Note to Cuban: Man up

Published 10:55 pm Wednesday, April 3, 2013

James Brown crooned the now-famous words on his 1966 classic: “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.”

Mark Cuban hinted at changing the NBA world as we now know it when the outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner suggested drafting Baylor women’s basketball star Brittney Griner on Wednesday.

At the least, Cuban considers extending Griner an invitation to try out a strong possibility, ESPN reported.

Joke or no joke, I guess this explains why the Mavericks may not make the playoffs this year, let alone get to shave before the end of the season as several team members vowed not to do until reaching the .500 mark.

Names like Kansas’ Ben McLemore, Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel, Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart, Georgetown’s Otto Porter, Michigan’s Trey Burke and USC’s Shabazz Muhammad make a lot more sense than Griner.

Even with Dirk Nowitzki nearing the twilight of an illustrious career, Dallas needs not turn to a 6-8 female force and defensive stalwart for its next franchise player.

So, Griner can dunk. And? Virtually every player in the NBA dunks. You say she dominates the post possibly better than any woman in NCAA history. Still, her 6-8 frame projects her to be a swingman (no pun intended) in the NBA, pitting her against talents such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Paul George.

Could you imagine Metta World Peace, a rugged 6-7 small forward, applying defense on Griner? Man, please!

If nothing else, Cuban’s comments caused people to talk about the Mavericks for a day. Good, because their play most of the season left little to say. In less than 24 months, the Mavericks went from parading through downtown Dallas after their first NBA title to going out in the first round and now headed to the lottery.

Time for Cuban to man up and fix a roster missing key ingredients from their 2011 championship season — veteran leadership from a Jason Kidd, the inside muscle of a Tyson Chandler and gritty role players such as a Jason Terry, J.J. Barrea, Deshawn Stevenson and Brian Cardinal.

If he wants to avoid being a marked man — and join his splashy neighbor Jerry Jones as a front and center owner and big spender who seems to hinder their teams with their overindulgence — Cuban can start by worrying less about stealing the Phoenix Mercury’s potential prize and focusing his eyes on finding the right man for the job.