Dallas Mavericks: Is the Youth Movement Going to Hurt?

The Dallas Mavericks have added a lot of youth to the roster this year. Is it going to create some tough times for the team?

The Dallas Mavericks have recovered quite nicely from the meltdown of Plan’s A and B in this years offseason chase. After missing out on what appeared to be the only two names we had any desire to sign, Dallas rebounded nicely by adding Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, and Seth Curry along with many other players.

The sudden change in focus is something Mavs fans have been desiring for the last few years but are now questioning due to the looming retirement of Dirk Nowitzki. So why is this year all of a sudden about euthanizing the roster and preparing for the future? And is it going to cause some backlash?

The Mavericks have officially given contracts to Jonathan Gibson (28), Seth Curry (25), Quincy Acy (25), Harrison Barnes (24), Dwight Powell (24), A.J. Hammons (23), Nicolas Brussino (23), and Dorian Finney-Smith (23). We also bring back Justin Anderson (22) and have invited Kyle Collinsworth (24), Rodrigue Beaubois (28), and hopefully Jameel Warney (22) to training camp.

If you compare that to the fact that our average age per player from last year’s roster was 27.5, you start to notice how big of a movement the Mavs are making. This youthful change undoubtedly can make a big change for the roster in years to come, but what is it going to do to the team this year?

I believe that there is a good chance that this switch is going to cause some…growing pains. Youth is literally the future of the league and the fact that the Mavericks are finally ready to give up on the veteran roster year after year is a good sign. But, this year, the team is made up of inexperience.

That inexperience will slow down the process of team building, unity, and could cause some issues in the locker room as well. The energy will definitely increase on the court, but it may cause some lapses of judgment and moments of questionable play as well.

Despite all these concerns, I think the Mavericks organization and especially the MFFLs will end the season happy with the moves that were made. Sure there are going to be concerns of maturity and stability, but with the leadership of Dirk, Deron Williams, Andrew Bogut, and Rick Carlisle, these guys will stay in line.

Next: Why the Mavericks Are A 'Winner' This Summer

Whether the season ends as well as we want it to or not, this team has a chance to entertain us to no end. Harrison Barnes has a chance to become a quick leader, and the rest of the youth will make their name known across the league. It will be a fun season for Dallas.