Dallas Mavericks' Nowitzki reflects on 'tough year'
12:58 AM CDT on Friday, September 26, 2008
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com
The blunt question made Dirk Nowitzki uncomfortable. But it didn't necessarily catch him by surprise, like he knew it was coming sooner or later:
If Avery Johnson was still coaching the Dallas Mavericks, would Nowitzki still be on the team?
Mavericks / NBA
It was more than just a rumor last season that Nowitzki had grown tired of Johnson's system and coaching style. But was it really as bad as the whispers made it sound?
"I had a good time with Avery," Nowitzki said Thursday. "But sometimes I wish we had communicated a little more. We all know Avery ran a little dictatorship here. I think this league is still a league of players, not a coaches league."
To the players, that's what Johnson forgot. And that's what rubbed players the wrong way in the end. Nowitzki, sporting a fresh buzz cut with no trace of the Olympic rings he shaved into his hair before the Beijing Games, is back in Dallas for training camp, which begins with physical exams over the weekend, media day Monday and the first set of practices Tuesday.
Nowitzki touched on a variety of topics, including his contract situation and, of course, the coaching change.
Johnson's regimented style, along with his lack of offensive creativity, were two of the things that wore down Nowitzki and his teammates.
Dirk Nowitzki said he wished he and former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson communicated more.
"You know me, I'm not always on the edge," Nowitzki said about whether he and Johnson could have lasted another season together. "I usually keep stuff on the inside.
"It was a tough year for me, I've got to admit. I had a lot of bad games in November and December. And after that, I got to playing better, and Jason [Kidd] really helped my game after the All-Star Game. But it was an up-and-down year, and up-and-down years are never fun. I had to play hurt for us to get to the playoffs, and that obviously is not what we play for."
And as for the Mavericks' offense that slowed to a crawl, particularly in the playoffs, Nowitzki said:
"Avery had a really strong will of what should go on out there, and he controlled the game a lot. I don't think there was enough movement going on. People were just sitting on our stuff, especially in the playoffs. We just couldn't score enough.
"I don't think we got enough easy stuff, either on the break or on cuts. Everything was post-ups or contested shots. It wasn't easy. I don't want to use this year to bash Avery. He took us to the Finals and did a phenomenal job. He came in and brought fire and enthusiasm."
Nowitzki said he is excited about the Mavericks' prospects this season under Rick Carlisle. He already has been impressed with Carlisle's communication skills and his commitment to a more uptempo offense.
Nowitzki also said that he's eager for something else: being a free agent. He can opt out of his contract after 2009-10 or play it out through 2010-11. He said he has no intention of signing an extension next summer when he is eligible to do so.
"I kind of want to see what's going to happen," said Nowitzki, 30. "I don't want to commit until I'm 35 or 36 and then [find out] I don't want to play that long. But saying that now, everything is kind of out in the open. We'll see how we play this year and hopefully bring some of the fun back.
"Once I play these next three years, then maybe I've lost a step and I'm not quick enough anymore to play with these guys because there are so many athletes here."
Nowitzki added that another factor regarding his long-term future is weighing on him: He doesn't want to play when he no longer is effective.
"I'd love to finish my career here in Dallas," he said. "Hopefully, we can win the championship here in the next three years and it'll be great. And if not, we all have to keep our eyes and ears open to what's going on.
"I figure I have three more years now. If we get a championship and I really don't want to play anymore, maybe I'm done. I think the worst thing that athletes can do is play too long and at the end, look slow and don't look right and they lose some of their reputation. I don't want to do that. I want to still play when it's fun."
THOUGHTS FROM DIRK
On the possibility of Kobe Bryant or LeBron James going to Europe:
"I don't believe that."
On him perhaps playing in Europe:
"There's one big club in Germany. They've been asking me every year. Actually, the owner's dream is to have me in uniform once before I retire. I'm sure he's going to do everything he can to make that happen before my career's over."
On Josh Howard:
"He's not a bad guy. He just sometimes says the wrong things at the wrong times. But knowing him for five or six years now, he's a good guy. People are trying to make him a bad guy now, but I can for sure say that he's fun to be around, he's a good kid and he cares. Sometimes he just has to learn how to control himself and keep some stuff to himself. Hopefully, coming into training camp and saying all the right things and working hard and hopefully starting off great will make all this go away and he'll have a great year here and a great career."
Link
Most direct and critical I have ever seen Dirk talk about a coach. Good stuff. I think if we saw dirk be more open and opinionated, it might enhance his stature around the league. Not Barkley like, but have some chops.
