It just can't be done

- Dallas just can't win in Detroit. The coaches have changed, the rosters have been changed, the years pass, the rules change, and Dallas just can't beat those guys in Joe Louis Arena. It's maddening.

- They outplay them for 55 minutes out of the 60. Get stellar play all around for 55 minutes. But like always, Detroit decides to dial it up for a stretch, start attacking like their asses are on fire, and all of a sudden they score 3 goals in 5 minutes, and it's church.

- Denver in pre-1997 Super Bowls. Dallas vs. Golden State. The Rangers vs. the Yankees. The Atlanta Braves in the playoffs. Tracy McGrady vs. the 1st Round. Dallas at Detroit. It just can't be done.

- Stars hold 3-1 lead, get blitzed for 3 goals in the blink of an eye, and lose 5-3. Pressure now intense to stay with San Jose and finish #1 in the Division.

Dallas Stars collapse in third to Detroit

04:30 AM CDT on Friday, March 14, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

DETROIT – The house of horrors that is Joe Louis Arena continued for Marty Turco and the Stars on Thursday.

Turco allowed two goals in the first 1:01 of the third period, and the Dallas Stars blew a 3-1 lead and lost, 5-3, to the league-leading Red Wings.

It was a frustrating outcome for several reasons. One, the Stars have been outscored, 12-3, in the third periods of their last six games and have gone 2-4-0 in that span. Two, Dallas is in a slump and falling farther behind San Jose for the lead in the Pacific Division. And three, Turco fell to 2-10-5 against the Red Wings and is winless in Detroit at 0-7-2.

"It's more about the loss than anything else," Turco said. "We had the lead, and we didn't do the things we needed to do to keep it."

Turco had possibly the defining moment in the game when he allowed a 40-foot laser shot from Pavel Datsyuk to slip past him and tie the score at the :36 mark of the third period.
"It was not a good goal," Stars coach Dave Tippett said.

But Turco wasn't alone in his struggles. Niklas Hagman and Mark Fistric combined on a coverage mistake that allowed Datsyuk to walk in alone on Turco for a goal at the 16:17 mark of the second period. And the entire team participated in a chaotic mess that ended in Stephane Robidas flipping the puck into his own net for what turned out to be the game-winner at the 1:01 mark of the third period.

"That's not the way we want to play," Robidas said. "You can't afford to do that in the playoffs."

Tippett said the score "flattered" the Stars, and that they really weren't playing that well when they took a 3-1 lead on goals by Trevor Daley, Jere Lehtinen and Brenden Morrow. He said the top scoring line of Morrow-Mike Modano-Brad Richards had zero scoring chances at even strength and that the checking line of Loui Eriksson-Joel Lundqvist-Lehtinen was the team's best.

"There are puck battles that need to be won, and their top players beat our top players," Tippett said.

When asked if he was sick of losing in Detroit, Tippett responded, "Very sick of it."

"When you watch [Henrik] Zetterberg and Datsyuk go out there and dominate the game, that's frustrating," he added. "These guys are setting the bar for the Western Conference, so we better raise our bar. We better raise our bar, or we're in trouble."

The Stars (42-26-6) have used up the space they created with a 13-2-0 run last month and now are back in the thick of playoff positioning that could quickly move them to fifth place in the conference. What's more, they have nine games remaining in the regular season and appeared to fail a key test that had a playoff feel to it.

"We didn't pass, but I feel it's more the prep for the big test than the test itself," Turco said. "We have to step it up. That's defense, scoring and stopping pucks. That needs to be there at this time of year."

And what if the Stars can't raise the bar, Turco was asked.

"We're not going to win if it isn't there, and I personally plan on winning," he said. "We need to be firing on all cylinders and playing as perfect hockey as we can come playoff time, and tonight we were far off the mark."



- Things coming easier for Dirk.....



Lighter burden helps Dallas Mavericks' Nowitzki raise game

01:20 AM CDT on Friday, March 14, 2008

The pressure to lead the Mavericks has been Dirk Nowitzki's and his alone since Steve Nash headed to the desert to a few years ago.

It beat him down in the playoffs last year, leaving him a shell of the player who deserved to win the league's MVP award.

But it's no longer his burden to bear alone. It's shared by Jason Kidd and Avery Johnson.

Guess what?

That will make Dirk better. Much better.

It already has.

Look at the scintillating numbers he has posted since the Mavs acquired Kidd 11 games ago. He's averaging 28.1 points and 8.5 rebounds, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 58.0 on 3-point attempts.

And he's doing it with a smile on his face and joy in his heart. You simply can't underestimate the correlation between happiness and performance in professional sports.

There have been more fist pumps from Dirk in the last three weeks than in the last two years combined.

He no longer feels alone.

Now, he'd probably never admit that. It's not his style.

Still, it's pretty evident he no longer carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. These days the pressure to win a championship for this franchise, which has been involved in the two biggest collapses in team history the last two years, is evenly distributed among Dirk, Avery and Kidd.

That's a positive.

Last May, after the Mavs became the first No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose a best-of-7 series to a No.8 seed, I wrote the Mavs will never win a championship as long as Nowitzki is their best player.

I came to that conclusion because I didn't believe Nowitzki, as terrific as he is, is the kind of player who could put a team on his back, tell them before the game where he was going to take them and then make it happen on the court.

I still don't.

But it's OK, because the entire focus of the Mavs – win or lose – is no longer solely on him, and that will make him a better player. Though Nowitzki is still the Mavs' best player and one of the league's best, Kidd is a future Hall of Famer.

Kidd is the quarterback, so to speak. He's a guy who's expected to make just as many big plays in the fourth quarter as Nowitzki, and he'll have to answer just as many questions if the Mavs fall short of their lofty goals.

After all, Kidd is the guy Avery called a finisher at the veteran point guard's introductory news conference. Kidd is the player Johnson said understood how to impose his will on a game late in the fourth quarter when every possession is monumental.

More important, he's a star player who has earned numerous accolades and awards with a reputation for making clutch plays. All those attributes should make Nowitzki feel more at ease.

When the Mavericks enter the playoffs this season, Johnson will find himself under intense scrutiny for the first time as a head coach.

That's what happens when a team with championship aspirations has lost eight of 10 playoff games, while imploding in consecutive series. In each series loss, you could easily make the argument Johnson was outcoached first by Pat Riley and then by Don Nelson, so he will be under pressure to prove he's not the Tracy McGrady of coaches.

We all know Avery has been out of the first round, but you get the point. Lose in the first round this season, and Johnson will be labeled as a coach with great regular-season win totals who can't get it done in the playoffs.

He must also overcome the reputation as a control freak who can't even turn over control of his team to one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. All the little stunt he pulled in San Antonio did was reinforce the notion.

See, without the addition of Kidd and the numerous questions surrounding Johnson, Nowitzki would enter this postseason as the central figure in the Mavs' collapses each of the last two years.

Now he doesn't have to handle it alone. He won't be at the epicenter of the blame game.

Kidd and Johnson will share the burden, which will make Nowitzki a happier, more productive player when the playoffs start.



- More thought on Jason Kidd.



Dallas Mavericks' deal for Kidd comes with risk

Longtime NBA coaches weigh in with thoughts on trade


11:43 PM CDT on Thursday, March 13, 2008
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

A month ago, Jason Kidd was a Maverick.

Then he wasn't. And then he was again.

Seems like a long time ago now. But the fact is, it hasn't really been much time at all. As the point guard approaches his one month anniversary with his new team, the jury remains out on how this is fitting together.

And some of the most intriguing opinions are coming from outside the Mavericks organization.

The Mavericks made a franchise-altering decision when they made the trade, and those are never cut and dried. There is risk. And there will be criticism. The NBA's most experienced coaches know that.

"That's the decision you have to make," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said last week, when the Mavericks visited the Jazz. "If you want to go forward, sometimes you make a move to try it and it looks like a great thing to do, but you don't always know how that's going to work until you play some games. A lot of people tell you this is a great thing, but there's no guarantee."

Sloan is the longest-tenured coach in the league, with nearly 20 years leading the Jazz. And he has some experience with big trades from which to draw.

When he was playing with Chicago, the Bulls had a team many thought had a shot to win the NBA championship. But they felt they were one piece short.

So before the 1974-75 season, they traded Clifford Ray to Golden State for Nate Thurmond.

"Nate was the ideal guy for our team," Sloan said. "And on paper, you'd say Nate was a better player for our team at the time. And we ended up playing against Ray in the conference finals. Those things happen. They won the championship."

Not all trades turn out that way, though. And the Mavericks have some big backers for taking the gamble on Kidd.

One of those is San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who has been with the Spurs a dozen seasons, second in the league to Sloan.

Popovich, who has a close relationship with Dallas coach Avery Johnson, said the Mavericks have given themselves the best chance to improve because they acquired a player who has a lion's heart.

"I've always thought of Jason as a fearless point guard," Popovich said. "If he thinks something's there, he's going after it. And if he makes a mistake, he's great in that he doesn't care. All that matters is the very next play. He doesn't linger in the past. All he does is compete.

"He has the same juices flowing that Manu Ginobili has – very unique people. They would have been great warriors in the middle ages."

Or in the 2000s. At least, that's what the Mavericks hope.

The Mavericks are 7-5 with Kidd, going into tonight's home game against Indiana. The schedule gets nasty next week, but the three beasts coming up – the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston and San Antonio – all must visit American Airlines Center.

One thing Sloan stressed is that the Mavericks must show some patience with Kidd. Even though he's a veteran, bonding with a new team won't happen overnight.

"It takes awhile for a guy like that, because he's got to know who he's playing with," Sloan said. "He's able to find a guy where he needs the basketball instead of giving the basketball to him in places where he can't do anything with it. That's what those guys have the ability to do. They also know that, like John [Stockton] always used to say, you've got to know your customers, who you're throwing the ball to."




- Friggin punk. "What did I do?"

That's why he's an MVP

- Bad offense. No go-to scorers. No interior defense. Just a pitiful game all around.

- I hope this helps quiet all those who love to bash Dirk. Last night gave you a glimpse of what this team is. It's a collection of average players, with a few who might be above average (JET and Josh Howard), and a superstar (Dirk).

- I'll say it again, every dominant team has 2 legit, no brainer all stars. Phoenix has Nash and Amare. San Antonio has Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker. LA has Gasol and Kobe. New Orleans has Paul and West. Utah has Boozer and Deron. Houston has McGrady and Yao. Boston has KG, Pierce, and Ray Allen. Denver has Iverson and Carmelo. Dallas has Dirk. That's it.

