HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

It’s comical that people would question Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s moves coming off of his team’s first championship run. While everyone was panicking over the losses of Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and Jose Barea, he went out and landed Lamar Odom, Vince Carter and Delonte West while preserving future cap space to go out and get a big-name free agent next summer. That sets the Mavericks up nicely to defend their championship. Rodrigue Beaubois is kind of a forgotten difference maker for them. He’s healthy and ready to play an increased role. Chandler’s defensive presence will be missed, but their frontline as a whole remains versatile and imposing. There’s no reason to think that the Mavericks will be surpassed as Southwest Division champs.

1st Place, Southwest Division

- Yannis Koutroupis

The Dallas Mavericks got their championship, and that is something no one can take away. The question is whether or not they can defend their crown, and as of this writing it seems doubtful. Their defensive catalysts – Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson – are gone, and the compressed 66-game schedule promises to test aging veterans like Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. Lamar Odom is a nice pick-up, but if the Mavs can’t land a starting center better than Brendan Haywood they’re going to have a hard time repeating as champs.

2nd Place, Southwest Division

- Bill Ingram

While I do expect the Mavs to win their division, I do not expect them to win the championship in June. But then again, we said pretty much the same thing last year, and a roster with loads of talent ended up getting hot at the right time and taking the whole kit and caboodle. The Lamar Odom trade was brilliantly one-sided in Dallas’s favor, but signings like Delonte West and Vince Carter have me considerably less enthused. Still, as long as Dirk Nowitzki is healthy, this is a top-tier team with loads of depth. They’ll miss Tyson Chandler’s defense, but if nothing else Brendon Haywood will be given the opportunity to earn his bulbous paycheck. Expect another good year out of the Mavericks, just maybe not quite as a good a year as 2011.

1st Place, Southwest Division

- Joel Brigham

The defending NBA champions are geared up to make another strong playoff push with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry returning, but a championship repeat appears unlikely after losing defensive anchor Tyson Chandler, reserve sparkplug J.J. Barea and talented swingman Caron Butler via free agency. Dallas is apparently banking on center Brendan Haywood to fill their void in the paint, while the recently signed Vince Carter will be relied on to provide consistent scoring from the perimeter and Lamar Odom must add his versatility to the frontcourt. The Mavs are not nearly as strong, especially defensively, as last season’s group but they still have just enough talent to hold off the upstart Memphis Grizzlies for Southwest Division supremacy.

1st Place, Southwest Division

- Lang Greene

The reigning NBA champions have had a busy offseason. The Dallas Mavericks added Lamar Odom, Vince Carter, Delonte West and Brandon Wright, which gives them plenty of depth entering the season. However, they lost key contributors in Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea. Losing Chandler will hurt the most, especially on the defensive end. Dallas still has plenty of talent, but it’s hard to imagine them repeating this season. They’re still an elite team and they’ll likely win their division over the San Antonio Spurs, but they’ll need another incredible postseason run and more Dirk Nowitzki heroics to win a second consecutive title.

1st Place, Southwest Division

- Alex Kennedy

Top Offensive Player: Dirk Nowitzki is one of the purest shooters in the history of the game, and can’t be stopped one-on-one. Most teams have a hard time slowing him down with two or three players, as the Miami HEAT learned in last year’s NBA Finals. He is certainly closer to the end of his career than to the beginning, but Dirk is still The Man in Dallas.

Top Defensive Player: Now that Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson gone, this would seem to land on Shawn Marion’s plate. He did step it up significantly in the playoffs and helped prevent LeBron James from being much of a factor for Miami. Lamar Odom’s length will definitely come in handy at both forward positions, as well, and Delonte West adds some toughness at the point.

Top Playmaker: Jason Kidd may not be an elite point guard any more, but he is still more than capable of leading a team. It will hurt that the Mavs lost JJ Barea to free agency, as it means more minutes for Kidd, who may struggle to handle the load. Still, when he’s on the court life is much easier for the Mavs on the offensive end.

Top Clutch Player: You may as well call him "Dagger Dirk," as his patented turnaround shot at the elbow is one of the most consistent shots in the NBA. Few players deliver in the clutch like Nowitzki, and if the Mavs are to repeat as champions it will be on the back of Dagger Dirk.

