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Moments like these are weird.
You know the kind. Awkward, mean, pessimistic—the whole nine yards. This particular one has everything, courtesy of the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki.
Following Dallas’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Nowitzki’s frustration culminated in a brutal admission, according to ESPN Dallas’ Tim MacMahon:
“It’s a game we can’t lose,” Nowitzki said. “Can’t afford to lose that one.”
…
“The way we let those games slip away, I don’t think we’re a playoff team,” Nowitzki said. “We’ve got to win those games. We’ve got to find a way to get those stops and protect the home court.”
Damn. Talk about your depressing evaluations. You expect to hear outside pundits and critics says that of the Mavs. Nowitzki, on the other hand, should have his head up while singing Dallas’ praises.
Or maybe not.
The Mavs’ loss to the Clippers was a tough one to stomach. Dallas built a 13-point lead, and Los Angeles lost Chris Paul midway through the third quarter. That’s a game you can’t lose—especially at home.
But the Mavs lost. And they lost their next game against the lowly New York Knicks too, adding further merit to Nowitzki’s already semi-accuarate statement.
If the playoffs started now, the Mavs would be a playoff team. They have a 2.5-game hold on the West’s eighth and final playoff spot, no small feat when you consider how top-heavy their conference is. But they’ve also lost four straight at home, which is hardly indicative of a playoff team.
Does that actually mean Nowitzki has the Mavericks earmarked for another lottery finish? Not necessarily. Tensions spill over after losses like that one. Dirk had also suffered a sprained ankle. Maybe he was overly pissed. Perhaps this was an aberration of sorts.
Or maybe he was being completely and utterly honest.
While a potential playoff team, the Mavs don’t project to be championship contenders. That’s what the 35-year-old Nowitzki is ultimately after—another championship.
From USA Today‘s Sam Amick last April:
“Now that I already reached my goal (of winning it all), I really want to finish my career in Dallas,” Nowitzki told USA TODAY Sports recently. “But saying all that, I don’t want another year next year with the same as this year, (with) the frustration and playing for the eight or nine seed.
Interesting.
Prevailing thought suggests Nowitzki, who will enter unrestricted free agency this summer, won’t go anywhere. He’s spent his entire career in Big D. Few players have the opportunity to finish their careers with the teams they started with. Would Nowitzki really pass that up? If he actually wants to contend again, maybe.
Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon have played well, but the Mavs are still a few pieces short of legitimate title contention. They’re not getting any closer either as Nowitzki ages. They need someone else. Another star. Maybe more than one.
Failure to add significant pieces this season or this summer pretty much guarantees they’ll spend their days fighting for seventh or eighth place, something Nowitzki is no longer interested in doing.
Something that, if it continues, could force Nowitzki to leave.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
