Theirs to Lose: Why Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks Deserve an NBA Title

Try these two, for example: Can the Mavs survive the playoff hype that's bound to follow their stellar regular season? And can Dirk Nowitzki make good on all that trash he's been talking with Heat guard Dwyane Wade?

Dirk says that the 2006 Finals came down to luck, and that the Mavs could have easily been the team wearing the crown after the final whistle.

What's he been doing to back up his mouth?

Balling, for starters.

Nowitzki has put up MVP-type numbers, scoring 25.4 points a game while going better than 50 percent from the floor and 90 percent from the line. He's also been getting his regular 10 boards- and 3 assists-per, proving that the big-little man's game is as sharp as it's ever been.

Keep in mind that all that output is coming in just 36.7 minutes a night—nearly two down from recent years. What that means, of course, is that the Mavs are strong enough to win even with Dirk on the sidelines, which ought to be a scary proposition for postseason opponents.

That said, Dallas' championship hopes still hinge on Dirk's play—especially in the fourth quarter, where he'll need to shine to put his team over the top.

Last year's Western Conference Finals proved how far Nowitzki has come as a player and a leader. In fact, his fearless play against the Suns made believers of many skeptics who dismissed the German star as just another skilled-but-soft European big man.

Of course, it's his heart that makes Nowitzki special, and he's put it to good use this season. For anyone who's followed the Mavs in '06-'07, there's no doubt that the killer who led Dallas to the Finals last season has every intention of doing it again.

No less importantly, Dirk's day-in, day-out dedication has rubbed off on guards Josh Howard and Jason Terry.

The former is having a career year, which spells trouble for Western Conference defenders like Manu Ginobili and Boris Diaw. Put it this way: No stopper in his right mind would want to face Howard in a second- or third-round playoff battle.

Terry, who should be a perennial All-Star, is the yin to Nowitzki's yang, and has more than capably stepped into the point-guard void created by the Steve Nash trade. JT is so confident and so clutch that he, like the big man, is able to win games by himself. On a team aiming for a championship, that kind of moxie could make all the difference.

The best thing about this Mavs unit is that they've all grown up, and last year's lessons have helped them become a model for the rest of the league.

That's right: The Mavs are teaching the NBA how to play, and they're the first squad in a decade to have a legitimate shot at that magical 72-10 record.

Nowitzki, for his part, has settled comfortably into his role as headmaster: the reigning professor on a club that knows a thing or two about perseverance and proficiency.

The bottom line: No other team deserves the title more this season.

Damn Mark Cuban for being so successful.