The Unheralded Player: Jason Terry never seems to get as much credit as he deserves, as he is truly the heart and soul of the Dallas Mavericks. He set the tone for the championship last season with his trophy tattoo, and is toughness and willingness to sacrifice for the team will be one of the keys to the Mavs’ attempt to repeat as champions.

Best New Addition: The Mavs may not have gotten their top target in Dwight Howard, but turning a traded player exception into Lamar Odom was no small thing. Odom has championship experience, even more than his new teammates, and gives the Mavericks additional versatility in the front court.

- Bill Ingram

1.  Dirk Nowitzki – Like fine wine, Dirk seems to get better with age, and he was pretty darned good to begin with. Once thought of as just a pure shooter, Dirk is now playing defense and even finding his voice of leadership in the locker room. Through it all he also remains a true role model, exactly the kind of player every NBA team would love to have as their cornerstone.

2.  Jason Terry – Tough as nails and the picture of determination, Jet has become a fixture in Dallas because he pushes everyone to play harder and be tougher. Off the court he’s the consummate role model, making him an invaluable member of the Dallas Mavericks community.

3.  Vince Carter – Vince Carter’s days of flying above the rim may be nearly at an end, but by joining the Mavericks he gives them something they haven’t had since Michael Finley left. Namely, they have a dynamic scorer who can create his own shot in the half court set.

4.  Rick Carlisle – When Rick Carlisle took over the head coach of the Mavericks he set a new tone for the team, one of putting the team first and one’s own role on the team second. He doesn’t tolerate complaints, any more than he puts anyone placing themselves above what’s best for the team as a whole. His no-nonsense approach helped the team win their first championship last season.

5.  Deron Williams – Ok, this is kind of a cheat, but the Mavs’ offseason moves have all been made with one objective in mind: luring Dallas native Deron Williams home. Letting Tyson Chandler, JJ Barea and Caron Butler walk was all about replacing them with one-year contracts so that there is very little long-term money locked up next summer. Are the Mavericks sacrificing a shot at repeating as champions based on a pipe dream? That’s the burning question . . .see below!

- Bill Ingram

All of a sudden veteran savvy has become the Mavericks’ chief strength. The additions of Lamar Odom, Vince Carter and Delonte West make them one of the most veteran (lest we say "oldest".  teams in the league. The advantage in that all of these players are hungry for championship rings, so each should accept his role and work hard to achieve the overall team goal. Motivation certainly shouldn’t be an issue.

Leadership is also a strength for the Mavs, with Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd leading the way. You’d be hard pressed to find a trio of more dedicated workers in the NBA, and their work ethic and leadership style should keep them in the championship chase, even if the roster around them has taken a step or two backwards.

- Bill Ingram

Defense has long been a key weakness in Dallas, and with Chandler gone it will be an issue again. Sure, Dirk is attempting to play defense now and players like Odom and West will bring their own toughness into play, but without a consistent shot-blocking threat down low the Mavs are going to get burned by quick-footed guards who attack Kidd, Terry and Carter.

Age will also likely be a factor for the Mavs, as the 66-game season will mean more games with fewer chances to rest in between. The Mavericks are gambling on a number of older veterans to see them through this season, and injuries will almost certainly be an issue.

- Bill Ingram

Welcome back men. The first thing we have to understand is that we are not defending the 2010-11 NBA Championship. We are attacking the 2011-12 championship with a different team, a different group of guys. Most of the core might be here, but each season is a new quest with a whole slew of moving parts of its own. We still have some moving pieces as things get underway, but our identity will still remain the same. Dirk, it begins and ends with you. A guy like Corey Brewer fits what we do perfectly, and can come in and play his role as our energy producer off the bench at any of three positions. Brendan, your ability to anchor the middle defensively and give us production from the pivot is crucial – we need you to be better than Tyson was for us. Let’s not defend last year’s title, let’s go win this year’s title.

- Anthony Macri

Can Dallas repeat as NBA champions?

The best way to defend an NBA championship, as demonstrated by the Los Angeles Lakers and, especially, the San Antonio Spurs, is to bring back your core group and let continuity work its magic. The Mavericks are not taking that approach, preferring to position themselves to try to land Deron Williams next summer over keeping the championship core in place. In all likelihood, that means the Mavs are not going to repeat, but then they’ve been underestimated before.

- Bill Ingram