Dirk Nowitzki Speaking Candidly - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

thurst0509 · 02-25-2009, 01:28 PM

Part one of a 3-part interview with Germany's Five Magazine:

http://www.5ivemag.com/nba-coaches/t...erview-part-i/

Some great stuff from the Dirkster in here. He sounds quite frustrated with the current state of the Mavs...

AxdemxO · 02-25-2009, 01:49 PM

I cant get that to work.Its OK to be frustrated, but it has to be for the right reasons. Its not like hes playing great and everyone else is sucking. Yes some players on the team are sucking more then other but Dirk is sucking rite along with them.

nikeball · 02-25-2009, 01:52 PM

sad~~~

SMC0007 · 02-25-2009, 01:56 PM

bah. boohoo Poor Dirk is giving it his all every night and everyone else isn't helping...please. A lot of good players like him aren't gonna win it all. No one person that works hard at this game for a long time deserves a title more than another. Does Dirk deserve it more than Kidd or any other than never won it? Bottom line is that there is more that Dirk can do on his own to make himself a better player and improve the teams chances.

ghazi · 02-25-2009, 02:19 PM

Dirk deserves better than what the league did to him in 2006

(Yeah Im cryin)

AxdemxO · 02-25-2009, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghazi

Dirk deserves better than what the league did to him in 2006

(Yeah Im cryin)

At least you admit that you are crying, but you need to stop. ; )

All the "poor Dirk" shit needs to stop. I can think of 4-5 important games in the last couple of months where Dirk played like a Bitch and everyone said "ohh its just a slump" or "its just a bad game" and to that i say NO. Every player has bad games, but its usually because they are just off. Dirk gets taken out of games. It happened against Boston, It happened against Houston, Utah, and SA. Come on Bonner?????????? Bonner???????????????????????????

My God had Terry done this, i swear someone would have assassinated him or poisoned him and everyone would be calling for him to be traded.

ghazi · 02-25-2009, 02:48 PM

Dirk has been inconsistent this year. His FG % for the time being is its worse in 4 years. He's only getting to the line 6.4 times per game. He's getting 25.1 points, but on 19.7 shots. he doesn't shoot 3's anymore either, and I wouldn't mind 3-4 long bombs from our beloved Dirk a game.

Still, he's having a great year. Problem is we need him to play at the MVP level he was in the past. Is he capable of that? I dunno, he is 30 after all. Not out of his prime yet but not in his absolute prime anymore either.

HAS he mentally checked out on the franchise?

Or are the defensive looks thrown at him causing drops in FTA and FG %. A lot have suggested Dirk would be more lethal with a scoring big man, well we lack that, lack wings, lack scoring from starting 1, 2, and 5... and best slasher is a Puerto Rican midget.

fluid.forty.one · 02-25-2009, 02:52 PM

I'm about 90% sure that Dirk is done with this team.

Itachi · 02-25-2009, 02:58 PM

IF Dirk isn't even giving his all, his minutes should be cut. He is our best player, but to have him "check out" of the game isn't gonna help us. Whether we lose or win, its nice to see 100% from everyone.

jthig32 · 02-25-2009, 03:07 PM

This is an interesting article that's getting tainted by this thread. I don't get the idea that Dirk sounds overly frustrated by that article. And Dirk is not "done with this team".

I thought his comment about Shawn Bradley was very frank and interesting. And not surprising at all.

fluid.forty.one · 02-25-2009, 03:14 PM

jThig, have you ever seen a season where Dirk has put in less effort for such long stretches of games? Remember earlier in the season? I think even you (I could be mistaken) were saying that Dirk might be on the decline.. his ankles, his heart, whatever.. until he started playing well again. Then we all ate our words because Dirk came back..

Well, he's doing it again. A good portion of this season's effort/heart is similar to the GS or Miami series. Dirk has proven to be a pretty big defeatist and it seems like he only plays like he used to when things are going to Mavs way. It seems like he's content with jacking up shots and complaining to refs or throwing his arms around in frustration before he even sees if it goes in or not.

jthig32 · 02-25-2009, 03:26 PM

Dirk has always complained to refs and thrown his arms around in frustration during tough times. Always.

Last night had *nothing* to do with Dirk's effort. It had to do with his execution, and the Mavs' complete inability to make the Spurs pay for focusing their entire defensive effort on him.

fluid.forty.one · 02-25-2009, 03:35 PM

I don't know man. I've never seen Dirk have this many 3+ stretch of games where he plays horribly. I'm sure I'll feel better once they start winning again, but damn.

thurst0509 · 02-25-2009, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthig32

This is an interesting article that's getting tainted by this thread. I don't get the idea that Dirk sounds overly frustrated by that article. And Dirk is not "done with this team".

