Official Dirk is Great Thread

[sike]

Dirk is great at dusting the tops of cabinets...


thats random, right?

[chumdawg]

Dirk

[Tokey41]

Inarguably the best thing to happen to the franchise.


Dirk.

[Murphy3]

...talk about a team without alot of talent surrounding their superstar... don't look beyond the Mavs of the past couple of years (especially the team that went to the Finals). Dirk takes this team from being a below average team to being a title contender..or, at least he has in years past.

[dude1394]

Inside the mind of the dirkster.

http://broadband.nba.com/cc/playa.ph...rue&siteid=rss

[GermanDunk]

Originally Posted by dude1394

Inside the mind of the dirkster.

http://broadband.nba.com/cc/playa.ph...rue&siteid=rss

Run Dirk run *lol*

[Alykhan04]

Dirk is God.

[Rick41]

Originally Posted by Alykhan04

Dirk is God.

Amen.

[monty55555]

Dirk is simply amazing. You cannot say enough about this guy's heart and desire to win. He is a joy to watch.

[Caseman]

I tink Dirk good.

[Dim499]

props to sleepy little Würzburg for creating a basketball god.

[jleefilled]

Dirk

[chumdawg]

Dirk.

[Underdog]

[ShaggyDirk]

^those aren't big enough.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by ShaggyDirk

^those aren't big enough.

Well that one got you off my ignore list. Be careful...

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by ShaggyDirk

^those aren't big enough.

Better?

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Better?

At least it's more anatomically correct.

[Rick41]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Better?

i think they're still lacking...

[Caseman]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Better?

I didn't know squirrels had belly buttons..

[alexamenos]

he's still so hobbled that he can't even take shaq off the drive, and he puts up 32 and 12.

a lesser player (ie, dwyane wade) wouldn't have been on the court yesterday.

my embarrasingly gay love for dirk grows bigger every day.

[dude1394]

Nice X&O's on the greatness of the dirkster yesterday. So he leads in scoring, rebounding, second in assists and now he IS playing like kobe/lebron at the end of games, they've just figured out to let him dribble around outside get switches to the BIG, not the small and let him take them off the dribble.

I've noticed this occurring since he's become so aggressive with Kidd here. Nice stuff. Video at the link.

http://coachingbetterbball.blogspot....-roll-and.html

Following the NCAA tournament, my next favorite time of year immediately follows, the NBA playoffs. With only a week or so left in the regular season, the NBA playoffs are starting to take shape. The one game on the schedule tonight that really had the feel of a playoff game was the Mavs against the Suns in Phoenix.

I was ready to write off the Mavs after Dirk went down with that horrific looking knee injury last month, but Dirk showed a lot of grit to come back and play injured, beating the Warriors, a close loss to the Lakers and a real gutsy effort to beat the Suns today.

One of the great coaching adjustments that Coach Avery Johnson did today was to have Dirk run the PNR up top. It works better than J Kidd because Kidd isn't really a threat to score so you can play him soft. With Dirk running the PNR up top, the defense must respect his ability to shoot and put it on the floor, thus creating a bunch of problems. Here are a couple of sequences from that terrific comeback of the second half,

The PNR works especially well when the player running it up top is a versatile scorer. When the Suns tried to play it straight up, Dirk just took it hard to the rim (and I agree w/ Van Gundy that Shaq fouls Dirk here),

When the Suns decided to double Dirk off the PNR, Dirk finds a rolling Dampier. The Suns rotation comes late allowing Dampier to lay it in,

[alexamenos]

the mavs ran the same p-n-r with dirk and damp against the celts....probably ran it at least 5 or 6 times in the 4th, causing K-G to swith to damp with perkins left on Dirk.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Wow, put the ball in Dirk's hands at the end of games, who woulda thunk?

I love that all of the Mavs are driving again.

[aquaadverse]

The perception of Dirk as soft isn't that big of a mystery. Look at the playoffs last year.

Your coach calls you out and questions your leadership.

Dirk saying if they lose the 5th game it's over and how GS wasn't letting him execute.

Baron Davis hopping around on one leg and being effective and Dirk in the corner looking like he wanted to be anywhere else in game 6.

This team has , fair or not, been in 2 consecutive record meltdowns on the national stage.

Some of this is just Dirk being his normal, humble no bullcrap self, and Avery being unable to put his team in the best position to succeed. Much of it is because of the supporting cast.

Look at some of the posts on this forum during that series crapping on Dirk, some from posters in this thread.

It's not because he's white , European or goofy. It's because of less than great results on the biggest NBA stage. You can't have what went on in last years playoffs and expect fans that don't watch the Mavs much to see Dirk as tough. 67 wins and MVP was all over the promo's with many of the same national media that turned on him later predicting a 4 game series.

