Dirk Nowitzki is a shell of his former self. It's a truth that the Dallas Mavericks' GOAT has come to grips with for a while now, exacerbated by an unfortunate knee injury that required surgery and moved his possible retirement plans a little earlier than he hoped. Still, it hurts to be reminded by that inevitability. Patented self-deprecating humor aside, his physical state has been lampooned by the likes of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and now Indiana Pacers guard and former Mavs 3&D guy Wesley Matthews.
Dirk texted Wes before the game saying they were putting Luka on him.
Matthews responded by sending him a pic of his scouting report which was just a picture of George Washington.
“Yeah that one hurt a little,” Dirk said.
— Brice Paterik 🌟 (@BricePaterik) February 28, 2019
The 40-year-old is still holding out hope that he may still play after the season by remaining non-committal to hanging his Nike's for good despite the bevy of send-offs he has been getting from opposing arenas, coaches, and multiple roles in the recent All-Star Weekend.
The touching but pre-emptive gestures are brought about by the reduced playing time and increasingly inept movement on the court that pretty much limits the Mavs legend to hoisting three-pointers the nanosecond his palms come into contact with the ball. Sure enough, Nowitzki has been attempting 3.4 three-pointers in just a paltry 12 minutes per night of play connecting on a woeful 30 percent clip – his worst percentage from distance since his rookie season 20 years ago. His 5.3 points per game average are easily his career-worst as well.
Given the rapid decrease in his numbers and it's not far-fetched to presume that the 2011 NBA Finals MVP is definitely on his last year. When he does exit the game, the league loses one of its pioneers for the modern game and a true class act.
Follow Us
Subscribe