By JODIE VALADE / The Dallas Morning News

Understandably, the focus has been on the other new guys. Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrentz were the headliners of the Mavericks' trade with Denver. Avery Johnson has been a vocal supplemental piece.

Tariq Abdul-Wahad has been relatively ignored.

But the fourth player of the four newcomers acquired by the Mavericks in last week's trade has received some of the highest praise a week after the deal was completed.

"He could be the key to the whole trade," Mavericks coach Don Nelson said. "He's a defensive kind of guy, a guy who can run the floor. He's looked very good. We're pretty excited about that for the future."

OAKLAND, Calif. -- It's a sobering process, going from Mr. Popularity to Who's he?
That's the deal for Donnell Harvey.

He's the other guy the Denver Nuggets received in a major trade a week ago that also brought Tim Hardaway and Juwan Howard.

Three years ago, Harvey was considered the best high school basketball player in America. Virtually every college coach in the land wanted Harvey.

OAKLAND, Calif. ? Mengke Bateer, 30 turnovers and a nearly empty arena couldn't deter the Golden State Warriors from their fourth victory of 2002.

Antawn Jamison had 26 points and 12 rebounds as the Warriors snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 110-93 win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

? Box score

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The loss was the Nuggets' sixth straight, a season high for Denver.

Golden State rookie Jason Richardson had 23 points as two of the NBA's four teams that still haven't won 20 games played an entertaining, up-tempo game featuring the Denver debut of Mengke, a 6-foot-11 native Mongolian who played for China in the last two Olympics.

Mengke, the second Chinese player to make the NBA, wore No. 27 as he played 14 scoreless minutes and committed five fouls, though he also threw a nice crosscourt outlet pass for his first assist. Earlier in the week, he signed a contract for the rest of the season.

"Some new plays I really don't understand much, but I can get better next game," Mengke said through an interpreter.

Thursday, February 28, 2002 - OAKLAND, Calif. - While one international big man just was added to the Denver Nuggets' roster in Mengke Bateer, a prospective one is struggling overseas.

Francisco Elson, whom the Nuggets selected from the University of California with the 41st selection in the second round of the 1999 draft, played superbly for the Nuggets in last summer's Rocky Mountain Revue. The Nuggets had considered bringing the 6-foot-11, 225-pounder to training camp and buying out his contract with B.C. Valencia during this season to put him on the roster.

Thursday, February 28, 2002 - OAKLAND, Calif. - It was a clash between two of the NBA's lottery draft pick contenders, and one lofty losing streak had to give. And the Denver Nuggets fell 110-93 to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at The Arena. Denver dropped to 16-38, losing a season-high sixth straight game, and the Warriors improved to 16-39, ending a season-worst-tying seven-game losing streak.

Donnell Harvey is the "other" guy in the trade.  Article tells his story, and mentions his upside, and opportunity to play in Denver.

Nuggets lose at Golden State last night.  110-92  Carry six game losing streak into Friday's game.  Anxious to get McDyess back into the line-up.

Article on Francisco Elson and the 99' draft picks struggles in Spain.  Also, Chris Anderson is undergoing surgery on his wrist and Antonio McDyess is expected back for the Memphis home game on Friday.