- And like I keep saying.....with how they're constructed, it's a wonder they've accomplished what they have in the past 7 years. For those who love to bash Dirk, they have no clue what this guy is. Take him away, and you scrape away the Platinum and reveal the aluminum crap that lies underneath.

- To the Dallas sports idiot, who generically says Dirk can't lead a team to a title, they need to be reminded, there's only 3 guys who have led their teams to titles in the past 10 years. Shaq, Duncan, and Wade. That's it. So they're not going out on a limb by saying this, it applies to more friggin people than Dirk. And all those guys had major help next to them. Give Dirk a Kobe. Give him a Shaq. Give him Parker or Ginobli. Hopefully this opened some eyes last night. Without him, they're a lottery team.

- Heck, what has McGrady ever done? And he's had a big man next to him. What's Carmelo and Iverson ever done? Jermaine O'neal? Nash and Amare? Garnett? Nothing. They've had more help than anyone to get things done, and Dirk's outdone them all. League MVP. NBA Finals appearance. All NBA 1st team. 60 wins 3 times, with a 67 win season in there. WITH NOTHING AROUND HIM.

- Just irritates me to no end the unappreciative nature of the KVIL Mavericks fan. They want flash, they want Nike commercials, they want dunk contests, they want tattoos. I want a friggin winner and hard worker who cares only about the bottom line, winning.

- I've been waiting around a long time for local sports star I can enjoy watching, feel good about, get behind, feel like he's dying to bring this city a championship, etc. And he's here. But yet, to most people around here, it's just not good enough. People who don't like Dirk just have an agenda and have set their mind to not like him no matter what, that's the only reason I can come up with.

- Stackhouse is done. Finished. He really has nothing left. He looked terrible last night, and has ever since he came back from injury.

- Howard is driving the basket more, but that jumper still sucks.

- JET looked good early on and kept them in it, but he's just not a #1 scoring kind of guy, and couldn't do it for 4 quarters.

- Mavs lose. Dirk back Saturday.

Rockets rout Dirk-less Dallas Mavericks

06:39 AM CST on Friday, March 7, 2008
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com

The stretch that could define the Mavericks season is underway.

It was an inauspicious start.

That’s a nice way of saying bad.

A one-game suspension prevented Dirk Nowitzki from entering American Airlines Center for Thursday’s game. His absence didn’t prevent the Mavericks from playing bad defense. It didn’t prevent the sellout crowd from booing their disapproval at several points along the rocky way.

The Mavericks became Houston’s latest victim, falling 113-98 on a cold, March night. It was the first loss of the year for the Mavericks at home. The last came on Dec. 27 against Cleveland.

“I thought this would be a great night for us to rally,” said Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, who was optimistic after Wednesday’s practice and Thursday’s shoot-around.

“And I thought we were going to carry over on the floor. But we just didn’t have that type of energy that we needed and especially in the third quarter. They had it, and we didn’t.”

Houston outscored the Mavericks 35-20 in the third quarter, turning a two-point halftime lead into a blowout.

“We didn’t control the paint on the defensive end,” Josh Howard said. “We let them walk in for easy baskets. And they hit some big 3s, shots that were contested.”

The Rockets, who shot 54.2 percent, have won 17 consecutive games. Take the Mavericks longest winning streak of the season, multiply by two and it still falls short of Houston’s run.

The Rockets haven’t lost since Jan. 25. The team has won more games since that evening than Miami, Minnesota or Memphis has won all season. The last five victories have come without injured center Yao Ming, who will miss the rest of the season.

This is no seat-of-their-pants streak. Only three games have been decided by four points or less. The average margin of victory was 12.5 points entering the night.

“I don’t think anybody in our room didn’t think we could beat Dallas,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said.

It’s the sort of dominance the Mavericks displayed throughout last season.

It’s the sort of momentum Johnson hoped his team could begin to build in a stretch that sees the Mavericks play nine of their next 10 games at home.

The Mavericks began this quest without their leading scorer.

Nowitzki has averaged 28.9 points since Jason Kidd became his running buddy. The Mavericks tried to cover the loss by committee.

They didn’t come close.

Brandon Bass started for Nowitzki and scored seven points in the game’s first 6:45. He didn’t score the remainder of the game.

Malik Allen, who came from New Jersey as a salary cap equalizer in the Kidd trade, chipped in with four points off the bench.

“It’s evident right now that we’ve got to have a big performance to snap out of this thing,” Jason Terry said. “Everybody has to look at themselves and see what each individual can do better in the team concept. We have to get rolling.

“We still have a good team. We do miss the MVP out there. But defensively, we didn’t play at all tonight.”

Any chance for a momentum-building win evaporated in the third quarter.

The Mavericks tied the score at 10:13 on a pull up jumper by Kidd. The Rockets responded with a 32-15 run to end the period and take control.

“They were the aggressors,” Johnson said. “They came out. They took the ball. They rammed it down our throats.”

Houston’s backcourt of Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston combined for 55 points. The Rockets went over the 100-point mark with 6:46 left in the game.

The Mavericks weren’t much warmer than the temperature outside on offense. Terry had 17 points for the Mavericks but all of them came in the first half.

Howard once again struggled from the field, going 8-of-19, but he did finish with 21 points, seven rebounds and was active defensively in the first half. He acknowledged the significance of this stretch before the game.

“We’re right at the point we need to be,’’ Howard said. “We’re just not getting over the hump.’’

The hump grew bigger Thursday.

“This is a big home stand for us,’’ Nowitzki said earlier in the day. “We’re almost tied for the eighth spot. We feel like at home, we need to gain some ground here.

“I think this is our time to put a little winning streak together with the new team.’’

They will have to wait for Saturday. That’s when the Mavericks face Kidd’s old team and Devin Harris’ new one.

If the Mavericks play the Nets like they did the Rockets, they will have to wait even longer for that elusive winning streak to begin.




- A great "Where are they now" column here. Chris Sanders of FM Marcus fame, has reappeared. Saw some good games of him slinging it around against The Colony.



Former Flower Mound Marcus QB happy to find a home with Dallas Desperados

10:09 PM CST on Thursday, March 6, 2008
By ALBERT BREER / The Dallas Morning News
abreer@dallasnews.com

IRVING – When the Orlando Predators came to visit the Dallas Desperados in 2005, the Sanders clan was perched in Ross Perot's suite, set by happenstance adjacent to Jerry Jones' box at American Airlines Center.

Debbie Sanders' eldest son, Chris, an Orlando backup quarterback and Flower Mound Marcus alum, played in a mop-up role. As the game was ending with a solid finish from Sanders, his mom turned into a salewoman and approached the Cowboys and Desperados owner.

"You should've signed him a long time ago," she told Jones.

Finally, in November, the Desperados did. And tonight, Sanders takes center stage when he starts in place of the injured Clint Dolezel as Dallas hosts Columbus.

"This is something I've wanted ever since Dallas has gotten a team, to be in Dallas and to play in Dallas and to play in American Airlines Center," Sanders, 30, said. "I just hope I can get enough tickets for this weekend."

On Tuesday, that number hovered around 50. By Thursday night, it had bulged to more than 300.

And his mom knows why. "People just gravitate to him." Talk to those around the kid, and there's no need for an explanation.

Start with the fans, who saw him break state passing records during a 15-1 senior year at Marcus, while defying those who looked at his stocky 5-11 frame and dismissed him as something other than a top-notch quarterback.

Then, go to the people who saw how much more Sanders was than just a football player.

He's the kid who considered giving up his senior year to take of his mother, who had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He's the guy who has served in a brother/father role for his four younger siblings. He's an athlete determined enough to live an itinerant life to play the game he loves. And he's come home.

"What a big day for this kid, this is a dream come true," Debbie Sanders said. "To play in Dallas, and have all his friends coming, 300 or 400 people there, this is his dream."

It took a while for it to happen. After a record-breaking career at Tennessee-Chattanooga, where he transferred to after starting at SMU, Sanders had two shots at the NFL, actually playing in the 2001 preseason for the Tennessee Titans. He moved to the Arena League in 2003 with Buffalo. From there, he had stints with Orlando (2005), Kansas City ('06) and Arizona ('07)

All indications were Sanders would return to Arizona this fall. But a change in the coaching staff meant the 195-pound quarterback was on the move again. It also gave him the opening to come home.

The timing couldn't be better. His brother Chad, 25, just returned from Iraq. His 21-year-old brother Chase is home for a semester from Vanderbilt. They'll be at the game tonight. So will so many others.

Sanders will be the starter for the next four weeks as Dolezel recovers from a separated shoulder.

After that, there's uncertainty, which has been the case with much of his football life. So he's going to enjoy this one, and try to show the Joneses and his teammates, just what his mother was talking about.

"When you go from an All-Arena player to a guy who's never been a full-time starter, I'm sure they have a little bit of doubt," Sanders said. "Once they see how much I love the game and how hard I play, they'll rally around me. Definitely."

SANDERS' ROAD BACK TO DALLAS
Flower Mound's Chris Sanders has taken a long path home after transferring from SMU to Tennessee-Chattanooga in 1999. Some stops along the way:

Tennessee Titans (2001): Went to training camp as an undrafted free agent; was 11-of-21 passing for 141 yards in the preseason before being cut.

Atlanta Falcons (2002): Signed and allocated to NFL Europe, where he was cut by Frankfurt.

Roanoke Steam (2002): Won af2 Player of Week honors before leaving to rejoin the Titans.

Tennessee Titans (2002): Cut at Titans training camp.

Buffalo Destroyers (2003): In his first AFL season, threw for 529 yards and eight touchdowns.

Manchester Wolves (2004): Returned to af2 after being cut from Orlando, and threw for 4,184 yards and 66 touchdowns.

Orlando Predators (2005): Passed for 897 yards and 16 touchdowns in six appearances.

Kansas City Brigade (2006): Became the starter in Week 8, holding the job for seven weeks and throwing for 2,025 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Arizona Rattlers (2007): Played in seven games and started two, throwing for 634 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Dallas Desperados (2008): Signed on Nov. 2, 2007



- Jack Black

Flat

- The Stars come out flat and disinterested, and play the whole game that way. Hardly any even strength scoring chances and just all in all one of their worst offensive games of the year.

Energized Coyotes defeat Dallas Stars, 2-1

01:27 AM CST on Thursday, March 6, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

The Phoenix Coyotes have a tangible desperation.

They're fighting for a playoff spot and are pretty much already in postseason mode.

