Making progress since Kidd trade

Are the Mavs a better team going into the regular season finale tonight than two months ago when the Jason Kidd trade went down? Avery Johnson seems to think so.

“I can’t really put a percentage on it, but on a scale from 1 to 10, we were probably a 3 or 4 early on and we’re probably somewhere above a 7,” he said. “So we’ve made some progress there. Guys feel a little bit more comfortable than what we were back then eight weeks ago or so.

“We’ve done the best we can with what we’ve had in our own control. The men have really tried, through every film session and practice, they’ve really tried to get better. We’ve seen us get better over the last week or two.”

The season can end on a high tonight by beating Southwest Division champ New Orleans, which would also set up a rematch with the Hornets in the first round. That series would start this weekend back in Johnson’s hometown.