NBA ROUNDUP: 7/4 - 7/10

The Dallas Mavericks are making multiple roster moves to put themselves among the elite NBA teams by re-signing Jason Kidd and making a trade for Shawn Marion. The Mavs showed some toughness and resolve this year when they won 50 games and made it to the second round of the playoffs before falling to a scrappy Denver Nuggets squad. Owner Mark Cuban is not sitting on his laurels and is making bold moves to put his team back in contention. Read more

NBA ROUNDUP: 4/25 - 5/1

The Cleveland Cavaliers showed why they had the best record in the NBA by easily sweeping the Detroit Pistons in the first round. The presumptive favorites, the Los Angeles Lakers, failed to look anything like a championship contender by blowing huge leads to the Utah Jazz before finishing them off. The San Antonio Spurs were shocked by the Dallas Mavericks and it’s Tim Duncan’s first ever playoff exit in the first round. Look for an exciting series to go seven between the Mavs and Denver Nuggets. Read more

NBA ROUNDUP: 4/4 - 4/10

Shaquille O’Neal has played pretty well for a 37-year-old. He showed nimbleness this season, as well as in the NBA All-Star game where he won Co-MVP with Kobe Bryant. Now through Twitter he’s been hinting that he wants to be traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Shaq still have one to two years left in his career but will only be effective on a championship-contending team who needs a role player like the Los Angeles Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers. He won’t be much use to a rebuilding Dallas Mavericks. Read more

TOP NBA GAMES: 3/30 - 4/05

In the blink of an eye, a once dominant sports franchise can fall into mediocrity. It happened to two teams this season, one from the Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference. I’m talking, of course, about the Detroit Pistons and the Phoenix Suns. It’s kind of sad actually, that up until just a year ago, these two teams were always mentioned as championship contenders. Age, changing systems, and departing point guards have all led to the rapid decline of these once-proud franchises. Seeing this, you really can’t give enough credit to the San Antonio Spurs organization, who has basically kept the same team for the past 10 years and somehow maintained their championship caliber level of play.

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WHY THE MAVS ARE DOOMED TO FAIL

If the Dallas Mavericks continue to build around Dirk Nowitzki as their franchise player, they won’t ever be better than a barely competent team. Read more

TOP NBA GAMES: 3/9 - 3/15

Shaq is feuding with an ex-coach and an All-Star caliber ex-teammate. Sound familiar? In Orlando, it was coach Brian Hill and Penny Hardaway. With the Lakers, it was Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. This past week, Shaq exchanged words with former Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy and former wingman Dwayne Wade.

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MAVERICKS HAVE FAITH IN BAREA

The Dallas Mavericks considered adding Stephon Marbury, but backed off after the improved play of their own guard, J.J. Barea. The guard has showed improved play, and owner Mark Cuban told the Dallas Morning News that he was pleased with the player. It’s not like the Mavs would’ve gotten Marbury, who is likely to head to Boston. I would consider it a blessing. Starbury is one headache they don’t need.

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CELTICS SURGING IN COMEBACK WIN

Looks like there was no letdown for the Boston Celtics going into the All-Star break. Paul Pierce scored 18 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks to end the first half on a high note. Since losing two in a row, Boston has rebounded nicely. Look for them to remain dangerous in the latter half of the season and in the playoffs. As for the Mavs, it’s another tough loss in an increasingly tough season.

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DALLAS DEFENSE STILL SOFT

Remember those old Dallas Mavericks? The ones with defensive holes big enough for Shaq to crawl through? They’re starting to resemble the most current iteration, which had made strikes on the defensive end just two seasons ago. The lack of care in defense has led to the Mavericks running a lot, but getting nowhere, says Dallas Morning News’ Eddie Sefko. Coach Rick Carlisle says he is disappointed by the team’s losing streak, which points to its inability to stop the ball.

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MAVS LET HOWARD GO OFF, WIN ANYWAY

Sometimes feeding the big dog isn’t such a good idea. The Orlando Magic learned that lesson when “Superman” Dwight Howard went off for 35 points against the Dallas Mavericks, yet still lost. The Mavs dedicated themselves to guarding against the outside shot, which paid dividend in a dominating win. The Dallas Morning News says it’s the same strategy the Mavs employ against the San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan.

