Dallas Mavericks: Avery Johnson's Team? Who Knew?

When was the last time Avery Johnson hired someone? Or, for that matter, fired someone?

Has anyone in the Dallas Mavericks organization received a paycheck that was signed by Avery Johnson?

Then why is Dallas owner, Mark Cuban, sporting an "Avery’s Team" t-shirt?

Are you kidding me? The Dallas Mavericks are no more Avery Johnson’s team than Apple is my corporation even though I am a shareholder.

Avery Johnson is an employee of the Dallas Maverick’s. He works for Mark Cuban. That is, as of this moment. That, however, may change come mid-April.

For a person who reacts on whims and fancies himself as a moving force, a controller of destinies or, more simply, a wannabe hero, Mark Cuban has unleashed his wrath upon league executives, other owners, referees, and now his coach.

That’s what the "Avery’s Team" t-shirt is all about. It’s Mark Cuban’s flashy yet insincere method of damage control.

By now most readers here are aware of rift between Cuban and Johnson. It came to a head the other night after the Mavericks lost to the Lakers 102-100.

Sitting behind the Mavericks bench, Cuban appeared to be calling out orders to Johnson. And Johnson looked anything but thankful for the input.

Apparently the feud stemmed from Cuban’s insistance that Johnson put forward Brandon Bass into the game. Johnson refused and the standoff spilled over to the locker room after the game.

Someone in the Mavericks organization leaked word of the controversy to the press and the fact that Johnson told Cuban that Cuban could coach the team if he didn’t like what Johnson was doing.

Today, in front of a national TV audience, Cuban shows up in the "Avery’s Team" t-shirt and seats himself several rows behind the bench instead of breathing down Johnson’s neck like he usually does.

No matter what the t-shirt states, make no mistake. This is Mark Cuban’s team. Johnson may be the coach, but Cuban is captain of the ship. If he gets the feeling that the team is drifting in the wrong direction, Cuban will grab the wheel and change the course faster than Avery Johnson can say, "Foul!" Or some other four-letter word.

As if the turmoil between Cuban and Johnson weren’t enough, now the Mavericks have to make their playoff run in the tight Western Conference without last year’s MVP Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki suffered what appeared to be a high ankle or knee injury as the Maverick’s lost to their division rival San Antonio Spurs, 88-81.

As of this moment, Nowitzki is expected to miss at least two weeks. But high ankle sprains, if that is the case, are rather slow to heel, and the Mavericks could easily be out of the playoff picture altogether by the time Nowitzki is ready to return. Nowitzki’s injury will be re-evaluated on Monday.

Unfortunate as it may be for the team, the Nowitzki injury may have saved Johson’s job for now. If the injury hadn’t occurred and the Mavericks failed to reach the playoffs or lost in the first round, Johnson’s tenure in Dallas would most likely have come to an end.

But without Nowitzki, I don’t think anyone, not even Cuban himself, expects the team to make the playoffs let alone survive the first round.

Where is Devon Harris when you need him? I mean, really need him. No KIDD-ing.