lopez, and New Orleans could be bidders. If no team bids on him during the waiver process, Haywood will become a free agent.

That summer of 2010, when Carlisle visited Haywood at his North Carolina home and made the promise, Haywood's next visitor was Heat president Pat Riley. If Haywood gets through the waiver process, he could sign a minimum deal and play for the defending champs for a second consecutive season.

No matter what, Haywood will receive the remaining $27.2 million over the final three years of his contract.

Among the many free agents the Dallas Mavericks have shown a level of interest in as they put offseason Plans A, B, C, D, etc., into motion, is their former first-round pick Josh Howard, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed Sunday.

Howard, who signed a one-year, $2.15 million deal last season with the Utah Jazz, has kept close ties to the Dallas community, holding charity basketball events a couple times a year and as recently as last month, and he continues to run his basketball camps. He still makes Dallas his home during portions of the year to be close to his young son.

"Absolutely," the source said of the 6-foot-7 small forward being interested in reuniting with the Mavs. "One of the good things for Josh, the fans are why he goes back to the community. They've supported him tremendously with his camps and foundation, even if he's out just eating lunch, they're very supportive."

During a November charity game he organized in Dallas during the lockout, Howard said he would have no problem returning to Dallas.

Any Mavs' moves at this point hinge on Deron Williams. If the the Mavs agree to terms with the All-Star point guard, money will be tight and Howard will be seeking a multiyear deal after his reemergence last season.

The source said Utah remains a strong possibility to re-sign Howard and that he feels a sense of loyalty to the franchise that gave him a chance to get his career back on track. He averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds mostly in a reserve role in 43 games. He played just 18 games in 2010-11 with the Washington Wizards.

The source said the Lakers, Nets, Spurs, Celtics, Grizzles and Hawks have also shown initial interest in Howard.

At his lockout charity game, Howard, 32, also talked of maturing and having learned from past mistakes that contributed to his 6 1/2 seasons in Dallas going up in smoke. The Mavs traded him to the Wizards in 2010 in the deal that netted Dallas Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood.

But just four games after joining the Wizards, Howard, who fought chronic ankle and wrist issues in his latter years with Dallas, tore the ACL in his left knee. A long recovery and rehab, and then subsequent knee issues, he said, have helped to humble him and to turn his focus back on his basketball career as he now embarks on his 10th NBA season.

Sixth in a 15-part series ranking the Mavericks' 2011-12 roster in importance of bringing back next season.

The curious case of Kelenna Azubuike as a member of the Dallas Mavericks started March 22 when the club released athletic big man Sean Williams, who had spent most of the season with the D-League Texas Legends.

A week earlier, the San Antonio Spurs had traded for Stephen Jackson and were closing in on signing Boris Diaw to bolster their roster for a deep playoff run. What were the defending champion Mavericks up to in releasing Williams and opening a spot on the 15-man roster? Who was on their radar that could provide an immediate jolt one month from the true start of their title defense?

Last year, Dalllas signed veteran sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic and the move paid off handsomely. At this point in the season, they could use someone like him. Three-point shooting -- heck, shooting in general --- had taken a significant dip throughout the truncated schedule and the Mavs would need firepower down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Could 3-point specialist Jason Kapono, recently released by the Lakers, be on his way? Maybe the 6-foot-7 Andres Nocioni? Sure, he was down on his luck, but still he was a 37.3 percent 3-point shooter throughout his career.

Turns out Kapono wasn't coming and neither was Nociono.

Who'd the Mavs have up their sleeve?

Azubuike, an intriguing shooting guard, oh, about three seasons ago before a torn patellar tendon put his career on indefinite hold.

And the Countdown ticks down to No. 10 ...

