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DALLAS -- In the 2006 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat started an aging but still effective Shaquille O'Neal at center with Alonzo Mourning coming off the bench. The Dallas Mavericks rolled out a tag-team center unit of DeSagana Diop and Erick Dampier.

Advantage: Heat.

In 2011, the Heat start 6-9 center Joel Anthony while more traditional, but well past their prime post men, Dampier, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Jamal Magliore can't get on the floor. Dallas starts All-Defensive second-team member Tyson Chandler with currently ailing Brendan Haywood (right hip flexor) as the backup.

Advantage: Mavs.

"He was very good [Tuesday] night. It goes without stating, obviously," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday about Chandler's 13-point, 16-rebound performance in Dallas' series-evening Game 4 win. "Nine offensive rebounds and putting a lot of pressure, getting to the rim. He's an impact player and he has been for several years when he's been healthy. So we understand that. We have to meet him with force, with effort, and we have to be relentless, because he does offer them relief points in the paint with his aggressiveness."

Here's relief: The 7-1 Chandler has drawn the most fouls during the Finals (25), grabbed the most offensive rebounds (20) and has the most second-chance points (17).

Chandler has drawn three more fouls than Dirk Nowitzki, six more than Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and nine more than LeBron James.

Much of that is because of the obvious size mismatch inside, particularly when the Heat use two big men to double Nowitzki. Chandler is drawing fouls on the boards, but the Mavs have also fed Chandler in the paint with the fourth quarter of Game 4 serving as a prime example. Then there's the defensive side. Chandler has been highly active protecting the rim, limiting penetration and free throws for Wade and James.

"We love Chandler," said Jason Terry, who along with Nowitzki are the only remaining members of the '06 team. "Obviously, what he means to us from the inside as a presence offensively and defensively is huge. Each team has to have that presence. They had it in ’05-’06. We have it now and he’s a big difference-maker."

ORLANDO -- Now Tyson Chandler gets his biggest test of the season: Dwight Howard.

Coming off the big win at the Miami Heat where Chandler went up against slow-footed, perimeter-shooting Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Joel Anthony, the 6-foot-11, 265-pound Howard will challenge Chandler's quickness and strength in the paint.

"I've definitely got to make it tough for him. I've got to force him into some tough shots," said Chandler, who had eight points and 10 rebounds in Miami. "I've seen a little bit of the highlights against Atlanta, but I don't know, honestly, what that team and that look is going to be like. I'm sure they'll be a little out of key, I'm sure they're going to be running the basic things. It always comes down to me making his night tough, but for them it's always been a lot of perimeter shooting. When they get 3s rolling and hitting jump shots they are a real tough team to beat."

The Magic lost at Atlanta Monday night in their first game since a major roster shakeup. Out is Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter and Marcin Gortat. In is Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson.

But, leave it to Dirk Nowitzki to sound the precautionary alarm as the Mavs seek a fourth consecutive win their final game of the pre-Christmas portion of the scedule.

"We did lose the first one in Oklahoma City right after we made the trade [last season] and then we started to get rolling without practice time," Nowitzki said, referring to the 13-game winning streak the Mavs reeled off after the initial loss. "I’ve seen it both ways. I've seen it where it takes some time and where things have clicked right away.

"They've definitely got a very capable of players. We saw what J-Richardson can do, saw what Turkoglu did with them over the years, really having his best years down there playing off of Dwight, making big pick-and-roll plays in the fourth quarter for them. And Arenas is absolutely one of the best scorers at the guard position."

Get ready for a marquee Saturday night at the American Airlines Center as the Miami Heat and their Big Four make their one and only visit to Dallas.

Big Four? Sure. You know, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and, of course, big Erick Dampier.

Yes, the longtime Dallas Mavericks center is officially a Super Friend, signed on Tuesday, weeks after an agreement with the Houston Rocketsfell through. Dampier finally became a priority for the Heat after blue-collar forward Udonis Haslem went down indefinitely with a foot injury.

