Sunday Morning Donuts: The Eclectic Mavs Fan

Cuban vs. Peter King? ... No Marion-related pouting, please, J-Ho ... Kris Humphries' armpits and Megan Fox' "clubbed thumb''? ... Misty Mav working on a Dirk-vs.-LeBron offer ... A pissed-off Jerry Jones ... Sunday Morning Donuts!

   DONUT 1: In light of Shawn Marion’s electric presence with the Mavs, I suggested yesterday that Josh Howard should be watching and learning from The Matrix.

   As J-Ho nurses his ankle – I’m told he has a special piece of furniture-like rehab device at his home, just to help him do all he can at all hours in order to return – I think there is a legitimate concern regarding Josh’s psyche.

   Is he celebrating Marion’s acquisition? Happy to accept sharing the second-banana role? Taking the approach that “The More The Marion’’?

   Or is he privately pouting? Wondering if he’s unloved? Worried about his stature on the club?

   Howard is a sensitive guy; that’s one of the reasons Mavs management has always shown him the love, publically and privately. Here is a case where he needs to be inspired by Marion’s presence instead of worried about it.

   And here is hoping that – with the familial guidance of the organization – he takes the right tack.

   DONUT 2: The NBA plays outdoors. Under what Nellie called "a big hole in the sky.''

    DONUT 3: Oh, the things you can learn from DallasBasketball.com: An already-odd conversation of whether Kris Humphries shaves his armpits morphs eclectically into the revelation that Megan Fox suffers from “clubbed thumb.’’

   Which, by the way, she indeed does.

   DONUT 4: Seriously, Megan ... is that a potato on your thumb or are you just happy to see me?

   DONUT 5: The Celtics are getting ready to predict that they are about to become the greatest team ever. And the newspaper writer seems to be leaning toward agreeing with them.

    Dear sirs: I will take that bet.

   DONUT 6: Coming up in a bit: A DB.com Store announcement/offer involving Dirk, LeBron, Jet, Mavs-vs.-Cavs and Misty Mav ...

  DONUT 7: There are rumors that Mark Cuban is going to execute some exhaustive coast-to-coast search for a new PA guy (Humble Billy is leaving due to family concerns). It makes for a good story – just as your chance to vote on the finalists for the job is a good story. But my understanding is that there IS a budget for the job, that it’s a fraction of what Billy was paid, and that Cuban would like to do something ‘unique’’ with the position as opposed to doing something “expensive’’ with the position.

   And flying in PA men from LA or NY would be expensive.
  

    DONUT 8: The Mavs face the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday at 6 at American Airlines Center. But that’s only part of Sunday’s intrigue. …

    DONUT 9: Both Memphis and Dallas scheduled shoot-around today for 9 a.m., the Grizzlies on the AAC main court and the Mavs downstairs in the basement. Hmm. A 6 p.m. game, preceded by a night off in Dallas, with a 9 a.m. shootaround in the middle? I’m sure “energy guys’’ like Marion, JJB and Terry will try to get the blood pumping, but 9 a.m.? I’m sure the Grizzlies are planning to be all-business and no hangovers, but 9 a.m.?

   Mark me down for both teams to sleepwalk through their shootarounds.

    DONUT 10: They want to “Keep Portland Weird.’’ So Andre Miller will fit right in.

    DONUT 11: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he wants people to be “highly pissed’’ about his 2-2 team. Hey, Jerry’s team might only win half its games. But if he wants fans to be “highly pissed’’? In that department, the Cowboys are undefeated.

    DONUT 12: The Capt. Jack story isn’t quite the national mushroom cloud I predicted it would be a month ago. But it is cloudy. Stephen Jackson still wants out of Nellietown, the Warriors are still a mess worthy of wanting to escape, and now there is word that Golden State has suspended Jackson for two preseason games for detrimental conduct.

    I predicted a Jackson implosion. I’ll stick with my prediction.

    DONUT 13: Quite an interesting pissin’ match late last night between Mark Cuban and Peter King. Via Twitter, it seems Peter never heard of HDNet. Worse, when he was asked by a reader where one could view the UFL – about which Peter was getting ready to interview the league’s commissioner – Peter told the reader, “HD Net, whatever that is.’’

   Why would Peter be so dismissive? Should he be so dismissive given that he’s getting ready to, I assume, do a story on the league? Should he know what HDNet is?

    No matter. Thanks to Cuban, it seems he does now.