Just a year and a half removed from an NBA title, you’d think Dallas would be content no matter how they fared in the 2013 season. But morale has been down lately in Dallas, mainly because of a 13-23 record and surfacing questions regarding whether or not Dallas will miss the playoffs this year, even in a crowded Western conference. After another loss last night, albeit to the powerhouse Clippers, it’s time to assess what is going wrong in Dallas. At the season’s start, I was on the Mavs’ bandwagon and firmly believed they would compete for a championship. Even though they lost the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, the Mavs revamped their aging roster, adding the explosive Darren Collison, veteran center Chris Kaman, and scorer OJ Mayo. The Mavs line-up is ostensibly very good, as Mayo is having a productive season offensively and Collison is also playing very well of late as the Mavs’ floor general. To be fair, Dirk just returned from a lingering knee injury. It’s still early; Dallas still has a chance to contend for a title this year, especially with the return of Dirk. But one has to wonder whether the Mavs chances to win with this core are dwindling. Dirk turns 35 in June, and has suffered numerous pestering injuries over the past two seasons. Dallas is an old team – their average age is 29, among the oldest in the league, and five of the Mavs’ key players are over 30 years old. The likes of Sean Marion and Elton Brand wont be playing a few years from now – they are on the team to win this season, and if the Mavs fail to reach the playoffs, management could decide to give up on their old veterans and go into rebuilding mode. Ultimately, it’s up to Mark Cuban whether or not he chooses to give up on the current roster and try to get younger through the draft. It’s clear that the Mavs’ time to win is now – but unless they turn it around soon, the Dirk era may soon be over in Dallas.
