So, we all know that March Madness is upon us. The top college programs going for the ship and the title of “best college basketball team”. However, we aren’t talking college ball today. We are talking NBA March Madness: Dirk Nowitzki. As we all know, Dirk has passed his prime and his time in the NBA is quickly coming to an end. On the other hand, his performance through the first half of this month has been nothing short of stellar.
Dirk is an amazing player: 6th in All-Time scoring, 1st in scoring among foreign players, along with an NBA title and Finals MVP. Dirk is doing something that he hasn’t done in quite some time, and most people haven’t realized what’s happening. Dirk is averaging 23.1 PPG, holding two 30-point games so far this month. He’s also averaging 2.1 APG along with shooting 51.5% from the field. Mavericks fans everywhere are, without a doubt, enjoying the level of play from Nowitzki that is comparable to his finals performance in 2011 vs. the Miami Heat (which they won 4-2).
Dirk has very quietly put together quite a run early on in the month. Unfortunately for Dallas fans, the overall team performance hasn’t lived up to that of Dirk. The team is 2-6 this month, the two wins coming vs Orlando and @ Charlotte. Kind of a “good news, bad news” situation in Dallas at the moment. However, not all hope is lost. Of the 6 losses the Mavs have suffered this month, 3 were decided by 3 points or less (Cleveland, Denver, Sacramento) and only 1 loss was by more than 10 points (Clippers). The team currently holds the 8th seed in the Western Conference, holding a 1.5 game lead over the Utah Jazz. Here’s the bad news, they will end up playing the Golden State Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavs are 0-3 vs the San Antonio Spurs, losing these games by 5, 29, and 26 points. We will see these teams pitted against each other one more time this season. The Dallas team is 1-1 against the Golden State Warriors, winning by 23 and losing by 20. These teams play two more times this season.
Now, Maverick fans would love to see this level of play continue with Dirk, but the schedule doesn’t seem to be much easier looking forward. Here’s some advice Dallas fans, take in this superb play while Dirk is still on the roster. The postseason may not be very enjoyable for you fans, but watch Dirk has he looks to continue his high standard of play this month.
