Mavericks Fans Shouldn't Be Concerned About Dirk Nowitzki's 3-Point Shooting

Through the first 17 games of the regular season, Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks haven't looked like themselves. Currently sitting at 10-7, many things could be used as an excuse for the team's lackluster performance, including the drawn-out NBA lockout, questionable roster changes and the team's age.

Yet one of the biggest concerns for Dallas is that their star player hasn't played like a star at all. Nowitzki, the MVP of last season's NBA Finals, is currently putting up just 17.5 points per game, which would be his worst season offensively since his rookie year in which he only scored around eight ppg.

Dirk's offensive struggles could be related to his mere .235 three-point percentage, also his worst since his 1998-99 rookie campaign.

Mavericks fans need not worry, however, because Nowitzki has a viable excuse for his dismal shooting from beyond the arc.

In recent games, Nowitzki has been wearing a protective brace over his right knee, which has been giving him trouble for months now. He sprained the knee during the spring of last season, causing him to miss nine games in which Dallas went just 2-7.

Now that same injury is giving him problems again, which certainly explains some of the issues with his jump shots. Because of the knee issues, Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle and the team's medical staff have decided to sit the 7'0'' German for four games in order to return full strength and mobility to the knee. 

Nowitzki has reported that he's been unable to lift weights or run for extended amounts of time due to the tremendous swelling, so hopefully the rest will get rid of all of those problems.

Nowitzki also noted that he didn't come into this season in good enough shape. After winning the NBA finals, Nowitzki traveled back to his native Germany to play in the Olympic qualifying tournament. Following games in Europe, he took a few months off from basketball, basically burnt out from the sport.

He didn't return to the game until November, which didn't leave him much time to get back in shape for opening day against the Miami Heat.

Hopefully for the Mavericks, Dirk will be able to get his cardio strength back in prime condition during his four games in a suit on the bench. If he's able to do that, as well as heal from his still-nagging knee injury, Nowitzki should be able to come out on the 29th firing on all cylinders against the rival San Antonio Spurs.

In 2006, Nowitzki won the NBA's three-point contest, and as players like Reggie Miller and Ray Allen have shown, the last thing a superstar loses is his shot. A healthy Nowitzki will still hit his shots, but unfortunately, fans have yet to see him at 100 percent this season. 

Struggling free-agent pickup Lamar Odom will likely see significantly more floor time in the star's absence, which may be just what he needs to get his confidence back. If Odom and Nowitzki can both return to their 2010-11 selves, the future looks bright for the Dallas Mavericks.