KELENNA AZUBUIKE
Pos: SG
Ht/Wt: 6-5, 215
Experience: 5 years
Age: 28 (Dec. 16, 1983)
2011-12 stats: Played total of 18 minutes in three games
Contract status: Team option for next season
2011-12 salary: $280,192
2012-13 salary: $992,680

His story: The Mavs signed the 6-foot-5 London native March 23. This was not a shot-in-the-arm acquisition like the S-Jax trade or the Diaw signing the Spurs pulled off (and are now reaping the benefits). Azubuike was starting to make a name for himself in 2008-09 with the Golden State Warriors when the formerly undrafted free agent averaged 14.4 points and 5.0 rebounds and knocked down 3-pointers at a 44.8-percent clip. He was a heck of an athlete built for an up-and-down game. Then came the devastating patellar tendon injury nine games into the 2009-10 season. The impatient Warriors traded him to the New York Knicks, who waived him Feb. 28, 2011. On March 23, 2012, Azubuike got another chance in the NBA, thanks to the Mavs, who knew he wouldn't be helping them to defend the title. So what were the Mavs' hopes in signing him? An inexpensive option with hopeful upside at shooting guard and/or small forward for next season? Perhaps. After all, Jason Terry will likely be moving on and so could be Shawn Marion, maybe even Rodrigue Beaubois and Vince Carter, too, depending on various factors in Dallas' venture into free agency. Interestingly, Azubuike, after playing just three regular-season games with Dallas, was on the active roster in the first round against Oklahoma City, taking the spot of second-year guard and 2010 first-round draft pick Dominique Jones.

His outlook: The Mavs believe they have the best head athletic trainer in the game today in Casey Smith and an elite orthopedic crew headed by team doc T.O. Souryal. Azubuike will be three years removed from the horrific knee injury that put his burgeoning career in jeopardy and one that remains terribly difficult to watch on YouTube. But here's the hope for Azubuike: A second surgery in March 2011 was performed to fix the first surgery that wasn't done properly. Azubuike confirmed that fact on Twitter in March 2011, saying: "The 1st surgery in '09 wasn’t done right. Gettin it done right this time!” The Mavs' medical and training staffs have a track record with patellar tendon injuries after Caron Butler's awful injury on Jan. 1, 2011, in Milwaukee, which happens to be where Azubuike also blew up his knee. There's no guarantee that the the former Kentucky Wildcat will ever regain his explosiveness, but watching Butler this season with the Los Angeles Clippers has to be encouraging that he can at least be a productive player. At less than $1 million next season, Azubuike is low-risk and if he turns out to be high-reward, the Mavs will have made a shrewd move at a time when many were scratching their heads at the timing of the signing.

No. 15 Lamar Odom
No. 14 Brian Cardinal
No. 13 Yi Jianlian
No. 12 Dominique Jones
No. 11 Brendan Haywood
No. 10 Kelenna Azubuike
No. 9 Coming Tuesday

First in a 15-part series ranking the Mavericks' 2011-12 roster in importance of bringing back next season.

The offseason certainly arrived much sooner than anyone could have predicted, just like Lamar Odom's premature exit from the Dallas Mavericks.

The 6-foot-10 forward kicks off our offseason blog series that ranks the 2011-12 Mavericks roster in order of importance for the front office to bring back. Four of last season's six free agents found new homes with the exception of Peja Stojakovic, who called it a career after winning his first championship, and Brian Cardinal, who re-signed but made virtually no impact on the season.

Eleven months ago, the title team proved difficult to rank in importance and I started the Countdown with DeShawn Stevenson as the least important. It drew quite a few raised eyebrows from those wondering how I could possibly consider the defensive bulldog and surprisingly valuable 3-point shooter the least important member of the title team to bring back.

In retrospect, the choice probably violated the spirit of this series. I chose Stevenson not because I didn't think he was an asset and worthy of returning for a chance to repeat, but because the Mavs traded for shooting guard Rudy Fernandez, a move that, to me, signaled that Stevenson wouldn't be back. Who would have figured that neither Stevenson nor Fernandez would start the season with the Mavs?

