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Whatever baggage Delonte West dragged with him to the Dallas Mavericks, no matter the Twitter rants he may unleash and regardless of the strange twists that pop up such as Monday's banned/not-banned White House situation, nothing has stopped the intriguing, tattooed guard from delivering steadying performances.

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West stepped up big Tuesday night in place of injured point guard Jason Kidd, setting the aggressive tone for the 100-86 victory in which Dallas broke it open by 28 points in the third quarter. West delivered a Kidd-like 10 assists, a high for the Mavs this season, with five steals, giving him 18 on the season, fifth-most in the league.

"He’s incredible," guard Jason Terry said. "His energy, we’ve been feeding off of it; obviously without Jason Kidd. I think that people forget about Delonte’s ability to run the team and play point guard. That’s what he was drafted as and he’s a good one."

It's also what he was brought into Dallas to do -- replace J.J. Barea and run the point behind Kidd . But, that changed in the second half of the season opener when coach Rick Carlisle moved Vince Carter to the bench and slid West over to start at shooting guard.

West is playing about 21 minutes a game and while his shooting percentages remain low (43.5 percent overall and 18.2 from 3-point range) his energy and effort -- particularly on defense -- have remained high, and pleasing to Carlisle.

"It’s not often you have a guy on the floor that goes 9-for-10, but there’s a guy on the floor that’s actually the best player on the court," Carlisle said, first noting Dirk Nowitzki's impressive shooting night. "Delonte was the best player on the court because of his competitiveness. That’s what we need right now. We need consistency as a team competitively and he set a great tone for us the last two games."

West will again start at point guard tonight against his former club, the Boston Celtics. And there's no guarantee that Kidd will be ready for Friday's home game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Kidd was hobbling around the White House on Monday and then returned to Dallas to continue treatment for back spasms in his lower back.

The Mavs pulled to .500 after starting 0-3 by winning five of their last seven. The Celtics also started o-3, but since have Paul Pierce back in the lineup and have won four of five. They'll be well-rested and hungry after suffering a first home loss in their last game back on Friday night.

"For us," West said after Tuesday night's game, "we’re going in there against a team that’s going to try and jump on us, so it’s already forward thinking."

Coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged that the beat-up nature of the Detroit Pistons made Tuesday's game one the Dallas Mavericks should win, but he also pointed out that you still have to do the right things or a team on a losing skid will bite.

"We’re on the road, we will take it," guard Jason Terry said after the 100-86 victory. "We have a big game tomorrow night."

Dallas did all the right things in building a 28-point third-quarter lead and now the focus shifts to tonight's tougher assignment against a Boston Celtics team that hasn't played since losing at home to Indiana on Friday night to fall to 3-1 at TD Garden.

As that anticipated matchup approaches, here's three things to c0nsider:

1. Defense improving: After that horrid three-game start, the Mavs are slowly starting to sharpen their defensive chops. Dallas made it seven consecutive games of limiting its opponent to fewer than 100 points -- and holding five in the 80s -- after their first three opponents scored no fewer than 104. Dallas also started out dead last in the league in field-goal percentage defense, giving up better than 50 percent. That number has steadily declined and after holding Detroit to43.5 percent shooting (and lower for nearly the entire game until fourth-quarter garbage time), the Mavs have held those last seven opponents to 42.5 percent shooting. Accordingly, Dallas has won five of those seven games.

2. Can Dirk stay hot?: Dirk Nowitzki broke out of his two-game slump (5-of-22 for 16 points) by making his first six shots Tuesday and finishing 9-of-10 for 18 points against the Pistons. The opposing defense gets stiffer tonight against the Celtics and without Jason Kidd for a third consecutive game, odds are that the Mavs will need their leading scorer to again shoot a high percentage.

3. Delonte West goes about business: Starting at point guard for Jason Kidd (lower back), West set the tone Tuesday and finished with a Kidd-like 10 assists, a Mavs team high on the season and two off West's career best, and five steals. The performance came a day after the bizarre tale of West believing he was banned from visiting the White House with the team -- which the team initially confirmed -- only to have a Secret Service agent tell ABC News Monday morning that West was not banned at all and was indeed welcome to attend. West stayed away anyway and the Mavs offered no comment on the matter. West, a D.C., native apparently didn't mind, judging by his strong play against the Pistons. Tonight, he'll look to lead his new team past his former club, the Boston Celtics.

