We knew it was coming. It was inevitable, after all. But that doesn’t make the ramifications of Dirk Nowitzki’s latest sentiments any easier for the Dallas Mavericks.
While interacting with fans on Twitter, Nowitzki responded to the question that Kobe Bryant is asked on a daily basis, but he has somehow managed to avoid: How many more years are you planning on playing?
“@DribblePasShoot: @swish41 Your game looks like it will age really well, how many more yrs you playing?” 2 for sure and then see how I feel
It’s a more than fair inquiry. Despite being one of the best scorers in the league, Nowitzki is 34, and his body cannot hold up forever, regardless of how well it has so far.
But Nowitzki’s answer, a seemingly predictable one, in fact, creates quite the quandary for the Mavericks moving forward, the problem being, where do they go from here?
We all knew Nowitzki wouldn’t play forever, but he’s been the backbone of the Dallas franchise for 15 years, and that’s not exactly easy to move on from. The Lakers—Dwight Howard’s return willing—have set themselves up nicely for Bryant’s departure, but the Mavericks? Not so much.
Two years seems like a long time, but it’s not, especially considering Dallas is merely built for a playoff run and not a championship right now.
No, I’m not belittling the Mavericks’ offseason. Considering how much went wrong this summer for them, they recovered quite nicely. But they still lack that second star who not only compliments Nowitzki, but provides hope for the future; Chris Kaman and O.J. Mayo are strong role players, but neither, right now anyway, are athletes you build your entire team around.
And with Nowitzki putting a potential end to his career in sight, it hinders Dallas’ ability to go out and find or acquire the team’s next cornerstone. Aside from the financial side of it all, Howard was—and remains—reluctant to set up shop permanently in Los Angeles for this very reason—the age of the team’s core. And now, Dallas is in the same boat with any potential free agents it attempts to attract moving forward.
In a league where superstar duos, trios and quartets have become the norm, who is going to want to place themselves in a situation where they could be completely alone in two years time?
Yes, perhaps we are getting a little ahead of ourselves, and Mark Cuban’s penchant for keeping his team relevant may ultimately prevail once again, but this is an issue nonetheless.
The Mavericks need a successor to Nowitzki’s throne, and they need one sooner, rather than later.
Because as Nowitzki’s sentiments indicate, he’ll be on his way out closer to the former, not the latter.
Dan Favale is an avid basketball analyst and firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His work can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
