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Nowitzki has averaged 1,666 points per year during his 15 NBA seasons. At that rate, he could reach 30,000 in just over three seasons, but as this season has shown, Father Time inevitably exacts a toll on season averages. This season, he had arthroscopic knee surgery in October and missed the first 27 games. He has played only 51 games, totaling 875 points. Last year’s lockout-shortened season didn’t help Nowitzki’s chances of reaching 30,000. He scored 1,342 points in 62 games. “That’s tough,” Nowitzki said with smile, when asked about his chances of reaching 30,000 points. “I don’t know how much time it takes for me to get (5,000 points), but I’m going to be around. Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

“I’m going to be around if I feel like I have (since) the All-Star break. Before that, obviously I was questioning it a bit. I was a step slow and running up and down wasn’t much fun anymore, but once I started having a little bounce in my step, it’s been fun again. “Still, I would love to be a little more consistent again next year, so I’m going to be putting in some work. What we’re probably going to do is get an MRI on my left knee to make sure nothing is going to act up next year when I come back and then put in some work this summer like I did last year – a lot of running, a lot of lifting, coming in in good shape like I did last year and hopefully don’t have surgery on my knee and be consistent and have a good year.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

He missed this season's first 27 games and has played only 51 games, totaling this season, totaling 875 points. Last year's lockout-shortened season didn't help Nowitzki's chances of reaching 30,000. He scored 1,342 points in 62 games. "That's tough," Nowitzki said with smile, when asked about his chances of reaching 30,000 points. "I don't know how much time it takes for me to get (5,000 points), but I'm going to be around. "I'm going to be around if I feel like I have (since) the All-Star break. Before that, obviously I was questioning it a bit. I was a step slow and running up and down wasn't much fun anymore, but once I started having a little bounce in my step, it's been fun again. "Still, I would love to be a little more consistent again next year, so I'm going to be putting in some work. What we're probably going to do is get an MRI on my left knee to make sure nothing is going to act up next year when I come back and then put in some work this summer like I did last year - a lot of running, a lot of lifting, coming in in good shape like I did last year and hopefully don't have surgery on my knee and be consistent and have a good year." Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

It took the Dallas Mavericks 121 days to get back to .500. It took Dirk Nowitzki maybe 90 seconds to get rid of the beard he has been growing for most of that time. “That shave felt amazing,” Nowitzki said after a 107-89 victory over the New Orleans Hornets improved the Mavs’ record to 40-40. “There was some food caught in there from a few weeks ago.” ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

After the final buzzer sounded, Nowitzki made a beeline for the Mavs’ locker room, picked up his razor and began bushwhacking. The beard was gone by the time coach Rick Carlisle addressed the team. After that meeting, Nowitzki and his trusty razor “cleaned up the rest on the neck and behind the ears and the nose hair a little bit.” ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

Dwain Price: "It’s been too long. Even my wife stopped kissing me somewhere in February.'' -- #Mavs F Dirk Nowitzki on shaving Twitter @DwainPrice

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

Elton Brand, who never returned to peak form after tearing his left Achilles tendon during his prime, is betting on Kobe Bryant. Brand believes the 34-year-old Bryant will regain his Hall of Fame form after going through the grueling rehabilitation process that will follow Saturday’s surgery to repair his torn left Achilles tendon. “Everybody knows his work ethic,” Brand told ESPNDallas.com before the Mavericks’ Sunday game against the Hornets. “I think he’ll be fine. I know they said there’s no way to come back to 100 percent from it, but if there’s anybody that could come close, he can.” ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Elton Brand, Injuries 

Mark Cuban all but offered a public apology to coach Rick Carlisle for not giving him enough quality assets to reach the playoffs. “Rick’s a great coach,” Cuban said. “We obviously didn’t have what we thought we would have, but we obviously should have had more. I don’t know if we could have, but we should have, so it’s all on me. If that means I let Rick down, I let Rick down.” With nine new players on the roster this season, Carlisle has done the best he could with what was given to him. Cuban said fan and media criticism should be directed at the owner. “If someone’s going to take a shot, take it at me,” Cuban said. “My job is to make sure we put everybody in a position to succeed, and we obviously didn’t.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Coaching, Mark Cuban, Rick Carlisle 

Is it appropriate and accurate for Mark Cuban to shoulder all the accountability for the Mavericks missing the playoffs? "Yeah, I mean, it’s not Tyson’s fault or the guys’ or J.J.’s," Dirk Nowitzki said. "Obviously, winning it all, they got a better deal somewhere else. You can’t fault the guys for going there where the money is. I guess that’s part of the business. We let the guys go and it is what it is. "I said it all year long, that we can’t judge yet if it was a mistake or not. I think it’s going to depend on this offseason. If we end up empty-handed again, then maybe it was the wrong decision to let everybody go. But if we make a good move here with all this cap space, then maybe it wasn’t all bad. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what this summer brings." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Cuban 

