Chapter 441 440: It’s a pity that this small step didn’t go far (please give me a monthly ticket!)

He was swept 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals, and was eliminated in such an undignified manner as the MVP. Then he found out that the fiancée who slept next to him every day was actually a wanted criminal with an unknown identity.

The summer of 2007 was definitely the darkest moment in Dirk Nowitzki’s career, no, his entire life.

Before the start of the Western Conference Finals last season, all fans and media thought it would be a fierce series, and Dirk, as the MVP, was also expected to win.

As a result, he and the Mavericks were destroyed.

That was one of the few series in which both the star and the team were ruined.

When AI’s 76ers were defeated by the Atlanta Hawks, Allen Iverson still became a hero of a generation.

Of course, this is due to his nationality. He is an American, and an American who brought street culture into the NBA. Naturally, he is more likely to be favored by American fans.

But the most important reason is that AI played a good individual performance. Although he lost, his performance was worthy of a man.

But Dirk Nowitzki, who was the MVP of the Western Conference Finals last season, not only had his team swept 4-0, but also had very poor personal statistics. He was defended by Stephen Jackson, who had never been selected for the defensive team, with a shooting percentage of less than 40% and less than 20 points.

This is a huge shame. Even James in last season’s finals didn’t perform so badly.

This also makes Nowitzki’s MVP status extremely embarrassing. The fans feel like gamers in 2024, watching TGA choose the fucking “Astro Robot” from “Elden Ring: Shadows of the Golden Tree”, “Final Fantasy 7: Remake” and “Black Myth: Wukong”.

Nowitzki won the title of “the worst MVP in history” almost without any suspense. If you think Joel Embiid’s MVP is already controversial, then Nowitzki’s MVP is probably ten times more controversial than that.

But not everyone will choose to surrender when faced with defeat. This defeat did not make the German give up, but made him more resilient.

He didn’t spend too much time last summer dwelling on his failure, nor did he spend hundreds of millions of dollars in revenge spending in one night in response to the breakup of his relationship.

He returned to Germany to stay with the coach who took him from the tennis court to the NBA, Holger Gerschweidner.

Holger Gerschweidner is a crazy old man. Some of his training methods will definitely make American trainers stunned. He likes to let Derek Nowitzki climb stairs, and he likes to let players dance to exercise coordination. He even invites several saxophone players to play on the spot when Dirk is training to help Dirk find the feeling of dancing. In 1995, he calculated that the best arc of a jump shot is 60 degrees, but no one knows how he came to this conclusion.

This guy came up with a lot of his own training methods because he didn’t come from a basketball family. He learned to play basketball from an American soldier stationed in West Germany.

But Dirk Nowitzki trusts him because it was he who pushed Dirk into the NBA.

They worked out together all summer, and Nowitzki finally put in the effort to hone his post-up game.

Prior to this, Dirk Nowitzki was not as stereotyped as he had no post-up skills. In fact, in some seasons, his post-up scoring efficiency was even higher than Duncan’s.

It’s just that the proportion of his back-to-the-basket shots is very small, and the low output makes his back-to-the-basket efficiency not very valuable for reference.

Since the beginning of this season, Dirk Nowitzki has been increasing the percentage of his post-up shots.

He used his newly developed one-legged step-back jump shot to get what he wanted in post-up offense.

This has allowed him to evolve into a player with almost no blind spots on offense.

Rick Carlisle was keenly aware of this and suggested to Mark Cuban to trade for Vince Carter, John Salmons, Ron Artest and others.

The role of role players is to fill in the gaps for core players.

What Dirk needs most from role players right now is defense.

Offense? Just watch Dirk.

Thus, a better Dirk Nowitzki and a more reasonable lineup created the invincible Dallas Mavericks in January 2008.

All Dallas fans thought they were ready for revenge, and so was Nowitzki.

But when they saw the man who created nightmares in Dallas last summer enter the arena, they were still extremely nervous.

It’s like a elk meeting a lion, this tension and fear seems to be engraved in their genes.

