--Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard are the Mavs' two most reliable scorers, and since Jason Kidd is not as prolific a scoring threat as other point guards around the league, Nowitzki said Jason Terry has to be their big third scorer on a nightly basis.
"We need another scorer, a reliable scorer," Nowitzki said. "If that means Jet has to start or whatever, we need him to make shots off the bench or as a starter. We need his enthusiasm, his energy, his ability to shoot 3 and spread the floor, but also to blow and go and finish some at the rim. We just need more out of him." Terry scored 29 points in Tuesday's win at San Antonio and had 20 Friday at Denver. He's scored in double figures in four of five games.
--The depth the Mavericks thought they had at shooting guard has quickly proved to be illusory. Jason Terry has been the lone bright spot, while Jerry Stackhouse, Antoine Wright and Gerald Green have struggled to achieve consistency. Meanwhile Devean George remains sidelined with a left hand injury.
Stackhouse, who turned 35 Wednesday, is nowhere close with his shot. He has not made more than one field goal in any of the four games he's played. Friday at Denver he missed 7-of-8 shots making him 4-of-24 from the floor on the season.
"It's been tough, it's been tough on him, it's been tough on the team, so we're just going to have to keep working on it, that's where we are," coach Rick Carlisle said. "I know he has a lot of good basketball left. I'm going to do whatever I can to get him going offensively when he's out there and we'll just go from here."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's a period of feeling out. Coach still has to learn about us and vice-versa. I think there's going to be some frustration, especially on the wing spot, we're so deep, but I think good teams have to overcome that, have to stick together even though some guys might not be satisfied." -- Dirk Nowitzki, on the ups and downs of the first five games.
