DALLAS -- Anyone looking for negatives about Dirk Nowitzki should avoid the general proximity of San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich.
Because of the Mavericks' first-round loss to the Warriors last season, Nowitzki has been subjected to criticism of his leadership, his toughness and his compe iveness.
Popovich was clearly irritated when asked Thursday to address those charges.
"The only reason any media bring that up is because [the Mavericks] haven't won a championship, so you got to blame somebody," Popovich said, the derision clear in his voice. "It gets put on Dirk and it's baloney. He's one of the most compe ive guys in the league. He does a of a job. And teams win championships, not individuals."
When the line of questioning continued and Popovich was asked if Nowitzki had areas where he had to improve, Popovich said: "If you're going to look for holes in a game, Dirk's not the guy to look to. There's a whole lot of guys you can look at and say they've got holes in their game. But why you'd even bring Dirk up is beyond me. He's about as perfect as you can get."
Dallas coach Avery Johnson obviously believes in Nowitzki's ability to lead a team to a championship.
"He is that type of guy," Johnson said. "Dirk is a stud. Dirk didn't get MVP by osmosis. He earned it, and I think when you talk about carrying a team, most of the time any player carries a team, the supporting cast plays awfully well.
"If you go back and look at, as good as [Michael] Jordan was, Jordan had [Scottie] Pippen. Jordan had Dennis Rodman. He had Steve Kerr making shots. As good as [Tim] Duncan is, Tony Parker is special, and [Bruce] Bowen makes shots and [Michael] Finley and [Manu] Ginobili.
"So it's not just Dirk. It's the supporting cast also."
Texas-size rivalry
With the NBA playing a balanced schedule that has no team playing another more than four times, it's tough to create rivalries. But Spurs guard Brent Barry said if there is one, it's Dallas and San Antonio, who have met in three playoff series since 2001.
"This series between us and Dallas over the past few years is probably the most heated in our league right now," Barry said. "I don't think there's anything better than what's going on between the Spurs and the Mavericks, how the games are played, how intense they are."
The Mavericks are the only team to beat San Antonio in the playoffs in the past three years.
I don't think I ever had a problem with Nowitzki. I have a big problem with Terry and Stackhouse. I can't understand all the Dirk hate. He's the nicest guy on the team, and a good player.
On the other hand, Terry and Stackhouse. Jeez. What a bunch of average bags lucky enough to find a system that works for them.
So much for the whole "the Spurs don't respect the Mavs" thing that some (not all) Mavs fans drop.
There is obviously a ton of respect there. Some will say that is fear because they are too stupid to know the difference. Respect is there, fear is not.
Maybe Pop read our making-fun-of-trollish-Mav-fans-thread.
I agree. Smackhouse just needs to keep his mouth shut and play. if terry could go through a whole game without making some stupid face that would make me happy.
Out of all the Mavs, Dirk I guess is the one I can stand.
I absolutely loathe Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, and Jason Terry.
There was a time five years ago, after everything that happened to this franchise in the nineties, that winning 50 games and going to the playoffs counted as a successful season. The bar has been raised, and if the Mavs don't win a le, then the season is a failure. Avery has tried to change the mindset of this team from Nellie's "we're not very good, we're the underdogs," approach to expecting and believing great things should happen for this team. And it's just the nature of the beast. Dirk is the team's best player, the "star," and when his team loses, he's going to get the blame. That's just how it is. He didn't play his best game against the Warriors, but who else on our team had a good series?
I love those guys, but I can see why other team's fans would hate them. Probably the same phenomenon with Bruce and Horry.On the other hand, Terry and Stackhouse. Jeez. What a bunch of average bags lucky enough to find a system that works for them
Anyways, big ups to Pop. What a classy guy.
Stack/Terry = the reason why probably Dallas never won it all... i think Dirk is a class act guy.... i still don;t have a problem with Howard or Harris...
Agreed. The Spurs don't fear anybody. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous. And I don't think the Mavs fear the Warriors, it's more of an "itch they just can't scratch" situation.
Stackhouse really needs to go himself.
Agreed.And I don't think the Mavs fear the Warriors, it's more of an "itch they just can't scratch" situation.
