George Karl plans to teach the Nuggets a lesson about the Mavericks, the team that beat The Big Three.

"We know we're a better defensive team than Dallas, but do we pass the ball as well as Dallas?" Karl said Thursday after Denver worked out six draft prospects, notably Texas' Jordan Hamilton and Michigan's Darius Morris.

"They're just a team that finds the open man. Period. They're going to find the open man. You had guys (on their roster) who five years ago weren't into finding the open man. Dirk probably wasn't. Jason Terry probably wasn't. (DeShawn) Stevenson,Shawn Marion. But they had a plan.

"The key to playoff basketball is the hustle, wild-card player — who the great player allows him to (ascend). Would Dirk have allowed those guys to take the spotlight five years ago?"