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

Surely one can look around the NBA and field a lineup of unfulfilled careers. With the Dallas Mavericks that search stops with Rodrigue Beaubois, the highly-talented guard whose career appeared headed toward the stars until the unfortunate day when the fifth metatarsal in his left foot snapped.

Nothing's been the same since. And everything's been a struggle.

Beaubois is heading into the most important summer of his young NBA career and he knows it.

"I cannot tell you what is going to happen, but obviously I know that this summer is going to be big for me," Beaubois said. "I have to work out a lot and make sure that I am ready because if they give me space (more playing time) I will have to be ready for that."

For the first time in three summers, Beaubois is healthy and able to train. He broke his foot in early August 2010 training with the French national team and underwent surgery soon after. He missed two-thirds of the following season because he re-injured the foot and then hurt it again in the final game of the regular season, forcing him out of the entire championship run and back into the operating room.

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Few inroads were made this season and so here we are at a crossroads. Beaubois is effectively entering the final year of his contract. The Mavs can make a qualifying offer next summer or they can say goodbye.

The Countdown ticks down to No. 7...

RODRIGUE BEAUBOIS
Pos.: G
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-2, 180
Experience: 3 years
Age: 24 (Feb. 24, 1988)
2011-12 stats: 8.9 ppg (42.2 FG, 28.8 3FG, 2.9 apg)
Contract status: Signed through 2012-13
2011-12 salary: $1.2 million
2012-13 salary: $2.2 million

His story: The second surgery ruined another summer of work and development with the lockout adding another layer of frustration because it prevented Beaubois from working, or even visiting, with Rick Carlisle and the coaching staff. Once again, Beaubois' role this season is in total limbo because that's also where the Mavs' roster is. Will they sign Deron Williams and re-sign Jason Kidd to back him up at point guard? Will Delonte West and/or Jason Terry return along with Vince Carter to fortify the shooting guard position? And then there's the whole issue of whether he's a point guard -- which he mostly played to varying degrees of success this season -- or a shooting guard, or does it even matter? Or will that be determined simply by where there is room for him?

His outlook: Any number of backcourt variables that emerge after July 1 could open up playing time for Beaubois or again leave him buried behind a veteran crew. Or, in yet another scenario, Beaubois could get caught up in a trade to create additional cap space. Beaubois was essentially out of the rotation in the playoffs, leaving him with still virtually no postseason experience in three trips. Will the 2012-13 season be something of a rebirth for Beaubois in Dallas or the beginning of the end?

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 Ian Mahinmi
No. 8 Vince Carter
No. 7 Rodrigue Beaubois
No. 6 Coming Friday

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

Bringing in Vince Carter last season, even at a buyer-friendly price, felt like a reach for a team with an already aging roster. Anyone who'd seen him play the previous two seasons with Orlando and Phoenix could only surmise that Carter was postponing the inevitable.

And then he got to town and Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle almost instantly, and rather shrewdly, started talking up the eight-time All-Star and former slam dunk champ as a sure-fire Hall of Famer whose basketball IQ soared as high as his dunks used to.

"Guys who are eight-time All-Stars are Hall of Famers. And there's a reason," Carlisle said shortly after the delayed start to the season in late December. "He's been a great player and he knows how to play. He's going to fit in great with what we're doing just because he's a hell of a basketball player."

It's hard to say that Carlisle wasn't right, to an extent.

Carter got off to a strong start, burying 3-pointers at a team-best clip, flashing a nice post-up game and scrapping on defense all the while giving the Mavs the versatility to play him at shooting guard or small forward. But after the All-Star break Carter started to slow down, and other than a brief hot streak, the swoon carried into the playoffs where he shot just 29.3 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc.

All-in-all, Carter started 40 of the 61 games he played, when at this point in his career he's probably most effective as a scorer off the bench where he can take advantage of smaller and less talented reserves.

Carter will turn 36 in January, and the odds are that he will celebrate his birthday in a Mavs uniform.

The Countdown rolls on at No. 8 ...

