Wade's verbal jab at Dirk surprising -- and refreshing

	Don't expect to see another one of these exchanges between Dwyane Wade (left) and Dirk Nowitzki anytime soon. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
	MAILBAG Marty Burns will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

It's not often these days that one NBA superstar says anything remotely critical about another superstar. With players making so much money, participating in each other's charity events and sometimes even sharing the same agent, most players learn that it's better to keep any such thoughts private.

So it was somewhat surprising to read Dwyane Wade's comments about Dirk Nowitzki. Wade, it seems, is still miffed that Nowitzki has failed to give the Heat credit for beating the Mavs in last year's Finals. Asked after Thursday's practice in Cleveland whether players are remembered for what they do at the end of games, Wade took a jab at the Dallas star.

''At the end of the day,'' Wade told the Miami Herald, "you're remembered for what you did at the end. ... Dirk says they gave us the championship last year, but he's the reason they lost the championship, because he wasn't the leader that he's supposed to be in the closing moments. That's because of great defense by us, but also he wasn't assertive enough as a leader's supposed to be.''

As Sammy Davis Jr. used to say, "Ouch, babe!"

We're guessing the Dirkster is going to be mumbling some German phrases under his breath when those comments gets relayed to him. He might even say something to himself about how he'd love to have the presence of Shaq inside to create some driving lanes. Either way, look for Dirk to have a little something extra for Miami when the defending champs visit Dallas on Feb. 22 for their final meeting of the regular season.

In the meantime, thanks to D-Wade for having the guts to speak his mind and add a little much-needed spice to the regular season.

Now, onto the 'Bag:

For the first time in several years, I see positive signs for my Blazers. My question is should they dangle Jamaal Magloire's contract and a young guard and try to pick up a good small forward and make a run for the playoffs, or should they just stick with what they've got, see how this season plays out and then make any changes through the draft or offseason trades?
-- Wil, Live Oak, Calif.

Obviously, it depends on who they can get. If they could get Morris Peterson for Magloire, it might make sense. Peterson is a free agent at season's end, but the Blazers could probably re-sign him at a reasonable rate or use him in a sign-and-trade. Either way, making the playoffs this season should not weigh heavily in the Blazers' thinking right now. They would just get eliminated by the Mavs or Suns in the first round anyway. Better to go slow and take proper steps for the long term.

Could the Rockets win a title with a healthy Yao, T-Mac and Shane Battier all in the lineup?
-- Kevin, Houston

Houston could be a dark horse if Yao and T-Mac are healthy. The Rockets have been one of the best teams in the league without Yao the past month. With him, they should be better. Houston has a defense that can slow down high-scoring foes. The question is, Can the Rockets score enough? If Yao comes back and plays at his MVP level, it might be enough to make them a serious threat. A guy like Bonzi Wells also could be an X-factor if he were to get hot in the postseason like he did a year ago for Sacramento. But again, the bottom line is Yao and T-Mac have to be 100 percent healthy.