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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.

PODCAST
ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to touch on the storylines in the NBA playoffs and offer a Mavs perspective. Listen

Jason Terry: JET’s best work since signing with Boston has come since the Celtics’ backs were pinned against the wall.

Terry followed up his Game 4 overtime heroics with a 17-point, four-rebound, three-assist, no-turnover, multi-wing performance in the Celtics’ win over the Knicks that forced the series back to Boston. Terry’s 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range was critical to the Celtics building a double-digit lead that was too large for the Knicks to overcome.

"I'm a 14-year veteran," Terry said on TNT moments after the win. "If you don't know who I am by now, you will after this series."

That was apparently in response to Knicks sixth man J.R. Smith, who was suspended for Game 4 because of an elbow that connected with Terry’s head and stunk it up in Game 5, claiming that he didn’t know who Terry was.

Of course, JET has always been one of the league’s best at jawing. Case in point: He repeatedly referenced the Red Sox’s comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series, quoting “the great Kevin Millar” about the pressure shifting with a Game 5 win.

Jason Kidd: Mouthy sixth man Smith’s miserable performance got a lot of attention, but Kidd didn’t exactly bring much off the bench, either.

In fact, this ranked among the worst playoff performances of Kidd’s Hall of Fame career.

The 40-year-old went scoreless in 21 minutes, missing all four shot attempts. His only other stats: two rebounds, one block, one turnover and one foul. No assists. His plus-minus was a team-worst minus-14.

Tyson Chandler: Having chipped off rust and worked his way back into shape after a neck injury caused him to miss 16 of 20 games entering the playoffs, Chandler came up with a typical Chandler outing.

The big man had eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, 11 rebounds and three steals in 34 minutes. The Knicks were plus-8 with the 7-footer on the floor.

"I felt great," he said. "This game is probably the best I've felt. I felt lively, my legs felt good."

DeShawn Stevenson: Stevenson played a grand total of 16 seconds in the Hawks’ tie-breaking Game 5 loss to the Pacers. He did manage to get up a shot that he missed.

Ian Mahinmi: Mahinmi played only 9:27 in the Pacers’ win. He probably would have seen more minutes if he didn’t pick up five fouls. He finished with two points, two rebounds and a block.

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 Terry: We’ll just use an excerpt from ESPNBoston.com colleague Chris Forsberg’s column to sum up the vintage JET performance in his first playoff win since the title-clincher in Miami.

With the Celtics on the brink of being unceremoniously swept from the playoffs, Terry delivered a rarity this season: One of his familiar big-game efforts, scoring nine points in overtime as Boston held off New York 97-90 in Game 4 of the teams' first-round playoff series on Sunday at TD Garden.

The Knicks own a 3-1 series lead as the only things they put away Sunday were their brooms. Game 5 is Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

"I had every intention of trying to make an impact on the game, some way or another," said the 35-year-old Terry, who scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting with four assists over 41 minutes. One game after shuffling to a starting role to help with ballhandling, Terry returned to a bench spot and provided a much-needed spark, accounting for all but four points of Boston's reserve production.

"If I wasn't making shots, I wanted to get a steal, get a rebound, any little thing to keep it going," Terry said. "Again, I'm going to coach AAU, but I don't want to do that right now."

The quintessential Terry postseason performance was highlighted by the quintessential Terry shot. Sneaking out in transition in a tied game late in overtime, Terry found space as three Knicks defenders shaded toward Paul Pierce on the opposite wing. Jeff Green fed Terry, who pulled up in transition on the left side and splashed a 3-pointer -- his lone triple of the game -- before Jason Kidd could get out to contest.

The trifecta broke the game's final tie and Terry added a 13-foot fadeaway, two free throws (after craftily drawing a loose-ball foul call boxing out for a defensive rebound) and a layup before the final horn.

Terry's struggles this season have been well-documented. Celtics coach Doc Rivers had made Terry his first phone call when free agency opened in July and there was hope that the former Sixth Man of the Year would provide a long-missing bench spark for Boston, particularly after Ray Allen defected to the rival Heat.

