Nowitski

Don't you find it wierd that the Mavs routinely call game winning plays for players besides Dirk? In the Memphis series when he hit the big shot, it was off a tip from a shot that JT took. Game 3 or 5 (one of em) they had Dirk lobbing the ball in, instead of taking a shot. In the 4th with the season on the line JT and Stack were taking the big shots (yeah, they missed..but still). Dirk took 4 in the 4th.

Superstars step up. Dirk deferred....

 

What was Dirk at prior to the Finals?

 

174 ft's in 17 games, so about 10.2 ft/gm compared to 9.2 in the finals, so relatively the same rate.

wade went from 153 in 17 games, or 9 ft/gm, to 16.2 per game in the finals.

 

I agree with Francis4prez's sentiments.

Though Dirk didn't have a good finals series and even though he kind of choked in the 4th Q of game 6, he still had his share of moments of domination.

I don't see how any of you can say in abosolute terms that he's a choker. Sometimes he chokes, but there have been plenty of times when he has stepped up and done what is needed also.

 

Maybe it's the freebie he missed in game 3.

Maybe it's the vanishing act in game 4.

Maybe it's the freebie in game 5 (although he did hit that big shot, so I guess that cancels).

Maybe it's the vanishing act in game 6 (2 pts in the 4th).

Dirk stepped up to get the Mavs to the Finals, but he definately choked while there.

 

If I am not mistaken, Dirk had two points in the 4th quarter in Game 6. His stat line doesn't show that. I'd say you need a bit more from your franchise player than that.

He reverted to old faithful - the jumper - after he made great things happen in the earlier games by going to the hole, getting fouled, etc.

I won't blame Dirk for losing the series, because he was brilliant at times. But in the case of Game 6, he did not show up like he should have with the game on the line in the 4th.

 

Yeah, he did all of those things. But I can sit here and list all the other times when he's been real clutch. But I won't b/c francis4prez has already done that. In the end, my point remains that there is no absolute - he is not always clutch, nor is he always unclutch. He's still maturing as a player and will probably be more clutch than unclutch.

 

I dont' know if y'all remember this but, prior to last season and this season, Dirk has been bailed out by his teammates in crunch time. The list?

Michael Finley
Steve Nash
Nick Van Exel


Hell, I even remember Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison doing some damage. The past couple of years, it's been Terry, Stack and to a much lesser extent Howard.

I'm not taking anything away from Dirk. He's easily a Top 10 guy in the league and that 50 point dump on Phoenix was bananas, it's just I fail to see the killer instinct. It's come out in spurts, but it's not "Look, I'm going to take over this series until we win the whole thing" kind of mentality.

 

Not in the finals...besides the one I already listed.

I am not saying Dirk sucks. He is top 10 in the league for sure. But he is not a leader, going off of what I saw in the Finals.

 

It was Dampier who fumbled the wide open pass toward the basket.
MJ spotted Steve Kerr for a game winning shot. He spooted BJ armstrong for a game winning shot. If both Kerr and BJ messed up the pass, would you still blame that on MJ?
Dampier clearly had easy dunk. Dont blame that on Dirk.

 

No Wit-ski works too.... Why change it?

 

The play with Dirk passing to Dampier is getting way too much play here. Dirk HAD to pass because the defense collapsed on him. The problem was Dampier was more than 2ft away from the basket.

 

Dirk didn't lose this series, its just that he isn't the guy to have the ball at the end of the game, like Wade can do.

Wade won this series plain and simple.

 

Wow, I had no idea so many people would defend Dirk's lame dish to Dampier WITH THE FREAKING CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE LINE.

1. I don't believe for an instant that, with all the great shooters on that team, that the coaches called a play where Dampier was the second option. But if that was the play that was called, what does that tell you about the coaching staff's confidence in Dirk?

