Team page/schedule | Stats: Preseason | Roster
Last year: 53-29, T-second in Midwest, fifth in conference
Coach/GM: Don Nelson
Arena, first game: American Airlines Center (19,200); Will be Oct. 30, 2001
All-time franchise record/NBA titles: 697-993/0
Notable: Longest league playoff drought ends at 11 years

THE ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Steve Nash	7.3 apg	Finally, Nelson's getting him looks good
SG	Michael Finley	21.5 ppg	Led league in minutes played with 3,443
SF	Dirk Nowitzki	9.2 rpg	Great shooter, emerging rebounder
PF	Juwan Howard	18 ppg	His Mavs numbers were very nice
C	Shawn Bradley	228 blocks	Appreciate him for his blocks and that's it
6th	Tim Hardaway	189 threes	20 bench minutes and instant offense
7th	Danny Manning	.494 FG	Aging vet No. 2 will earn bucks in playoffs
8th	Evan Eschmeyer	58 blocks	Might board more than Bradley in equal time

		The Mavericks should be one of the top four teams in the Western Conference. But first, the Mavericks need to improve their defense. Don Nelson will try different things, but it may not be good enough to spark a great improvement. Last season they allowed more than 96 points a game and were 14th in field-goal percentage allowed. I like their lineup, with Steve Nash and Michael Finley in the backcourt, and Dirk Nowitzki, Juwan Howard and Shawn Bradley, the designated shot blocker, in the frontcourt. They have plenty in reserve, including Tim Hardaway to back up Nash. But they are still behind the Lakers, Spurs and Kings in the West. And the Mavs could fall more if they don't have a strong defense.

By Marc Stein
Special to ESPN.com

Mark Cuban's purchase of the Mavericks in January 2000 was valued at $280 million. His bill for the past summer -- not including what he spent on the fanciest locker room in the NBA ... and maybe Major League Baseball, too - was very nearly $280 million. So, no, the words "luxury" and tax" rarely make it into the same sentence in Dallas. It's all luxury in Cuban Country.

Money definitely won't be the Mavericks' problem this season, nor in the future probably. The Lakers, Spurs and Kings are the problem. Cuban's riches and the progress of Michael Finley, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash under Don Nelson have firmly pushed the Mavs into the NBA's elite, but the challenge now is continuing the push. Which won't be easy, since the Mavericks have lost the sneak-up-on-people mojo that resulted from a decade out of the playoffs.

Expectations. Pressure. The fact that beating them suddenly means something. The Mavericks still don't have an answer for Shaquille O'Neal -- and who does? -- but how they respond to those issues will determine whether they can contend with the other Western superpowers.

Who's Who
The core of the team is the same: Finley, Nowitzki and Nash, with Juwan Howard as fairly handy fourth option. Shawn Bradley is still the primary center (no jokes, please) and Calvin Booth has been replaced as Bradley's backup by the panic signing of Evan Eschmeyer to a six-year, $19 million deal. Cuban and Nelson, for all their cash and creativity, decided that it wasn't worth the investment to commit to Booth for an extra $15 million. They also failed to lure LaPhonso Ellis away from Minnesota. But Dallas did manage to add underrated swingman Adrian Griffin and what it needs most besides bulk and rebounding -- toughness and veteran know-how. Enter Tim Hardaway and Danny Manning, accomplished thirtysomethings who will be used as sparingly as possible until playoff time. The Mavs believe that a couple quality fogies, along with the internal improvement expected from the three stars, can keep the program moving forward. Makes sense, since they barely managed to get past Utah relying on two veterans (Vernon Maxwell and Mark Bryant) who wound up unable to contribute anything but words of supposed wisdom.

	FANTASY SLEEPER
	Juwan Howard, PF -- After coming over from the Wizards in a trade last February, Howard wasted little time acclimating himself to the Mavericks and finished the season averaging 21.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a steal in his final 10 games. While his scoring will take a dip as he looks for shots among a team loaded with shooters, Howard should lead this team in rebounds.

The Big Question
Finley has a new seven-year deal worth $102 million and Nowitzki is about to sign off on a six-year extension worth an estimated $90 million. So the cornerstones are in place. But what about the bangers in the paint? The Mavericks' best rebounder is their new part-time assistant coach. Problem is, Moses Malone isn't allowed to make a comeback after that Hall of Fame induction. Nowitzki, who'll probably average a double-double, is going to need some help. Although they can match up with Sacramento, which also plays a free-wheeling game, the Mavericks aren't going to cause LA or San Antonio any real concern until they develop an interior presence.

Best Case Scenario
Finley and Nowitzki will make the All-Star team, Nash will come close, Howard will play up to his contract, Bradley will thrive in the new zone world, Hardaway and Manning will get the nice guys to toughen up and Cuban will avoid trouble with the men in stripes. The Mavericks will advance to a second-round rematch with San Antonio and survive it after winning 55-plus games. Upsetting San Antonio will then set up a conference-finals showdown, with Shaq and Nellie standing clown nose-to-clown nose.

Worst Case Scenario
The Mavericks will chafe from expectations ... and their lack of interior might ... and a surprising dearth of athleticism ... and slip a little. They will struggle to win 50 games again. They will fail to even reach the second round. They will force Cuban into more lavish spending (after he pays out some serious fines) until they get it right.

OVERRATED	UNDERRATED	TEAM MVP
Juwan Howard. A bit unfair since he produced in Big D.	Michael Finely. Play of Dirk and Nash overshadowed his continued all-around excellence.	Dirk Nowitzki. Gotta hand it to Nelson for this draft-day trade.