Dirk Nowitzki is willing to wait out his swollen right knee as Dallas Maverick fans and coaches hold their universal breaths that the German great won’t need arthroscopic surgery. At 34, Nowitzki is certainly at the end of his remarkable career, but as of now the Mavericks remain Dirk’s team. As Dirk leaves, so will the Mavs.
“I’m doing everything that I can’t have surgery,” Nowitzki told ESPNM on Monday after missing a second straight preseason game with a knee. “I guess it’s obvious I don’t really want to do it now. If I do want to do it, I’d love to do it after the season, get through the season somehow, but the swelling came back three or four times.” Obviously, that’s not good news. If he’s going to keep rooting me, that’s obviously not a way to do it during an 82-game season and hopefully a long playoff run.”
There won’t be a long playoff run if the knee is a problem all season and I can tell it will be a problem unless a doctor comes in and finds out what the problem is, right now. The problem knee has already been drained twice and Dirk says there won’t be a third time. That means, without surgery, Nowitzki will rely on his damaged knee night after night on the NBA court. Without fixing the knee, it seems likely that Nowitzki will miss several games throughout the season. The Mavericks can’t afford that.
Two years after winning the NBA title, the Mavericks will be within reach of making the playoffs this season WITH a healthy and productive Nowitzki. Without him, they are a lottery team for the first time since 1999, Nowitzki’s rookie year.
Who will play the Power Forward position in Dirks’ absence? Most of the minutes would go to Elton Brand, 33. Nowitzki’s knees are like gold compared to those of Brand, who averaged 28 productive minutes with Philadelphia as the starter last season. Dallas will need more than 28 minutes from Brand if Dirk is out. I like Brandan Wright, but the 25-year-old played 49 games last season for Dallas and isn’t ready to take on as big a role.
The answer is to shut down Dirk right now. Today. Go get your knee measured. Hopefully it’s a minor problem that can be fixed and it puts Nowitzki out for 3-6 weeks. Worst case? There is structural damage to the knee and he misses the season. If that’s the news, then that’s the news. Coach Rick Carlisle can go ahead and try to build the team this season around OJ Mayo and the three rookies selected in the last draft, Bernard James, Jae Crowder and Jared Cunningham.
“Once they look in there, it could be a lot worse, it could be a lot better. I guess no one really knows.” [the recovery time].” Nowitzki said. “No doctor in the world can tell you.”
Do it now. Dallas will be with the Lakers to open the season on October 30. With or without Dirk.