I thought his comment about Shawn Bradley was very frank and interesting. And not surprising at all.

I don't know man. Maybe I'm reaching too far but I've never seen him speak so candidly about the possibilities of leaving Dallas. That scares me and leads me to believe that it's a more serious possibility in his mind than ever before.

SMC0007 · 02-25-2009, 03:48 PM

Dirks effort last night was lacking and he didn't execute well, on both ends of the floor. He never got himself in position to take advantage of his defender, or near enough to the bucket for easy points. It wasn't just his fault, no one was cutting the middle when he got doubled and he didn't go strong before the double team.

As far as the article, it's a good read but I as well didn't sense the frustration as the first poster did.

TheMaverick · 02-25-2009, 03:56 PM

Dirk had a wonderful January.

AxdemxO · 02-25-2009, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthig32

Dirk has always complained to refs and thrown his arms around in frustration during tough times. Always.

Last night had *nothing* to do with Dirk's effort. It had to do with his execution, and the Mavs' complete inability to make the Spurs pay for focusing their entire defensive effort on him.

The Spurs did have some good D against Dirk. But not before they threw Bonnner at him ad that took Dirk out of his game. When you let Bonner/Jackson/ and lesser player take you out of a game completely , there is NO Excuse.

Thespiralgoeson · 02-25-2009, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghazi

Problem is we need him to play at the MVP level he was in the past.

Do we? Honestly, what does it matter? Even if he did play at the level he was in 2006 (the year he actually should have won MVP) what would it matter? We're still a second tier team. I don't blame him even a little bit for coasting. God knows I would be if I were on such a pathetic team that's still under the delusion that it can compete in the playoffs.

rmacomic · 02-25-2009, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Do we? Honestly, what does it matter? Even if he did play at the level he was in 2006 (the year he actually should have won MVP) what would it matter? We're still a second tier team. I don't blame him even a little bit for coasting. God knows I would be if I were on such a pathetic team that's still under the delusion that it can compete in the playoffs.

The beginning of the year I would have disagreed with you , too much of a homer, But now I am starting to come around to your thinking. You have said, from last summer to now, that this team would not compete. I'll give you props for never wavering.

edit : spelling

DavidDaMonkey · 02-25-2009, 07:15 PM

I haven't read the whole thing, but do we know when this was interview took place? I think that might play a very big role in Dirk's feelings. In the first part of Part 1 (which, admittedly, is all I've read so far) he refers to Avery as coach, making me think that this interview took place early in the off season or earlier this season. If that's the case, I don't think any of his recent slump can be applied to anything said in this interview.

tcat075 · 02-25-2009, 07:58 PM

Is it possible to have more respect for Dirk now? I like how he didn't try to cushion something if he believed, i.e. saying Shawn Bradley didn't work in the off-season and that Wade got ever call. I know the 2nd is true...

BGMaverick9 · 02-26-2009, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthig32

This is an interesting article that's getting tainted by this thread. I don't get the idea that Dirk sounds overly frustrated by that article. And Dirk is not "done with this team".

I thought his comment about Shawn Bradley was very frank and interesting. And not surprising at all.

I agree that I didn't take a lot of the same thoughts as everyone else did out of the article. He's frustrated, bitter...whatever, about the 2006 Finals and he felt that it was theirs. We all know how we feel about it, but can you imagine what it feels like for a member of the team, let alone Dirk? Do we know when this interview took place?

There isn't any rhyme or reason to legitimately figure out what is leading to Dirk's performance as of late. Fatigue, Drive is slipping, he's hurt, he's sick, lack of weapons, he knows he's in a funk and trying to soften the blow, etc...etc...etc. The point is we don't know, so we just have to roll with it until he comes out of it or he talks about it.

rabbitproof · 02-26-2009, 12:50 AM

Man, I love Dirk and I know he's human but I don't buy this funk crap. Imagine the mess Kobe or LeBron would get if they threw three slops on the wall in a row.

He needs to get his ass in gear. He's being paid good money to do so and moreover, that's why I always respected him. For all his offensive game and likable personality, I respected him because he was a warrior and an constant force.