How it happened: The Dallas Mavericks did exactly what they had to and put the struggling, injury-riddled Detroit Pistons out of their misery early.

The Mavs made their first eight shots, jumped out to a 23-9 lead and shot 63 percent in the first half to lead, 52-38, a margin that could have been larger. They would take care of that in the third quarter. Detroit, playing without Rodney Stuckey and Charlie Villanueva and now losers of five straight after playing in its fourth game in five nights, closed to within 52-40 to start the third quarter.

That’s as close as the Pistons would get. Dallas rolled to a 16-0 run for a 68-40 lead, its largest margin, on a Dirk Nowitzki fadeaway with 5:57 to go in the quarter.

Speaking of Nowitzki, he whisked away his 5-of-22 shooting slump in the previous two games by hitting his first seven shots. He finished with a team-high 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting. Shawn Marion had 14, Vince Carter, starting for a second consecutive game, had 11 points. Ian Mahinmi had another nice offensive night with 10 points. Lamar Odom again didn't have much offensive success, going 0-of-3 from the field, but he did come off the bench to tie for the team lead in rebounds with seven.

All-in-all, a Mavs team without its floor general, Jason Kidd, for a second consecutive game, played an efficient game at both ends of the floor, the level of competition notwithstanding -- and all those empty seats at the Palace of Auburn Hills showed what the locals think of the level of play. Detroit shot just 44.1 percent -- buoyed by some late scoring -- was outrebounded and committed 21 turnovers, with the Mavs taking 13 steals.

Coach Rick Carlisle got all of his key players out of the game with under seven minutes to go. With 5:24 to go Yi Jianlian made his Mavs debut as all 13 Mavs that suited up played.

What it means: Dallas is .500 for the first time this season at 5-5. It was an important win to nail down considering a well-rested Boston Celtics club is up next Wednesday night. Also, with San Antonio's road loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday, the Mavs moved one game back of the Spurs for the Southwest Division lead.

Play of the game: With the first quarter winding down, Vince Carter, dribbling out by the arc on the right wing, lofted a pass toward Mahinmi down low. The 6-foot-11 forward snared the pass on his fingertips to save it from going out of bounds at the baseline and in one motion switched the ball from his right to left hand and scored with a swooping lay-in at the rim for a 30-18 lead.

Stat of the day: Delonte West, starting for Kidd, delivered 10 assists, a season-high for West, but also a Mavs season team high. He finished two assists shy of his career mark.

The Dallas Mavericks won more road games last season (28) than they lost in the last two seasons combined (27). No team has won more games away from home (55) than the Mavs in that time.

Tonight against the struggling Detroit Pistons, they'll try to get their first road win in four tries this season. In two of their three road games, the Mavs have lost by at least 17 points. In the other, at Oklahoma City, they lost at the buzzer.

"One of the best games we’ve played all year was in Oklahoma City and we got beat at the end, so that was a good sign," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the team's Tuesday morning shootaround. "But the games we’ve had since then haven’t been what we’re looking for, so we have to correct that."

Dallas was shut out 15-0 to end a 17-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then opened their next road game at San Antonio by trailing 19-4 after just a couple of minutes in the eventual 93-71 loss.

Stubborn defense last season and an attitude of invincibility carried the Mavs to a 28-13 road record that tied for the best mark in the league with the Miami Heat. Dallas is 0-3 so far this season with a difficult challenge ahead Wednesday night against a Boston Celtics team that is now healthy, hasn't played since Friday night and is 3-1 at home.

"The important thing is getting on track this year and that’s going to be about our consistent play and efficient play," Carlisle said. "We haven’t gotten there yet."

We already know that the Dallas Mavericks are the oldest team in the NBA, boasting a mature average of 30.3 years and a starting lineup that averages 32.8 years (and Delonte West, 28, lowered that when he took over for 34-year-old Vince Carter).