The Dallas Stars have to find a way to manufacture that desperation artificially, or they could be facing more games like the one they lost, 2-1, Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.

The Stars did some good things, but they fell short of a Phoenix team that did a lot of hard things. The Coyotes had just 16 shots on goal, but they battled to get to the front of the net. The Coyotes had 16 blocked shots to nine for the Stars.

And the Coyotes were killed in the face-off circle (winning just 17-of-48 overall), but they won 12-of-16 in the third period when they were protecting a 2-1 lead.

"We just have to pay the price to win, and right now, we're not doing it," Stars coach Dave Tippett said of the team's back-to-back losses. "It's a desperation level, and we better recognize that."

The Stars continued their practice of allowing the first goal in a game. They have done it 37 times in 70 games, and gotten away with it a lot. Their 18-18-1 record when the opponent scores first is one of the best in the league.

But it's a dangerous game when you're playing against teams that want to get a lead and lock down their defense.

"We're finding goals this year," captain Brenden Morrow said of the ability to overcome early deficits. "But that's a tough way to play every night."

Especially when the Stars appear to have plenty of desperate teams awaiting.

Dallas has a home-and-home with seventh place Colorado over the weekend. The Stars follow that with games against Detroit, Vancouver and Anaheim.

"We're not matching their intensity to start the game, and it shouldn't be that way," said defenseman Mattias Norstrom. "It's do-or-die for them, and we need to recognize that right from the start. We need to match that desperation."

But how? The Stars went on a recent 13-2-0 run where they took over the second-best record in hockey (now 41-24-5). They've risen above the group battling to get into the playoffs.

Still, they'd like to win the Pacific Division. They'd like to secure home ice in the playoffs. They'd like to start playing like a playoff team.

"We have to find that working identity," Tippett said. "When you have your best players setting the example of working hard, that usually flows through your team."

Brad Winchester, who has been a frequent healthy scratch this season, and Toby Petersen, who was called up from the minors Tuesday, created the Stars' only goal on a hard-working rush to the net. Petersen took a shot and Winchester charged in to bat in the rebound.

For much of the rest of the game, the Stars were content to pound away from the perimeter. Yes, Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov came up with some big saves, but he also had plenty of help from teammates who sold out and made it very tough for the Stars to get in front of the goal.

"I think the energy and work are there, but we have to be better at recognizing what kind of game we're in," goalie Marty Turco said.

And that is a game of desperation.

"We didn't pay the price," Morrow said. "Every game is going to be hard, and we are going to see every team's top game, so we need to be ready."



- Dirk-less Mavs take on Houston, who has now won 16 games in a row. Even without Dirk, I expect a win. No excuses, just make it happen. And Josh Howard better get out of his funk.



Josh Howard's hurting, but Dallas Mavericks need him

Forward's taken some hits personally, but it's crucial that he mesh with Kidd

09:33 AM CST on Thursday, March 6, 2008

Cancer took one of the women who helped raise him.

He injured his back, lost his great grandmother and watched as his best friend on the team was traded in an emotional 10-day span last month.

And people wonder why Josh Howard doesn't seem like himself these days.

Howard isn't looking for sympathy. And this is no time for excuses, not with Dirk Nowitzki suspended and the Mavericks fighting to regain their equilibrium in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

The Mavericks need a big game from Howard tonight against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. They need him to be the player he was to open the season. If he can't return to that level over the next few weeks, the trade for Jason Kidd may not pay the dividends the organization envisioned.

"This is the first time since I've been in the league where I've had a stretch like this," Howard said.

Kidd's impact these last two weeks has been obvious. Nowitzki is playing with a joy that had been absent, and Erick Dampier has flourished. Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse have had their moments.

The player who hasn't clicked with the point guard is Howard. It's puzzling since Howard is an athletic perimeter player who can benefit from Kidd's presence as much as anyone.

That should still happen. But there are several reasons why it hasn't.

The days leading up to the All-Star break are a good place to start.

Howard took a hard fall in the second half of the team's loss to Philadelphia on Feb. 11 and suffered a lower back contusion. The next day, his great grandmother on his father's side died.

This came slightly more than five weeks after Sadie Brown, the person Howard calls his God-grandmother, passed away. Brown watched Howard growing up when his mother couldn't.

Then Devin Harris was traded.

Then Howard's jump shot began to go awry.

And, oh yeah, his back hurts. Howard still feels a twinge from time to time and put his health at 85 percent.

"He was out for a while and when he came back, he was not really right," Mavericks assistant coach Paul Westphal said. "When that happens, it messes with your confidence and timing. You need both of those things."

You try attacking the basket with a bad back.

Howard began to settle for jump shots. Defenders began to sit on that shot knowing he was reluctant to take the ball to the basket. The forward averaged 15 points and shot 34.1 percent from the field in his first seven games with Kidd.

Mavericks coach Avery Johnson sat Howard down before Monday's game against Utah and showed where his game had slipped. Howard responded with 25 points and went 9-of-13 from the field, only the sixth time since early December that he has made more than half of his shots from the floor.

"I think it's over now." Johnson said. "He was in a bad stretch there. He snapped out of it against Utah. We asked him to do a few things offensively, and guess what, he did it. He was much more aggressive.

"If he stays aggressive like he was in that game, then we'll have that behind us."

Staying aggressive is only part of it.

Howard was at his best early in the season when the Mavericks isolated him, let him gather himself, then decide how to attack the defense.

That's not how Kidd and these Mavericks roll. There is more pick-and-roll, more fast-break opportunities. Howard must adjust and score on the run.

"It wasn't going to be like how it was in New Jersey," Howard said. "I'm not Vince Carter. I'm not Richard Jefferson. I've just got to get used to Kidd. Not just used to him but the whole team. We're still getting used to everybody.

"It's only a matter of time until I get used to it. It's not going to stop me. It's not going to hold me back."

It can't.

If it does, the Mavericks won't be the team they hoped to be with Kidd.




- The Star-Telegram analyzes the West.



Countdown in West: Where will Mavs fall?

By JOE GARZAStar-Telegram Staff Writer

Will the Mavs miss the playoffs? It's a possibility, but barring a major injury, it isn't very likely. Although the race to lock up one of the Western Conference's eight playoff seeds is ultra-competitive, with five games separating the first and last seeds, the West's nine contenders play a load of games against each other. So with everybody pretty much in the same boat, the final stretch of the season probably will be a rough ride. The Mavs are 4-4 since adding Jason Kidd -- 0-4 against teams with winning records -- and 5-12 this season on the road against winning teams. The Mavs' fortunes should pick up in the next two weeks, as they play nine of 10 games at home, with only four of those against winning teams. Will the rest of the West contenders keep pace? Our prediction on how the West race will shake out:

1. Lakers

(Pacific Division champs)

Current seed: 2

Predicted record: 60-22

Finishing kick: 17-4

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 9

Even if Andrew Bynum doesn't return this season -- as rumors are suggesting -- LA has the talent and youth to keep pressing on.

2. Spurs

(Southwest Division champs)

Current seed: 1

Finishing kick: 17-6

Predicted record: 59-23

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

San Antonio is the class of the West, and the champs would rather get some rest down the stretch than claim the top seed.

3. Hornets

Current seed: 3

Predicted record: 55-27

Finishing kick: 14-8

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 8

The Hornets shouldn't falter because they have a great point guard in Chris Paul, a good post scorer in David West, and a lot of 3-point shooters.

4. Jazz

(Northwest Division champs)

Current seed: 4

Predicted record: 53-29

Finishing kick: 13-7

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

Utah is a dangerous offensive team, but its defense is too questionable for it to move up any higher.

5. Mavericks

Current seed: 7

Predicted record: 53-29

Finishing kick: 14-7

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

March 18 is the date to remember. That's when the Mavs begin a season-ending stretch in which they play 10 NBA playoff contenders in 15 games.

6. Suns

Current seed: 6

Predicted record: 52-30

Finishing kick: 11-10

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

The trade for Shaquille O'Neal did little more than weaken one of the league's best offenses.

7. Rockets

Current seed: 5

Predicted record: 52-30

Finishing kick: 12-10

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

Despite losing Yao Ming for the season, Houston is too solid a team to completely collapse.

8. Warriors

Current seed: 8

Predicted record: 51-31

Finishing kick: 13-9

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 11

Forget the Don Nelson gimmicks: Golden State is a dangerously talented team that again will be a playoff threat.

Nuggets

Current seed: 9

Predicted record: 49-33

Finishing kick: 14-8

Games remaining

vs. West contenders: 10

Denver's wealth of individual talent simply isn't jelling and its perimeter defense is often dreadful.

Note: The top four seeds are seeded by record among the three division winners and the team with the conference's next-best record. The Suns are predicted to win the season series tiebreaker against the Rockets.

MAVS VS. ROCKETS, 8:30 TONIGHT, KTXA/CH. 21, TNT




- Spring Training report....



Texas Rangers' Millwood takes step forward

01:54 AM CST on Thursday, March 6, 2008
By RICHARD DURRETT / The Dallas Morning News
rdurrett@dallasnews.com

SURPRISE, Ariz. – Kevin Millwood walked the final batter he faced in a simulated game Wednesday and begged pitching coach Mark Connor to let him pitch to one more hitter.

"I didn't want to end like that, but that's all right," Millwood said. "I think I got more than six outs anyway."

Millwood tested his sore right hamstring pitching to live hitters for the first time this spring. He achieved his main goal: getting through the two-inning session without any pain. Millwood said he did that.

The Rangers' No. 1 starter threw 38 pitches (22 strikes) to Julio Borbon, Brandon Boggs, John Mayberry Jr. and German Duran. Max Ramirez was the catcher. Millwood had three strikeouts, two walks and gave up two hits.

He threw all his pitches, worked some from the stretch and spent most of his second inning working on his fastball at the behest of Connor. It was a controlled environment, so Millwood didn't have any fielders behind him and was given a five-minute break to simulate an inning change.

"It was big-time important, probably one of the most important days so far in spring," said manager Ron Washington, who watched Millwood carefully along with general manager Jon Daniels. "To go out there, work on his pitches and walk off that mound smiling and feeling good about himself was good."

Millwood didn't make any throws to first or run off the mound to get any choppers. He'll go through fielding drills Sunday, and if all goes well is scheduled to make his first start in a spring game Monday against the Padres at Peoria.

