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Another example of the knowledgable SA media.
Mike Finger: Dirk needs someone like Duncan
San Antonio Express-News
Finger They're calling Dirk Nowitzki a choker, which isn't entirely accurate. You can't give a playoff series away when you never had control of it in the first place.
But people are right when they say Nowitzki is missing something, and it doesn't have anything to do with heart or courage or better post moves. In the end, Nowitzki won't win an NBA championship until he gets the same thing that was lacking by the last MVP to get humiliated this badly.
Like the Admiral, Nowitzki needs his own Tim Duncan.
If that sounds like a slight to either David Robinson or Nowitzki, it isn't. It's just that the list of men capable of carrying a team to a le is incredibly short, and neither Dirk nor David is on it. Do you realize that of the last 16 NBA championships, 15 were won by Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon or Duncan?
Robinson undoubtedly does. In 1995, he was the best player on the best team in the league, just like Nowitzki was this season. The Admiral was the MVP that year, and he had the privilege of picking up his trophy in between Olajuwon "Dream Shakes" during an embarrassing Western Conference finals.
This is where Dirk got lucky — by the time the NBA gets around to handing out this year's award, he'll already be on an island somewhere, with David Hasselhoff on his iPod to drown out the boos.
Unfortunately for Robinson, he had to claim his trophy in person. It was one of the lowlights of his career, and watching a few feet away was a teammate named Avery Johnson, who had no inkling then how close he'd come to living the whole thing over a dozen years later.
Johnson, now Nowitzki's coach, made reference to that long-ago series late Thursday night, after his Dallas Mavericks were finally put out of their misery by Golden State. Johnson said losing to the Warriors was as tough as any defeat he'd endured since the Spurs were trounced by the Rockets in 1995, and somewhere Robinson probably was nodding along with him.
It looked bleak for the Admiral back then, just as it does for Nowitzki now. Robinson turned 30 in the summer of 1995 (Nowitzki will be 29 next month), and that season appeared at the time to be the best opportunity he'd ever get to win a championship.
He and Johnson couldn't have foreseen the break they'd get two years later, when Robinson got hurt, the Spurs dropped into the lottery, and Duncan fell into their laps. Maybe a similar dose of good fortune will eventually find the Mavericks, either through free agency or a trade or another once-in-a-lifetime draft pick.
For now, though, Nowitzki has to face the same reality Robinson did 12 years ago — he can't win a le by himself, and he can't win one with the cast he currently has around him.
Nowitzki has come a long way in his career so far, and the regular season he helped Dallas put together was one of the best of all time. But Thursday night, the truth started to sink in.
"It really means nothing," he said, almost as if he needed to say it out loud to believe it.
Some will say he's to blame for letting it all go to waste, and there's some truth to that. Against a smaller Golden State lineup not known for defense, Nowitzki settled for jumpers, lacked aggressiveness and shot just 2 for 13 from the field in Game 6. But he was getting double-teamed every time he touched the ball, even on the perimeter. So do his struggles reveal any more about him than they do of the teammates who couldn't beat the rest of the Warriors four-on-three?
There's probably enough blame to go around for everyone, just as there was when another talented 7-footer was being called "soft" and a "choker" after an equally humbling playoff exit a decade ago. Robinson bounced back, and chances are Nowitzki will, too.
Both were blessed with as much raw talent as anyone from their respective generations. Both have received more than their share of heat. And both are smart enough to learn from terrible experiences.
The only glaring difference between them is a couple of championship rings. And a sidekick from the Virgin Islands.
Another example of the knowledgable SA media.
Are you freakin' serious, Finger? Dirk choked more than any athlete of all-time choked. The only thing embarrassing about David Robinson's performance in the 1995 playoffs was the Spurs coaching philosophy.
And if you are going to criticize anything about Robinson against Hakeem, it'd be his defense. But when the has Nowitzki ever played defense? You could have triple teamed that year's Hakeem with three Dirks and Hakeem would have average 50 a game.
And those Spurs made the Western Conference Finals with David Robinson and a borderline All-Star in Sean Elliott and that's it ... and they lost to the defending champion Rockets. Dirk got owned in the first round by an 8th seed after winning 67 games.
It's not even in the same ballpark.
Stupid.
this . David got the label with far inferior teams to the one Dallas has fielded the past 2 years. I mean the on. Dirk = Vince Carter = Kevin Garnett = Any other all star who plays ing soft and weak outside. David was the man and controled the paint and dominated games in ways Dirk can only dream of.
It's not like Drob played with a 2 time MVP as his PG for 5 years or anything....or even Michael Finley as his 2 guard.
Lesson to be learned?
Never take one for the team in SA, or the media is always going to gloss you as a choker and underachiever.
