Ah, the memories. Hard to believe it has been five years since the last remaining J, Jackson, departed in the Feb. 17, 1997 nine-player trade with New Jersey.

Those tumultuous times are a cautionary tale about the fickle nature of NBA roster-building. How character may be as important as talent. How truly small that locker room can be, no matter how opulent.

And how fortunate the Mavericks are today.

Yes, the franchise has a different owner, coach, home arena, supporting cast and attitude, but success is predicated on star players.

To ascertain why the Mavericks of 1993-97 were fractious and today's 45-19 squad is virtually crack free, inspect the cornerstones, the Three J's versus the Big Three.