Dirk Nowitzki ready to become the second star at the Dallas Mavericks - NBA Update
For almost 14 years Dallas Mavericks have been guarded by their shiny armoured knight Dirk Nowitzki. The German carried Mavs on his back through many difficult times. He is impervious on the D and lethal on the offense.
But the gentle giant is turning 34 next month and the number of years has started to take its toll. He is losing his explosiveness and agility and perhaps cannot assume the superhero role any more. He averaged 21.6 points in this
shortened season, his lowest in last 11 seasons.
Nowitzki is amongst the few players in NBA, who are considered unstoppable. But things changed once he confronted Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. Coach Scott Brooks assigned his two best defensive options on him and he succumbed
to Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins in the post season and melted down at the moment where he was considered lethal (at the death). These all factors led to the conclusion that Mavs will have to discover a new superhero and Dirk can be his side kick.
The fact that Dirk alone carried Mavs to the mountain top last year cannot be denied. But this time the defending champs were ousted in the 1st playoffs round yet from a team that was half of their age. Kevin Durant,
Russell Westbrook and James Harden are all in the early 20’s. In contrast Dallas has their roster oozing with veterans.
The franchise need to rope in players that are both young and experienced to take off the burden from Nowitzki’s ageing shoulders. Mark Cuban has already started the campaign and has cleared out some salary cap.
It is no secret that Cuban has his eyes set on players like Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. It will be interesting to see how Cuban manages to land them on Mavs bench. If he does then Nowitzki has no problem in playing as a sidekick.
"If that's the case I'd love to hand over the keys," Nowitzki said. "I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. I still think I can play some great basketball and I can still contribute to a good team."
That will bring a pleasant change for Mavs and for Dirk. Referring to the post season scenario he failed to shoot because the duo shadowed him throughout. Now imagine Nowitzki without shackles, where he is free to take shots from
down town and has room to move. If that happen he would probably be able to play for couple of more years before panning out snickers.
He is a legend and will surely become a Hall of Famer. It is fair that in the twilight of his career he should be provided with a cushion. So that he may go down with grace and dignity.
In his 14 years of professional career he surpassed many mile stones. He is ranked 20 on all time scoring list with 23,335 points. He is amongst the only 3 players in NBA history with 1,000, 3-pointers and 1000 blocks.
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