I'm not saying it's fair. But it isn't rocket science to see where the soft label comes from. Watch game 6 again. it will probably dog him until he gets a ring.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by aquaadverse

The perception of Dirk as soft isn't that big of a mystery. Look at the playoffs last year.

Your coach calls you out and questions your leadership.

Dirk saying if they lose the 5th game it's over and how GS wasn't letting him execute.

Baron Davis hopping around on one leg and being effective and Dirk in the corner looking like he wanted to be anywhere else in game 6.

This team has , fair or not, been in 2 consecutive record meltdowns on the national stage.

Some of this is just Dirk being his normal, humble no bullcrap self, and Avery being unable to put his team in the best position to succeed. Much of it is because of the supporting cast.

Look at some of the posts on this forum during that series crapping on Dirk, some from posters in this thread.

It's not because he's white , European or goofy. It's because of less than great results on the biggest NBA stage. You can't have what went on in last years playoffs and expect fans that don't watch the Mavs much to see Dirk as tough. 67 wins and MVP was all over the promo's with many of the same national media that turned on him later predicting a 4 game series.

I'm not saying it's fair. But it isn't rocket science to see where the soft label comes from. Watch game 6 again. it will probably dog him until he gets a ring.

It's all that INCLUDING that he's white, european and goofy. And predominantly it's players who are "gangsta" and usually second tier players. Very few of the top tier players would call dirk soft.

[dude1394]

Well I can't recall who wanted it but it was a photo of dirty dirk siliencing the phoenix crowd.

That is one CAAA-RAZZZY LOOKING Dirkster right there. Nice... And a nice article as well.
http://theassociation.blogs.com/the_...turn-of-d.html

The rumor of his demise has been greatly exaggerated...

Wasn't it just over a week ago that Dirk Nowitzki twisted his ankle in a nasty spill? Wasn't he supposed to miss a few weeks of action, killing Dallas' chances at making the playoffs along the way? And wasn't Dallas supposed to be the first 50-win team since the early 70's to never make the playoffs?

Just when I was about to write off Dirk Nowitzki as a head-case reeling from back-to-back postseason disappointments he roars back with three RIDONKULOUSLY HUGE games saving the Mavs season and making them the most dangerous 7 seed in NBA history (okay that may be a little strong, but Dallas no longer looks like a whimpering poodle heading for lottery-land).

Let's take a quick look back at the last three games and how Dirk saved the Mavs season:

Dallas vs. Golden State: Criticized by his own coach for lacking leadership and the ability to fight through tough situations, Dirk surprises everyone and returns early from the high-ankle sprain against GSW. Dallas rode the emotions from the defending MVP and throttled the very fatigued Warriors 111-86. (Hey Nellie, you can't run at a 48-minutes-of-hell pace and play only 6 guys all season! Mix in a bench!) Oh and did I mention that this win was the first W against a winning team since the Kidd trade? This was their biggest win of the season!

Dallas at LA Lakers: The Lakers rallied back to pull out a win in the end, but Dallas dominated the first 3 1/2 quarters. Dirk reminded us why he was MVP last season during a 14-0 run in the second quarter. He absolutely killed Pau Gasol for three straight possessions forcing the Lakers to switch Odom on him as the Mavs went small. It made no difference as he took LO to the post and found Kidd for a wide open three (unlike Sunday, Kidd actually hit it). Dallas was short-handed (Stack was out and they were playing Tyronne Lue big minutes????) and had no business taking it to the Lakers. I'm thinking Dallas wins it if Stack is playing.

Dallas at Phoenix: The Amare Stoudemire dunkfest (and intellectually irresponsible MVP discussion) was interrupted after Dallas made a key defensive adjustment and Dirk clutched up with a key steal and two *SICK* hoops. For the first three quarters the Mavs defense focused on Shaq and Nash and Amare made them pay with an array of punishing dunks. So the much-criticized and soon-to-be-fired Avery Johnson made the game altering change and double teamed Stoudemire off screen-and-rolls. The result? The Suns were held to a shocking 9 points and the "MVP Candidate" missed 3 key freethows down the stretch.

BTW - Amare's NOT an MVP candidate! He's padding his stats while being single-guarded most of the time. Just imagine the damage LeBron, Kobe, Wade, etc. would do if they were never double teamed. His numbers ballooned after the Shaq trade because defenses stopped focusing on him! Like James Worthy was to Magic and Kareem so is Amare to Nash and Shaq. Just stop the MVP talk now!

Oh and those two sick jumpers by Nowitzki? Jason Kidd didn't do Dirk any service by dropping the ball off in a "here you take it" manner with the shot clock running down. (BTW - Didn't they get Kidd because of his decision-making skills???) So with Shaquille O'Neal on him, Nowitzki took what looked like two broken plays and hit a two (wait for it...) DIRTY off-balance jumpers to seal the game and secure the Mavs playoff spot.

