Critical Mass
Me thinks we doth protest too much. Or something.
By Ryan Jones
Dirk Nowitzki is a giant German piece of sh*t.
This, somewhat understandably, is the consensus reached by many of you who care about The Game of Basketball (copyright Michael Jordan, 1989). The logic goes like this: Yeah, he put up great numbers during the regular season, and yeah, his team had the best record, but look at him now! He sucks. He can’t even get his shot off against the No. 8 seed. He’s garbage. And he’s definitely not the League MVP.
Fair enough, except for that last part. Because he probably is.
The annual MVP argument is a lot of fun, and the fact that it is such an argument is something David Stern & Co. are well aware of — they LOVE how the undefined requirements of that award inspire so much discussion, because it means we all spend way too much time talking about their League. Hopefully, we’ll spend the next few days talking about this instead. (Guess these guys didn’t watch the Finals last year, huh?)
Anyway, I’m not here to tell you how I define an MVP, except to remind you of the one very specific qualification that we know to be fact: It’s a regular season award. Period. It was a regular season award when David Robinson won it in ‘95, and nothing Hakeem Olajuwon did to him in the playoffs can change that. It was a regular season award when Charles Barkley won it in ‘93, and the fact that Michael Jordan averaged nearly 9 ppg more than Chuck in the Finals that year is, in this case, irrelevant.
I’m not saying these cases are identical, nor am I denying that Dirk has disappointed in the postseason. I’m only asking for perspective, and (hopefully) reminding you that there’s a precedent for this sort of thing. What Dirk does have in common with guys like DRob and Charles is that he was rightly praised for helping redefine his position (Bill Russell with a mid-range jumper? A 6-5 Moses Malone with a handle? You get the idea) but, like them, he’s apparently not good enough to single-handedly lead his team to a ‘chip, and he’s catching a lot of crap for it. But again, where the MVP is concerned, none of that matters.
Of course, you might not think Dirk deserved the MVP even before the playoffs started, and that’s valid. You could argue for Kobe or Steve, and you can even argue that Dirk’s not the most important player on his own squad (step up, Josh Howard—or whatever we’re calling you these days). All of which is fine by me. Just don’t forget that his case is strong as hell: 25 and 9 on a team with the League’s best record. And, as un-clutch as he may have looked for the past few weeks, he did average 27 and 12 in last year’s playoffs, so he’s not completely unproven on the big stage.
Anyway, just to be clear, I’m no Dirk apologist, or anything close to his biggest fan. I just get vexed by how irrational we become in situations like these. I have vague but intact memories of Magic Johnson being labeled as overrated and a choker in the early ’80s. I remember a young Michael Jordan being called a ballhog who lacked the leadership skills to carry his team to a championship level. I watch LeBron James being written off as a lazy, inconsistent underachiever who will never win a championship. And I listen to Dirk Nowitzki being called a worthless b*tch because he’s had a few bad playoff games.
I’ll I’m saying is, perspective is healthy. Don’t be hasty. Step back for a second and try to think long-term.
Or don’t. Rational thought doesn’t lead to nearly as many entertaining (not to mention ad-generating) posts on our website. Never mind.
65 Responses to “Critical Mass”
May.2 at 9:51 am
James says:
Nice article. I think that this criticism is getting entirely out of hand. If Dallas beat GSW, and then Dirk destroys his way to the Finals, these same critics will be worshipping at his feet. 4 games he is being judged on. 4 WHOLE GAMES. How about the 67 games Dallas won in the season? Do they not count? Anyway, MVP, no doubt. You go Dirk.
May.2 at 10:02 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
I once remember hearing a factoid that Barkley was the first NBA MVP to retire without a championship. Since then, others like Karl Malone, Iverson, and Nash have won it. The voters themselves don’t even know what they are voting for anymore. Who is the MVP?
What is the MVP? It’s just another topic that people will never agree on.
May.2 at 10:13 am
JG says:
MVP = Most Valuable Player = Kobe Bryant.
May.2 at 10:18 am
Ryan Jones says:
No question, JG. I mean, unless it’s Dirk. Or Steve. Or Dwyane. Or LeBron. Or Baron Davis. Or Thabo Sefalosha.
May.2 at 10:22 am
Simon says:
The question of MVP is a Most Vexing Problem…
May.2 at 10:38 am
Decs says:
Is it just me, or is the ‘fact’ that white referees call more fouls on black players because the league is actually 95% black players? Just a thought…
May.2 at 10:43 am
Ryan Jones says:
I believe the study says fouls are called at a “higher rate,” not just in greater numbers. Sort of like “per capita,” Decs.