But Terry, playing the first season of a three-year, $15.7 million contract, slumped throughout the regular season and straight into the playoffs. At times his defense eroded to the point that, unable to convert on the offensive end, he was a liability on the floor. He admits his trademark soaring jet celebration has been stuck in the hangar for much of the season.

Despite taxiing for much of the season, Terry picked a heck of a time to get off the tarmac.

"I've just been patient," he said. "As long as there's time on the clock, as long as there is another game, it's an opportunity for me to do something special. That's just the type of player I am. Whether I've made every shot or missed every shot, I have the same focus, the same confidence."

Tyson Chandler: Chandler scored five points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked one shot in 31 minutes. The Knicks were outscored by six with him on the floor.

Jason Kidd: Kidd was scoreless in 37 minutes during the Knicks’ overtime loss, going 0-for-3 from the floor. He grabbed nine rebounds, dished out two assists and committed two turnovers.

Corey Brewer: Brewer had 14 points on 3-of-9 shooting with one rebound and one steal in 29 minutes as his Nuggets were pushed to the brink of elimination by the Warriors.

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 Terry: At least JET got on the board after a scoreless Game 1 performance. It looked like he might give the Celtics a big boost off the bench after he knocked down three 3-pointers in the first half.

That, however, accounted for all of Terry’s scoring in the Celtics’ loss. He finished with nine points on 3-of-8 shooting (3-of-7 from 3-point range) and dished out three assists in 34 minutes.

Terry certainly wasn’t the only Celtic who struggled offensively in the second half. Boston scored a grand total of 23 points after halftime.

“In the second half we didn’t show up, so we look forward to going home and getting this first one,” Terry told reporters after the Knicks took a 2-0 series lead. “I never get too high or too low. So, I’m always even keeled. It’s a long series. I always say that. We’ll see what adjustments we make going forward.”

Tyson Chandler: The Knicks were plus-21 in Chandler’s 22 minutes, which is by far the most impressive number from his statistical line.

Chandler did get his first bucket of the series, scoring three points on 1-of-4 shooting. He grabbed five rebounds and blocked one shot.

Jason Kidd: The Knicks didn’t need Kidd to play heavy minutes in this win, so he should be fresh as the series goes to Boston. He had three points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 23 minutes.

Corey Brewer: Brewer scored 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting off the Nuggets’ bench. He had nine points in the fourth quarter, but Golden State had essentially put the game away by then. Brewer also had three assists and two rebounds in 30 minutes.

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.

The Mavericks will explore all potential avenues of improving the talent on their roster, but upgrading at point guard is the top priority.

While Darren Collison confidently declared Thursday that he believes he could start for any team in the league, the Dallas decision-makers clearly don’t share that opinion. After all, they opted to start Derek Fisher and Mike James over Collison in a season that president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson described as a “point guard odyssey.”

PODCAST
Donnie Nelson joins Chuck Cooperstein and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Mavericks' season and the importance of this summer. Listen

The Mavs might welcome Collison back as a backup, depending on the price. They’ll search this summer for a long-term starting solution at a spot that coach Rick Carlisle calls “the most important position in the league.”

“We’ve been spoiled with Jason Kidd and Stevie Nash before,” Nelson said during a Thursday appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3’s Galloway and Company. “I think the quarterback position is just a really, really important one. I’d say that that’s up there.

“That’s no disrespect for anyone. Darren Collison did a terrific job with a tough situation, and we’d certainly be open to the conversation of him coming back, but (upgrading point guard) has got to be in my mind first and foremost.”

The pie-in-the-sky scenario: Sign Chris Paul. Of course, the odds of him ditching a talented, young Clippers team to come to Dallas to play with a mid-30s core are awfully slim. As Mark Cuban recently said, he’ll be rooting for teams with free agents the Mavs might target to lose early in the playoffs. Would Paul consider leaving the Clippers if they flame out in the first round?