Dampier, however, isn't joining a smiling, barnstorming, Harlem Globetrotters-type team that most envisioned. The Heat are 9-7 after Friday's 99-90 win at the Philadelphia 76ers. Wade's had injury issues, James hasn't possessed the same electricity he showed nightly in Cleveland, Bosh's inside game has been criticized and there's constant chatter that team Godfather Pat Riley is breathing down the neck of young coach Erik Spoelstra, plotting another return to the bench.

The 6-foot-11 Dampier, who averaged 6.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in his last of six seasons with the Mavs, seemed to be intent on joining the Heat once he knew he wouldn't be back with the Mavs.

"I'm looking forward to it. It’s going to be an experience," Dampier said during a phone conversation this week. "They’re [Wade and James] arguably two of the best players in the league. It’s going to be an experience to play alongside those guys. They have the opportunity to have something special in Miami. I know they’ve gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, but it’s a learning process. Once they learn how to play with each other they’re only going to get better."

Certainly no one expected the Heat to get off to the kind of start in which the Indiana Pacers could blow out such talents on South Beach. If some of the luster has diminished, it remains a spotlight game at every arena in the NBA. The Mavs are no different. They raised ticket prices for the game and created a ticket package in which fans had to buy seats to two other games in order to purchase tickets to see the Heat (the Mavs did the same with the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs).

As for Dampier, he said he's remained in good physical condition with the help of a personal trainer in his home state of Mississippi. He didn't play Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, the Heat's third consecutive loss to that point, but said he could be acclimated enough to get in against his former team Saturday. However, he was a DNP in the win over Philadelphia.

"It will take a couple of days to pick up some of their stuff and get to know the guys," Dampier said. "I've been working out. I was getting my work in because I knew something would happen."

Dampier's time in Dallas was often an exercise in frustration for fans. Owner Mark Cuban paid him handsomely after Dampier averaged a double-double for the Golden State Warriors. But Dampier never really came close to matching that one free-agent-to-be season, and fans often were left flinging their arms in the air because of his excruciating inability to consistently catch and finish around the rim.

Yet both former coach Avery Johnson and current coach Rick Carlisle continually praised the lead-footed Dampier for performing those harder things to quantify, such as setting screens and anchoring the defense.

He called his end of the line with the Mavs "business" -- a non-guaranteed final year that eventually saw him traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in the offseason for starting center Tyson Chandler-- and he described his time in Dallas as "an experience of a lifetime." The Bobcats released Dampier to reap the instant financial savings and Dampier had been without a team until the Heat called.

"When I came to Dallas the thing was to have a chance to win a championship," Dampier said. "We were in the playoffs every year, 50-plus wins. Unfortunately, we just didn’t win it all that year (2005-06 to, of course, Wade and the Heat)."

Although challenged, Dampier, 35, never relinquished his starting job with the Mavs for long, whether it be DeSagana Diop, Ryan Hollins or Brendan Haywood. If Dampier, who now will team with veteran center and longtime James teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas as well as Joel Anthony, plays against the Mavs, he'll go up against the new Mavs center tandem of Chandler and Haywood.

"Dallas got younger," Dampier said. "They signed Haywood and that pretty much locked up their center position for years to come."

The Mavs hope is to re-sign Brendan Haywood, but they better have some backup plans to fill the hole in the middle.

Haywood is flirting with a handful of Eastern Conference teams and could end up with an offer that’s beyond Mark Cuban’s financial pain threshold.

Here are some options for the Mavs in case that happens:

Al Jefferson: He’s only 25 years old and is a proven 20/10 player. There are few better low-block scorers in the league. What’s not to like? Well, he’s a mediocre defender whose numbers were down last season after coming back from a torn knee ligament. And he’s owed $42 million over the next three seasons. If Minnesota decides to dump Jefferson’s salary, the Mavs should make the deal. If the Timberwolves want basketball value for him, they’ll have to go elsewhere.