VINCE CARTER
Pos.: SG/SF
Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-6, 220
Experience: 14 years
Age: 35 (Jan. 26, 1977)
2011-12 stats: 5.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 18.7 mpg
Contract status: Signed through 2013-14
2011-12 salary: $3 million
2012-13 salary: $3.1 million (partially guaranteed)

His story: Billed as half-man, half-amazing, Carter proved to be half-mortal in his first season with the Mavs. It can certainly be argued that injuries, particularly the broken finger that sidelined Delonte West for six weeks, played a part in Carter's decline. Carter was at his most effective when limited to about 25 minutes or less, but Carlisle had no choice but to keep him on the floor more through West's injury. Plus, Jason Kidd missed 18 games, mostly due to three separate injuries. Through the first 25 games, Carter logged 25 minutes or fewer 14 times, compared to 15 times in the final 36 games. Perhaps a better comparison though is the fact that he played 30 minutes or more just twice in those first 25 games, and 10 times in the final 36. It makes it difficult to argue that wear-and-tear didn't play a role in Carter's downturn or that playing fewer minutes consistently next season could serve him and the Mavs well.

His outlook: Carter is signed for the next two seasons at little more than $3 million for each, however his contract is not fully guaranteed. It is guaranteed enough for next season that, barring a major trade that would sweep him up, the odds are high that Carter will stick around here for at least one more season. One has to wonder though if the Mavs wouldn't be better off allotting Carter's minutes to younger players such as Rodrigue Beaubois (assuming he remains on the team), who the Mavs must get a full, healthy season out of to evaluate in what is essentially the final year of his deal, or to a player like Kelenna Azubuike. At this point, Carter would seem to be more of a last-piece-to-the-puzzle type that could bolster a contender's bench. But hey, who knows, depending on what transpires in free agency, the Mavs might or might not become such a squad.

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 Ian Mahinmi
No. 8 Vince Carter
No. 7 Coming Thursday

Mavericks guard Delonte West dishes on his desire to return to the Dallas, how he feels about Dirk Nowitzki, his relationship with LeBron James and how he ended up hanging out with Dez Bryant over the weekend.

 

On if he expects to return to the Mavericks:

"Yeah, definitely. It's in the Lord's hands and he'll work it out that way but all signs point to me being back here. First and foremost I definitely understand how Rick Carlisle wants to play. What he feels is the right recipe for success ... and that fits to my game. Then I'm the ultimate team player man, you know I can do so much. That's why I really don't do one thing great, cause I do everything good."

On his offseason plans:

"Well my season just began, ya know. It's tough not to stay in the gym because first of all we went out not the way we wanted to, No. 1, so that's tough to swallow. No. 2, you can't go on vacation, those guys are still playing the playoffs. They're still getting better every day, every game, so every day I try to find myself in the gym once or twice a day and try to keep that same high level and keep my body ready. You stay ready you don't have to get ready."

This is how Shawn Marion said he would implore free-agent-to-be point guard Deron Williams to sign this summer with his hometown Dallas Mavericks:

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(May 2010) -- Dallas product, Jazz guard C.J. Miles joins GAC to chat about what the players think of Dirk and if he'd ever consider coming to play for his hometown Mavs. Listen

"Get your a-- home. Home is where the heart is."

In less than two months we'll find out which way Williams' heart tugs.

There's also another local lad, a free-agent-to-be who has all along thought the idea of playing pro ball in his backyard would be pretty cool. In less than two months we'll find out how interested the Mavs are in bringing home C.J. Miles.

Drafted in 2005 by the Utah Jazz, the Skyline High School product has remained with the Jazz for his entire seven-year career, averaging 8.4 points in 19.3 minutes a game. At just 25 years old, Miles becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1 for the first time in his career. Of course, Miles and Williams were former teammates in Utah.

During a May 2010 guest appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's "Galloway & Company," the 6-foot-6 shooting guard made it clear he'd like to play at home. Here's a snippet of how that conversation went:

"I definitely would want to do that at one point in my career. Just to have that feeling. That hometown feeling of having my friends and family behind me to see me play and see how I've grown. I definitely have that feeling sometimes."

As for what it would take to make it happen?

"I don't know. I guess I'd have to be free and, if they were interested, I'd definitely take it into high consideration."

