THE MFFL Dream is Dead

One of the more memorable sports memories for me was when the Dallas Mavericks beat all odds to win the 2011 NBA championship. It had all the drama that sports could offer and as a Mavs fan you were on top of the world. That feeling didn’t last long as the team has fallen off to mediocrity in the last five years.

The front-office tried their best to stay relevant and make the last few years of Dirk Nowitzki’s career worth something, but they have failed at getting the “big-fish” superstars to come to Dallas. Now as the second-half of the 2015-2016 NBA season ramps up, the Mavs find themselves sputtering into mediocrity. Fans aren’t connecting anymore and the excitement level for the team is at an all-time low. Now there is a movement to force the team to tear everything apart and build everything through the draft.

I used to be totally against this movement, always preaching that the NBA draft is overrated and this team can be successful if it can just try to land some superstars through free-agency. I am sad to say I was wrong and I fully endorse tanking this team.

It is hard for the Mavericks to really tank anytime soon, especially since Dirk is on the team. Yet, they need to start embracing that mindset now because it seems that is the only way this team is going to get better. Owner Mark Cuban was on the G-Bag Nation on 105.3 The Fan earlier this week and it doesn’t seem like they are going to change their philosophy anytime soon. In fact, Cuban talked about having better player development as a way to ensure a more solid roster.

While I am glad he is fixing some of the issues, he fails to see how the rest of the NBA really is building their teams, which is through the draft. While there are examples of teams that don’t get it right when doing it through the draft, i.e. Cleveland and Philadelphia, there are other teams like the Warriors and the Spurs that dominate the NBA because of their attention to the draft.

Remember guys like Dominique Jones, Rodrigue Beaubois and 2015 second-round pick Satnam Singh? Yeah, that is just the tip of the iceberg of how bad the Mavericks are at drafting and this goes back years and years.

So here’s what needs to happen in the next few years. The first move I am advocating is a shakeup in the front office. Keep Donnie Nelson as President of Basketball Operations, but they need to bring in another guy to be the General Manager and be in charge of scouting and the draft. Next, they need to start trading away as many pieces and acquiring younger talent. Make Dirk’s years as comfortable as possible, but at the same time get pieces together to trade for draft picks. The point is to cushion the blow as much as possible, because once Dirk retires; this team is heading straight for the lottery. Tanking is one part of the equation; they still need to acquire talent on a consistent basis.

It is time to get ready for a life without Dirk. It going to suck, but if done right, the light at end of the tunnel can be the glare of multiple Larry O’Brien trophies.

Quaterback>Everything

Despair, destruction and depression were words you could describe about the Dallas Cowboys for the six years after former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Troy Aikman retired. None of his replacements could even come close to being competent. It was by sheer luck that his true heir was even found, as Tony Romo went from undrafted free agent and backup, to franchise player. Fast-forward to 2016 and Tony is getting old. Coming off multiple surgeries to his back and collarbone and missing most of the 2015 season, things are bleak for number 9. While he still has some stuff left in the tank to make some magic happen, you would be a fool if you didn’t find his replacement now.

Going into this draft, many fans and pundits believe it is time to make use of the fourth overall pick in the draft and select one of the stud quarterbacks.  Then there is a complete other faction that wants to take advantage of having a high pick to either bolster the defense or add a weapon to the offense, so that Romo can win now.  

Let’s make peace and try to map out a plan that can make both factions happy.  

It is absolutely necessary to have a quarterback ready to go in the wings. Aside from needing an eventual heir, this team needs a capable backup quarterback. Last season, the front-office gambled on it and it blew up in their face. The team went through three quarterbacks and all three were just terrible. You knew the team was still talented because they were able to stay in every game, but the ineffective play at quarterback led to disastrous results. In just one season, Dallas dropped from second to 26^th on third down conversions. The offense lost their identity and soon the season went with it.  A capable backup is needed for this offense to survive.

You could go and sign a veteran backup like Robert Griffin or even Johnny Manziel, but those aren’t long-term solutions and you have to be also ready for the day Romo eventually calls it quits. The team is already very young at all the crucial positions on this team. In fact, the team had the fifth-youngest team in the NFC at 25.92, according to analysis done by the NFL during opening week of the 2015 season. So imagine a team hitting their prime, with a young quarterback who has taken the time to mature and he is ready to hit the ground running. The post-Romo window looks very appealing.

Yet, those Romosexuals, like me, are wondering about the win-now window with Tony. Yes, we would not get an impact player with the fourth overall pick, but you can get very good players that can help contribute this season. Remember, the Cowboys still pick at the top of the draft for at least the first four rounds. Add in those talented rookies to your draft haul, mix in some bargain veterans through free-agency and the Cowboys can be back in the title-conversation by the time the season kicks off in September.

See? Everybody wins. You can still go win-now with Romo and still get the quarterback of the future.

If the team decides to not go with a top quarterback this year, that is fine too, but they better hope they win now. It’s going to be dark days ahead once Romo decides to hang up his cleats.