02/12/13: Mavericks chat with SportsDay beat writer Eddie Sefko

OK, folks, let's talk Mavericks. No trades on the horizon. Nothing to see here. Just a very mediocre team (at best) and frustration everywhere.

I could see Dirk spotting up for 3-pointers until he's in his late 30s. Don't think he'll make 40. But he's 34 now. He'll be 35 when this contract ends. If I were a betting man, I'd say he's going to sign a two-year deal when this one is over, which would take him to 37. Now how effective he'll be is another question. If he's a 15-to-18 point scorer, then that would be a nice second or third compliment to a major star. That's the game plan the Mavericks have in place. What Nowitzki has to hope is that they don't squander it on the wrong player. And believe me, there are some players out there who would be wrong to throw max money at.

Sorry, non-team personnel are not allowed to participate. I'm on my usual every-other-day razor regimen.

After last night, I'd peg it at about 10 percent. They really are going to rue that loss. And the one in Portland. And the one in Golden State. If you just reverse those three and forget about all those overtime screw-ups, then they'd be 25-26 and I guarantee you the Rockets and several other teams would be looking over their shoulders. As it is now, at 22-29, it's hard to figure out a way where they get to 42 wins, which would be the bare minimum for getting into the playoffs. Going 20-11 the rest of the way? I've seen nothing that suggests that is in the cards. At this juncture, it wouldn't bother me if they lose a few more and realize they have to start diving for lottery balls for the good of the franchise. That means playing lots of young guys big minutes the rest of the way.

I know this will come as a shock to you, but Mark Cuban likes them. He sees them as another jersey to sell in the fan store. And he said before Monday's game that plans are in the works to have another, alternate Maverick jersey sometime soon. Anything to take the spotlight off the players inside those uniforms, at this point.

Kaman-D. Mayo-B-minus. Collison-C. Dahntay Jones-C-minus. Elton Brand-B-plus. Second-round rookies-B-plus. First-round rookie-D. Those are just off the top of my head, probably an embarrassment to teachers everywhere.

He's been a shooter and a cutter to the basket his whole life. He's not a bad passer, either. But when it comes to handles, he was absent the day the day the hoop gods gave those out. O.J. has been a pleasant surprise this year. He's been better than most people thought he would be. But there's a reason why Memphis let him walk. nobody knows a player's warts like the team that owns him. As long as Mayo continues to throw the ball away when games are on the line, he remains a dangerous commodity. It would take some guts for Rick Carlisle to sit Mayo in clutch situations. But the answer may be just to spot him up and let somebody else do the creating. He's still a pretty good spot-up 3-point shooter. Maybe let Carter or Marion or Dirk get the ball, draw the defense and, if need be, find Mayo for a shot. That would lessen his opportunities with the ball, but might maximize some possessions. But plays like Devin Harris' steal last night, that's just a case of a player making a better play than the guy with the ball. Hard to hang that one on Mayo. But the pass to Jeff Teague? Geeeez.

Nope. I'm not even sure he's starting three games from now. If any of you believe the trade talk coming out of Mark Cuban, Rick Carlisle and Donnie Nelson, you don't know the decision-makers at the top of the organization. Anybody and everybody, save for Nowitzki and Brand, is available for the right price. But I don't blame the Mavericks a bit for playing hardball and demanding a hefty return for some of their best veterans. And if they don't get it, move along.

I see the logic in that approach. But when a franchise is a playoff regular, it's hard to just throw it all away as long as there is still a chance. As stated above, for the good of the franchise, there will come a time when young players need to be on the court more than the veterans. That means losses will come more frequently (if that's possible). As for trading the veterans to get picks and expiring contracts, it's easier said than done. Expiring contracts are like gold in this league. People aren't just giving them away unless you have something legitimate to give in return. And good draft picks are even tougher to pry away. A good game plan in theory. I see many problems trying to execute it.

Wow, I don't know. More than $14 million next year? It wipes out any chance to get Howard or Al Jefferson or Pekovic or anybody else. Listen, if the Mavericks wanted a good player for maximum money, they could have kept Tyson Chandler. They want a great player for maximum money.