With Jason Terry hitting free agency, will the Mavs be in the market for a young, athletic shooting guard? Miles, who earned $3.7 million this season, isn't exactly a sharpshooter, hitting for 38.1 percent overall this season and 30.7 percent from beyond the arc. His career numbers are just a few notches better at 41.9 percent and 32.9 percent, respectively.

Miles recently told the Deseret News that he is looking forward to exploring his options and that being reunited with Williams is an intriguing possibility.

"If that was an issue that came up I definitely would look at it. Who wouldn't, especially with the way that team is built now," Miles said. "They're aging a little bit and I'm pretty sure they're going to be looking for some guys that do some of the things I do."

Would the Mavs be interested? So much depends on if Williams signs, which players remain on the roster after any trades to create additional cap space and how much money the Mavs then have to fill out the roster. Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones both have a year left on their deals and Vince Carter will probably be returning. Delonte West joins Terry in free agency.

The Mavs shipped off athletic small forward Corey Brewer before last season, but there's no doubt they want an infusion of youth and athleticism in their backcourt.

Now it's all about how the dominoes fall.

DALLAS -- Rodrigue Beaubois' first order of business is going home to Guadeloupe and spending time with his mother and family after the untimely death of his father in February.

Then this summer becomes all about one thing for the young guard who is coming upon the final year of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks: getting better.

"I know one thing is this summer is going to be real important for me," Beaubois said. "I will start planning my summer and make sure that I do everything I can to come back ready. It is going to be the first summer that I will be able to work out so I am going to do everything I can to be back healthy, in shape and ready to go."

Two summers ago, Beaubois fractured his left foot working out with the French national team in preparation for the 2010 World Championships. He missed two-thirds of the 2010-11 season and then re-injured the foot in the season finale and missed the entire playoffs. A second surgery last summer prevented him from returning to the basketball court until training camp opened last December.

His contributions on the court this season were again minimal, spiced by the occasional flashes that had the team believing he was a superstar-in-the-making after his rookie season. Both player and team will now settle for him being a consistent contributor.

"Right now, shoot, he's our starting point guard," president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said during a Monday appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Ben & Skin Show. "We're still excited about Roddy. He's one of the fastest young point guards in the NBA and he's still developing, so there's real good upside there."

Take that starting point guard thing in the proper context, of course. Jason Kidd, Delonte West and Jason Terry are all free agents. And of course, the Mavs will looking to snare big fish Deron Williams in free agency come July.

But the fact remains that Beaubois, unless he's scooped into a cap-space-clearing trade, remains a great, young hope for a franchise that selected him 25th overall in the 2009 draft (acquired in a trade with Oklahoma City). Beaubois played the majority of his time this season at point guard, particularly when West was out for six weeks, which has to be viewed as some progress in that difficult transition.

He averaged career highs in points (8.9), assists (2.9) and minutes (21.7).

"I cannot tell you what is going to happen, but obviously I know that this summer is going to be big for me," Beaubois said. "I have to work out a lot and make sure that I am ready because if there if they give me space I will have to be ready for that."

DALLAS -- Delonte West, we hardly knew ya.

But it wasn't without excitement. West gave us the odd White House scenario in which he either was or wasn't banned from joining the team on its championship visit to President Obama. He provided some wild Twitter rants, the warrior walk off the floor with the bone sticking out of his right ring finger that he held high for the crowd to cheer, and then, of course, the "West willy" finger poke in Utah.

All-in-all, West, who signed a one-year deal for veteran's minimum with the Mavs in December, played just 48 total games because of the gruesome finger injury that sidelined him for six weeks. In 44 regular-season games playing both guard positions, West, 28, averaged 9.6 points and 3.2 assists in 24.1 minutes a game. He started 33 games at shooting guard.

His productivity drooped in a relatively quiet showing in the four-game sweep to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"It's disappointing, but we'll be right back here next year," West said. "This is a prideful city, a prideful team and I hope to be a part of this next year. It was a pleasure playing for this city, for this championship team. I'm grateful for this opportunity. Like I said, I hope I'll be back next year and more years to come to help contribute more and help this team get back to championship form."

