Not to get too sappy sports sentimental on you, but I recall that Game 5 win over Utah back in 2001, was it?

Calvin Booth hit the game winner in Salt Lake to lift the 7th-seeded Dallas Mavericks to the NBA's second round, where we'd get crushed by the San Antonio Spurs. I recall how grateful I was that Mark Cuban had bought this perennial laughingstock and turned them into a winner.

Several years, a tragic Finals loss and a mammoth first-round upset later, and a subsequent loss to the Hornets doesn't seem so bad. First, the New Orleans Hornets were Oklahoma City's team temporarily for two years.

We're genuinely happy to see them do well here in Oklahoma, and we'd love to see them win the whole thing. Perhaps they could have a secondary ticker-tape parade in Bricktown.

And we're getting a team here in Oklahoma City (whether Seattle yet realizes it or not), so my loyalties will be squarely on whatever we call the new franchise.

So, I shouldn't really care where the Mavs go from here, but I do. Spent way too many years taking abuse from roommates for sitting through 13-69 seasons. Celebrated the Calvin Booth gamewinner like we had just won a national title here in Norman.

Anguished over Game 3 of the 2006 Finals.

And, yet, here we are. What's next? What should be next?

Well, Cuban did fire Avery Johnson, which had to be done. Personally, I never cared for the little general, particularly after his tiff with Eddie Sefko of the DMN. Thought it was bush league.

But on the court, Avery way overthought himself. Tried tricking things up where they didn't need tricking, such as when he altered the Mavs' lineup to start the series with Golden State last year. However, tons of pundits have been through it.

To his defense, I think the system in Dallas failed him. While I'll credit Cuban with investing his money into a team that desperately needed a lift at the beginning of the decade, the Internet billionaire is also an unbearable micro-manager.

Avery always had him looking over his shoulder.

Secondly, Avery wasn't the guy who traded for Jason Kidd or who let Steve Nash go a few years back because he wasn't paying attention. Nope, that was Cuban, too.

Those two moves are most responsible for where the Mavs are at today, and there's no need to rehash 'em. They're done, and so is this franchise as it exists on April 30, 2008.

After the Golden State series last year, I insisted: You gotta blow this up. This team, as-is, will never, ever in the history of ever win a title.

This year, everybody is agreeing with me.

So, I'll give you five things that need to happen for the Dallas Mavericks to have a shot at an NBA title in three years. I say three years because they have no shot in the next two seasons for sure, and to be more realistic, I should probably say five years.

1. Josh Howard should be dismissed.

I was a fan of the Wake Forest product, and at one time thought he was the club's most promising player. You're likely aware of his marijuana admission on local radio last week, but did you hear about the birthday party?

After Dallas' Game 4 loss to New Orleans, Josh handed out invitations to his birthday party in the locker room. Down 3-1, no Mavs fan was in a mood to celebrate anything, but apparently J-Ho was.

His reaction? You only live once.

Wow. The dope made him stupid, clearly. What a bad teammate. What a cancer.

Trade him if you can, but dismiss him outright if you have to. He cannot be on this club next year. Character counts unless it's the Cowboys. Kidding aside, there are only 11 bodies on an NBA roster. Character and commitment to teamwork really does count.

2. Dump all the dumpable old guys.

I don't care what value they bring on the open market. Go get some young projects. Jerry Stackhouse, Erick Dampier, Eddie House, etc. do the club no good at this point. If Dallas is interested in leadership, bring Sam Cassell on board.

Unlike Howard, Cassell is a great teammate.

3. Plan on ways to get Jason Kidd gone.

With Jason, Dallas needs to get something of value next year. Kidd will be on the roster in 2008-09, but I suspect he could be traded next spring or in the summer of 2009.

Start daydreaming, at least, about that exit now. Figure out a way to maximize what was truly one of the bad NBA trades of the past decade.

4. Mark Cuban should make himself invisible.

Mark, buddy, we know you own the team. And in full disclosure, I have ripped this guy time and time again over the past three seasons. But on the flip side, I give him 100 percent credit for the rebirth of Mavs hoops when he bought the team.

And I'm not saying the move should be permanent. Take two or three years off while a new coach builds this team, alleviating the pressure off everyone. The Mavs are winning no titles until at least 2011-12, and even then we're probably looking at 2013-14 before realistically having a shot, IF this thing is managed right.

5. Build a balanced team on the court.

The NBA is more science than art. The Phoenix Suns style of ball ain't winning anybody a title. Likewise, the New York Knicks never won a title with their slow-down type of ugly ball back in the 1990s.

A championship NBA team needs a go-to guy, and unfortunately, Dirk Nowitzki is not that. He's a No. 2, although I disagree that the Mavs necessarily need a great guard to make him better. Dallas simply needs a go-to guy, a winner. A clutch shot. A vocal leader.

A championship NBA team has great role players. Specifically, the Mavs need a defensive center who won't get posterized on a regular basis while understanding that scoring is vital to winning. The Mavs need a bruiser, like a Bruce Bowen, like an Eduardo Najera, a nuisance on the court.

Given what Cuban was able to do with this franchise when he bought it, supposing he hires a capable basketball coach and, perhaps, upgrades his player-personnel staff (time for Donnie Nelson to go, too?), I think a pair of 24-58 seasons wouldn't be so bad.

Orlando had to suck to get Dwight Howard. Cleveland had to suck to get Lebron James. Perhaps the Mavs need a season or two of sucking hard instead of going halfway.

Yes, my remedies for the most part are simple and vague, but my guess is that Dallas will land a re-tread coach like a Jeff VanGundy or a Rick Carlisle and that Cuban will stay super involved with everything.

And all I'm suggesting is that the Dallas Mavericks have to find a way to adhere to the pretty clear NBA on-the-court formula for success while innovating in a manner that allows them to achieve it much sooner rather than later.

Trust me. It will take some magical Mark Cuban innovation for this thing to work anytime soon.