Ah, December, when a young man's thoughts turn to mistletoe and presents under the tree.

Meanwhile, the rest of us think about cold beer and why in the world the entire Mavericks' nation wants the team to bring in Stephon Marbury.

OK, that segue makes no sense, but neither does the Marbury talk. We here at the command ship got more e-mails this week about Marbury than all the other topics put together.

Fine. Have it your way. Bring in the troubled guard, let him pout when he doesn't get enough playing time, watch him divide and poison the locker room and then go through the messy divorce that invariably takes place with this guy.

By the way, the Mavericks can't even think about all that until the previous messy divorce in New York is finalized.

This is not a personal attack on Marbury. Don't know the dude personally. But people around the league think of him in the above-mentioned way. And when that many smart basketball people are scared to touch Marbury, I feel comfortable in suggesting that the Mavericks steer clear.

Then again, they have been known to have their Dennis Rodman moments in the past. How'd that work out for them?

But they did take a chance on Jerry Stackhouse, and he turned his game and persona around here.

At the very least, however, the Mavericks should be very careful before jumping into this relationship. And to the fans, I would say to be careful what you wish for.

Eddie Sefko

Q: As much as I dislike the guy, I really think Stephon Marbury would help the Mavericks. He would give them a legit scorer and someone to finish a game. It might put them back in the race. And I wish they could acquire Antonio McDyess as well.

Sefko: I share your affinity for Dice, but I don't see how it's likely to happen here. If the Mavericks bring him in, what message does that send to Brandon Bass, whom the Mavericks will have to re-sign after this season.

As for Marbury, I'll say it again. This guy has torn apart teams, leaving on bad terms everywhere he's been since his early days at Minnesota. My assertion remains that he is more risky than the potential gain for any team that thinks itself a contender.

Q: Mark Cuban should be all out in bringing Chris Bosh back to Dallas. Here's a young kid from Lincoln High School who is a free agent (in 2010). If Cuban can pay $21 million for Kidd, he can surely pay whatever it takes to get Bosh to the Mavericks.

Bob R.

Sefko: To paraphrase the Forrest Gump line, Bob, you are a bleeping genius. It's a great idea, and you didn't even mention Stephon Marbury once.

But the Mavericks have been way ahead of you for a couple years. They have been watching Bosh from afar and trying to think of ways to get him to Dallas, in a non-tampering sort of way, of course.

But it's just not that easy. First of all, Toronto is going to make it very difficult for Bosh to leave. Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo has done his best to surround Bosh with quality players in Toronto. Whether it translates into wins, we won't know for a while.

But there's another problem. The Mavericks have to be able to offer a maximum contract. Or have assets that they can offer in a sign-and-trade that would be palatable to the Raptors. It can be done. But it's never easy.

For now, I suggest you monitor the Raptors with great interest. What happens to them on the court will go a long way toward determining what happens to Bosh in a couple of summers.

Q: Do you see the Mavericks making a trade for Gerald Wallace or Chris Kaman? And why did they blow their chance to get Zach Randolph?

Ryan D.

Sefko: You people with your trades. Do you realize why Charlotte wants to dump Wallace after signing him to the monster free-agent deal a couple summers back? It's because they made a mistake. They're hoping for the "bigger fool theory," which states that there is always a bigger fool out there, unless you're D-Moore.

Kaman is a quality center, but he's starting to look a little injury prone, and do you really want to have another multimillion-dollar center on the roster?

And we haven't even broached the subject of who among the Mavericks you'd like to trade for these guys. If it's not Josh Howard and Brandon Bass, then I suspect all conversations would end abruptly.

And another thing: Zach Randolph? He looks great on bad teams, but has he ever won a thing?

Sorry for the rant, but the Mavericks need those players like D-Moore needs sweaters.

Q: Just saw a recent newsletter item about players getting $108 per day in meal money when they travel. Since many of the meals are provided anyway (on planes, at meetings, etc.) and since most of them can probably pay for their own room service, why not donate their meal money to charity. What a P.R. bonanza that would be. They could use it to feed the homeless or something. I'll bet other teams in the league would follow the Mavericks' lead if they did that.

Jeff, Greenville, S.C.

Sefko: I agree with you 100 percent. But I would have two caution lights to put up in front of your fast lane to philanthropy. First, there are some players who make the NBA minimum and who can put a few hundred bucks to good use on a road trip.

Second, almost all NBA players are way ahead of the curve in giving back to the community. Among Mavericks, Jason Terry just had a coat drive, Josh Howard helped dish out turkeys at a church and the entire team took part in a Thanksgiving feast for hearing- and eyesight-impaired kids.

These guys, when they really sit down and think about life, know that they have it so good that they like doing stuff for others.

