Golden chance for Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks to shed their choker label
Dallas Mavericks have been nothing short of a revelation in this years’ post-season. And the man behind their resurgence is none other than the seven foot tall German giant, Dirk Nowitzki.
The gifted power forward not only led the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, but was also the mean reason that the Mavs literally butchered the two times defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the Western Conference semifinal series. Nowitzki has propelled the Mavs from being a franchise that was misfiring often at the end of the regular season into the most consistent side in the post-season.
It’s hard not to be a pro-Dirk, as he is not only an enthusiastic athlete, but a deadly shooter too. As an individual he is a warm, pleasant and has a touching personality. He is a symbol of calmness in the Dallas side and never indulges in showmanship. In other words he is a high-performance model. However one negative attribute that has been attached to Nowitzki all throughout his career is that of a choker.
The major reason behind the tag were the 2006 NBA Finals, when Dirk and Dallas wasted a 2-0 series lead over the Miami Heat and lost the next four games to surrender the title. Unfortunately, for Nowitzki, the cloud of 2006 Finals is still hanging over him. Even four years later, he has not been able to redeem himself. However, this year might be the one when Nowitzki finally puts his demons to rest and add the last remaining accomplishment to his resume.
He has reasons to be optimistic. Out of the four teams that have qualified for the conference finals, Dallas hold the edge of being the only team whose core (Dirk, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry) has been together for the longest period now. The additional perk that Dallas have is that they had wiped out the defending champion Lakers in the semi-finals.
Nowitzki led the Mavs against the Lakers right from the front and finished with averages of 26.5 points 8.4 rebounds in the series. This makes Nowitzki Mr. Right for the Mavs as they will rely heavily on him not only to remove 2006 stain but also to bring the NBA title home. To pull such a feat, Nowitzki has to keep scoring with the same precision that he showed against Los Angeles and Portland Trail Blazers. However, next up he will be contesting against much younger, sportier teams than the Lakers and he and his veteran team will have to be very precise in their strategy.
It is witnessed quite often that professional athletes, who are carrying the labels of chokers or the ones who have underachieved go through years of frustration before they finally get rid of it and prevail, but sometimes they fail to do so. However, this is the best opportunity for Nowitzki to shed his choker label and put a leash on his batchers’ forever.
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