DALLAS -- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, surrounded by reporters and sweating heavily, batted away concerns about his latest acquisition, 31-year-old French star Antoine Rigaudeau. Cuban's soaked shirt and dripping brow were due to his pre-game crunches, not explaining the wisdom of messing with the rotation of a team with the NBA's best record.

But only because this was before, not after, Rigaudeau's home debut.

"We're not expecting anything," Cuban said. "If he ends up IR'ing all season and doesn't play until next year, that would be fine."

	Antoine Rigaudeau shot 1-for-7 and scored two points in his home debut.

That also would seem to be about right after seeing the 6-foot-7 Rigaudeau against the Rockets. He jacked up seven shots in 11 minutes, made one, demonstrated a shaky handle and got worked at the other end by Moochie Norris. Anyone who wondered if he was actually Roberto Benigni's thyroidal cousin or maybe a French mime renowned for playing air hoop would have to be forgiven.

"Garbage," guard Cuttino Mobley said. "He can't dribble. What did he show, that he could miss a whole bunch of shots? You could get an American to do that."

Bostjan Nachbar, having played against Rigaudeau in his European heyday, was more gracious. "He's a very smart player, more than an athlete," Nachbar said. "His offense is better than his defense. It's just a matter of how a player adjusts. I don't know for him. His career is probably coming to an end and he thought he'd try the NBA before it did."

Granted, all this is coming from a Rockets squad that had 26 turnovers while collecting eight assists in getting blown out by the Mavs, so their eye for basketball talent might be a little suspect. Let's just say talk of Rigaudeau being the answer to the Kings' Hedo Turkoglu or even Jim Jackson appears to have been a bit over the top. Which is how team president Donnie Nelson has portrayed Rigaudeau to people in the organization after suggesting he could be their best player off the bench and battle for a starting spot.

None of that was evident against Houston. Even the Mavs P.A. announcer clowned him, urging the crowd to chant, "Reeg-a-doh!" in the midst of his dreadful performance, as if Antoine were merely a cute diversion and not a European legend expected to help the Mavs win a championship.

After Adrian Griffin rebounded a missed 3 by Rigaudeau a few feet from Cuban's floor seat, the owner stood up and encouraged Rigaudeau to stay spotted up and try another one. I'm one of those who appreciates what Cuban has brought to the league and taking a moment to gaze up at an animated crowd in an attractive, filled-to-the-rafters building brought home how much he's accomplished, being able to recall vivid memories of lifeless, musty half-empty Reunion Arena. But there are times when his presence as both owner and fan overlap and create an awkward moment. This was one.

The cheers when Rigaudeau finally ended his 0-for-6 run on a layup with 47 seconds left seemed almost mocking. Overall, it was the kind of circus atmosphere that hasn't been seen since Dennis Rodman trod the boards for Dallas.

None of this would matter if I didn't suspect Nelson Sr. would like to make Nelson Jr. look smart by showcasing Rigaudeau. Or if Nelson didn't have a history of showcasing ordinary players (Cal Booth, Keith Jennings, Chris Gatling) to portray a diamond-in-the-rough discovery rather than an average player getting steady minutes, which on a good team will produce solid numbers. (See Travis Knight's rookie year with the Lakers as Exhibit A.)

	As long as his minutes reflect his level of contribution and the Mavs continue to win, there won't be a problem in the locker room. If Nelson forcefeeds Rigaudeau minutes and touches as he has so far, though, that could be trouble.

Now, rushing Rigaudeau into the rotation could be a function of Nelson panicking over the team's first three-game losing streak, a reaction Cuban has tried to limit.

"Nelly and I have had multiple conversations," Cuban said. "It's not about now. You don't overdo it. I've talked to him about that."

Attribute Rigaudeau getting immediate playing time, then, to simply finding out what he can do before he's cocooned at the end of the bench. "It wasn't to solve a need, it was to get another basketball player to play multiple positions," Cuban said. "He's not more than a 10-to-15 minute player."

I wonder how well that sits with Rigaudeau, having been a star in the Italian League. On the flip side, even those minutes, on a team as crowded with similarly talented players as the Mavs, could upset a chemistry that has worked pretty well so far. The Mavs project Rigaudeau as a point-forward -- a Nelson trademark gimmick -- which means some or all of the roles of Walt Williams, Adrian Griffin, Raja Bell and Nick Van Exel could be affected. Before the season started, Cuban said he recognized that building a championship team required patience and he wouldn't be making any drastic roster changes. He stands by that, promising that unless he can acquire a top-five player he won't even consider making a deal.

"It has to be dramatic," he said.

Adding Rigaudeau doesn't fall into that category. I don't see the Mavs' need for another 3-point shooter and came away with the same impression of his handle as Mobley, but let's say he acclimates and adds something positive to the mix. As long as his minutes reflect his level of contribution and the Mavs continue to win, there won't be a problem in the locker room. If Nelson forcefeeds Rigaudeau minutes and touches as he has so far, though, that could be trouble.

In any case, the move is familiar enough to warrant monitoring. Maybe this isn't tinkering but, as Jamie Foxx might say, it's clearly tinker-ish.

Ric Bucher covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ric.bucher@espnmag.com. Also, send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.