This postseason, Dallas has been dominant due to the downright reDirkculous performance of its often overlooked superstar. Nowitzki knows his legacy is on the line and he's playing like a person possessed. He discussed his determination on the eve of the playoffs, saying a month ago, "We're playing for a championship. That's really the only goal. If we don't win a championship, it's another disappointing season." After absolutely demolishing the two-time defending champs, who managed to be worse to watch than Lamar Odom's reality show, a title is a distinct possibility for the first time since 2006. And this Mavs team is much better than the one Nowitzki last led to the Finals.
Naturally, next to nobody thought that was true heading into the playoffs, when Portland was the popular pick to upset Dallas. A first-round flame-out, not a foray to the Finals, was more likely, given the Mavs' recent history. Pushing past pesky Portland, still the lower seed, wasn't going to convince the critics, so Dallas had much to prove against L.A. Theoretically, the Lakers length and frontcourt size should've given Dallas problems, even though the Mavs finally had a legitimate center, Tyson Chandler, patrolling the paint. The thinking was that, even though the squads had never met in the playoffs, Kobe and Dirk could cancel each other out, but Bynum and Gasol would be the difference. Instead, the Dallas bench, which didn't boast the Sixth Man of the Year, had a three-for-all, that is when they weren't slicing through the lane at will. The bench was nothing short of Terry-ific, bolstered by Barea, a guard who wasn't going to be in their rotation (Beaubois, who's been demoted to "inactive", has given them bupkis). The J's -- both Jasons (Terry and Kidd) and J.J. -- hit their jays. Whether a finance fiasco was at the heart of it or not, the Lakers chemistry turned out to be combustible. The Lakers quit before Phil Jackson did. For once, it was the Mavs' opponent being openly questioned as soft and displaying a disinterest in defense, not them. Oddly, the Lakers looked worn down and distracted, while the Mavs -- who also have several key players in their 30's -- appeared fresh and focused. Their reward for the sweep was 11 days of rest.
Would that much time off while Dallas was on a roll make them rusty? Dirk answered that question last night with a demonstrative "No" by scoring 48 points, missing only three field goals in the process, while going a perfect 24-for-24 from the free throw line to establish a new NBA playoff record. Perhaps the most amazing part of the extraordinary effort was that he didn't force a single shot, which is more than can be said of several stars during these playoffs (see: Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook). Nowitzki smartly passed when he was doubled. He was aggressive when the situation called for it and drove to the basket instead of depending only on fadeaways.
Heads were both shaken and scratched last week when coach Rick Carlisle declared Dirk a top ten player in league history. Some see that statement as dubious, but Dirk belongs in the discussion. His stroke is sweeter than black forest cake. His touch is more magical than E.T.'s. He's the best tall, blonde, long-legged German to grace the states since Heidi Klum. His Deutsche bank shot is money. A championship would initiate that conversation in more circles. No one is more aware of that than Dirk, whose scoring has spiked, up 5.5 points from his regular season average. His game has always been distinct, now his desire is, too. We've doubted him and dismissed Dallas for the last time.
No comments:
Post a Comment