"Everybody gets their dose of injuries throughout the course of the season, and, fortunately, we've been able to still survive because we're more focused on the system," coach Avery Johnson said. "And what happens is, if the system is functioning, we just keep moving parts in and out."

The Mavs have done so all season. Adrian Griffin, signed in a pinch, started five games in Howard's place. Marquis Daniels took over for injured-then-waived Doug Christie, and Devin Harris, Darrell Armstrong and rookie Josh Powell have made spot starts.

The frequent pace of games has left little practice time. The Suns are the fourth team in a stretch of 10 games in 18 days. With fewer practice days, working a recovering player back into the fold has been a challenge. Johnson prefers for players to go through at least a couple of full practices before being cleared to play.

Stackhouse, out all season, called his situation "a true testament to a system that works." The team's third-leading scorer in 2004-05 hasn't played a game this season because of a sore right knee, and though the Mavs miss his offense and grit off the bench, they've stayed afloat.

It's a system Stackhouse finds familiar. Simplifying its origins, Stackhouse traced Johnson's scheme from Gregg Popovich to Larry Brown to Dean Smith. Stackhouse played for the legendary Smith at North Carolina.

--From Avery Johnson's vantage point, the Mavericks aren't quite ready for prime time. Monday's 109-106 loss to the LA Lakers proved as much.

"We can learn a whole lot from these types of games," Avery Johnson said. "We can learn how we have to get stops. You've got to win with your defense. I think we still tend to think that we want to win games with our jump shots."

--The NBA announced that four teams -- Phoenix, San Antonio, Philadelphia and the L.A. Clippers -- will conduct training camps in Europe next year. The Mavs, despite having German Dirk Nowitzki, weren't invited.

Mark Cuban has said overseas training is an undue hardship. The league didn't bother asking the Mavs if they would be interested. "Not me," Cuban said. "They know better."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We haven't achieved the level of status where, when we walk in the gym, people are scared of us. Maybe when that happens, then we can talk about some teams that we should automatically beat." -- Avery Johnson on why the Mavs' intensity level varies from game to game.