After the Mavericks' third consecutive loss to the Thunder in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, SB Nation's Mavericks blog Mavs Moneyball is preparing for what they deem to be an inevitable elimination at the hands of the young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder. The question for Dallas fans now is - what, if anything, will be the same on this roster come next year?
The Mavericks are almost certainly going to lose this series and they are almost certainly going to be completely different next year. It is not clear that single draft pick (looking at you Roddy) or a single center (looking at you Hay-Mahimni-Wright) or a single SG (Vince-Delonte-Terry) have any part in their future.
The entirety of this current Mavs season has been played with one eye on the future - fans and the front office are aware that this an old, transitioning team, and with post-lockout, pre-season maneuvers, it's obvious Mark Cuban's focus is on rebuilding into a totally new look team in 2012-'13. Of the pieces already gone, Tyson Chandler's fate is still a hot topic:
Those of you who felt that letting Tyson Chandler go was a huge mistake might have watched his old team and new team play basically the same game tonight and might have felt that you were watching a colossal waste. Others, fortified by the offseason to come, might suppose this a necessary pain.
Either way, the season tips towards its end.
For more on the Dallas Mavericks, check out Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation's NBA page.