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**t1no** · 10-02-2007, 02:01 PM

http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/254066.html

Mavs tipping hats to Nowitzki's attitude

DALLAS -- The last time Dirk Nowitzki made an appearance at the American Airlines Center, he solemnly accepted the league MVP trophy as he shouldered responsibility of a bitter playoff collapse.

On Monday, the Mavericks' 7-foot star was back for media day. His smile was back, too, as well as a well-groomed goatee. He appeased several groups of media members with lengthy, impromptu interviews, doing one while donning a reporter's slightly undersized fedora atop the return of his shaggy blonde hair.

Nowitzki talked about his Bohemian summer travels, the decent showing of his German National team in Spain and, of course, about beginning a new season again on the heels of a monumental playoff disappointment.

But, he also signaled why this season's Mavs team, mostly unchanged from last season, could be the one to put the pieces together.

"That last step is hard, it's a beast," Nowitzki said. "Winning it all, there's a lot of factors that play into it. You can't just plan on it. You have to work and keep believing in yourself and the team."

He and coach Avery Johnson have spoken of Nowitzki taking a larger leadership role on and off the court, but Johnson emphasized that Nowitzki can't do it alone.

"It's all about him getting his team to play at a high level and everybody else stepping up," Johnson said. "What people fail to realize is superstars are double- and triple-teamed in playoff series, especially when you're the MVP, and it requires everybody else to play well."

Johnson wants set five

Avery Johnson said he'd like to develop a consistent starting five that can match up against any lineup, and that could mean a new backcourt.

Johnson said pairing the 6-foot-3 Devin Harris, who's set to take over at point guard, and 6-2 Jason Terry at shooting guard doesn't always provide enough size or defense.

With Terry at the point, Johnson often used 6-8 Devean George at shooting guard, and the recent acquisition of 6-foot-5 veteran Trenton Hassell, a solid defender, gives Johnson another option.

"I'd like to have a lineup that we can play against small, big or medium teams and let that lineup find some chemistry consistently during the course of the year," Johnson said.

That might require sacrifice from one or more players accustomed to starting.

"Absolutely," Johnson said. "And it's going to require more patience on my part."

Briefly

Trenton Hassell is attending to his ill father and will report to training camp late, Avery Johnson said.

The Pacers released former Mavs guard Darrell Armstrong on Monday and it's possible the 39-year-old could land with Mavs on a non-guaranteed contract if he's still available. The Mavs, due to owning the league's best record last season, pick last on the waiver wire.

Center Erick Dampier's surgically repaired shoulder is likely to keep him out of action into the middle of November, while third-string center DJ Mbenga, coming off major knee surgery, hopes to be at full strength for the Oct. 31 season-opener.

Mavs key dates

Training camp begins: today

Preseason schedule

Oct. 9 vs. San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 13 at Washington*, 6 p.m.

Oct. 16 at Sacramento#, 9 p.m.

Oct. 18 at Houston, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 vs. Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 21 vs. New Orleans, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 23 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

Season opener

Oct. 31 at Cleveland, 7 p.m., KTXA/21; ESPN

Home opener

Nov. 3 vs. Sacramento, 7:30 p.m., KTXA/21

*Fairfax, Va.

#Las Cruces, N.M.

Training camp roster

No Player Pos Ht/Wt
13 Maurice Ager G 6-5/202
11 Jose Barea G 6-0/175
32 Brandon Bass F 6-8/240
25 Erick Dampier C 6-11/265
7 DeSagana Diop C 7-0/280
20 Nick Fazekas F 6-11/235
40 Devean George G/F 6-8/235
8 Darvin Ham F 6-7/240
34 Devin Harris G 6-3/185
23 Trenton Hassell F 6-5/233
5 Josh Howard F 6-7/210
28 DJ Mbenga C 7-0/255
6 Eddie Jones G/F 6-6/200
10 Jared Newson G 6-5/215
41 Dirk Nowitzki F 7-0/245
30 Jamal Sampson F/C 6-11/235
42 Jerry Stackhouse G/F 6-6/218
31 Jason Terry G 6-2/180
NBA Calendar

2007

Saturday: Start of preseason.