Always make sure to be selfish and hog the credit...the SA media doesn't have enough knowledge of the game to understand anything else.
Oh and the most important lesson...if you ever have the opportunity to avoid playing for the team that drafted you and making 10 times more money by playing in LA with HOF'ers(and having a better chance at winning a le)...do it.
You'll just get on if you don't. Lesson Learned, SA E News. Goddamn you guys suck ass...worst sport journalism in the state of Texas...Blaze, get a promotion quick.
ing EXACTLY. When has Dirk been the only star? Never?
that bull hackjob of an article. David never choked away playoffs, EVER. Even in 95 he was simply outplayed by Hakeem but he always showed up.
Finger can't even get his facts straight on this stupid ass article. It wasn't a lowlight when Robinson received the trophy. The series had just started and even after four games, the Spurs had home court advantage.Unfortunately for Robinson, he had to claim his trophy in person. It was one of the lowlights of his career
Hakeem had the better teammates, the better coaching, the better fans, the better front office and was single-teamed all series.
Comparing David Robinson to 2007 Dirk should be enough to deport Finger out of the city.
Robinson in the 1995 playoffs
25.3 Points
12.1 Rebounds
3.1 Assists
2.6 Blocks
45% FG%
Dirk in the 2007 Playoffs
19.7 Points
11.3 Rebounds
2.3 Assists
1.3 Blocks
38.3% FG%
David Robinson's playoff numbers from 1995 destroy Dirk's "MVP" numbers of the 2007 regular season. I don't know what Finger was smoking, but this article was an embarrassment.
Thank you. Find me one example where David scored 8 points in an elimination game. Funny that everyone mentions Hakeem going off on him but then forgets that Hakeem went on to do the same thing to Shaq sweeping him out of the Finals.
WOW... Pathetic...
I'd break it down, but yall already covered the main points, and I'd just end up sounding redundant
Robinson in the 1995 playoffs
25.3 Points
12.1 Rebounds
3.1 Assists
2.6 Blocks
45% FG%
Even better...compare it to the series Duncan just had against the Nuggets...
20.2 Points
10.6 Rebounds
5.4 Assists
2.8 Blocks
47.3% FG%
Honestly...when DRob put those numbers up against Hakeem it gained him all time status...
David Robinson deserves better than he gets in SA, and it starts with the media. And they've always done it...might as well just read what the ESPN guys like Greg Anthony have to say, that only watch the Spurs about 10 times a year...because all the SAEN guys are going to do is parrot Greg Anthony.
Believe it or not it's better than it used to be...In the late 80's and early 90's I used to have to read the DMN to get good Spurs coverage, half the time the SAEN wouldn't even have late scores.
SAEN - Throwing Robinson under the Bus(to prove they are as knowledgable as the ESPN guys) since 1987.
Ha... Classic... and so true
I'll never understand it, but I'll always hate it
ROFL... the rockets won the Championship... how is it a choke job to lose to the eventual NBA champ in the THIRD round?
Last edited by Sec24Row7; 05-05-2007 at 06:26 AM.
David Robinson lost to the eventual champions, no shame or comparison in that.
Damn, imagine how many championships DRob would have won with Dirk's supporting cast. Just plug in Jason Terry a few seasons and you have a dynasty.
I couldn't even believe my eyes when I saw the le of this article. Finger is one ignorant . He's a blight on the SA media scene - and that's saying something.
I can' t get over what a dip this guy is...
Just read it again . . .
EQUALLY HUMBLING PLAYOFF EXIT?!?!?!?
Dirk getting owned and disappearing in the greatest sporting collapse of all-time is equal to losing in the Western Conference Finals in six games to the defending NBA champions who went on to sweep Shaquille O'Neal in the Finals?
You take Hakeem and Robinson out of that series and the Rockets sweep and win each game by 30+. Drexler, Horry, Elie, Cassell? You are talking about some of the clutchest players of All-Time versus a skittish Sean Elliott, an overmatched AJ, a disinterested Rodman and a shouldn't-have-been-in-the-NBA Del Negro.
And Finger wants to compare 2-for-13 in Game 6 of the first round against an 8th seed Dirk to Robinson?
Amazing.
Was this guy even alive during the 1994-95 season?
You guys are ing awesome.. When I first read that Finger's article, I wonder what weed is Finger smoking.. DRob is my favorite player of all time.
I mentioned this exact thing to a buddy yesterday.
Comparing Dirk's performance against GS to DRob's 1995 performance is beyond stupid.
It's not like Dave got smoked by a bunch of unknown guards on an 8th-seeded team in the FIRST F'ING ROUND!
It was the WCF and he was playing against one of the best big men EVER, who was playing his best series EVER.
Mike Finger. I give you a finger of my own.
I'm... astonished. I don't have the words. wow.
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