Dallas Mavericks: 4 Reasons They Can Defend Their Title and Repeat

At the start of the 2011 NBA Playoffs nobody was predicting the Dallas Mavericks to be crowned the champions, but, as we all know, Dallas did win its first NBA title to the delight of all of America—except for Miami.

But does anyone expect them to win it again? The odds makers on the Online gambling site Bodog rank the Mavs as the fifth most likely team to win the title in 2012 at 10 to 1. It takes a lot for a team to repeat as champion in any of the major professional sporting leagues.

One of the most important factors in repeating is desire. It's tough to quantify something as intangible as desire, but it's important nonetheless.

Here are the other factors that will determine why the Mavericks will repeat as the NBA champions. 

Teamwork

One of the key storylines going into the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat was how the Mavericks played as a team while the Heat won on the talent of its three superstars.

Going into this offseason, the Mavericks have six players that will become unrestricted free agents: Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler, J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson, Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic. In order to repeat, the Mavericks need to re-sign these players, who were all key contributors for last season's title run.

Being able to retain the chemistry the team displayed throughout their playoff run is the first step to repeating.

Declining Competition

The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have been the Western Conference powerhouses for the better part of a decade. During last season's playoffs, despite finishing the regular season with great records, they couldn't match the level of intensity that their opponents brought on a nightly basis.

The Lakers will be going through a bit of a transition, with head coach Phil Jackson putting and end to his illustrious career. The Spurs appear to have just been worn down by age and several extended stints in the playoffs, and talked to several teams about trading Tony Parker during the draft.

The prospects of change on the horizon for their two biggest in-conference competitors clears the way for what should be an easier road to the Finals for Dallas.

The NBA Lockout

The Lakers, Spurs and Mavericks are all teams that rely on several players on the wrong side of 30 in their careers, and the Mavericks have the highest average age per player in the league. If the NBA lockout lasts long enough that the season needs to be shortened, it only serves to help them for when the season does start.

After a long title run, the Mavericks' old legs will benefit from the added time off—a benefit most teams will never receive.

Dirk Nowitzki

Anyone watching the 2011 NBA Playoffs saw a Dirk Nowitzki that was finally ready to conquer the demons of past playoff failures. Teams were no longer able to stop him with smaller, quicker defenders a la the 2006 Golden State Warriors. 

The trade for Tyson Chandler also brought out a level of toughness in him that had been nonexistent in past years. And despite his advanced age in professional athlete years, Nowitzki seems to be getting better and better each and every year. 

He has proven to be one of the best offensive threats in league history, and with his newly-acquired NBA title, is a surefire Hall of Famer.