Mavericks backup will get a longer look.

October 19, 2008

Mavericks backup will get a longer look. The right hamstring injury to Keith McLeod has led the Dallas Mavericks to amend the point guard’s contract, giving them more time to determine if he can be the backup to Jason Kidd.

McLeod’s original contract was non-guaranteed. But if he were still on the team when rosters are set on Oct. 27, the deal would become fully guaranteed.

The Mavericks worked out a change to the deal, making it a totally non-guaranteed contract. That actually helps McLeod, who probably would have been waived next week because he is not scheduled to play any of the three remaining preseason games.

“I was kind of glad it happened,” he said. “I got on the treadmill today, so I’m hoping to get back on the court soon. But I don’t want to get out there too soon and re-injure it.”

With the revision to his deal, the 6-2 McLeod can be kept on the roster and the Mavericks can determine whether he is the proper fit for the backup point-guard spot.

McLeod’s absence has left the Mavericks with J.J. Barea as the only true backup point guard. Jason Terry has been playing mostly shooting guard. They also have rookie free agents JaJuan Smith and Cheyne Gadson.

Barea has had a lukewarm preseason and suffered a bruised knee Thursday against Detroit. Barea sat out Friday night’s Fan Jam at American Airlines Center and will not play tonight against Sacramento.

The Mavericks will have to make a decision about their backup to Kidd as soon as possible. McLeod played under coach Rick Carlisle at Indiana in part of the 2006-07 season and had some of his best games as a pro.

If McLeod is not the answer, or if he can’t get healthy by the guarantee deadline, the Mavericks could explore other options, although the pool of available point guards is shallow.

Benefit of a high-quality staff: Carlisle has the benefit of having two former head coaches as his top assistants. Dwane Casey coached Minnesota for a season and a half and Terry Stotts had head-coaching stints at Atlanta and Milwaukee.

So who moves into the big chair when the inevitable first ejection comes for Carlisle? Casey would assume the lead role although he and Stotts would work in tandem.

Fan Jam highlights: The Mavericks gave an energetic crowd a nice show during Friday night’s Fan Jam, with players going through several drills, then playing a couple of 10-minute scrimmages.

The biggest cheers came after the scrimmage when players tossed signed shoes into the crowd.

As for the game action, Gerald Green’s double-clutch dunk was a crowd-pleaser.

“These are people that don’t normally get to see our guys up close, and we understand this is a big deal for them,” Carlisle said. “We’re real appreciative.”

Jason Kidd’s 10-year-old son, T.J., was made an associate coach for the blue team in the scrimmage. He had only a few words of advice to his dad: shoot more.

“He’s the No. 1 person that tells me I need to look to shoot more,” Kidd said.