Dirk Nowitzki is being shut down by … Matt Bonner?
Dirk Nowitzki (photo. Monte Isom)
Lost in the day-to-day MVP battle between LeBron, D-Wade and Kobe was the fact that Dirk Nowitzki went into these playoffs as hot as anybody in the League. To end the regular season, Dirk went on a string of 25 straight games where he dropped 20-plus points, and took the Mavs from the brink of the Lottery to corralling a 6th-seed. In fact, his final numbers (25.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg) weren’t too far off his stats from his ‘07 MVP season.
But in two postseason games so far against the Spurs, Dirk has failed to crack a dub, putting up 19 points in Game 1 and just 14 in Game 2, shooting 34% from the field and 0-for-6 beyond the arc in that stretch.
Looking at how the Spurs typically match up with Dallas on the frontline — Tim Duncan guarding Erick Dampier in the post, and Finely/Bowen/Udoka taking turns with Josh Howard at the three — that leaves Matt Bonner as the guy assigned to Dirk. But it can’t be just Bonner shutting him down, right? From the San Antonio Express-News:
Bonner, who opens each game assigned to Nowitzki, will be the first to admit he’s no Dirk stopper.
“Oh, God no,” Bonner said.
Fortunately for the Spurs, and for Bonner, he doesn’t have to be.
Guarding Nowitzki is not a one-man job. The Spurs have found success in crowding him on the catch, with players as disparate as Bonner and Bruce Bowen, then running other defenders at him on the dribble.
The object is to coax Nowitzki to try tough jumpers from the perimeter or, better yet, give up the ball. Even then, the Spurs acknowledge there is only so much a defense can do against a 7-footer with 3-point range.
“All we can do is make it difficult,” Bonner said. “You can’t completely shut him down. You can only make him work for what he gets.”
But as Spurs’ writer Jeff McDonald points out, that’s nothing new to bring a lot of different looks at Dirk. Of course Gregg Popovich has come up with a new wrinkle.
What is novel, in this series, is where some of the double-teams are coming from. The Spurs have been particularly aggressive in doubling Nowitzki at the high post, sometimes bringing an extra defender from under the basket.
“I’ve never seen anybody do that,” Nowitzki said.
The unexpected double-teaming has created problems for Nowitzki, who is nimble for a 7-footer but is no Dwyane Wade or Tony Parker off the dribble.
“It’s hard, obviously, for a 7-footer to beat the double-team and get to the cup like a small player,” Nowitzki said. “If you double-team a Wade or all these other scorers, they’re still able to get around and make plays. For a 7-footer, who’s non-athletic, it’s pretty hard.”
I don’t expect Dirk to struggle the entire series. In the second half of the season, the Mavs have been almost as invincible at home as the Cavs, so I’m seeing at least one monster game from Dirk as the series goes to Dallas. But if this ends like I think it will — with San Antonio moving on and Dallas left wishing it had gotten more from its superstar — it’s just another bit of ammo for the people who will always insist Dirk doesn’t have what it takes to produce when it matters most.
Source: San Antonio Express-News
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Damon says:
who cares? he has lots of money…
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
karizmatic says:
This is exactly why less athletic and nimble 7 footers are supposed to have a post game. If he was closer to the basket he wouldn’t have to do all that dribbling to get where he needs to be. More reason why Dirk will never get a ring as long as he is the go to guy on any team.
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Diego says:
Spurs play some tough D. Pop. runs a great ship and uses his role players well. Bonner worked his way into Toronto’s rotation; then S.A.’s. (Hell, he could be considered a bit of an upgrade (at least offensively) from his predecessors: Rasho, Nazr, Francisco Elson, Oberto, etc.)
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
K Dizzle says:
Not a good look for Dirk to be averagin almost 10 points less a game than his season avg. 3-14 is embarrassin ESPECIALLY if bonner is guardin you. It would also help if Howard didn’t follow a 25 pt game with a 7 point game…
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:30 pm
A$$Cube aka David Hasselhoff says:
It’s funny how the idea that Dirk is not “clutch” sticks to most people’s mind.
Okay, his poor performance in those Finals against Miami is something to brag about for Dirk haters. But that year, I think he did a helluva job in the Conference Finals, nope?
Plus, if you guys are into international ball, you know Dirk delivers most of the time with Germany.
Okay, FIBA basketball is not NBA basketball but still. It’s just that this Dallas squad is really week compared to the ones they used to have and aside of Dirk, Jet’s the only one who can be a threat for opposing defense –but that’s a reach since he comes from the bench.
