I didnt notice this until today, but Dirk Nowitzki has been starting at center so far this season for the Mavs. I suppose this is more a sign that non-traditional centers can start playing the 5 position with the new rules and such. The reason I brought this up is that Im hoping Eddie Griffin can follow a similar track and maybe by his third season become the starting center on this team. Griffin is 6-10 and still growing with long arms so I suppose by the time he's 21-22, in his third season, this could become a serious discussion. This new idea of having three frontcourt players that shoot well from the perimeter and two guards that can break down the defense just may be the new wave of lineup in the changing NBA.
In the books he has started at center. But every game I have watched, Dirk has not been guarding centers much, nor has he been guarded by them much. For instance, Danny Manning last night guarded LaFrentz quite a bit. It's an interesting strategy by Nellie, but you have to put your best 5 on the floor, without creating mismatches. Bradley is not one of those 5.
Part of the equation is that Nellie doesn't want Bradley to foul out in the first quarter. I don't like the idea of having a 6 ft 0 SG (Hardaway) but it has worked so far. I think Nellie will adjust his starting 5, with the opponent he faces. If the other team has a big backcourt, I'd assume Tim Bug would go back to the bench, Finley would slide to SG, Howard to SF, Nowitzki to PF, and Bradley inserted at C. The beauty of the Mavs lineup is that Nowitzki can play SF/PF/C, Finley can play SG/SF, and Howard can play SF/PF. This allows Nellie to utilize a million different lineups. Part of this might be Nellie experimenting to see which one of his various lineups works the best. It's a great time to experiment (beginning of hte season) plus they are 5-1.
I sure you guys remember how Dirk got snubbed in the voting for last years All-Star team. Starting Dirk at center will allow him to be on the ballot as a center instead of a forward. Of coarse he won't start bcause of Shaq but there aren't many centers in the better than Dirk.
Watching footage of Nowitzki and seeing the numbers he's been putting up, I'm starting to think he could challenge for best player in the league some day. Det the Threat, hope you're reading this. Heck, sans Shaq and Duncan, he's probably in the running already. A 7-footer that can do that crap is pretty incredible.
Dirk could be the best player in the league skillwise. If he can be a more consistent rebounder and block some shots, he definitely would be the most dominating in the league.
That explains why hes ALWAYS open. Have you seen anyone near him once in the highlight reels? You would think as great a shooter he is, they would have someone close to him....all i ever see is someone running out to get a hand there. Meanwhile, Dirk has already released the ball and its nothing but net. I think hes a great playter, dont get me wrong. But dang, someone stick with him...its not as hard shooting open jumpers.
Actually his rebounding isn't that bad. He averaged over 9 rpg last year, and seems to be on pace to better that this year. He still only plays average defense but he has continued to get better every year.
I have Dirk in one of my fantasy leagues and I can play him and SF, PF or C. Dirk is the MAN! Now I don't have to worry about keeping some crappy center on my team just to fill a position slot. In one fantasy league I traded Kobe for Dirk, but that may come back to haunt me seeing how well Kobe is passing this year. It's a great time to be a hoops fan in the state of Texas. We could see 3 Texas teams in the playoffs this year! Does anyone know the last time this happened? I can't remember off the top of my head. B
