Avery and Paul's new offensive gameplan seems to have worked fine early on in the season (with the exception of tonight's disaster), considering that through the season's first week, we were #1 in offensive efficiency. At least for everyone not named Dirk Nowitzki. The MVP shot 50% last season, and it really shouldn't have surprised you if it did - that's just how good of a player that Dirk is. That doesn't mean he can't have his 4-13, 5-13 games sprinkled here and there, of course, but early in the season, those types of games are becoming the norm. We've seen his assist totals skyrocket, of course, and that's undoubtedly the doing of Avery and Paul's new offensive gameplan. I realize that isolation plays are usually not the best offensive option for a team with championship aspirations, and I like the ideas that Paul's brought to the team this year, but we just have to realize that Dirk is NOT a facilitator and that Dirk IS a guy that plays his best when he's able to put on some moves. Dirk's an iso-jab-step-spin-move-fade-away-3-point-marksman and Avery's trying to transform him into some sort of pass-first-low-post-banger, which just isn't the kind of player he is. Dirk worked better under a guy liked Nellie, but he showed last year that he's capable of working in Avery's isolation plays. But he's a guy that needs to be involved early and often and this new eat-up-the-shot-clock-by-passing-until-you're-hopefully-wide-open system isn't working out for him. If the next 76 games play out for Dirk like these first 6, I definitely think that we have Avery to blame.</p>
You have a valid point, Johnson is trying to reign Dirk in a bit too hard, but it's still early, and hopefully not, but if we end up having struggles, I'm sure part of the adjustment that will be made is giving his superstar more free reign. I've personally thought forever he was trying to turn Dirk into KG, but Dirk just doesn't have that passing prowess. Dirk's not destroyed by any means, but it is a little unsettling.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (StackAttack)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Avery and Paul's new offensive gameplan seems to have worked fine early on in the season (with the exception of tonight's disaster), considering that through the season's first week, we were #1 in offensive efficiency. At least for everyone not named Dirk Nowitzki. The MVP shot 50% last season, and it really shouldn't have surprised you if it did - that's just how good of a player that Dirk is. That doesn't mean he can't have his 4-13, 5-13 games sprinkled here and there, of course, but early in the season, those types of games are becoming the norm. We've seen his assist totals skyrocket, of course, and that's undoubtedly the doing of Avery and Paul's new offensive gameplan. I realize that isolation plays are usually not the best offensive option for a team with championship aspirations, and I like the ideas that Paul's brought to the team this year, but we just have to realize that Dirk is NOT a facilitator and that Dirk IS a guy that plays his best when he's able to put on some moves. Dirk's an iso-jab-step-spin-move-fade-away-3-point-marksman and Avery's trying to transform him into some sort of pass-first-low-post-banger, which just isn't the kind of player he is. Dirk worked better under a guy liked Nellie, but he showed last year that he's capable of working in Avery's isolation plays. But he's a guy that needs to be involved early and often and this new eat-up-the-shot-clock-by-passing-until-you're-hopefully-wide-open system isn't working out for him. If the next 76 games play out for Dirk like these first 6, I definitely think that we have Avery to blame.</p> </div></p> I agree, everything of Dirk's is down except for assists - his FG is down 7%, 3PT% down 13% and his FT% is down 8% but his assists are up almost 2 per game.</p> When I was watching the Portland game Dirk seemed his best in the first few minutes when he went 3-3 basically all from turnaround jumpshots from his spot - but as the game progressed he'd get the ball further to the side on a more crowded area and be forced to act as our point guard and try to set things up. You can't blame Avery, for a great team last year we had absolutely horrific ball movement and he's trying to fix it so we don't go in slumps. But I can see Diirk's game getting killed aswell, he needs everyone to completely clear out and then drive/shoot over his man.</p> Paul has put in some new good things, like Diops greater role letting Dirk do his own thang a bit more often - but he is trying to force him into a point guards role - it's working for the rest of the team but Dirk can't find his own groove which is probably one of t he most important things because we need him to be our constant efficient scorer like last year, because once we hit the playoffs 18/9/5 won't cut it for Dirk, teams will slow down Terry and he'll have his usual inconsistant wack games.</p> I think we should keep Dirk doing that, but defintely no-where near as often as he is now, we need to iso him more or get him the ball on the free throw line corners more often and not expect him to pass, just assume a shot will be going up.</p> </p>
However, at the same time we've seen Dirk at his worst against Golden State and Miami - where he wasn't trying to get everyone involved and his performance was off which led to Dallas getting demolished in two of the biggest post-season embarassments, ever. But with this new Dirk, could you see him (against a long-quick-athletic 3) not shooting well, but playing a more facilitating role.</p> The past two seasons no matter what Dirk did he was getting crucified by the media and us fans, so when he tries something new and has a bad night (which is inevitable), the team is improving so that when does have a bad night in the playofsf and his shot isn't falling that he can still set other people up and it's not just a huge schamozzle where noone knows what's going on. A 50/40 2pt/3pt% shooter doesn't suddenly start sucking at shooting, he is finding his groove (hopefully), I think soon his averages will even up.</p>