Francisco scare: RHP Frank Francisco stepped awkwardly on the mound as he pitched with two outs in the top of the eighth against the Brewers on Wednesday. Washington, Connor and trainer Jamie Reed rushed out to check on him. Francisco threw some warm-up pitches, still had good velocity and stayed in the game, getting his final batter to ground out. "I think it scared him more than anything, but he's fine," Washington said.

Catching rotation altered: For the first week of spring training games, Gerald Laird and Jarrod Saltalamacchia alternated days behind the plate. Starting today, Washington said he'll play both catchers in the same game for most of the remaining spring games. The two will alternate starts, with Laird getting the nod with Vicente Padilla on the hill today in Tucson. "This should give us a chance to get some rhythm at the plate," Saltalamacchia said.

Bradley's schedule: Washington said outfielder Milton Bradley will bat leadoff as a DH in several innings of minor league games to get some at-bats against live pitching. That could happen as soon as March 12 with the hope that Bradley would DH over the weekend (March 15-16) in a regular spring game. "There's nothing I want to rush with Milt," Washington said. "I want him to be right. If he's right, he'll be productive." Washington also thinks Bradley will play the outfield before the team leaves Surprise.

Briefly: 3B Hank Blalock, still sore from a car accident Monday, sat out workouts and the game on Wednesday. He won't play until Friday at the earliest, when he could DH. ... Kazuo Fukumori said he didn't throw his curveball or four-seam fastball in his inning of work. He's easing in and may try to throw them Saturday. ... RHP Wes Littleton returned to camp after tending to an illness in his family. ... Scott Feldman is also expected to pitch in today's game.

It's go time

- Dallas has a very important stretch of games coming up. 9 of next 10 are at home. They get 5 semi-easy games at the beginning. And then tough, close losses on the road at the West's best can be made up for with a nice stretch of LA, Boston, and San Antonio starting in 2 weeks.

- There is no margin for error now. There are no more moral victories. This is the time you use to build momentum for the playoffs. You've proven you can hang with these teams on the road with a new point guard and lackluster play from Stackhouse and Howard. Now it's time to throw all excuses out the window. Kidd is integrated into the system now. It's put up or shut up time for Josh Howard. No more excuses from here on out.

Expect Dallas Mavericks to soon show value of Kidd deal

12:28 AM CST on Wednesday, March 5, 2008

I don't understand how anyone can watch the Dallas Mavericks play their last eight games and think the team was better off before the Jason Kidd trade.

But I know those people are out there. And the original critics of the deal surely feel that Dallas' 4-4 record since it made the move validates their argument.

And that is nonsense.

Take away the first road loss at New Orleans in which Kidd only knew five or six sets and had had only one practice with the team. In the team's other defeats – all on the road against Los Angeles, Utah and San Antonio – the Mavericks held fourth-quarter leads in each game.

I'll take my chances with a team that can play like that in the first few games following a roster-changing trade any time.

Here's the only way to fairly examine the results the trade has brought about.

The Mavericks have lost road games to the top four seeds in the West. Dallas plays eight such games all season, and they have played four of them in Kidd's first eight. That's just a brutal start for any team trying to find a new rhythm.

Dirk Nowitzki said after Monday's loss in Utah that the Mavericks always find ways to win those games at home. They are going to have to. The opportunity is coming.

The Mavericks play nine of their next 10 games at home with the only trip being to Miami, the team with the worst record in the NBA.

Some of those home games are layups – contests with three Eastern Conference teams currently not in the playoff picture plus one with New Jersey, which could be about to fade from it. But the Houston Rockets, who have achieved the last three wins of their 15-game hot streak without Yao Ming, are coming, and so are the Lakers, the Spurs and the Boston Celtics.

So, yes, the Mavericks have to finish those games, and we can only assume that coach Avery Johnson has learned his lesson after San Antonio and will give Kidd the opportunity to be the closer that Johnson claimed he was at the initial news conference.

The team's statistics are all over the board since the trade, but eight games aren't really enough to make a lot of authoritative statements about anything. But a couple of things do stand out in a positive manner.

Nowitzki's shooting percentage before the trade was .469. He was averaging 22.8 points per game, low for him.

Since the deal, Nowitzki is shooting 52 percent and averaging 28.9 points. I know you can point to some falling percentages for other players, but the first thing you want Kidd to do is get the ball into the hands of the team's best shooter where he needs it.

That is happening.

Also, the team has improved its 3-point shooting dramatically. Kidd's trademark is penetrating and dishing. That wasn't truly Devin Harris' game.

The Mavericks have gone from shooting just under 34 percent from 3-point range to just over 39 percent. That's a significant upgrade, and remember, it has come against some of the best teams in the Western Conference.

I don't think the team as previously constructed could have rallied from a 21-point deficit against Utah to grab the lead in the fourth quarter. Even if the Mavericks couldn't hold it, this team simply has a more competitive demeanor than what was here before.

The Mavericks have made slight improvements in assists and rebounding. In addition, Kidd's arrival was supposed to weaken the team defensively. We haven't seen much of that.

Opponents, who were shooting .445 before the deal, have shot .449 since Kidd got on the floor. Considering the quality of some of the opponents, I can't consider that any real change at all.

After just surviving this tough stretch, everything favors the Mavericks now. A team that hasn't been really good on the road has only eight games left away from American Airlines Center.

The Spurs, the Hornets, the Rockets and the Suns – teams the Mavericks are trying to catch to earn a top-four seed – all have 12. Golden State, the team the Mavericks are trying to hold off, has 14.

As the schedule evens out and Dallas doesn't find itself playing an elite team on the road every other game, the numbers will improve. So will the win total.

To justify making the deal, that's what has to happen. There's nothing that's shown up in the first eight games with Kidd on board to suggest it won't.




- Stars, as hot as they've been, have a ton of teams on their heels. The momentum must be kept.....



Dallas Stars have plenty of pursuers

Despite hot stretch, Dallas still has Ducks, Sharks nipping at heels

12:09 AM CST on Wednesday, March 5, 2008
By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News
ccarlton@dallasnews.com

FRISCO – Nothing comes easy in the Pacific Division, as the Dallas Stars have discovered.

They put together a perfectly timed run, winning 13 of their last 16 games. And they still haven't been able to shake San Jose and defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim.

The Stars hold a four-point lead on the Ducks and a five-point lead on the Sharks. Because the teams have not played an equal amount of games, the teams are even tighter than the standings show. Based on their pace, the Stars will finish with 103 points, San Jose 102 and Anaheim 100.

So while the Stars don't have to worry about making the playoffs, they have to match the mindset of the teams in survival mode such as Phoenix, tonight's opponent.

"We'd like to raise our intensity and desperation level. Hopefully, that is a motivating factor for us," captain Brenden Morrow said. "They're fighting for a playoff spot, but we're fighting for home ice and winning the division. There are things we need to focus on."

Winning the Pacific may be more important than usual.

Based on the standings, the second- and third-place teams in the Pacific are likely to meet in a first-round steel-cage match of a playoff series.

"The competitiveness of this Pacific Division has been strong as any," said goaltender Marty Turco, who has won 10 of his last 13 division games. "It makes us better in the long run, the competitiveness which we do enjoy. We would like a little bit of a cushion, but we can't think about it, and we don't have time to."

The NHL's brave new salary cap world was supposed to bring a level playing field.

So far, parity hasn't made its way to the Pacific.

If anything, the teams have gotten stronger.

Since veteran winger Teemu Selanne ended his short-lived "retirement," Anaheim is 11-1.

San Jose has won six straight and addressed its depth problem at the blue line by acquiring defenseman Brian Campbell at the trade deadline.

"You look at both those teams and they look like they're building right now," coach Dave Tippett said. "We have to continue to build our group."

The Stars haven't been standing still, not with the acquisition of former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards from Tampa Bay.

Tippett has made certain his team is focused on the task at hand, posting the daily standings in the dining area of the Stars training facility. Defenseman Stephane Robidas said the additional emphasis now will help later.

"You have to be ready for the playoffs," Robidas said. "It's not a switch on and off where you get in the playoffs and start playing."



- Warren Sapp retires. Good player, very dominant in his early years in the league. Always a good quote machine.

- But I will never forget him in the 1995 Orange Bowl. Ray Lewis, Warren Sapp, James Burgess, Carlos Jones and the whole crew were yapping right from the get go, like most Miami or Dennis Erickson teams will do. Jumping up and down after big plays, running towards the sideline after a 3rd down stop. No doubt yelling at Nebraska players/coaches to stop trying to run the option, that they had too much speed.

- And then, slowly but surely, the sweat and grass stains built up on their jerseys. Their shoulders began moving more noticeably as they struggled to catch their breath. And before you knew it, they were on their backs watching Nebraska bulldoze right past them. It was a beautiful thing to watch, true vindication for 20+ years of Orange Bowl heartache.



Sapp files paperwork, officially puts end to 13-year career

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Warren Sapp's 13-year NFL career officially ended when his retirement was posted on the Oakland Raiders' Web site.

Sapp said immediately after last season that he was through playing, but did not file the paperwork. The posting on the team's site was the first official word that the star defensive tackle was done.

In January, the 35-year-old Sapp posted a two-word message on his Web site: "I'M DONE!" He had told teammates and coaches his plans after the season finale against San Diego.

Considered the quintessential "three technique" defensive tackle -- lining up between the offensive guard and tackle -- Sapp made seven Pro Bowls, won the 1999 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award, and led Tampa Bay's dominant defense that won the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.

Sapp spent nine seasons in Tampa before joining the Raiders in 2004 as a free agent. He mostly struggled with the Raiders, except for a strong 2006 in which he had 10 sacks, and had become more of a situational player in his final season.

In 2007, he had only two sacks and the Raiders' defense struggled against the run, allowing a league-worst 4.8 yards per carry.

Sapp finished his career with 96½ sacks, 28th overall since the NFL began keeping track of the statistic in 1982, but extra impressive because he played tackle.

His running "feud" with Packers quarterback Brett Favre -- who coincidentally announced his retirement Tuesday as well -- brought some levity to a sometimes brutal game. Sapp was known as a trash talker, and Favre often went directly back at him with a smile when both the Bucs and Packers were in the same division and played twice a season.

Sapp starred in college at Miami, where he arrived as a tight end and left as the best defensive player in the country. He slipped to No. 12 in the 1995 draft after testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.

That was just one controversy in Sapp's career. In 2002, he nearly ended the career of Packers offensive tackle Chad Clifton with a vicious hit while trying to throw a block after an interception. Then-Packers coach Mike Sherman confronted Sapp on the field after the game, calling it a dirty play.

