SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 19. Dallas Mavericks

+Dallas Mavericks  Overall Win/Loss Record :  41-41,  fourth place Southwest Division	Last Season’s Rank 19	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 19
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 101.1 (8th) Points Allowed: 101.7 (27th) Team FG%: .462 (8th) Opponent’s FG%: .445 (12th) Team FT%: .793 (2nd) Team Three Point FG%: .371 (6th) Rebounds per game: 41.9 (16th) Opponents rebounds per game: 45.6 (29th) Turnovers per game: 13.5 (9th) Opponents turnovers per game: 14.0 (17th)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): +Dirk Nowitzki  (17.3) Rebounds per game:  +Shawn Marion  (7.8) Minutes per game: Dirk Nowitzki (31.3) Assists per game: Mike James (3.1) Field Goal Percentage: Brandon Wright (.597) Free Throw Percentage: Dirk Nowitzki (.860) Three Point FG Percentage: Dirk Nowitzki (.414) Steals per game: Shawn Marion (1.1) Blocked Shots per game: Brandon Wright (1.2)
Projected Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Paycheck Potential Impact: C. +DeJuan Blair  PF. Dirk Nowitzki SF. Shawn Marion SG +Monta Ellis  PG. Jose Calderon	Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, Paycheck and Potential Impact: G/F. Vince Carter F/C. Brandon Wright G. Devin Harris C. +Samuel Dalembert  G. Wayne Ellington
Analysis: Last season the Dallas Mavericks earned not only the respect of their fans but the admiration of the league after they held together through impossible odds to finish .500 for the 2013 season. Despite their aging bones, the compiling injuries and the on going wear and tear for the past thirteen years, the Mavericks still stuck together and defiantly fought for every games and not allow themselves to be pushed around.  Even when it seem that the playoffs were no longer in reach, Dallas did not quit and throw in the towel tanking the rest of the season, but continuously fought and pushed through the season despite their fate being already written.  After a very unsuccessful off season,  the Mavericks enter this upcoming season with the same aging and deteriorating roster, but with the same amount of courage sense of sheer defiance as they posed last season.  Unfortunately, no amount of grit and determination can stop the inevitable decline of one of the winning-est franchise in the NBA for the past thirteen or so years. For the second straight, the Mavericks tried earnestly to attract the top name free agents with their veteran star power, their huge sports market and their immense salary cap space; however they failed yet again as the top tier free agents avoided it like the plague which exposed the current sentiment of the state of the Mavericks. They eagerly went after the likes of +Dwight Howard who turned them down in favor for the +Houston Rockets, +Chris Paul who chose to resign with the +Los Angeles Clippers, and even the red flagged +Andrew Bynum, but were once again jilted as he chose to sign with the +Cleveland Cavaliers.  The best that the team could do was in the off season get second tier players such as former +Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Monta Ellis, long time +Toronto Raptors veteran point guard Jose Calderon, and an undersized second string center from the +San Antonio Spurs, Dejuan Blair.  Ellis can be projected at best as a second or third offensive option on a good NBA team and the same can be considered for Calderon who has also proven to be one of the  underrated top tier point guards in the league; however, neither has what it takes to turn the fortunes of a team whose best playing days are far behind it.   They best Ellis can do is provide a solid scoring option behind Dirk Nowitzki in the starting five while Calderon, who at 31 years old has already reached his peak, keep this sputtering team in sync thanks to his unselfishness and savvy on the court. As for DeJuan Blair, the best that he can provide is just being a buffer for Dirk Nowitzki, taking all the hard defensive assignment in the paint leaving Nowitzki fresh enough to do what he does best--score the basketball.  Otherwise there is nothing else that he really offers as he is a rather small and stocky for a Center at just 6,7" weighing 270lbs, not that much of an offensive threat and a severe defensive liability in the paint due to his size.  The rest of the front court does not look any better as it consists of an over the hill Samuel Dalembert, who at one time was one of the up and coming big man in the league to not fail miserably in living up to expectations. Following him is an athletically raw and slight built rail thin big man in Brandon Wright whose has yet to develop any sort of real post moves in the paint and gain any size and strength in his five years in the league.  Last but certainly not the least, the Mavericks signed another aging and over the hill point guard in Devin Harris whose best years are also behind him to back up their soon to be over the hill starter in Jose Calderon. From a glance, it certainly does not look as if the Dallas Mavericks did anything to improve their fortunes other than maintain the same sickly deteriorating franchise to continue on for another year or two.  They did not get any fresh young bodies as seven of the ten key players on that roster or aged 30 and up with the average age of the potential opening day team roster being 30.0 years old. What young players they did get can be considered of little or no consequence as most of them are essentially garbage players who will probably be cut by opening day or will spend their season at the far end of the bench. With a revamped Western Conference which includes a greatly improved Houston Rockets, +Minnesota Timberwolves and +Portland Trail Blazers in addition with the already established powers of the +Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, +Oklahoma City Thunder, and the up and coming +Golden State Warriors, it looks as if the Mavericks will be on the outside looking in once again come season's end. What is worse is that the Mavericks will continue to slide unless drastic action is taken and it will not be the preferred choice of team owner +Mark Cuban as he will have too much pride to enact such a plan. The sad reality of the situation is that Cuban can no longer buy his team out of this problem and the only way for this team to have a shot at getting any better is to tank it and rebuild through the draft; however, for those who have followed the Mavericks from the very start, that is even less of a digestible topic.  True Mavericks fans such as Cuban remember the times when Dallas spent more than a decade scrounging at the bottom before he took the team and reshaped it as a playoff contender.  Unfortunately, the team's demise is all but inevitable as it is filled will older players whose best basketball years are behind them and are being held together with rubber bands and string.  The situation will get just get worse with every passing season and just trying give the Mavericks a quick fix by shelling out money to the next available free agent simply will not cut it anymore.   The Mavericks need a complete overall, tearing down their complete foundation and start from scratch because either way the team is headed for a grisly demise--it's up to Cuban and his front office on whether or or not they want a long lingering death or they end it quickly pulling the trigger themselves.