The odds are rather low that West, whose feisty play and quirky personality quickly made him a fan favorite, will be back. West hopes he played himself back into position to sign a multi-year deal somewhere. It's just doubtful it will be here.

"Prayerfully, man," West said when asked if he believes he's proven to be worth a multiyear contract after two seasons of one-year, minimum deals stemming from his 2009 arrest. "I haven't even thought about nothing like that, even now. But, I mean, I hope I showed this league -- I know this league already knows what I'm capable of doing -- that I removed myself far from that incident that happened [three] years ago and I'm going to the prime of my career.

"I know what I can do, play multiple positions, score, shoot, shoot the long ball, defend, assists; I come with the whole package."

Depending how the Mavs' free agency adventures shake out in July and the type of deal West is offered, it is possible, but not probable that West will be back.

If he's destined for another start somewhere else, it was far too short of a stay.

DALLAS -- Last week Charles Barkley joined ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Galloway & Co. and said adding Deron Williams alone to complement Dirk Nowitzki won't be enough to return the Dallas Mavericks among the Western Conference contenders.

Barkley said Nowitzki needs a big man in the middle.

After the Mavs went from championship to swept Saturday at the hands of the young Oklahoma City Thunder, Jason Terry, who might not be back with the team after eight seasons, said Nowitzki has plenty left in the tank, but that the Mavs must get him interior help.

"Dirk's so wonderfully amazing with his ability to play the game at high level night in and night out with the defenses that he faces," Terry said. "But, again, for Dirk to be successful and go to where we went to last year he has to have an active big to play alongside him. He has to. And he knows it. So, if he's involved in any kind of decisions I know that's what he's going to be looking for."

The comments by Barkley and Terry certainly sound like indictments of Mavs starting center Brendan Haywood, who had a miserable series and still has three guaranteed years and some $28 million remaining on his contract.

Haywood played a series-high 25 minutes, most of which came after Thunder center Kendrick Perkins left in the first quarter with a right hip strain. Yet, the 7-foot Haywood could only muster four points and four rebounds. He played a total of 36 minutes in the first three games and was benched to start the second half in Games 2 and 3.

In Game 4, the Mavs' interior defense was laughable, particularly in the fourth quarter when the Thunder scored 20 of their 35 points in the paint with the majority coming from James Harden. He drove past Dallas' guards at will and met little resistance as he attacked the lane and then the rim for 15 fourth-quarter points. He scored one fewer point in the quarter than the entire Mavs team.

Haywood played just the first 4:33 of the fourth quarter, long enough for Harden to put in six points and to be whistled for an offensive foul away from the ball. Ian Mahinmi finished out the game with little effectiveness on the defensive end to slow Harden. Mahinmi, who will become a free agent, did have 10 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes.

Because of his uninspired play during this brief series, the man who backed up Tyson Chandler last season and played just 25 minutes in the NBA Finals because of a hip injury sustained in Game 2 could fall victim to the amnesty clause this summer. It would allow the Mavs to rid their books of Haywood's remaining contract heading into next season. Shawn Marion is also a candidate for the amnesty clause, but the forward's value, particularly on the defensive end this season, can not be understated.

Although Carlisle twice went to Mahinmi to start the second half, the coach kept Haywood in the starting lineup all four games. It's uncertain at the moment if Haywood will be back in the starting lineup next season -- or back at all.

Here's three more things to consider as the Mavs head into a long offseason:

1. Half man, half awful: Vince Carter certainly had some moments this season and he even delivered a vintage jam in Game 4. But all in all, the Carter experiment didn't pan out. He had an abysmal series shooting the basketball. He made 3-of-10 shots in Game 4 and for the series he made 12-of-41 shots (29.3 percent). Carter did make 2-of-3 buckets from beyond the arc on Saturday, but he was 3-of-10 for the series. Carter is likely one of the few players that will return next season. He's under contract for the next two seasons.

