This year Big D stands for Dominant

In the real bad news, the Lakers have more to worry about than injuries and Stu Jackson.

If going into Milwaukee with Smush Parker as their leading scorer was bad and getting hammered in Philadelphia with Kobe Bryant back worse, the capper arrives tonight when the Mavericks show them what the Wildest West Ever has come to.

The Mavericks are 51-5 since their 0-4 start and better teams than the Lakers are going, “Gulp.”

The Spurs are on a 12-game winning streak and a 59-win pace and trail Dallas by 7 1/2 games.

Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich began confiding his fears that their in-state rival wasn’t just good but special a month ago. The Mavericks haven’t lost since, which was more confirmation than Popovich was hoping for.

The Mavericks are now on a 16-game winning streak ... after others of 12 and 13.

In one of the Lakers’ big moments, they ended the 13-gamer here Jan. 7. In the nine weeks since, Dallas has lost once.

Pundits are now debating whether the Mavericks are one of the great teams in NBA history, but you know pundits, they’re so excitable.

The Pistons were 47-9 last March amid a similar discussion. Coming off their 2004 title and their Game 7 loss in the 2005 Finals, even levelheaded Chauncey Billups was dragged into it.

They finished 64-18 and fell in the Eastern finals, and the subject of their greatness doesn’t come up much anymore.

Not that there’s any chance of the Mavericks assuming anything for the rest of their lives after their horror show in the Finals when they led Miami, 2-0, and 89-76 with 6:33 left in Game 3.

With way-out-there Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, you can’t call this a low-key franchise, but from Coach Avery Johnson to the youngest ballboy, it’s rock steady.

When the team gave out Dirk Nowitzki-for-MVP T-shirts, Nowitzki noted, “I don’t think you should push for MVP, especially with so many games left. I don’t think there’s an award for midseason MVP.”

Nowitzki will win in a romp as long the Mavericks finish ahead of the pack. Of course, if something goes wrong and Nowitzki doesn’t get it, Cuban may secede from the NBA.

Nowitzki is as low as low-key gets but tougher than he ever was. Opponents once whittled him down by crowding him with smaller players such as Bruce Bowen and Shawn Marion, but he now takes them in and shoots over them.

It was also Nowitzki who dared to admonish Cuban after the owner’s Finals meltdown, which, coincidentally or not, coincided with theirs.

“We can’t lose our temper all the time on the court or off the court, and I think he’s got to learn that too,” Nowitzki said. “He’s got to improve in that area and not yell at the officials the whole game. I don’t think that helps us.”

Bombast aside, there’s only one high-pitched, so-intense-it-almost-vibrates voice that counts around the Mavericks, and it’s their coach’s.

Once known as “The Little General” among Spurs teammates (or “The Little Unprintable” if he got too intense), Johnson turned Don Nelson’s high-scoring Mavericks into a team that scores a little less (No. 3 in Nelson’s last season, No. 9 now) but gives up a lot less (No. 28 in scoring defense to No. 3.)

“Avery to his credit has demanded defense from [Jason] Terry, from Dirk,” Popovich says. “Josh [Howard], I think his natural inclination is to play defense, but [Jerry] Stackhouse and all those guys, Avery has demanded that minutes be predicated on defense and playing physically....

“He gets on guys, it doesn’t matter if they’re stars or not. He’s got demands that have to be met.

“I’m so thrilled for him. I wish he wasn’t an archrival sitting right next door. That makes it really tough. But when I’m at home at night, I watch them play. I’m thrilled for him because he does a great job.”

Providing what calm there is, the Spurs and Mavericks are like family, at least on the administrative level.

Popovich was once on Nelson’s Golden State staff. Johnson played for Popovich in San Antonio, when Popovich used to joke that Johnson occasionally “let me get a word in edgewise.”

Of course, Cuban could start a feud in a monastery, so aside from that, it’s good, clean hatred.

The teams have jockeyed for years. The Mavericks brought in Erick Dampier to deal with Tim Duncan. Now the Spurs worry about matchups for the athletic Howard and Devin Harris.

With the Suns and Jazz on pace to win 63 and 56, respectively, the Western finals promise to be a classic. We just don’t know which teams will be in them for sure.

“This year it’s better than I think it’s ever been,” Popovich says. “It’s great for fans and great for the league. It wears all of us out, but for everybody else it’s great.”

The Lakers share your pain. Actually, they would like to take your pain if you take theirs.

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