Sapp was fined $50,000 for bumping an official in 2003 and was fined $75,000 after being ejected following three personal fouls in the next-to-last game of his career against Jacksonville.


- What a night. Sapp's face, sweatiness, dirty jersey, and body language as he's walking off of the field in Clip #3 is just priceless and remains my favorite Warren Sapp image.

Going back home

- After a brutal 4 game stretch that included road games against the top 2 teams in the West (San Antonio and LA) and another personal house of horrors for the Mavs (Utah), they're coming home with a much easier schedule.

- All in all, victories would have been nice, but performances in these games had me encouraged for the playoffs. All on the road, all against top 4-5 teams. And every game was winnable. And with Howard and Stackhouse giving them absolutely nothing, too.

1) In it until the end at San Antonio, losing by 3. Played great defense throughout, mainly on Ginobli, and had Bowen and Finley get hot offensively on them.
2) Another game that was either tied or within a few possessions the entire game. Monster game from the emerging Dampier, great passion and stepping up of Dirk in the 4th, and another close loss in a hostile environment. LA needed Kobe being Superman just to get this win.
3) Got down early, got more passion, intensity, and big shots from Dirk (an ongoing theme since the Kidd trade), showed me a lot by coming back from a 21 point deficit and taking a 3 point lead midway through the 4th. But in the end, they had no energy and no extra gear. Just worn out.

- Now get home, take care of these lightweights and get yourself back in the Southwest Division race.

Dallas Mavericks rally, then fade in loss to Jazz

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

SALT LAKE CITY – The Dallas Mavericks finished their run of road games against the Western Conference divisional leaders Monday night.

They led in the fourth quarter against all three championship level opponents.

They lost all three games.

That's the bottom line for a team that could, and probably should, be emotionally gutted after Monday night's 116-110 defeat to the Utah Jazz.

But they are adamant that that's not the case.

"It's obviously a little frustrating losing all these games," said Dirk Nowitzki, who had 23 points and a flagrant foul that sent Utah's Andrei Kirilenko to the hospital.

"At home, we find ways to pull these games out. We get a big basket or a big stop. In the tight West, you hate losing these games. But maybe down the road it will help us learn to close out games. Maybe it's not all bad to go through this, but when you're losing these games, it's no fun."

The gut-wrenching losses have left the Mavericks in seventh place in the West but tied in the loss column with eighth-place Golden State. They are just three games up on Denver, which is out of the playoffs at the moment.

Yet their resolve remains steely, coach Avery Johnson said. The Mavericks are not getting beaten down psychologically by their heartbreak.

"Our team has a lot of intestinal fortitude," Johnson said. "They are not quitters. They could have packed it in early. But we found a way to get back in the game and take the lead.

"But we're not able to close out games, and historically we've been able to do that. We're just not there yet. But when we get there, the sky's the limit for this team.

"There's no 'beat you down' here. We're a positive team."

That vibe is being tested. This one may have hurt even more than the losses at San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavericks erased a 21-point first-half deficit behind big nights from Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry but fell to pieces against a stiff Utah defense in the final minutes as the Jazz pulled away.

The Mavericks were up 92-89 with just over six minutes left, then gave up 16 points in a row to the Jazz, ending their chances. The Jazz, 26-3 at home, hasn't lost on its floor since Dec. 29.

The Mavericks fell to 4-4 since the trade for Jason Kidd. Utah got 20 assists and 17 points from The Colony product Deron Williams and 28 points from Carlos Boozer, who was big down the stretch as the Jazz buried the Mavericks.

At the end, the Mavericks took their first lead of the game at 90-89. A Kidd 20-footer made it a 3-point edge for the Mavericks, but Boozer scored four points, the beginning of a 16-0 Jazz run that closed things out.

"We're playing hard, but the other team's playing hard, too," Jerry Stackhouse said. "There's no secret to success. You just have to keep working and stay positive."

The last time the Mavericks were at EnergySolutions Arena, they were behind 16-0 before the first quarter was half done.

At least it was 2-2 for a brief spell Monday. But that didn't last long.

Utah went up 25-6 midway through the opening period and was up 52-34 before the Mavericks got their first two points in the paint on a Devean George hook shot. Utah had 22 points in the paint at that point.

The momentum swayed just minutes into the game when Nowitzki did his best Roy Williams imitation by putting a horse-collar on Kirilenko.

Nowitzki's takedown lit a fire under the Jazz and the fans, who unloaded their wrath on Nowitzki every time he touched the ball thereafter, booing him loudly.

Kirilenko went to the hospital after X-rays on his right hip at the arena were inconclusive. Kirilenko returned to the arena in the fourth quarter after further tests showed only a sprain.



- One of the many likeable guys on this team. They may not win, but there's a wonderful lack of prima donna's on this team. Here's one of them. Went to college with his brother at Tarleton.



Texas Rangers' Broussard won't get left out against lefties

08:40 PM CST on Monday, March 3, 2008
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Texas Rangers faced a left-handed starter for the second time this spring. Ben Broussard, the newly acquired left-handed hitting first baseman, was in the starting lineup for both games.

Or, put another way: He's been in the starting lineup more times this spring against lefties than he had been all of last season.

Against strike-challenged Noah Lowry, Broussard, hitting in the sixth spot, became the first Ranger to make an out in Monday's 8-6, 10-inning win over San Francisco.

After Lowry walked the first five hitters on the way to nine walks overall, Broussard lined a ball to left field for a run-scoring sacrifice fly. Two at-bats later, against right-hander Kevin Correia, Broussard poked his first hit of the spring through the right side.

This is no spring fancy. Manager Ron Washington has been adamant Broussard will open the season playing regularly against lefties. The Rangers are expected to face Seattle lefty Erik Bedard on opening day.

"I don't want him coming to the park every day wondering if he's going to play against a left-hander," Washington said. "He's going to play against them until he proves he can't."

For most of his career, Broussard has known he wouldn't play against lefties. Pressed into full-time duty for Cleveland in 2004, he batted .362 against lefties with a 1.081 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. The next year, he went right back to being a platoon guy. It's been that way ever since.

Last year, he started just one game vs. a left-hander. In 2006, he got just four starts: Three were against Barry Zito, Johan Santana and Randy Johnson.

"I feel like I'm in a movie scene where I've gained freedom," Broussard said. "It's like 'Wow, somebody believes in me.' I've been waiting for this my whole career. You ask any left-handed hitter and they will tell you that facing lefties is going to make them better against all pitching."

Broussard's point: A number of lefties don't worry as much about which side of the rubber the pitcher is coming from so long as they get consistent at-bats. That has been Broussard's issue the last three years. He said it's been hard for him to maintain consistent hot streaks when he sat down roughly once a series.

Broussard has been caught in the cycle in which left-handed hitters often get trapped. After the big 2004 season, he hit .225 against lefties in 2005. He got fewer at-bats and they often came against the toughest lefties, but he didn't do much against them so he couldn't justify getting more at-bats.

"It's been frustrating," said Broussard, who ranks 79th of 93 left-handed hitters with at least 250 plate appearances against lefties in batting average (.230) and on-base percentage (.296). "It's like I was always working against myself. I've just been in a very tough role the last couple of years. I kept thinking that one day, maybe I'd get that chance to play every day."

The Rangers are trying hard to keep Broussard from thinking he's a platoon player. Hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo has not even approached him about problems against lefties yet. Instead, the pair have been working on changing the way Broussard pivots when he swings. Jaramillo said Broussard's back foot had been sliding more than it had been turning and that tends to make a hitter pull off the ball.

And they've been working on making sure he knows he's going to be in the lineup.

"I hadn't had a hit this spring," Broussard said after coming out of the lineup. "But I faced the lefty in the first and squared the ball up pretty good. In the second at-bat [a double-play grounder], I hit the ball hard. Then in the third, I got a hit. That's how it works. You get a couple of at-bats under your belt, and you make progress."

The Rangers are going to give him that chance.




- A good look at how a trade affects everyone involved.



Hearing you've been traded is tough; making the move is tougher

By Scott Burnside
ESPN.com

DALLAS -- The trade deadline.

Players, picks and prospects flit from team to team like chips across the felt; give you this for that and then move on; build, rebuild; pieces on an icy chess board.

And then, there's what happened to Jay Feaster.

The Tampa Bay general manager called Brad Richards on Tuesday morning to tell the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner he had been traded to Dallas. Feaster, Richards and Richards' agent, Pat Morris, had been talking about the potential move for days, so the news was hardly surprising. Still, Feaster had to hang up the phone.

"I phoned Brad and I couldn't finish the conversation. I broke down and I couldn't finish talking to him," Feaster told ESPN.com a day after he sent Richards to Dallas along with backup netminder Johan Holmqvist for goalie Mike Smith, forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern and a 2009 fourth-round pick.

"It was the weirdest day of my life," Richards told ESPN.com shortly after his first practice with the Stars.

On Monday, Richards was taking part in the Lightning's short skate and team golf outing. The next morning, Feaster told Richards to stay home from practice. What had been a theoretical discussion a couple of weeks ago -- would Richards consider waiving his no-trade clause if the right deal came along -- had become inevitable.

Richards' parents, who were supposed to spend three months in Tampa this winter to escape the Maritime winter in Eastern Canada, came to Richards' home from the house he rented for them on a local golf course.

The family bided their time until the trade was final. Then, after the Lightning players had skated and left the St. Pete Times Forum early Tuesday afternoon, Richards stopped by to pick up his personal possessions and take one last stroll through the only NHL dressing room, the only NHL rink, he has ever called home.

He sat for a while with the trainers, joking a bit, and sent a text message to Feaster, who came down to the locker room to say goodbye. Richards reminded Feaster that he crafted Richards' first pro contract after the Lightning selected him with the 64th pick in the 1998 draft. Feaster was then an assistant GM; Richards was a raw kid out of Prince Edward Island.

"As Brad pointed out to me, he said, 'You and I have been together 10 years," Feaster said.

Ten years with one NHL club is a lifetime, especially if you've accomplished what Richards and the Lightning have, turning a league laughingstock into a Stanley Cup winner.

Remember Richards' three-point performance in Game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup finals, which helped force a seventh and deciding game vs. Calgary back in Tampa Bay? Or his NHL-record seven game-winning goals during that championship run?

The names of Richards and his teammates are engraved forever on the Stanley Cup, but in some ways, the team's imprint will always be on the community in Tampa. Richards, like many of his teammates and friends, embraced the city. Richards has a charitable foundation and a suite for children with cancer. After every game, Richards made a point of stopping up to visit.

