Depressing Dallas Mavericks

Quick note: I don't have anything much to say. No biased analysis, no rant, nothing. Just that I am about 9 hours removed from watching the Dallas Mavericks lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in what was a wildly entertaining game that has left me a bit depressed and stunned.

I thought the Mavs had finally turned the corner. Dirk was getting back to full strength. The Lakers were coming to town. It was a nationally televised game. It was a very winnable game. The Lakers are not that good. The Mavs, Lakers and the Trailblazers are the 3 teams fighting for Houston's 8th seed. It was as close to a must win game in the regular season as you will get. It would have been a big confidence building statement win. And BOOM! Just like that, Kobe Bryant goes absolutely nuts, Steve Nash hits his season high, and before you know it, the Mavs have lost. So depressing.

But lets focus on the positives. More like positive, actually. Dirk is offically back!! DIRK IS BACK!!! (Excuse my excitement. After my favorite basketball player of all time just went through the WORST stretch in his 13 year career, I am extremely giddy to see him return to his best!) Here see for yourself how brilliant he was. He even made his crazy angry pumped up Dirk face.

However great Dirk was last night, the Mavs still lost. And that is the most depressing thing about watching Dallas. Dirk is easily one of my top 5 favorite athletes of all time. I love watching him play. There is no other athlete in sports I want to see win more than Dirk. And because of that, it is so depressing watching him on this Mavs team with the likes of Mike James (wait, who?), Dahntay Jones, Rodrigues Beaubois, Jae Crowder, OJ Mayo, Chris Kaman, the old duo of Vince Carter and Shawn Marion and the very old Elton Brand. Dirk deserves better. He is into the last 2 or 3 years of his prime and we cannot afford to let him waste it fighting for the 8th seed in the west. That is a crime.

I hope Mark Cuban and the Mavericks organization correct the mistakes of the last 2 summers. It is inexcusable that you completely blow up a Championship team to make it fight for the 8th seed. The Mavs won the title in 2011, made the 8th seed in 2012 (after which they got swept in the first round of the playoffs to OKC) and will be very lucky to make the 8th seed in 2013. What?!! How can a team fall so dramatically? The Mavs spent the best part of 11 years constantly paying the luxury tax so that they can challenge for the NBA title. They win it one year, and next thing you know, they refuse to open up their wallet! That is egregious!

It is time to make a splash this summer Mark Cuban. Now is the time to repay the greatest player in franchise history by giving him a team that is competitive enough to challenge. You don't have to get a Dwight Howard or a Deron Williams (although that would be nice). Show us fans that you have a plan B in case you don't land the biggest name players. Just get the right players at the right positions who will fit around Dirk. Dirk does not need much. He has already proven that he can carry a mediocre supporting cast to a title! Dirk deserves better than this!

Until then, let us remind ourselves of how phenomenally great and legendary Dirk Nowitzki is!