ducks
10-17-2005, 09:08 AM
Nowitzki sees success ahead
By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
NEW YORK - If anyone has their fingers on the pulse of the Mavericks, it's Dirk Nowitzki.
The long-haired German has the longest tenure of any current Mavs player, and he has seen this team through the good and the bad.
So, after nearly two weeks of training camp, Nowitzki had no problem analyzing a Mavs team that will enter a season without Michael Finley for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign.
"We're not scared of anybody," Nowitzki said. "So I really like what I've seen so far.
"I think we're a lot more athletic than we ever were in my seven years. We've got young guys who can run and jump and are willing to learn. And all the guys that have been here before, we've been around each other for a year now, and I think we're playing together a lot better than we were before."
Nowitzki wasn't pleased with the way last season ended, when he struggled as the Mavs lost to Phoenix in six games in the second round of the playoffs. But coach Avery Johnson has the perfect recipe for getting his dominant player pointed in the right direction.
"I think if Dirk just plays defense and leads by example and just knows that he can't do it all by himself, he'll be OK," Johnson said. "[Tim] Duncan doesn't do it all by himself, Shaq [O'Neal] doesn't do it all by himself, none of the top guys do it by themselves.
"There are times when he has to take over. But Dirk has to do a good job of making his teammates better this year, and play the defense."
Last year in the playoffs, Nowitzki averaged 23.7 points and shot only 40.2 percent from the field. That was down from his regular-season average of 26.1 points and 45.9 percent from the floor.
Nowitzki scored 13 of the Mavs' first 26 points Sunday and finished with 20 points, three assists and three steals in 27 minutes as Dallas eked out a 104-102 victory over the New York Knicks.
Over the past two off-seasons, Nowitzki had to deal with the Mavs parting ways with two of his closest friends -- Steve Nash and Finley.
"Personally those were two very tough losses for me," he said. "They were both great friends of mine, and the good thing is they will always stay my friends.
"Just because they work in a different city doesn't mean that will break up our friendship. Obviously, I wish they both were still here, but we as an organization went in a different direction."
It's a direction Nowitzki has bought into.
"I like my teammates that I'm playing with now, and hopefully we can have the kind of success we had in the past when we went to the Western Conference finals," Nowitzki said. So far, it's been fun. Hopefully, we can have a great relationship on and off the court."
By DWAIN PRICE
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
NEW YORK - If anyone has their fingers on the pulse of the Mavericks, it's Dirk Nowitzki.
The long-haired German has the longest tenure of any current Mavs player, and he has seen this team through the good and the bad.
So, after nearly two weeks of training camp, Nowitzki had no problem analyzing a Mavs team that will enter a season without Michael Finley for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign.
"We're not scared of anybody," Nowitzki said. "So I really like what I've seen so far.
"I think we're a lot more athletic than we ever were in my seven years. We've got young guys who can run and jump and are willing to learn. And all the guys that have been here before, we've been around each other for a year now, and I think we're playing together a lot better than we were before."
Nowitzki wasn't pleased with the way last season ended, when he struggled as the Mavs lost to Phoenix in six games in the second round of the playoffs. But coach Avery Johnson has the perfect recipe for getting his dominant player pointed in the right direction.
"I think if Dirk just plays defense and leads by example and just knows that he can't do it all by himself, he'll be OK," Johnson said. "[Tim] Duncan doesn't do it all by himself, Shaq [O'Neal] doesn't do it all by himself, none of the top guys do it by themselves.
"There are times when he has to take over. But Dirk has to do a good job of making his teammates better this year, and play the defense."
Last year in the playoffs, Nowitzki averaged 23.7 points and shot only 40.2 percent from the field. That was down from his regular-season average of 26.1 points and 45.9 percent from the floor.
Nowitzki scored 13 of the Mavs' first 26 points Sunday and finished with 20 points, three assists and three steals in 27 minutes as Dallas eked out a 104-102 victory over the New York Knicks.
Over the past two off-seasons, Nowitzki had to deal with the Mavs parting ways with two of his closest friends -- Steve Nash and Finley.
"Personally those were two very tough losses for me," he said. "They were both great friends of mine, and the good thing is they will always stay my friends.
"Just because they work in a different city doesn't mean that will break up our friendship. Obviously, I wish they both were still here, but we as an organization went in a different direction."
It's a direction Nowitzki has bought into.
"I like my teammates that I'm playing with now, and hopefully we can have the kind of success we had in the past when we went to the Western Conference finals," Nowitzki said. So far, it's been fun. Hopefully, we can have a great relationship on and off the court."