51. Dirk Nowitzki
 |
A player many consider to be the greatest choke artists of all-time, though, Dirk Nowitzki’s numbers rank him amongst the very best and without question he is the best player to ever put on a Dallas Mavericks uniform. A habitual all-star and one time MVP Nowitzki has lead the Mavs deep into the playoffs and to one NBA finals.
Nowitzki was born in Wurzberg, West Germany. He never played American college basketball instead opting to play for local German pro teams. He played for DJK Wurzburg from 1994-1998.
The Milwaukee Bucks drafted Nowitzki with the 9th pick in the 1998 than in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert Traylor. Nowitzki played in 47 of a possible 50 games his rookie season averaging 8 points a game.
He came on his second year taking his average to 17 point a game. He broke the 20 points per game barrier in 2000 averaging 23 a game and made the all-star team for the first time. Since 2000 he has averaged 20 or more points a game in every season and made the all-star team every year as well. He also lead the Mavs to their first playoff birth in over a decade.
|
In 2003 the Mavs won a than franchise record 60 games and made their first trip to the Western finals since 1988. The problem with these Maverick teams and even with Nowitzki was that the team played no defense and won by scoring only. Part way through the 2005-06 season coach Don Nelson retired turning the team over to Avery Johnson. Johnson installed a defensive mind set to the team and everyone started to play much better.
Nowitzki’s best season as a pro came in 2006 where he averaged 27 points per game and 9 rebounds. The team stunned arch rival San Antonio and made it to the NBA finals. In the finals the Mavs got up two games to none on the Miami Heat before an epic collapse. Part of the collapse may be due to officiating as this series is often pointed to by NBA conspiracy theorist as one that the league had a hand in shaping. In any event the Mavs lost the series four games to two games.
The Mavs and Nowitzki looked to have had no ill effects from their finals loss and had the greatest season in team history. The Mavs won a franchise record 67 games and Nowitzki was named the NBA’s most valuable player. But in the playoffs disaster struck. The Mavs where hammered by the 8th seeded Golden State Warriors and knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.
The losses seem to have greatly effect the Mavs who were no longer seen as one of the NBA’s top teams and struggled for the next couple of years. They won 50 games and made the playoffs but where lower seeds which no one gave much throught too.
Nowitzki’s numbers have stayed fairly similar through-out the last several years, usually averaging around 25 points per game. Nowitzki has to date appeared in 920 career games and averages 23 points and 8 rebounds.
#50 Main index
#52
| 