Maybe Mavs fans will help me on this, but outside of that game-saving three-point play against the Spurs in 2006, was this the grittiest stretch of basketball in his career?

Posted at 10:56 A

[ShaggyDirk]

Originally Posted by dude1394

Well I can't recall who wanted it but it was a photo of dirty dirk siliencing the phoenix crowd.

That is one CAAA-RAZZZY LOOKING Dirkster right there. Nice... And a nice article as well.
http://theassociation.blogs.com/the_...turn-of-d.html

In all the angles I have seen of this shot, there is some dude (or multiple dudes) in the background with his hands on top of their head.. the thought possibly? ...

"damn, I can't believe he just did that" or
"oh shit, he did it again" or
"he is better breeding stock than me" or
"oh my lord, I forgot to turn off the iron before I left the house"



Regardless, Dirk is one bad motherf***er...

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by ShaggyDirk

In all the angles I have seen of this shot, there is some dude in the background with his hands on top of their head.. the thought possibly? ...

"damn, I can't believe he just did that" or
"oh shit, he did it again" or
"he is better breeding stock than me" or
"oh my lord, I forgot to turn off the iron before I left the house"

If you want proof positive of body language, try to find (I'm pretty sure you will have the wherewithal) a pic of Jason Terry hoisting a three against the Rockets in Game Five or Game Six of that series in '05. In the background is Van Gundy showing despair, in the same manner as about half the crowd in the stands. I wish I had saved it and could point you to it, it was such a great pic.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by aquaadverse

Dirk saying if they lose the 5th game it's over .....

for the record, had the mavs lost game 5 the dubs would have led the series 4-1.

so, really this just demonstrates math proficiency at a 1st grade level by dirk.

and i'm so proud of him for this.

[aquaadverse]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

for the record, had the mavs lost game 5 the dubs would have led the series 4-1.

so, really this just demonstrates math proficiency at a 1st grade level by dirk.

and i'm so proud of him for this.

All true. It's also true that it's hard to picture Jordan, Magic, Bird who was also white and redneck goofy, saying it in public. It certainly didn't make the challenge easier for his team.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by aquaadverse

All true. It's also true that it's hard to picture Jordan, Magic, Bird who was also white and redneck goofy, saying it in public. It certainly didn't make the challenge easier for his team.

this is possibly one of the dumbest criticisms i've ever seen.

[DirkFTW]

Originally Posted by aquaadverse

The perception of Dirk as soft isn't that big of a mystery. Look at the playoffs last year.

(more stuff about last year)

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!

[alexamenos]

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!

excellent point, well made.

[Caliente]

[monty55555]

Speaking of Nowitzki’s ailment, the percentages being thrown around for his left ankle are all over the map. Depending on the when it’s being said and the drama quotient involved, the numbers are anywhere from 60-75 percent.

“You can only dream,” Kidd said whimsically. “I wish I could be at 60 percent doing the things that he does.”

http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/Ma...es_040808.html

[aquaadverse]

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!

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.

[Dim499]

Yes, but he's also 6-0 in game sevens, he is 15th all time in playoff points per game, he had the best strech of basketball of his career during the playoffs in 06 in the 17 games from game one Memphis to game 7 San Antonio, after which he ran out of gas and into Bennett Salvatore. He's one of a handful stars who are over .500 in playoff series.

And last year he ran into the only coach in the league who knows that Nowitzki is all the Mavs have and shut him down by triple-teaming him every time he touched the ball.

He's not Shaq or Duncan, but he's also not as pathetic as Garnett or TMac.

[Dirkadirkastan]

I thought he was just 4-0 in Game 7 (which is still really good).

[Dim499]

Originally Posted by Dirkadirkastan

I thought he was just 4-0 in Game 7 (which is still really good).

You're right, I don't know where I got 6-0.

Here's a (maybe not quite fair ) playoff career comparison between Dirk and Kobe.

15 Dirk Nowitzki 82 Games 42,2 Min ,445 FG% ,376 3p% ,878 FT% 11,1 TOT 2,4 AST 2,2 TO 25,2 PTS

27 Kobe Bryant 131 Games 38,8 Min ,439 FG% ,331 3p% ,796 FT% 4,9 TOT 4,5 AST 2,9 TO 23,3 PTS

-------

1 Michael Jordan 179 Games 41,8 Min ,487 FG% ,332 3p% ,828 FT% 6,4 TOT 5,7 AST 3,0 TO 33,4 PTS

26 Larry Bird 164 Games 42,0 Min ,472 FG% ,321 3p% ,890 FT% 10,3 TOT 6,5 AST 3,1 TO 23,8 PTS