It took a few seconds for owner Mark Cuban to compare the Dallas Mavericks not qualifying for the playoffs to any of his other business ventures. “I guess it’s like a business going out of business, and I haven’t had many of those,” Cuban said. “Not a good feeling.” And not a feeling Cuban wants to experience again. Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban 

The Mavericks on Saturday announced they've signed guard Josh Akognon to a rest-of-the-season contract after Akognon's original 10-day deal expired Friday. ESPNDallas.com has learned that Akognon's deal includes a team option for the 2013-14 season that will, at the very least, ensure he's a Maverick through the summer. Akognon made his NBA debut in Wednesday's home loss to Phoenix and made his only shot in totaling two points and an assist in four minutes. ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Josh Akognon 

Marc Stein: Mavericks lining up rest-of-season deal that'll keep Josh Akognon on roster for last three games and with team option for 2013-14 season Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Dallas Mavericks, Josh Akognon 

While there has been speculation the Dallas Mavericks will make a run at Bucks’ restricted free-agent guard Brandon Jennings, the Mavs’ first and foremost free-agent priority is Lakers center Dwight Howard. Racine Journal-Times

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Dwight Howard 

Does that mean Carter will be with the Mavericks beyond next season, when his contract expires? “I hope so,” Cuban said. “The current trend is, as guys get older, they lose a little weight and I think Vince is athletic enough and smart enough and genetically gifted enough that if he goes on that same Steve Nash, Dirk, Tim Duncan path, where you lose a little bit of weight every year and keep your spring, he’s a genetic freak. “He can play for more than a year, easily. He’ll be cranking those motorcycle handles for a while.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Vince Carter, Mark Cuban 

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban blames himself for the franchise's failure to make the playoffs this season. The Mavs were officially eliminated Wednesday night, ending a 12-year postseason streak that featured two trips to the NBA Finals and one championship. While Dirk Nowitzki missed a career-high 29 games because of injury, Cuban acknowledges he failed to construct a roster good enough to give the Mavs a chance to contend. "We obviously should have had more," Cuban said before Friday's home game against the Denver Nuggets. "I don't know if we could have, but we should have. And so it's all on me. If that means I let (coach Rick Carlisle) down, I let Rick down. "People always give me s---. 'Why do you put your email up on the screen? And why are you always out front?' This is why. So if someone's got a shot to take, take it at me. My job is to make sure we put everybody in position to succeed and we obviously didn't." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Cuban 

Cuban later insisted he believed the Mavs were better off without Williams, but he accepts the fault for this season's flawed roster and intends to fix it this summer when nine Mavs' contracts will expire. "Look, it didn't work out the way we planned," Cuban said. "It's all on me and Donnie. Period. End of story. It's our job to put people in position to succeed. We didn't do enough of it. "It's not an apology. That's just the nature of the beast. I bust my ass to do as best as we can. No one hates losing more than me, so I'll keep on busting my ass and hopefully it will change." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban 

Despite all of that, Kaman believes he and the Mavs are a perfect match. "I'd love to be back, but I don't know what's going to happen with the organization,'' Kaman said after Friday morning's shoot around at American Airlines Center. "I don't know what's going to happen with the team -- I have no idea. "It's up to the owners and the coaches and all that -- whoever decides all that stuff. Right now I'm just thinking about finishing strong and we'll see what happens in July.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Chris Kaman 

NBA analyst Marc Stein joined Fitzsimmons & Durrett on 103.3 KESN-FM this week to discuss the Mavs. Here are some highlights: On what the Mavs plan to do this offseason: “They’re going to go for Dwight (Howard). They’re going to go for Chris Paul. The overwhelming likelihood is they’re going to strike out on both counts so what trade can they make to put next to Dirk (Nowitzki) to carry that team burden with him. It’s obviously not there right now. There is no question it’s difficult. What they have to offer right now is cap space and I suppose the prospect of future picks. That’s really it. They don’t have a heck of a lot of young assets and that’s what gets teams excited. That’s how Houston was able to get James Harden. They had a bunch of young assets that OKC said we have to jump on this now before this stuff is off the table. The Mavs aren’t in that position.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard 

On if the Mavs will make a run at Andrew Bynum: “I’d make that one because he’s so good when healthy. If it’s a short-term deal, if it’s a two-year deal, I’d be tempted. Obviously, he has to have a full examination. But when he’s healthy, and again this guy has missed a whole season so I understand your hesitation, but he’s a monster. There just aren’t that many players like that, and that’s why the 76ers did it. I think you still gamble on Bynum because he’s that much of a difference maker if you can keep him on the court.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Free Agency, Andrew Bynum 

So the search for a major talent upgrade will continue this summer. "Trust me, we want to do that," Cuban said Wednesday evening, referring to giving Nowitzki a legitimate co-star. "If you've got the guy who's going to say, 'You know what, I'm going to come to the Mavericks no matter what,' let me know." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Free Agency, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Cuban