Donuts: Mavs-Knicks Notes As Sung By Prince

Mike Fisher -- DB.com

     DONUT 1: Given Mavs-Knicks history, what can we expect today in the noon start? A close game. A Dallas win. In overtime.

   Dating back to January 2002, the Mavs are 14-1 against the Knicks. That’s the best record of any team vs. any team during this span.

    DONUT 2: But. … five of the last nine at NY gave gone to OT. (Thanks, mavstats.) So, stick around for the end of this one.

    DONUT 3: The Knicks are 17-25 and the Knicks are something else: Not just a mediocre team, but worse, a really odd team that seems a ways away from escaping a state of flux.

     New York has dropped three of four and five of eight. … but that’s no story. They hired Mike “Paper Moon’’ D’Antoni to create an up-tempo-and-entertaining team. The Knicks are neither. They have dumped on Eddy Curry (who is injured) and they seem prepared to dump Nate Robinson (the Celtics want him in trade) and they have dumped Larry Hughes into the doghouse and it’s a youth movement now, featuring Jordan Hill and (maybe today) Toney Douglas ... who hardly seem ready to carry a franchise.

    Maybe LeBron is going to New York. But he’s not going there today. So it’s essentially a matter of somebody in a Dallas uni putting the stops to David Lee, good for 31/17 on Friday in a loss to the Lakers.

    DONUT 4: Get your Mavs DallasBasketball.com T-shirts, courtesy of the DB.com Store! Go to the DB.com Store RIGHT NOW and place your order … one shirt, two shirts, whatever you wish. … “The DUST Chip,’’ the retro “FISH for LUNCH’’ or the essential ice-grey “DallasBasketball.com’’ … or, may we suggest, in honor of Dirk Nowitzki at 20,000 points, “The UberMan’’!

   Place the order and we’ll ship your shirts TODAY via PRIORITY MAIL!

   DONUT 5: So Clipper Chris Kaman says Lakers star Pau Gasol shouldn’t be on the All-Star team …  “I don’t think Gasol should be in it at all. “He’s only played like 20 games this year. I think there should be a number of games you should play. I think you should have to play like 80 percent of the games. “It shouldn’t be 50 percent (of games a player has logged) over a guy who plays 90 percent and who has better numbers. Not just me. Zach Randolph, a power forward, he has better numbers (than Gasol). But he’s not on the Lakers.’’

   Does this mark the very first time a Clipper has ever stood up to a Laker?

   Speaking of Clippers centers, we’re just about due for a round of Kaman-or-Camby-to-everywhere rumors. Everywhere, including Dallas.

   DONUT 6: Meanwhile, Mark Cuban has a solution to the inequity of All-Star voting that would still include fanatics with computers (i.e., Chinese NBA fans) but would increase the impact of NBA fans who actually pay to see the games.

    "I'm a big believer that votes inside the arena should count double those on the Internet," Cuban tells Art Garcia.

   DONUT 7: The Knicks are about to see what they missed out on as Jason Kidd rolls into town.

   You’ll recall the Knicks courting Kidd last summer with as much as they could, $18 mil over three years … forcing Dallas to jump beyond the two years it was hoping for and retaining J-Kidd for three years and about $25 mil.

   "We weren't in a good position financially to make it happen," said Knicks president Donnie Walsh. "Usually the home team is and they did. And they got a heck of a player. He brings intangibles. He has know-how, experience and he's a winning type of guy. Those are things we were looking for."

   Hopefully, the Knicks will see what they were looking for today.

   DONUT 8: So the Mavs fulfilled our wishes for a second straight game and even with Josh Howard and JJ Barea available, opted to make Jason Terry the starting 2-guard in Philly. The movie didn’t result in a victory, didn’t result in Jet shooting well and didn’t guarantee that Terry will start today in New York.

   But we still believe it’s the right thing to do.

   Remember, the move – in our minds and I think in Rick Carlisle’s mind -- wasn't designed as a promotion for Jet or a demotion of Josh. It doesn’t necessarily alter the number of minutes they play over the course of a game. All it was about – and David Lord was very clear here – is altering who plays when and who plays alongside whom.

    Having Jet and JJB coming off the bench together, and playing together, isn’t the ideal way to utilize the two mini-combo guards.

   We’re interested to see if today, against a Knicks team that starts 6-1 Chris Duhon at the point and then brings tiny Nate Robinson as a first guy off the bench, Dallas sees the advantages to once again starting Jason Terry at the 2.

    DONUT 9: I mention Nate Robinson above, but we should note that he is "doubtful'' for the game in the Garden. The Mavs figure to be at full strength for the final game of the five-game roadie – their longest of the year -- which they hope they can close up at 3-2.

   DONUT 10: Mavs trades? Rick Carlisle says don’t hold your breath.

   But really, what would you expect him to say? 

    If you are asking me how I would bet on a deal getting done, that’s a different question; so many dominoes have to fall just right. But if you are asking me if Slick Rick is going to come forward on a radio show to openly discuss exploration of deals?

    Step away from your crack dealer.

   DONUT 11: The Nuggets won in OT last night against the Hornets, jumping Denver up to the No. 2 spot in the West. Denver is 29-14, the Mavs are 28-15. The Nuggets face a challenging week worth a watch, though: home Monday against Charlotte (the Bobcats are much-improved but are 3-15 on the road), then at Houston, at OKC and at San Antonio.

    So second place remains very much up for grabs through January.

   DONUT 12: Prince, as you probably know, grew up hard by the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities, just as I did. Vikings fans from birth, Prince and I. But with this rather queer song he’s just written for the “Purple and Gold,’’ Prince is going to ruin everything.

    Give it a listen and see if it doesn’t cause you to envision:

   *Prince’s former backup musicians (hotties like Apollonia and Sheila E.) being replaced by The Lollipop Guild.

   *The Vikings riding into battle atop a herd of pink transsexual unicorns wearing eyeliner and Spanx.

   *Minnesota losing today in New Orleans.

    DONUT 13: And finally, across the river, the Nets are losers in Utah. Fanhouse notes that the result means that NJ ties the 1993-94 Mavs for the worst start in NBA history after 44 games. The Mavs were 4-40. The Nets are 3-41.

   Shall I repeat that? The 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks were 4-40. … and are no longer the record-holders and are no longer a threat to lose nine of every 10 games they play. So we got that goin’ for us. Which is nice.