Memphis, TN (My Sportsbook) - The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies each take the court for the first time this season tonight at the Pyramid.

The Mavericks were once again a very exciting team over the course of the 2001-02 season. Mark Cuban opened his checkbook many times both for talent and fines from David Stern. Dallas was a powerhouse regular-season team and steamrolled into the playoffs thanks to a full arsenal of offensive weapons that had many Mav fans thinking championship.

When the playoffs arrived, the Mavericks were ousted by the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference semifinals. Both teams could get up and down the floor and seemingly score at will, but Sacramento was able to get the key stops it needed, while the Mavericks were porous on the defensive end. Rome wasn't built in a day, and there's been steady momentum in the right direction since Cuban purchased the franchise in January 2000.

Veteran point guard Steve Nash continued to improve last season and established himself as one of the premier point guards in the NBA. Nash was a regular on highlight films and proved to be a lethal shooter, but even he knows his team needs to improve defensively to get to the next level.

"We are a team that has a lot of offensive weapons and are not very stingy defensively," Nash said. "Everyone is prepared to come into this season and make it a priority."

Dallas added veteran forward Popeye Jones to its frontcourt back in September. Jones is not an All-Star by any means, but he is a big body that thinks defense first.

"It is great here in Dallas," Jones said of his new club. "Everyone has one goal in their mind and that is to win a championship. Everyone seems to understand the weakness and that is defense."

Jones will start the season on the injured list with back spasms.

Dallas added Avery Johnson to its roster late last season in a trade with Denver. Johnson is a savvy veteran with championship experience that could be valuable to this team.

"You know Nellie has been really good to me in regards to my role here in Dallas," Johnson said. "He has said to me that he has a lot of confidence in my knowledge of the game and if I see something I need to speak up. He realizes that I have a lot of basketball experience. I don't try to over step my boundaries. I am just here in whatever capacity Coach Nelson needs me."

Johnson, like the rest of the Mavs, knows that defense is the area of greatest need.

"You know I came from a defensive ball club," Johnson said. "All the things that we are doing now I am really used to already. Coach Nelson, historically, knows a lot about defense, especially from his Boston Celtic days. I think he is going to force this team, if they really want to win a championship, to play better defense and challenge us everyday to do it. Hopefully we will respond."

After winning a franchise-best 23 games in their first season in Memphis, the Grizzlies, and more specifically owner Michael Heisley, weren't satisfied. General manager Billy Knight was fired and replaced by Jerry West, who now has the title of president of basketball operations.

West gives the franchise instant credibility. Since their first year in the NBA, the Grizzlies have been best known for bad draft picks and dumb business decisions -- most notably the obscene contract bestowed upon Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. "The Logo" almost instantly erased that entire losing reputation when he arrived. Of course, West's hiring will only be a temporary fix if the Grizzlies don't improve.

Last year, Memphis sported the Rookie of the Year, Pau Gasol. At first, the Spanish import had a hard time getting used to the more physical style of ball played Stateside. As the games wore on, he proved to be a quick study.

"I thought about bringing Pau along slowly, because you don't want things to go wrong and for him to lose confidence," coach Sidney Lowe said. "Then he started doing things, gaining more confidence and he convinced me he was able to do it."

Before the season ended, Gasol had established himself as the Grizzlies' go-to guy.

On draft night, the Grizzlies added Drew Gooden, a strong forward from Kansas. Gooden will add some muscle to Memphis' frontcourt. He had more than 1500 points, 900 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 steals during his collegiate career.

With Gasol, Gooden and Shane Battier in the fold, there's little question the Grizzlies are establishing a solid young core to build around.

The Mavericks have dominated the series with the Grizzlies, winning seven straight and 10 of the last 11 clashes overall. Dallas has won six straight and 12 of its last 13 road meetings with the Grizzlies and leads the all-time overall series 23-4.