Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Dallas Mavericks (32-20) at Oklahoma City Thunder (30-21)
Break time is over and it's time for the Dallas Mavericks to get back to work.
It has been a week since the Mavericks last hit the hardwood. My, how things have changed. In addition to playing host to the largest attended basketball game (108, 713) over the All-Star Weekend, the Mavs front office pulled off a seven-player trade with the Washington Wizards.
Exiting Dallas is swingman Josh Howard, big man Drew Gooden, forward James Singleton and guard Quinton Ross. Joining the Mavericks are two-time All-Star forward Caron Butler, center Brendan Haywood and guard DeShawn Stevenson. The trio will make their Maverick debuts Tuesday night as the team travels to Oklahoma City and tangles with the Thunder.
(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
"These guys are proven veteran players," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said when the newcomers were introduced to the media on Monday. "Caron's a two-time All-Star. DeShawn's a guy that's developed into a very good 3-point shooter, and is known as a good defender in this league and has been a key guy for Washington's team the last few years. And Brendan is a guy that's been with (Washington) a long time and is having his best season this year. So, we feel like these guys are really going to help us. I was thrilled that this transaction could happen and we're looking forward to working with them."
The newest Mavericks are expected to make an immediate impact. Butler, and his 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds a game, is likely to assume the starting shooting guard role, sending Jason Terry back to the bench as a sixth man.
"Over the course of the last couple of months, I've been playing three positions," Butler said, though his natural position is small forward. "I'm looking forward to that challenge, and I'm looking forward to this new system and this situation to do some good things...I'm not focusing in on just being a catch-and-shoot guy.
"I'm going to sit down with (Carlisle) and see some of the things that he would like me to do and what I can improve on. But whatever intangibles I can bring to this squad, that's what I'm going to bring. I'll do whatever I can to help this team win a championship."
Terry, who has started 12 consecutive games, has no problems moving back to a reserve role because he believes it benefits the team.
"I'm the guy that will take the sacrifice. We want (Butler) out there starting, to where he's comfortable," Terry said.
As for Haywood and Stevenson, Carlisle has already envisioned their roles as well. Haywood, a 7-footer, will be interchangeable with starting center Erick Dampier. Dampier has battled through a left knee injury throughout the season, making the addition of Haywood even more of a necessity. And Haywood isn't just any big man, ranking 10th in the league with his 10.3 rebounds per contest this season. "(Haywood) will be playing," the coach said. "Whether or not he's starting isn't that significant at this point. I think what is significant is that we have another big body who's a proven player. It affords us, I think, the opportunity to not have to put Damp out there for extended minutes, when he is healthy."
Stevenson is expected to add depth and scoring to the bench, averaging 8.2 points for his career. But the talented guard, who came straight out of high school to be drafted in 2000 by the Utah Jazz, is concentrating on helping the team on the defensive end.
"I'm just going to go out and work hard. Go out there and play defense, and knock down open shots...My thing is to go out there and lock down the tough offensive players and play my role," Stevenson said.
All of the new additions will be counted on to adjust to their roles rather quickly, as the Mavericks embark on a stretch of four games in five days beginning in Oklahoma City.
"It's going to be tough to get everybody involved that quick," leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki said. "We've got a tough stretch here with four games in five nights, but nothing is easy in this league."
The new-look Dallas squad heads to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Tuesday night, with the game airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT. The Mavericks lead the season series 2-0, including a 100-86 road win on Dec. 16.
"We know (the Thunder) are a strong-willed team and very, very much that way for a younger team," Carlisle said of the team's upstart opponent. "They're mature beyond their years competitively.
"You have to play them the right way and you have to play well. You have to hit some tough shots, because they're long and they get into you defensively."
For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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