An older Dirk may not be the Mavericks' star anymore, but he's still great

Source: http://ift.tt/WYIf2J --- Monday, October 05, 2015
At 37, Dirk Nowitzki can still be a focal point for Dallas, if not quite the superstar of years' past. Dirk Nowitzki has been synonymous with the Dallas Mavericks for what -- in Basketball years -- might as well be an eternity. To consider what the team might look like without him in the mix is a strange and perhaps even painful thought, but the reality is such a time is coming. To all who adore him, our pledge the next couple of seasons must be to soak up as much of Dirk's greatness as is left. Dirk's season last year After a spectacular run in 2013-14, the 2014-15 campaign saw Dirk slip a little in a few important areas. With 36-year-old legs supporting his enormous frame, Dirk's lateral mobility on defense -- not a strength to begin with -- became a pretty big problem for Dallas, and was notably exploited by the Houston Rockets in the playoffs. Even the return of Tyson Chandler could not sufficiently cover this up, as Dirk went from a respectable 20th in defensive plus-minus among all power forwards in 2013-14 to 84th. Rick Carlisle did his best to hide Dirk on defense, which kept his opponent-PER and Synergy numbers from cratering, but the Mavericks still gave up 2.5 fewer points when Dirk was off the floor. Though still seven feet tall with quick hands (his best move is stripping drivers with a well-timed slap), Dirk isn't a shotblocker or much of a rebounder, and the last point may be an area to really keep an eye on as Dal ...

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