PODCAST
Rick Carlisle joins Chuck Cooperstein and Tim MacMahon to discuss the Mavericks' disappointing season and what needs to happen for them to get back to the playoffs. Listen

Paul will be the perfect fit, but the Mavs must be prepared to find their point guard of the future somewhere else. They might be able to draft next season’s backup with the 13th overall pick, assuming they don’t get amazing lottery luck, but a team determined to drastically improve its basketball IQ isn’t going to hand the reins to a rookie to run the show for 30-plus minutes a night.

It’s time for the Mavs to find a proven veteran point guard to fill Kidd’s shoes.

“I don’t know exactly what style, but the guy’s going to have to be able to score,” Carlisle said on Galloway and Company. “The guy’s going to have to be able to come off screens and hit shots, because when you’re come off screens from Dirk, you’re going to be open because of the way guys play him.”

A quick look at some of the other potential long-term upgrades available in free agency:

Jose Calderon: The Mavs have been involved in trade discussions about Calderon, as recently as midseason, when he got dealt from Toronto to Detroit in the three-way Rudy Gay deal. Calderon, who turns 32 in September, is a pass-first point guard who is a very efficient offensive player. He has career averages of 7.2 assists and 1.7 turnovers per game and is an excellent shooter (.483 FG, .399 3s, .877 FT). His flaws: He doesn’t penetrate well and is a poor defender, especially against speedy point guards.

Monta Ellis: The 27-year-old is not really a point guard. He’s a scorer (career 19.4 ppg) who sometimes plays point guard. He’s dangerous off the dribble and trouble in transition, but Ellis jacks up a lot of long jumpers and doesn’t make very many. He attempted 328 3s this season despite hitting only 28.7 percent, the lowest of any player with at least 200 tries. The idea of Ellis running pick-and-pops with Dirk Nowitzki is intriguing, but can a guard who has never averaged more than six assists per game in a season be counted on to consistently deliver Dirk the ball in prime scoring situations? And Ellis doesn’t exactly have a great defensive rep, either, despite his high steals totals.

Jarrett Jack: Jack, who turns 30 in October, is coming off his best season, averaging 12.9 points and 5.6 assists as the sixth man for a playoff team with Golden State. He’s an excellent midrange shooter and very effective hitting floaters off the dribble. He has a low turnover rate, the kind of strength and toughness Carlisle wants in a point guard and hit a lot of clutch shots for the Warriors this season. But Jack is really a combo guard who has never averaged more than 6.3 assists per season and struggles defensively against quick point guards. Like Kidd, he’s actually better defending shooting guards.

Brandon Jennings: Can the former lottery pick flourish under Carlisle’s coaching? Would it be worth offering enough to the restricted free agent for Milwaukee not to match? The 23-year-old Jennings, who has butted heads with his Bucks coaches, is on the record saying he’d love to play with Dirk and for Cuban and Carlisle in Dallas. His shooting percentage might soar in that situation, but the fact that it’s 39.4 percent for his career is a red flag. So is his slender frame (6-foot-1, 169 pounds). Oh, and so is the fact the Bucks have occasionally benched him during crunch time down the stretch this season. But Jennings (17.5 ppg, 6.5 apg this season) has shown enough flashes of brilliance to at least make him intriguing.

Jeff Teague: He’s a restricted free agent on a playoff team that has a ton of cap space, so the Mavs would have to overpay to get Teague. The four-year veteran is a quality young point guard, averaging 14.6 points and 7.2 assists this season, but it’s difficult to envision the Mavs throwing a ton of money at him.

Mo Williams: The 30-year-old Williams is best suited as a scoring sixth man, not a starting point guard. He’s a good spot-up 3-point shooter and knocks down a lot of midrange jumpers off pick-and-rolls, but he’s never been more than an average driver or distributor. Plus, Williams has major durability issues, having missed at least a dozen games in seven of the last eight seasons, including 36 with the Jazz last season, when he averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 assists.

