Dallas-Mavs.com Forums - View Single Post

Bayliss · 10-12-2004, 11:35 PM

(This is from the DMN. I don't think anyone else posted it before.

Get Nowitzki the ball, a lot

To be successful, Mavericks' play needs to revolve around Dirk

08:59 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Some want Dirk Nowitzki to step up and say the Mavericks are his team.

Others long for the All-Star forward to become an in-your-face leader.

My response is get the ball in his hands as often as possible and don't worry about the other stuff.

Ask Don Nelson what he wants to accomplish in this training camp and the list is as long as Erick Dampier's wing span. The Mavericks must integrate two new point guards, a center and a sixth man into the rotation. The team is making defense a priority and altering its half-court offense as it opens the preseason tonight with a game at New Orleans.

It's a lot to do. And unlike last season, all of it revolves around Nowitzki.

"There is no question that Dirk is a hub for us from every perspective, defensive and offensive, because he's so exceptional," said Donnie Nelson, the team's director of basketball operations. "The more comfortable that hub is, the better our chances are."

It sounds silly to suggest a team that led the league in scoring last season lost its offensive identity, but that's exactly what happened. A big part of that came in how Nowitzki was used.

Forwards Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison changed the complexion of the front line. Nowitzki was shuttled between power forward, small forward and center to accommodate those players. Not only was he touching the ball less than in previous seasons, where he got the ball varied.

The result: Nowitzki failed to improve his statistics for the first time in his six years in the league. His scoring averaged dropped by 3.3 points, his shooting percentage dipped to pre-All-Star levels and his three-point accuracy was the lowest since his rookie season.

"It wasn't Dirk's fault," owner Mark Cuban said. "It was an organizational issue. We didn't have a definition of who we were. The design was flawed.

"Dirk, on his own volition and by design, will get a lot more touches this season. When desire and design go together, hopefully good things will happen."

Let Dirk be Dirk. That's what the Mavericks are saying. Don't ask him to adapt his game to suit his teammates. Tell Nowitzki to play to his strengths and require the rest of the Mavericks to compliment him.

That meant trading Walker and Jamison so Nowitzki can play the majority of minutes at his natural position of power forward. It means surrounding him with quality defensive players on the perimeter and a strong presence in the middle in Dampier. It means not harping on Nowitzki to raise his assist total because too often that means giving the ball to someone who doesn't shoot as well as he does.

Nowitzki understands. He was disappointed in how he played last season, particularly the first two months, and will tell you, "the whole thing was messed up." He never found a rhythm and neither did the team.

He doesn't want that to happen again.

"I've got to be aggressive," Nowitzki said. "That's the thing I've learned. I can't let other people, other players on the court who are very good players, I can't let them affect my game.

"I can't pass up shots, I can't be worried about other teammates who might have been open at that point. I've got to play my game the way I've been playing. Be aggressive offensively. Take someone off the dribble or sometimes take a tough shot. That's part of the game."

Nowitzki is quick to defer to his teammates. It's an admirable trait, but one that can detract from stardom.

Don Nelson has a plan for that as well. Nowitzki is the only player the coach intends to play 38 to 40 minutes a game as he utilizes the depth on this roster. Nelson said he expects Nowitzki to respond with his best season.

"Hopefully, it will be a good year for me," Nowitzki said. "We'll see how it develops."

10-12-2004, 11:35 PM	#1
Bayliss Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 16,054	Get Nowitzki the Ball, a lot (This is from the DMN. I don't think anyone else posted it before. Get Nowitzki the ball, a lot To be successful, Mavericks' play needs to revolve around Dirk 08:59 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 12, 2004 Some want Dirk Nowitzki to step up and say the Mavericks are his team. Others long for the All-Star forward to become an in-your-face leader. My response is get the ball in his hands as often as possible and don't worry about the other stuff. Ask Don Nelson what he wants to accomplish in this training camp and the list is as long as Erick Dampier's wing span. The Mavericks must integrate two new point guards, a center and a sixth man into the rotation. The team is making defense a priority and altering its half-court offense as it opens the preseason tonight with a game at New Orleans. It's a lot to do. And unlike last season, all of it revolves around Nowitzki. "There is no question that Dirk is a hub for us from every perspective, defensive and offensive, because he's so exceptional," said Donnie Nelson, the team's director of basketball operations. "The more comfortable that hub is, the better our chances are." It sounds silly to suggest a team that led the league in scoring last season lost its offensive identity, but that's exactly what happened. A big part of that came in how Nowitzki was used. Forwards Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison changed the complexion of the front line. Nowitzki was shuttled between power forward, small forward and center to accommodate those players. Not only was he touching the ball less than in previous seasons, where he got the ball varied. The result: Nowitzki failed to improve his statistics for the first time in his six years in the league. His scoring averaged dropped by 3.3 points, his shooting percentage dipped to pre-All-Star levels and his three-point accuracy was the lowest since his rookie season. "It wasn't Dirk's fault," owner Mark Cuban said. "It was an organizational issue. We didn't have a definition of who we were. The design was flawed. "Dirk, on his own volition and by design, will get a lot more touches this season. When desire and design go together, hopefully good things will happen." Let Dirk be Dirk. That's what the Mavericks are saying. Don't ask him to adapt his game to suit his teammates. Tell Nowitzki to play to his strengths and require the rest of the Mavericks to compliment him. That meant trading Walker and Jamison so Nowitzki can play the majority of minutes at his natural position of power forward. It means surrounding him with quality defensive players on the perimeter and a strong presence in the middle in Dampier. It means not harping on Nowitzki to raise his assist total because too often that means giving the ball to someone who doesn't shoot as well as he does. Nowitzki understands. He was disappointed in how he played last season, particularly the first two months, and will tell you, "the whole thing was messed up." He never found a rhythm and neither did the team. He doesn't want that to happen again. "I've got to be aggressive," Nowitzki said. "That's the thing I've learned. I can't let other people, other players on the court who are very good players, I can't let them affect my game. "I can't pass up shots, I can't be worried about other teammates who might have been open at that point. I've got to play my game the way I've been playing. Be aggressive offensively. Take someone off the dribble or sometimes take a tough shot. That's part of the game." Nowitzki is quick to defer to his teammates. It's an admirable trait, but one that can detract from stardom. Don Nelson has a plan for that as well. Nowitzki is the only player the coach intends to play 38 to 40 minutes a game as he utilizes the depth on this roster. Nelson said he expects Nowitzki to respond with his best season. "Hopefully, it will be a good year for me," Nowitzki said. "We'll see how it develops."