The Mavericks still have confidence in forward Josh Howard despite some edgy offseason comments, according to The Star-Telegram.

"I know a lot of 20-somethings who have made mistakes, myself included," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. "The smart ones learn from the mistakes. Josh is smart. He has learned from all of this, and will continue to learn from it, and use it for motivation on and off the court."

Howard admitted earlier this summer that he smokes marijuana during the offseason.

"While others might have run away from responsibility when they get hit with negative media," Cuban wrote, "Josh not only followed through with all of his camps, he expanded the camps, increasing the number of scholarships [in his foundation]. In addition to the camps he has in Dallas and in Winston-Salem, in addition to his annual bowling tournament, this summer he added a charity softball game."