Louis · 02-26-2009, 04:33 AM

Dirk can't ever lead this team with current squad to the champoinship, because Dirk is SOFT and our center is a CRAP. Our team doesn't have another decent big man besides Dirk, but Dirk is a different type of player from Duncan. Games in playoffs are always tougher and more physical than those in regular seasons, and the refs always ignore some body touches that are generally called fouls in regular seasons. Our guys in blue are all good players except George, but none of them is a beefy beast like Ron Artest.

Why did the Utah Jazz beat Rockets in the past straight two seasons in playoffs without the advantages of home court? Utah Jazz plays like footballers on basketball court, their rough style feared those rockets soft-asses even before they fight up.

Spurs have Duncan in the paint, which means their shooters can freely make shots outside the 3 line without concerning the rebound. our guys in blue play very hard but still can hardly out-rebound those beasts like chandler. Dirk is not a good rebounder but he always has to step into the paint to grab rebounds himself.

there's not debate Dirk is a superstar, but Dirk's defense is just middle level in NBA. Dirk is a dangerous scoring machine when he holds the ball at the spots where he can shoot, and he can also break into the rim when he's off his shooting range. Dirk used to be the best 3pt shooter, at least he was the best among those big guys. Today's Dirk is reluctant to shoot 3s, or simply has already forgotten how to do it? either way, Dirk is not as threatening as he used to be. and Kidd for the same matter.

But our team is still a contender instead of a pretender. we still have Jet and Kidd that can blow up some offensive storms towards our opponents, and Josh Howard is still a good striker despite his mental issues. Our problem is still rooted in the paint. Dirk is more threatening outside the paint, but he has to stand there all the time to help our crappy center on both ends. Dampier is just the type of center we need, but he is a scrub among all the centers of that type. Our team would be quite different if the big man that stands in our paint was not Dampier but Chandler or Kaman. It's makes more sense to bring Dirk a good assistant than showing our love for him. Donnie stayed numb when Chandler and Kaman both were on sale, I don't think the hornets would ask for more if we offered them Josh Howard. Josh Howard is more capable than Chandler over all, but chandler is just he piece we need and can make more contributions to our team because of that.

sphincs · 02-26-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louis

Dirk can't ever lead this team with current squad to the champoinship, because Dirk is SOFT and our center is a CRAP. Our team doesn't have another decent big man besides Dirk, but Dirk is a different type of player from Duncan. Games in playoffs are always tougher and more physical than those in regular seasons, and the refs always ignore some body touches that are generally called fouls in regular seasons. Our guys in blue are all good players except George, but none of them is a beefy beast like Ron Artest.

Why did the Utah Jazz beat Rockets in the past straight two seasons in playoffs without the advantages of home court? Utah Jazz plays like footballers on basketball court, their rough style feared those rockets soft-asses even before they fight up.

Spurs have Duncan in the paint, which means their shooters can freely make shots outside the 3 line without concerning the rebound. our guys in blue play very hard but still can hardly out-rebound those beasts like chandler. Dirk is not a good rebounder but he always has to step into the paint to grab rebounds himself.

there's not debate Dirk is a superstar, but Dirk's defense is just middle level in NBA. Dirk is a dangerous scoring machine when he holds the ball at the spots where he can shoot, and he can also break into the rim when he's off his shooting range. Dirk used to be the best 3pt shooter, at least he was the best among those big guys. Today's Dirk is reluctant to shoot 3s, or simply has already forgotten how to do it? either way, Dirk is not as threatening as he used to be. and Kidd for the same matter.

But our team is still a contender instead of a pretender. we still have Jet and Kidd that can blow up some offensive storms towards our opponents, and Josh Howard is still a good striker despite his mental issues. Our problem is still rooted in the paint. Dirk is more threatening outside the paint, but he has to stand there all the time to help our crappy center on both ends. Dampier is just the type of center we need, but he is a scrub among all the centers of that type. Our team would be quite different if the big man that stands in our paint was not Dampier but Chandler or Kaman. It's makes more sense to bring Dirk a good assistant than showing our love for him. Donnie stayed numb when Chandler and Kaman both were on sale, I don't think the hornets would ask for more if we offered them Josh Howard. Josh Howard is more capable than Chandler over all, but chandler is just he piece we need and can make more contributions to our team because of that.

You are right!

Concerning the Dirk's interwiev, I have noticed a bitter tone in his words...
He is still frustrated by the defeat in the 2006 finals and maybe he knows that the Mavs aren't able to reach another finals in next future.
He wants to win the ring a lot but he also knows that he can't win any one alone! But I've also understood the he'd like to stay in Dallas...