Feaster said Richards is not a player who just gives money, he gives his time.

"He's an even better person than he is a hockey player and he's a great hockey player," Feaster said. "He's a special young man."

Richards also met with coach John Tortorella before he left. That, too, was a difficult parting.

"There was a lot of emotion there, too. We grew up together, too," Richards said. "He turned us into champions. There will always be that bond."

He was, not surprisingly, in close touch with teammates Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier throughout the talks. "We've been through a lot together," Richards said.

Richards and St. Louis arrived in Tampa at exactly the same time. Lecavalier? He and Richards have been teammates since they were 14 years old, from prep school through junior, international tournaments and playing in Russia during the lockout.

When the Lightning finished their practice on Tuesday, Lecavalier and St. Louis came by and the three went out to lunch.

"That was when it really kind of hit me," Richards said. "That's when it got kind of tough."

This emotion doesn't just run one way.

The Dallas media arrived at the team's practice facility Wednesday to chronicle a team's excitement at having added a former playoff MVP, an Olympian, a winner. But juxtaposed against the optimism that they may be a big step closer to a championship is the recognition that Richards comes at a price.

On a franchise level, that price is measured in futures and what might have been given up in unrealized potential and assets. In the Stars' dressing room, that price is measured in friends and teammates who are now gone.

Stars goalie Marty Turco recalled his last conversation with Smith, his self-described "little brother, " as being "very sad."

Coach Dave Tippett likes to talk about team-building in a wheel metaphor -- the players are spokes in the wheel. You need all of your spokes to move forward. Now, three are gone.

Co-interim GM Les Jackson acknowledges the human toll of trades. He and the rest of the Stars organization drafted Jokinen and Smith, they sold them on the team and there was an element of trust in that relationship.

Then, in a moment, the relationship changes.

By the time Richards got to the Dr. Pepper Star Center in Frisco on Wednesday, there was already a Stars jersey with his new No. 91 (he always wore No. 19 in Tampa Bay) in a display case near a replica Stanley Cup (which retails for $199.99) and a fairly creepy looking large Turco figurine.

Richards was, of course, in a different situation than many NHL players in that he had a no-trade clause. He could have, a la Mats Sundin, said, "No thanks, I'm staying put." But he said he didn't want to hold a gun to management's head.

He understood the economics of the situation, but it still didn't make it any easier to walk away. He isn't married and doesn't have any pets to worry about. He is unencumbered, but that doesn't make the move any easier. He admitted that it has been difficult to reconcile the sadness with the excitement at this new opportunity.

When Richards stepped off the ice after his first practice with the Stars on Wednesday, the team's training staff dropped by to see what he needed before he was whisked away for interviews and photo ops. On a shelf in Richards' dressing room stall were a couple of shaving kits bearing the logo of the Tampa Bay Lightning. A moment later, the logos were turned to the back of the locker.

"It's been a weird two days," Richards said. "I think it's hit me that I've left Tampa, but it hasn't hit me yet that I'm playing for a new franchise."



- Good gosh.


- Some more Dumb and Dumber gems.

?????????

- So you say quotes like these....."He knows how to finish games," Johnson proclaimed, "and that's what we're looking for." And then you proceed to bench him in the final half minute of the 4th quarter down by a score. And then losing his cool during that whole JET/Bowen incident, which propelled San Antonio on a 13-1 run that put them right back in the game. And of course all of the suspensions and outcoaching that has gone on during the last 2 playoff runs. Avery's grace under fire is starting to come into question with me. Things like this are what make him puzzling to me at times.

- A guy you got for his mental toughness and late game intelligence is useless to you if he's sitting next to Avery on the bench. Why even make the trade? Isn't this the guy you traded for to get easy shots for players at the end of games? Just ridiculous.

- And I don't buy the "he hasn't been here for late game situations before, so we wanted guys out there who have" crap. When's he going to learn? On the road in game 2 of the 1st round? Why not start building that chemistry now before the friggin playoffs? Good gosh.

- Bruce Bowen is a punk. That guy makes up for a lack of athetlicism and legs with the most blatant clutching, grabbing, elbowing, etc of any player in the league. And then does the "what did I do?" dumb face afterwards, just like Raja Bell. I wish Josh Howard or Stackhouse would just give him a forearm shiver to the head and be done with it.

- All in all, I felt good about the game. Michael Finley and Bowen are not going to go 10-17 (5-9 from 3 pt) every game. And I still don't think Tony Parker is all that healthy. His usual deadly 18 footer was missing. He can still drive, but that jumper that makes him unguardable, is lacking this year. And Avery isn't going to go braindead and leave the best PG of his generation on the sidelines when you need him most in the 4th quarter. At least I hope he won't.



- Marc Stein.....



Avery Johnson's Decision To Shelve Kidd Puzzling

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Five games.

Or make that four games and one TNT Thursday showdown in San Antonio that had an undeniable playoffs-in-February kind of feel.

Either way . . .

It didn't even take two weeks for Mavericks coach Avery Johnson to make us question why he pushed for the Jason Kidd trade.

Not even two weeks to register fresh doubts that Johnson's ego can prevent him from overthinking or overtaking the game or that he's really ready to relinquish control of his offense to a veteran point guard who doesn't need to be micromanaged.

In just the fifth game of Kidd's Dallas rebirth, Johnson stunningly and inexplicably benched Kidd for the Mavs' final two possessions in crunch time against their biggest rival. Two possessions, spanning nearly 35 seconds.

That's the same Kidd who Dallas worked so hard to bring back because, in Johnson's words, this team needed someone after those playoff collapses against Miami and Golden State who "knows how to finish games."

On this night, though, it looked as if Dallas' own Lil' General had already forgotten the new game plan. With the Mavs down two points in the final minute of a certifiable thriller that they wound up losing 97-94, Johnson came out of two straight timeouts with a play call that -- unfathomable as it sounds -- he thought would work better without Kidd's involvement.

Both calls were from the Mavs' catalog of trusted isolation plays, designed to get Dirk Nowitzki to attack the Spurs' defense from the middle of the floor. Johnson explained afterward that he wanted to make sure Nowitzki was surrounded by shooters after catching the ball to discourage San Antonio from double-teaming, leading him to hold Kidd out because he feared Spurs coach Gregg Popovich surely would have ordered Kidd's defender to immediately double Nowitzki.

Yet there are at least three major flaws in that thinking.

1. Kidd has never been a shooter. You can't trade for Jason Kidd to be your ace closer and then worry about his shooting. Kidd actually said earlier this week that Dirk has been "helping me with my shot," but it's not going to improve fast enough to prevent this from being an issue in every playoff game Dallas plays. The solution? You trust Kidd's resume as a closer, put him in pick-and-roll situations with Nowitzki at game's end and thus give your trade maximum opportunity for success as it was conceived.

2. Johnson himself has likened the Mavs' final 20-odd games to a learning-on-the-fly training camp. So why would you delete Kidd from the exact situation that you, as head coach, described as his specialty just days earlier?

3. When the Mavs came up with offensive rebounds after two Nowitzki misses in that final half-minute, they ended up with a busted play to decide things. But instead of a Kidd/Nowitzki pick-and-roll for the Mavs to force overtime or win it, their combo was Jason Terry and Nowitzki. You saw the result.

Nowitzki did get open briefly on the screen/roll, but Terry couldn't get the ball to him. Nor could Terry avoid getting his shot blocked in the lane, sealing Dallas' defeat.

Meanwhile . . .

The veteran who has the ability to make something out of nothing -- Kidd -- was rooted to the bench for that sequence as opposed to having the ball in his hands to try to slip it to Nowitzki or find a shooter in the corner like Jerry Stackhouse (or, say, Terry) for a clean look. Worse yet: Dallas' first play Nowitzki for didn't work and Johnson declined again after a second timeout to send Kidd in, even though you always want a Kidd or Manu Ginobili making that decisive play -- whether or not they've been with the team long enough to know all the plays -- because so many last-second situations in the NBA turn into busted plays because of sophisticated defenses.

No one's suggesting Johnson was the Mavs' lone culprit Thursday night. Nowitzki couldn't convert his final jumper or a lefty drive after sinking a strongly contested J with 1:38 to play to make it 94-94. Terry missed a big free throw and a wide-open jumper of his own in crunch time and, whether or not he was provoked by the Spurs' Bruce Bowen, earned himself a costly technical foul that triggered Dallas' loss of composure in the third quarter as soon as the visitors had seized a 10-point lead.

It wasn't Kidd's best night, either, even before he wound up as a spectator. He was actually better defensively on Ginobili than he was at his preferred end, credibly pestering one of the league's hottest players but totaling just seven points on 3-for-10 shooting, four rebounds and 10 assists while struggling somewhat to impose himself in the halfcourt when the pace slowed in the fourth quarter.

Yet none of that can make sense of Johnson's reasoning in this one. Kidd was a diplomat in his postgame address -- telling reporters in San Antonio that "I understand and support my coach's decision" essentially since he's a newcomer -- but pulling Kidd would have been just as mind-boggling had the Mavs pulled out a victory.

As discussed in this cyberspace on multiple occasions already my only skepticism regarding the wisdom of parting with five players, two first-round picks and $3 million to reacquire Kidd -- as well as the extra $11 million it'll cost Mavs owner Mark Cuban this season after his first trade with New Jersey collapsed -- was Avery-related. As in: Will Avery ever really be able to restrain his controlling instincts and relinquish lead decision-maker status offensively?

Now that's only one of the questions confronting Johnson entering Game 6 of the new Kidd Era at home Friday against Sacramento. You inevitably wonder what sort of messages Avery transmitted to Kidd, when they're just building a relationship, by holding him out of a such a high-profile finish on national TV.

If you're an optimist, by contrast, perhaps you're wondering whether Dallas can come out of all this unexpectedly fortunate, based on the idea that such an ill-conceived coaching decision happening so soon after the trade will generate such an outcry in Big D that Johnson winds up backing off faster than expected.

In the interim?

This might be remembered as the first Thursday on record that the studio assessment of TNT's Charles Barkley was met with near-unanimous approval:

"There's no sense in making the Jason Kidd trade," Barkley said, "if they're not going to play him in crunch time."



- David Moore on the decision.



Kidd not in it to help win it for Dallas Mavericks

That's because Avery took him off the court for final 34.5 seconds


08:58 AM CST on Friday, February 29, 2008

SAN ANTONIO – Watching the end of Thursday's game, I flashed back to something Avery Johnson said less than 10 days ago when Jason Kidd was welcomed back to Dallas.