But what about the tallest team in the NBA? Yes, it appears that Dallas, with its recent signing of 7-foot Chinese center Yi Jianlian, can also claim this distinction (if not in total feet and inches, which they might, than in total number of tall players). Seven -- virtually half of the Mavs' 15-man roster -- stand 6-10 or taller. Dallas is the rare team with three 7-footers (Yi, Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood), plus 6-11 center Ian Mahinmi and three 6-10 forwards and/or centers in Lamar Odom, Brandan Wright and Sean Williams.

Dallas has already shown a lineup that includes Odom, Nowitzki and Mahinmi, or darn near 21 feet of front-line players.

The league average for the number of players 6-10 or taller on a team is 4.2.

Four teams -- the New York Knicks, thanks to the addition of 7-1 center Tyson Chandler, the Orlando Magic (with five players at 6-10), the Washington Wizards and the Minnesota Timberwolves -- all have six.

Two teams -- the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers -- have just two players at 6-10 or taller.

Six teams, including tonight's opponent, the Detroit Pistons, have five, six have three, 11 teams -- including the entire Pacific Division -- have four, but just one team stands the tallest with seven.

What does it all mean? Probably not a whole lot. Three of the Mavs' tallest players -- Yi, Williams and Wright -- are role players at best at the moment. Williams is playing for the Mavs' D-League affiliate. Wright has seen limited action of late and Yi could see his first action tonight.

However, the addition of Odom, who is still trying to find his footing in Dallas, does give Mavs coach Rick Carlisle intriguing versatility, such as using Odom to bring the ball up the floor and initiate the offense. And Haywood and Mahinmi are showing to be a nicer-than-expected combo at center. Williams and Wright do provide additional bodies to use in the middle in case of foul trouble.

So, take it for what it's worth. The Mavs have a lot of tall guys.

Yi Jianlian joined his new teammates for the first time Tuesday for the Dallas Mavericks' morning shootaround in preparation for tonight's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Afterward, coach Rick Carlisle was promptly asked for his thoughts on the 7-foot Chinese center.

"I’ve only seen him for like an hour," Carlisle said. "We’ve just got to get him involved with whatever practice time we have. And tonight, before the game get a group out there and start going through our offensive and defensive stuff, and pretty much on the fly is how we’re going to have to do it."

Yi, signed last Friday to a one-year deal, burned up the D-League in two games with the Texas Legends, the Mavs' affiliate in Frisco. Yi posted 17 points and 11 rebounds in his debut and then 29 points and 13 rebounds in his second and final game. His game won't translate as easily or quickly on the big club.

His assignment to the D-League was to get some instant conditioning. Yi had been playing in China and sustained a minor knee injury, so he had not played in some time. Whether he sees action tonight might depend on the score or perhaps potential foul issues or simply how curious Carlisle is to see his new player.

"We like him as a prospect," Carlisle said, using similar language when the team signed 6-10 forward-center Sean Williams, who remains with the Legends. "I like his size, skill, he’s a hard-playing guy which is something that will always help any team. We’re going to work with him."

The Dallas Mavericks had their fun on Monday sharing a few laughs with the President. Can they get down to business on Tuesday?

With two days having passed since their last game -- an eternity in this schedule -- the Mavs have a shot to even their record for the first time against the struggling Detroit Pistons, who lost for a fourth straight time Monday night, trampled by the Chicago Bulls, 92-68. This game will be about energy and the Mavs need to bring it against a downtrodden club.

Dallas will have to do find that energy and some rhythm without point guard Jason Kidd (lower back) for a second consecutive game, and this an important one because Dallas faces a rested Boston Celtics team on Wednesday. The Celtics will have had four days off since their last game.

Records: Mavs (4-5); Pistons (2-7)

When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Palace of Auburn Hills

TV: FSSW

Radio: 103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: Mavs coach Rick Carlisle has challenged Rodrigue Beaubois to bring a more determined and disciplined defensive effort on a more consistent basis. Dirk Nowitzki challenged the third-year guard to make better decisions and attack the basket. With Jason Kidd on the shelf again, Beaubois should get an opportunity to show improvement in both areas against the Pistons, a team that has trouble cracking 80 and doesn't exactly play "Bad Boy" defense. As has been stated here before, Beaubois might not be a regular rotation player with a fully healthy roster, but he will be integral throughout the season to help keep Kidd rested. Showing he can contribute now could do wonders not only for Beaubois' confidence, but for Carlisle's confidence in him.

