FanPost

Can a young team win a title?

This is my first fanpost and it comes from a thought I've been dwelling on ever since the Mavs won the title, so just bear with me.

Can a young team win a title? Or do you need to be a veteran team?

Take a look at the past few NBA Champions:

Dallas Mavericks

Los Angeles Lakers

Boston Celtics

San Antonio Spurs

Miami Heat

Every single one of those teams was composed of so serious vets. Guys that have been around the block more than a few times. And its not just veteran stars, but veteran supporting players too. Veteran guys coming off the bench. Veteran guys playing big minutes in big games.

Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Peja Stojakovic, Brian Cardinal, and DeShawn Stevenson all have had 10+ years in the league. Their opponent, despite having multiple all-stars, Olympians, guys with finals experience, etc., had 6 players with that kind of experience, but only Mike Bibby and Mike Miller were in the top 9 in minutes played for the Heat during the playoffs, and neither in the top 6. By comparison, Brian Cardinal was the only one of the Mavs vets not in the top 9 in playoff minutes, and he still turned in some important minutes in the finals.

Go back a season to the Lakers titles and you have Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Derek Fisher, and Lamar Odom leading the way for the Lakers against another veteran led team in Boston. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rasheed Wallace, and even Michael Finley. All with 10+ years of experience. Boston's group also had a title under their belt, and that year their roster consisted of 5 guys over the 10 year mark (and Paul Pierce at 9 years).

Before that you have the San Antonio Spurs and their roster of old men including Robert Horry, Bruce Bowen, Brent Barry, Michael Finley and ultimate old man TIm Duncan (who was only in his 9th season at that point). The Miami Heat were relatively young by comparison to the other teams mentioned, but they still got big contributions from old vets like Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, and Gary Payton.

Think back to our roster when we came the closest in 2000. Yeah, Sheed and Bonzi and Damon were young guys. But they were surrounded by guys like Dale Davis and Scottie Pippen and Steve Smith and Detlef Schrempf. And Arvydas Sabonis who was ancient (just not NBA ancient).

Now I know that BRoy and LaMarcus and Batum etc all have some years in the league. But they aren't vets the way the guys mentioned above are. The only guys currently on our roster with 10 years in the league are Marcus Camby (14 years) and Andre Miller (11). Gerald Wallace will be in his 10th season next year. Our core (Roy, Aldridge, Oden, Batum, Matthews, Rudy) are all less than 5 years in the league.

We talk about the championship window being open now and it being time to go for it, but I think that championship windows clearly open a lot later than most of us know. If now is the time as I've read so often on here then we can't wait for Oden and Batum to develop, they need to be moved for veteran guys that can contribute. If now isn't the time, then we are wasting money on Camby and Miller and they ought to be moved for guys that are more in the age range of our core.

I'm not suggesting that we don't have a team that can't make a deep run when healthy. But making a deep run and winning it all are two different things. And the more playoff basketball I watch the more I appreciate the need for experience. If we are trying to win a title, our saviors aren't going to come in the form of Monta Ellis or Anthony Randolph. If we are trying to build a team that can grow into a contender, we're on the right track. Ellis or Anthony or Faried or whoever can help us get there. But if thats the route we take we can't reasonably expect to be winning titles for another four or five seasons I think.