In the past, Mark Cuban has allowed his players in the past to support their country, but this season is different. The German National Team will not have all-star Dirk Nowitzki this summer at the European Championships. Nowitzki has been a regular on the German team for a decade. The Mavericks also will not let J.J. Barea to play in the FIBA Americas tourney, due to an actual injury as opposed to an injury concern. Is this eccentric owner Cuban’s paranoia or does he have a reasonable concern? Why is this year different? Quite simply, they’re older, they’re better, and they’re legitimate title contenders.

The Mavericks had a huge summer. Veteran free agent Tim Thomas agreed to a minimum contract. Thomas, though notorious for never living up to expectations, is still a quality big that can stretch the floor. Veteran 4/5 Drew Gooden was also signed, and may get more playing tick at the five than any other player on the team. Jason Kidd was re-signed to a three-year contract with a nice ring of $25 million to it. The big move was the crazy block buster trade with Orlando, Dallas, and Memphis. Hold your breath, I’m only saying it once:

• Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright and Devean George went to the Raptors
• Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and Greg Buckner went to Dallas
• Jerry Stackhouse, a Toronto future second-round pick went to Memphis
• Orlando also gets a trade exception in the deal, so Turkoglu did not just sign a free agent deal

Whew. The Mavericks core will be Nowitzki, Kidd, Josh Howard, Marion, Jason Terry, Thomas, Gooden, and Barea. Is this team too old to contend?

• Kidd is 36
• Terry – 32
• Howard – 29
• Marion – 31
• Nowitzki – 31
• Thomas -32
• Gooden -28

You don’t see many twenty somethings in that group. The likely crunch time lineup will be Kidd at the 1, Terry at the 2, Howard at the 3, Marion at the 4, and Dirk manning the 5. This means that if the aforementioned bench players along with Erick Dampier, Greg Buckner, and Quinton Ross can just give the old legs time to heal, the Mavericks are right in the thick of the Western Conference elite. Basketball is the last sport you would expect age to be an advantage, but come playoff time, everyone realizes it just works. Guys drop the “rookie” mistakes,  don’t care (as much) about contracts, and actually clamp down on the defensive end. This is why the Mavericks seems to be poised for a title run. The wild west did not get any easier with the Lakers and Spurs looking as good as ever, but don’t count out the Mavericks. In a best of seven series, they’re as tough as either team. Their ceiling may be the Western Conference finals, but with a little luck and a maverick attitude, could make it back to the finals.

Share on Facebook