In the lane

HIM, TOO: Add former Heat swingman Gerald Green to the list of those who find it difficult to register arriving at AmericanAirlines Arena and not seeing Dwyane Wade on the Heat roster. “It’s real weird,” said Green, who left the Heat for the Boston Celtics in NBA free agency in July. “He was a good buddy of mine. When we played Chicago, it was weird to see him in a Chicago Bulls jersey. He’s done a lot of great things for this city, won three championships and done a lot for the community.” Green’s reaction to Wade’s decision? “It was the same as everyone else — shocked.” As for his own lot, Green finds himself on the outside of the Celtics’ rotation. “I’m not going to lie, it’s tough,” he said. “For me to sit here and pout about not playing would be selfish and not being a good teammate. I’m prepared and I want to play.” TANK TALK 2: It’s safe to assume that Mark Cuban didn’t set out to be this season’s official NBA spokesman regarding the dangers of tanking, and yet, amid his team’s struggles, that’s where the Dallas Mavericks owner finds himself. The latest on his fight-the-good-fight approach is that jumping into a complete rebuild comes with consequences. “I get that some people think the sooner you start it the sooner it ends,” he said during one of his high-profile pregame-workout media scrums. “But if you can find other ways, you try to find other ways. You saw teams doing everything possible to lose in the fourth quarter. And that’s just not how we are. I don’t think that’s good for the players, or good for the culture.” CAREFUL COMMENT: Prior to his first game in a Bulls uniform against LeBron James, Wade proceeded with care when asked about the possibility of one day again playing alongside James. “For me, I’m here and I’m happy to be here,” he said. “But I was happy in Miami, as well. It just happened. You never know what’s going to happen in this game. So people should never say never or anything.” Then came a cautionary qualifier. “That’s not saying that I want to play with LeBron,” he emphasized. “Let me clearly say that: I’m not saying that I want to be somewhere that I’m not.” NEW MAN: Even in just 25 minutes in the Atlanta Hawks’ previous game against the Heat, Dwight Howard was able to show his rejuvenation, with 11 points and 11 rebounds before leaving with a thigh bruise. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it is clear that Howard is poised to make the most of his fourth NBA chapter. “To me, he looks like he is healthy and much more a facsimile of who he was in Orlando,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat next to face the Hawks on Wednesday night at Philips Arena. “I think a large part of that has been his health the last few years. But he looks like he did when he was in the Eastern Conference. He is running. He is offensive rebounding. He is making all the effort plays and athletic plays that he used to make . ... When you see him spinning out for lobs, you haven’t seen that for the last handful of years.”