Unlike the other nervous people, Ron Artest just smiled when he heard Dirk Nowitzki’s slightly trembling voice: “European players have no defense, European players are far from it, and European players have no willpower, Dirk, I’ve heard enough of this shit, what about you?”

Nowitzki was surprised. He didn’t expect Artest to ask him this. But soon, he clenched his fists and said, “I’ve heard enough, Ron.”

“Then let’s go for it. Don’t worry, Jason, John and I will take care of him. Just attack Dirk, just attack!”

“Let’s go Ron!”

Dirk Nowitzki and Ron Artest fist-bumped, and Rick Carlisle saw it all.

To be honest, the chemistry between them was beyond Rick Carlisle’s expectations. It was a fantastic combination that worked wonders.

Carlisle never thought that these two people with such different personalities could get along so well.

In Ron Artest’s career, he has never met a teammate who is so powerful, yet so elegant and humble.

In Dirk Nowitzki’s career, he has never met such a tough but approachable teammate. (I didn’t use the wrong word. Taking the Kings period as the dividing line, Artest had completely different attitudes towards his teammates before and after the Kings. The old tune is repeated: people change)

They had only been working together for a month, but they had already created sparks of success.

Charles Barkley stared at the big screen nervously in the studio. This Dallas Mavericks team looked very strong.

Yes, Roger set several of his career high scoring records with the Mavericks.

In 2004, he scored a career-high 71 points against the Mavericks.

However, this Mavericks team is completely different. Their defense ranked fourth in the league in January, a level the Mavericks have never reached in the 1st century. They are now a solid defensive powerhouse.

Kenny Smith pinched Barkley’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Charles, I won’t really let you lick me.”

“Nonsense, but I don’t want to lick an animal either!”

“It’s not really an animal. I brought a pig here. His name is Dick. So, you just need to kiss your own kind.”

“Get lost Kenny, get lost! I’m not a pervert who molests animals on live TV!”

“You have to choose between being LBJ who talks as farts or kissing pigs, right?”

Barkley was silent. If he had to choose one, he would rather kiss the pig.

He doesn’t want to be compared with James, who always goes back on his words.

But if possible, he would certainly prefer not to choose either.

Charles Barkley vowed that he would never make a rash bet again.

But it was too late to say this now, he could only wait for Roger’s rescue.

The starting lineups of both teams gathered together, and Shaquille O’Neal hugged Roger before the game. This was the first time they completely broke the ice in public.

But this doesn’t mean Shaq will give up the competition. He’s not that kind of person.

Maybe he didn’t want to rip Roger apart half as badly as he once did, but he still respected the game.

At the start of the game, Amar’e Stoudemire snatched the ball from the head of the Shark, whose athletic ability had greatly deteriorated.

Roger dribbled across half court and set a pick-and-roll with Artest and Stoudemire facing his defense.

Ron Artest is a very low-cost option for singles. The No HandCheck rule once made Artest a person who was eliminated by the times, but perhaps because they found that this rule was a bit too much, the referees’ standards for whistles in the past few seasons have begun to lean towards the HandCheck era, and the management of hands has not been so strict. It was not until after 2010 that the standards became strict again.

So between 2007 and 2010, Ron Artest’s level briefly recovered. In the original timeline, he even returned to the All-Defensive Team in 2009 at the age of 30.

This makes head-on singles against Artest a bad idea, and the best way to deal with him is still the pick-and-roll.

But Dirk Nowitzki not only improved on offense, but also became more active on defense. At the moment of the pick-and-roll, Nowitzki immediately moved sideways to delay Roger. Seeing this, Roger quickly passed the ball to Stephen Jackson who was lurking outside the three-point line. But Jason Kidrick blocked Stephen Jackson and completed the defense in time. The latter missed the long shot due to Kidd’s interference.

A perfect defense, the Mavericks are no longer as vulnerable as they once were.

Artest excitedly ran to Roger and spitted: “After all these years, you still only know how to use pick-and-roll against me. Come on, is this all you know?”

“After all these years, you still haven’t defended any superstar.” Roger retorted. The game continued, Jason Kidd controlled the front court. Then the Mavericks showed an offensive start that was rare in the past but extremely common this season.

