<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Mavericks are going to use the next few games to see which combination works best in the backcourt. The one constant will be Jason Kidd. His partner is to be determined – or more accurately, a job will have to be won. "We knew with these first four games coming out of the break that we could have four different lineups," coach Avery Johnson said. "That's a possibility." Devean George started at shooting guard against New Orleans in Kidd's first game with the Mavericks. It could be Eddie Jones or Jason Terry tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies. Jerry Stackhouse is a viable option, too. "We did it during the course of the game [Wednesday night], and we're going to continue doing it," Johnson said. "That's part of the whole process of tinkering with the lineup a little bit; seeing who works well together and who works well together coming off the bench." Soft spot in the schedule: The Western Conference waits for no one, even if the Mavericks ar They would be advised to do so, because once the Mavericks get off this trip and stop by American Airlines Center for a home game against woeful Chicago, the schedule takes a nasty turn. In a five-game stretch, the Mavs play at San Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah, as well as having a home game against improving Houston. No more moves: The trading deadline left Thursday with the Mavericks deciding that one big deal was enough. They remained involved with talks around the league about possibly adding a big man for depth, but elected to wait until teams start shedding payroll via buyouts or, perhaps, if somebody is unexpectedly waived before March 1. Any player who is a free agent at that time can join any team and be eligible for the playoff roster. Stackhouse ready: The Mavericks should get a little healthier tonight with the return of Stackhouse, who's missed most of the last month with a strained right hamstring. Stackhouse went through Thursday's full practice, which was long and filled with scrimmages that had a defensive slant to them. "We need to get better," Johnson said. "We want to win and all that. But we've got to get better and get a feel for each other. We had 15 different issues to solve. You can't do them all at one time. So you pick the most important. "And some of the stuff we're going to have to do on the fly." Josh Howard also practiced but said his lower back remains sore.</div> Source
