Cavs 96, Mavs 66: Let's Get This Over With

   It appears the Mavs have reached The Get-This-Preseason-Over-With Portion of preseason … and one didn’t need much basketball expertise or even have to even actually watch Dallas’ exhibition loss to the Cavs in Pittsburgh on Tuesday to come to that conclusion.

   All it took was a preschooler’s grasp of basic math.

   But no, the math I’m talking about is this: a quick body count showed five Mavs on the floor … and four Mavs dressed on the bench … and where was everybody?

  "It’s tough to play, especially when you’re short-staffed," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We didn’t have a lot to work with.’’

   Yeah, but why didn't they have a lot to work with? More on that below ...

   Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd got in their workouts before the game. Josh Howard (ankle), Tim Thomas (knee) and Shawn Marion (calf) continued to nurse their injuries; the first two fellas are hoping to make possible appearances in Dallas’ final preseason game Friday at Houston. Nathan Jawai was in transit (he was traded to Minny on Tuesday) and Shawne Williams is in limbo and … Dallas suited up nine guys total.

   Some quick impressions and reflections:

   *If this preseason has been at all about discovery, this preseason has been all about Kris Humphries. He came to town unconvinced that Dallas intended on keeping him – and went so far as to even delay signing an apartment lease – but Dallas is keeping him. He was good for 20 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes. And yes, it was with the Mavs’ JV’s; but if some kid was a nightly 20/9 threat on JV’s, wouldn’t you move him up to varsity?

   *On the downside of Humphries’ night: The front line featuring him and James Singleton and Erick Dampier and Drew Gooden didn’t seem to want a piece of Shaq. Or of Big Z, for that matter. Shaq did his damage by tossing around people like Quinton Ross. Big Z did his by actually playing basketball, and by doing it well. (16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, with seven rebounds and three blocks.)

   *Another sign that this was a wasted night: When you saw Damp and Gooden on the floor together. That doesn’t really help define their head-to-head competition for work, does it?

   *The Mavericks' starting lineup: Matt Carroll, J.J. Barea, Quinton Ross, Drew Gooden and Erick Dampier.

   *If you give Matt Carroll enough time and enough shots, I suppose he will score 17 points. But he was only 6-of-15 shooting, and he offered up a pair of comedic moments when he dared to attempt to score against LeBron James.

    Early in the third, Carroll thought he had a breakaway. Soaring into the picture from nowhere was LeBron, who slapped the shot off the backboard for a block.

    Two minutes later, Carroll shot again … and LeBron blocked it again.

    “Both of them were clean,’’ James insisted.

    *All frivolity aside, there is no indication that Carroll has done anything in this camp but settle back into the role of emergency spot shooter. … and no reason to have him play that role when people like Dirk, Josh, Kidd, Marion and Jet do it so much better than he does.

   *I was hoping Gooden would counter Andy Varejeo’s hustle. Didn’t happen.

   *Dallas submitted to Cleveland’s defensive pressure by shooting 34 percent and by allowing Cleveland to record nine steals.

   *LeBron contributed 12 points, two steals, seven assists and those blocks. But he was just 3-of-13, if that’s any consolation.

   *As long as we’re trashing the Mavs’ interior work … the perimeter work was lousy, too. Mo Williams scored 16 points with six rebounds and 11 assists.

   *Finally, on the subject of being "short-staffed'' ...

   Mavs newspaper beat writer Eddie Sefko called it “tit-for-tat.’’ Cavs newspaper beat writer Brian Windhorst called it “gamesmanship.’’ Last Saturday, Cleveland came to the AAC and sat out LeBron and Shaq, robbing Dallas fans of seeing the stars in action. Was the Mavs’ decision to sit out all of their big stars an act of retaliation? A way to prevent the Cavs from truly getting a "dress-rehearsal'' look from the opponent?

   At this point, I'm not so much arguing against "tit-for-tat,'' "gamesmanship'' or even "retaliation.''

   At this point, I'm just arguing that we get this preseason over with.