his quote regarding the flopper Still, Mavs coach Avery Johnson made it clear he thought Nowitzki should have had more than five free throw attempts for the night. “No excuses, but you know what’s a fact?” Johnson said. “He’s the least-respected MVP-caliber candidate in the league.”
I saw the last part of that game when Nash destroyed the mavs and I was thinking of the ranting avery was going to do after the game. I think I going to miss that when they get eliminated
Nowitzky certainly isn't playing like an MVP in the playoffs. Yes, T-Mac and Marion have played good D on him, but he still suck.
Classic! As for Dirk, man the more I really watch him I am amazed by the fact the more he is starting to play like Gasol in my eyes. Maybe I never really noticed this before our Rockets/Mavs playoff series but my goodness does Dirk flap his arms around and do all sorts of things when he gets into the lane. You would think he would have been shot. Just because Dirk flaps around in the lane after some contact doesnt mean it is a foul. But he flaps around making a scene so as to make the officials want to call a foul. Very Gasol-like if you ask me.
actually kobe does this alot but he doesnt do it every time he drives the lane. he does it once in a while so its more believable that there was a foul when he gets stripped or there is a little contact. i think the fact that dirk does this seemingly every drive makes the refs not blow the whistle. of course what ticks me off is that it took a full first round series to figure this out and now the suns are getting the benefit of it.
Dirk's lack of performance in this playoffs (after previously being a stud), and Amare's rapid rise to MVP-type status can only mean one thing... Steve Nash does more for his superstar teammates than any other player in the league.
As far as I'm concerned, its already dropped. Dirk was a guy who was great because he hit his jump shot which was indefensable (because he's 7 feet tall). But, he really did nothing else to make him, or the rest of his team better... he gets rebounds only because he's tall, not because he's a great rebounder, and he isn't as good of a passer as even Keith Van Horn (next Larry Bird, my ass... for both of them). Now, he drives the lane only trying to draw the contact and get a foul... not to try to make a shot. The refs can see right through that. Guys like Amare and T-Mac may not get as much contact fouls because they're always looking to score... always trying to make the shot at all times. Dirk is never trying to make the shot when there's contact... otherwise he'd never be throwing his hands up in the air like that (its much harder to make your shot that way). Also, I know this may sound hypocritical considering that JVG did the exact same thing the last series... but Cuban's complaining to the refs over the years will ultimately be this team's downfall. Not because they get hosed by the refs (because really, they don't... they get as many calls as anybody), but because the refs are ALWAYS on their minds, whether they win or whether they lose. That's Cuban's fault. In the end, you can't be a good team and still be blaming the refs after losses. The Rockets will soon learn (if they haven't already) that Yao will never be reffed normally because of his height, and they'll have to adapt. Dirk should realize that nothing is handed to you in this league until you can prove that you deserve it... especially in the playoffs. The man has not won an MVP... has not been in the finals... and is shooting horrendously from the field in all of these games. If anything, Avery, he's getting too much respect.
IMO, a big difference is that at least Gasol has a post up game and is proficient at driving to the basket. Dirk seems so weak that he can't even establish post up position inside of 18ft from the basket, much less have any post moves once he gets in the paint. And he lacks the quick first step and finishing off the dribble that Gasol has in driving to the basket. Granted, Dirk is a MUCH better shooter than Gasol, but without any other dimension to his game he has now been exposed and shut down by JVG simply by putting a quicker, rangy player on him. This is sort of how Dan Majerle's career went downhill after Rudy decided to put a point guard on him in the playoffs. Majerle, like Dirk, also did not have much of an offensive game outside of shooting stand-still J's.
Thats why I felt it was ok to give Nash the MVP over Shaq. Both deserved it in my opinion. Nash is easily the top PG on the game right now and I dont know if there is anyone in the league at making his teammates better. Just look at Amare when Nash was out (his numbers dropped off big time and well as his shooting percentage). Clearly Dirk needs someone like a Nash to set him up for easy jumpshots and neither Terry or Harris can do it for them.
I agreed with you. Stupid Mavs fan don't realize how important Nash was to the team, with Nash we probably won't even last the 7 games. He's just that much better.
When I was watching the game, I kept thinking that Dirk was getting hacked without any calls. However, later when they showed replays, either the ball was cleanly stripped or there was no contact. This guys flops his ass off, and the officials are finally not rewarding him anymore.
