DON'T COUNT MAVS OUT, YET.

Byline: JOE STEVENS NBA 

The Dallas Mavericks have succumbed to adversity, and their ``dynasty'' is over. Expect Mark Cuban to go through some type of ``missing crisis'' the entire season.

Goodbye, winners.

Hello, losers.

OK, is the sarcasm understood?

It had been easy for fans and writers and anybody who follows the NBA to jump to conclusions about the Mavericks' 0-4 start until they finally beat Phoenix on Thursday. But take this advice: Don't be so quick to jump.

Yes, the defending Western Conference champion Mavs lost their first four games. But four games constitute a mere 4.8 percent of an NBA schedule. A whole lot of ball is left, and the Mavs have more than enough talent to again be an elite team.

The Mavs' slow start does show some things, though, and is not completely meaningless. It shows that the Mavs' early schedule has been a bear. They've played San Antonio, the Clippers and Suns in their first five games, plus new-and-improved Houston and Golden State, the latter coached by former Mavs coach Don Nelson.

The start also shows how the marathon NBA season is full of peaks and valleys, and that no team is good enough to sleepwalk through part of the season and keep winning. Three Western Conference playoff teams from last season -- the Mavs, Suns and Denver Nuggets -- are at the bottom of their divisions. Although the players and coaches on those teams understand the math -- that more than 90 percent of the season remains and they can overcome their shaky starts -- poor starts can cause them to start doubting themselves.

``We're not an elite team,'' Dallas coach Avery Johnson said. ``We're not right now. We were an elite team last year. This is a different year, a different time. What's elite about this team right now?''

Johnson signed a five-year, $20 million contract during the offseason, yet he sounds as conflicted as anybody about the Mavs' start. The superbly enunciating coach, known as ``The Little General,'' is facing the difficulty of not wanting to make too big of a deal out of the poor start, while still getting his team back on track.

The one thing The General can definitively say is that he hasn't liked the style of ball his team has been playing.

``We're going to pretty much punch or jab you, and then we could put you away,'' he said. ``But we stopped jabbing. That's what I'm disappointed about. We stopped running. We stopped being physical. So that's not our M.O. It's not the system that we put together.''

What is most baffling about the Mavs' start is that Cuban, as usual, did everything he could to try to build upon last season. He re-signed Jason Terry to a $57-million deal, gave a contract extension of $40 million to Josh Howard and extended Dirk Nowitzki's contract again with $60 million more.

Cuban is as committed as any owner in professional sports to building and keeping a winner, yet he woke up to this season to four straight losses. His facial reactions to the losses have been so over-the-top maudlin, that they're bordering on comical.

``We're just not cohesive yet as a team, and we're not hitting our open shots,'' Cuban said after the fourth loss. ``We just haven't gotten off to a good start, but there's 78 more games, and that's all that matters. You never like to lose, but I'm not worried about this team.''

The moves that the Mavs have made have been minor, and they appear to have either improved them or at least been a wash.

They added Greg Buckner, Devean George, Anthony Johnson, Austin Croshere and first-round pick Maurice Ager to replace Keith Van Horn, Marquis Daniels and Darrell Armstrong. All of those changes shouldn't add up to that big of a difference, considering that the core of Nowitzki, Jerry Stackhouse and others still is intact.

The Little General is confident, but concerned; optimistic, yet cautious. In the end, maybe a little early season adversity will help the Mavs grow in the long run. But be wary of the words you use around the General -- especially when he's is the midst of a losing streak.

``We're trying to get everybody on the same page, offensively and defensively, understanding what we're doing,'' he said. ``And give the other teams credit. They're getting after us. So hopefully, we can withstand -- your word -- this `adverse' time.''

Where's Van Horn?

Van Horn made an out-of-the-ordinary decision to walk away from basketball this season to spend more time with his family. Reportedly, he had a mid-level-exception deal on the table to join the Nuggets, but he opted to leave about $5 million on the table to be with his fellow Van Horns.

He just finished a $73-million contract and has made more than enough to never have to worry about playing again. The 31-year-old has said he plans to return next season, but here's one bet: Staying out for one season will keep him away for good.

Nash's next level

If the Mavs ever made a bad move under Cuban, it was probably letting Steve Nash go. But even that is questionable, considering that the Mavs were in the NBA Finals last season.

Since he left the Mavs, Nash has won consecutive MVP awards, and if he wins another one this season, he will join Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird as the only players to win the award in threeconsecutive years. No player has ever won the award four years in a row.

Nash's two MVP awards are, for lack of better words, shockingly unbelievable. He has bested LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, among others, to win the award.

Nash is the rare Canadian in the NBA and got to where he is after playing at the powerhouse collegiate program Santa Clara.

Word is that he miraculously improved his foot speed after he was drafted to develop into the player he is.

Last week, the idea that Nash has defied various odds to get to where he is today was presented to him. He also was asked where he felt he made the biggest step in his development.

Nash's response: ``I got to go shoot right now.''

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CAPTION(S):

4 photos, 6 boxes

Photo:

(1) All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki and Dallas started the season 0-4 after reaching the title series last season.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

(2 -- 3) Dallas coach Avery Johnson, left, and owner Mark Cuban, above, haven't been pleased with the Mavs' play.

Noah Graham/Getty Images

Tim Heitman/Getty Images

(4) Paul Pierce, bottom, is averaging nearly 28 points per game for Boston.

Elsa/Getty Images

Box:

(1) THEY SAID IT

(2) JAMES DEFENDS

(3) NOT FEELING SUNNY

(4) FROM THE PLAY PEN...

(5) DAILY NEWS/CBS 2/KCAL 9 SPORTS CENTRAL POWER

- Ross Siler

(6) THIS WEEKS' BEST BET