Mavs Practice: Your All-Access Pass

   You know those media outlets that say “Insider’’ on them? And you have to pay actual money to find out what’s going on inside practice, what’s up with the team, who is saying what, who is whispering what, who is healthy, who is hurting, who is starting, who is guarding whom?

   This is exactly like that … except you don’t have to pay actual money.

   Welcome to Mavs coverage the way it ought to be. … expansive but not expensive … Your All-Access Pass to the Mavs’ final practice before the start of the regular season.

   Enjoy!

  Lost in the disappointment of getting eliminated by the Nuggets last year was the fact that Dallas was a 50-win team and one of the final four standing in the tough West.

   Not lost on fans, players or the head coach is the desire to be better.

   “This is where you find out where everything is at,” Rick Carlisle said. “The chemistry, execution, intensity and disposition … all those things. We’re all very eager to find out, but we feel good about it.”

    How good? Better-than-last-year good?
    “This is a team that we feel is a better team than last year’s,’’ the coach said. “But now we have to go out and prove it.”

INJURY UPDATE

   Josh Howard (ankle) took part is some “limited contact’’ practice on Monday but is nevertheless not at all close to playing on Tuesday or any time this week.

   "We played seven games without him,’’ coach Rick Carlisle said of the 5-2 preseason campaign. “We've become accustomed to (his absence). We know we're better with him. But it could be a while. It could a few weeks. I don't know. We'll find a way without him. But we know we're better with him.’’

      Meanwhile, Tim Thomas (knee) participated in some limited shooting drills and is also out for Tuesday.

   Shawn Marion (calf) is fully ready to go.

   On the Washington side, of course, old friend Antawn Jamison (shoulder) will miss the game and possibly a month beyond that.

GRANDPA MATRIX

   Shawn Marion’s great-grandfather, J.C. Nelson, drove into Dallas over the weekend from his hometown of Dermott, Arkansas. Shawn took him to Pappadeaux. “He had to have his catfish, but I made him eat some calamari, too,’’ Marion told me. “He’s a great man, very mellow. And he’s 84!’’

   Marion expects to have six or eight family members in attendance to watch him debut with his new team. Sadly, his mom is ill and won’t make the trip from her Las Vegas home.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, ACCORDING TO JET

   “Our greatest strength,’’ said Jason Terry, Team Spokesman, “is depth and chemistry. We have the best chemistry we’ve had since I’ve been here.

    “Our weakness? We’ve got one of our key guys out,’’ Jet said of J-Ho. “We’re missing an All-Star-type player.’’

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GERALD GREEN?

   There was a hot rumor on DB.com Boards a few weeks ago that G$ was in the process of accepting a deal to play overseas. … in China, maybe?

   According to a source, Gerald has contacted the Mavs requesting help with his passport. So hopefully G$ is on the way to play somewhere. I’ll keep you posted. 

ALL’S WELL WITH THE DAMPIER FAMILY
   I spoke to Erick Dampier (more from him coming up later) and he said his wife’s pregnancy complications are cleared up. So those thoughts and well-wishes worked!

THE BEGINNING OF THE WIZ CHALLENGE

   I know D.C. is all abuzz with basketball hope (a crappy Redskins team will do that to them), but check out their schedule to start: 10 of Washington's first 15 games are against playoff teams, and include roadies at Dallas, Atlanta, Cleveland, San Antonio and Miami (twice). The games against the non-playoff teams?

   The Mavs talked on Monday about their challenges because they start against Washington, the Lakers and the Clippers. Apples and oranges, there.

DALLASBASKETBALL.COM AND 103.3 ESPN RADIO

   We’ve been invited to be a “fixure’’ on Mavs coverage at my radio home, 103.3 ESPN, and that begins on opening night. I’ll be at Victory Park just after 6 p.m. doing live radio with Wally Lynn, part of the cast of characters that brings you the Mavs on the flagship station, which includes R.J. Choppy and of course play-by-play voice Chuck Cooperstein and Brad Davis.

GOODEN THE MONSTER ENFORCER?

   Newcomer Drew Gooden seems to be feeling his oats after showing some muscle in the preseason finale against Houston.

   “That’s been a role that I have played on a lot of teams,” Gooden said of being an “enforcer.’’ “A lot the fans see that and my teammates know it, and that’s why they brought me in: to be a monster out there.”

   Terry didn’t disagree.

