Dallas Mavericks: 5 biggest disappointments from 2017-18 NBA season

4. The decline of Dirk Nowitzki

The decline of Dirk Nowitzki has been interesting for two reasons. For one, it shows just how valuable Nowitzki has been to a franchise currently going through a rebuilding process. Second, finding a replacement has been a process.

The Mavericks brought in Nerlens Noel in hopes of getting the next up-and-coming big man in the league, which didn’t work. Drafting Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft has been a blessing for them, but it hasn’t helped them figure out what to do with Dirk.

He’s still got some juice left in the tank despite averaging 12.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 2017-18. As he prepares to return for his 21st season, it may be time to give him a reserve role.

The Mavericks frontcourt is already thin as is with Noel and Salah Mejri becoming unrestricted free agents. Depending on where they finish in the draft lottery, they could find themselves drafting an athletic big. Even then, having Dirk come off the bench at least gives them some instant offense off the bench.