Nelson doesn't know whether to rest Nash for the rest of the regular season or to keep him on the floor, where he is the Mavericks' leader and playmaker. It is a difficult choice because Dallas is on the precipice of catching Utah for the fourth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference.

But if Dallas plays him, Nash risks a debilitating injury just when the Mavericks will need him the most -- the postseason. Nash hasn't had a break from basketball in over a year after spending last summer with the Canadian national team in the Sydney Olympics.

"I'm feeling good," Nash said last week, making his views known on the subject.

Personnel File

QUICK IMPRESSION: Chinese import Wang Zhizhi didn't waste much time becoming a fan favorite in Dallas.

In his first game with the Mavericks (and as the first Chinese player ever to play in an NBA game), Wang scored six points in eight minutes of work in a home blowout of Atlanta.

Most importantly to the fans, the 7-1 Wang scored the basket to give the Mavericks 100 points and earn free fast food for the crowd. But Don Nelson made it clear that Wang doesn't figure into the team's immediate plans.

"His conditioning is awful," Nelson said.

Noteworthy

NO PROBLEM: Considering his passion for open-floor basketball, Don Nelson seemingly would be up in arms over the NBA's proposal to eliminate the ban on zone defenses in time for next season.

On the contrary. Nelson merely shrugs his shoulders at the thought of lane-clogging zones, especially when he takes into account the Mavericks' outside-shooting prowess.

"We're big [now], and talented and young," Nelson said. "We'll be OK no matter what."

A POINT OF CONCERN: The Mavericks could be without their best defender when the playoffs start next week.

Guard Greg Buckner dislocated his left kneecap in last week's playoff-clinching victory at Houston and has been placed on the injured list. Buckner said he hopes to return in time for the postseason, but team doctors are remaining cautious.

END OF SMALL BALL? As he has everywhere else in his two-decade stint as an NBA coach, Don Nelson relishes the Dallas Mavericks' "small-ball" reputation.

There's only one problem. The Mavericks aren't small anymore.

Nelson has never been known for his ability to coach big men or big lineups (see: Chris Webber), but he doesn't have much choice with the current version of the Mavericks. Since acquiring Juwan Howard and Calvin Booth from Washington two months ago, Dallas now has one of the biggest frontcourts in the league.

Thanks to the presence of Howard (6-foot-9), Booth (6-11), forward Dirk Nowitzki (7 feet) and Shawn Bradley (7-6), Nelson could start a lineup that averages 6-11 if he so desired.

And guess what? The forever-quirky Nelson is starting to warm up to the idea of a big lineup as the youthful Mavericks prepare for their first playoff appearance in 10 years.

"We can put a lineup out there that would be incredibly tall and very difficult to match up with," Nelson told The Dallas Morning News.

Nelson might not have much choice but to go big once the postseason starts. A potential first-round matchup with the bruising Utah Jazz would almost require the Mavericks to muscle up, and Nelson isn't forgetting the Twin Towers of Tim Duncan and David Robinson in San Antonio or Shaquille O'Neal.

All reside in the Western Conference alongside the Mavericks, and all would pose formidable obstacles should Dallas advance out of the opening round.

"I guess the only thing missing is a nickname," Howard said. "But we've got some big guys who can play with anyone else's big guys."

Nelson at least has the luxury of two weeks to figure out what he wants to do after the Mavericks qualified for the playoffs with a win at Houston on April 3. Dallas had the NBA's longest current postseason drought at 10 years before passing it along to Golden State (seven years).

Anyone searching for clues as to Nelson's lineup plan only had to look to last weekend's 87-80 home loss to Utah. The Mavericks went small for much of the night and were no match for the physical Jazz.

"Whatever I do, it'll be different," Nelson said with a grin.