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KIDD-HARRIS TRADE LOOKING BETTER ALL THE TIME

With Devin Harris making the All-Star team as a reserve, and Jason Kidd getting left out, the disparity between the two point guards has grown. Do you think the Dallas Mavericks are kicking themselves for sending away a top-tier guard for an aging player past his prime? The New Jersey Nets are certainly smiling. The Nets felt Vince Carter was snubbed. Maybe if Carter developed some heart more people would complaining about the omission.

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CELTICS STOCK RISING AGAIN

It seemed like eons ago that the Boston Celtics were in shambles after losing seven of nine games, but they seem to be back on track with eight straight victories with the last win against the Dallas Mavericks. The bottom line is they are the defending world champions and they have players that know what it takes to win. However, it’ll be interesting to see which Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team shows up during the playoffs.

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ALONZO MOURNING RETIREMENT INTERVIEW

Alonzo Mourning retires from the NBA after 15 productive years in the league. Kevin Arnovitz catches up with ‘Zo for an interview on what it feels like to be retiring. According to ‘Zo retiring has taken a huge lift off his shoulders and a new passion for golf allows him to utilize his competitive spirit in another place. Out of the centers from the Georgetown Hoyas between him, Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo, Mourning is the only one to win a championship ring with the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

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WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Here’s an example of when getting that scoring fever can get out of hand. A Texas high school girls basketball team from The Covenant School destroyed its opponent 100-0, and is now admitting that they went too far, says Rivals.com. The school is seeking a forfeit of the win and apologized for the margin of victory. They kept a full-court press and launched three-pointers into the fourth quarter, and only let up at the century mark. The opponents from Dallas Academy come from a school with roughly 20 girls, with eight of them on the varsity squad. The girls from Dallas Academy seem to take in stride, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has invited the squad to watch a game from his suite.

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DALLAS MAVERICKS BETTER THAN YOU THINK

Despite a solid 24-17 record, the Dallas Mavericks are still getting harped on. But to the Dallas Morning News’ Eddie Sefko, they might be doing even better than a year ago. After some fancy work with the stats, Sefko argues that Kidd’s record with the Mavericks this season - a .585 winning percentage - outpaces last year’s .552 record after Kidd was brought in. The team does remain in the playoff hunt, and the X factor remains talented, if somewhat troubled, forward Josh Howard.

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DALLAS MAVERICKS COME BACK FROM 29 POINTS

The Dallas Mavericks were down by as many as 29 points in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves and came back to win the game 107-100. An improbable victory for the Mavs as they came back from a 70-41 deficit started by a Dirk Nowitzki dunk that led to a 22-2 run to cut the score to 72-63. The Timberwolves are just playing poor basketball this season with a 6-25 record.

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NOWITZKI WILLING TO TAKE PAY CUT TO WIN

Here’s a player who values winning above anything. Star Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki told the Dallas Morning News that he would be willing to take a pay cut in 2010 to help the team nab another marquee player. Remember, 2010 is the big year for free agents,  including Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and of course, LeBron James. He said that after winning the MVP, there’s nothing left to win individually except for the championship. It’s refreshing to see a player of that caliber with that attitude. Although it’s not clear how that’s going to help Dallas’ woes in the mean time.

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MORE WOE FOR DALLAS MAVERICKS

Jason Kidd fans in Dallas might be disappearing after the 121-97 shredding of the Mavericks by the New Jersey Nets. Key to the victory is Nets point guard Devon Harris, now one of the premiere players in the league. Fox Sports’ Charley Rosen calls the trade an “ummitigated disaster.” Harsh words, but not untrue. He goes on to dissect the Mavericks’ lack of defense, and notes that while Kidd had a solid game, he couldn’t contain Harris.

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JASON KIDD TRADE NOT A COMPLETE BUST

The Jason Kidd trade isn’t the complete bust critics have pegged it to be. Read more