Most NBA teams who have a fighting chance at winning the title have at least two stars and many integral role players surrounding them:

The San Antonio Spurs have Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, however, they also have one of the deepest rosters in the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but they also have a terrific supporting cast around those guys.

The Los Angeles Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

The LA Clippers have Chris Paul and Blake Griffin…and so on and so forth.

The Western Conference is stacked with teams who have more than one star in hopes of advancing in the postseason. The Mavericks have Dirk. And thats about it. The rest of the roster appears to be filler. Jason Terry can be a crucial third piece, but he cannot be expected to fill the role of the 1-2 punch with Dirk. That needs to be a starter. A leader. Someone who’s talents can blend with the those of Nowitzki in the half court and the fast break. Someone, perhaps, with the last name Williams, first name Deron.

But that’s neither here nor there.

May 5, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) reacts at the end of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game four of the 2012 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Thunder beat the Mavs 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

The Mavs allowed crucial pieces of their title team to flee after last season’s historic run in order to be a big player in this season’s free agency. In order to land a big piece, Mark Cuban will need to perform his best sales pitch. He’s one of the best owners in the NBA, perhaps in all professional sports, however, he will need to convince a high profile player that Dallas has the capabilities of winning. Without the necessary ingredients to win a championship, free agents will not be inclined to relocate to Dallas.

The biggest factor lies in the question posed earlier: Can Dirk regain his superstar form from a season ago? We’ve all watched him take over games over and over again. His patented -fall-away-one-legged jumper is indefensible. He’s a seven footer who can step out on the perimeter and consistently shoot the long ball. But we knew that already. His inside game is what needs to continue to improve. If he solely relies on his jumper for the remainder of his career as he continues to age, the Mavs have no chance at winning. If he continues to drop in the rebounding department, the Mavs cannot expect to compete at the highest level. It’s up to Dirk to dig down deep and find his inner power player and channel that on the court in the coming seasons.

Regardless of who the Mavericks end up luring to the American Airlines Arena next season, one thing is for certain: Dirk will forever compete. He will not lay down and simply allow the league to trample over him. He’s tasted glory once. And he has quickly found out that he is hungry for more. Let’s see what he’s made of.

Jason Kidd – C +
He had his worst statistical season as a pro. Simple as that. Only averaging 5.5 assists per game while also contributing two turnovers per game does not translate into a successful point guard season. Shooting 36% from the field doesn’t help your case either. His contract is off the Mavs books, although he has expressed interest in remaining in Dallas as a backup PG.

Shawn Marion – B
He put forth his lowest scoring average through a regular season since his rookie year. However, he also led the team in rebounding averaging 7.4 per game at the SF position. He still is the team’s best on-ball defender and contributes in many aspects of the game, but unless his scoring rises next year he will be headed on a sharp decline.

Mar. 08, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom (7) and forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) react while on the court during a game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 96-94. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE.

Lamar Odom – F
Instead of acting like a profesional athlete, he decided his reality show would take center stage. In reality, we all know reality TV is not truly reality because the presence of a camera invokes acting. Well, Lamar was so used to acting, he didn’t know how to just ‘be’. His breakdown and inexcusable lack of production held this team back for the majority of the season. It’s a good thing this marriage is set to end.

Jason Terry – B+
He had another stellar year off the bench and kept this team afloat down the stretch of the regular season. He is set to become a free agent as well and the Mavericks should reach out to make this work. He is too valuable of a player for this team and he is definitely a fan favorite. He averaged 15 points, 4 assists and shot 38% from long distance.