The farce is over. The Mavericks 2011-12 season has come to an abrupt and fitting end, so it's time for the Deron Williams watch to begin.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban is attempting to hedge his bet by saying he doesn't have a specific plan in mind this summer. But anyone who professes to believe that is likely drawing a paycheck from the man.
It's hard to recall an owner in professional sports who has whizzed away his public good will from a world title faster than Cuban. And he's making it worse by insisting the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement is to blame for placing a poor product on the court this past season.
Unfortunately, they rarely raise banners to celebrate financial flexibility. The Mavs broke the mold for winning a title in 2011 and then decided they didn't have the stomach to continue that path. Cuban's apologists were quick to note that not even NBA Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler could've helped the Mavs overcome the Oklahoma City Thunder. That certainly could be true, but why make that assumption about a 29-year-old player who was the heart and soul of the championship team?
"We'd be sitting here today, and you'd be telling me, man, you guys are all locked up [salary-wise] and no place to go and no flexibility," Mavs president of basketball operations told reporters Sunday when asked about Chandler.
With the Mavs making a quick exit from the playoffs, we have a couple of months to daydream about all this flexibility. Dirk Nowitzki made it clear in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's loss that Dallas didn't have enough weapons to hang with a team such as the Thunder. And count him among the many skeptics about the organization's decision to basically take a dive this season in hopes of making a splash in free agency.
"I don't know what Mark and Donnie want to do or want to go after," Nowitzki told reporters Sunday. "I heard Mark say yesterday that he doesn't really have a plan. We'll just have to wait and see, but usually I think that's the goal, right? You have cap space so you can actually sign somebody decent."
The Mavs have painted themselves into the corner in their pursuit of Dwight Howard and Deron Williams. Howard's no longer a possibility because of his decision to remain with the Magic for another season, but Williams remains in play. He's a top-five point guard in the league and seems to have an interest in returning home. But let's not forget that Williams drove one legendary coach (Jerry Sloan) into early retirement and hasn't experienced much playoff success so far in his career.
He would provide a huge upgrade at point guard, but the Mavs still need to find a new big man to play next to Nowitzki. Brendan Haywood didn't cut it as a starting center and free-agent Ian Mahinmi's not ready to become a starter. The lack of toughness and athleticism at the center position was exposed by the Thunder. Haywood was a non-factor in the series, and the talented Brandan Wright wasn't quite ready for prime time.
Veteran guard Jason Terry said he thought Nowitzki's No. 1 desire was to play with a center with a similar skill set to Chandler's. Sadly, it looks like Chandler was one of those once-in-a-franchise players who will serve as the anchor of the Knicks' defense for the next few years.
Some folks have suggested that the Lamar Odom experience drained this team of energy and helped lead to an early playoff exit. But that sounds like cop out. Even though he was the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Odom was basically supposed to serve as Nowitizki's primary backup. He'd been a unique player in the league, but it's not as if he was going to provide much scoring punch. Odom's lack of professionalism was a distraction, but to say it undermined the entire season is giving Cuban an excuse he doesn't deserve.
The Mavs should make a good faith effort to re-sign Delonte West, who brought an edge to his game this team was sorely missing for much of the season. And if the soon-to-be 35-year-old Terry doesn't find what he's looking for on the open market, the Mavs should definitely think about bringing him back.
The organization sacrificed a chance at a repeat under the guise of staying competitive in the future. Now, we'll start to see what they had in mind.
Cuban says that plan doesn't hinge on Williams' decision this summer. But that's a tough sell to even his most ardent defenders, aka employees.