Andris Biedrins: He’s another potential salary dump (due $36 million over the next four seasons) with two major problems: He’s injury prone and foul prone. When he’s on the floor, he’s a phenomenal rebounder. He rarely takes a shot outside of a few feet from the rim, so it’s not like he’ll take offensive pressure off of Dirk, but he’s runs the floor well and is a good finisher. He’s only 24 years old, so there’s untapped potential ... if he can stay out of the trainer’s room.

Jermaine O’Neal: He’s been ridiculously overpaid for years with a max contract, but he might be a good fit for the Mavs at a much lower salary. He was a legitimate go-to guy when he played for Rick Carlisle in Indiana, but those days are long gone. However, he’d be a good third or fourth offensive option, providing by far the best low-post punch the Mavs have had during the Dirk era. He’s a good defensive player despite being only an average shot-blocker at this point of his career. He allowed only 0.77 points per post-up last season, according to Synergy Sports, which was the ninth-lowest total in the league. Only three centers took more charges last season, according to HoopData.com. Durability is a significant concern, but he could be a bargain for a healthy chunk of the midlevel exception over two or three years.

Marcin Gortat: You know the Mavs like Dwight Howard’s backup. They believed they found their center of the future when they signed the athletic 7-foot banger to a midlevel offer sheet last summer, only to have the Magic surprise them by matching it. A year later, after Orlando drafted Kentucky big man Daniel Orton in the first round, the Magic might be willing to make a deal.

Erick Dampier: It’s assumed that he won’t see a cent of his nonguaranteed $13 million salary for next season. The Mavs hope to use that golden trade asset, possibly for another player on this list. But that doesn’t necessarily close the door on Dampier’s tenure in Dallas. The Mavs value the dirty work that Dampier does. But they don’t value it enough to pay him the full midlevel exception, which is what a source close to Dampier told ESPNDallas.com’s Jeff Caplan that the big man wants.

Tyson Chandler: He’d be an expensive stopgap solution for next season, with the Bobcats willing to dump his $12.6 million salary, and it’s questionable whether Chandler could be effective for the Mavs. He’s missed more than 60 games the last two seasons due to a variety of injuries, and his significantly declining rebounding numbers are an indication that he’s lost explosiveness, which was his best asset. He’s never been a great shot-blocker despite his size and athleticism, but he has been a good all-around defender. He runs the floor well, but his offensive game is limited to finishing around the basket.

Brad Miller: He’s one of the most skilled centers in the league, a pretty passer with a soft shooting touch. He’s also a physical player willing to swap paint in the post. However, he’s 34 years old and extremely limited athletically, which makes him a liability defensively. He isn’t the rim protector the Mavs want, but his offensive ability will warrant at least a chunk of the somebody’s midlevel exception.

Elton Brand: Just checking to see if Cuban is paying attention. The odds of him bailing the Sixers out of this awful contract are closer to none than slim. It’d be crazy to pay $52 million over three seasons for an undersized player whose production has plummeted since injuring his Achilles tendon two years ago.

Emeka Okafor: The Hornets would certainly love to shed his contract, which has four years and $53 million remaining. The Mavs would love to have him … as long as he comes with Chris Paul. If the price was reasonable, he’d actually be a pretty good fit for the Mavs. He’s a solid shot-blocker, good rebounder and a double-digit scorer despite his limited offensive game. But it’s doubtful that the Mavs will be desperate enough to make a deal to acquire Okafor without his superstar teammate.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: The Mavs hoped to bring Big Z to Dallas after the Wizards granted him a buyout last season, but he returned to Cleveland as expected to continue his career with the only NBA team he’s ever known. The Mavs wanted him as a backup/insurance policy. At 35, with extremely limited mobility, the set-shooting center can’t be counted on as a starter and isn’t likely to leave Cleveland in free agency anyway.

