Dallas Mavericks: 5 Obstacles in Mavs' Way of Repeat Title

The NBA playoffs begin in less than four weeks, and the Dallas Mavericks are trying to get all the kinks out before they begin another long playoff run. 

There are a few obstacles the Mavs have to overcome before they can make the next step. Here are the five things the Mavericks need to strive for in order to become repeat NBA champions.

Get Roddy Beaubois in the Rotation

Roddy Beaubois has had a sort of up and down season all year, as he hasn't quite been in the swing of things as of late. He had a good stretch in the month of March for about a week when he was averaging about 30 and 15 points but is now appearing to be in another funk.

It is probably Delonte West returning that has caused Beaubois' minutes to decline. West is a better defender than Beaubois, but isn't quite the same scoring threat.

Rick Carlisle needs to find a way to integrate all of the guards so that the younger, talented Beaubois can add some quickness to the Mavs' offense.

Lamar Has to Be a Factor

Depending on the night, there are many different Lamar Odom's you might see come out to play. Odom had five points in 19 minutes against the Grizzlies on Wednesday, and has overall been an immense underachiever this year. 

If Odom wakes up in time for the playoffs, the Mavs will be the team to beat in the west simply because of his size. One of the reasons the Lakers were so good with Odom is because they had three guys 6'10" or taller on the court, something the Mavericks were hoping to have when they traded for him.

It has been stressed all year long, but the sooner they get Odom out of his funk the better team they will be, plain and simple. 

The Age Issue

Critics of the Mavs would say last season was a 'last call' for this aging team, but Jason Kidd and company have been out to prove them wrong this year. The lockout-shortened season crammed games closer together and that didn't help them out either. 

Some younger teams in the western conference like the Thunder or Clippers (maybe even the Grizzlies) may see the Mavs as easy pickings in the early rounds. Now, everyone will have to see if the oldest team in the NBA has what it takes to make an epic playoff run.

Maybe they have enough spunk to do it again. 

Limiting the Minutes

The key to getting the most out of this aging squad is to limit the minutes, something Rick Carlisle is more than used to doing. 

This season alone, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd and Lamar Odom have all seen career lows in minutes per game which clearly coordinates with their ages. While everyone is seeing reduced minutes, they are more than likely feeling rejuvenated with more rest. 

If the Mavs are going to make it far in the playoffs, they better keep up the philosophy of having equal distribution of the minutes and seeing quality bench time. 

Getting Everyone Involved

If this was 2004, the Mavericks would be the best team on the planet. Just imagine the starting five of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood.

Fast forward to 2012, and you still see some quality players even if they are shells of their former selves. The talent and age levels are somewhat paralleled, so even if they are old there is still plenty of talent to go around. 

Taking advantage of specific guys' strengths and choosing matchups will be easy with all the depth the Mavs have. Doing so would be a necessity if they plan on making it far in the playoffs.