This time around the lead-off man in these rankings is a no-brainer. Odom's career-worst season has to go down as the most disappointing season in the league and one of the more frustrating ones for a franchise in recent memory.

With that, on with the series:

LAMAR ODOM
Pos: SF/PF
Ht/Wt: 6-10, 230
Experience: 13 years
Age: 32 (Nov. 6, 1979)
2011-12 stats: 6.6 ppg (35.2 FG%), 4.2 rpg
Contract status: Signed through 2012-2013
2011-12 salary: $8.9 million
2012-13 salary: $8.2 million ($2.4 million guaranteed)

His story: There's a certain reality TV show on a certain entertainment channel starring a certain Kardashian sister and her basketball-playing husband that can provide the background of what went wrong in Odom's four short months with the Mavs. What didn't go wrong? Dallas thought it was getting a versatile forward who would help ease the pain of losing Tyson Chandler by supplying his unique skills that had helped the Lakers win back-to-back titles. Owner Mark Cuban says he'd make the trade all over again that brought the emotionally bogged-down Odom to Dallas for a draft pick and a trade exception. And hey, when the stunning trade went down Dec. 11, most thought the Mavs had just pulled off a coup and wondered why in the world the Lakers would seemingly just hand over last season's Sixth Man of the Year to the team that swept them out of the playoffs. Now we know.

His outlook: Odom is actually under consideration for a spot on Team USA for the London Games because of the rash of injuries that have taken out star players like Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard. Cuban actually said he'd love to see it, but only because he has such disdain for Olympic basketball, so he figures the two were meant to be together. Where Odom lands next season will be a far more intriguing story to follow. For starters, Dallas will try everything it can to dump him off on a team with loads of salary cap space such as Toronto or Sacramento and throw in $3 million to offset the $2.4 million guaranteed on Odom's deal next season. If the Mavs can't dump him in a trade, they'll waive him and be responsible for the $2.4 million, which will eat into their cap space this summer. Such a result will not please Cuban. No matter what, Odom will be long gone from this organization. A return to the Lakers is not likely since they can't add him to the roster for a full year after the date he was traded, Dec. 11. Could he land with the Miami Heat, one of his former teams that obviously will be a contender for years to come? Well, if he wants to sign for a fraction of his actual 2012-13 salary, then it's possible. Of course, no team might risk much more than a couple million anyway. How about the team with which he started his career, the Los Angeles Clippers? Possible. Caron Butler is signed for two more years at small forward, but Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans are free agents.

The Countdown
No. 15 Lamar Odom
No. 14 Coming Tuesday

DALLAS -- Whether Rick Carlisle returns to the Dallas Mavericks next season or takes his coaching chops somewhere else, no one can take away the day he raised the banner to the rafters.

PODCAST
Coop and Nate discuss the end of the Mavs' season and look ahead to what's next for the team. Listen

"It was great," Carlisle said during Sunday's exit interviews when he still kept talk of his contract status under wraps. "The raising of the banner is one of the most emotional moments I’ve had in 28 years in this league. Really, it’s hard for me to explain, but when I walked out there with my daughter, it was the beginning of a season no one believed was going to happen [because of the lockout], and the banner was there ready to be raised. I became very emotional and I was choked up about it, for a lot of reasons.

"Part of it is the personal journey you go through during that period of time and you think about the opportunity you were given to come into that situation and how grateful that you are, and also the great players you had to work with. And again, probably the foremost thing was just the experience that the fans got to go through when we were able to win it that year."

The lockout provided the Mavs the rare opportunity for multiple celebrations. They raised the banner before the season opener Dec. 25 and then had the ring ceremony a month later when J.J. Barea and the Minnesota Timberwolves rolled through town. Then there still several more more ring deliveries when departed members of the title team like Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson came in with their new teams.

During each ceremony, Carlisle brought the player to midcourt with a heartfelt introduction.

"That was a great moment, giving the guys their rings was a great moment," Carlisle said. "It was just one of those years, every time we handed out rings, we ended up losing games. Not every time, what was it two out of four? Thank God Butler missed that shot. I never would have heard the end of that in a text message from him."