Shaquille O’Neal: The Big Fill In the Blank has a home in Frisco and a fondness for Mark Cuban. But the Mavs aren’t interested in a part-time player/full-time ego who is a huge liability in pick-and-roll defense.

Ex-Mav Jim Jackson played for an NBA-record 12 teams and shares that distinction with Chucky Brown and Tony Massenburg.

Drew Gooden has played for nine teams in eight seasons and sees the inevitable.

"I'm on my way to breaking that record," Gooden said with a laugh Tuesday night. "I'm on my ninth team now, and I'm a free agent this summer."

Gooden had just delivered his best individual performance of the season -- 26 points and 20 rebounds -- in the Los Angeles Clippers' 106-96 loss to the Mavericks, slamming home precisely why Dallas was so hopeful of re-signing him after Gooden was packaged with Josh Howard, Quinton Ross and James Singleton to Washington in the Feb. 13 trade that netted Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson.

Had the Wizards reached a buyout with the veteran power forward, as they later did with Zydrunas Ilgauskas after acquiring Big Z from Cleveland in the Antawn Jamison deal, Gooden would almost certainly be back with a previous employer for the first time in his career. As he said many times before and after Tuesday's homecoming game at American Airlines Center, Gooden never wanted to leave Dallas and still hopes that the Mavs will consider re-signing him this summer.

The Wizards, though, didn't buy Gooden out. Instead they routed him to the Clippers as part of the three-way Jamison swap before the league's Feb. 18 trading deadline. And there would be no buyout in L.A. because the Clips, looking to bolster a front line weakened by rookie Blake Griffin's season-ending knee injury and the trade of Marcus Camby to Portland, told Gooden immediately that they needed to keep him for the rest of the season.

"It wasn't as easy it was last year for me with Sacramento," Gooden said, recalling how the Kings quickly bought out his contract after acquiring Gooden from Chicago at the deadline, enabling Gooden to sign with San Antonio for the stretch run.

"I think everybody knew that once I got a buyout that I would want to go back to Dallas and help [the Mavs] out even more. I think there [were] teams that didn't want Dallas to have their cake and eat it, too.

"I miss Dallas. I miss those guys over there. I committed myself to this team and left something on the table that was unfinished business for me. But that's the business."

The solace for Gooden is that his play with the Clippers isn't exactly discouraging the Mavs -- or prospective team No. 10 -- from keeping the 28-year-old in their offseason thoughts. Gooden is averaging a healthy 14.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in 16 games with the Clippers, which would represent the highest averages of his career in both categories if sustained for a full season.

"I've got to make sure I don't take for granted the opportunity I have now," Gooden said. "Even though, let's face it, we're not going to be a playoff team this year, I'm getting an opportunity to play and I'm going to do well.

"I do feel like I'm playing my best [basketball]. Maybe I don't jump as high as I used to, but my mental game is so much stronger than when I first got into the league. Even though I've been on a lot of teams, playing a lot of different roles, I've gotten better within those roles."

Asked if the Mavs miss Gooden's contributions off the bench, Dirk Nowitzki said: "Hell, yeah."

Oklahoma City's Kevin Ollie -- another Mavs alumnus -- has played for 11 teams, so Gooden isn't even No. 1 among active NBA vagabonds. The people who track such matters at the Elias Sports Bureau, furthermore, say Gooden doesn't get credit for making a stop in Washington because, even though he was issued a No. 90 jersey from the Wizards, he never played in a game for them.

Ollie, though, is 37. He's running out of time to get to 12 teams.

Gooden is nearly a decade younger and has only enhanced his reputation this season as a player who can produce when he starts and serve as the offensive focal point for a second unit. Playing for 13 teams certainly seems within reach, which isn't a prospect that insults Gooden.

