Sports Talk
As it does most every year at this time, the sports radio shows are filled with opinions on how to improve the Cowboys, what they need to do to fix the mess the team is in, who to fire, who to trade and get a better option. blah blah blah. i find some of it interesting, some entertaining and others indicative of why Darwin had it right.
But the most interesting this week has been the discussion of the Dallas Mavericks and their woes. This team won 60 and 70 games for a few years in a row, had a 2 game to none lead in the NBA Finals a few years back and is still considered by its fans to be an "elite" franchise. Oops. Were the playoffs to start tomorrow, the Mavs would be outside looking in.
So the current theme is that they need to trade Dirk Nowitzski and get a leader. Most who hold this opinion get mad that Dirk is not a vocal leader who "wills" his team to victory be taking over games and simply overpowering the opponent.
"He is nothing but a role player," is the complaint.
Hello? Michael Jordan was a role player... Magic johnson was a role player. So was Larry Bird. And so is Dirk. It is just that his role isn't the one you want him to fill and the fact that he is better at his role than nearly every other player in the world still disappoints. Bummer.
I think the Mavs SHOULD trade him. To a team whose fans will adore and value what he is and maybe let him win a championship. I imagine the Cavs would be thinking his game would go well with LeBron's and give them a great chance to get past the Celtics. And I'd root for them!
But the most interesting this week has been the discussion of the Dallas Mavericks and their woes. This team won 60 and 70 games for a few years in a row, had a 2 game to none lead in the NBA Finals a few years back and is still considered by its fans to be an "elite" franchise. Oops. Were the playoffs to start tomorrow, the Mavs would be outside looking in.
So the current theme is that they need to trade Dirk Nowitzski and get a leader. Most who hold this opinion get mad that Dirk is not a vocal leader who "wills" his team to victory be taking over games and simply overpowering the opponent.
"He is nothing but a role player," is the complaint.
Hello? Michael Jordan was a role player... Magic johnson was a role player. So was Larry Bird. And so is Dirk. It is just that his role isn't the one you want him to fill and the fact that he is better at his role than nearly every other player in the world still disappoints. Bummer.
I think the Mavs SHOULD trade him. To a team whose fans will adore and value what he is and maybe let him win a championship. I imagine the Cavs would be thinking his game would go well with LeBron's and give them a great chance to get past the Celtics. And I'd root for them!
posted by Kurt at 3:03 PM
2 Comments:
Why is it that so many sports fans don't realize that TEAMS win championships in team sports? A great player can make all the difference in the world for a team, but just because a great player is present doesn't insure that a team will win. Or that just because a team doesn't win with a particular player doesn't mean that player isn't as good as claimed.
To me, the measure of a player is two things:
1. How good are the skills of that player? This includes not only individual skills, but how well they understand and recognize what is happening on the field/court.
2. Do they make their team better? By this I mean that their presence elevates the play of their teammates. Sometimes this happens by what they do on the field. Jordan and Byrd are examples of this. But sometimes what happens off the court is just as important. Think about the impact that Willis Reed had on the Knicks.
So, the jury is still out on Dirk. The guy definitely has individual talent that he has developed into a fantastic skill set. But at this point it's not clear whether the troubles with the Mavs teams he's been a part of were beyond what any ONE player could overcome, or whether he's just not one of those greats who elevates teammates to championship levels. You're right, a trade will tell a lot, especially if he's paired with another highly gifted player like LeBron.
Ever notice how in the NBA it takes 3 high level players to dominate:
Jordan/Pippin/Oakley
Byrd/McHale/Parrish
Magic/Worthy/Jabbar
KG/Allen/Pierce
Shaq/Kobe/Horry
hey hey hey,
your trio down below is absent a SIGNIFICANT piece of recent NBA history!
Duncan/Robinson/Avery or Duncan/Parker/Ginobli or Duncan/Kerr/Robinson.... and don't forget the importance of the coach who can blend them successfully - Red, Red, Popovich and yes, I will even begrudgingly include Pat Reilly and Phil Jackson.
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