Darren Collison could have sulked when the Dallas Mavericks benched him in favor of Derek Fisher earlier in December, but the young point guard has battled through the adversity and used the step back to launch a resurgence for the season.

"When we got Fisher, some guys would have put their head down and sulked," Rick Carlisle said. "What [Collison] did was he started getting up earlier in the morning and getting here earlier and working harder on his game, being more vigilant about having film sessions with the coaches, and he's a guy that's going to succeed."

"Success, in large part in life, is a choice. And he decided when we got Fisher it wasn't going to be a thing where he was going to fade into the abyss. He worked harder."

Carlisle knows that Collison won't score 30-plus points every game -- as he did Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder -- but he wants his point guard to stay aggressive offensively.

"I love point guards who score," Carlisle said. "I think it's really important to have point guards that can score. Otherwise, people won't guard them."

Dirk Nowitzki believes his surgically-repaired right knee is fully healed.

“Here’s the thing. I think my knee is 100 percent and it feels good," Nowitzki said. "But the game shape is not quite there. That’s something we’re going to keep working on. The knee was great last game. Just my legs were heavy. Like having cement blocks on my feet. And felt a step slow to everything. No lift. It’ll come from game to game and get better.”

Nowitzki scored 8 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in Sunday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

“My wind actually felt fine for the first game back after two months,” Nowitzki told reporters after this morning’s shootaround. “But my legs were a little heavy. There was just a little pep missing. I can’t really move around or get up out there. So I think we’re going to monitor my minutes until I start feeling better and moving better out there. But for the first time in two months, it actually was decent.

“Up and down running, I was fine the last couple weeks, but the showing on defense, the push-back, the jumping, the rebounding, I’m still having a little trouble with. Not knee-wise, but just the muscles are not firing that quick as they should.”

The Dallas Mavericks are four games under .500 and the 12-13 season could end up being more about player development than contending.

Jae Crowder, Bernard James and Jared Cunningham, Dominique Jones, Rodrigue Beaubois and Chris Douglas-Roberts are figure to receive more minutes.

"Player development is a major focus of our team," Carlisle said. "In large part, we've had two second-round picks in our rotation the majority of the year. Now, they've had to be in there in a lot of cases. With Dirk [Nowitzki] back, that will change somewhat."

Dirk Nowitzki made his season debut on Sunday night, earlier than many around the NBA expected, and scored eight points while logging 20 minutes in the Dallas Mavericks' blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

"I tried to give it a go,'' said Nowitzki, who was 3-of-4 from the field. "I knew my minutes were going to be limited, but I just gave it a go.''

Nowitzki played his first game since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Oct. 19.

Derek Fisher was waived at his request by the Dallas Mavericks.

Fisher suffered a knee injury last week and cited the recovery time of the injury as well as a desire to be back in Los Angeles with his family.

The Mavericks plan to sign Chris Douglas-Roberts of the D-League Texas Legends.

Dirk Nowitzki progressed to jump shots on Friday.

Nowitzki also spent 50 minutes jumping, running and working on his outside stroke prior to the Dallas Mavericks' game against the Toronto Raptors, according to the Mavericks' television broadcast.

Nowitzki has yet to play this season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in the offseason.

Derek Harper spent more than 11 seasons as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, including his first 10 full seasons, and is still a part of the franchise as a television analyst. He was a tremendous defender, especially in his early years with two appearances on the All-Defensive Second Team, and remains among the franchise’s all-time leaders in numerous categories.

Only Dirk Nowitzki and Brad Davis played in more games with the Mavericks than Harper (872). He’s also third in made fields goals, fifth in made threes and first in both assists and steals.

The subject of jersey retirement was broached before Wednesday’s Mavericks-Celtics game and owner Mark Cuban said that before he thinks about the possibility of honoring someone like Jason Terry, he’ll have to set something up for Harper.

“I’ll deal with Derek Harper before I deal with anyone else,” Cuban told a handful of reporters in Boston.

“I’d say there is a good chance, but there is no rush. I’ve got to come up with a whole plan on how I want to do it. Typically, you save those types of things to sell seats.”

Mark Cuban talked about his ownership style before the Dallas Mavericks played the Celtics on Wednesday.

“It won’t be long before everyone thinks I’m a moron and [the media] is telling me to get away from the team and hire another general manager to help Donnie [Nelson],” said Cuban.

Cuban is known for his aggressive style. He often travels with the team and is seen courtside, especially at home in Dallas, letting his opinion be known loud and clear. He has been fined by David Stern on several occasions for his outspoken nature.

“I can get away with it, because I started it the day I got here,” Cuban said of his style.

“Every business is different, but I wasn’t going to approach this one any differently just because it’s sports.”

The Dallas Mavericks have assigned rookie guard Jared Cunningham to the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ NBA Development League affiliate. 

Cunningham (6-4, 195, Oregon State) has appeared in seven games for the Mavericks this season, averaging 2.3 points in 3.4 minutes per game. 

With Dirk Nowitzki still out due to injury, the Dallas Mavericks have become O.J. Mayo's team in the interim.

Mayo is averaging 24.1 points on 53.5 percent shooting from the field in the Mavericks' nine wins. In the team's 10 losses, Mayo is averaging 16 points on 40.7 percent shooting.

"Obviously when you do lose, you probably didn't shoot the ball very well," Mayo said. "Unless you shot a high percentage and the other team shoots a better percentage.

"But even when we don't have a great offensive game we've still got to find a way to win. And that's picking it up on defense and making an ugly offensive night into an ugly win."

Mayo came off the bench during his final two seasons with the Grizzlies.

"I don't know many players who don't want to start," Rick Carlisle said. "There's some that are willing, and every once in a while you get a guy like Jason Terry that embraces it and really views it as a different kind of thing.

"O.J. has shown that he's a team guy -- he went along with that in Memphis and did a terrific job with that. Our situation is different, and we need him to be a starter here."

Mayo, however, is excited to finally be able to play with Nowitzki.

"I think we all are. It's going to be fine. It gives us our best weapon out there, and obviously he's our franchise player and our leader."