By Derek Harper -- DallasBasketball.com
     Michael Finley isn?t himself. And there are a number of reasons, three major reasons, why ? none of which makes me want to see him traded.
     No. 1: I think it?s fair to say that Michael has, at times, fallen in love with his jump shot. Now, Fin is a good shooter. But he?s not a pure shooter. Really, he?s more of a scorer than a shooter, and I?d like to see him put the ball on the floor, go to the hole, create some excitement and some movement that way, and often end up at the free-throw line.
     I?ve seen him do it. I believe he can do it again. And this team ? this primarily jump-shooting team -- needs that from him, more than ever.
     No. 2: If you?ve ever had a hamstring injury, you will better understand some of what Michael is going through right now. He missed 13 games, enough to make sure he was ready to come back, and I?m quite sure he was ready.
     But. ?
     In his legs, he might not have the same lift. In his mind, he probably thinks he doesn?t have the same lift. I don?t see Michael Finley dunking the ball the way he has in the past, not even the way he did earlier this season. He might be 100 percent physically, but that doesn?t mean he?s 100 percent mentally yet.
     No. 3: In Michael?s injury absence, Dirk and Steve took this team in another direction. That?s not a bad thing; in fact, it?s good that Dallas was able to find something good out of Fin?s absence, that thing being the development of two more All-Stars.
     But now, I don?t think Dirk and Steve look to get Michael the ball as they once did. Maybe they don?t defer to him, if that?s the right word, as they once did. And as a result, he?s kind of gotten lost in the shuffle as he adjusts to his role ? whatever role that is.
     Trade Michael Finley? The idea of a player being ?untouchable?? is kind of silly, for any player, no matter how great he is. So nobody should be untouchable. In the case of Michael and anybody else, it?s all a matter of what you can get for the guy. But I don?t see anybody out there who you can swap for Michael who makes Dallas better than it already is. It makes more sense to me to play back, understand that this team as it is presently constructed is one of the three or four best teams in basketball, and hope the Mavs can advance from there with Michael Finley being a key player in that advancement.
     It would be easier to fix the three things I?ve mentioned here than it would be to trade Michael for a lesser-known commodity.