The Mavericks coach paid tribute to Kidd like everyone else. He raved about the point guard's leadership and his ability to make big plays when they're needed most.

"He knows how to finish games," Johnson proclaimed, "and that's what we're looking for."

I guess Johnson was looking for something else Thursday night.

Down by two with 34.5 seconds left, Kidd was pulled and replaced by Jerry Stackhouse. One of the best players of his generation was reduced to a cheerleader in the final, fateful seconds of this loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Maybe Kidd's presence wouldn't have made a difference. We'll never know. But by asserting his control at the end of the game, Johnson took the game out of Kidd's talented hands. For this to work, Johnson must learn to trust Kidd in a way he never did Devin Harris.

The irony is if this trade had not been made, Johnson likely would have had Harris on the floor at the end of Thursday's game.

The Mavericks did manage to squeeze off three shots in that final sequence. Forward Dirk Nowitzki missed two of them. Jason Terry missed the last one.

Nowitzki has been positively giddy since Kidd's arrival. He wasn't so giddy in the aftermath of this game. Was Nowitzki surprised that Kidd wasn't on the floor?

"You have to talk to coach about that," Nowitzki said.

Good idea.

What about it, coach?

"We were looking at spreading the floor with all of our shooters in the game," Johnson said. "We wanted to put Stack and Josh [Howard] and Jet [Terry], and that gave Dirk some more room to operate in those situations.

"Our spacing was good, and that is what we were doing on that particular one."

Spacing? I'd argue Johnson spaced out. The four shooters that surrounded Nowitzki on the final possession were a combined 2-of-9 in the fourth quarter.

Now, if Johnson had said that Kidd hasn't been around long enough to run the play he wanted at the end, I might understand that. Might.

"We had a couple of breakdowns there in the fourth," Johnson said. "We talked about a lot of different things. Then he had a chance to take a look at it. Jet and Dirk made some plays for us.

"Again, we just wanted to give Dirk a little bit more space. He got the space. A couple of shots just didn't go down."

Kidd doesn't walk on water. But he should at least walk on the court at the end of a tight game.

Kidd has already altered the identity of this team with his passing. But if he is to put his stamp on the Mavericks, if he does rescue this team from its postseason meltdowns of the past two seasons, it will be by what he does at the end of highly competitive games like the one played here Thursday.

"I support that move," Kidd said. "I feel like they've had that team together down the stretch. They understand the play they're looking for. And so, I'm over there cheering for my guys to knock down a two or a three."

Still, Kidd takes great pride in his ability to make plays that win games. He had to be discouraged that he wasn't in there to pull the trigger.

"I wasn't discouraged," Kidd said. "I understand and support my coach's decision. That will happen."

It shouldn't happen too often.

Kidd was only 3-of-8 from the field. He hit only one shot in the second half.

But as everyone knows, Kidd isn't special because of his shot. He had 10 assists against the Spurs, and Johnson did praise his defense on Manu Ginobili.

That's nice. But when the Mavericks' braintrust discussed the reasons to make this trade, I doubt much time was spent on Kidd's defensive prowess against Ginobili. The trade was made to give them a leader on the floor at the end of close games.

"He's going to help us because at the end of games, he just knows how to win," Johnson said at the news conference when Kidd was introduced.

Too bad Johnson didn't remember his own words Thursday.




- Another viewpoint from San Antonio's Buck Harvey.



Buck Harvey: Still the same in Dallas - Johnson can't let go

Web Posted: 02/29/2008 12:30 AM CST

San Antonio Express-News

Avery Johnson coached for the first time in his career with his No. 6 in the rafters. Maybe that explains why he all but wore the jersey.
Maybe that explains why the former point guard subbed out his Hall of Fame point guard. He took control of the floor just as he always did before here.

But nothing explains this.

In the final seconds, Johnson sat down the one the Mavericks traded their future for, the instinctive winner brought in to make everyone forget past playoff chokes, the 35-year-old who has played in a few last-second moments before.

No. 6 sat down No. 2 in the Dallas program and No. 1 on Mark Cuban's payroll. Jason Kidd.

Kidd did play 35 minutes with his customary 10 assists, and he changed the look of the Mavericks. But his appearance didn't change the look of the rivalry. Squint, and this was the 2006 playoffs all over again.

Tim Duncan rolled to the basket for 31 points, albeit without plantar fasciitis. Jason Terry had some anger issues. And Michael Finley again gave Cuban his money's worth.

Then there was Dirk Nowitzki. As it was then, he was unguardable.

The Spurs tried five different defenders on him, and Nowitzki's jerky cleverness created 21 free throws. In Game 3 of the 2006 series Nowitzki attempted more free throws (24) and made more (21) than anyone in Dallas playoff history.

The Spurs protested several calls Thursday night while they clawed at him, and the Mavericks had the right to think Nowitzki should have had a few more. On a late drive it appeared Tony Parker grabbed him.

But as it also was two years ago, Johnson couldn't let that go, either. Afterward he said the game had "shifts for several reasons."

Asked what those reasons were, he answered, "Watch the tape."

Johnson mentioned Parker's tug, and he added an Erick Dampier foul on Duncan. Dampier has his "hands straight up," Johnson said.

Maybe he's right on all of it. But on a night when Nowitzki shot just one fewer free throw than all of the Spurs combined, should officiating be his beef?

If anything, his players should be the ones with a complaint. With 34.5 seconds left, Duncan threw in two free throws after the Dampier "hands straight up" foul. Down by that difference, Johnson called time.

In came Jerry Stackhouse. Out came Kidd.

Just nine days ago, in the wake of the trade, Johnson saw Kidd going in the opposite direction. "He knows how to finish games," Johnson said then, "and that's what we're looking for."

Gregg Popovich compares Kidd to Manu Ginobili, and there were other similarities Thursday. Ginobili, on his way to missing 14 shots, had Kidd's touch.

Popovich naturally sees these two in the best terms. He called Kidd "fearless," and he said he has the "same juice" as Ginobili. "They would have been great warriors in the middle ages," Popovich said.

Kidd is nearly old enough to have played then, so he wouldn't be stumped by whatever sets the Mavericks run. Johnson, too, said his newness to the team wasn't why he benched him.

Instead, Johnson said, "We wanted to spread the floor and give Dirk more room to operate."

That's not illogical strategy. Popovich does the same when trying to free Duncan and, again, Kidd is a notoriously poor shooter.

But if Johnson felt this way, the Mavericks should have never made this trade. The deal cost Dallas both a young talent in Devin Harris and a lot of Cuban's money.

Johnson didn't feel this way when Dallas made the trade, of course. "He's going to help us, because at the end of games he just knows how to win," Johnson gushed on at the time. "A big steal, a big block, a big rebound, big three, his penetration."

The Mavericks shot three times in those final 34.5 seconds, and on the final time there was penetration. But Terry was the one who made it, and Bruce Bowen blocked his shot.

Kidd has spent a career specializing in these kinds of broken plays.

So why didn't Johnson let him?

He couldn't help himself. Going back to his days in San Antonio, No. 6 was always most comfortable being in charge.




- Devin makes his debut. I watched this game in between the Stars and the Mavs. He looked just like he always does. Very fast, driving to the basket, staying with quick point guards on defense. All in all, doing very good things, just like he did here.

- But there was one thing I noticed....Now that I've watched Kidd for 4 games, and then seeing Harris again for the 1st time. I underestimated the instincts and general point guard intelligence that Kidd brings. Harris, for all the good that he brings, and all the things I hated giving up, doesn't even come close. The way he runs the point and the way Kidd runs the point, it's night and day.

- Harris is a bad to average-team point guard and is not a clutch time, get your teammates an open shot kind of guy. He's a flow of the game effective point guard. Kidd's ability to make his teammates better and his ability to get players good looks in crunch time, sets him apart. And I came to this realization after watching them both last night. Even though Kidd never got that opportunity.



By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Perhaps 3,000 fans were still hanging around with 2 minutes left when the chant began.

"De-vin Har-ris. De-vin Harris," it went, sung to the same sing-songy cadence they use across the Hudson River when they're calling for the firing of Isiah Thomas.

"Took me back to college. Haven't heard that since I left Wisconsin," Harris said after making an outstanding debut for the New Jersey Nets, hitting his first six shots and scoring 16 of his team-high 21 points in less than nine minutes of first-half playing time.

Harris entered with the game tied 22-22, and by the time he left the Nets were ahead 50-35 and well on their way to a 120-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The 120 points represented a season-high for the Nets, and their 25 fast-break points tied a season high.

"When you have a 'push' point guard, it inspired everyone else to push," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "Devin was obviously a game-changer."

The game had the feel of a new beginning for the Nets, who had been waiting for Harris' ankle to heal and had not yet used him since acquiring him in the Jason Kidd trade over the All-Star break.

Harris had a three-point play and buried a long 3-pointer shortly after checking into the game for the first time, and his second 3 just over three minutes into the second quarter capped a 20-5 run that brought a feel-good vibe to the building and put the Nets in control for good.

"The Devin made me do it!" over-the-top public address announcer Garry Sussman screamed into the microphone (Sussman also called DeSagana Diop "The Big Dioper" at one point) after Harris dunked 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, and by the end of the quarter the same fans who started the Devin Harris chant were holding up their thundersticks to spell out the new point guard's first name.

"It's kind of a new start here, and I'm kind of letting it all out of the bag," Harris said. "I couldn't have scripted it any better."

Harris seemed genuinely surprised and delighted by the chant, saying the last time he had heard such a thing he was playing at home for Wisconsin against Minnesota, trying to eclipse Michael Finley's single-game school scoring record of 40.

"I missed it, just like I missed my last shot tonight," Harris said, frowning.

That, however, was the only frown to cross Harris' face on a night when his debut for his new team couldn't have gone much better.



- Stars keep rocking, finish the month 12-2, a franchise record. Brad Richards is unbelievable. He has the skate speed, vision, and passing skills of Modano, the 2 way skills of Lehtinen, and the defensive skills of any of the best defenseman the Stars have. He's just as advertised. And his transition into the team was seamless and painless. 5 assists in his debut.



Richards relentless as Dallas Stars rout Chicago

02:53 AM CST on Friday, February 29, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

As debuts go, Brad Richards' was, well, perfect.

The Dallas Stars' blockbuster trade deadline acquisition tied the franchise record – and set a personal best – for assists in a game, recording five to help lead the Stars to a 7-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night at a sold-out American Airlines Center.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done that," Richards joked when asked about elevated expectations.