"I was a victim of basketball [business]," Gooden said of the deal swung by the Mavs to get Butler and Haywood, which materialized about a month after Gooden and his partially guaranteed one-year contract in Dallas at $4.5 million was offered to Utah in an attempt to swipe Carlos Boozer from the Jazz.

"I was never locked into a long-term deal," Gooden continued. "I was always a guy that was talked about at every trade deadline, no matter if I was playing well or not. But there's been nothing bad about what happened for me, playing on a lot of different teams."

He was quickly schooled on the business of basketball as a rookie, when Memphis -- after taking Gooden with the fourth overall pick in the 2002 draft -- traded him to Orlando before his first season was finished.

"That was a situation that I kind of liked [being traded]," Gooden said. "All the other times that I got traded, I didn't want to get traded. But it wasn't the right situation for me in Memphis. I was playing small forward and I felt like I was more of a power forward playing out of position."

Gooden's selection by then-Grizzlies president Jerry West in West's first draft in Memphis is one of the few second-guessed picks of West's storied front-office career, since the Grizz already had Pau Gasol and Stromile Swift on the roster.

"I didn't think I was going to have that Memphis hat on long that night that I got drafted," Gooden said. "But Jerry West always said he was going to take the best player available."

Marc Stein covers the NBA for ESPN.com and is a frequent contributor to ESPNDallas.com.

The 48-hour waiver-wire period for Zydrunas Ilgauskas is up today, making him a free agent and available to sign anywhere. Of course, as Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Sunday night, Big Z will be headed back to Cleveland after waiting 30 days.

Another 7-foot center is about to become available, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Minnesota is set to release Mark Blount, who has averaged 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in his nine NBA seasons.

Blount and the Timberwolves mutually agreed during the preseason that he would not join the team -- after being re-acquired in an August deal with Miami for Quentin Richardson -- while Minnesota attempted to find a new home for Blount via trade.

But, Blount remains on Minnesota's roster.

With the Mavs playing so well and Erick Dampier returning at some point from a dislocated finger, picking up a guy who has not played all season might not make much sense. The Mavs certainly could use a big body to back up Brendan Haywood, but they've already passed on D-Leaguer Dwayne Jones and might be better suited to wait on Dampier's return.

DALLAS -- The Zydrunas Ilgauskas sweepstakes is becoming theater of the absurd. While his agent, Herb Rudoy, has yet to publicly stamp Ilgauskas' return to his former team, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes the 7-foot-3 center is headed nowhere else.

He's going back to Cleveland, Cuban said is the general consensus prior to Dallas' home game against New Orleans.

Earlier in the day, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Rudoy had informed the Mavs, who have interested in the big man with Erick Dampier out indefinitely with a dislocated finger, that Ilgauskas would wait out the mandatory 30 days and re-sign with the Cavs.

Denver coach George Karl told reporters before the Nuggets played the Lakers that he hadn't given up hope on signing Ilgauskas. The Atlanta Hawks as well as several other teams have shown interest in the 12th-year center.

DALLAS -- Brendan Haywood has yet to practice with the Mavs, but he's the only healthy true center on the roster.

Erick Dampier is out for up to a month with an open dislocation to his right middle finger, which was surgically repaired today in Oklahoma City. That means Haywood will log heavy minutes.

The Mavs have limited options to back up Haywood. Tim Thomas is on indefinite leave to deal with a serious family matter. Eduardo Najera will hustle and bang, but he's only 6-8. Dirk Nowitzki might have to see significant time at center, but the Mavs would like to trim his minutes down the stretch.

That means Haywood will rarely leave the court unless he gets in foul trouble.

"This is going to be great for Brendan," coach Rick Carlisle said, trying to put a positive spin on a bad situation. "It’s being thrown right into it. He’ll learn quick."

The Mavs realize they desperately need another big man and plan to pursue Zydrunas Ilgauaskas if, as expected, the Wizards give him a buyout after he arrives in Washington as part of today's three-team blockbuster deal.