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We started this little flashback column to help us deal with the devastatingly chilly fallout of the NBA Nuclear Winter. The good news is that this is the last one because the NBA is coming back on X-Mas day. Just as we did last week, we got help from the Mavs site created by the great Patricia Bender.

Dec. 2 is a particularly eventful day in Mavs history. It’s littered with brilliant performances from names like Mark Aguirre and Jason Kidd, great honors for folks like Don Nelson and Steve Nash, and sadly also includes yet another tragic turn for Leon Smith. But two things jump out and grab me as fantastic moments in Mavericks history.

In 2004, we were treated to an epic scorers’ duel between Dirk Nowitzki and then-Houston Rocket Tracy McGrady that felt like one of those great 80s battles between the elite scoring forwards of that decade. McGrady was unstoppable, draining 3s from all over the floor -- pulling up and bombing off the dribble no matter how tightly contested -- en route to 48 in an overtime loss. That’s right, the ROX took the L because Dirk was even better, dropping 53 and grabbing 16 boards in front of a primetime national audience on a Thursday night TNT joint the Mavs won 113-106. It was one of the most entertaining Mavericks games of the decade.

But I also wanted to note that on Dec. 2 of their inaugural season, Dallas signed former Lakers first-round pick Brad Davis. Davis had bounced around the League and spent time in the CBA and was on the verge of retiring when he gave pro basketball and the Mavericks one last chance. He went on to become one of the best guards in team history and the first player to have his jersey retired.

When I think of Davis’ playing days the images that flood my mind include:

1. Davis taking violently vicious charges

2. Catching and shooting that crank behind his head and fling jumper after Aguirre passed out of double teams

3. The chomping of that gum being exaggerated due to the wicked mustache game he was throwing down

4. That Toyota commercial in which he unleashed the Camry Jam and Corolla Rolla dunks on an 8’ goal

5. That perm, yo!

Some so-called Mavs fans that either don’t know any better, weren’t old enough to remember, or just plain weren’t paying attention at the time view Davis as some sort of Bill Bates hustle type that was only out there cuz he played really hard and set a good example. They think that it’s somewhat shameful that his number is retired.

Those people are just wrong. Davis was a baller.

About a month ago, FSSW re-aired the classic Moody Madness game and it was great to watch it for a number of reasons, but I really dug watching Brad’s game again. He did for the Mavs during that era what Mo Cheeks was doing for Philly. He ran the show and orchestrated the offense. And he made perfect entry passes to Aguirre who was just devastating on the block.

Ask Derek Harper how difficult Davis was to play against. He went against him every day in practice and has enormous respect for his game.
“And if you don’t know, now you know …”

Maybe Jason Terry has a post-NBA career as an interior decorator. He’s already making plans to spruce up the American Airlines Center.

PODCAST
ESPN Dallas released their "Take 'em or Trash 'em" piece this morning and Jeff Caplan and Tim MacMahon hop on to share their thoughts. Listen

“There’s some new jerseys coming to town!” Terry said during the post-parade ceremony as he pointed up toward the AAC rafters.

Of course, Jet assumes that his No. 31 will someday be hanging next to Rolando Blackman’s No. 22 and Brad Davis’ No. 15, among others. He’s certainly on the short list after a seven-season stint in Dallas that has featured two Finals appearances and one championship.

Here’s a six-pack of candidates for AAC immortality, listed in order of the likelihood of having their number retired by the Mavericks:

Dirk Nowitzki: It’s just a matter of when and where to put the statue of by far the best player in franchise history. (I’d recommend right in the middle of Victory Plaza, for what it’s worth.)

Jason Kidd: His two tenures in Dallas, separated by more than a decade, have spanned parts of seven seasons and he’ll probably last at least two more. He ranks third in franchise history in assists with 3,947 and is a good bet to break that record. He’s also third with 872 steals. And his intangibles played an immeasurable role in the franchise’s first championship. Plus, Mark Cuban, the one-man selection committee, originally bought Reunion Arena nosebleed season tickets because he wanted to watch Kidd and took the biggest risk of his ownership tenure to bring Kidd back to Dallas.

Jason Terry: Depending on the length of the lockout, Terry should become the sixth player to score 10,000 points in a Mavericks uniform next season. He’s made it clear that he hopes to retire here, so it’s feasible that he could climb to third or fourth on that list. Jet clearly believes his performance this postseason punched his ticket to the rafters. He’s probably right. After all, the way he came through in the last few games of the Finals -- after boldly questioning whether LeBron James could keep up with him -- was the stuff of legends.

