Dirk Nowitzki's back-breaking 3-pointers have been more scarce, and Juwan Howard's quirky little shot isn't hitting the net quite as frequently as it used to.

The Mavericks biggest focus in the week before the regular season begins? Surprisingly, it's what they once considered their biggest strength ? their shooting.

"I don't think the starters are playing the way they ended last year," coach Don Nelson said. "We're not finishing shots, more than anything."

In fact, each of the top four scorers ? the Big Three of Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash, plus Howard ? has had a decline in field-goal percentage from last season to this preseason.

Howard's dip to .377 from .488 is concerning ? particularly since most of his attempts are from near the basket. Nowitzki's biggest drop-off has been in 3-pointers, where he has slipped to .333 from .387. Overall, the team's field-goal percentage is down to .437 from .459 last season.

"I don't think it's a sign of an emergency," Howard said. "There are some areas we need to improve on. It hasn't been a perfect preseason, but that's unrealistic to expect that in the NBA."