Key matchup: Dirk Nowitzki vs. Jonas Jerebko
The second-year forward out of Sweden will have his hands full as Nowitzki looks to break out of a shooting slump that has seen him miss 17-of-22 shots in the last two games and score just 16 points. Nowitzki nearly had back-to-back single digit games for the first time since Nov. 26, 2003 when he left scoreless after seven minutes with a sprained ankle, and Dec. 10, 2003 when he returned from the injury and scored nine points in 27 minutes. Nowitzki is averaging a team-high 19.0 points, but shooting just 43.8 percent overall and 20.0 percent on 3s.

Injuries: Mavs - G Jason Kidd (lower back) is out. Pistons - F Charlie Villanueva (right ankle) is questionable; G Rodney Stuckey (groin) is questionable.

Up next: Mavs at Boston Celtics, 7 p.m., Wednesday

It's not every day you start the week with a visit to the White House. The reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks are in Washington D.C. and will meet President Barack Obama today before taking off for Detroit and the first multi-city road trip of the season.

Dallas, 0-3 in one-nighters to Oklahoma City, Minnesota and San Antonio, will attempt to get their first road victory as well even their record (4-5) for the first time. They will do so with Jason Kidd having left the White House to return to Dallas to rehab the lower back injury that will keep him out at least these next two games.

"The first road win is more important than anything," Jason Terry said. "Get out here on the road and really have some fun and enjoy doing what we do because, again, it’s about taking steps along this long journey that we’re on. Winning your first road game is a step towards where we’re headed."

Here's a quick glance at this week's games against four teams that are a combined 11-23:

Tuesday: at Detroit Pistons (2-6), 6:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: The Mavs will be hanging out in the greater Auburn Hills area Monday night while the Pistons will look to snap a three-game skid in Chicago. Detroit is off to a ragged start, ranking last in the league in scoring (84.3 ppg) and near the bottom (along with the Mavs) in field-goal percentage (41.7). Dallas will have had two days to rest some weary legs and although it b without point guard Jason Kidd (lower back), this game represents a major opportunity to get to .500 before playing at Boston the following night.

Wednesday: at Boston Celtics (4-4), 7 p.m.
TV/Radio: ESPN/103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: Talk about walking into a buzz saw. Dallas will close out a back-to-back against a Celtics team that will have not played since an 87-74 loss at Indiana on Friday. That's four consecutive nights without a game and the Celtics, who also have Paul Pierce back in the lineup, will have gone since Jan. 1 and 2 without a back-to-back, so figure which team should have the energy factor working in their favor.

Friday: vs. Milwaukee Bucks (2-7), 7:30 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: Bucks center Andrew Bogut hasn't played since Jan. 2 to tend to a personal matter. Since then, Milwaukee has lost four consecutive games and five in a row overall. Dallas won't underestimate this team, however, after the Bucks ended the Mavs' 12-game in streak at the AAC in the early portion of last season. Bogut had 21 points and 14 rebounds in that game. Brandon Jennings is pacing the Bucks so far this season, averaging 20.0 points a game, although he is shooting just 41.1 percent, and 5.6 assists. Milwaukee will come to town after playing in Detroit the night before.

Saturday: vs. Sacramento Kings (3-6), 8 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSSW/103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)
What to watch: Second-year center DeMarcus Cousins won a battle of wills with former Mavs assistant coach Paul Westphal, making Westphal the first coach this season to be shown the door. The Kings boast a young and talented -- albeit raw -- roster that includes Marcus Thornton (19.4 ppg), Tyreke Evans (15.8 ppg) and Jimmer Fredette (9.4 ppg). The Kings are 0-3 on the road and this game will be their fourth in five nights and fourth of a five-game road trip.

DALLAS -- If the Dallas Mavericks are going to leave for the White House in a good mood Sunday, they'll have to get a win without point guard Jason Kidd. The 18-year veteran will sit out tonight's game with a lower back injury that he aggravated in the first quarter of Thursday's blowout loss at San Antonio.

Coach Rick Carlisle deemed the injury to be "not serious," but he wouldn't speculate on Kidd's availability for the upcoming two game road trip at Detroit (Tuesday) and Boston (Wednesday), which starts another stretch of four games in five nights. Carlisle would only say that the team is going to be cautious in bringing him back.

