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Originally Posted by DirkFTW
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IS ALIVE!
BEHOLD! When Dirk entered the league, lots were cast and chickens were slain... from the bloody stones a premonition emerged: Warriors! Eight! Mavs! One! Disaster! 2006! From that day forth, Dirk would be doomed to fulfilling a prophecy of softness. No, dear friends, it was not by the loins of his parents that he was judged, but by the vision to the masses that he was condemned!
SOFT, I TELL YOU! We screamed it from the rooftops when he was born. We tatooed it to our buttocks when he was drafted. We branded our children with it when he dared to succeed. And last year, WE WERE VINDICATED WITH TRUTH UNENDING!
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Or perhaps his body language and decidedly less than MVP stats in game six made it easier to believe. I don't think he's soft.I mean damn, look at the last week and the performances after losing a tooth and those Bosch self healing ankles. I don't think there is a team in this league that wouldn't cream themselves at a chance to get him on the roster. I think he is also a slam dunk hall of fame player. If any of his teammates could have made GS pay the the price of swarming Dirk we might not be having this discussion.
But it's also true that Dirk seems to be a reluctant leader. He won't shirk it if he's it by default, but it's not comfortable. He has too much class to start calling out his coach or teammates and won't make excuses. It'll stick with him until he gets a ring, and maybe not even then depending on the team make up.
For all the truth of your comment, it's kind of tough to deny the events of the last two years didn't happen. All the success he's had so far is not going to offset the public perception of a Dirk wilt down. His other successes raise the bar and make less than stellar performances in the last two playoffs, his fault or not, seem worse. MVP and a not just good but a historic 67 wins made last year's Nellie off even better for Mav haters. Sadly, if you have to actually ask for respect the odds are you aren't going to get it.