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What now?

"What now?" is the question that has gone through just about every Mavericks fans' head at the end of the Mavs' playoff run. After a season that featured the ultimate high of the number one seed and an MVP, as well as the ultimate low of losing to a number eight seed in the first round, many viewed this season to be "the year" that the Mavs had to get it done or else. This was further reinforced by the trade for Jason Kidd, which was a move that mortgaged the Mavs' future, Devin Harris, in a last gamble to keep up with the other Western powers and win it all NOW. And so, when the Kidd trade failed to solve all the teams' problems, doubt started to creep into the fans' minds. Then came the Hornets series, which analysts predicted would be a contested series that the Mavs could possibly win. Chris Paul soon silenced these critics, demolishing Dallas no matter how they chose to defend him. Soon after came the firing of head coach Avery Johnson, who has an excellent regular season record but a subpar postseason mark. What the Mavericks do now will shape the fate of the franchise for the next ten years.

Essentially, the Mavs have reached a turning point: keep going or blow it all up. By the recent news that Rick Carlisle, a veteran defensive coach, is the fronrunner for the coaching vacancy, one would think that the Mavs are going to soldier on with this group of guys. Given the close grouping of the West at this time, it would seem to make sense, as things will certainly not be getting easier anytime soon and only a handful of games seperated the top teams in the conference. The Mavs know what they have with Dirk Nowitzki, the former MVP but lacking clutch player, Jason Kidd, the future HOF point guard that seems to be on his last legs, and Jason Terry, the scorer that can start or come off the bench. Beyond that, though, things get kind of murky.

Josh Howard would appear to be the best bet for the future, as his defensive abilities and scoring are well publicized, but his recent admission of using marijuana in the off season as well as his poor performance in the playoffs (19.9 PPG in the regular season, 12.6 in the playoffs) would seem to throw his future with the team in doubt. There have been a few scattered trade rumors, with the Mavs picking up much needed draft choices and distancing themselves from any potential controversy, but for now it seems as if Howard will be a fixture on the team, mostly due to Carlisle's emphasis on defense and Howard's proficiency at it.

Erick Dampier also has to be one of the most pressing issues of the Mavs' offseason. Dampier's role changed from back up to full time starter after the Kidd trade, and the resulting departure of Desagana Diop. Now, the Mavs have Dampier and little else at center. While he is an effective defensive player, as well as an eleven year NBA veteran, Dampier brings little to the table offensively, and is a free throw shooting liability. Dampier's large contract, which pays him almost 33 million over the next four years, has to be a concern for the team, considering the Mavericks have the NBA's highest payroll. Again, potential trades have been mentioned, and Dampier's future with the team has to be in serious jeopardy.

Jerry Stackhouse must be another pressing matter for the Mavericks. Stackhouse was one of the best bench players for the team, a role he has come to embrace in recent years despite his starter-level ability. However, he too is a name that has drawn recent attention in trade talks due to his high salary and potential value to another contending team. Mark Cuban's willingness to cut payroll, or to ignore the issue entirely, will determine Stackhouse's fate with the team.

The Mavericks will also be dealing with a great deal of bench players' contracts expiring, including Devean George, Malik Allen, Jamaal Magloire, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Jose Barea. Most of these players were mostly just "warm bodies", playing very limited roles on the team, and evaluating whether to keep or jettison these guys will prove to be a major issue. Some of the younger players like Barea will most likely stick around, but the fate of some of the older members like Howard or Lue is definitley in doubt, as the Mavs are one of the older teams in the league and already have plenty of veteran leadership.

While the last few paragraphs may make it seem as if the Mavericks' future is a little shaky, which it certainly could be construed as, things are not all bad. They have a solid core in Nowitzki, Kidd, Terry and Howard, and some flexibility with the mid level exception in free agency. While the Hornets and Lakers do seem to be the dominant forces in the Western conference at the moment, the rest of the conference is fluid, with any number of teams potentially seizing power within the next year, with the Mavericks being a serious possiblility due to the recent decline of the Suns and unstable situation of the Rockets. If things work out all right, hopefully, this blog can be having a similar conversation about the Mavericks, but with plans for the championship parade route through Dallas instead of plans for rebuilding.