Derek Harper: This one is long overdue. No offense to Davis, but Harper was unquestionably the better player. He holds the franchise records for assists (5,111) and steals (1,551) and ranks fourth in points (12,597). Harper is also a class act who remains on good terms with the Mavs, as evidenced by his broadcasting role.

Michael Finley: His post-Dallas time in San Antonio can’t be held against him. It’s not as if he asked to be released as an amnesty clause casualty. Finley was the cornerstone of the teams that turned the franchise from a league laughingstock to a perennial playoff squad. He was a true pro who helped Nowitzki make the tough transition from a midlevel European league to the NBA. And Finley was a two-time All-Star who ranks fifth in franchise history with 12,389 points.

Mark Aguirre: Don’t hold your breath for this to happen despite Aguirre’s 13,930 points for the Mavs, which ranks behind only Nowitzki and Blackman in franchise history. The way Aguirre essentially forced his way out of Dallas is held against him.

Through the magic of ESPN.com, you can now vote for your favorite all-time starting lineup for the Dallas Mavericks, as well as every other NBA team.

That's right, the most productive five for every franchise. Or maybe we should just call it "Dirk and his four friends."

So who makes the cut? Who do you like at point guard: Derek Harper, Steve Nash, Brad Davis or Jason Kidd?

Shooting guard also is a tough pick: Michael Finley, Rolando Blackman, Jim Jackson or Jason Terry?

You pick at every position, so cast your vote for your all-time Mavs Fab Five.

To celebrate the storied histories of the franchises in the Finals, ESPN.com let fans pick the all-time starting five for the Celtics and Lakers.

My immediate thought was, man, this wouldn't be nearly as fun with the Mavericks.

But it's not like we've got much better things to do while we wait for the NBA offseason to officially start. So here's one man's opinion on the best players at each position in Mavs less-than-legendary history:

POINT GUARD

Candidates: Jason Kidd, Devin Harris, Steve Nash, Derek Harper, Brad Davis

The nod here goes to Derek Harper despite the fact that he never played in an All-Star Game. This is based solely on contributions to the Mavs, so Kidd’s prime years and Nash’s two MVP seasons weren’t considered. Longevity gives the edge to Harper, who holds the franchise career records for assists and steals. Harper also averaged 14.4 points per game during his Dallas tenure, a tick below Nash’s average in a Mavs uniform. Of course, if Mark Cuban and Co. didn’t let Nash return to the desert, this would be a no-contest.

SHOOTING GUARD

Candidates: Jason Terry, Michael Finley, Rolando Blackman

This is the best debate of the bunch. Blackman and Finley were cornerstones of eras when the Mavs went from one of the league’s worst teams to winners. Finley’s regular-season numbers with the Mavs (19.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) are slightly better than Blackman’s (19.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Blackman was a more efficient scorer and made four All-Star appearances, twice as many as Finley. And Blackman’s numbers went up in the postseason, when Finley’s went down a notch. I’ll go with Ro.

SMALL FORWARD

Candidates: Josh Howard, Jamal Mashburn, Mark Aguirre

Like Howard, Aguirre’s time in Dallas had too much drama toward the end and ended with a trade after he got on bad terms with the team. But Aguirre was by far a better player. He averaged 24.6 points per game with the Mavs, including a franchise-record 29.5 in 1983-84. A strong case can be made that No. 24 ought to be in the AAC rafters.

POWER FORWARD

Candidates: Dirk Nowitzki, Roy Tarpley, Sam Perkins

This is a no-brainer, which is also an accurate way to refer to X-ray results from Tarpley’s head. Who knows how great Tarpley could have been if he kept his nose clean? Dirk is without a doubt the best player in franchise history, having set all sorts of franchise record while building his Hall of Fame resume. There haven’t been many power forwards in NBA history better than Dirk.

CENTER

Candidates: Erick Dampier, Shawn Bradley, James Donaldson

Not exactly Mikan/Chamberlain/Kareem/Shaq, huh? One-time All-Star James Donaldson, who averaged 8.8 points and 9.5 rebounds during his Dallas tenure, is the default winner.

Not that he'll remember Sunday night's start-to-finish blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, but Dirk Nowitzki did hit a career milestone.

The Dallas Mavericks power forward played in his 872nd career game with the Mavs, tying Derek Harper for second-most in franchise history. Nowitzki, assuming he remains in good health, will surpass leader Brad Davis (883) later this month.