The focus for Carlisle is simply getting through tonight's game against an overhauled New Orleans Hornets team that has lost five in a row after a 2-0 start. Delonte West would figure to take over as the starting point guard, but Carlisle would not divulge how he will fill out the lineup.

"You lose a guy like Jason Kidd for a game, that's tough," Carlisle said after the team's morning shootaround. "The guy's been an anchor. He's been kind of always there, he's just been a steadying force. So, now we've got to make up for it with other guys. It's a challenge that's going to be a good challenge for us."

Records: Hornets (2-5); Mavs (3-5)

When: 8 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center

TV: FSSW

Radio: 103.3 FM ESPN; 1270 AM (Spanish)

What to watch: Dallas finally had a day of rest after getting walloped in San Antonio on Friday, the Mavs' sixth game in eight nights. Meanwhile, the Hornets lost at home Friday night to Denver. The Mavs have held the lead after one quarter just twice this season. This would be a good time to jump on a team that's down on its luck early and force the league's 27th-ranked scoring team (87.3 ppg) to play from behind. ... Also, who starts for the Mavs with Kidd sidelined? West figures to start at point guard, but does Carlisle go with Vince Carter or Rodrigue Beaubois at shooting guard? Or does he go a completely different direction? ... Look for Dirk Nowitzki to get involved early after his six-point outing at San Antonio. ... Dallas ranks 26th in field-goal percentage (41.2) and 20th in scoring (92.4). Points won't come easy against the Hornets, who are holding opponents to 91.7 points a game.

Key matchup: Shawn Marion vs. Marco Belinelli
Hornets point guard Jarrett Jack is off to a fast start, averaging 16.7 points and 8.2 assists, but 6-5 Marco Belinelli has hurt Dallas before and he's a troublesome matchup tonight. He's starting at shooting guard with Eric Gordon (knee) sidelined, which moves low-scoring youngster Al-Farouq Aminu to the starting small forward spot. The Hornets' size with this lineup could give Vince Carter the start at shooting guard and if that's the case, expect him to defend Aminu with Marion taking on the more explosive Belinelli, who can attack the rim and line up the 3-pointer.

Injuries: Hornets - G Eric Gordon (knee) is out; F Trevor Ariza (groin) is questionable; F DaJuan Summers (knee) is out. Mavs - G Jason Kidd (lower back) is out.

Up next: Mavs at Detroit Pistons, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday

An amnesty case of the New York Knicks, veteran point guard Chauncey Billups issued a warning to teams under the salary cap that will have first crack to bring him on board: Don't do it.

"If I get claimed by a team I don't want to play for, I would absolutely consider retirement," Billups told ESPNNY.com on Sunday. "The game's been really good to me, and I don't want anyone to feel bad for me. I've made a lot of money and I've saved most of it. I don't need the money now. I want to be able to play for something, a championship, and I want to be able to have my own destiny in my hands. If I don't, then retiring might have to be a decision I make."

Under the terms of the amnesty provision written into the new CBA, teams below the salary cap can bid for the amnestied player's services. The highest bidder is then responsible for that portion of the player's overall salary. If Billups goes unclaimed, he will become an unrestricted free agent at 5 p.m. (CT) tonight under the league's 48-hour waiver wire.

At that point Billups can choose his team. As he said, money won't be an option because he'll still receive his full $14.2 million owed to him by the Knicks for this season. So Billups will have no problem signing for the veteran's minimum with say, the Miami Heat or the Dallas Mavericks -- two contenders with point-guard needs.

As currently constructed, Jason Terry, Rodrigue Beaubois and perhaps even Dominique Jones will be playing behind Jason Kidd, 38. A dependable backup is critical in this 66-game schedule to be played over 123 days.

Dallas will play 20 back-to-backs and one back-to-back-to-back that wraps up seven games in nine nights. The schedule is littered with intense stretches and March and April are particularly brutal months, with more games on the road than at home.

Is there a connection between Billups and the Mavs?

He played one season, 2002-03, under Rick Carlisle with the Detroit Pistons, getting swept out of the Eastern Conference finals by Kidd's New Jersey Nets.

