Youthful exuberance on the part of an intense owner? Fair enough.

Tuesday night against Phoenix. The Mavs are struggling mightily at home against a mundane Suns team. In the second half, Cuban is suddenly seated in a courtside chair on the opposite side of trainer Roger Hinds from Don Nelson.

Players can hear Cuban using this newfound proximity to scold Michael Finley for poor defense, for poor rebounding.

Cuban denies that Harris told him to go foul Harvey himself. But Cuban also says ? and this is something we have never heard from a local owner, even Jones ? he sees no problem in offering mid-game suggestions to the coaches.

"I trust the players and coaches to use the information as they see fit," he said. "Remember, as the owner of the business, I don't have to yell and hope they do something. I have the option of requiring them to do something ... which I don't do.

"By asking or suggesting things during a game, I get to learn a little more about the game and how [the coaches] think."