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Tuesday, April 22, 1997

Another lost season for the Mavericks

By JAIME ARON AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) - This was supposed to be the year the Dallas Mavericks made it back to the playoffs. Instead, they're once again back at the drawing board.

New owners, a new coach, three general managers, the biggest trade in NBA history, 18 different starters and a league-record 27 players couldn't get this wayward franchise back on track.

In fact, Dallas seems to be going in the wrong direction. At 24-58, the Mavericks won two games less than last season and still haven't had a winning season since 1989-90.

"What you saw this year was a conglomerate of players who were thrust into a situation that wasn't very favorable for any of us," rookie coach Jim Cleamons said. "I won't worry about it or think about it until I have time to reflect on it. Right now, it's just over."

While that would tend to suggest a tumultuous off-season looms ahead, forget about it.

Majority owner Ross Perot Jr. has gone out of his way to make sure everyone - especially general manager Don Nelson - knows Cleamons will be back for the second year of his three-year contract.

"This is one that was, in effect, done before Nellie got here," Perot said.

Nelson, meanwhile, already overhauled the roster in February by trading four starters and two top reserves and cutting another key contributor, all in a four-day span. He even fired the equipment manager.

Those moves left the Mavericks without any marquee players and put them well over the salary cap, further limiting Nelson's off-season maneuverability.

Dallas also is without its top draft pick - a likely top six selection traded to Boston without lottery protection - although it has Minnesota's first choice.

Things began falling apart for the Mavericks when longtime executive Norm Sonju and general manager Keith Grant quit before the season began, leaving Cleamons and minority owner Frank Zaccanelli, a sharp businessman with no basketball background, in charge.

Point guard Jason Kidd didn't like Cleamons or his system, so 25 games into the season the franchise's cornerstone player - the one picked second overall in 1994, ahead of Grant Hill - was traded to Phoenix for Michael Finley, A.C. Green and Sam Cassell.

Management took so much heat for that deal that it gave Nelson a five-year, $8 million contract to woo him out of retirement in Hawaii.

Nelson immediately looked at the roster and started making changes.

Out went Jamal Mashburn, to Miami for Sasha Danilovic, Martin Muursepp and Kurt Thomas. Next up was the historic nine-man deal with New Jersey that brought in Shawn Bradley, Robert Pack, Khalid Reeves and Ed O'Bannon for Cassell, Jim Jackson, Chris Gatling, George McCloud and Eric Montross.

Things became so crazy that Samaki Walker was the longest-tenured player, and he was drafted last summer.

The revolving door of players also caused some pretty ugly moments on the court, none worst than a two-point quarter against Los Angeles that set an NBA futility record likely to stand forever.

Dallas also set franchise lows for points in a game (first with 66 in January, then 65 in March), points in a half (24) and field goals in a half (six). The Mavs also went 18 games without scoring 100 points, another franchise worst.

Not surprisingly, attendance dropped by 1,584 tickets per night despite Reunion Arena's expansion by 540 seats.

"We had a lot of adversity," Finley said. "Three different teams have been through this franchise, in my opinion."

The Mavericks go into the off-season with some semblance of a plan for the future. It rests on the wiry shoulders of 7-foot-6 Bradley, the fragility of point guard Pack and the hope that Finley will blossom.

"I love Dallas. I want to be here for awhile," said Bradley, seen as a savior for a third team since joining the league in 1993. "We've got people that believe in me in the organization and people who I believe in and respect a lot. Hopefully we can just go from there."Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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