No doubt the Dallas Mavericks are in some form of win-now mode after re-tooling the team by re-signing Jason Kidd and adding Shawn Marion, Drew Gooden and Tim Thomas. Of that group, only Gooden hasn't reached 30. Add Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Josh Howard, who will turn 30 next April, and these Mavs are getting older. Entering last season, the mantra coming out of Dallas was all about getting younger. They signed center DeSagana Diop in free agency, and had high hopes for free-agent signee Gerald Green and Antoine Wright, who was acquired in the Kidd deal of 2008.
This offseason, they Mavs have gone the other way, jettisoning 20-somethings Wright, Green and Ryan Hollins. They've added some youth with the signing of defensive-minded guard Quinton Ross and also added 20-somethings Nathan Jawai and Kris Humphries, but their roles are expected to be limited.
The heavy lifting next season will be done by the 30-somethings, led at the point by Kidd, who turns 37 in March and Nowitzki, who turned 31 in June.
The Mavs' brass will call it experience. By the time the playoffs roll around, we'll see if it's experience or if they're just plain old.