2. Quiet Delonte West: He certainly provided Mavs fans with some entertaining play and antics, both on and off the court, this season, but his playoff series didn't leave much of a mark. West came off the bench for the first time in the series in Game 4 and had just two points and three assists in 18 minutes. West endured the unfortunate dislocation and fracture of his right ring finger in February and missed six weeks. As a free-agent-to-be, West said he hopes he's proven to the league that he's trustworthy of signing a multi-year deal. If that is the case, he will likely be signing somewhere other than Dallas.

3. What's next for Roddy B?: Rodrigue Beaubois played a grand total of 12 minutes in the four-game sweep. He got into Game 2 as something of an emergency sub when the Mavs fell behind by 16 points in the second quarter. It's been another rough season for third-year guard after coming back from a second foot surgery last summer. He said he can't be sure he'll be back with the Mavs -- he could be trade bait to create cap room if needed -- but Beaubois is excited to be healthy for the first time in three summers and capable of working out and working on his game. With the possibility that Terry, Jason Kidd and West won't be back, there could be real opportunity for Beaubois if the Mavs still believe he can be a contributor to the future of the franchise.

DALLAS -- For years prior to winning the title last season, the debate has raged: Should Mark Cuban blow up the Mavericks?

Well, that point might actually be upon the Mavs' owner as his club faces the prospects of being swept out of the first round of the playoffs on the heels of winning it all. Not exactly the way a defending champion wants to go out, but it's a path that Cuban can't claim will have come as a total shock.

The owner decided to dismantle the title team and play the free-agent game in the summer. And once this season comes to a close, whether it melts away tonight or in Game 5 in Oklahoma City on Monday or somewhere stays alive beyond the that, the names on the jerseys are going to change.

Check out the list of names that could be making their final appearances tonight:

* Shawn Marion
* Brendan Haywood
* Delonte West
* Jason Kidd
* Jason Terry
* Rodrigue Beaubois
* Ian Mahinmi
* Brian Cardinal
* Dominique Jones
* Yi Jianlian

The only player guaranteed to be back is Dirk Nowitzki. A few guys would seem likely to be back, such as Vince Carter, who has two more years left on his deal, Brandan Wright, who the Mavs would figure to pick up the team option, and Kelenna Azubuike, who they acquired late in the season and have under contract for next season.

Otherwise it's wide open, and much will depend on where super free-agent-to-be Deron Williams lands. It will be a busy July around here. The Mavs would like to at least keep things going a bit longer in May.

Series: Oklahoma City Thunder leads, 3-0

When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center

TV: TNT/TXA 21

Radio: ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: Level of play. Coach Rick Carlisle continued to emphasize Saturday morning that the Mavs' effort was up to snuff in Game 3 and that it was their level of play that let them down. In that case, the Mavs' season must hinge on whether they can make baskets, hold onto the basketball and keep the Thunder from making more baskets. If they do that, then they should win and extend the series.

Key matchup: Kevin Durant vs. Shawn Marion
As terrific as Marion's defense was on Durant in the first two games, Durant got off early in Game 3 and scored 21 of his 31 points in the first half. Needless to say, that can't happen again. Marion will turn 34 on Monday. Depending on how well he can defend Durant tonight will determine if he's celebrating another year in Oklahoma City before a Game 5 or while on vacation.

Injuries: Thunder -- G Eric Maynor (torn right ACL) is out. Mavs -- None.

Up next: Game 5 -- Mavs at Thunder, 7 p.m. Monday (if necessary)

DALLAS -- How it happened: Oklahoma City built a 15-point lead in the first and second quarters, and the Mavericks could never keep a run going long enough to make it a game. The defending champions are truly up against it, down 3-0.

To avoid a humiliating sweep after an embarrassing, wire-to-wire Game 3 loss on their home floor, the defending champs must win Game 4 in Dallas on Saturday night.

The Mavs had two promising runs that got snuffed, one late in the second quarter to cut the deficit to seven and one early in the third that chopped it to five, 50-45. But a red-hot Kevin Durant (31 points on 11-of-15 shooting, 8-of-10 in the first half) and his running buddy Russell Westbrook (20 points on 8-of-19, 5-of-8 in the second half) kicked it back in gear to go up 60-48 with 7:21 left in the third quarter, and then it was quickly 66-50.