After everyone moved away, Dirk Nowitzki leaned against Stephen Jackson with his back and raised his hand to ask for the ball.

He wants to play one-on-one in the low post.

Kidd passed the ball steadily, and then the Mavericks opened up the outside line.

Stephen Jackson gritted his teeth and stood behind the tall German.

Last season, and countless seasons before that, Stephen Jackson was the German’s nightmare when he faced the Mavericks.

This doesn’t mean that Stephen Jackson is the best defender at the power forward position, it’s just that his style just happens to suppress Nowitzki, just like Yao Ming has no good way to deal with Al Jefferson.

But this year, Stephen Jackson clearly felt that defending the German was becoming difficult.

In the past, you only needed to put pressure on him, not give him space to shoot, and use tough confrontation and quick movement to block his breakthrough, and he would be helpless.

But now, Dirk Nowitzki didn’t need to face the basket. He used more powerful force to advance against Stephen Jackson, then suddenly turned over and took a step back jump shot.

The one-legged step-back move is not an original move by Dirk Nowitzki. In modern basketball, there are almost no players who can create an original move.

But he is definitely the player who uses this move best and most.

Stephen Jackson tried his best to interfere, but Nowitzki’s shooting point was too high when he stepped back, and Stephen Jackson had no chance of interfering with the basketball at all. Whether the ball would go in or not depended entirely on the German’s touch.

Unfortunately, Dirk will not show any mercy today.

“brush.”

At this moment, Stephen Jackson felt the desperation of Stoudemire when he was defending Yao Ming’s fadeaway jump shot.

2:0.

It was a 2-0 victory that excited Dallas fans.

To paraphrase Neil Armstrong: That’s one small step for Dirk Nowitzki, one giant leap for the Dallas Mavericks.

They went from being a team that was helpless against the Warriors on both offense and defense to a team that could deal with the Warriors with ease.

Dirk Nowitzki and Ron Artest high-fived, and the Dallas Mavericks are no longer meat on the chopping board.

The game continued. Without Roy controlling the ball, Roger had to take on the responsibility of offense and organization alone.

But Artest’s rough pressure made it impossible for Roger to command the offense calmly. Facts have proved that as long as the rules are right, Artest is the devil in the perimeter defense.

Roger passed the ball to Stoudemire who was in the mid-range. Facing the Sharks’ defense, Stoudemire chose to break through with the ball. O’Neal might be very strong in confrontation, but his speed was completely inferior to Stoudemire.

But just when Stoudemire was getting to the basket, it was Jason Kidd who double-teamed him.

Jason Kidd may be the number one player with the greatest help defense influence in NBA history. He has excellent help defense awareness and chooses the timing of double-teaming just right.

What Xiao Si fears most is being double-teamed.

In one-on-one attack, Amare Stoudemire is not afraid of any inside player in the league. But when facing double teams, Stoudemire’s performance will be greatly reduced.

Stoudemire’s back-to-the-basket attack is average, and his passing vision is poor. Although he has been working hard over the years, his improvement in this area is not obvious. Defense can be compensated by athletic ability, but the strength of the ability to read the game is difficult to improve through acquired efforts.

Facing Kidd’s double-team, Stoudemire couldn’t find his teammates’ positions immediately.

He hurriedly passed the ball, and under the pressure of the shark, he looked up to find someone. But at the moment of passing the ball, Kidd’s hand had already cut off the ball.

Another beautiful defensive performance, the Dallas Mavericks fully demonstrated their top five defensive capabilities in the league.

After Kidd completed the steal, he quickly launched a counterattack. In the crowd, he found John Salmons with a long pass, and the latter took two big steps and prepared to dunk.

Dallas fans are ready to scream, they are about to fire the first shot to overthrow Roger’s rule tonight!
It’s over, it’s all over. The nightmare of being swept 0-4 is destined to end tonight!
“boom!”

The loud noise from the backboard brought the Mavericks fans’ joy to an abrupt end.