There are, of course, other ways for the Mavs to acquire point guards. Hey, maybe Cuban can come up with some kind of multi-team deal that lands Rajon Rondo in Dallas.

DALLAS -- The good news: Dirk Nowitzki is shooting 74.2 percent from the floor in the last three games.

PODCAST
Rick Carlisle joins Galloway & Company to discuss Jason Terry's return to Dallas, why Dirk Nowitzki isn't getting the ball enough at the end of games and much more. Listen

The bad news: Nowitzki has attempted only 31 shots in that span, including only 10 in each of the Mavericks’ two losses.

Yes, the Mavs want to be a balanced offensive team. But there’s no doubt that when Dirk gets hot, he needs to be fed a bunch more.

“It’s a team responsibility. It’s a coaching responsibility,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “Guys on the floor have got to make sure he’s touching it more. If I’ve got to call more plays to get the ball in his hands, I will.”

Carlisle can do his part by calling more plays designed for Nowitzki. Those plays still have to be executed, though.

And that’s why this is a point guard issue, as much as anything.

Nowitzki admits he’s been spoiled during his career, having played long stretches with Steve Nash and Jason Kidd, two of five men in NBA history with more than 10,000 assists. Now Mike James, a 37-year-old journeyman combo guard, is the Mavs’ primary point.

James has attempted more shots than Nowitzki in each of the Mavs’ last two losses despite the fact that the future Hall of Famer was 80 percent from the floor in both games. James understands that’s far from ideal shot distribution.

“We’ve just got to make sure that we find him as many open looks as we possibly can,” James said. “Our offense, our team flows through Dirk. We understand that. I just have to make more of a conscious effort to just make sure he’s getting his attempts.”

With defenses focusing on Nowitzki, there can be a fine line between feeding him and forcing the ball to him. And the Mavs don’t want James, who is shooting 48.9 percent from 3-point range in the last 10 games, to pass up open looks to get Nowitzki the ball in tight quarters.

But there’s no question Nowitzki needs more touches, especially when he’s in a groove.

“It’s not about sacrificing,” James said. “It’s just about making sure that he doesn’t go down two, three possessions without touching the ball. We just have to make a conscious effort that whatever play we run, I’m making sure I’m really making an effort to look for him and find him.”

DALLAS -- It’s hard work to be a jerk.

So Rick Carlisle needed the All-Star break as much as anybody. The long weekend of rest and relaxation with his family should recharge Carlisle’s batteries enough to maintain his maniacal intensity for the rest of the season despite the Dallas Mavericks’ dim playoff hopes.

And don’t think that calling Carlisle a jerk is an insult. It’s kind of a badge of honor. In fact, he’s fine with using a much cruder term to describe himself as someone with an unpleasant disposition.

“I tell guys all the time that I may be an a------, but I’m not a bulls----er,” Carlisle said. “I tell them the truth.”

That truth has often been told at a high-decibel level with Carlisle delivering the message from uncomfortably close range. He readily admits that he has had to be a bigger, um, jerk this season than any other year during his coaching career.

That’s not just because of the results for the 23-29 Mavs, who will need a near-miraculous post-break run to extend the franchise’s postseason streak to 13 years. It’s because the Mavs -- and especially some of the many newcomers -- have failed to meet the franchise’s standards for intensity.

PODCAST
Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James -- the NBA trade deadline is looming, and no one expects any landscape changing moves. Ben & Skin discuss. Listen

Carlisle calls lethargy “unfortunately one of the symptoms of our team.” He considers creating energy a part of his job that’s as important as X’s and O’s.

“One of the things you’ve got to do in this job is ... you’ve got to be demanding,” Carlisle said. “And you’ve especially got to be demanding if you have guys whose natural tendency isn’t to bring it all the time. I’m going to be enthusiastic, and I may be a dumb a-- thinking that they can, but until this season ends however it ends, I’m going to approach this every day feeling like every one of these 15 guys can bring us high energy when they step in that door every day.

“If I don’t, then I feel like I’m doing a disservice to my owner and I’m doing a disservice to our fans.”