Whats wrong with Josh Howard...
Terry can come accross as a bit of a so to speak, but i think hes just a in your face type of guy... hes compe ive.
Stackhouse is starting to get on my nerves with some of the comments hes made... not necessarily the last one, but i think a couple of months ago he made a comment saying Spurs had an easy run or something and downplaying the le. I thought that was odd for a dude that knows Jack about winning a le.
Dirk is all class.
agree...i like the big German.
Pop is a classy coach.
For a team that has absolutely NO SKINS on the wall, the Mavs sure do have a lot of mouthy, over-opinionated, smack-talking players.
Dirk is a good, serious guy. Howard is talented, but kinda stupid.
Stackhouse and Terry, as effective as they can be as shooters, are little dip s. eg, Terry clapping to and inciting the fans last night when Manu missed a FT. Totally absent sportsmanship, like punching Michael in the balls. That's not compe ion, it's balla trashiness.
It's all mind games.
Just like the retirement of 6's number.
This year we will Bowen your minds!
Last edited by Walter Craparita; 11-16-2007 at 11:58 AM.
Remember what people said about David before Tim got here and the Spurs won a championship."The only reason any media bring that up is because [the Mavericks] haven't won a championship, so you got to blame somebody," Popovich said, the derision clear in his voice. "It gets put on Dirk and it's baloney. He's one of the most compe ive guys in the league. He does a of a job. And teams win championships, not individuals."
Like you haven't seen Spurs players do this-- Manu most of all... Where have you people been?
Like body checking Nash into the scorer's table...like punching Michael in the balls
I can't believe people are that upset over Jason trying to get the crowd into the game. Sensitive much?
What Pop said is nice. Maybe a little too nice, because I wouldn't say Dirk's game is close to perfect.
Anyone who is surprised by what Pop said, or who thinks that there is some ulterior motive to Pop's statements, hasn't been paying much attention for the last decade. This is pure big picture Popovich.
That's a stupid philosophy to have, and trivializes how much a le means. So much has to go right for a team to win a championship: health being #1, usually a play or two made or missed that determines who wins a close series, and so on. Should Spurs fans consider 2006 a failure because Manu fouled Dirk and Tim missed the game-winner in game 7? No team is ever just supposed to win the le when they come into a season, and it's stupid to be pissed at your team if they don't win it all.
The probability any individual team wins the le (as it stands right now) isn't all that high, considering the Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Celtics, and Rockets all look roughly even right now.
I don't necessarily think so, at least not for Dallas. They have scaled every other mountain from being the dregs of the League. There is nothing left to accomplish except win a le. Maybe if we didn't have an empty trophy case, there might not be a need for a " le or bust" mentality. I definitely enjoy winning more than being in the lottery, and I'm sure the team does as well, but as of right now, things are still incomplete.That's a stupid philosophy to have, and trivializes how much a le means.
Agreed. You have to be good, and you need some luck along the way.So much has to go right for a team to win a championship: health being #1, usually a play or two made or missed that determines who wins a close series, and so on.
If the goal is to win a le, Yes. If the goal is to be among the league's elite and not be an easy out in the playoffs, No.Should Spurs fans consider 2006 a failure because Manu fouled Dirk and Tim missed the game-winner in game 7?
I'm not going to be pissed at my team if they fall short. If that were the case, I'd have taken off my MFFL tee after the Warrior series. I believe in sticking with your team through good times and bad. All I'm saying is that as far as the team goes, the actual players and coaching staff, they won't be satisfied with anything less than a trophy. That doesn't mean they have some sort of sense of en lement, just that they have set an extremely high bar for themselves.No team is ever just supposed to win the le when they come into a season, and it's stupid to be pissed at your team if they don't win it all.
What did people want Pop to say? Yeah, Dirk is to blame. If he would have stepped up they wouldn't have lost in the first round last year. Do you want Pop to say when it comes down to big games Dirk doesn't have the heart? C'mon. Of course he's going to say nice things.
Pop says there's no hole in Dirk's game? If Tim played D like Dirk does, do you think Pop would be happy? I think it's pretty clear that Pop is just being politic.
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