The Dallas Morning News (Eddie Sefko) reports: Fringe NBA players are on tour these days, making the rounds to see where they might have a shot at full-time employment next season. Most of the names are anonymous, but one that made a swing by American Airlines Center on Monday was of particular note: Pops Mensah-Bonsu… The Mavericks also brought in Richie Frahm, a respected shooter who has bounced around the league for several seasons and played 10 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season.
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Rick Carlisle going to Germany to chill with Dirk
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Jeff Caplan) reports: Mavericks coach Rick plans to travel to Germany next week and spend five days with Dirk Nowitzki, who is training with the German National team in its quest to qualify for the Olympics for the first time. Without a first-round pick in the June 26 draft, the Mavs will likely try to buy or trade their way in, although Carlisle said it can be difficult working out a deal with teams with only one first-round pick. New Jersey (from Dallas in the Jason Kidd trade), Seattle and Memphis each have two first-round selections. The Mavs have the 51st overall pick. Carlisle said he is getting closer to naming a staff. Former NBA head coaches Dwane Casey and Terry Stotts have standing offers. Carlisle gives a slight edge to the Boston Celtics to beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA title. Carlisle was a member of the Celtics during the most recent NBA Finals meeting between the two franchises, in 1987.
Mavericks have big summer decisions
The Dallas Morning News (Eddie Sefko) reports: The Mavericks must decide if there is a reasonable market for players such as Josh Howard, Jason Terry and/or Jerry Stackhouse. Those are trade chips of varying value. But it’s about all the Mavericks have to dangle unless they want to make a serious change in philosophy and trade Dirk Nowitzki or admit the Jason Kidd trade was a mistake and deal him. Kidd enters the final year of his contract, worth $21 million. The Mavericks also will have Reyshawn Terry and Renaldas Seibutis, two former second-round picks, in summer league. Both are being given a decent chance of making next season’s roster. Meanwhile, some of the prominent names around the league who could be on the trading block are the LA Clippers’ Corey Maggette, Sacramento’s Ron Artest and Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace or Jason Richardson.
Did Avery Johnson deserve to be fired?
The Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson today, just half a day after the team got eliminated in the first round by a better squad, the New Orleans Hornets.
The Dallas Morning News (Eddie Sefko) reports: Johnson, who took over the Mavericks’ coaching job with 18 games left in the 2004-05 season, had been the subject of strong speculation late in the regular season and during the first-round playoff loss to New Orleans. Three playoff disappointments, including the 4-1 loss to New Orleans that the Hornets finished off Tuesday, and a loss of control of the team by Johnson convinced Cuban to make the move. Several curious comments and actions preceded Johnson’s dismissal. He had a loud outburst with Cuban after a game in March, a confrontation that was audible to staff members throughout the Mavericks’ offices. Early in the playoffs, Johnson took full responsibility for his team’s missed free throws and other physical errors. Clearly, that was a thinly veiled criticism of the players. Then, on Monday, after Johnson canceled a practice, the players decided to practice on their own, which angered Johnson.
Apr. 29: Hornets 99, Mavs 94
The AP reports: Chris Paul had 24 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds, and the Hornets held on for a 99-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to win their first-round series in five games… David West scored 25 points for New Orleans and Jannero Pargo had 17, while Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 14 rebounds… Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Devean George added 11 points in the fourth quarter as Dallas nearly pulled off an improbable comeback. The Mavs cut a 17-point deficit to three in the final seven minutes before Peja Stojakovic hit a pair of free throws to seal it with 5.7 seconds left. Tempers flared near the end, and Jerry Stackhouse was ejected for a second technical foul with 1:47 left after slapping the ball out of Paul’s hands during a stoppage in play, then getting in a face-to-face standoff with West. Dallas never led and was hurt badly by an 11-1 Hornets run after Nowitzki’s free throw had pulled the Mavs to 73-66 early in the fourth quarter. Dallas played solid defense on New Orleans’ next possession, keeping the ball on the perimeter, but Pargo hit a deflating 3 at the shot clock buzzer.
InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Hornets shot 48.7%, the Mavs 42.7%. The Hornets nailed a fantastic 8-of-14 three-pointers (four guys had two each), the Mavs just 9-of-26 (Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Stackhouse combined for 1-of-11 threes). Rebounding and assists were close. Both teams controlled the ball well. For the Hornets, Chris Paul had 24 points, 11 rebounds, 15 assists (no turnovers!) and 2 steals. David West had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. Jannero Pargo (7-of-9) had 17 points and 3 rebounds. Peja Stojakovic shot just 2-of-12 for 11 points and 6 rebounds. Tyson Chandler had 10 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. For the Mavericks, Nowitzki shot just 8-of-21 for 22 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. Six other Mavs scored between 11 and 14 points. Jason Terry had 13 points with 9 assists. Jason Kidd had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists and no turnovers. Josh Howard had a modest 12 points with 9 rebounds and more turnovers than assists. Brandon Bass had 9 rebounds off the bench.
Mark Cuban denies having brush with fan
The Dallas Morning News reports: After Chris Paul tumbled into the baseline seats late in Game 4, he got into an exchange with a fan. Despite what some reports said, owner Mark Cuban did not have a brush with the fan. “He is a friend of mine,” Cuban said. “He wasn’t goading, nor was he trying to create a confrontation in talking to Paul. I was right there. When Paul fell in his lap, he said something, and Paul matched and bettered him with a comment of his own. [Referee Steve] Javie then came over and kicked out the fan.”
