Dallas Mavericks and Other NBA Teams off to Surprisingly Bad Starts in 2011-12

After an unfortunate lockout delayed the NBA season, it appears that some teams are still in lag mode to start out the chase for the playoffs. While some of these teams could be favorites to bring home a championship, it's clear they must do something to snap out of their respective slow starts.

Most of these teams will find playoff spots at the end of the season, but they could truly benefit from finding chemistry and stringing together wins now.

However, let's not forget that the last time the NBA was halted by a lockout an eight seed in the Eastern Conference made an appearance in the Finals. With that said, nothing is a lock, but these teams must kick it into gear before other issues arise.

Let's check out these teams...

Dallas Mavericks

After a surprising run to the NBA Finals last year, the Dallas Mavericks look like a different team. Losing their defensive centerpiece in Tyson Chandler hurt, but it's clear that this team will take some time to mesh after bringing in some new talent.

Last year's Sixth Man of the Year winner Lamar Odom has looked terrible. While this seemed like a solid landing for Dallas, and may turn out to be, Odom has not looked like his usual self by putting up a lackluster 4.02 player efficiency rating. He could be the biggest key to a playoff run with his experience, but he doesn't seem completely focused as of now.

Team leader Dirk Nowitzki is coming off his worst game of the season with just six points and six rebounds, and he has not scored 30 or more points thus far in a game. His point and rebound averages are down, but he hasn't always been considered a fast starter.

Dallas has some poised, experienced veterans, which will benefit them in tough times. But after a wretched 3-5 start, it's time for names like Jason Terry and Jason Kidd to step up.

Boston Celtics

How long can we expect such an aging core to stay as dominant as they have over the last few years? For Boston, it's way too early to jump to conclusions right now.

The Celtics are an unlikely option to capture a top two seed in the East, but they could beat any other team in the conference in a seven-game series. Boston should focus on coasting into the playoffs with a mid-range seed and be healthy while doing so.

Rajon Rondo can help guide the Celtics along the way, but Boston doesn't have the solid depth needed to surround him outside of the Big Three.

The ageless Ray Allen is putting together another nice season by averaging 20 points a night, and he could be the most important veteran to help Boston stay competitive. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are injury prone and should see limited on-court minutes to avoid serious problems.

Boston must rely on their dangerous defensive mindset and keep the game under their control. Besides pushing the ball with Rondo, the Celtics are most effective in a half-court offense setting up plays.

The key for Boston to look good come playoff time is to simply stay healthy. It can't be stressed enough, but with a smart head coach in Doc Rivers, he will manage things accordingly.

New York Knicks

It looks like the addition of Tyson Chandler will not be enough to make the New York Knicks a competitive defensive unit.

They are currently giving up 99.2 points a night and only pulling in 36 rebounds to surround that. For those that think New York will win with offense, well, they are only putting up 95.8 points a night to counter their bad defense.

Amare Stoudemire has missed some action due to injury, but this is a Knicks team that should still compete. Instead, they are showing a lack of depth and a huge lack of chemistry.

Carmelo Anthony is putting up good numbers with 27.8 points and 6.8 rebounds a night, but he will need plenty of help for New York to actually make a major impact.

The Knicks are getting solid scoring numbers from point guards Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert, but the two are only averaging a combined 6.7 assists a night. New York must focus on moving the ball effectively or they will be considered a selfish team with no fluency.

This is a team that started off with a bang by defeating the Boston Celtics to start the season, but they haven't had a great game since.

Washington Wizards

Another year, another lottery pick for the Washington Wizards. In a year where we are expecting to see the emergence of former No. 1 pick John Wall, his team has stunk up the floor and started the season with seven losses.

Speaking of Wall, he hasn't shown much improvement from last season. While he had a shortened training camp, the former Wildcat is still very turnover prone and showing a lack of ability from mid-range.

Wall is an extremely fast and athletic point guard, but his skills are taking longer than expected to show.

One promising aspect Washington does have is the improvement of JaVale McGee. There aren't many great centers in the NBA, but the Wizards' big man is proving he can make some noise in the league.

McGee is being more aggressive offensively and attempting to expand his arsenal. He's got an athletic build that helps him defensively as he continues to swat shots and increase his rebounding numbers.

Besides that, nothing much is going on for a Washington team we expected to see get better. While some considered them a legit candidate for an eight seed in the East, it looks like the Wizards are heading for dangerous territory early in the season.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are missing a golden opportunity to slaughter some of the questionable teams in the NBA. Instead, they blowing games they could win. Time will heal the slow start for the Lakers, but they too have concerns they must acknowledge.

The rejected trade to land Chris Paul hurt Los Angeles in more than one way. While they failed to secure another star to place along side Kobe, the botch eventually led to giving up Lamar Odom for virtually nothing.

It's possible that no other player besides Bryant was more important in a few championship runs than Odom, and it's showing as Los Angeles has absolutely no bench depth. Metta World Peace continues to be a liability offensively, and it's clear at this point they need an upgrade at the point guard position.

However, the Lakers have nothing to worry about expect for more inevitable trade scenarios.

Bryant has been injured to start the year and will bounce back as time goes on. He's shot a sub-par percentage from the field, but he is making up for it by being solid on the boards and with assists.

Kobe needs some help besides Gasol to make one more championship run, and he's now found it with Andrew Bynum coming back from suspension. Bynum has played like a man with something to prove and will likely land an All-Star spot if he stays healthy.

If Los Angeles can keep their focus on basketball, there is zero merit for saying they cannot win in the West. With such a shaky conference, don't be surprised to see the Lakers go on a big win streak and reestablish themselves as dominant.