Does Dirk Leave the Mavericks?
Growing up, you get certain gifts that you remember. When I was eleven, there was nothing I wanted more than a basketball jersey of my favorite player. It was 2001, so as all of my friends were celebrating Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant having played in the previous NBA Finals, I was a fan of someone else entirely. My heart was captured by a seven foot tall German that rained three-pointers like there was no tomorrow. I still have that Dirk Nowitzki jersey my sister bought for me that year. I’ve got no idea how many times I wore it over the years, squeezing into it for pick-up games and the like.
At any rate, I’ve keenly watched the illustrious career of Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks’ face of the franchise. The 13-time All-Star captured so many of our hearts over the years, but he always seemed to be left on the margins. Now, as we enter the day which will probably see a third straight postseason series loss since the NBA Championship in 2011, we have to evaluate the nearing twilight of his career. That career has also spanned the entire period of Western Conference dominance since the departure of Michael Jordan’s elite Chicago Bulls team. In fact, Dirk is dangerously close to becoming just the sixth player in NBA (not ABA) history to reach 30,000 points.
For those who didn’t know, Dirk took a very large pay-cut in order to free up salary cap space for Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to sign new free agents in the offseason. He cleared roughly $15 million a year for the next three seasons, leading to over $40 million in cap space being opened up for a new spark to help Dallas make one more real shot at the title with Dirk at the helm. Spirits were high when this season began. As someone who has followed the Mavericks intensively over the past fifteen years, the cleared out salary led to a number of great additions.
The season started so keenly, and Dirk was off to a high-flying start. Much like in his younger days, the Mavericks were scoring in droves, leading the league in offensive efficiency. Everything was looking up. Dirk was going to hit 30,000 points by the end of the contract. Our first playoff run since the title was looking good. Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons were playing lights out. Tyson Chandler’s form was the best since his spectacular play in 2011. Role players like JJ Barea and Devin Harris were exceeding expectations. It was happening!
The day I believed Dirk might actually win another title was December 18, 2014. Days before I was supposed to see Dallas play Oklahoma City in Dallas, Rajon Rondo was traded to the Mavericks from the Boston Celtics. I won’t lie, as you can check my social media: I was hyped beyond belief. I felt that Rondo could be that one piece that was missing. One year removed from a seven game first round series loss to the eventual NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs, the arrival of a star player for a handful of role players gave me hope for one more real shot for Dirk and Dallas to win another title. Then, everything went to hell.
Fast forward some four months, and what do we have? In the previous 110 or so playoff series that one team jumped out to a 3-0 lead, they have never dropped a series. Rajon Rondo’s cancerous attitude and play style has happened like everyone expected, and he’s out with a “back injury.” Chandler Parsons is done for the season. The Houston Rockets are finding ways to win. The writing is on the wall. Dirk can score 34 points, but it doesn’t seem to matter. The Mavericks are tired and depleted. So where do we go from here?
For those of you who are reading this and barely understanding what’s happening, I’ll break it down for you. Dirk Nowitzki led a ragtag bunch of guys up against LeBron in 2011 and came out NBA Champions. He’s one of the best Power Forwards to have ever played the game. He’s arguably the best European player to have ever graced the NBA. He’s going to hit 30,000 points by the end of the 2017 season (assuming he keeps going until then, but for those who have followed him, they know his drive and work ethic won’t let him quit yet). His Mavericks have one of the best rivalries in the NBA over the past fifteen years with the San Antonio Spurs. Dirk’s helped bring a new style of play into the game. Dirk revolutionized the role of the “Big Man.” For those who love Anthony Davis, his play style is possible because of what Dirk did to the game. Without getting into too much, the Pick-and-Pop has led to some of the most beautiful basketball sequences I’ve ever seen. And FINALLY, he’s probably not going to finish his career a Maverick.
Yep, you heard it here. My bold prediction is that despite Mark Cuban’s love affair with Dirk (who can blame him?), he’s a businessman. His gamble with Rondo has not paid off. He needs to rebuild, and as much as Dirk means to that city and fanbase, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that Dirk will leave. He has an option to go to free-agency after next season, and even if he doesn’t take the option, I could see him waiving his no-trade clause to help him move on and the franchise rebuild around Chandler Parsons and others.
Rarely does a player have a no-trade clause written into their contract, but Nowitzki is one of the few. Not many have ever had the longevity at one team like Dirk. However, he’s a guy who wants to play, because he loves the game. If you read comments of his about money and the league, it’s evident that he truly loves the game. When he exorcised the demons of 2006 (where the Miami Heat came back and won the NBA Finals over Dallas) with the win in 2011, his legacy was complete. He’ll never have the dynasty like the San Antonio Spurs did, but very few have the respect of the league like he does. At any rate, unless he averages 22.94 points a game through all 82 games next season, I don’t see Dirk breaking the 30,000 point barrier by either the end of the 2016 regular season or as a Maverick.
I blame Rajon Rondo for all of this. I can’t wait until he leaves for either the Knicks or the Lakers and curses them. In the end, make sure you watch Dirk’s last two seasons. He’s got 1,881 points to go until a mark that only Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Karl Malone have ever made in the NBA alone. That’s some kind of company, even if he’s got to go somewhere else to do it. Tonight though, tune in at 9:00 PM to watch classic, vintage Dirk. The one-legged fadeaway will amaze you, every time you see it. Pour one out for one hell of a career. To you Dirk, in an era where players take easy fouls and don’t put it all on the line, your emotion and play style shines through.
