Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki: I've got time to 'think about my options'
09:00 AM CDT on Friday, April 30, 2010
Column by BRAD TOWNSEND / The Dallas Morning News | btownsend@dallasnews.com
Brad Townsend
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SAN ANTONIO – Ashen-faced, with a white towel draped over his shoulders, Dirk Nowitzki exited the court Thursday night to another abrupt, premature off-season.
Another year of his prime is gone. That's what he has said after every playoff-series loss since the Mavericks' 2006 NBA Finals run. Three of the ousters, including this one by San Antonio, have occurred in the first round.
But this off-season is different. This time, after 12 seasons in Dallas, Nowitzki can exercise an option in his contract and become a free agent. All season, he said he could foresee no reason why he would use that option.
But Thursday night, 31-year-old Nowitzki stopped well short of declaring himself a Maverick for life, ready to forge into an uncertain future with possibly another revamped Dallas roster.
"I wanted to obviously have a long playoff run here and go for my dream again," Nowitzki said. "And now I'm just obviously too shocked and too disappointed.
"I haven't really thought anything about my future yet. I guess I've got some time now to think about some stuff, think about my options."
Gulp. That's the sound of Mavericks fans swallowing hard at the mere thought of a future without Nowitzki. Nowitzki pointed out that he has until July to make a decision about his contract option.
But in a moment of level-headed reflection amid the disappointment, Nowitzki added: "Everything's too fresh right now. I've got some time to think about some stuff."
If this was, heaven forbid, his final game as a Maverick, what a bizarre way to go out – and yet somehow fitting, given the scale of Dallas' recent playoff failures.
Three years after becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed since first-round series went to a best-of-seven format in 2003, the Mavericks now are the first No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 7 in that format.
Four years after scoring a franchise playoff-record-low seven points in the fourth quarter of an NBA Finals loss at Miami, the Mavericks scored eight first-quarter points Thursday. That's the lowest they have scored in a playoff first quarter.
And who could have foreseen Nowitzki taking four first-half fouls Thursday in such a critical game, with the Mavericks needing a win to force Game 7 in Dallas? Three of the fouls were reach-ins and seemed to be made out of frustration as the Mavericks fell deeper into a first-half abyss.
"It was a little ugly there early," Nowitzki said. "We got a little rattled again."
But it was Nowitzki and rookie Roddy Beaubois leading a third-quarter comeback, with Nowitzki hitting a 3-pointer that gave Dallas a 57-56 lead.
The Mavericks fell behind again, then made a fourth-quarter push. But not enough of one. Again.
A lot for Nowitzki to think about this off-season.
"In this series, I think we had our chances again," Nowitzki said. "But it comes down to you have three chances to win here and you've just got to find a way to win one.
"We were in all three of them. We were right there. And they just made a couple more plays than we did. What it comes down to. If you can't win one game on the road out of three, then you're going to lose the series."
Personally, I would LOVE to get Dirk here. But would it put a crimp in Gallinari's development, or would it help him? Dirk would play PF with Gallo at SF. If we somehow get LeBron, he could play SG. Find a physical C from somewhere and thats a real team right there.
4/30/2010 11:11 AM
