Saturday Slam: The Dallas Mavericks don't need to retool, they need to rebuild

     The Dallas Mavericks, who won 50 games last season and finished 7th in the Western Conference, have been one of the more consistently competitive franchises in the NBA for the past 15 years. They haven't had a losing season since the 1999-2000 season (40-42) and have won at least 50 games in 12 of the 14 full seasons since. Their consistency has been remarkable and it has paid off, resulting in one NBA championship and two trips to the NBA Finals.

     But with Dirk Nowitzki entering his 18th season in the league, Mark Cuban and the rest of the Mavericks' front office needs to recognize that now is the time for the franchise to turn a new leaf and look ahead to the post-Nowitzki era. They've had a good run and accomplished more than anybody could have expected during their 17 years with Dirk Nowitzki, but at this point, there's no juice left to squeeze from the orange. It's time for them to move on.

     I'm not saying the Mavericks need to cut ties with Dirk Nowitzki. They should let him play for them as long as he wants. He's earned that right. However, there are things they can do to ease into the post-Nowitzki era like getting rid of other veteran players in favor of younger players and draft picks. They need to tank like the 76ers, build through the draft, and find a new franchise player to build around. This isn't a process that a team can go through overnight. It takes several years for this system to pay off, so the Mavericks better get to it sooner rather than later.

     I understand that Mark Cuban doesn't want to let go of this era because it has been so fruitful. I understand that he has the desire to give it one last shot before he finally closes shop. But at the end of the day, the writing is already on the wall. The team is losing ground in the Western Conference and there is no realistic move they can make which will turn things around for them. Moves like signing Deron Williams to a two-year, $10M deal only further delay the inevitable.

     Rather than retooling, the Mavericks need to rebuild. Once the foundation of a building is gone, a new foundation needs to be laid in its place. The foundation of the Mavericks (Dirk Nowitzki) is running out of steam and the only true remedy for the situation is to begin the process of finding his new replacement through the draft.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news. Also, like my page NBA Lord Nation on Facebook.