May.2 at 10:44 am
Decs says:
They could just draw a name out of a hat each year? o hey Michael Olowokandi, your this years MVP, congrats dude.
May.2 at 10:45 am
Decs says:
I just like trying to disprove peoples theories, thats all.
May.2 at 10:53 am
Jake Appleman says:
Yay! Perspective! So many people in this biz forget that perspective something worth striving for.
May.2 at 11:18 am
Max Airington says:
The MVP shouldn’t be given out until the Conference finals.
May.2 at 11:31 am
mutoni says:
they should give it to whoever has the best performance in an all-star game (while drunk, and quite possibly, high).
May.2 at 11:59 am
Gilbert0 says:
steve nash has two and kidd has none. for shame. i shudder to imagine what that nets team would be like without kidd.
May.2 at 12:02 pm
Max Airington says:
Jason Kidd is STILL better than Nash.
May.2 at 12:28 pm
jonathan says:
That’s an interesting article (the first link). I have never even considered this is all my (ten) years of watching basketball; it just never crossed my mind. However, as difficult (and therefore more likely to be inaccurate) as it is to account for all the omitted variables in such a multivariable regression analysis, even if all those were accounted for (and it looked like they did a decent job), and even if there was a proven statistically significant correlation between foul calls and race, that’s all it is - a correlation. I’m taking an econometrics sequence right now, and one (relatively) basic idea which a lot of people in econometrics, or statistics in general, overlook is the fact that correlation does NOT = causality (under certain circumstances which I won’t go into). So even from this report, you can’t prove with just this statistical argument that the league, or the refs, are being racially motivated in making the calls. Either way, I think we should focus on the game itself , which I find more interesting, than arguing about racial bias when I don’t think it exists.
May.2 at 12:30 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
It’s funny, I was kind of thinking the same thing about Dirk and the Mavs last night, which can mean only one thing: RYAN IS STEALING MY THOUGHTS. Dammit. Also, it’s obvious there’ll be more fouls called on black players, because as we all know, white players don’t play defense.
May.2 at 12:38 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
F*ck Dirk…He’s a good and sometimes great player but is he someone who is unquestionably awesome? Someone who you would ever pay money to see? Someone you think other players or fans of other teams are afraid of? I thought so. F*ck Dirk. Steve Nash for President and MVP…..
May.2 at 12:40 pm
fabio says:
like this one. still thinking about lebron (thanks for your answer on my posting in the other thread).
OT kidd should get one for his career
May.2 at 12:44 pm
fabio says:
KHALID WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU?
there are some people who’d spend their money rather on an elephant making love to a pig than watching an NBA game, does that make the pig or the elephant the MVP? and I am sure that whoever is guarding a 7 footer with a 3pt shot is scared of this matchup. Dirk’s stats are good and MVP material. I wouldn’t pick it but your posting is over the top given your position. i think sometimes it mixes in here that he is german. bird already got some hate for being white and REALLY good, don’t stretch this. and yeah, we all know, kobe is TOP10 all time…
p.s. how old are you?
May.2 at 12:49 pm
Nadav Mor says:
“The Game of Baaaasketball”
May.2 at 12:57 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
is your name really fabio???
May.2 at 1:03 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Pig-on-elephant sex is some of the hottest in the animal kingdom, in my opinion. And Khalid is 63.
May.2 at 1:05 pm
Cub Buenning says:
Or is it Walter Hermann..?.?..
May.2 at 1:07 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Admit it, Russ: You’ve long suspected I had your brain tapped.
May.2 at 1:28 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
No really, is your name fabio? and if so, sorry.
May.2 at 1:30 pm
fabio says:
yes my name is fabio. and so, why sorry? are you really playing at THAT level?
May.2 at 1:38 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Khalid’s an old man, Fab. Give him a break.
May.2 at 1:40 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Why yes i am. On wednesdays i get real mean. I could get all intellectual and whatnot and we could even discuss things like creationism and the time/space continium and whether its ok to not want to vote for Obama if you’re black. We could discuss all those things just not on Wednesdays. Today i talk smack and your name, as i’m sure you found out in high school, college and yesterday makes you a easy target.
May.2 at 1:47 pm
Dblizzy! says:
I still don’t think Dirk should be MVP. There were big games, during the regular season, where he just disappeared when his team needed him. The MVP doesn’t do that. If Nash won it the last 2 years, and is arguably having the best season of his career, then what is there to debate. And I don’t even like Nash.