Carlisle didn’t do much screaming during his first four seasons in Dallas. He didn’t have to.

Life got a lot tougher for Carlisle when Jason Kidd, his coach on the floor, decided to jump to the New York Knicks. Point guard Darren Collison and his 25-year-old backcourt partner O.J. Mayo have frequently been on the receiving end of Carlisle’s harsh rants.

“He had to be tougher this year than he’s ever been,” Dirk Nowitkzi said. “When you have J-Kidd running the show with his experience, he doesn’t have to teach as much, he doesn’t have to yell as much, he doesn’t have to get in people’s faces. J-Kidd as a floor leader gets everybody in their positions. That’s just what he does. This year, we’re missing him. We’re missing his decision-making.

“[Carlisle has] done a lot more teaching. He’s been aggressive the last couple of months. He’s been hard on Mayo and Collison, and they’ve responded and gotten better.”

Added Mayo: “I’m down with coach all day long. He just wants what’s best for us and the team obviously. It’s OK to be hard on your guys when you want what’s best for the team and you want the best on the players, so I’m down with him.”

Yet there was Carlisle after last week’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks blaming himself for the Mavs’ horrible start in that game. That wasn’t a case of a coach shielding his players from accountability. It was basically Carlisle’s way of warning players that he was going to be hell to deal with the next day.

Sure enough, the Mavs had one of their longest, most brutal film sessions of the season after the next day’s practice.

“Look, it’s important that our guys understand that I’m going to have the meter on 10 all the time trying to help them get better, trying to do anything possible to help them get any edge possible to win a game on a given night,” Carlisle said. “If they see that there’s any slippage in that area, they’re going to have an excuse to have slippage themselves. I’m not going to let that happen. I’m not going to let that happen.”

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.”

How privileged has Dirk Nowitzki been when it comes to point guards?

There are now five members of the 10,000-assist club. Nowitzki spent the majority of his career playing with two of them.

Nowitzki spent his first six seasons with Steve Nash, who has 10,005 assists after hitting the milestone in the Lakers’ loss last night. Nash dropped 797 regular-season dimes to Dirk, according to research done by ESPN Stats and Information.

Nowitzki spent four and a half seasons with Jason Kidd, who ranks behind only John Stockton in NBA history with 11,969 assists and counting. Kidd fed Nowitzki for 753 buckets.

The other members of the 10,000-assist club are Mark Jackson and Magic Johnson.

The four point guards currently on the Mavs’ roster have a total of 3,686 career assists: Mike James (1,919), Darren Collison (1,291), Rodrigue Beaubois (336) and Dominique Jones (140).

First, the good news: Dirk Nowitzki said his right knee felt fine after his first game of the season.

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Former rapper Ben Rogers goes back to his roots and spreads sports holiday joy with a freestyle poem. Listen

Sounds like he has a heck of a headache, though.

The Mavericks’ flaws were on full display in a 129-91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs that featured a terrible 20/20: 20 3-pointers allowed and 20 turnovers committed.

Nowitzki had grown accustomed to playing on a smart, savvy team. That description simply doesn’t fit these Mavs, which is why they signed the since-departed 38-year-old point guard Derek Fisher in the first place.

Nowitzki is used to having the Hall of Fame brain of Jason Kidd running the show. Now, he’ll have to get used to working with young point guards Darren Collison and Dominique Jones.

“Our basketball IQ obviously went down a little bit with J-Kidd leaving,” Nowitzki told reporters in San Antonio. “I think that’s pretty obvious.

“We don’t make the right play on defense. I don’t think that’s selfishness. Maybe we don’t react quick enough or maybe it’s not natural enough to the guys yet, all the calls, the switching of coverages. You’ve got to pay attention; you’ve got to be smart out there. ...

“Offensively, our decision-making has been brutal. We’re averaging 20 [turnovers] a night. It’s impossible to win, especially on the road.”

Um, welcome back, Dirk.

