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kriD · 10-12-2006, 02:18 AM

Avery, the rest is up to you

Sitting Nowitzki during preseason will help Mavs down the stretch

01:09 AM CDT on Thursday, October 12, 2006
[By Jean-Jacques Taylor / The Dallas Morning News]

Avery Johnson has the right idea. He sat Dirk Nowitzki the other day in the Mavericks' preseason opener.

No need to stop there. Johnson should sit him for the entire preseason. That's right. Nowitzki's line in the box score the next seven games should read DNP – coach's decision.

Now, Dirk isn't going to like it. And that's OK. No self-admitted gym rat wants to sit. In this case, though, the greater good outweighs the 7-foot superstar's desire.

Nowitzki, a perennial All-Star, has established himself as one of the NBA's top five players. Coaches and players throughout the league respect his game, so he has nothing to prove – or gain – by playing even 20 minutes a night in the preseason.

So sit him on the bench, it's OK if he pouts because Avery won't play him. Since Oct. 13, 2004, Nowitzki has played in 219 basketball games. That's a lot of wear and tear on bones and joints.

Sometimes, we forget he's no longer the 19-year-old prodigy from Germany; he's a 28-year-old veteran entering his ninth season. But he's entering his prime because his basketball intellect is now at the same level as his talent.

As he gets older, the focus must shift to Nowitzki's body, because older players tend to get hurt and take longer to recover, no matter the sport. No need to take a chance on injury during the preseason.

Nowitzki's body deserves a rest. Now is the time for him to get it.

"We're going to be very aware of what our players need," Johnson said last week, "to help them get through the regular season."

Nowitzki said his body feels strong, while intimating he needs the preseason to find a rhythm with his new teammates. That is admirable but unnecessary.

He can practice as much as he wants, and Nowitzki can throw in some additional cardio of his choice if he wants to get in better shape. There's just no need for him to play in a game where a sprained ankle or strained hamstring could compromise the Mavs, because Dirk is the only irreplaceable player on the roster.

This is a championship or bust season for the Mavs, who blew a 2-0 series lead against Miami in the NBA Finals. Every minute Nowitzki doesn't play in the preseason is another minute he might be a little more effective in May and June, when the stakes rise and the games become more significant.

The Mavs came so close to winning a championship last year that they chose to make few changes. They've added Anthony Johnson, Greg Buckner, Devean George and Austin Croshere, but Johnson, a point guard, is the only member of that group who figures to get considerable playing time.

The others are role players, so it's not like Nowitzki needs to spend time on the court getting used to them. You could make the argument Nowitzki needs playing time with Johnson in game situations, but whatever they can't get fixed in practice will have to wait until the regular season.

After all, everyone knows the NBA season doesn't really start until after the All-Star break.

This season is about a championship – not a Southwest Division title or a No.1 seed in the Western Conference. Or anything else.

Last season, the Mavs proved they could win important playoff games on the road, at least until the NBA Finals. In the West semifinals, they beat the Spurs in Game 7 in San Antonio, and they rallied from 18 points down in Phoenix to beat the Suns and win the Western Conference finals.

The Western Conference will be better than ever this season, so it would behoove Johnson to slightly reduce Nowitzki's minutes. He's averaged 38 minutes a game in five of the last six seasons, but 35 minutes would be great and 36 would signify progress.

It won't be easy because it will mean sacrificing a few victories that might prevent Mark Cuban from, once again, hanging a division banner from the rafters.

Again, that's OK. This year, more than any other, Johnson must keep the players and Cuban focused only on winning a championship.

Nothing else matters. The preparation starts now. That's why Nowitzki must sit.

10-12-2006, 02:18 AM	#1
kriD Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 2,039	Avery, the rest is up to you Avery, the rest is up to you Sitting Nowitzki during preseason will help Mavs down the stretch 01:09 AM CDT on Thursday, October 12, 2006 [By Jean-Jacques Taylor / The Dallas Morning News] Avery Johnson has the right idea. He sat Dirk Nowitzki the other day in the Mavericks' preseason opener. No need to stop there. Johnson should sit him for the entire preseason. That's right. Nowitzki's line in the box score the next seven games should read DNP – coach's decision. Now, Dirk isn't going to like it. And that's OK. No self-admitted gym rat wants to sit. In this case, though, the greater good outweighs the 7-foot superstar's desire. Nowitzki, a perennial All-Star, has established himself as one of the NBA's top five players. Coaches and players throughout the league respect his game, so he has nothing to prove – or gain – by playing even 20 minutes a night in the preseason. So sit him on the bench, it's OK if he pouts because Avery won't play him. Since Oct. 13, 2004, Nowitzki has played in 219 basketball games. That's a lot of wear and tear on bones and joints. Sometimes, we forget he's no longer the 19-year-old prodigy from Germany; he's a 28-year-old veteran entering his ninth season. But he's entering his prime because his basketball intellect is now at the same level as his talent. As he gets older, the focus must shift to Nowitzki's body, because older players tend to get hurt and take longer to recover, no matter the sport. No need to take a chance on injury during the preseason. Nowitzki's body deserves a rest. Now is the time for him to get it. "We're going to be very aware of what our players need," Johnson said last week, "to help them get through the regular season." Nowitzki said his body feels strong, while intimating he needs the preseason to find a rhythm with his new teammates. That is admirable but unnecessary. He can practice as much as he wants, and Nowitzki can throw in some additional cardio of his choice if he wants to get in better shape. There's just no need for him to play in a game where a sprained ankle or strained hamstring could compromise the Mavs, because Dirk is the only irreplaceable player on the roster. This is a championship or bust season for the Mavs, who blew a 2-0 series lead against Miami in the NBA Finals. Every minute Nowitzki doesn't play in the preseason is another minute he might be a little more effective in May and June, when the stakes rise and the games become more significant. The Mavs came so close to winning a championship last year that they chose to make few changes. They've added Anthony Johnson, Greg Buckner, Devean George and Austin Croshere, but Johnson, a point guard, is the only member of that group who figures to get considerable playing time. The others are role players, so it's not like Nowitzki needs to spend time on the court getting used to them. You could make the argument Nowitzki needs playing time with Johnson in game situations, but whatever they can't get fixed in practice will have to wait until the regular season. After all, everyone knows the NBA season doesn't really start until after the All-Star break. This season is about a championship – not a Southwest Division title or a No.1 seed in the Western Conference. Or anything else. Last season, the Mavs proved they could win important playoff games on the road, at least until the NBA Finals. In the West semifinals, they beat the Spurs in Game 7 in San Antonio, and they rallied from 18 points down in Phoenix to beat the Suns and win the Western Conference finals. The Western Conference will be better than ever this season, so it would behoove Johnson to slightly reduce Nowitzki's minutes. He's averaged 38 minutes a game in five of the last six seasons, but 35 minutes would be great and 36 would signify progress. It won't be easy because it will mean sacrificing a few victories that might prevent Mark Cuban from, once again, hanging a division banner from the rafters. Again, that's OK. This year, more than any other, Johnson must keep the players and Cuban focused only on winning a championship. Nothing else matters. The preparation starts now. That's why Nowitzki must sit.