May.2 at 1:49 pm
K22C says:
Kobe = True MVP
May.2 at 2:02 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Khalid, you are banned from my blog until Thursday.
May.2 at 2:04 pm
fabio says:
yes khalid, growing up outside of my country of birth taught me what racism means. thanks for reminding me
May.2 at 2:09 pm
Cheryl says:
Khalid, you’re funny as hell…
May.2 at 2:17 pm
dez says:
unless someone posts pics of a pig or an elephant, this conversation is OVER!
May.2 at 2:21 pm
Ryan Jones says:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/ba/Southpark_ep105_1.jpg/200px-Southpark_ep105_1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Elephant_Makes_Love_to_a_Pig&h=152&w=200&sz=6&hl=en&start=3&sig2=HtkDshRZdVjuM9l-8fzh0Q&tbnid=g5LySQH7qwLYIM:&tbnh=79&tbnw=104&ei=MtY4Rv7DFaS6igHv8Nz2DA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Delephant%2Bpig%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
May.2 at 2:21 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Moderate me, Sam.
May.2 at 2:26 pm
allenp says:
Fabio, do you really think Bird got a lot of hate for being white?
Not from most sportwriters, announcers, fans, coaches and GMs. There was some bias among blacks, but that was mainly due to the amount praise and deification Bird received from so many sources. I think what you said about Bird is way off base. And Dirk is getting hated on cause he bitched out for four straight games. If he hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t be getting hated on.
May.2 at 2:30 pm
Z says:
That was kinda shallow, Khalid. The fact that he said «Nash for MVP» kinda puts your racial argument on hold, Fabio.
May.2 at 2:47 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Thank you.
May.2 at 2:50 pm
fabio says:
my favourite episode
May.2 at 3:01 pm
Bigi says:
Dirk-Cover?……Buhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!Spider Man 3!
May.2 at 3:10 pm
Chris says:
It is interesting that the NBA MVP award gets way more debate the NFL or MLB MVP award and it’s probably due to the lack of definition. to end all (most) of the debate you could just change to award to Best Offensive Player (Kobe Bryant) or Best Player on the Best Team (Dirk).
May.2 at 3:18 pm
Ryan Jones says:
NFL MVP usually goes to the QB or RB with the craziest stats on (one of) the best team(s), and it’s usually roughly the same in baseball with the best hitter. Basketball, beautifully, is a bit more subtle. That’s why it’s a better sport.
May.2 at 3:22 pm
J-Bird says:
Im with Khaild on this, Dirk is a soft jump shooter, thats it, last night he came through in the clutch, but what about the past three games?
May.2 at 3:47 pm
DarKnight says:
Khalid is on the money. Dirk is NOT the type of player who “puts the Mavs on his back”. The sporstwriters who say sh*t like that are completely disrespecting the rest of quality players on that team (J5, Stack, Terry,etc.) Dirk did not lead his team to 67 wins; Avery did, by putting Dirk in a system that hides Dirk’s deficiencies and still allows Dirk to get all the credit for the wins. I thought the man was the best coach in the L before this series - Avery’s still up there, but he got shook this time.
May.2 at 4:37 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
True.
May.2 at 4:42 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Is there an MVP in hockey? (Hockey’s a sport, right?)
May.2 at 4:59 pm
Dblizzy! says:
Russ, what is this hockey you speak of???
May.2 at 5:34 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Hockey is an activity not a sport. Like playing scrabble. No actually i like scrabble. Its like cleaning behind your toilet.
May.2 at 5:42 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
It is called the Hart trophy in the NHL. If you think there aren’t MVP debates in baseball(Bonds vs. Pujols?; should Ortiz, a DH, get as much credit as a position player?) you’re nuts.
May.2 at 5:42 pm
James says:
The Hart Trophey is the MVP of Hockey.
May.2 at 7:42 pm
Billy Blanks says:
My question is how the heck is Khalid not doin stand-up comedy?
May.2 at 8:30 pm
franco says:
cos he aint that funny.
May.2 at 11:13 pm
Drolfe says:
Woooooo! Perspective! Dirk haters are worse than Kobe haters, cause the end of most anti-Dirk rants he is demanded to be sent back to Europe. That aint right.