Butler nearly hit a game-winning 3-pointer in his return to the AAC with the Clippers. Hard to believe just 11 months ago, Butler, unable to play despite his frantic rehab to get back on the floor, was on the stage on Miami's home floor raising the championship trophy.

Now Butler has the best chance of any of the title-team Mavs to advance to the second round. And the Mavs have plenty of time to watch.

"Time goes by fast and it doesn’t seem like 11 months ago," Carlisle said. But look, as great as the championship run was, there always comes a time when you have to look forward and that’s where things are at now. I look at this summer for this franchise as a summer of opportunity and excitement, and I don’t think anybody should look at it any differently."

DALLAS – Two words immediately come to Rick Carlisle’s mind when he thinks of DeShawn Stevenson, who will become the latest ex-Maverick to receive his championship ring Tuesday night.

“Ultimate pro.”

That’s not exactly how Stevenson was perceived when he arrived in Dallas as a throw-in with Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood in the 2010 All-Star break blockbuster deal with the Wizards. At the time, well, folks didn’t know quite what to think of the two guard with tattoos from his forehead to his feet.

There was a strong suspicion that Stevenson, whose claim to fame had been a high-profile playoff trash-talk war with LeBron James, was a wee bit crazy. That turned into an appreciation around these parts for Stevenson’s unique personality after he played the biggest role of any of the ex-Wizards in the Mavericks’ first title.

“I had a bad rap of being a loose cannon,” Stevenson said Monday night after the Nets’ practice at SMU. “I think it’s a different type of crazy. It’s a crazy where I’m going to go out there and fight for my teammates and do the right thing. I’m kind of misunderstood, but that’s what I try to do and I won a championship doing it.”

Stevenson’s style and work ethic earned him immense respect in the Mavericks’ locker room.

The Mavs’ veteran leadership trio of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry twice lobbied Carlisle to insert Stevenson into the starting lineup. Carlisle listened on both occasions, once near the beginning of the season and the second time just before the playoffs began.

The Dallas vets embraced the nasty tone that Stevenson, who usually got the most difficult defensive assignment among the opposing guards and small forwards, set along with big man Tyson Chandler.

“Just a tough, tough guy that we miss,” Nowitzki said. “I’m happy for him that he gets his ring and he’s going to get a standing ovation. He brought a toughness and grittiness to our club last year that we needed.”

In between his successful stints as the starting lineup’s defensive stopper, Stevenson fell out of the rotation while his minutes went to Rodrigue Beaubois. Stevenson never complained, continuing to prepare the same way, a persistence that paid off in the playoffs.

Stevenson’s professionalism was never more apparent than Game 4 of the NBA Finals. After Stevenson started the first 18 games of the postseason, Carlisle decided to replace him in the lineup with J.J. Barea, in part because the Mavs wanted to make sure that Shawn Marion or Stevenson was always available to defend James.

Instead of pouting about a perceived demotion, Stevenson responded with his best performance of the playoffs. Stevenson outscored his old adversary LeBron, 11-8, playing lockdown defense and knocking down three 3-pointers.

“He kept himself ready and always answered the bell,” Carlisle said. “Always.”

Stevenson was ready to return to Dallas for the repeat attempt. However, he said he felt like he had done too much with the Mavericks to accept an offer for the minimum salary and moved on by signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Nets.

Stevenson will return to the American Airlines Center with mixed emotions. He looks forward to finally seeing the championship banner and getting his ring. (He’s seen plenty of pictures of the 31-diamond spectacles, including one fellow free agent departure J.J. Barea texted him the night of the ring ceremony.)

But Stevenson admits that he wishes he could stay in Dallas and move back into the locker now occupied by Delonte West.

“We just had a special team,” Stevenson said. “It’s just sad how it went down. It’s tough. It’s the business part, but I’m always a Mavericks guy until the day I die.”