The Mavericks won their first NBA title this season. But what about next season? What will they need to do to repeat? Assuming there's going to be an NBA season...which is definitely in doubt.

How They Won It All: Dirk Nowitzki carried the load in the early rounds of the playoffs and in the fourth quarter against the Heat while the rest of the squad played to their strengths in a complete team effort.

Biggest Bright Spot: The fact that they were able to hang in games with Dirk struggling and 3-pointers not falling was particularly impressive. It was their commitment on the defensive end that allowed them to stay within striking distance.

Biggest Question Marks: Can they repeat? The core of this team is pretty old and they have some big names approaching free agency. The new CBA will go a long way in determining whether they can bring back this team largely intact and take a shot at another title.

Free Agent Situation: Unrestricted - Tyson Chandler, JJ Barea, Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson, Peja Stojakovic, Brian Cardinal

Free Agent Dreams:
All the free agents are so giddy over getting a ring that they are willing to come back at a discount. It's going to be very difficult for the Mavs to keep all of their pending free agents. Tyson Chandler is the most vital piece and they have to re-sign him to have any chance at repeating. But he could catch quite a premium on the open market. They might get lucky with Caron Butler because of his injury and he seems to love Dallas and the Mavericks. He might be willing to sign for less than market value for a chance at being a real part of winning a title. JJ Barea is a  tough one. He'd become a pricey back up to Jason Kidd or a defensive liability as the two-guard. He did well in that role against the Heat  but it's unlikely that's a long-term solution. Stevenson and Stojakovic are expendable and Cardinal would most likely return on the cheap.

_________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY: Few remember that the Mavericks began as one of the hottest teams in the league. They were slightly overshadowed by another Texas team in the Spurs but they began the season 24-5. They looked like championship contenders but then Dirk missed some time and they lost Caron Butler for the season and it looked like their title hopes were shot.

The rest of the season unfolded fairly typically. It was another 50-plus win year and a 3-seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Many picked the Blazers to pull off the mild upset in the first round and it looked like that might happen after the Mavs blew a 23-point 4th quarter lead to the Blazers in Game 4. Instead, the Mavs used it as a turning point and had their own huge 4th quarter comebacks against the Lakers, Thunder and Heat on their way to their first title.

OUTLOOK: The Mavs are saying all the right things. GM Donnie Nelson said they are hoping to keep this team intact to make a run at repeating. If they are able to do that they will be one of the favorites to win it all. Keep in mind they Mavs were one of the best teams in the league with Caron Butler in the lineup and he should be back at full strength at the beginning of the season. They might lose JJ Barea but Rodrigue Beaubois has the potential to actually be an upgrade over Barea. He struggled this past year with injuries but showed great promise during his rookie year. He's just as quick as Barea and a little bit taller so he doesn't create as many problems on the defensive end as a two-guard.

The real question is if it's even possible to keep this team together. The new CBA will almost definitely bring a reduced salary cap and could potentially institute a hard cap. If that happens, the Mavs would need to make major cuts and probably couldn't re-sign Tyson Chandler. There's a chance the hard cap would get phased in and the Mavs could keep all their key players. If that were the case then they'd be in good shape now and in the future since they don't have that much money committed to the 2012-13 season and beyond. The Mavericks know Dirk is on the wrong side of 30 and only has a few more years as an elite star and they will do everything within their power to surround him with a roster that has a chance to win championships.