Dirk’s one of my favourite players and I’m not close to being a Mavs fan. I appreciate anyone who plays different to everyone else. The old favourite, ‘redefining their position’ is rare and to be admired. Seven foot shooting guard with a super-nice stoke. He’s ridiculous. I’d definitely pay to watch him play.
Lucky for me, I’m in Australia and haven’t seen one game of this series. In summary, f–k you, ESPN Australia.
May.3 at 2:14 am
CoreyMelo15 says:
Dirk’s is a great great player. Give your head a shake. He has put a silky twist on the power forward position that will go down in history. Last time i checked, teams win championships, not individuals. Don’t blame the mavs inability to win against the Warriors on dirk. He hasn’t played as well as he usally does, but either has Howard or Terry or Stack. And Dirk is a close close second in my book for finals mvp. Only being out down by Steve Nash.
May.3 at 5:07 am
German Reignman says:
and don`t forget:
>50% from the field; >90% from the stripe; >40% from 3
Yes, the playoffs so far have been mediocre for Dirk, but the season was all that and a slice of whale fat !
May.3 at 11:21 am
1hush D says:
Thank you German! Dirk follows Nash to become the 5th player in history with those numbers. Dirk has consistently shut down in the playoffs. Nobody is giving him the post-season MVP but he and Nash are the only two candidates for reg season MVP! I am a Warriors fan and a Dallas hater and Dirk is deserving……………………………..on the racial bias, I repeat a post here………………… …………………I have a racial discussion topic without going to statistics (thanks G$). How bad would an ALL-WHITE AMERICAN NBA team be? Name your starting 5! That is right, the Euro team would kill them. The black team would kill them. The mixed race team would kill them. Are American white kids just playing soccer and tball? What gives? No Nash, No Nowitzki, No Nocioni or AK or Kidd or…..is white chocolate white?
May.3 at 11:22 am
1hush D says:
Thanks RJ too. Truthful post!
May.3 at 11:50 am
2G40 says:
Well Ryan since none it of matter’s, why not give the mvp to kobe, lebron, or melo…their individual numbers were better than Dirks, and one could argue that w/o them there teams would be worse off. I agree though, the precident is set, but if Dallas loses tonight it’s a good case for changing the citeria.
May.3 at 11:54 am
Ryan Jones says:
There’s a very strong case for those guys (well, not Melo, not this year anyway) and an equally strong case for changing the criteria. But, as it stands, it’s the regular-season MVP award. I’m just asking everyone to remember that.
May.3 at 12:54 pm
Redrum says:
MVP = most valuable player, i.e. remove that player from the team, how will they do? Remove Dirk from the Mavs, they are still a top 4 playoff team. remove Nash from the Suns, they are still a top 4 p-off team. Remove TD from Spurs, top 6. Remove Kobe from the Lakers, they are bottom of the league, might as well join NBDA… The East at this point is irrelevant, the teams are so bad and so balanced, that apart from LBJ and possibly wade (that have Shaq remember…) no team relies on one player
May.3 at 12:59 pm
Redrum says:
and can we cut the crap about “the best player in the team with the best record” criteria? why did Billups not won it last year then? I think writers change their criteria according who they fancy…
May.4 at 2:16 am
DarKnight says:
Redrum’s got it right.
May.4 at 9:52 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
The thing about Nowitzki is this: he’s always been an almost pure jump shooter. All of this garbage about his supposed handle and putting it on the floor is just smoke and mirrors. He has never, ever been able to consistently drive the ball, or score around the basket in other ways. And when those jump shots don’t fall, we get the G-State series. He can rebound on the defensive end, BUT he cannot hit the offensive glass much at all, he doesn’t get many assists, AND he cannot be counted on to shut anyone down. In short, he doesn’t make his teammates better, and he’s too easy to take out of his game with tenacious D (yes, yes, I know…). Personally, I have never understood the praise lavished on him. He’s a good and sometimes great jump shooter who is prone to punking out in the playoffs. And why should the MVP trophy be handed out to a player whose team has done really well, anyway? Lest we forget, it is a team sport, and teams that do well have many good players, hence making the task easier for the MVP candidates. I’m not suggesting we should grant it to a good player on a crappy team, but it’s hard to fathom all everyone talked about this year was Diggler and Nashty. The field should probably be opened up a bit. The field of NBA “analysts” does have such a knee-jerk, consensus mentality that it is really hard to find any of the mainstream analysts and journos ever saying anything remotely interesting - they just pick up where the previous guy left, and go on to spout the same f****n platitudes.
May.4 at 11:20 am
Cheryl says:
hear, hear