No, no, this is exactly why the Stars brought him in.

This is exactly why they sent Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This is exactly why they took on Richards' hefty salary, which will count $7.8 million against the salary cap for the next three seasons.

This is exactly why they decided to mess with the chemistry of a team that was winning.

Because it gives Dallas the chance to get better.

Stars coach Dave Tippett played Richards on a line with Niklas Hagman and Antti Miettinen, and Hagman responded with the first hat trick of his career. He left Mike Modano on a checking line with Steve Ott and Jere Lehtinen, and Modano finished with a goal and an assist.

Tippett rolled four lines, and the passing seemed infectious as the Stars danced around an outmanned Chicago team that had played the night before against Phoenix.

"That's certainly how you'd like to draw it up," veteran forward Stu Barnes said of the start of the Richards era. "When you bring in a player like that and you get a rhythm in your game and you're rolling lines, the confidence does really spread throughout the team.

"It is just one game, and you don't want to get too excited, but hopefully this is a glimpse of what we can be."

The Stars improved to 41-22-5 (87 points) and continue to chase Detroit for the NHL's best record. Dallas has won 13 of its last 15 games and finished with 12 wins in February – the most in one month in franchise history. These are heady times for the Stars.

"We brought in an elite player, and he is going to make us better," Modano said.

Marty Turco had an unspectacular game in net, allowing three third-period goals, but that was after Dallas had built a 5-1 lead on some spectacular offensive plays.

Richards' first assist came in transition, as he took a pass entering the offensive zone and then put a perfect 40-foot pass onto Hagman's stick at the doorstep. Modano then grabbed a loose puck and whipped in an unassisted wrister for the second goal.

Richards stole a puck at the defensive blue line and fed Miettinen, who made a brilliant pass back to Hagman for the third goal. Brenden Morrow faked a slap shot before feeding the puck across the ice to Loui Eriksson for the Stars' fourth goal.

Richards made a stunning fake to Hagman on the rush before feeding a trailing Trevor Daley for the fifth goal. Richards found Hagman in the slot for a quick redirection for the sixth goal. And Richards passed through the box on a 5-on-3 power play for the seventh goal.

There were no flukes in this game. The Stars earned all seven goals with beautiful plays.

"Talent and skill guys never have a hard time adjusting," Tippett said. "If anything, they raise their level, and other players try to get to that level."

Of course, now the expectations will be sky-high for Richards. But, heck, it's not like he needs to get five assists every game.

"I was so nervous and I wanted to fit in so badly," Richards said. "I know it's going to get harder. I just have to keep playing hard. There's a good thing going here, and I hope we can keep it up."



- Kinsler the Rangers' 2008 lead off man?



Texas Rangers consider leading off with Kinsler

09:41 PM CST on Thursday, February 28, 2008
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

TEMPE, Ariz. – Ian Kinsler hit leadoff in the Rangers’ intrasquad game. He hit leadoff against a left-hander in the exhibition opener. He hit leadoff against Los Angeles right-hander Ervin Santana on Thursday.

See a pattern developing? You bet.

The Rangers are thinking about using Kinsler exclusively as the leadoff hitter this season rather than have him platoon at the spot as he did with Frank Catalanotto for the second half of last year.

“There’s a chance of that,” manager Ron Washington said Thursday. “I didn’t think of Ian as the prototypical leadoff guy last year, but he changed my mind. We’ll just wait and see what happens. I’m not going to make up my mind after one or two games.” Against a right-hander on Thursday, Catalanotto dropped to seventh in the batting order. If the Rangers go with Kinsler in the leadoff spot in the regular season, its likely Catalanotto might drop another spot since that lineup is expected to include Milton Bradley.

Such an alignment would also allow the Rangers to shuffle fewer pieces when Catalanotto does not play. Whoever starts in his place could easily slide into the eighth spot. When Catalanotto doesn’t start, he could be replaced by another left-handed hitter, David Murphy, or by a number of outfielders vying for the final spot on the club: Nelson Cruz, Kevin Mench, Jason Botts or Chris Shelton. Washington used 139 different lineups last year and no lineup spent more than five games together. Washington would like a more regular lineup this season.

“I think it’s an advantage if a guy knows pretty much every single day where he’s going to be,” Washington said. “If it happens that we have something we can stick with regularly this year, we’ll stick with it.”

Kinsler got only six leadoff opportunities before suffering a stress fracture in his foot in late June. By the time he returned, however, the Rangers had traded Kenny Lofton and the club used a platoon of Catalanotto and Kinsler. Kinsler hit .275 in 20 games in the leadoff spot, but had a .408 on-base percentage. Los Angeles’ Chone Figgins was the only full-time leadoff man with a higher OBP (.415).

What will determine whether Kinsler hits in the spot full-time is likely to be his plate-discipline and his OBP. Thursday, in three official plate appearances, he saw 15 pitches, going 2-for-3. He took all three at-bats to two strikes.

“I want to hit leadoff,” Kinsler said. “I want to be a table setter. But I know if you are going to hit leadoff, you’ve got to be willing to hit with two strikes. I’m normally an aggressive hitter, but you’ve got to be a little more patient when you hit leadoff. I’m pretty comfortable hitting with two strikes.”

The Rangers’ plan and Kinsler’s desire seem to be of no issue to Catalanotto. He said where he hits in the lineup is of no concern to him. Catalanotto has at least 100 career at-bats at five different spots in the lineup. He is a .280 hitter (.357 OBP) for 100 at-bats in the eighth spot; a .271 hitter (.327 OBP) in the seventh spot.

“Whatever they want to do, it’s no skin off my back,” Catalanotto said. “Whatever [Washington] thinks is the best lineup for this team, I’m comfortable with.”

For the first couple of days of spring, it looks like the Rangers are most comfortable with Kinsler at the top of the lineup.

Old-timers' day: Former Rangers Mark McLemore and Rusty Greer have joined the team for morning workouts as guest instructors and will be on hand for four days. It’s not sure how their time will be divided between instruction, counseling and reliving memories. Greer said his main baseball goal was to take batting practice while here. “We’ll have some conversations with some of the younger guys who haven’t experienced winning in Texas. We’ll just be around in case anybody has any questions.”

Briefly: Owner Tom Hicks still had not finalized the details on the contract for new President Nolan Ryan or for the contract extension for GM Jon Daniels Thursday afternoon. It’s still possible, Hicks could get the finalities taken care of before he leaves Arizona this afternoon. Ryan is likely to get a contract of three or more years and Daniels’ extension will put give him the same security as Ryan. Daniels is currently signed through 2009. .. Hicks said the club still has no interest in free agent DH-OF Barry Bonds. Hicks said the Rangers want “character” players only.



- Another Josh Hamilton piece...



No guarantees on Texas Rangers' Hamilton, but he's worth risk

02:39 AM CST on Friday, February 29, 2008

TEMPE, Ariz. – Talk to anyone wearing Rangers blue at spring training and they'll tell you the same thing about Josh Hamilton.

They'll talk about his moon shots during BP. And the easy way he covers ground in center field. They'll talk about his speed and how he's fitting nicely into the Rangers clubhouse.

Then, each and every one of them will tell you how he's blessed with every attribute a baseball player could want. Some of them will even tell you he's the most talented player they've ever seen.

All of that begs the question: Why in the world did Cincinnati trade him for a box of Cocoa Puffs?

His drug problems are well-documented, but the cynic in me figured there had to be more to it than that. Frankly, the question has been nagging me since the Rangers acquired the multitalented outfielder.

Perhaps you're one of those people who think Edinson Volquez will become a solid member of Cincinnati's rotation after going 3-11 with a 7.20 ERA in 17 career starts with the Rangers. By the way, batters hit .329 against him over three seasons with Texas.

To be fair, he was much better last season, going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in six starts. We can debate just how good Volquez will eventually become, but there couldn't possibly be anyone walking around the Reds clubhouse calling him a stud. Or saying he can be one of baseball's best pitchers.

But you do hear plenty of folks in the Rangers' organization – players, coaches and front-office types – saying Hamilton has the ability to be one of the game's best. So I spent the bulk of Thursday trying to figure out why the Reds let him go.

Here's what my research has revealed.

The Reds actually consider themselves contenders in the National League Central, which is why they hired Dusty Baker as manager. You don't shell out the cash Baker commands for yet another last-place finish.

To compete, the Reds needed starting pitching. Getting teams to part with quality young pitchers is next to impossible these days. Usually, the best you can do is getting a team to trade a flawed pitcher with potential.

Volquez certainly fits into that category, which is why Texas was willing to deal him and why the Reds were eager to acquire him.

The Reds also felt comfortable trading Hamilton because they already have Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn in the outfield, and Baseball America considers outfielder Jay Bruce the game's No. 1 prospect. Obviously, he's going to need somewhere to play.

There were also whispers that some in the Reds clubhouse weren't enamored with some of the special treatment Hamilton receives as part of his support to ensure he doesn't have any substance abuse issues.

Finally, the Reds figured Hamilton, the first player selected in the 1999 draft, would never have more value than he did this off-season after hitting .292 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs in just 90 games and 298 at-bats.

He missed some games with a hamstring injury, and there were legitimate concerns about whether the years of drug use would make him more susceptible to injury because of how much he had abused his 6-4, 235-pound sculpted body.

You can't really argue with any of that, but the Reds' decision to bail on him might eventually make up for general manager Jon Daniels not acquiring Josh Beckett when he had the chance.

Hamilton, batting second Thursday against the Angels, had a two-strike triple down the right-field line that drove in a run. He also singled to right on a hit-and-run, moving the runner to third.

But it was his bouncer back to the pitcher in his second at-bat that shows his mentality as a player.

With Ian Kinsler on second and none out, Hamilton slapped the first pitch back to the mound. Hamilton was easily thrown out, while failing to move Kinsler to third.

It was the epitome of a poor at-bat. The positive: Hamilton knew it and admitted it.

"I was trying to get the runner over, and he threw me a sinker," Hamilton said. "I should have let it go. They weren't going to pitch me inside in that situation, so I should have just taken that pitch and hit it to left center.

"I talked to Rudy [Jaramillo] about it, but that's what spring training is all about. It's about getting experience and making adjustments and seeing what works and what doesn't."

There are no guarantees Hamilton will be a terrific player – even for a short period – but you must admit he has a better chance of being a big-time player than Volquez.



- Stole this from the Sturminator.


- You insulted him a little bit.