NBA Podcast: 2013-14 Dallas Mavericks Season Preview

After a busy offseason, the Dallas Mavericks feel like a brand new team. Again.

Jose Calderon and Monta Ellis are the third new backcourt Dirk Nowitzki has had in as many years. Ditto for Samuel Dalembert at center. DeJuan Blair, Devin Harris, Gal Mekel and Wayne Ellington were also added as free-agency bench fillers, while Ricky Ledo and Shane Larkin arrived via the draft.

Yet with all the changes, it's the same old story for the Dallas Mavericks. Can the pieces all fit together? Can they circle the wagons around Dirk, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion and coach Rick Carlisle, playing the "nobody believes in us card" and catching lightning in a bottle, circa 2011?

The core is a year older and the West that much tougher but are the Mavericks being dangerously underrated, especially with a healthy Dirk and better-fitting parts than last year?

NBA featured columnist Grant Hughes joins assistant editors Ethan Norof and Joel C. Cordes for the latest episode of Basketball by Association. 

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We look at the best and worst of the Mavs' offseason along with the biggest questions heading into 2014. We'll also detail Dallas' keys to a successful year while predicting its final position in the standings.

Want more team-by-team NBA season previews? Find the latest here. Basketball by Association cast members and pro-hoops analysis can be found at Bleacher Report's Court Vision blog.