NBA Playoffs 2012: Three Reasons the Dallas Mavericks Won't Rise to Occasion

When entering the playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks have been projected to come up short for the past number of seasons. Minus the championship triumph over the Miami Heat last season, the Mavericks have done just that.

The Dallas Mavericks took last year's role of the Cinderella team winning the title, but that was a one-time performance. The Mavericks have faced a tough regular season, and it only gets more difficult with the start of the postseason right around the corner.

It's not a long list of negatives against Dallas, but the reasons are more than enough to keep this team from the NBA Finals. Here are three reasons the Mavericks won't repeat as champions.

1. Oklahoma City Is Much Improved

The NBA Playoffs schedule has finally taken shape, and the road to repeating for the Mavericks starts out rough against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

For a good portion of the season, the Thunder stood on top of the mountain as the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, as well as the whole league.

Kevin Durant is a leading MVP candidate, and Russell Westbrook has emerged into a premiere point guard. Role players like James Harden, Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins have also created problems for opponents.

The Mavericks defeated the Thunder in the playoffs last season in five games. With the development of Oklahoma City and the decline of the Mavericks, this series could end in five games again, but Dallas won't be the victors this time around.

The Thunder are much improved, and are licking their chops to get revenge for last season. Dallas doesn't have a chance at upsetting Oklahoma City again.

2. Key Missing Components

Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd all played at a high level last season, and are still a part of the Mavericks roster. However, the two most important pieces to last season's title run are now playing on different teams.

Tyson Chandler may be the best role player in the entire NBA. Chandler helped turn a soft Mavericks team into a tough, physical championship team. The Mavericks fed off of Chandler's defensive prowess and bought into the defensive philosophy that had been missing in Dallas for a long time.

Now with Chandler as a New York Knick, Dallas has taken a major step backwards defensively and in toughness. Chandler's presence will certainly be missed in this postseason.

Another key component from last year was point guard J.J. Barea. Jason Terry made big shots against the Heat in the finals, but so did Barea. The 5'7" guard formed a nice tandem with Terry, providing great energy and production off the bench, which has certainly been lacking this season with the poor play from players like Lamar Odom (now an ex-Maverick) and Delonte West.

Since Barea signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chandler went to the Knicks, the Mavericks have suffered and declined. Their absences have been noticeable in the regular season, and they will plague the Mavericks in the playoffs.

3. Not a Championship-Caliber Team

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the oldest teams in the NBA, and it's glaringly obvious when watching this team perform.

Jason Kidd is playing his last stretch in the NBA at 39 years old. He isn't the playmaker he once was, and he stands no chance at guarding any of the younger, quicker guards in the Western Conference right now.

Granted, the playoffs are a more structured game that stresses half-court offensive sets, but the Mavericks won't be able to keep up with the faster teams in the playoffs like the Thunder.

Dirk Nowitzki is still one of the best players in the league, but he'll have the heavy responsibility of carrying this team through the playoffs. Dallas doesn't have the championship firepower they had last season, and it will be exposed when the playoffs start.

If the Mavericks are hoping for a legitimate shot at repeating, they'll need Nowitzki at his best, but even that won't be enough. The hourglass has run out on the Dallas Mavericks, and they don't have a chance at repeating this year.