Chuck Cooperstein

  (11:59 AM)

Good to be with you from Minnesota where there is actually grass on the ground you can see. Loving it. And loving the Mavs big win in Denver last night in which they might have played their very best game of the season. On to your questions

david (Florida)

Morning Chuck! Latest on Terry's injury and any idea how the Mavs are going to play/sit him over the weekend and going forward into next week? Thanks

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:01 PM)

Mavs practice this afternoon so we'll know more then, but Terry didn't seem to think it would be much of an issue. the bigger issue with JET is why he can't score on the road. Averaging 11.6 points on 32.7 shooting on the road vs 17.1 and 52 at home

E (Dallas)

Is there anybody more overrated than Jeremy Lin right now? He is a product of the east coast media and it is annoying!

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:05 PM)

It is amazing what happens to you if you can do ANYTHING in NY. Remember, they haven't won a title since 1973, Last year was the first time they finished with a winning record in 10 years. They're throwing anything against the wall (Carmelo, Amare) hoping it will stick. Lin is just the latest thing for the fans there to cling to. Now having said that, the Mavs loved him in Summer League last year and wanted to keep him but wouldn't guarantee a deal. so he went home to the Warriors where he washed out, and he was ready to wash out in NY having been sent to the D-League. But he's on a good run now, and let's see if people can enjoy it for what it is and nothing more.

Austin (Fort Woth)

Coop, I am thinking that Sir Charles' opinion of Dirk Nowitzki was a little premature. I think David Thorpe put it best. The guy took the Summer off of Basketball and paid for it for the first 1/3 of the season. Dirk is fine and has proved it. All he needed was a little Holger camp!

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:06 PM)

Have to take everything Charles says with a grain of salt. Yeah, the slump was a little longer and deeper than any slump Dirk has had in a decade, but didn't anyone deserve the benefit of the doubt more than him?

jason (new london tx)

by allowing tyson and deshawn to walk it looks like mark and donnie may have doomed this team to the lottorey, if not this year next year. please tell me why im wrong.

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:08 PM)

Why so pessimistic? Plenty of players on this team who can score. Plenty of versatility to guard. Top 6 in NBA in scoring defense. Top 4 in FG defense. hardly sounds like a lottery team to me. Maybe not a champion again (We'll find out soon enough), but hardly as awful as you make it out to be

Jason (Houston)

Can we move Lamar to open up even more minutes for Wright?

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:09 PM)

Not moving Lamar. Don't want to move Lamar. At least not if you're interested in the big fish the Mavericks are trying to land. You need his cap space

Shawn Jacob (Carrollton, TX)

Dirk has been shooting well but is he doing anything to fix his shooting percentage behind the arc? He's been terribly off from downtown this season.

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:10 PM)

Dirk talked on the post game with us last night about the three pointers. He thinks he's pretty close there. Shots that are on line but just not falling. Looks like that will be the last part of his game to fall in place. Sure looks like everything else is pretty good right now

Keith (Fort Worth)

It's been nice to see the production the Mavs have gotten from Mahinmi and Wright. Do you see one of these guys emerging over the other?

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:12 PM)

Not really. I think both bring things that Rick Carlisle can use to his advantage depending on the matchup and flow of the game. Another nice problem for the Mavs to have. But is interesting to see Wright get the 4th quarter minutes the last two games, and he has responded well both times

Bryan (Springdale, AR)

What up Coop? Thanks for always doing such a great job on the play-by-play. Who do you see on this team being willing to sign a reasonable contract to stick with the Mavs next year in the event they sign DHoward and DWilliams?

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:16 PM)

Can't answer that question without also knowing who else is interested, but I would hope Carter would consider it if he's going to play at this level. He has just been sensational. Never saw it coming after what I saw at the end of the year in Phoenix last year. Carlisle has done some really good things with him to make him more than a reasonable facsimile of "Half Man Half Amazing"

Joe (Phx Az)

How much credit does Carlisle deserve for having the team in the thick of things in the West, considering how the season started?

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:18 PM)

He deserves a lot. He is not a guy who panics and the players take their cue from him. Bottom line, when there is any talk of who the best coaches in the NBA are, if the conversation doesn't include him, then its simply not a very smart one.

James (Dallas)

Would a package of Roddy, Haywood, Odom, Jones and $3 million be enough to get Dwight? I know it is wishful thinking, but Seems like it might be an interesting deal.

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:20 PM)

Really? Really? I know a lot of people think Otis Smith just fell off the truck yesterday, but he's not THAT naive. Any trade w/Howard is going to have to be a 3 way deal, and personally, I don't think Orlando, given the nature of the Eastern conference and how well they are playing right now is going to give up on the chance to give it one last run before dealing with the reality.

Emily (Dallas)

Do you want Dirk to make the allstar game or have 5 extra days of rest? I know I would love to be represented but at the same time the rest will be good. To top that why didn't charles say that about Dirk earlier it seems to have waken him up.

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:23 PM)

Since Barkley was leading the Dirk charge during the playoffs last year, maybe he SHOULD have said something sooner. :) Whatever, it will be fascinating to see the announcement tonight and whether Dirk makes it. Again, even if he doesn't make it, it's not lie Dirk is going to totally shut it down for five days, although the All-Star weekend (Not just the game) is anything but restful. I think it really doesn't matter. Dirk is back in his groove and all is right with the world

Randy Galloway (Dallas)

Does it bother you that I am always right?

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:24 PM)

Mr. Randy, I'd like to check that shooting pct

Steve Nash (PHX)

Coop, Can you get me out of here? I would love to come back to Dallas!!!!

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:26 PM)

Sorry, at one time this was your place, but time has passed and styles have too. Time to find another spot

Shawn Jacob (Carrollton, TX)

What will happen when Jason Kidd returns? Will Rodrigue Beaubois' minutes be cut? Will Delonte West continue to play off the bench at shooting guard? As a result, does that mean Vince Carter's minutes get shortened?

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:27 PM)

Everyone's minutes will have to be adjusted. Roddy's will go down for sure. But I don't think Carlisle wants to play Kidd more than 30 minutes and he has already said he doesn't want Carter playing more than 27-28 minutes. And West is the primary backup at PG

Austin (Fort Worth)

Dirk moved into 21st on the all-time scoring list last night. Is it conceivable that he could reach 30,000 for his career?

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:32 PM)

Not out of the realm. but might be tough if the Mavs reduce his minutes more the next few years

Guynes (MFFL)

Besides Dirk getting into a better flow of the game, where does this team have room for improvement? Obviously Lamar has to improve, but my worry with this 15-11 team is that we are getting just about the best we can from the likes of Vince Carter, Delonte, Roddy, Mahinmi, and Haywood.

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:36 PM)

We haven't seen the team at full speed with everyone healthy and how Carlisle will deploy them. We see results every night in the NBA , things we just shake our heads at, but the only goal for the Mavs this year is to be healthy at the end of April, and then they will take their chances with everyone else. Other than OKC, No one in the West has been terribly consistent, and the Mavs believe in their matchup with them. No reason to be pushing panic buttons right now

Chuck Cooperstein

  (12:39 PM)

We'll wrap it up there. Good stuff from you guys. Let's see if Dirk's named an All Star and if JKidd plays tomorrow vs Minnesota, We'll keep you updated right here at ESPN Dallas and on 103.3 FM. Interesting Back to back with the T-Wolves and Portland the next two nights, Hope you'll join us, and we'll be back here to chat next Thursday