- Nick Van Exel. The result if you made a human using only confidence and cockeyed headbands. One of my favorite players ever. They traded him after this season in a sell-high move that still bums me out.
- Dirk Nowitzki. [emerges from 12 hours in sensory deprivation tank] “I SEE YOU, BIG GERMAN!” His knee injury against the Spurs kept the Mavs out of the Finals. Not coming back too soon from it probably allowed them to go in 2006 and 2011.
- Michael Finley. He started declining after this.
- Steve Nash. The first strong hints of “Steve Nash, Two-Time MVP,” which is still weird.
- Raja Bell. He couldn’t really do anything on offense, but he was a lockdown defender — or at least seemed to be on this roster — and had a mustache like he did the spoken word parts on all 1990s R&B songs.
- Eduardo Najera. “Mexico’s Michael Jordan.”
- Walt Williams. Arguably one of the most underrated proponents of high socks in basketball history.
- Adrian Griffin. Sort of a Raja Bell I didn’t like as much, but still respected. Would have thrived on the 1980s Mavs.
- Raef Lafrentz. Allowed the Mavericks to get Van Exel.
- Avery Johnson. Allowed the Mavericks to get Van Exel.
- Tariq Abdul-Wahad. Allowed the Mavericks to get Van Exel.
- Evan Eschmeyer. LOL what?
- Antoine Rigadeau. His middle name is Roger.
- Mark Strickland and Adam Harrington. This says it happened. I guess.
- Shawn Bradley. This happened two seasons later, but it is, um, of a piece with his 2002-03, let’s say.
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