Congrats Dirk... all-time Maverick leader in Points!

[fluid.forty.one]

I have a feeling Barbosa would be on there. And some "underrated hustle guy" like Pryzbilla. Walton is a kook.

[monty55555]

DALLAS -- Upon Jason Kidd's arrival, Dirk Nowitzki declared himself a scorer again.

That early season business about passing more? Whatever. That, Nowitzki said, is Kidd's job now.

"Well, then, that means he's going to hold that record for a long time because he's going to score a lot of points," Kidd said. "We want to make it as easy as possible for him to score. I'm just trying to make him aware that the game can be easier if he wants it to be."

In Saturday's 20-point win over hapless New Jersey, six of Kidd's 13 assists set up Nowitzki. The sixth, with 4:50 left in the game, made the unique 7-footer the Mavericks' all-time leading scorer with 16,644 points, one more than Rolando Blackman.

And Nowitzki has many more games -- and Kidd passes -- to come.

Tonight against the New York Knicks, the third game of an important five-game homestand in which the Mavs are 1-1, Nowitzki will shoot for his seventh 30-point outing in 12 games.

"I always got paid to put the ball in the basket," he said. "My passing got better over the years, but still, I'm most comfortable putting the ball in the basket, shooting, shooting in transition, shooting 3s. And now we've got a great decision-maker in Jason.

"So that put me back more in my original position with this team. I was more of a scorer, and that's fine with me."

Nowitzki's scoring average has reached a season high of 23.7 points per game. Before Kidd arrived, Nowitzki was averaging 22.8 points. In nine games with Kidd -- Nowitzki missed the Houston game while serving a one-game league suspension -- he has averaged 29.4 points, and has done so efficiently.

He's making a higher percentage of his shots, especially 3-pointers, which suggests he's receiving the ball, often in transition, at the right time and in the right spot.

"Every time he has an opening, he gets the ball," coach Avery Johnson said. "He doesn't get it every three times; he gets it every time, now. And, because of that, his setups are much more efficient, and he's getting the ball on time, and it's on target."

Kidd's passing has obviously helped Nowitzki, but, perhaps, there's a mental aspect as well. Kidd, a floor leader who has been to the NBA Finals twice, looks to be easing the burden on Nowitzki to be all things -- leader, scorer, rebounder, interior defender and, of course, terrific passer.

"[Dirk is] just happy right now," Johnson said. "He's in a happy place. He's playing really hard. Right now, he knows we, as a team, have a higher level to go to. There's a new dimension for us to go to, and he knows we're not there yet."

Score one for Dirk

When playing alongside Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki can focus on scoring, not passing. A look at Nowitzki's 53 games before Kidd and nine games with him:


Before Category After
22.8 Points/game 29.4
47.1 Field-goal pct. 51.2
29.1 3-point pct. 53.6
16.8 Shots/game 18.4
4.0 Assists/game 2.7

http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/520617.html

[craggmac]

That is what I like to hear.

[monty55555]

Originally Posted by craggmac

That is what I like to hear.

Yup. Its a pretty good read.

[sike]

great stuff, monty.

[monty55555]

Originally Posted by sike

great stuff, monty.

Thanks.

I actually didn't know where to post it. I was contemplating on putting up a new thread since it is a pretty good read. However, since it relates to Dirk's shooting and scoring, I thought I'd just put it within this thread.

[fluid.forty.one]

"Well, then, that means he's going to hold that record for a long time because he's going to score a lot of points," Kidd said. "We want to make it as easy as possible for him to score. I'm just trying to make him aware that the game can be easier if he wants it to be."

Thank the Lord.

[horse900703]

Good Job Dirk~~~~

[monty55555]

The pressure to lead the Mavericks has been Dirk Nowitzki's and his alone since Steve Nash headed to the desert to a few years ago.

It beat him down in the playoffs last year, leaving him a shell of the player who deserved to win the league's MVP award.

But it's no longer his burden to bear alone. It's shared by Jason Kidd and Avery Johnson.

Guess what?

That will make Dirk better. Much better.

It already has.

Look at the scintillating numbers he has posted since the Mavs acquired Kidd 11 games ago. He's averaging 28.1 points and 8.5 rebounds, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 58.0 on 3-point attempts.

And he's doing it with a smile on his face and joy in his heart. You simply can't underestimate the correlation between happiness and performance in professional sports.

There have been more fist pumps from Dirk in the last three weeks than in the last two years combined.

He no longer feels alone.

Now, he'd probably never admit that. It's not his style.

Still, it's pretty evident he no longer carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. These days the pressure to win a championship for this franchise, which has been involved in the two biggest collapses in team history the last two years, is evenly distributed among Dirk, Avery and Kidd.

That's a positive.

