The Dallas Mavericks Can’t Lose Dirk Nowitzki’s Last Home Game
By Reid Hanson
Even if it’s in the long-term best interests of the club, the Dallas Mavericks just can’t lose what appears to be the last home game of Dirk Nowitzki’s career
This season has been a polarizing one for Dallas Mavericks fans. On one hand you have a lost season: In trading for the injured Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavs all but cashed in their 2018-19 season. On the other hand you have what we all believe to be Dirk’s final season.
While it makes the most sense on paper to tank this season, retain ownership of the first round pick, and focus on improving the roster NEXT season, it doesn’t make the most sense from a team development perspective. Not only can losing be a cancerous parasite to player development, but it sends an ugly message to players that winning isn’t always the most important part of their jobs.
We’ve long argued the pros and cons of tanking in hopeless seasons such as this. But none of that has a place in today’s conversation. Today’s conversation is about Dirk Nowitzki.
Can you actually imagine, walking into AAC, sitting down to watch the most anticipated game in roughly the last five years, and cheering AGAINST the Mavs?
Nothing has been confirmed or denied but the writing appears to be on the wall – this is likely Dirk Nowitzki’s last game in Dallas.
The greatest sports figure this city has ever known is about to play his very last time in front of the home crowd and some people are seriously trying to convince us losing is the thing to do.
Can you actually imagine, as a MFFL, walking into American Airlines Center, sitting down to watch the most anticipated game in roughly the last five years, and cheering AGAINST the Mavs?
I wholeheartedly understand the merits of losing. I’ve walked the fence on tanking in the past and typically side with the organic losing strategy (experimenting with lineups and testing young players more often than you normally would). But this game doesn’t qualify.
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The Dallas Mavericks have two games left this season. Two games to witness Dirk play, but only one game at home. Tonight’s game happens to be against the chronically beatable Phoenix Suns. That means to lose to the Suns, the Mavs are going to have to play bad. Really bad. Worse than normal kinda bad.
Does anyone want to see that for Dirk’s last home game?
Ideally, we’d get a close game with Luka Doncic carrying the team and Dirk scoring the deciding points. It’s not exactly far fetched either. The point is, Dirk deserves our full support and that involves support for winning.
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Let’s table the talk about losing in order to improve our chances at a top-5 pick – just for tonight. Tonight’s about Dirk. He’s earned that.
- Published on 04/09/2019 at 12:00 PM
- Last updated at 04/09/2019 at 07:34 AM