The writing was on the wall for Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki when he found out that center DeAndre Jordan signed with the team in the offseason: he would be in a bench role for the first time since his rookie year.
The future Hall of Famer chimed in his thoughts on coming off the bench during Mavs media day:
Dirk Nowitzki on coming off the bench: "I spent most of my time playing five because of movement issues, we call it. When we signed DeAndre, it was pretty much clear in my head that I would come off the bench."
— Eddie Sefko (@ESefko) September 21, 2018
Head coach Rick Carlisle, now entering his 12th year with the Mavericks, also hinted that the 21-year veteran will be featured in a bench role in an effort he believes will move the franchise forward:
Carlisle explains rationale for @swish41 not starting. In part, “It’s about our franchise moving forward.” pic.twitter.com/pZtbwasc7X
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) September 21, 2018
This move was seen from a mile away, as the German legend has been playing the center position the past couple of years due to what he called “moving issues.” He acknowledged that he might not be able to keep up playing power forward, which has been his primary position for the most of his career, since most 4s in the league right now are much quicker and more mobile.
Nowitzki has to be lauded for his team-first mindset, and accepting that this is what he needs to do for the betterment of the team. He knows he is no longer the guy who used to dominate opposing teams with his arsenal of moves, including his patented one-legged fadeaway jumpers.
Nonetheless, this looks to be the right move for the franchise as the Mavs are in a full youth movement that features future cornerstones in second-year guard Dennis Smith, Jr. and rookie sensation Luka Doncic. Despite featuring a young core, the team still looks to make Dirk's farewell tour extra special with a final postseason appearance for the Mavs lifer.
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