When you have a team as deep as the Dallas Mavericks something has got to give.  Avery Johnson, a hero a few seasons back after hitting the shot that brought San Antonio a Championship, will not be taking the court in this years playoffs for Dallas.

A blood clot in his left calf discovered in an MRI exam Wednesday will prevent Johnson from playing for at least three weeks, meaning Johnson joined Danny Manning and Tariq Abdul-Wahad as the players missing from the playoff roster.  He will, however, contribute by helping the coaching staff.

"It'll be really good to start him off in that kind of a new area," Nelson said, "getting him familiar with what goes on behind the scenes and with preparation. It will be fun to have him there."

But Johnson is a player, and deep inside he is hurting even though there was nothing he could do about it with the injury.

"That was one of the few times I literally wanted to cry, cry," Johnson said. "I never thought it would come to this point. When I got traded here, it was about winning the championship and being available on the court with my experience."