Dallas Mavericks: 5 Reasons Best Is Yet to Come

They can't claim the title "America's team." They don't have an owner who is a Hall of Famer, and they aren't even really the most popular team in their own city.

But the Dallas Mavericks are the only team with that city designation that can boast a championship in the past 12 months, and they will fight for their lives to bring it back to a shelf at the American Airlines Center before they give it away.

Though the early season struggles and lack of consistency have led doubters to rise, a solid stretch over the next few weeks will leave critics returning to the Mavericks title defense bandwagon. Here are five reasons why they are poised to turn it around before season's end.  

Lamar Odom Is Lost

Lamar Odom got his loudest ovation of the season Monday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, and it had nothing to do with his play on the court. Staples Center recognized a member of the last two titles in L.A., and his abrupt end to a solid career with the Lakers.

His season averages are career lows, playing about 20 minutes a night and shooting around 32 percent. But the root of his struggles are much deeper than the surface level. He's not comfortable yet.

It's been well chronicled that his 24-year-old cousin was killed during the offseason, and any human can sympathize with what he must be going through emotionally. 

Every time the camera pans to his face on the bench or after a foul, it just seems like Odom's head just isn't in it. No one can really blame him, given the circumstances of losing a loved one. 

But my bet is that the Mavericks haven't seen anywhere close to the caliber player Odom can be, and time will tell what kind of mindset he has as this season laboriously drags on. 

Three Road Losses on Late Heroics

Kevin Durant, Derek Fisher and Chauncey Billups have all dealt the Mavericks a loss on late three-point shots. The latter two came during an L.A. road trip where it would have been nice to pick up a win against the Lakers or the Los Angeles Clippers.

But that wouldn't be the case, and instead of sitting at 12-4, the Mavs sit at 9-7, gasping for air at the bottom of a very diluted Western Conference playoff picture. 

Ugly road losses in San Antonio and Denver, and a late push that resulted in another in Minnesota, leave one of the NBA's best road teams last year at 3-6, a far cry from a team that went 7-3 on the road in the playoffs last season en route to the title.

Since it could easily sit at 6-3, it's hard to panic at the idea of a veteran team that knows how to win on the road falling victim to the back-to-back nature of this season, coupled with those late buzzer beaters. With a little rest and mental fortitude, that record will rise by playoff time.

The Defense Is There

Although the Shawn Marion photo to the left doesn't do it justice, the Mavericks are still one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.

They sit at third in points per game, at 88.7, and continue to do their thing on defense without Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson, not to mention coach Monte Mathis, whose departures were supposed to return Dallas to the Don Nelson days. 

But it hasn't. Call it a product of the lockout or a darn good coaching staff, this team comes to play every night on defense.

While the offense hasn't quite caught up, the defense will continue to give them a chance to win late in ballgames. That's exactly the situation Rick Carlisle wants, since his Dallas teams are 52-25 in games decided by three points or less since his arrival in Dallas.

The Depth Is There

While the loss of key players has certainly hurt chemistry early on, the depth and talent is still there to make the Mavericks a contender.

Vince Carter went down with the sprained ankle at the end of the Lakers game, and Rodrigue Beaubois plays his most meaningful game in two seasons by scoring 17 points off the bench against the Utah Jazz in a 94-91 win.

A starting lineup that included bench warmers Brandan Wright, Yi Jianlian, Dominique Jones and Beaubois (all first-round picks) would probably beat the basement teams in the NBA.

When Dirk Nowitzki falters, he has Odom to lean on. When the offense isn't clicking, Jason Terry or Delonte West seem to be providing that instant spark they need. Shawn Marion is still doing his thing on both ends.

By no means has this team played its best game yet this season. They have a lot of work to do to be considered a top-tier team. But the talent is there, and the pieces will continue to fall into place as the season progresses.

Dirk Isn't Dirk Yet

Dirk climbed to the top of the NBA mountain last June. He was named Finals MVP, hoisted two trophies and silenced critics all in one fell swoop. 

But he went straight from the NBA to the European championship to help his native Germany make the Olympics, and then proceeded to take the next two months off from basketball for the first time in his 13 year career. To top it off, the lockout extended the lack of preparation for a player who has built his game off repetition and odd shots. 

It's understandable that his body and mind weren't ready come Christmas Day. It's a concern that he now wears a brace on his left knee, and seems to be missing looks that he has knocked down with ease to this point. 

But after All-Star weekend, I expect Dirk to come back rested and ready to chase title number two. I wouldn't be opposed to Carlisle resting him and allowing Odom, Wright and Yi to see extended minutes in a few games and continue to find their roles in the offense. 

Dirk isn't the best jump shooting big man for nothing, and he will erase this slump as he did all his others. It just might take a tad bit longer. When he comes out of it, however, look out.