GermanDunk · 02-26-2009, 08:46 AM

Part II is out.

sphincs · 02-26-2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GermanDunk

Part II is out.

Yes, in part 2 Dirk speaks about his team Germany experience in olimpic games.
At the end he says that the Germany doesn't produce any young player ready for Nba like spain or Italy

LonghornDub · 02-26-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louis

Dirk is not a good rebounder but he always has to step into the paint to grab rebounds himself.

Dirk is a pretty damn good rebounder, homes. Especially in the playoffs.

Underdog · 02-26-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louis

Dirk is not a good rebounder but he always has to step into the paint to grab rebounds himself.

Dirk is currently rated #19 in the LEAGUE for rebounds this season...

(woops - you should have known what you were talking about before you opened your mouth!)

MavsFanFinley · 02-26-2009, 11:29 AM

I feel bad for Dirk. He deserves a championship but I don't see him winning one in Dallas. I'm sure he would love to stay in Dallas and retire a Mav but I wouldn't blame him if he signed with another team.

Murphy3 · 02-26-2009, 12:58 PM

Some people confuse execution with effort. Why? I don't know..usually because they really don't have a solid grasp of the game. But hey, that's 95% of the people that post on forums...most don't have a solid grasp of the game.

Murphy3 · 02-26-2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louis

Dirk can't ever lead this team with current squad to the champoinship, because Dirk is SOFT and our center is a CRAP. Our team doesn't have another decent big man besides Dirk, but Dirk is a different type of player from Duncan. Games in playoffs are always tougher and more physical than those in regular seasons, and the refs always ignore some body touches that are generally called fouls in regular seasons. Our guys in blue are all good players except George, but none of them is a beefy beast like Ron Artest.

Why did the Utah Jazz beat Rockets in the past straight two seasons in playoffs without the advantages of home court? Utah Jazz plays like footballers on basketball court, their rough style feared those rockets soft-asses even before they fight up.

Spurs have Duncan in the paint, which means their shooters can freely make shots outside the 3 line without concerning the rebound. our guys in blue play very hard but still can hardly out-rebound those beasts like chandler. Dirk is not a good rebounder but he always has to step into the paint to grab rebounds himself.

there's not debate Dirk is a superstar, but Dirk's defense is just middle level in NBA. Dirk is a dangerous scoring machine when he holds the ball at the spots where he can shoot, and he can also break into the rim when he's off his shooting range. Dirk used to be the best 3pt shooter, at least he was the best among those big guys. Today's Dirk is reluctant to shoot 3s, or simply has already forgotten how to do it? either way, Dirk is not as threatening as he used to be. and Kidd for the same matter.

But our team is still a contender instead of a pretender. we still have Jet and Kidd that can blow up some offensive storms towards our opponents, and Josh Howard is still a good striker despite his mental issues. Our problem is still rooted in the paint. Dirk is more threatening outside the paint, but he has to stand there all the time to help our crappy center on both ends. Dampier is just the type of center we need, but he is a scrub among all the centers of that type. Our team would be quite different if the big man that stands in our paint was not Dampier but Chandler or Kaman. It's makes more sense to bring Dirk a good assistant than showing our love for him. Donnie stayed numb when Chandler and Kaman both were on sale, I don't think the hornets would ask for more if we offered them Josh Howard. Josh Howard is more capable than Chandler over all, but chandler is just he piece we need and can make more contributions to our team because of that.

You are perhaps one of the dumbest people ever to post on this forum in the history of this forum. You truly haven't paid much attention to the career of Dirk Nowitzki. Only a total idiot would call him 'soft' after what he has done in his career with the Mavs.

There is a reason why many of the long time intelligent posters don't post as much on this forum anymore... A big reason is that mediocrity is the norm here on this forum. The days of KG and Hoops along with others gracing this forum with intelligent posts on a regular basis are gone. It's truly a shame. Unfortunately, we have dumbasses all over the board filling the forum with crap...

I suppose I should take some of the responsibility. I used to take it personally when garbage joined the forum. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time the past couple of years.. Damn, and this is what this site's turning into? Mavstalk... anyone?

You would think that someone would step up and take out the garbage on the site.

The Crippler · 02-26-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

There is a reason why many of the long time intelligent posters don't post as much on this forum anymore... A big reason is that mediocrity is the norm here on this forum. The days of KG and Hoops along with others gracing this forum with intelligent posts on a regular basis are gone. It's truly a shame. Unfortunately, we have dumbasses all over the board filling the forum with crap...