Apr. 27: Hornets 97, Mavs 84
The AP reports: David West bounced back from a miserable Game 3 with a determined effort in Game 4, scoring 10 points in an early second half rally that sent the Hornets surging past the Mavericks 97-84 on Sunday night, giving them a 3-1 lead in the first-round series. West had 24 points and nine rebounds, Chris Paul had 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds and the Hornets ended an 0-for-14 drought in Dallas that dated to January 1998. Now they’re headed to New Orleans, hoping to win Game 5 on Tuesday night and avoid coming back to Big D until next season. The Mavericks are on the brink of a second straight first-round exit… Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Jason Terry scored 20 points, but they didn’t get much help. Josh Howard was 3-for-16 and Kidd had only three points, three assists and four rebounds before getting ejected with 7:16 left for a flagrant foul on Jannero Pargo. The exodus in the aisles came soon after, even before Hornets coach Byron Scott pulled his starters… Peja Stojakovic scored 19 points and Julian Wright added 11, including a tremendous dunk off a midcourt steal of Jerry Stackhouse, a play that emphasized the difference in the age and agility of these teams… Even with Pargo running the offense instead of Paul, the Hornets went on a 15-2 run to regain the lead, with Wright’s big dunk coming in that spurt.
InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Hornets shot 50%, the Mavs just 36%. The Hornets hit 4-of-10 three-pointers, the Mavs just 8-of-25. The Mavs had a slight rebounding edge, assists were tied and both teams barely committed any turnovers. For the Hornets, West had 24 points and 9 rebounds. Stojakovic, hitting three of the team’s four three-pointers, had 19 points and 5 rebounds. Chris Paul had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Morris Peterson, Jannero Pargo and Julian Wright (5-of-6) all scored double-digits. For the Mavs, Nowitzki needed 18 shots to get his 22 points and 13 rebounds. Jason Terry took 16 shots to get 20 points and little else. Brandon Bass took 12 shots to get 12 points and 9 rebounds. No other Mavs reached double-digits. Jason Kidd, playing just 29 minutes, shot 1-of-6 for 3 points and little else.
Josh Howard likes to smoke marijuana
The AP (Jamie Aron) reports: Hours before the Dallas Mavericks’ biggest game of the year, forward Josh Howard went on the radio Friday to talk about something else — his fondness for marijuana. It was quite a follow-up to teammate Jerry Stackhouse calling opposing coach Byron Scott “a sucker in my book” on local airwaves. Howard’s comments are more serious because marijuana use is illegal and eligible for punishment from the NBA. It’s a topic he’s addressed before, but never so publicly, so close to tipping off such an important game, the Mavericks down 0-2 in their first-round series against the New Orleans Hornets. “Most of the players in the league use marijuana and I have and do partake in smoking weed in the offseason sometimes,” Howard told The Michael Irvin Show on the local ESPN affiliate. “I mean, that’s my personal choice and my personal opinion, but I don’t think that’s stopping me from doing my job.”
Apr. 25: Mavs 97, Hornets 87
The AP reports: With 13 of Chris Paul’s first 16 shots falling out instead of in, and fellow All-Star David West clanging 11 of his first 14, the Hornets couldn’t get into a groove until it was too late. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry came up big on both ends of the court, pulling Dallas right back into this first-round series with a 97-87 victory in Game 3 on Friday night. 
Nowitzki had 32 points, 19 rebounds and six assists to get the Mavericks within 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday night in Dallas, where the Hornets haven’t won since January 1998… Terry replaced Jerry Stackhouse as a starter and replaced Jason Kidd as Paul’s primary defender. The MVP candidate went from ringing up consecutive games with at least 30 points and 10 assists—something nobody had ever done in his first two playoff games—to having 16 points and 10 assists… Josh Howard scored 18 points for Dallas, but was only 5-of-16. His performance drew extra scrutiny because hours before tipoff he went on local radio and admitted to using marijuana in the offseason. Team owner Mark Cuban said Howard will be disciplined… Dallas took 22 free throws in the period, compared to just seven for New Orleans. Yes, the Mavericks went to the rim harder than the Hornets. They also were aided by getting into the bonus just 3:17 into the quarter.
InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Mavs shot 42.7%, the Hornets just 37.9%. The Mavs were lousy from three-point range at just 5-of-17, while the Hornets nailed 8-of-16 (Pargo had 4 threes, Stojakovic had 3). The Mavs won rebounds 52-43. The Hornets had just 2 steals. For the Mavs, Nowitzki had 32 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. Terry had 22 points, 6 assists and 2 steals. Josh Howard shot just 5-of-16 for 18 points and not a lot else. Jason Kidd had 8 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. For the Hornets, Jannero Pargo shot 12-of-20 for 30 points. Chris Paul shot just 4-of-18 for 16 points and 10 assists. David West shot just 6-of-20 for 14 points and 9 rebounds. Stojakovic was hot from three-point range but cold elsewhere, going 6-of-20 for 14 points and 9 rebounds. Tyson Chandler had no blocks.
CP3 is owning J-Kidd
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Jeff Caplan) reports on the first two games of the Hornets-Mavericks first round playoff series: Jason Kidd, the veteran playmaker the Mavs acquired in February to better compete in the playoffs, has been a non-factor offensively and has struggled defensively to hang with Hornets point guard Chris Paul. “I have to do what I do best,” Kidd said. “I have to try to control the tempo and somehow try to get my fingerprints on the next 48 minutes of the game.” Kidd finished the Game 2 debacle with seven points on 3-of-10 shooting and eight assists. His younger counterpart shined again with 32 points and 17 assists. In the two games, Paul has outscored Kidd 67-18 and has dished 10 more assists. “We have to look at the defensive side first before we look at the offensive side,” Kidd said. “We have to get stops.”