mavs almost fully healthy!
Mavericks nearly full strength
Everyone expected to make roster works together for first time
09:04 PM CDT on Friday, October 29, 2004
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
It took 24 days and a lot of time in the training room, but it finally happened.
The Mavericks conducted their first practice with everyone they expect to be on the active roster this season.
"I just went nuts and kept them here for about 3 ½ hours," Mavericks coach Don Nelson said after Friday's session.
"The offense was clicking. The defense was sharp. I was very pleased with the practice."
Not everyone went full speed. Michael Finley and Jerry Stackhouse, who has said he won't be ready to play in Tuesday night's opener, worked cautiously.
Marquis Daniels sat out when the team began to scrimmage full court.
But Nelson wants everyone to practice the next three days so they can get a feel for each other.
"I want to ensure everybody is on the floor, even if they're not 100 percent, so we can start learning each other's moves," Nelson said. "I don't know if four days is enough, but it's better than no days."
Briefly: Don Nelson said even if Marquis Daniels is able to play against Sacramento on Tuesday night, he won't start him until he's able to play his way into shape. Nelson said Josh Howard will start at small forward against the Kings. ... The club cut three players – Derek Hood, Jason Sasser and Felipe Lopez – to get its roster down to 15 players.
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