On a role: Dirk Nowitzki is erasing any doubts about his ability to be the Mavericks' leading man

Nowitzki is more concerned about carrying the Mavs than about carrying the legacy of European basketball. With Nash gone and Michael Finley nearing 32 years old, Nowitzki must carry an NBA team that features nine new players.

The transition has been difficult. After a 7-1 start, the Mavericks hit an 9-8 stretch. The replacements for Nash--rookie Devin Harris, combo guards Jason Terry and Marquis Daniels and newly acquired Darrell Armstrong--give the Mavericks options and have improved the perimeter defense, but Nelson has not settled on a rotation. It has been difficult to dole out backcourt minutes among the four guards, plus swingmen Finley, Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse.

The Mavericks also are working in free-agent center Erick Dampier. But Dampier plays best on defense when he is involved in the offense, and he has had trouble getting shots amid all of the other offensive options. The Dampier-Nowitzki frontcourt combo has not done well defending the paint.

"It's a work in progress," Dampier says. "We have been a roller coaster team, up and down. We have not found a rhythm, but it's early. I feel like I have not contributed all I can. But I just have to hope that will come later."

In the meantime, the Mavericks are relying on Nowitzki, an admittedly reluctant leader. He was unfamiliar with the language and the culture when he arrived in this country, and he leaned heavily on Nash. Now, Nash is gone. "I think he is handling it fine," Finley says. "He doesn't have to be a real vocal leader. He has me; he has (assistant coach) Avery (Johnson). We have Darrell Armstrong now. He just has to play."

That, he can do--as long as his body holds up. He is in the league's top 25 in minutes, and the offensive burden could take its toll. Nowitzki already has been bothered by ankle and back injuries and suffered through consecutive miserable performances last week, shooting 7-for-31 combined against the Bulls and Warriors.

"He's their guy now," Smith says. "When you look around the league, he has had to change his game in one season more than any other player. He's been a pleasant surprise, in that he has handled it so well and has been more versatile than I thought he could be.

But he'll have to keep that up, and that's hard to do over the season."

If Nowitzki is worried about his ability to hold up under new pressures, he is not letting on, much as he did not let on about his worries about coming to the NBA in the first place. Mavs fans should take heart--not only did Nowitzki handle the pressure when he came into the league, he did it so well that he inspired teams to hunt for more players like him.

"I have more responsibility now," Nowitzki says. "I am getting more shots and being more aggressive. That's just my job."

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