Sunday Donuts: Mavs Play 'Hatin' And 'Baitin' Games

Mike Fisher -- DB.com

Mark Cuban baits the Lakers, Jason Terry “hates’’ the Magic, and a Mavs’ day off for football! It’s Sunday Morning Donuts … 

   DONUT 1: "I tell you what,’’ Mark Cuban says of the world-champion Lakers, “now that they've got Ron Artest, I couldn't think of anything better. If you would have said, ‘What one player’ -- and I'll get killed over this – ‘What one player would you like to see on the Lakers?’ (I’d say) ‘Ron Artest.’ Could you imagine? Ron Artest has got the ball, and Kobe's standing there, 'Throw me the ball.' Thank you, Ron Artest."

   DONUT 2: Jason Terry is ready to beat up on somebody else.

   “I wouldn’t care who we played as long as it ain’t somebody in a Maverick uniform,” Terry said by way of looking forward to Monday’s preseason opener against Orlando at the AAC. “We’re ready to go against somebody else at this point. We’ve been beating up on each other for a week. Two-a-days and the whole nine, so let’s get after these other boys and show them what we’ve got.”

   DONUT 3: Part 3 of The Most Important Mavs Employee You Never Heard Of.

   DONUT 4: Thanks to everyone who is ordering one of our original-design T-shirts …  click into the DB.com Store to make your choice! … the DallasBasketball.com shirt, the “Fish for Lunch’’ classic, “The DUST Chip’’ shirt and the most popular, “The UberMan.’’ Some of the gang grabbed a few shirts at Fan Jam and yes, they made male DB.commers seem much more attractive to the females of the species.

   DONUT 5: Brandon Bass -- in town Monday for the preseason opener between the Mavs and the Magic -- hearts Dirk right back.

   DONUT 6: I have no doubt that Roddy “French Cuffs’’ Beaubois is the fastest sprinter on the roster, and that he might rank among the fastest players in the NBA. But after studying Shawn Marion for a week now, I think I might pay to watch The Matrix go for 100 meters, too.

   DONUT 7: Remember that you have to make yourself an appointment to try out to be the Mavs PA announcer here. … And a tip: I know some of those auditioning are going to be “professional’’ announcers, radio guys, voice guys. So bring your unique personality to the table, OK?
   DONUT 8: Will Jason Kidd average 10-plus assists?

   DONUT 9: Ryan over at MavCowTickets.com reminds us that Dallas Mavericks tickets went on sale to the general public this weekend and are going fast. … But, because you are a DallasBasketball.com reader, he’s got a deal for you – a deal that gives you 10 percent off home games, no service fees and free shipping on Mavs tickets with 21-day advance purchase! Click on that link and poke around!

    DONUT 10: Don’t forget, for the best in hard-core Cowboys coverage, your place – and my place – is Blogging The Boys. That’s where you find my FISH on FOOTBALL stuff … Take a visit …

    DONUT 11: Quote of the Weekend, as it pertains to the Mavs’ focus in their just-completed training camp: “Sleep, eat, and drink defense,” Terry said. “That’s our goal and to continue to get to where we want to go, we have to play defense.”

    DONUT 12: We need to examine this in more depth as we move forward, but for now, a quick observation: For how long now have the Mavs been viewed as “un-athletic’’? Maybe the view was driven by the fact that the team’s best player is a white guy. Maybe it’s a Shawn Bradley thing. I dunno.

    But after watching the Blue-White scrimmage? Shawn Marion and Roddy Beaubois alone might be capable of altering the image.

    “That was fun,’’ Marion said. “We are an athletic team.’’

    DONUT 13: The Mavs are not practicing today. Time for football!