Columbia Falls, MT: Besides trying to control Chris Paul from anywhere on the court, what do the Mavs have to do to make it out of the 1st round?

SportsNation J.A. Adande: Play smarter offensively. They settled for jump shots far too often, while the supposedly less savvy Hornets showed more patience and got the ball inside. The Hornets only shoot threes when they're wide open. And when the Mavs have been wide open, they aren't connecting. That's one thing that should change at home.

Jason (Brooklyn): Any word on who the next Bulls coach is going to be?

SportsNation David Thorpe: Stay tuned to the Dallas series.

Sebastian, Krakow, Poland: When did Josh Howard lose his way? How can playing with Jason Kidd actually make you worse when you are an athletic slasher to the basket?

SportsNation John Hollinger: Howard had a brutal second half the other night, that's for sure. It's interesting that since the trade Dirk's #s are up and Howard's are down. We have to consider the possibility that this is random noise ... but at some point we have to consider that the reshaped Mavs are a lot better suited to Dirk's catch-shoot skill set than Howard's iso-heavy game.

John (New Orleans): Who do you have winning the Hornets/Mavs series? Why?

SportsNation Chad Ford: Hornets in 7. One ... the Hornets have the best player on the floor in Paul. Two ... I think Paul will torch Jason Kidd every night. Three ... I think the Mavs confidence isn't high. For a seventh seed, all of the pressure is on them, not NO. With that said, it should be a great series. Dallas does have a chip on their shoulder. They do have Dirk. And maybe J Kidd has one last great push in him. Maybe. But I think New Orleans is under rated.

Jared ( Denver CO): Mr. Thorpe do you think the Hornets will rest thier starters or try to beat Dallas in hopes of playing my nuggets?

SportsNation David Thorpe: I think they saw what happened to Dallas last year and do not want to see a similar performance.

JB (DC): Are the Mavs better off playing LA or NO in Round 1?

SportsNation David Thorpe: N.O.