    “He’s our hammer,’’ Jet said.

GETTING-READY-FOR-TUESDAY QUOTEBOOK

   *"It doesn't change (the gameplan)," Carlisle said of Jamison's absence. "We're still going to have the same approach from an intensity and disposition standpoint. It means that the ball is going to be in Arenas' hands more frequently and Butler's, and those two guys are both great players. It's no picnic."

   *”We’re ready and looking forward to Tuesday.” – Dirk Nowitzki.

   *”We need to get off to a good start. That’s what the great teams do.’’ – Jason Kidd.

THE STARTING LINEUP AND WHO GUARDS WHOM

  Mavs coach Rick Carlisle has a sort of “don’t-ask/don’t-tell’’ policy regarding announcing his starting lineup. It’s pretty much a “16-minutes-before-tipoff’’ deal. So Monday, at the team’s final full practice before Tuesday’s season-opener at home against the Wizards, Carlisle didn’t broach the subject.

But in a one-on-one visit with Shawn Marion, I did broach the subject. ... and got some insight not only into who might start the opener but which Mav might guard which Wizard:

   “It’s tough for them without Antawn Jamison (shoulder), but they have so many other weapons,’’ Marion told me. “Caron (Butler) is a great weapon. I’ll guard him.’’

   OK, there’s one spot. At a forward, The Matrix will get tested by Butler (a career-high of 20.8 per game in 2008-09, when he also averaged 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists.)

   How about Gilbert Arenas, apparently fully healthy for the first time in forever and maybe ready to flirt with 30 ppg again?

   “Oh, that’s J-Kidd’s man,’’ Marion said.

   Dirk Nowitzki will of course start for Dallas, and if Jamison was available, those two might duel. Instead, Washington will have to patchwork its way here, though keep in mind the Wiz have added firepower in guys like Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

   Then come the question marks. With no Josh Howard (ankle) available – and it might be a two-week wait before he is – Marion suggested that Dallas would rely on Quentin Ross as the starter.

   “And who is their 2, if Gilbert starts at the point?’’ Marion asked me, before remembering, “Yeah, DeShawn Stevenson. He’s kind of their stopper, too.’’

   Indeed, while Ross might start and guard Stevenson, Stevenson will probably spend his defensive night on more important assignments.

   Finally, at center: “Oh, we’ll go with the big guy,’’ Marion said. “We’ve got Damp and they’ve got, who (Brendan) Haywood? That’s two big ol’ monsters.’’

   So, if Marion is correct, Dallas’ starting lineup will be Kidd (guarding Arenas), Ross, Dirk, Damp and Marion (on Butler).

   Want that written in stone? You’ll have to wait until Tuesday, until 16 minutes before tipoff, when Rick Carlisle says it is so.

MATRIX’ CYLINDERS

    Marion insists he’s “still not clicking on all cylinders’’ – a scary thought for the guys who have to guard him.

   “I'm just trying to get my wind up and get clicking on all cylinders," Marion said. "I'm still not clicking on everything I want to be clicking on, but at the same time I'm still just trying to get my wind back. I was out 10 days -- 10 days of not running, jumping or just playing basketball is tough. But other than that, everything will take care of itself."

FISHELLANEOUS

   Marion is glued to the TV watching the baseball playoffs. “If the Yankees win it all in a new stadium, that’s special,’’ he said. “But I’m still a Cubbie at heart.’’ … Matt Carroll and assistant coach Darrell Armstrong engaged in a raucous post-practice game of 3-pointer HORSE. D.A. needs to almost take a running start to get ‘em launched, but he finished a close second. … Monday was by far the most attended day of the Mavs’ fall, largely because across town, Wade Phillips had given his Cowboys the day off … Easy baskets. That’s what Dallas needs from Marion, who shot 77 percent in the preseason. … Carlisle cited Gooden and Humphries specifically as among the reasons he believes “we are more physical than last year.’’ … Carlisle on Josh: “When he comes back, we'll have to be ready to integrate him very quickly.''  … Kris Humphries looks forward to the AAC crowd’s participation: “With the help of the fans, keeping it loud, we hope we get that win,’’ he said. … The Mavs will shootaround at 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Wizards at 11 a.m. shootaround. … The always stylish Jason Terry says of all of Gooden’s varied hairstyles, he likes it best “baldy, Kojak-style. I was not a fan of the ducktail.’’ …