Billups, 35, would come off the bench and split point-guard duties with the future Hall of Famer. With so many back-to-backs and long stretches, there could be nights where one or the other plays bigger minutes.

Would Billups want to play for the Mavs? Maybe. But would he rather start for the star-studded Heat? Mario Chalmers is the current starting point guard and rookie Norris Cole out of Cleveland State is the backup.

There's a good chance that come Christmas Day, Billups will be suited up inside the American Airlines Center. Take your pick which uniform he'll be wearing.

DALLAS -- Rick Carlisle is one of the great downplayers in this league.

Take Thursday night after the Dallas Mavericks throttled the New York Knicks and the coach was asked if calling his team "soft" the night before at New Orleans got his troops a little riled up. I'm confident Carlisle understood what how the "soft" label is taken in that locker room.

"You guys," Carlisle said, "are making it a much bigger deal out of it then our players are," Carlisle said.

Ah yes, the media's always stirring it up. Well, thanks to Carlisle for dropping the S-bomb, unprompted, to the media to give his team a kick in the rear through the media.

But, when the media hypes Saturday night's showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers at the American Airlines Center, Carlisle is buying it. It is actually somewhat humorous that most of the players blew off the matchup as just another game that counts in the standings and that despite just 17 games remaining it is still too early to look ahead to that semifinal series shaping up.

Carlisle, however, was right on point.

"It's the defending champs coming into your building, so it's a big deal," Carlisle said. "To try to downplay it wouldn't be being honest. It's an important game."

Most important to the Mavs' postseason cause is maintaining their grip on the No. 2 seed. Dallas and L.A. are too far behind the San Antonio Spurs -- barring an injury or some strange collapse -- to make a run at the No. 1 seed. Fourth-place Oklahoma City Thunder is too far behind to make a move second and third and, frankly, better keep looking behind them at the Portland Trail Blazers.

So, one way or another the Mavs (47-18) and Lakers (46-20) are on a collision course for a semifinal series. The No. 2 seed will hold homecourt advantage, and in a seven-game series against Kobe Bryant the two-time champs, that would seem an imperative for the Mavs. With a win Saturday, Dallas can go up by three in the loss column with one more head-to-head in L.A. on March 31. That would make for a tough climb for the Lakers considering the frequency with which both teams are winning.

Not that the players are thinking that far ahead.

"We've got o finish these [17] games out and go from there," You can't worry about if you're 2 or 3. We were 2 last year and we were out early. Seeding goes out the window once the next season starts. You've got to win on the road at some point anyway to win a championship. We've just got to focus and not look ahead."

At least Carlisle, who led his first two teams -- Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals -- has an eye on the big picture if he expects to take his first Western Conference team to the finals.

And, in this case, seeding matters.

DALLAS -- Ultimately, Caron Butler was right. He's still a member of the Dallas Mavericks after the NBA trade deadline. That doesn't mean he wasn't included in potential deals. Had Detroit come around on letting go of Tayshaun Prince, Butler would likely be a Piston today.

So Butler will finish out his $10.6 million expiring contract rehabbing his right knee and fighting to make a return for the playoffs, a feat he has predicted he will accomplish. He's also made strong comments suggesting he will re-sign with the Mavs after he becomes a free agent this summer.

Nelson wouldn't delve that deep into the future after Thursday's 2 p.m. deadline passed without the Mavs making a move. However, Nelson said he wasn't disappointed that the club didn't cash in Butler's contract for immediate help, and he praised Butler as though the 30-year-old (he turns 31 on March 13) is a piece the Mavs might like to have back as their starting small forward.

"He's part of the fabric of what we've been doing and what we're going to do," Nelson said. "In fairness to him, I don't know a guy that's put his heart and soul into this team like he has. He's back there right now as we speak working to get back. We really value that kind of person in our locker room."

One motivation for Butler to play in the postseason is to help the team and experience the playoffs. Another is to show the Mavs and other teams that his right knee, which required surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon, is back to full strength as he heads into free agency and likely his last chance to cash in.

DALLAS -- It was business as usual Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban chugged through his typical workout regimen while he entertained the media. Meanwhile, president of Donnie Nelson did his usual pre- and post-game schmoozing with Dallas' upper crust.