Roger failed to intercept Kidd’s pass, but caught up with Salmons and blocked it!
After getting the ball, Roger counterattacked himself. He quickly ran across the midfield line, and Ron Artest attacked again. But Roger didn’t wait to get close to Artest, and he quickly changed direction and passed by Artest. Artest’s lateral movement ability has declined compared to his peak period.

After passing Artest, Roger stopped outside the three-point line, as if preparing to shoot. Jason Kidd appeared in time again and jumped up to block the shot.

But Roger just made a fake bow, and after Kidd’s feet left the ground, Roger dribbled again and headed straight for the basket.

John Salmons had already caught up by now and formed a siege around Roger together with Shaq who was guarding under the basket.

Roger raised the ball with both hands, and the three of them jumped at the same time, competing in the air.

In the air, Roger turned slightly, pulled the lever, avoided the blocks from Salmons and the Shark, glided to the other side of the basket, then swung his arms and slammed the ball into the basket.

“boom!!!”

There was another loud bang, and the American Airlines Center suddenly became silent.

After Roger blocked the shot, he made a slam dunk. In this attack, Roger dealt with the Mavericks’ proud outside defensive trio and the Shark who was already very serious on the defensive end.

2-2, Roger tied the score and did not let Nowitzki’s small step go too far.

As a player trying to fully demonstrate his dominance this season, Roger will not give any illusions that he is close to beating me.

After scoring the goal, Roger pointed at Dirk Nowitzki, the only one who did not participate in the defense in time, and said, “The nightmare will not end until you can defeat me with your own hands. No one can save you. Except for saving yourself, no one else can help you. Look, all your helpers were knocked down by me. So come on, Dirk, knock me down with your own hands. This is your only way.”

Dirk Nowitzki’s heart was shaken violently, and the fear that a elk feels when encountering a lion once again enveloped his whole body.

“Go Dirk, don’t be afraid of him,” Ron Artest yelled, “Use your offense to destroy them, and don’t worry about anything else!”

This former locker room poison continues to provide courage for Nowitzki. A few years ago, it would be hard to imagine that a weirdo like Artest could play a positive role in the locker room.

Nowitzki tried to overcome his fear and played very aggressively on the following offensive end. Defenders like Stephen Jackson were no longer the German’s nemesis.

He tortured the Warriors’ defense with one low-post single play after another, causing Stephen Jackson to throw his towel in anger when he was substituted off the court: “Damn, that guy never seems to miss!”

But the Mavericks did not gain any advantage because Roger also had his way on the offensive end.

Artest’s weakness of being too slow in lateral movement has always been targeted by Roger, who either sets a pick-and-roll or uses a change of direction to deal with him.

He knew that the Mavericks’ overall defense was very strong this season, so he deliberately reduced the number of passes and increased the number of independent shots.

The quick stop and jump after changing direction, the quick stop and jump after the pick-and-roll. Roger only used these two moves, but he left the Mavericks helpless.

The basketball flew across the sky again and again, creating waves formed by the basketball net.

In the end, Dirk Nowitzki scored 14 points in a single quarter and successfully broke the defense of Stephen Jackson, who had humiliated him last season.

But the people of Dallas did not cheer at all, because Roger’s attack was even more terrifying.

Roger, who reduced the number of passes, scored 20 points in a single quarter tonight, completely suppressing Dirk Nowitzki who had performed well enough!

After the first quarter, Charles Barkley punched hard in the studio: “Kenny, you can take your damn pig away!”

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Kenny Smith waved his hand. “Perhaps because of the physical consumption, the Mavericks haven’t put pressure on Roger yet. In the entire first quarter, it was almost Ron who was defending Roger alone. Except for someone helping to delay him during the pick-and-roll, he had almost no support. But the double-team will definitely happen, maybe in the second quarter.”

“Oh, you’re right,” Barkley nodded, then looked at Kenny Smith with a smile.

“The Mavericks’ defense has improved, and their double-teaming will definitely limit Roger. But you know what? That will at most prevent Roger from scoring 70 points against the Mavericks for the second time!”

The Mavericks and Dirk are both stronger, but so what?
Compared to Roger’s dominance, this improvement is insignificant.

(End of this chapter)