CLEVELAND – Misery loves company. And while getting to the brink of a championship and failing isn't exactly misery to the coaches who have done it the last two seasons, it's still a fraternity of sorts.

Avery Johnson and Cleveland's Mike Brown commiserated a little this summer about coaching the last two teams to lose in the NBA Finals.

"I talked to Avery not too long after the Finals," Brown said before Wednesday's opener. "I was a little down, still. And he just reminded me in his good, old voice, he said, "Mike, brother, I'd take going to the Finals and getting swept 0-4 any day before not making the playoffs at all.'

"So when he said that, I just saw that confidence and that smile, and I felt better the rest of the summer."

The words probably lose something when you don't hear them in the Avery accent that Brown was trying to inflect. But the point is clear.

These guys know how it feels, and there aren't many others who can relate. The Mavericks lost, 4-2, to Miami in 2006 after leading 2-0. The Spurs swept the Cavaliers last June.

"We talked a little bit, especially at our head coaches' summit in Chicago," Johnson said. "And we know that feeling of not being able to get it done. But like I was sharing with him, don't let anybody make you feel like you are a loser or that you choked or anything like that.

"If you get to the Finals, it's a great place to be. I would rather get there every year and have a shot at winning it, even if you don't."

Every year, there's 28 other teams that would like to be in that situation.

On his way: Juwan Howard had his physical and signed a contract Wednesday. He is expected to join the team for practice today in Atlanta.

"He's a pretty good low-post defender, a good team defender and can knock down the open shot," Johnson said. "And one of the things we suffered severely in last year was having a high-low game and a low-to-high game. We're hoping he can help us in those areas."

Howard also could serve another purpose, Johnson said. He hopes the veteran forward can help tutor young big men Brandon Bass and Nick Fazekas.

"One of the things I shared with him is down the road four or five years from now when you're not playing, one of your biggest victories is going to be: Did you help develop anybody else," Johnson said.

The votes are in: Devin Harris and Dirk Nowitzki were voted co-captains by the Mavericks and the coaching staff.

"Hopefully, I was doing something right in the preseason," Harris said.

Johnson said he was happy Nowitzki was aggressive in keeping his captaincy. He also said Harris' growth was noticed by his teammates.

"He's the point guard, and a majority of point guards are leaders," said Eddie Jones. "So I don't see why he can't fulfill that role. Everyday, he's growing. He's accepted it, and he's encouraging guys. He's getting there. It's going to take some time, but I like the fact that he's embracing it."

Briefly: Devean George will have a scan of his left foot Monday and, perhaps, he will be cleared to start working out with the team after that. He's missed all of the preseason with a stress reaction in his foot. By the way, George's Mohawk will come off when he starts playing. "I just did it out of boredom," he said. ... DeSagana Diop still has a lot of friends in Cleveland, where he played the first four seasons of his career. He needed 25 tickets Wednesday night.