The Dallas Mavericks taking down the Miami Heat to win the 2011 NBA championship seems like ages ago, but the lessons of that NBA Finals series still linger. The Miami Heat Index writers break down how it affected both teams and its place in the history of the game.

1. Was the 2011 NBA Finals the most memorable ever?

Tom Haberstroh: Not quite. Most memorable for me was the 1998 Finals with Michael Jordan's final shot against Bryon Russell. Perhaps I was just more impressionable in middle school, but it was such a poetic ending to Jordan's illustrious career. Wait, he played for the Wizards?

Israel Gutierrez: Ever? Like, ever ever? Umm, no. You're not going to remember too many actual in-game moments from that series the way you do John Paxson's game-winner against Phoenix or Michael Jordan's push-off jumper against the Jazz or Jordan's barrage against the Trail Blazers. This is remembered more for the off-the-court rumblings created by LeBron James' inexplicably poor play and Chris Bosh's post-series emotions.

Michael Wallace: No. Not hardly. For me, nothing would top the '91 Finals when the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers met for a transaction in which Magic Johnson personally passed the torch to Michael Jordan. It was also a transition from the most dominant team of the 1980s to the one of the '90s.

2. What was the biggest lesson for the Heat?

PODCAST
Coop and Nate discuss the Mavs' matchup with the hated Miami Heat tonight at the American Airlines Center. Listen

Haberstroh: That LeBron wasn't a small forward. That changed everything, not just for the Heat but for the rest of the NBA as well. The ripple effect can be seen now with Carmelo Anthony thriving at the 4 in New York and others (hello, Kevin Durant) looking more comfortable playing a bigger position. LeBron had the size of Karl Malone, but the 2011 Finals showed why he needed to use it to his full advantage.

Gutierrez: That LeBron has to be at the center of what the Heat does. Miami tried to lift LeBron past his slump and win anyway. Succeeding at that would've been the worst scenario for both sides. The Heat wouldn't deem it necessary to rely on LeBron's talents, and LeBron would've probably had a hard time taking ownership of this team the way he has since. As LeBron has said, losing that series is possibly the best thing to happen to this group.

Wallace: That even the best player in the game ironically needed both a severe humbling as well as a major confidence boost to break through on the NBA's grand stage. LeBron James learned many valuable lessons from that defeat to the Mavericks that prepared him for championship triumph the next year against the Thunder.

3. What was the biggest lesson for the Mavs?

Haberstroh: Not that the Mavericks needed confirmation, but that Dirk Nowitzki is a pretty transcendent player. What Nowitzki did in 2011 and James later did in 2012 was reiterate that the "can't win the big one" label is maybe the silliest in sports. With Tyson Chandler anchoring the defense and shooters aplenty, Nowitzki finally had the functional parts to get him over the hump. Yes, Nowitzki evolved as a player too but he wasn't "soft" like many so wanted to believe.

Gutierrez: Just the knowledge that they can indeed be great. For years, that team, with Nowitzki as the main man, was considered too soft and too jump-shot dependent to be champions. After winning that series with stellar execution and ridiculous outside shooting -- not to mention some decent defense from current Knicks Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd -- Nowitzki and Co. know they can win at the highest level with that formula.

Wallace: That revenge can be one of the sweetest joys in sports. Mavs owner Mark Cuban always felt he had the better team in 2006 when Dallas blew a 2-0 series lead and lost four straight to Miami. Five years later, Nowitzki was as unstoppable in the Finals as Dwyane Wade was in 2006 as Dallas avenged that meltdown against Miami.

DALLAS – Derek Fisher settled on wearing No. 6 for the Mavericks after being informed that the No. 2 he wore while winning five rings for the Los Angeles Lakers was not available in Dallas.

“I think that guy was pretty good,” Fisher said, referring to Jason Kidd. “He’s had a really, really good career. You can expect to probably see that one hanging somewhere, so that’s not available right now.”

Of course, whether Kidd’s No. 2 will ever hang from the American Airlines Center rafters has been a controversial subject around these parts, but that’s none of Fisher’s concern.

