WESTERN CONFERENCE.(brief notes on National Basketball Association's teams and tournaments)(Statistical Data Included)

Dallas

THE SON WILL COME OUT: Coach Don Nelson has his team playing hard, even on the defensive end, which has been a problem in the past. This never will be a great defensive team, but at least there is effort on that end of the floor. Now Nellie turns over the controls to his son, Donnie, who will be expected to keep things operating at peak efficiency while his father takes four to six weeks off to recover from prostate cancer surgery. Donnie will fill in because assistant coach Del Harris begged off the assignment, citing philosophical differences with Nellie. Nelson prefers a more unconventional approach than Harris.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Conventional positions are blurred in the team's offense. Seldom does this team use the traditional lineup of a center, two forwards and two guards. PF Dirk Nowitzki sometimes plays point forward, bringing the ball upcourt and looking to force the action or launch a 3-pointer if he's left open. SF Michael Finley often fills the same role. In the backcourt, Nelson has been starting two point guards, Steve Nash and Howard Eisley. Predictions that Nash and Eisley would be unable to coexist have been wrong. There are enough minutes for each. Sometimes one or the other has a quickness advantage over the guard checking him, and those matchups are exploited. --Ken Sins

Denver

HAPPY NEW YEAR: The Nuggets finished 2000 on a high note, playing wen in their last several games to rebound from a mid-December losing streak. PG Nick Van Exel and PF Antonio McDyess have been carrying the team, but C Raef LaFrentz was the difference in many of the victories, stepping up as the third scorer that coach/president Den Issel coveted in the offseason. LaFrentz is thriving after struggling to find consistency much of the season. He is playing with much more freedom and confidence.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The team is experimenting with a two point guard lineup, and it has been successful. With Van Exel and Robert Pack on the floor together, it allows Pack to man the point guard position and Van Exel to slide over to the shooting guard spot. Pack is very fast, which gives the Nuggets more opportunity to run, a style they enjoy using at the Pepsi Center, where they think the 5,280-foot altitude gives them an advantage. It also allows Van Exel to shoot more, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on Van Exel, who is notoriously streaky. Playing shooting guard allows Van Exel to get easier shots without worrying about setting up the offense first. And it creates mismatches for opponents, who are forced to guard two small, quick guards who are capable of penetrating and finding the open man. --Michael BeDan

Golden State