And then 83-58, and it was lights out.

Durant, after shooting just 34.1 percent in the first two games, was magnificent from the jump. On the Mavs' side, superstar Dirk Nowitzki never seemed engaged. He was 4-of-8 from the floor in the first half and finished 6-of-15 for 17 points. He even missed three free throws. Jason Terry was terrible, 1-of-6 in the first half, and he finished with just 11 points.

Dallas shot an abysmal 34.2 percent for the game.

The bottom line to it all, as much as the Mavs and their fans wanted to believe otherwise, is that this stripped-down version of the title team lacks essential parts to properly function. Gone: the fiery leadership, rebounding and defense of Tyson Chandler; the penetration of J.J. Barea; and the fierceness of DeShawn Stevenson.

These Mavs really are too old and too slow to keep up with the Thunder's remarkable foursome of Durant, Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden, all of whom have yet to turn 24. And to think this is the team most fans wanted over the Los Angeles Lakers. It probably didn't matter.

Things got off to a chaotic start in the first quarter with the Mavs believing they were on the wrong side of the whistle more than once. Nowitzki got nailed with a technical four minutes into the game, and then an absolutely irate Rick Carlisle got his own and was fortunate not to get ejected.

Durant and the Thunder came out throwing haymakers, and jumped out to a 28-13 lead. The Mavs closed the gap to 32-26 with a 13-4 run to close the quarter. But Dallas scored just 15 points in the second quarter and 16 in the third.

What it means: No team has come back from a 3-0 series deficit. If Dallas is going to avoid becoming the first defending champion since the 2007 Miami Heat to bow out in the first round, the Mavs will have to overcome decades of NBA postseason history. Miami, one season removed from rallying past the Mavs in the NBA Finals, was swept by the Chicago Bulls.

Bold play of the game: Early in the third quarter, the Mavs were desperately trying to keep a run alive, having pushed to within 50-45, but OKC was back up 54-45. Delonte West drove the lane, looking to score and maybe an and-1, but his shot was swatted away by Ibaka for his third and final block of the game. Westbrook pulled up for a jumper at the other end, and it was 56-45 with 8:51 to go.

Stat of the game: Since the Mavs beat the Thunder 4-1 in the Western Conference finals last season, they are 1-6 against OKC.

DALLAS – The Mavs would be up 2-0 in this series if the NBA played 10-minute quarters.

Unfortunately for the defending champions, that isn’t the quarters. NBA quarters last a dozen minutes, and the Mavs have been getting killed by the Thunder in the final couple minutes of those frames.

PODCAST
Senior NBA writer Marc Stein shares his thoughts on Game 3 between the Mavs and Thunder. Who needs to step up for the Mavs to win other than Dirk or Jet? Listen

With the two games decided by a total of four points, the difference in the series so far is that the Mavs have crumbled in crunch time while the Thunder have thrived. Oklahoma City outscored the Mavs by a 10-4 margin in the final two minutes of Game 1 and 6-2 in the final two minutes of Game 2.

But it’s not just the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City has outscored the Mavs by a 52-29 margin in the final two minutes of the eight quarters in this series.

“All these things are just attention-to-detail things,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “Then you’ve got to make shots or you’ve got to put yourself in position to not foul or whatever the case may be. Ends of quarters in NBA games are difficult. Guys are skilled; they make plays. So you’ve got to be solid.”

Series: Oklahoma City Thunder leads, 2-0

When: 8:30 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center

TV: TNT/TXA 21

Radio: ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM/1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: Can the Mavs get buckets in crunch time? Give the Thunder credit for closing, but the Mavs have also blown opportunities. The biggest culprit has been Dirk Nowitzki, who was such a dominant closer during the Mavs’ championship run last year. He committed two turnovers in the final 90 seconds of Game 1. In Game 2, Nowitzki missed a wide-open 3-pointer and had a baseline fadeaway roll around the rim and out. “It still comes down the stretch to make some big shots,” Nowitzki said.