He’s wearing No. 6 primarily to remind himself of his top goal on a daily basis. The 38-year-old point guard wants to win a sixth ring.

“That’s not something that obviously today that we’ve put ourselves in position to do,” Fisher said of the 7-9 Mavs. “But I just wanted a reminder as to not just singularly why I’m here, but that’s a big reason why I’m still playing, is to win.”

All due respect to Derek Fisher, the proud owner of five NBA championship rings, but the fact that the Dallas Mavericks are signing him is a sign of desperation.

PODCAST
Coop and Nate discuss the Mavericks' struggles and the addition of Derek Fisher. Listen

It’s a sign of just how much they miss the savvy and steady hand of Jason Kidd, who surprised the Mavs with his reverse-of-direction decision to sign with the New York Knicks this summer.

It’s a sign of just how much Delonte West could have contributed to this team if the Dallas decision-makers didn’t determine that his preseason conduct was too detrimental to the team to keep him on the roster.

And it’s evidence of just how disappointing Darren Collison has been since his spectacular start in Dallas.

Collison is averaging 12.9 points and 6.3 assists this season, but he has mostly struggled since playing a key role in the Mavs winning four of their first five games. The Mavs have lost eight of the past 11, and Collison has been erratic offensively and a liability defensively during that stretch.

Concerns about Collison’s performance reached the point that he came off the bench in Tuesday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He sat out Wednesday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls due to a sprained right middle finger.

Collison has especially struggled late in games. He is 14-of-40 from the floor with 12 assists and 10 turnovers in fourth quarters and overtime this season, and the Mavs have been outscored by 22 points in his 123 minutes in those situations.

At 38 years old, Fisher certainly isn’t a savior. Heck, he was just a good role player in his prime. The Mavs are simply hoping Fisher can provide some of that savvy and steadiness that Dallas is so desperately missing.

DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks sure could have used a calm, cool, savvy clutch leader as the New York Knicks cut their lead from a dozen points down to one during the final six minutes.

“I try not to think about those things,” coach Rick Carlisle said with a wry smile after the Mavs managed to pull out a heart-pounding 114-111 win Wednesday night. “Which one are you talking about?”

Well, there was a familiar face wearing a funny, crooked headband and a blue No. 5 jersey who fit the bill.

Jason Kidd can call it just another game all he wants, but there’s no doubt he came to play in his return to the American Airlines Center, where his name hangs on a championship banner and the No. 2 he wore during his second stint in Dallas will too one day if Mark Cuban can get past the hurt feelings from the future Hall of Famer’s change-of-heart departure this summer.

Kidd mustered remarkable energy for a 39-year-old playing the butt end of a back-to-back, stuffing the box score with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals in 36 minutes. He willed the 8-2 Knicks to have a chance to win if Carmelo Anthony’s jumper with Shawn Marion in his face fell with seconds remaining.

“Tonight’s more proof of it: He’s one of the all-time greats,” Carlisle said. “Never underestimate greatness at any age.”

Yep, the remodeled Mavs sure could use a leader like that as their young guns try to learn to win, especially while Dirk Nowitzki rehabs from a knee scope expected to sideline him until mid-December. Having said that, Kidd’s exit was in the best interests of himself and both franchises impacted by his double-clutch free agency decision.

Kidd added a critical element to a team that appears to be a legitimate contender. The Mavs got one heck of a consolation prize that could possibly be a major part of the franchise’s future: O.J. Mayo.

The Mavs used their last bit of cap space -- room that wouldn’t have been available if Kidd returned, as Cuban says the Mavs still would have traded for point guard Darren Collison -- to sign Mayo to a one-year, $4 million deal with a player option for next season.

That contract has been one of the NBA’s best bargains so far this season, with Mayo the main reason the 7-6 Mavs are above water despite the absence of their only proven superstar. Mayo is performing like an All-Star, ranking sixth in the league in scoring at 22.9 points per game after his efficient 27-point performance helped key the Mavs’ victory over New York.

