Limiting Dirk's Minutes Requires Delicate 'Balance'
By Adam Crouch | @Adam_Crouch
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) -- Mark Cuban was asked about the inevitable decline of superstar Dirk Nowitzki before Thursday's home opener against Utah.
He brushed off the question, instead responding with a joke.
"When you only have a 4-inch vertical, there's not a whole lot that you can lose."
And while Cuban's joke does reflect the "below-the-rim" style of Nowitzki, there's the undeniable truth that Nowitzki is aging. The 7-foot German kicked off his 17th NBA season playing in front of the home crowd at the AAC on Thursday.
Though Nowitzki was efficient in scoring 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, it is another stat that resonates: 23:31.
In 80 games played last season, only twice did Dirk play 24 minutes or less. But a 30-point second quarter lead enabled the Mavs to rest their key players -- most notably Nowitzki.
(As a point of reference, Tim Duncan logged 24 minutes or less 15 times last season in 74 appearances. Not a bad model.)
Four Mavs, including Nowitzki, were in double figures at the break. Two others had eight points as part of a 69-point first half.
That balance is something Rick Carlisle strives for.
"We're going to need balance. We're going to need a lot of guys to contribute," said Carlisle after the game. "A lot of guys are capable of playing. The way it's looking, we've got some different lineups I think fit together."
Exactly how they fit together -- that's still up for consideration, as Dallas added yet another piece to its evolving roster on Wednesday in guard J.J. Barea.
"I just have to keep everybody as involved as possible and keep our competitive level really high and our energy level really high. That's what this year is going to be about."
A balanced attack like Thursday -- which saw seven players score in double figures and 10 players log double digit minutes -- will give rest to players like Nowitzki. It will also produce a more effective and energized Dirk in crucial fourth quarter spots.
"In previous years, Dirk wasn't fresh in the fourth quarter," said Cuban. "You saw the difference when he was fresh [in San Antonio]. We came storming back."
Dallas couldn't replicate its dominant first-half performance in the final two quarters, but the lead never fell below 14 points -- all while Nowitzki watched courtside for all but 11 minutes.
"Some nights last year, last two years, when we had a big lead, we lost the lead and everybody had to play more minutes than we would like," said Nowitzki. "So, I think that's going to be one of our goals. If we have a big lead, we are a deep team. We have to keep the pedal to the metal and try and keep everybody's minutes lower. That's got to be a goal of ours."
All joking aside, that's a good goal.
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