Key matchup: Dallas defense vs. Russell Westbrook – Will Rick Carlisle make a major adjustment or just hope that Westbrook stops making so many midrange jumpers? Westbrook, one of the NBA’s most explosive penetrating threats, has lit up the Mavs primarily by shooting over Delonte West and Jason Kidd. Switching defensive stopper Shawn Marion onto Westbrook (28.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting in the series), but that would present a major problem defending three-time NBA scoring champ Kevin Durant. Marion said he will start the game on Durant again.

Injuries: Thunder – G Eric Maynor (torn right ACL) is out.

Up next: Game 4 – Thunder at Mavs, 6:30 p.m. Saturday

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mavs will not make the drastic move of switching defensive stopper Shawn Marion’s assignment in an attempt to slow down Russell Westbrook.

PODCAST
Senior NBA writer Marc Stein shares his thoughts on Game 3 between the Mavs and Thunder. Who needs to step up for the Mavs to win other than Dirk or Jet? Listen

At least, not at the beginning of Game 3.

“I’ve got the same assignment,” Marion said before Thursday morning’s shootaround. “It ain’t changed.”

That means Marion will continue to defend three-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, who has averaged 25.5 points but shot only 31.4 percent from the floor as the Thunder opened a 2-0 lead in the series. Delonte West has opened the first two games defending Westbrook.

Coach Rick Carlisle left open the possibility of using Marion on Westbrook (28.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting) at points in the game.

“Possibly, but look, you’re talking about taking your best defender and a guy that was a real candidate for Defensive Player of the Year off of a guy off of a guy that he’s doing a great job on to put him on another guy,” Carlisle said. “We can look at it at different times of the games, but let’s not forget how great Durant is. He’s in the MVP conversation.

“They present a lot of problems, and we’re looking at solutions.”

DALLAS – For the most part, the Mavericks have done a decent job executing their defensive strategy on Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook.

He’s lit them up anyway, averaging 28.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting in the first two games of this series.

The question now is whether the Mavs make significant strategic adjustments or just hope Westbrook stops making so many midrange jump shots.

According to NBA.com’s advanced statistics, Westbrook is 14-of-26 on midrange jumpers in the series and only 5-of-11 on shots from inside the restricted area. By comparison, Westbrook shot 41.4 percent from midrange and 58.6 percent from inside the restricted area during the regular season, attempting virtually the same amount of shots from the two zones.

“You’ve got to pick your poison,” said Delonte West, who has started both games on Westbrook. “He’s got an explosive first step. He’s not an All-Star for no reason. Based on the past, you can live with him shooting contested jump shots. What you don’t want to do is open up the lane and give him driving lanes where he can score, pass, get fouled and get some momentum plays.

“I’ll guess we’ll live and die with contested jump shots.”

The problem is it’s tough for a guard like West or Jason Kidd to contest Westbrook’s shot because the freakishly athletic 23-year-old gets up so high. As expected, coach Rick Carlisle is playing any potential adjustments close to the vest, but he acknowledges that one possibility is using 6-foot-7 defensive stopper Shawn Marion on Westbrook more often.

That, of course, would open up a whole other set of problems with NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant, who the Mavs have held to 34.1 percent shooting in the series with Marion doing most of the dirty work.

Would Vince Carter start instead of West and defend Durant? Stick with the same lineup and ask Kidd to guard a superstar who is listed at 5 inches taller and 16 years younger?

“We’ve got to find a way to make him a little more uncomfortable,” Dirk Nowitzki said. “He’s just dribbling up and raising up at the foul line. There’s nothing you can do, because if you guard him with smaller guys – with Kidd or West – he jumps like 40 inches on his shot and you can’t touch it. He just raises up over them and gets it in.

“Yeah, it’s tough. But we’ve got to do a better job of making him a little uncomfortable.”

And hope Westbrook reverts to form from midrange.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle has a decision to make as to how to defend Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, who has averaged 28.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting in the first two games.

None of the Mavs' guards, including Delonte West, is having much luck and the zone isn't stopping him either.

"He’s playing great, he’s playing great," Carlisle said. "And you know we started off the game double-teaming him, he split us and broke us down and got to the rim and took us out of that, so it’s been tough. He’s hitting shots and we’ve done a decent job of keeping him out of the paint, but he’s stroking it. So we’re going to have to go back to the drawing board and cook something else up."

