Devin Harris is like the kid who just got his driver's license and the keys to a new car. Only he's no rookie driver and the guy in the passenger seat is no longer his dad giving harsh critiques, but a familiar sidekick.

If the Mavericks' preseason opener showed anything, it's that coach Avery Johnson is serious about letting Harris behind the wheel of the Mavericks' machine. It also showed the shooting-guard spot is a wide-open competition.

Jerry Stackhouse was the starter in the Mavericks' 88-67 win over San Antonio on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center. He's been the Mavericks' sixth man for the last three seasons. But his history with Harris prompted Johnson to start the pair in the backcourt, with Jason Terry coming off the bench.

Starting or relieving makes no difference to Stackhouse. But like all players, he has teammates with whom he meshes better.

"I don't have a preference [about starting], but I do like playing with Devin," Stackhouse said. "The numbers don't lie. We work pretty well together. That's not to say I don't like playing with Jet. I can facilitate some things with him, but at the same time, when I'm with Devin, he helps facilitate things for me, which is nice."

Johnson said he has a plan for rotating certain players through.

"Right now, Stack's getting the most minutes there," he said. "And once we get Eddie Jones healthy, he'll get a look there."

Harris, meanwhile, made the first small step toward entrenching himself as the Mavericks' permanent point guard. At 24, he is entering his fourth season and his first as the clear-cut starter at the point. He also has a new contract and the utmost confidence from Johnson. He had eight points and two assists in 16 minutes as the Mavericks piled up 24 points in the paint in the first three quarters before deep reserves took over in the fourth.

Heck, Harris even called his own plays, something he hopes to do much of the season, at least until crunch time.

"Close score, fourth quarter, he's still going to bark," Harris said.

As for teaming with Stackhouse in the starting lineup instead of Terry?

"He's been my No. 2 guy the whole time I've been here, so I'm jelling with him quite well," Harris said. "It's not that big of a change for us."

Johnson said he likes what he saw of Harris' flow for a preseason opener.

"He's better in this game at the start of the season than he was the last two seasons combined," Johnson said.

Injury update: Dirk Nowitzki tweaked an ankle in the second half, but Johnson said he was fine.

Moe Ager had a head-to-head collision with a Spur, but other than a little soreness, he said he should not miss any practice or game time.

Words of wisdom: There is no better Maverick at putting things in perspective than Stackhouse. When asked about the Spurs' trip to their title last season, he believes the Mavericks' first-round loss was helpful to the Spurs.

"They had, as we would see it, an easy road," Stackhouse said. "Really, their main threat was Phoenix, who imploded and messed up their chances. But hey, take nothing away from them. You've still got to go win it, and they did that."

Briefly: San Antonio's Brent Barry saw a sign outside American Airlines Center promoting an upcoming dinosaur exhibit and couldn't resist the temptation of a good one-liner. "I thought they were talking about our team," said the 12-year veteran, referring to the fact that the Spurs have one of the oldest squads in the league. ... The Spurs had their preseason meeting with referees Tuesday. The refs go over situations that will be emphasized this season. The Mavs' session is Friday in Chicago.