TRAINING DAY: Thursday With The Mavs, And Josh Howard Is 'On Schedule'

Mike Fisher -- DB.com

Josh Howard is participating in “dummy’’ drills during this Mavs training camp, meaning he’s staying away from contact work but moving toward eventually recapturing his starting job.

That news and more in Thursday’s Mavs “TRAINING DAY’’ report:

   J-HO IN DUMMY DRILLS: “Josh has done well,’’ coach Rick Carlisle said. “I’d say he’s on schedule. He’s participating in a majority of our non-contact drills and workouts.’’

   Otherwise, from what I understand, J-Ho spends practice sessions doing specific rehab work to strengthen his surgically-repaired ankle.

   The timetable? I think the Mavs would like to have him participating in the last week of preseason games.

   SHARP-SHOOTING – AND SHARP-SEEING: My spies who watch the closed practices say that in the last two days, Matt Carroll has been spectacular as a perimeter shooter. Maybe it’s the Lasik surgery (and the goofy protective eyewear that goes with it). Or maybe it’s just a comfort level he never found a year ago.

    “He came in last year (after being acquired from Charlotte in the Diop trade) and was never allowed to find his bearings,’’ Carlisle said. “It was unfair. Now he’s got a full training camp. We know he’s a good player, a terrific shooter, and a weapon for us.’’

   LAST MAN STANDING: Well after the morning practice, the two guys who stayed on the floor were James Singleton and Drew Gooden. Singleton was mostly having fun, practicing dunks (this is getting to be a regular exercise for him). Gooden, however, was undergoing some intense tutelage from guest coach Kevin McHale and assistant Dwane Casey. Gooden worked extensively on baseline jumpers and on positioning himself to receive in-the-lane entry passes.

  ‘COMPETITION’ VS. ‘ISSUES’: Carlisle said the Mavs’ depth means the practices are “extremely competitive’’ as opposed to “being about playing-time issues.’’

   “We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of different things,’’ the coach said. “It’s a good luxury to have. I’m more tuned in to ‘options’ rather than ‘playing-time issues.’ That’s the tact we’re going to take.’’

  VIGNETTES FROM THE SCENE: Carlisle and GM Donnie Nelson huddling together for a long talk at the end of practice … Darrell Armstrong with some one-on-one work – which seems to be both a basketball talk and a social visit – with Kris Humphries … Kevin McHale doing some high-intensity coaching of Popeye Jones. Pretty cool, really, the coaches getting coached.

GRUELING WORK TONIGHT: Carlisle termed the morning workout a “non-contact’’ practice. But that doesn’t mean the Mavs were given a Thursday respite from their labor. I’m told the evening plan was to push the guys to the limit in preparation for Friday night’s “Fan Jam’’ at the AAC, the full-scale practice that is open to the public and will include a Blue-White scrimmage.

FISHELLANEOUS: Carlisle said he has mixed and matched the Blues and the Whites this week, so we shouldn’t necessarily expect Friday night’s units to reflect what we’ve seen in practice … For the first time in camp, the morning session was focused on offensive work. … See yourself as the next Humble Billy Hayes? Make yourself an appointment to try out to be the Mavs PA announcer here. …