Dirk Nowitzki will come off the bench this season for the Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki is heading into his 21st NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks. He has been the face of the franchise for a long time, but this season he´ll be transitioning to a different role.
Head Coach Rick Carsile stated that Dirk Nowitzki is ¨likely to come off the bench¨ this upcoming season. Dirk has been prepared for this role ever since they got former LA Clipper Deandre Jordan over the summer.
This decision shows the maturity of Dirk and how he´s willing to do whatever it takes to give the Mavericks the best chance of winning.
The plan for the Mavericks is to start DeAndre Jordan at center and the first-round pick Luka Doncic at power forward. Add Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, and Harrison Barnes and you´re looking the Mavericks starting lineup for the season opener.
The Mavericks went 33-49 last season and were 11th in the Western Conference standings. They ended the season on a sour note, losing 14 of their last 16 games.
There were rays of optimism throughout the season, especially by the performances of point guard Dennis Smith Jr. He proved to the Mavs Nation that he´s an amazing basketball player with Russell Westbrook-like athletism.
With an all-star center and international sensation by his side, the Mavericks are ready and excited about this season.
Nowitzki only 24.7 minutes per game that season. That was the second lowest of his career only behind his rookie season(20.7).
Starting out on the bench is a rare thing for Dirk has only started a game on the bench 31 times in his legendary career.
After 21 years and a recent ankle surgery, it seems like he´s losing steam. But no matter what lies in the future for Dirk Nowitzki, he will forever be a legend to the Mavericks and the entire NBA.