Come daybreak, both will have their cell phones glued to their ears as the NBA trade deadline counts down to 2 p.m. As ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Wednesday night, the Mavs would love to pry defensive-minded forward Tayshaun Prince from the stubborn Detroit Pistons or long-range shooter and misfit J.R. Smith from the re-tooling Denver Nuggets. Neither will come easily.

The Mavs on for the 14th time in 15 games, and four in a row, after Wednesday's 118-99 victory over the reeling Utah Jazz. Mavs players seem to believe they've got everything they need after the recent addition of Peja Stojakovic, who scored 18 points and hit 4-of-5 from 3-point range against the Jazz, and the even more recent return of Roddy Beaubois.

Dirk Nowitzki has said the Mavs are "right there" among the league's top contenders. Jason Terry said a move is unnecessary.

But, what about coach Rick Carlisle? Does he believe the team he coached Wednesday night will look the same today at the stroke of 2 p.m.?

"Until somebody tells me different," Carlisle said. "There's always a lot of talk about deals. How often there actually are deals, you know how that goes. At the same time, I would never put anything by Donnie and Mark. If it's something that can help us, I'm sure they'd look at it."

DALLAS -- It's no coincidence that the Dallas Mavericks' bench has been on fire as the team has recorded consecutive season-highs of 112 and 111 points in their last two games.

Dallas' reserves have scored half of the team's two-game total, including 63 points in Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers and 49 in Thursday's win over the Houston Rockets. Jason Terry and J.J. Barea have provided 87 of 112 bench points, with Shawn Marion adding 20.

"Our team is structured to have a really good bench," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We need a lot of productivity from them. We need them to provide balance to our starters. We don’t necessarily start our five best players. So, when we sub, we expect to get better, at least offensively."

That the Mavs have recorded such high point totals when Dirk Nowitzki has not been shooting well since returning from a sprained right knee is even more indicitive of how critical bench scoring is to the Mavs' overall success.

The Mavs prefer to bring Terry and Marion off the bench and match them up against the opponents' second team. In a more traditional alignment, Terry would start at shooting guard and Marion would start at small forward. Instead, the Mavs have used DeShawn Stevenson at shooting guard, and recently Sasha Pavlovic (who will be playing in his final game of his second 10-day contract tonight against the Atlanta Hawks) at small forward in the wake of Caron Butler's season-ending knee injury.

Along with point guard Jason Kidd, the Mavs feature a most unusual starting five in which three players (Pavlovic, Stevenson) average 8.0 points or less, which obviously puts the burden on the bench to score points.

How much burden?

The Mavs are 22-7 when their bench outscores their opponent's, and they're just 8-8 when outscored.

According to ESPN Stats & Research, Dallas' bench (36.1 points a game) ranks fifth in the league in scoring behind Philadelphia (39.8), Detroit (39.1), Phoenix (37.3) and Denver (36.7).

NEWARK, N.J. -- When the Dallas Mavericks rolled into Detroit last Monday afternoon, the previously hapless Pistons were seeking their first three-game winning streak of the season. And they got it.

Now the Mavs come into New Jersey following a physical beating by the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night and a long travel day Friday fraught with delays and detours. And guess what? The Nets, owners of the Eastern Conference's second-worst record at 12-31 and fresh off the Carmelo Anthony saga, are suddenly after their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Avery Johnson's Nets, led by former Mavs guard Devin Harris -- who ESPN.com Marc Stein reported was of interest to the Mavs had he landed in Denver via the Anthony deal that went belly-up -- dumped the Utah Jazz and on Friday beat those Pistons, who haven't won since defeating Dallas.

"New Jersey," Jason Terry said after the ugly 82-77 loss at Chicago, "is a must-win for us."

The Mavs were 2-7 without Dirk Nowitzki and his return has not sparked an automatic return to their pre-injury level, which illustrates the blow of losing Caron Butler for the season to a knee injury. With Dirk back, Dallas is 1-3 and his shooting struggles have led to debate regarding the health of the right knee he sprained on Dec. 27.

Dallas has dropped five in a row on the road after starting 12-2. After an 89-70 loss at Memphis, Nowitzki declared it "rock bottom." A loss to the woeful Nets would have to rank a notch below.