You have a good idea, though, and maybe it will catch on. I could see the team taking one trip for the year and donating all that meal money to a food drive, maybe even in the cities they are visiting. What a class act that would be.

Q: I'm not liking the idea of Gerald Green starting. It's only been a few games, but he hasn't played very well as a starter. When he comes off the bench, he can provide energy. Do you think Rick Carlisle sees this as a long-term solution to the shooting guard woes?

Graham, Washington, D.C.

Sefko: The Mavericks have been searching for consistency at two-guard since Michael Finley left. And they may have let the perfect fit walk away for nothing when Raja Bell bolted in free agency.

What Carlisle is doing is conducting auditions. He is giving everybody a chance to show they can be a staple in the backcourt. But there's no real time crunch. If it takes all year to find out if Antoine Wright or Green can play, fine. It would make next season's training camp far less stressful.

What Mavs' fans must hope for is that Green grows up. He must learn the game and figure out a way to play below the rim, as well as above it. If he doesn't, Wright, Jason Terry and others will be more reliable at shooting guard.

Q: I know the Mavericks are in love with J.J. Barea, but wouldn't it make sense to get a real backup at point guard? What do you think about a trade to the Pacers of Jerry Stackhouse for Jamaal Tinsley and a first-round draft pick.

Sefko: First of all, there is no way the Mavericks are paying $7.5 million for two more seasons for a backup point guard like Tinsley. Even if they got an unprotected first-round pick, which the Pacers would not give up, by the way, there's no way the Mavericks would do it.

So the question becomes whether or not Barea is a capable backup. If he plays like he has the last few games, clearly he is. Hey, the guy won the Clippers game for the Mavericks, pure and simple. And if a $1.5 million player wins you a couple or three games in a season, he's paid for himself.

Consistency is the big question about him. It should also be noted that he was fighting a knee problem for a week or two that has dissipated during his recent uptick. He's averaged 10 points and 6.7 assists and that's more than anybody can ever expect out of their backup point guard.

Q: Why is Gerald Green starting at shooting guard and not getting good minutes? Am I missing something?

Ryan in China.

Sefko: News travels slow through the cyberspace, over the Pacific and into Asia. It's true that, for now, Green is a token starter. He gets the first few minutes of the game, then maybe some later on. Or maybe not.

It's what he will have to live with for now. If he's going really good, obviously, the coach will stay with him. But the kid will have to prove it at the defensive end as well as with his acrobatic offense.

Q: So we're all disgusted by the Devin Harris trade. It's Kevin Johnson all over again, getting traded from Cleveland to Phoenix, where he becomes great. With that said, we need to realize that the Mavericks are OK. Not great. But probably a 50-win team and maybe a first-round playoff winner. We also need to focus on next year. My concern is there aren't enough young, quality players on this team. Could you enlighten me on what the cap space for next summer looks like and what players realistically could fit into the plan?

Brandon

Sefko: There are not as many marquee names next summer as there will be in 2010, and all signs point to the Mavericks slashing their payroll to do something big in 2010.

Next summer, they won't have any money under the cap. They will have the mid-level exception, and that's it. Best option: Raid Utah's closet, the door to which could swing open for players such as Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer and, most intriguing, Kyle Korver.

But, again, I don't see the Mavericks loading up a long-term contract next summer at the risk of losing potential free-agent cap space in 2010.

Q: I was wondering if you have the details on Erick Dampier's contract? I've heard the last year is not fully guaranteed and that there are incentives he has to reach to make it fully vested. Can you help?

Sefko: Of course we can. Sort of. The best way to put it is that Dampier's contract is incentive-guaranteed. He needs to be an All-Star to have it fully guaranteed. And failing that, which it appears he will, it's possible the whole thing could be non-guaranteed.

I presume there is a small buyout, but I haven't been able to uncover that yet. We'll keep you posted.

Q: I've followed the Mavs for years and I live in far southern Oklahoma. We've gotten most Mavs games on FSSW or over the air in the past. Now there is the Oklahoma City Thunder and I have seen many of their games in my area. Are we now considered to be in the Thundersphere? Is there any way we could get both teams' games, which is what I'd prefer?

Jim N.

Sefko: I'm also a resident of southern Oklahoma, but my domicile is the casinos that rest just across the border. I live there in four-hour increments. What little money I don't leave there goes to OU, where my daughter is concentrating on football but occasionally finds time for her hobby, pre-med.

Anyway, I've been told by the Mavericks that there is a 75-mile radius that most teams have where their games are shown exclusively. There are exceptions, but not many.

Your best bet is to bite the bullet and get the NBA League Pass, which would give you access to all games. Of course, your family might not be so happy when you're up at midnight watching Sacramento-Golden State. But you'd be assured of getting every Mavericks game. For the price, it's not a bad deal, either.