Eddir Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Dallas Mavericks won?t have to play short handed any longer. Even though they have sprinted to a 14-0 record before finally losing to the Pacers, they have only been playing with an 8-man rotation.

With the return of Raef LaFrentz and Nick Van Exel from the injured list, the Mavs will have more options off the bench. Both players will be in uniform on Saturday against Chicago. "We're playing at a real high level right now, and I expect that to continue," coach Don Nelson said. "But we need some help. It'll be good to have those guys back. We need them."

Nelson will probably start both players on the bench and work them gradually into their regular roles. Their return means that Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash can finally have their playing time reduced a bit. Nowitzki has played 42 minutes or more in three of the past four games. Finley has averaged 41.4 minutes in the past six games, and Nash also has put in more than 35 minutes in four of the past five.

"It certainly should help those guys get a little more rest," Nelson said. "But they're always going to play quite a bit."