The five players scoring at a higher clip than Mayo -- Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony and James Harden -- all have long-term deals that pay them well into eight figures per season.

“I don’t want to talk him up too much because I don’t want him to opt out next year,” Cuban kidded before the game, a comment that made Mayo laugh heartily when it was relayed to him later.

At the moment, the only reason for Mavs fans not to fall in love with Mayo is the fear that he’ll be another one-and-done heartbreaker in Dallas, much like big man Tyson Chandler, who put up 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks on Wednesday night.

The difference is that Cuban feared locking into an aging core after the Mavs made their miraculous 2011 title run and the new, more restrictive collective bargaining agreement was written, while he’s hoping 25-year-olds Mayo and Collison prove themselves worthy of being paid this summer to stay in Dallas.

But that’s a discussion for several months from now.

All Mayo, a former No. 3 overall pick who arrived in Dallas humbled and hungry after a disappointing tenure in Memphis, is focused on at the moment is maximizing the chance the Mavs have given him to ignite his career.

“Even when I was on the bench, I was still grinding, hoping for an opportunity one day,” said Mayo, who was demoted by the Grizzlies to sixth man the last two seasons. “Hey, it’s here.”

The buzz before the game was all about Kidd being here.

The Mavs didn’t do anything special such as a tribute video to acknowledge Kidd’s return. (But maybe, just maybe the pregame song playlist that featured Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together” and Fun’s “We Are Young” might have been intended for his ears.)

The sellout crowd did give Kidd a nice ovation when his name was announced with the Knicks’ starting lineup, although he’d already made his way to middle of the team huddle and didn’t acknowledge the applause until after the game.

“I love Dallas,” Kidd said. “What we accomplished as a team will always be special to me, but now I’m in New York trying to accomplish that again. That’s to win another championship.”

Realistically, Kidd’s return wouldn’t have made the Mavs a title contender. They’re a long shot with Mayo, too, but at least there’s hope that the new kid can be part of the franchise’s foundation for years to come.

DALLAS – The Mavericks’ soft stretch of the schedule is over. Here come Carmelo Anthony’s mighty New York Knicks.

Anthony lit up the Mavs for 31 points in the Knicks’ Nov. 9 win over the Mavs at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks present plenty of concerns, but they start with containing Anthony, the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer at 24.2 points per game.

“Right now, he might be the best player in the game if you look at their record, the stats that he’s putting up and all that kind of stuff,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s going to be an MVP candidate for sure.”

The Mavs didn’t have defensive stopper Shawn Marion for the previous meeting with the Knicks. Rookie Jae Crowder got the start and a rough lesson that night. The Mavs hope Marion’s experience and ability can make a difference.

“We’ve got to guard him better as a team,” Carlisle said. “Our position wasn’t good last game. Our individual position wasn’t what it needed to be. Consequently, our help couldn’t get there.”

Records: Mavs (6-6); Knicks (8-1)

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center

TV: FSSW

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

What to watch: Will the Mavs get their butts kicked on the boards again? Carlisle has been ranting about rebounding since the preseason. He was especially strong about it after the Warriors had a 62-43 rebounding edge in Golden State’s win over the Mavs on Monday night. The Mavs actually outrebounded the Knicks, 50-43, earlier this month. They’ll probably have to do that again to have a legitimate chance to beat the team with the NBA’s best record.

Key matchup: O.J. Mayo vs. Jason Kidd: The crafty Kidd is likely to at least start the night defending the NBA’s seventh-leading scorer. Mayo got off to a hot start at Madison Square Garden, but he cooled off considerably after getting in early foul trouble, finishing with 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting and committing a season-high eight turnovers. The crafty Kidd caused some of Mayo’s issues that game, including drawing a charge that was Mayo’s third foul early in the second quarter.

Injuries: Mavs – PF Dirk Nowitzki (knee) is out. Knicks – PF Amar’e Stoudemire (knee) and G Iman Shumpert (knee) are out.

Up next: vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Saturday