When Mark Cuban got clipped $200,000 for blogging about how crappy the NBA's referee assignments were in the post-season, one might have thought it was a waste of money.

Then Dirk Nowitzki went to the free throw line 24 times by himself in their first game home since the fine.

Yep, that Cuban is crazy. Crazy like a fox.

That 200-large was easily the best investment of the post-season, since it helped secure a much needed win over the Mavericks' biggest Western foe.

If only other NBA owners knew how to make such wise "investments."

Take the New York Knicks, for example. They spend money like Michael Jackson at a high-end Vegas boutique. The biggest splurge was coach Larry Brown, who has now annoyed everybody into a position of no return.

His "go away" money? $40 million.

And they say crime doesn't pay. Really?

If Larry walks, he'll throw that stupid Dolan money on top of the $7 million the Pistons stuffed in his shirt as the pushed him out the door last June.

Good to be him.

Hasn't anybody told Dolan that this is a players' league? If coaches really mattered so much, you wouldn't have guys like Doogie Howser, M.D. coaching the Nets to another level. Or no name former Euro-star Mike D'Antoni getting it done with Phoenix.

How about Avery Johnson in Dallas? He does a quick class audit of Coaching 101 under Don Nelson, then takes over and instantly turns the Mavs into a completely different team.

Nobody hypes Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. The guy is just a good coach. How boring.

No constant drama like Larry.

No slick hair and designer suits like Riles.

No incense and philosophy like Big Chief Triangle.

So the media hypes guys like Brown, and a sucker with a big checkbook like Dolan falls for it. If it doesn't work out, Larry can just turn his heels and leave. He's pretty good at that, too.

The amazing thing is how many other NBA coaches have pulled the "Oops, I'm outta here" routine and still got paid.

Rudy T in L.A. hid behind some medical excuses and bolted. Paid.

Hubie Brown ditched the Memphis Grizzlies about five minutes into their season. "Heath reasons." Paid.

Riley had a mental breakdown and ditched the team just as it broke training camp. Stan Van Gundy was given the mess, turned it into something good, and then got elbowed aside by Riley. Stan Van said it was for "personal reasons" but did not say exactly what.

I guess too many coaches had either used the "medical reasons" or "family reasons" excuses already.

Danny Ainge knows about that whole "family" excuse. He quit coaching the Suns so he could - ready everybody, say it with me! - "spend more time with his family!"

That lasted about a week, when he accepted a job as TNT's game analyst. So much for "family." I suppose TNT has some excellent day care.

Remember how Lenny Wilkins recently got tired of trying to herd Isiah's stray cat roster with the Knicks? He just said it was time to leave, and "oh yeah, can you put that $10 mil you still owe me in a double-thick paper bag, please."

Here's the laughable passage from the news story I just Googled up...

"Wilkens, who did not take questions after reading his statement, has two years and $10 million left on his contract, which Thomas said the team will honor regardless of whether Wilkens accepts an offer to remain with the club in the front office."

I have been merciless on meathead NBA players who get huge guaranteed contracts and then go into shutdown mode. The coaches should be held to the same standard. You want to make huge dollars drawing up a pick and roll for fellow millionaires?

Fine.

Just don't expect a golden parachute on the way out the door.