As expected, Dallas announced that Don Nelson will return as head coach
for 2000-01.  Nelson had originally said that 1999-2000 would be his last
season as coach, but a number of things factored into Nelson returning
(including: the Mavs' strong finish, a promising future for the team, no
heir apparent to take over at this point, new owner Mark Cuban asking him
to return, and a month away from basketball to rest and revive).  Nelson
was signed to a new contract with 3 years as coach and GM worth $15.3
million and 3 years following that as GM worth $4.8 million.  The only
surprise here is that it is for 3 years as coach - talk had been that it
would probably be 2 years.

Don Nelson: "Mark wants me to be a part of it, and I want to be a part of
it.  After 3 years, someone else will take over.  Hopefully it will be Sid
[Moncrief].  That's the plan.  I think Sid will be more than ready."

Nelson: "Yes, I see myself doing all 3 years.  And I'm not going to hack
through these next few years.  I think I'm going to enjoy it.  I think
it's going to be a lot of good times.  Losing takes so much out of you.
It just wrecks your life.  But I'm not expecting to lose from this point
on.  I'm expecting to get better."

Mark Cuban: "Nellie is a great bench coach, and the longer I can keep him,
the better.  Nellie likes to be the Mad Scientist.  Spot him A, B, or C
and he looks for D, E, and F.  He looks for a whole new alphabet.  That's
the type of person I want in any position in any organization."

 
The Mavs gained an assistant and lost one.  The Mavs named Sidney Moncrief
as an assistant coach.  Moncrief played for Nelson in Milwaukee and had
his first coaching experience last year with University of Arkansas at
Little Rock (where he had a poor record).  Moncrief joins Del Harris,
Gar Heard, Donnie Nelson, Charlie Parker, Scott Roth, Brad Davis, Kiki
Vandeweghe, and Gary Boren (free throw coach) as assistants.  Moncrief is
the heir apparent - he will be groomed as Nelson's replacement as head
coach (but with no guarantees that will happen - see the last two Mavs
heir apparents in Donnie Nelson and Brad Davis).  Nelson has also said
that Moncrief, Donnie Nelson, and Del Harris will be the bench assistants
(the NBA only allows 3 assistants to sit on the bench during games).
Harris has been tagged as Nelson's top assistant.  Player development 
assistant coach Bill Peterson left the Mavs to join Colorado State as an 
assistant coach.
 
Also as expected, the draft lottery did not affect Dallas.  The Mavs will
have the #12 pick (unless they trade it), the #31 pick from Chicago (via
the Chris Anstey trade), and the #58 pick from the LA Lakers (via the
A.C. Green-Sean Rooks trade).  The Mavs' own 2nd round draft pick (#41)
goes to San Antonio (via the Leon Smith trade).  The draft takes place
June 28.  The Mavs have been bringing in a number of draft candidates for
workouts and interviews, including Olumide Oyedeji (Nigeria/DJK Wurzburg),
Etan Thomas (Syracuse), and Morris Petterson (Michigan State).  Many more
players are expected to visit in the next month.
 
Dirk Nowitzki finished 2nd in the Most Improved Player award voting.  Dirk
received 25 of the 121 media votes.  Jalen Rose (Ind) won the award by
receiving 32 votes.
 
Other Mavs in voting results (none were close to winning the award or
making the All-blank team):
 *Steve Nash received 3 votes and Don Nelson received 1 vote for the
  All-Interview team 
 *Michael Finley received 1 5th place vote in the MVP voting
 *Michael Finley received 2 2nd team All-Defense votes
 *Cedric Ceballos received 3 votes in the 6th Man of the Year voting
 
 
patricia