# The Loser List - Dirk Nowitzki



## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

> *Numbers:* 30 years old, 10 NBA seasons, 22.4 points per game, 8.6 rebounds.
> 
> *Highest high:* In the first two games of the ‘06 Finals, Dirk posted 21 points and 13 boards per, leading the Mavericks to a 2-0 series lead over the Heat and to what seemed like a stranglehold on their first NBA championship. (Dallas went on to lose four straight, and a few months later Finals MVP Dwyane Wade publicly questioned Dirk’s leadership.)
> 
> ...


http://dimemag.com/2008/09/the-loser-list-dirk-nowitzki/


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## croco (Feb 14, 2005)

> his deficiencies aren’t so much with his skills but of the intangible variety: heart, guts, clutch factor…whatever you want to call it. Popular sentiment is that today’s version of the Mavs — the one headlined by Dirk, Kidd, Howard and Jason Terry — has seen their championship window close already. And given what we’ve seen dating back to the Nash/Finley era, it’s pretty clear that Dirk isn’t someone who’s gonna outright carry a less-than-stellar collection of role players to a championship.


I guess that's also why he came back two weeks after a high ankle sprain, carried a historically great supporting cast of Josh Howard and Jason Terry to the Finals and almost won. And I'm so sick of hearing that he is not clutch, it's just not true. Look up the stats for recent years and he is always at that top. Defensively he is mediocre, sometimes below par, I agree with that.

It's sad that the missed free throw in the Finals is going to haunt for forever unless he wins a championship. Only few remember the pass to Dampier or the rainbow fadeaway over Shaq which gave the Mavs the lead.


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## t1no (Jul 10, 2005)

croco said:


> It's sad that the missed free throw in the Finals is going to haunt for forever unless he wins a championship.


Not just Fts, he didn't do anything in the Finals vs the Heat or the first round series vs the Golden State.
I agree with the first part of your post, though he tends to look the other way in the crunch time when he's being defended well.


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