The Dallas Mavericks don't need superstar power forward Dirk Nowitzki to win.
Blasphemy, right?
Those of you who have immediately read that and concurred that I am off my rocker, please give me a second to explain myself, because I was being a tad bit facetious with that statement.
The statement in itself is true. The Mavericks don't need Nowitzki to win.
They need a healthy Nowitzki to win, and therein lies the catch of that statement.
It's no secret that this shortened NBA season is taking quite a physical toll on many players. The games are much closer together, and even the brightest stars in the league are being challenged physically.
Think of the extra pressure that Nowitzki is under. Not only did he play much longer than most players in the league do to the Mavericks' run to the NBA Finals, but he also played for the German national team in the Olympic qualifying tournament over the summer.
Combine that with the lockout, a shortened training camp and the condensed schedule and it's no wonder he's not feeling too hot.
Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com confirms that Nowitzki will indeed be sitting out for a while to work on conditioning and work on his hurting knee:
Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki will sit out the next four games to engage in a week of behind-the-scenes conditioning work to strengthen his sore right knee starting with Saturday's visit to the New Orleans Hornets, coach Rick Carlisle announced.
Carlisle said Nowitzki needs "an uninterrupted eight days of work to resolve some physical issues and conditioning issues." He emphasized that the break is designed to help Nowitzki, who is expected to return Jan. 29 against San Antonio, get into better game shape.
This is a really bold move by Nowitzki and the Mavericks, especially considering that every game counts in this shortened season.
Not only that, but they are tied up with the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs for first place in the Southwest Division of the NBA's Western Conference—so it's not like they have the luxury of dropping a few games.
In the end, I think this will end up being a good move, as bold and potentially dangerous as it is.
The Mavericks are thinking long-term here. Sure, Nowitzki can continue to tough it out and struggle on this knee, but what happens during a long playoff push?
Not only that, but what if he actually seriously injures the knee while trying to tough it out? Either way, it's bad news, so by playing it safe here they really are making the right decision.
Nowitzki needs to get healthy if the Mavericks want a chance at repeating as NBA champions.
This may not be a popular move, but it is the right one.
Jon Sim Jason Arnott David Clarkson Patrick Davis Tyler Eckford Mark Fraser
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