Dirk Nowitzki criticizes Mavericks’ rebuilding plan

As the Dallas Mavericks continue to flounder, the frustrations of star Dirk Nowitzki have become more and more palpable. After losing their eighth game out of nine on Saturday to the lowly New Orleans Hornets, Nowitzki expressed some serious doubt about management's plan for the future of the franchise (via ESPN Dallas):

"It's going to be tough now," Nowitzki said after the Mavs' home overtime loss to the Western Conference cellar-dwelling New Orleans Hornets. "I always liked to think you don't want to build your franchise on hope.

"We hoped for Deron last year. We hoped for Dwight. Why would he leave the Lakers? To me, it makes no sense. He's in a great situation. Why would CP3 leave? (The Los Angeles Clippers are) the best team in the league probably right now. They're probably the deepest team. So are you going to hope that we get something?"

Since their NBA title in 2011, Mavs owner Mark Cuban has put forth a plan centered around acquiring another superstar to pair with Nowitzki to help ease the load off his back Tyson Chandler and others who were vital cogs to the championship were let go in order to clear cap space to make a run at a star player.

However, both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard did not reach free agency last season and the attempts to lure Deron Williams away from Brooklyn failed. Paul and Howard could hit the market this summer, but both find currently find themselves in rather ideal situations. Howard may bolt if the Lakers do not turn things around, but that's a major if at this point.