Maybe it's not just Tim Hardaway. Evan Eschmeyer is another Mavericks newcomer who, after a frustrating 20-odd games, seems to be inching into a semblance of comfort.

Without making a basket Saturday, Eschmeyer still managed to make an impact in what arguably ranks as Dallas' biggest home victory of the season. Coach Don Nelson unexpectedly started Eschmeyer in the 125-117 triumph over Minnesota and came away pleased with the burly center's willingness to challenge for rebounds, even if he grabbed only four.

"We do like him by the way," Nelson said, aware that the wisdom of signing Eschmeyer to a six-year, $19 million contract has been questioned.

Nelson generally prefers not to play Eschmeyer and Juwan Howard ? or Shawn Bradley and Howard ? in the same lineup with Dirk Nowitzki because the Mavericks often struggle to score when employing a more traditional-sized frontcourt. Nowitzki must play small forward in that scenario, where it's tougher for him to exploit quicker defenders.

Also working against Eschmeyer is Nelson's reluctance to play non-shooters for long, especially against clubs with a reputation for zoning like Minnesota. But Eschmeyer did well enough to earn 19 minutes, and his presence in the third quarter didn't impede Dallas' surge into the lead from 64-59 down.

"I still have a lot of improvement to make," Eschmeyer said. "But sometimes it helps to put someone out there who isn't looking to score. My job is maybe something as simple as getting the ball [inbounded] as quick as I can."