MAVERICKS TESTING CLEAMONS' METTLE.

Byline: Sam Smith Chicago Tribune 

Perhaps the event that has best symbolized the Dallas Mavericks occurred about a week ago when forward Jamal Mashburn suffered a fractured cheekbone in a collision with the Clippers' Loy Vaught.

The Clippers got the basketball, went downcourt and missed their shot. The Mavericks rebounded - no, time had not been called yet - and Jason Kidd steamed toward the Mavericks' basket, under which Mashburn still was stretched out.

Clear lane to the basket. Injured teammate. Chance for two points. Easy choice.

Kidd continued toward the basket, jumped over Mashburn and then missed the layup.

``You go to the zoo looking at the pets in the cages,'' said Mavericks coach Jim Cleamons, ``and then they're looking at you. That's how it has worked out.''

With a five-year contract and three potential stars, it appeared Cleamons, a former Chicago Bulls assistant, had found himself a wonderful attraction.

He didn't expect it to be a house of horrors, though.

Mashburn is out for perhaps another month, but before he was hurt he had attempted 90 shots. The 6-foot-8, 250-pounder had taken 40 from 3-point range.

``We're trying to give guys a better handle as to what to do besides run behind the three-point line and take the first open shot,'' said Cleamons.

Cleamons had to suspend guard Tony Dumas for missing practice and has been trying to trade Dumas since.

``We're going to stay in the marketplace to try to make this team better,'' said Cleamons.

Oliver Miller launched into a profanity-filled tirade against a team vice president in the locker room with local TV cameras running because he didn't like a story about him in a local newspaper. The story was about the Suns taking him to a local meat market to weigh him because the team's scales wouldn't go high enough.

Cleamons' prized point guard, Kidd, is one of the NBA's worst shooters. He's hitting 35 percent from the field and barely 60 percent on free throws and he doesn't get along with Jim Jackson.

Center Eric Montross, who cost the team a 1997 first-round draft pick, rarely plays in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks blew late fourth-quarter leads in four of their first 10 games. If they keep playing so poorly, the pick they gave up for Montross could be among the best in the draft.

Cleamons was described in local press reports as ``tired, thinner'' after a loss to the Bucks and his eyes ``red and wet'' after a loss in New Jersey - though New Jersey has that effect on many people.

``You can't be afraid to step out,'' Cleamons said of leaving the comfort of the Bulls. ``Obviously, I made the choice to step out on my own and I don't regret it at all. I'm fine. I'm just trying to realize where we are now is not where we'll be a year from now. It's a process we have to go through.''

Cleamons won't say, but it's clear his three Js - Jim Jackson, Jamal Mashburn and Jason Kidd - can't play together.

``They don't have enough basketballs to go around for those guys,'' Antoine Walker said last week after the Boston Celtics easily beat the Mavericks.

Which is something Cleamons can see.

``I come from a background of winning,'' says Cleamons, a member of the Lakers' 1972 championship team. ``These guys have become comfortable, for the most part, with losing. When you're in the midst of it, you never think it's you. They talk about wanting to win. But what are you doing to achieve that?''

So Cleamons worked the team harder than ever in training camp. Then it lost nine of 13.

``This is the age of instant gratification,'' says Cleamons. ``They work hard for 30 days and don't get it and think they've worked hard enough.

``You talk about the ingredients to winning. It's like a picnic and everybody wants to bring potato salad and fried chicken. It's not much of a picnic if everyone brings the same thing. You have to have foresight of what to bring. Winning basketball is not just scoring points. It's who rebounds and plays defense and a supporting group off the bench.

``So we're trying to identify roles,'' says Cleamons. ``But they're feeling sorry for themselves. In this league if you feel sorry for yourself, someone will kick your butt.''

First, it's Cleamons' job.