My, How The Mavericks Have Fallen

They marched off the court that night victorious. After completing an epic upset of the Miami Heat’s Big 3, Dirk Nowitzki and Marc Cuban left the American Airlines Arena feeling complete. The journey had been long, but certainly worth it.

Dirk walks into an uncertain future in Dallas.

Billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Marc Cuban helped make the team relevant for over a decade, with much of that resting on the superb play of Dirk. Those squads were exciting, but stood witness to 7 Laker/Spur titles in a 12-year span. When Dirk made his first Finals in 2006, Dwyane Wade and the referees made sure he went home empty-handed.

So when Dallas faced Miami again in the 2011 Finals, it was personal. Using Nowitzki’s clutch play and chemistry that seemed to come from out of nowhere, Dallas toppled the Heat in six thrilling games. Dirk finally earned his respect, his place amongst the all-time greats, and the one accolade that had eluded him. That team was special, mostly because few analysts even felt they could escape the first round.

Unfortunately in sports:  the only thing harder than reaching the top is remaining there.

The Mavericks allowed Tyson Chandler (a key cog in their title run) to walk as a free agent in the summer of 2011, with JJ Barea and Deshawn Stevenson following shortly after. It’s not that Chandler and Barea weren’t valuable, but paying them big bucks would have eliminated Dallas’ chances at acquiring their next superstar in the summer of 2012.

Well… like the Roots in 1999: Things Fall Apart.

Dallas was still competitive in 2011-12, but fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 4-game sweep.  A title defense hadn’t been that weak since MJ, Scottie, and Phil packed their bags after ring #6 in Chicago.

“That’s ok!” Mavs fans thought. “This year didn’t count, our goal is to sign a star this summer.” Well the Dwightmare in Orlando nixed that possibility (he ends up with the Lakers, still smh). Chris Paul seems to enjoy Lob City, and Deron Williams decided to lead the Nets into their next era. Top notch all-star possibilities gone. Keep in mind, Cuban didn't even attend Williams' visit to Dallas. Even Jason Terry and Jason Kidd took their talents to the Atlantic Division.

Now the Mavericks find themselves in NBA purgatory: not good enough to contend, not bad enough to win the lottery. It’s a terrible place for an aging superstar. The long-awaited Mavs rebuild may have to wait until Summer 2013 to even begin. This is a fringe playoff team at best, and now Dirk’s knee may need surgery.

Sure, Dallas made enough acquisitions (OJ Mayo, Chris Kaman, Darren Collison, Elton Brand) to field a decent team, but this scenario Illustrates just how quickly a champion can fade without proper maintenance. Winner today, also-ran tomorrow.