Last May, after the Mavs became the first No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose a best-of-7 series to a No.8 seed, I wrote the Mavs will never win a championship as long as Nowitzki is their best player.

I came to that conclusion because I didn't believe Nowitzki, as terrific as he is, is the kind of player who could put a team on his back, tell them before the game where he was going to take them and then make it happen on the court.

I still don't.

But it's OK, because the entire focus of the Mavs – win or lose – is no longer solely on him, and that will make him a better player. Though Nowitzki is still the Mavs' best player and one of the league's best, Kidd is a future Hall of Famer.

Kidd is the quarterback, so to speak. He's a guy who's expected to make just as many big plays in the fourth quarter as Nowitzki, and he'll have to answer just as many questions if the Mavs fall short of their lofty goals.

After all, Kidd is the guy Avery called a finisher at the veteran point guard's introductory news conference. Kidd is the player Johnson said understood how to impose his will on a game late in the fourth quarter when every possession is monumental.

More important, he's a star player who has earned numerous accolades and awards with a reputation for making clutch plays. All those attributes should make Nowitzki feel more at ease.

When the Mavericks enter the playoffs this season, Johnson will find himself under intense scrutiny for the first time as a head coach.

That's what happens when a team with championship aspirations has lost eight of 10 playoff games, while imploding in consecutive series. In each series loss, you could easily make the argument Johnson was outcoached first by Pat Riley and then by Don Nelson, so he will be under pressure to prove he's not the Tracy McGrady of coaches.

We all know Avery has been out of the first round, but you get the point. Lose in the first round this season, and Johnson will be labeled as a coach with great regular-season win totals who can't get it done in the playoffs.

He must also overcome the reputation as a control freak who can't even turn over control of his team to one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. All the little stunt he pulled in San Antonio did was reinforce the notion.

See, without the addition of Kidd and the numerous questions surrounding Johnson, Nowitzki would enter this postseason as the central figure in the Mavs' collapses each of the last two years.

Now he doesn't have to handle it alone. He won't be at the epicenter of the blame game.

Kidd and Johnson will share the burden, which will make Nowitzki a happier, more productive player when the playoffs start.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...r.29d8937.html

[dude1394]

The cat is definitely out of the bag.

When the Mavericks enter the playoffs this season, Johnson will find himself under intense scrutiny for the first time as a head coach.

That's what happens when a team with championship aspirations has lost eight of 10 playoff games, while imploding in consecutive series. In each series loss, you could easily make the argument Johnson was outcoached first by Pat Riley and then by Don Nelson, so he will be under pressure to prove he's not the Tracy McGrady of coaches.

We all know Avery has been out of the first round, but you get the point. Lose in the first round this season, and Johnson will be labeled as a coach with great regular-season win totals who can't get it done in the playoffs.

He must also overcome the reputation as a control freak who can't even turn over control of his team to one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. All the little stunt he pulled in San Antonio did was reinforce the notion.

[fluid.forty.one]

man I always have to update my sig in a freakishly fast pace.

[nashtymavsfan13]

Great reads. I don't agree that Dirk is not a player who can carry a team on his back. I think he definitely can through stretches, hitting key shots down the stretch. He's just not a vocal leader, he doesn't like all the recognition. He's the type of player who goes out there and gets the job done. The less pressure to be a leader and the less recognition he receives for things like that, the better. He can then just focus on what he does best and quit trying to be someone he's not.

[Lor20]

Is there a list with all time leaders in other stats too? i cant seem to find any mavs all time stats anywhere.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by nashtymavsfan13

Great reads. I don't agree that Dirk is not a player who can carry a team on his back. I think he definitely can through stretches, hitting key shots down the stretch. He's just not a vocal leader, he doesn't like all the recognition. He's the type of player who goes out there and gets the job done. The less pressure to be a leader and the less recognition he receives for things like that, the better. He can then just focus on what he does best and quit trying to be someone he's not.

Nor do I. JJR just doesn't understand enough about basketball imo to not think that dirk is supposed to be a kobe/lebron and take over a game with the ball in his hands. It ain't gonna happen like that, it's a physical impossibility.

As cubes and others said they became alarmed at how damn hard dirk was having to work to get wins for this team. give him the ball at the elbow and he either had to shoot a contested shot or drive around the guy to get pummeled in the lane (with no diva-like whistles for a 7-footer).

Against the warriors the mavs couldn't come close to even getting him the ball let alone making the warriors pay for over-playing him. Avery so failed in that series that it's not funny and he had the gall to throw dirk under the bus in that series. Probably should have been fired the moment he opened his mouth then.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Is there a list with all time leaders in other stats too? i cant seem to find any mavs all time stats anywhere.

