PLANO – As he juggles the numerous offseason acquisitions the Dallas Mavericks made during this summer in his head, Dirk Nowitzki can’t help but have a little extra pep in his step these days.
Since the Mavs’ season ended this past April, among the players they’ve added to their roster include veterans DeAndre Jordan and Devin Harris, and rookies Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Ray Spalding, Kostas Antetokounmpo, Ryan Broekhoff and Ding Yanyuhang. The additions had Nowitzki smiling Wednesday just before he talked to over 100 kids at the Mavericks Summer Hoop Camp at Collin College.
“I think we should be a lot better than last year,” Nowitzki said. “That’s not a secret.”
It’s also not a secret that the addition of Jordan at the center position will elevate the Mavs’ status in the middle and take it to an extraordinary new level. In short, the only other center in the Mavs’ entire history who can match what Jordan brings to the table is Tyson Chandler, who established a defensive culture with the Mavs while helping lead them to the 2011 NBA title.
“I think DeAndre should be great for what we do for our system,” Nowitzki said. “When you’re in coach (Rick Carlisle’s) system the (center position) has a great roll presence, a great rim presence on both ends.
“And there’s obviously not a lot (of centers) that are better at that – he might even be the best at that in the league. He’s a runner, he’s a rim protector, he’s a roller, he finishes as high above the rim as anyone, so we’re really looking forward to start working with him.”
Nowitzki also is looking forward to start working with Doncic, who was the third overall pick in this past June’s NBA Draft. Doncic has an incredible resume in that he was the Most Valuable Player this past season in the EuroLeague and the MVP of the EuroLeague Final Four while leading Real Madrid to the league championship.
The fact that Doncic is only 19 years old and will be paired in the same backcourt with 20-year old Dennis Smith Jr. this year gives Nowitzki plenty reasons to believe this could be a banner season for the Mavs.
“Obviously we’ve put a lot in Luka’s basket, so hopefully he’s going to develop nicely,” Nowitzki said. “I think he’s got all the tools.
“He’s smart, he’s already got a great basketball IQ for 19 years old. So hopefully he’s going to bring a lot to the table.”
The smart minds in NBA headquarters are certainly banking on Doncic becoming a must-see TV performer. The league released the TV portion of the 2018-’19 season on Wednesday, and the Mavs will open the regular season on Oct. 16 on the road at 9:30 p.m. CT against the Phoenix Suns.
The game will serve as the second half of an ESPN double-header and will pit Doncic against the Suns’ Deandre Ayton, who was the No. 1 overall selection in the June draft.
Meanwhile, Nowitzki believes if the Mavs desire to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016, they can’t afford to duplicate last season’s 9-25 record they posted even before the arrival of Christmas.
“The key is, I guess, for us to have a better start,” said Nowitzki, who didn’t go home to Germany this offseason. “I think for us that was a little tough last year to kind of have a tough schedule in November last year and then to pile the losses up on a younger team, so that was just a little frustrating.
“So hopefully we can get a little energy going and get everybody excited and positive about the team and then hopefully play well.”
From a personal standpoint, Nowitzki signed a one-year contract with the Mavs last month and will be entering his 21st season this fall. That’s the most seasons any player has played with the same team in NBA history.
But on Wednesday, Nowitzki again squashed any notion that this will be his final season before he hangs up his sneakers. The 40-year old pointed to the 77 games he played last season – Nowitzki missed the final four games to undergo a surgical debridement of his left ankle – as a sign that he’s not slowing down.
“I’m going to make that decision (about retirement), I guess, once obviously I see how the season goes,” Nowitzki said. “I almost played the entire season last year, was healthy and obviously could have played almost every game.
“I decided to have surgery early, but if next year is going to go sort of the same, then hey, maybe, and we’ll leave the door open and I’m going to play another (season). But I want to approach this as if there is no tomorrow and then just hopefully have a great year. I’m going to try to be efficient again as I’ve often tried my entire career. We’ll just go from there, but hopefully it’s going to be a lot more fun than last year.”
With Media Day set for Sept 21, the start of training camp set for Sept. 22, and the Mavs slated to play two preseason games in China the first week of October, Nowitzki said he’s rehabbing his ankle as much as he can so he can be ready when training camp opens. He even made a reference to proprietor Mark Cuban’s 60th birthday party – it was held on July 28 – in regards to his left ankle.
“Obviously you don’t heal like you’re 20, so there were some frustrated weeks where I’m partying it up at Cuban’s 60th (birthday) and the next thing you know my ankle is swollen, so there were some frustrating moments,” Nowitzki said. “You know you kind of want to see improvement from week-to-week, from every two weeks to two weeks, and I think that’s been the case.
“Now I’m sort of running and sprinting. I haven’t really done a lot of side-to-side stuff, which we’ll add probably a little later here this month. But as we know camp is going to come flying.”
And Nowitzki knows that time will come rather quickly for the Mavs to try and improve on last season’s 24-58 record.
“It’s down to almost not even six weeks left until camp (starts), and then obviously we go to China right away after a week,” Nowitzki said. “Then we only have like four or five preseason games, so before you know it the season is going to be here, so I’m going to keep pushing.
“The trainers and obviously our training staff is going to do everything to get me ready and I’m looking forward to hopefully a good camp and a good season.”
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