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In recent years, the Mavericks’ offense has not stimulated the imagination of sporting poets. Football slogans, in fact, were more applicable. Like three yards and a cloud of dust.

"The style we played the last couple of years, there’s a lot of grinding," Dirk Nowitzki said. "The offense is slow and the defense gets set up, so that makes you have to work a lot harder to get your shots."

Mark Cuban sought to change that when he traded for Jason Kidd, and Cuban made it clear when Rick Carlisle was hired that the Mavericks should be sprinting rather than strolling.

At times in the first three preseason games, the Mavericks have looked sharp, although as Carlisle pointed out, Dallas hasn’t been playing the NBA elite — no Celtics, Lakers or Spurs.

But there is a larger question about the nonstop running, which is: Is it harder on the veteran body?

The plodding style leads to wrestling matches under the basket, and that can cause aches and pains.

Sprinting, however, leads to pulled muscles and — in the case of Kidd — a "stiff hamstring." Is that a concern?

"Rick’s done a great job in camp working on conditioning and getting up and down the court," Cuban said. "There’s probably less stress on their bodies than playing other styles. We’ll just see. I just think you watch us now we’re a lot more athletic than people think we are. Last year we didn’t look like it. This year we do."

Perhaps Carlisle’s running game has revealed a misconception about the Mavericks, which is that they are an old team. Nowitzki was asked that on media day before training camp and it caused him to pause.

"Are we that old?" he asked.

The answer is yes and no. The Mavericks are an older team but not necessarily old — with one large exception.

"Kidd is a little old," Nowitzki said, smiling.

Jerry Stackhouse is 33 and has had some nagging injuries in recent years. But when healthy, he is one of the best conditioned athletes in the NBA.

Jason Terry turned 31 in September, Nowitzki turned 30 in June. Erick Dampier is 33, but backup DeSagana Diop is 26. Brandon Bass is only 23. And if Antoine Wright, who has had an excellent preseason, wins the starting job at two-guard, he brings youth (24) and athleticism to the lineup.

"I don’t think we’re old," assistant coach Terry Stotts said. "You’re talking about guys in their early 30s. You look at the teams that win in this league, and that’s usually the age of their best players. And with the way Jason plays, I think too much is made of his age because he is still the best in the league in getting people involved with the pass or off the dribble."

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