Stick a fork in the Dallas Mavericks — they are done.
And I'm not wasting your time with the elephant-in-the-room-sized observation that their season ended over a week ago. What I mean is that this incarnation of the franchise as we know it is done and it's back to the drawing board for Mark Cuban and Avery Johnson.
Following the biggest upset in NBA playoff history at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, the Mavs are officially toast. No mas. Finito.
Just as an untimely postseason meltdown against Albert Pujols essentially erased Brad Lidge's career as a dominant closer, the loss against the Warriors has all but wiped out any hope for a title anytime soon in Big D.
After hanging 67 wins on the league in the regular season, the Mavs folded like a quesadilla to the Boys from the Bay. And it wasn't just thatthey lost to the eight seed ... it was how. You can bet it's a sting that won't be going away any time soon, nor should it. It was a monumental upset and while Dirk Nowitzki may be the MVP, one thing he has never been is mentally tough. In fact, this whole team is lacking the resolve to put this defeat in their rear view mirror and move forward.
So with that, a few reasons the Mavs will never win a title without wholesale changes:
There's No D In Dirk
Name another team whose star player is a seven-footer who plays defense like he's allergic to it. I'll give you a minute...
No?
Nothing?
Exactly.
In fact, I'm not sure anyone has told the Giant German that the game can actually be played inside the three-point line — on both ends of the court. The man is a stat machine and can fill up a box score with the best of them on the offensive end, no doubt about it. But when you hang your hat on a big man, he can't sit 23 feet from the hoop lobbing up threes for 48 minutes. It just won't cut it. Even the 6'7" Josh Howard (who I have nothing bad to say about and is a superstar in the making) averages more blocks than the seven-foot Nowitzki.
And don't think for a second I'm suggesting Dirk should be shipped out of town. But if he wants to be the leader that brings the Mavs a title, he's got to elevate other elements of his game.
We know you can score. Now show us what else you can do.
Point of Contention
Look at all of the teams left in the playoffs and they all have one thing in common — a solid point guard. While I love my Wildcats brethren, Jason Terry is a scorer, not a true point and lets opposing PGs drive to the lane like he's a matador. Olé!
Devin Harris also suffers from defensive allergies and doesn't have what it takes to drag the Steve Nashes and Tony Parkers of the world up and down the court for 48 minutes. Dallas needs a guy who can handle the rock and thinks pass first, score second, and right now, they don't have one.
Empty Bench
Few teams have the luxury of being able to go eight or nine deep in the pros. In college, maybe, but in the NBA, it's a rare sight. But when your starters are off, you have to have a guy or two sitting down there you can depend on. Besides senior discount-eligible Jerry Stackhouse, look at the names Avery Johnson can call on in a pinch (not only that, but check out how much some of these scrubs are taking home) — Erick Dampier ($9.6 million), Austin Croshere ($7.3 million), Devean George, Maurice Ager, and Greg Buckner.
Yuck.
Even the aging Stackhouse is pulling down a hefty $9.3 million paycheck. Repurposing some of that cash on the aforementioned proven PG they so desperately need would allow Terry to shift permanently to the two and would push Harris to the bench where he could provide a much-needed spark.
Hey, he's certainly better than anyone else I just mentioned sitting on the pine ... and cheaper, too, at $3.1 million.
There is a God
Watching Mark Cuban wallow in misery on the sidelines season after season when his boys fall short is proof that somebody up there loves us. Honestly, is there anyone you take more pleasure in watching fail than the whiny billionaire? Here's an idea — you're the owner, not the coach. Sit in your press box and cut the checks. You're not the one who should be making headlines for your team. I admire his passion. His methods are another story. (Disclaimer: Should Mark Cuban end up buying my beloved Chicago Cubs as he is rumored to be, this theory becomes instantly irrelevant. Go Cubs!)
So there you have it. A four-part recipe for success in Dallas. And I'm not exactly screaming for an unreasonable cure, saying the team has to trade for Kobe or K.G. or move up in the draft to take Greg Oden. I'm just trying to provide some very real solutions for a very real problem. (By the way, in five years, people will be marveling at how anyone could've debated taking Kevin Durant over Mr. Oden. Durant will be good. Oden will be great.)
One final suggestion for the Mavs if they hope to make a run for a title — don't draw Golden State in the first round.
Eric Anderson is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. For more musings from the world of sports, poker, and entertainment, visit That's What HE Said.
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