2. The MJ/Kerr/Armstrong comparison is absurd. There are two differences: 1. Dampier is not a sure-handed 2 guard with a deadeye jump shot. "Pantheon-level" players know better than the dump it off to the guy with no hands with the game on the line. 2. MJ came through in the clutch so many times that deferring to others wasn't a pattern. Dirk, other than some admittedly brilliant play in the Spurs series, has the opposite track record -- so it's valid criticism.

3. Dampier didn't have a wide open dunk. He still had to put the ball on the floor and beat the defense to the basket -- it wasn't the high percentage play y'all are making it out to be.

4. It's not like Dirk was smothered by the double team. The second guy was still a couple steps away -- there a million moves you can make in that situation if you keep your dribble. There was plenty of time.

 

wasnt Dirk undefensible since he's a 7footer who takes jumpers?
hmmm

 

Dirk's 39% is subpar from him, but he still put up 23 & 11 for the series AND had the highest scoring efficiency (1.3PPS) of the top 5 Dallas scorers, this includes Jason Terry (1.17PPS because he almost never draws contact and thus fouls). Also consider Dirk was the focus of Miami's defense--including their best individual forward defender on the court (Haslem or JP) plus help, one of the main reasons guys like Terry and JH got to work so much 1 on 1 versus opponents they could school.

Dirk just ran into an oppossing player who has made everyone else look like a 2nd tier star and Mia had lots of players and a scheme to make him work for everything.

 

Thats what I'm talking about!

Dirk's new nickname is:

Dirk "Don't" No-where'sky

Because the rest of his team doesn't no-where to find him in the fourth quarter of critical games. Dude was poor, scared, and certainly NOT a leader.

And the next person who casually refers to him as the second coming of Larry Bird should be kicked square in the nads with a steel toe boot because they obviously don't know what the hell they are talking about!

 

First I should say that I am a Mavs fan and new to the forum so go easy.

Watching pretty much every Mavs game for the past 2 years I have seen their improvement just from last year to this year. They added a defensive presence and well as getting to the rim and shooting free throws. Honestly, I believe you have to give Miami credit for playing good if not great defense on the Mavs especially on Dirk. I think Haslem did a great job of putting a body and pretty much getting under Dirk making him feel very uncomfortable. The Mavs as a team were shooting like 32% since game 3 which means the whole team was not playing up to championship level.

My opinion why they lost the series is nerves and inexperience plain and simple. Look how much experience not just in the Playoffs but how many Championship Rings Miami has compared to the Mavs. Plus don't forget Avery was a rookie coach making rookie mistakes.

Marquis Daniels will hopefully not be hurt most of next year, Van Horn won't break his thumb right before the Playoffs missing most of them and they have all gained and enormous amount of experience plus they are pissed. The only thing I wish the Mavs had as a team is a better post up player to work the inside outside game better. Maybe a trading Daniels for a post up guy would be the answer but I think even with the same team next year they will be better.

Thoughts?

 

Dirk choke! Sup dude. Welcome to the place where I have spent waaaaay too much time over much of the past decade.

Just want to clear up your slip of the fingers. I think you meant to say that Miami had more Championship experience (because of Shaq and Riley), not more rings. Still that doesn't mean much for an entire team's experience, which I think given the Mav's depth advantage matched against the Heat's strong post defense made this series alot more evenly matched than alot of people thought going in.

I'll give you that Avery was a young coach, but only to a certain extent. Bottom line, Dirk, the Mavs leader, caved when he was needed most. He just did not take over late in games. I agree with the thread starters statement about getting exposed as a jump shooter. He simply did not post up and has shown over the years that he does not have what it takes to play with his back to the basket. He's still a great player, but he needs to elevate his game to win and he did not.

I agree 110% that the biggest need for Dallas is a low post threat. It doesn't have to be someone great, but someone that can play with their back to the basket. Right now, they have no one in that department and that will keep the Spurs, Rockets, Kings and Suns (with Amare) right there with the Mavs come next season. Barring major injuries from any of those teams, it's going to be a dog fight.