Could the next recipe include defensive player of the year candidate Shawn Marion moving over to defend Westbrook and leave the cold-shooting Kevin Durant to someone else? The 6-foot-7 Marion would have the height advantage on the 6-3 Westbrook and might have better luck defending the mid-range jumper that Westbrook is so quick to pull up and launch.

"Look, there are options," Carlisle said. "There are different things. We’re in and out of zone, sometimes you’ve got different guys guarding different guys, that’s how zone is, it’s kind of a scramble. Look, we’ll look at it. We come away from these two games disappointed but not dismayed and you tip your hat to the fact that they have made some big-time plays."

It probably doesn't make much sense to take Marion off Durant for one simple reason: Who do you put on a 6-foot-11 freak of nature?

But with two days to think of something before Thursday's critical Game 3, the Mavs are desperate for answers. Marion said he'd be ready if that's the direction Carlisle wants to go.

"I’m going to make him take a tough shot the best way I can," Marion said. "I feel like I can use my lift a little bit when he’s shooting it I can get in the way of his shot. Everybody else he’s jumping so high on his shot, it’s like he’s by himself up there."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Three of Kevin Durant's four assists went to Serge Ibaka for dunks. Russell Westbrook added a dish for an Ibaka dunk, too.

Dribble penetrations led to the Mavericks' bigs being forced to help and leaving the 6-foot-10 Ibaka to catch and throw down. Of his season-high 22 points in Oklahoma City's Game 1, 12 came via the dunk.

"That's just because of the breakdown at the beginning of the play," said Mavs guard Jason Kidd. "We've got to limit our mistakes at the beginning because that's where he did get a lot of the finishes is because of the breakdown at the beginning. So if we can limit that then hopefully he doesn't get as many in Game 1."

It puts a lot of pressure on the Mavs' defenders, all at least 10 years older than OKC's three playmakers and not as quick -- with the exception of Delonte West -- to stay in front of their man and not allow penetration into the lane. Once Durant, Westbrook or James Harden get by their man, it forces the Mavs' forwards or center to come off Ibaka to prevent the layup.

Delonte West said after Monday morning's shootaround that he is back to full strength after playing through Game 1 with a stomach bug that sapped his energy. So he should be able to give Westbrook (28 points, five assists in Game 1) a better fight. Kidd, Vince Carter and Shawn Marion will have to do a better job keeping the Thunder out on the perimeter and not in the paint.

"It's help defense and we just have to stay in front our man from the beginning," Carter said.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Delonte West struggled to get through 27 minutes of action in Saturday's Game 1, taking his fair share of lumps trying to guard Russell Westbrook and never really getting involved in the offense.

Later that night, he expelled the rest of whatever else had caused his stomach to turn Friday night and Saturday morning -- and then tweeted out a photo to prove it.

"I woke up (Sunday), my headache was pretty much gone," West said. "Now I'm trying to get some fluids down. I’ll be ready to go (today).

His status for Game 1 was uncertain, but despite still not feeling well at game time and unable to hold much down, West suited up and was in the starting lineup. Westbrook then ran circles around him, scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the first quarter with a deadly jumper on his way to a game-high 28 points.

The Mavs will need West at his feistiest to help contain Westbrook, who destroyed Dallas with his mid-range game. West simply could not keep up.

"That was the biggest thing," West said. "It wasn’t so much the nausea, I didn’t have the energy and I couldn’t really get no fluids down so I was kind of battling that, that uphill battle, but like I said, I feel real rested and I’m looking forward to being 100 percent."

During the regular season, Westbrook averaged 22.8 points, 3.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds. The Mavs, though, have been able to keep his shooting percentage to 39.2 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc. That didn't happen in Game 1 when Westbrook hit 13-of-23 shots and made one of his two 3-point attempts.

"He poses a lot of havoc for any defense," West said. "He’s able to score the basketball, but it’s a team effort. One guy can't hold a guy like that. Like I said, we’re going to have to collectively do a better job of limiting his easy shots."