Not sure why no one here has responded to your post and directed you to Patricia's site. But here is the link:

http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/mavs.html

And of course there is always basketball reference for comparing Mav players to other players

http://www.basketball-reference.com

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Didn´t know this one: http://www.basketball-reference.com

Nice and thanks!

[monty55555]

I was thinking when it comes to a player being bad-mouthed by media and fans, he was our local leader. But then someone offered the name of Roy Williams, an alleged safety in football.

OK, Dirk moves down to second on that list, but with an asterisk.

When was the last time a reigning league MVP took so much abuse?

I'm guilty as charged. And you?

What we have, of course, with Mr. Nowitzki is a special treasure. He's one of the best basketball players in the world, combined with being one of the nicest people in the world.

What's not to like?

For starters, Dirk wasn't Dwyane Wade in those Finals. So he didn't make many friends or Sir Charles' Fave Five.

Then again, Dwyane Wade hasn't been heard from since, except in the TV commercials. Other than Charles, no one else has phoned this guy in two years.

Redemption for those Finals was supposed to come last spring. Instead, there was Dirk's vanishing act against Golden State, resulting in humiliation and embarrassment for the Mavericks as an organization, and mainly Nowitzki as the face of the organization.

Is all this criticism fair? Sure, simply because it comes with the territory.

But what about today? It's mid-March and the stretch run of the NBA regular season has officially begun.

Where we currently find the Mavericks is totally different than in the past few years. They have sunk to JAT status. Just Another Team. A contender in the mighty Western Conference, but not a serious contender, or so the thinking goes.

Can't say I necessarily disagree with that evaluation, but on a positive note, there is recent evidence that in one area the Mavericks are better than at any time during the last three seasons.

Dirk. He's that area.

In a small three-week window, and even with the team record only 7-5 in this span, I don't think I've seen Nowitzki play better overall. Or appear happier in doing it. And this includes most stretches of his MVP campaign.

The latest numbers certainly suggest this is true. But you don't need numbers for proof. Just watch.

So, what's the difference in Dirk?

Don't kid yourself. It's Kidd.

Whether you liked that trade or not, the Mavericks are a much better team because Jason Kidd is running the point. They are a better right now than their Finals team.

There were times this season when Dirk looked funked out. For most of this season, Avery Johnson appeared stressed out.

Kidd has come in and quickly changed both those negative elements.

With Avery, it's difficult to tell how much he's eased off his hammer. But if nothing else, the play of Nowitzki tells us it's happening, while Dirk's recent court demeanor almost proves it.

Kidd is not a miracle worker. He's a proven point guard who doesn't have to score a point, but if he makes Dirk better, then the Mavs are obviously better.

Back to that previous question about the criticism heaped upon Nowitzki:

Yes, it's a territorial thing that comes with stardom. But in most all NBA cases, a star prospers in the postseason only if his supporting cast makes a contribution.

In the Golden State debacle, Big Nellie took Dirk out of the flow with double- and triple-teams. He dared the Other Four to beat him. They were awful.

A red-hot Houston came to town last week, and Dirk was absent because of a league suspension. The Mavericks were so bad it started whispers the team had quit on Avery.

I didn't see quit. I saw a team void of quality talent without Nowitzki.

We will all agree that Dirk is not Kobe. He cannot consistently take over a game.

Then again, Kobe has never even sniffed a championship without teaming with one of the best big men ever to lace 'em up.

Will it be different this season for Bryant? We will see, but the West is the West. Come playoff time, hold on tight.

I noticed the Spurs currently have lost three of four, the three Ls being road stops at Denver, Phoenix and New Orleans (a 25-point blowout), all members of the West's Big Nine.

For a team with multiple rings, this slide is not causing questions. But for all their championships in the last decade, the Spurs have never faced this kind of conference competition. There has never been this kind of conference competition.

After Kidd arrived, the Mavericks embarked on a road trip that resulted in losses at San Antonio, the Lakers and Utah. Panic engulfed local precincts.

But the first two Ls were bang-bang, down-to-the-wire finishes, and at Utah, the Mavericks rallied from a huge hole, then lost late. It was a tougher road stretch than what the Spurs just faced.

Lately, the Mavs have regrouped against patsy competition, and that situation continues tonight with Indiana in town, and then Sunday with a visit to Miami.

Next week, we will know more. Starting Tuesday, the Lakers, then the Celtics and the Spurs come to downtown Dallas.

If you have already given up on the Mavericks, so be it. But I'd be watching next week before definitely calling it quits.

When Dirk is going good, this is a good team. Maybe it's just me, but at the moment, I've never seen Dirk going better.

Thanks, Kidd.

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/...ay//index.html

[horse900703]

check this website out:
http://www.nba.com/mavericks/matchup...ingScorer.html