Oct. 29: Rosters set.

Oct. 30: Start of regular season.

2008

Feb. 17: All-Star game at

New Orleans.

Feb. 21: Trading deadline.

April 16: Regular season ends.

April 19: Playoffs begin.

April 27: NBA Draft early entry eligibility deadline.

June 16: Early entry withdrawal deadline.

June 26: NBA Draft at New York.

**t1no** · 10-02-2007, 02:03 PM

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...k.2e6a679.html

Mavs' Nowitzki(Choker) looking to earn respect

Nowitzki knows postseason is where Mavs can quiet doubters

Dirk Nowitzki has heard the catcalls from fans who formerly had reserved seats on the Mavericks' bandwagon.

You know who you are. And to those who refuse to trust the Mavericks after their demoralizing finish last season, Nowitzki's response may come as a mild surprise.

He understands your lack of faith.

"We can go 82-0 and people will say, 'They're going to lose, they don't have what it takes,'" Nowitzki said.

The MVP and center of the Mavs' universe believes there's some credence to the widespread notion that this team is headed toward six months of wheel-spinning during the regular season.

Not that the 82-game grind will lose all meaning. That would be an overstatement. But Nowitzki knows the drill.

Nothing that happens before the playoffs will get them the respect they crave. And that challenge might just turn out to be healthy for them.

"Last year, we were one of the favorites to win it all and maybe the pressure was a little high," Nowitzki said. "Maybe this year, we're going to be underdogs, which probably is not a bad role for us to be in."

Nowitzki joined the rest of the Mavericks on Monday for media day. Training camp officially begins today with a pair of practices.

It's the beginning of a long journey the Mavericks hope will have a much happier ending than last season, when a record 67-win regular season was flushed down the drain with a historic first-round loss to Golden State.

Nowitzki spent his summer traveling to Australia to try to clear his mind, playing for the German national team (finishing fifth in the European championships) and trying to get rid of the painful playoff memories. Impossible to do, he said. But as he touched on several subjects Monday, he also said that sometimes a team has to fail before it can learn the final lesson.

"It's not bad," he said of being the underdog. "San Antonio last year did just that. Everybody said after they lost to us [in 2006] that they were too old and can't do it anymore. Next thing you know, they won it again."

But Nowitzki – entering his 10th season with the 27-year-old franchise– is realizing that getting the Mavericks a championship is the toughest task of all.

"It's easier to turn a franchise around into a winning team," he said. "It's not easy. But it's easier than taking it all the way. That last step is hard. It's a beast.

"People don't really believe anything you do until you've done it. We came close one year. Last year we were the heavy favorites and we didn't do it. Obviously, they [fans and media] killed us pretty good when we lost so, I mean, everybody only believes you can do it when you do it once. So far, we haven't. A lot of things factor into winning it all."

Coach Avery Johnson believes one of those factors is strong leadership from his players. Though he knows Nowitzki is not the type to make locker-room speeches, Johnson already has said he wants Nowitzki to take on a greater leadership role.

"His team has to play at a high level," Johnson said. "If we make it to the playoffs and he averages 40 and 40, but the team loses, it really doesn't matter. It's all about him getting his team to play at a high level and everybody else stepping up."

Jason Terry believes the way Nowitzki takes care of his business is enough to show the team he's a leader.

"If you watch a Maverick practice, you'll see his work ethic," Terry said. "That's where he leads us. No matter if he has an ache or pain, he's still putting the work in to become an MVP, knowing that he's going to face double- and triple-teams every night. That's how he leads us."

One thing Nowitzki is certain of is that management was right to give this set of players another shot at winning it all.

"We have all the pieces that we need," he said. "We've got shooters. We've got some great defenders. We just need to keep working."

And have the patience to prove doubters wrong come May and June.