Dirk Nowitzki: If opening at S.A. “doesn’t get your blood boiling, then I might as well retire”
By Brad Townsend
http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/...l-retire.html/
As has been the case for most if not all of his 17 seasons, Dirk Nowitzki on Monday spent the last 30 minutes of his final full practice before the season opener working individually with his mentor, Holger Geschwindner.
Moments later, Nowitzki pronounced himself and the Mavericks as ready as they’ll ever be for Tuesday night’s season opener at San Antonio against the reining NBA champion Spurs.
“Always exciting to get preseason over with,” he said. “It’s No. 17 now, so, yeah, I’m anxious to get it started.
“When they put the schedule out and you look at it and you see the first one in San Antonio, obviously that gets your blood boiling. If it doesn’t, then I might as well retire because it’s always as good as it gets down there and the crowd is into it and it’s always been fun games.”
With every NBA team bringing in varying degrees of optimism, season openers always have more electricity than most regular-season games.
But when you start your season on the road against an opponent that also will be receiving championship rings and raising the 2013-14 NBA championship banner, there’s far more pomp and circumstance.
Nowitzki well remembers the 2011-12 opener at home against Miami. The Mavericks were coming off the 2011 championship season and NBA Finals victory over the Heat, but because of the collective bargaining impassee and player lockout, the 66-game season didn’t begin until Christmas.
After receiving their championship rings and watching their championship banner raised to the rafters, the Mavericks laid an egg, falling behind 46-27, then, later, 97-65, en route to a 105-94 defeat.
Nowitzki smiled Monday when asked if he believes the championship ceremony could be a distraction for the Spurs.
“Well, for us, it was, since it was our first one,” he said. “They’ve won five or six (championships), so they’re probably used to how they’re handling that.
“For us it was unbelievable. It was the first one for this franchise. So when I saw that banner up in the rafters, I had some tears in my eyes and it was kind of tough to turn around and play again a very good team _ and we got smacked.”
Nowitzki said he probably won’t be on the court to watch the Spurs’ ceremony, in the same building where Dallas’ season ended last season with a first-round, Game 7 defeat to the Spurs.
“I don’t want to get all stiff again at 36,” Nowitzki said. “Once I’m loose, I’m probably going to go in the back and maybe stretch a bit. Or do some hops or something. I’m not sure . . jump rope, which I haven’t done since I was 12, probably.”
As for season projections, entering his 17th season opener, Nowitzki understands it’s impossible to predict what an 82-game season holds in store.
“I like the depth of the team,” Nowitzki said. “I like the playmaking of the team. I like our ability to score. This team is like any other team I’ve been on the last couple of years. We’ve got to get some stops and some rebounds and then I think we’re a tough team to beat. If we take the ball out all the time, go up against a set defense, then things might get a little stagnant.
“I definitely like the upside to this team. We’ve got a lot of weapons. And we play a fun style. The goal is to get better, if it’s from game-to-game, if it’s from month-to-month and be our best in the playoffs and see what happens.”