Dirk has to play up to his superstar standard but I think it’s more because of the Spurs than because of him in this series.
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Dave says:
It would seem obvious that a 7 footer has a big advantage being double teamed at the high post….he should be able to find the open guy easily, hello.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
BERN BROGDEN says:
POP is DAT BOL!
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Dont get on Dirk..
Where has Josh Howard been since the 2006 Finals??
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
AY says:
dirk is still in shock from right before game 1 when matt bonner admitted to him that gingers indeed have no soul.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:48 pm
rock from hyde park says:
dirk is softer than spaghetti
why does everyone confuse bonner for scalabrine for cardinal? SHOW SOME RESPECT!
wait, who is shutting down extra-softski again?
maybe i was confused by him having Erika Dampier’s back earlier . . . i dont know if Cuban has enough money to cover that back . . . Erika got more back than 3 fat girls
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Mark says:
The Mavs have done relatively well with a struggling superstar on their squad.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:19 pm
rangerjohn says:
oh yeah mark, they looked REAL good in game 2. i guess we will see in game 3.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:54 pm
JC says:
hahahaha GO GATORS!! WOOOOOO!!!
Great article, AB. Matt has displayed a level of humility uncharacteristic of Florida basketball, and while I’m shocked that he and David Lee are the two players from that generation of UF hoops (1999-2003) that get regular playing time in the NBA, I’m happy he’s getting his shine.
Pop really knows how to max out his players. It really seems like he can nearly double their productivity. Did anyone think that at some point in his career Tony Parker would drop 40 on a good night? Maybe 23… Ginobili is good for 45 when he’s on. Without Pop, I might expect about 25 on his best night.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Dagomar says:
Uh, the Mavs took homecourt from the Spurs. I think they’re in pretty good shape, rangerjohn.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Patrick Corcoran says:
Doesn’t even take Bruce Bowen to slow Dirk. Remember 3 years ago in Round 1 of the playoffs when *Ryan* Bowen (Houston) put the handcuffs on him? Dirk ain’t all that….
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
ash says:
just so you dirk haters know,
only 5 people in nba history average 25pts a game and 10 rebounds a game in the playoffs.
dirk is one of them.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
rock from hyde park says:
as of right now (7:46 PM in chicago)
dirk is averaging 19 and 8 in THIS YEARS PLAYOFFS
WELCOME TO REALITY
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Mark says:
rangerjohn, sorry. By ‘relatively well’ I mean they looked good, but rather they took game 1 in a comeback victory to nullify home court advantage from the Spurs with an essentially “shut down” best player on the team.
There’s a slight difference. But as you propose, we’ll see in game 3. Rose-tinted, that is.
April 24th, 2009 at 2:23 am
Dr.Mavs says:
Why are people always trashing Dirk? Kobe couldn’t even make the playoffs without Phil Jackson and Shaq.. he couldn’t win a championship with Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol.. and with Shaq and Karl Malone.. Dirk doesn’t even have a Lamar Odom. That he carries his team as much s he does is incredible. KG couldn’t even make the playoffs in Minnesota.
April 24th, 2009 at 2:29 am
Dr.Mavs says:
“”"Doesn’t even take Bruce Bowen to slow Dirk. Remember 3 years ago in Round 1 of the playoffs when *Ryan* Bowen (Houston) put the handcuffs on him? Dirk ain’t all that….”"”
Someone showing their ignorance. Of course a small player can stop Dirk on the perimeter.. and when Dirk posted up they swarmed him and dared his perimeter players to beat them.. the Mavs have terrible 3 point shooters. This is why dirk can’t dominate on the post with smaller players guarding him.
Teams have learned how to beat the Mavs.. you put ANY player on them and let them bear hug him and double and triple him when he tries to drive around him. Teams are basically daring Dirk’s teammates to beat them. With terrible Avery it was a piece of cake.. Carlisle is starting to fix that though.. but the Mavs supporting cast still stinks.. so it doesn’t look good.
April 24th, 2009 at 2:33 am
Dr.Mavs says:
You know what is hilarious..if guys like Matter Bonner and Ryan Bowen can shut Dirk down then what does that say about KG who Dirk owns? Or Duncan who couldn’t guard Dirk to save his life.. take their DPOY awards away! LOL
KG blew his knee out trying to guard Dirk this season.
Matt Bonner, Ryan Bowen, Stephen Jackson >>>>>>>>>>>>>> KG, Kobe and Ron Artest.
All smoked by Dirk.
April 24th, 2009 at 11:34 am
doc says:
Give me Dirk anyday of the week and Im ready for war.