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The Dallas Mavericks seem to be quite the enigma these days. League analysts have this club finishing anywhere from tenth out west to conference finalists. It's certainly a wide range of expectation. Much of that has to do with head coach Avery Johnson and his resolve towards making the Mavs a more defensive-minded outfit. Can Dallas make a successful transformation while not taking too much away from what the team does best (get up and down the floor, score the ball), and can the team do so in time to contend this season?

Whether you know it or not, the metamorphosis began late last season when Johnson assumed control from the retiring Don Nelson. Maverick fans will all but concede the hiccup in progress that was the Phoenix series, but there was definite improvement on the defensive end of the floor.

Gone are Steve Nash and Michael Finley, so the Big Three has been reduced to Dirk and a bunch of guys. Or has it? Dallas will now look to a couple of talented youngsters to pick up the slack.

Josh Howard really began to open eyes last season with his irritating defense and the rebounding tenacity of a brutish power forward. This, his third year, Howard has developed a very nice midrange game as well. He is still rather inconsistent, in that he is shooing less than 40 percent from the floor, but we expect Josh to improve on that as the season rolls on. Should the Dallas Maverick expect 15 points and 8 boards an outing from Howard? Absolutely.

In a playoff game last spring, veteran point guard Darrell Armstrong was summoned from the Maverick bench late in third quarter. The scene was Game 6 of a very heated series with the Houston Rockets (Dallas leading 3-2). Houston was in the midst of making a run thanks, in large part, to a pair of steals by Mike James. The turnovers could be directly attributed to a rookie point guard's inexperience and haste against a physical defender in James. As a result, the rookie, Devin Harris, found himself glued to the bench while the 37 year-old Armstrong took over the role as backup point guard for the rest of the playoffs.

Fast forward to early November. The kid from Wisconsin may also be ready to take on an expanded, more prominent role for Coach Johnson. While his floor game as an NBA point man still requires fine-tuning, it doesn't take Jerry West to recognize Harris has something - serious. He is explosive and scoring the ball comes quite natural. While he does show the ability to create for others in terms of distribution, Devin Harris will need to do a better job of taking care of the ball. He still tends to be careless on occasion. If he can manage to do so, it will not be long before Avery Johnson has to seriously consider moving Jason Terry to shooting guard in their starting lineup.

Last Saturday night, both Harris and Josh Howard played integral parts in Dallas' 103-84 triumph over the San Antonio Spurs. Howard, who continues to be a monster in home games, scored 17, grabbed 12 rebounds, and managed three steals. He was certainly a catalyst for the Mavericks in the first half, setting the tone defensively and on the glass. Devin Harris was so good down the stretch that Johnson opted to sit Terry in favor of his younger playmaker. Harris went bonkers in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 in the period.

The San Antonio game was meaningful for Dallas in that they played a complete game for the first time in the young season, and they did so against a high quality opponent. For one night, just about everything clicked. The kids played exceptionally well and Dirk was Dirk (34 and 8). While games in November rarely send shockwaves throughout the league, this one likely provides Dallas with a lot of confidence. That means plenty for a young team like this one.

Dallas enjoys a wealth of depth and talent, but that alone does not guarantee a playoff spot out West. This club has sustained a level of cohesion for several years and then lost much of it with the departure of Nash and then Finley. For this team to continue its climb towards elite status, youngsters such as Devin Harris, Josh Howard, and Marquis Daniels must grow together. They must be allowed the opportunity and in turn, the players must take advantage. That might mean a slight decline from their total of 58 wins in 2004-05, but the payoff could be enormous.

Feedback to Spangler can be sent to scott@insidehoops.com.

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