I suppose I should take some of the responsibility. I used to take it personally when garbage joined the forum. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time the past couple of years.. Damn, and this is what this site's turning into? Mavstalk... anyone?

You would think that someone would step up and take out the garbage on the site.

yes.

DevinHarriswillstart · 02-26-2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

You are perhaps one of the dumbest people ever to post on this forum in the history of this forum. You truly haven't paid much attention to the career of Dirk Nowitzki. Only a total idiot would call him 'soft' after what he has done in his career with the Mavs.

There is a reason why many of the long time intelligent posters don't post as much on this forum anymore... A big reason is that mediocrity is the norm here on this forum. The days of KG and Hoops along with others gracing this forum with intelligent posts on a regular basis are gone. It's truly a shame. Unfortunately, we have dumbasses all over the board filling the forum with crap...

I suppose I should take some of the responsibility. I used to take it personally when garbage joined the forum. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time the past couple of years.. Damn, and this is what this site's turning into? Mavstalk... anyone?

You would think that someone would step up and take out the garbage on the site.

I agree. The boards have decreased in intelligent conversation. I suppose you could say that the mediocrity around here is a reflection of the mediocrity of the team itself.

Murphy3 · 02-26-2009, 02:13 PM

Trust me,...the board was strong through the Jamison and Walker year... the board should survive a season with around 50 wins..

alby · 02-26-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

You are perhaps one of the dumbest people ever to post on this forum in the history of this forum. You truly haven't paid much attention to the career of Dirk Nowitzki. Only a total idiot would call him 'soft' after what he has done in his career with the Mavs.

There is a reason why many of the long time intelligent posters don't post as much on this forum anymore... A big reason is that mediocrity is the norm here on this forum. The days of KG and Hoops along with others gracing this forum with intelligent posts on a regular basis are gone. It's truly a shame. Unfortunately, we have dumbasses all over the board filling the forum with crap...

I suppose I should take some of the responsibility. I used to take it personally when garbage joined the forum. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time the past couple of years.. Damn, and this is what this site's turning into? Mavstalk... anyone?

You would think that someone would step up and take out the garbage on the site.

amen

SMC0007 · 02-26-2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

You are perhaps one of the dumbest people ever to post on this forum in the history of this forum. You truly haven't paid much attention to the career of Dirk Nowitzki. Only a total idiot would call him 'soft' after what he has done in his career with the Mavs.

There is a reason why many of the long time intelligent posters don't post as much on this forum anymore... A big reason is that mediocrity is the norm here on this forum. The days of KG and Hoops along with others gracing this forum with intelligent posts on a regular basis are gone. It's truly a shame. Unfortunately, we have dumbasses all over the board filling the forum with crap...

I suppose I should take some of the responsibility. I used to take it personally when garbage joined the forum. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time the past couple of years.. Damn, and this is what this site's turning into? Mavstalk... anyone?

You would think that someone would step up and take out the garbage on the site.

I think people go overboard with the "soft" term. I can see if people mean that he isn't physically or verbally intimidating. Or if he isn't agressive physically but he isn't soft as far as taking punishment and healing from injuries etc. I just think it's obvious that he shy's away if possible from the really physical play, concedes where it's gets rough sometimes. He has never really worked out hard with weights to build his body up for post work like so many other PF's around the league and that is from a mindstate of him not wanting to be down there bangin. Some nights I think he slips into a soft mental state and others he is pretty beastly.

Murphy3 · 02-27-2009, 12:34 PM

You think it's obvious that he concedes when it gets tough? I think you're a basketball moron.

jthig32 · 02-27-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMC0007

I think people go overboard with the "soft" term. I can see if people mean that he isn't physically or verbally intimidating. Or if he isn't agressive physically but he isn't soft as far as taking punishment and healing from injuries etc. I just think it's obvious that he shy's away if possible from the really physical play, concedes where it's gets rough sometimes. He has never really worked out hard with weights to build his body up for post work like so many other PF's around the league and that is from a mindstate of him not wanting to be down there bangin. Some nights I think he slips into a soft mental state and others he is pretty beastly.

You don't think he's built up his body? You're out of your mind. Or you didn't watch when he first came into the league. That seems more likely.

SMC0007 · 02-27-2009, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murphy3

You think it's obvious that he concedes when it gets tough? I think you're a basketball moron.

Yes lets keep this in context, when it comes to physical play he does. How often does Dirk operate in the post and bang around? Not often. I think you are the biggest crybaby on this board!