Should the Dallas Mavericks Make Dirk Nowitzki Their Sixth Man?
Father Time may be struggling against Tim Duncan, but he has Dirk Nowitzki on the ropes. So much so that, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Mavericks are considering moving the soon-to-be 37-year-old to the bench.
At this stage in Nowitzki's career, transitioning to a sixth-man role would be best for both him and the Mavericks. He has lost considerable mobility, while becoming more of a defensive liability with each passing season. Still, the future Hall of Famer and former Finals MVP has earned the right to object to such a change.
So how did Nowitzki respond when Price asked him about transitioning into a sixth-man role? "Yeah, I mean, whatever it takes," he exclaimed. This isn't just a player who talks with humility; according to Jim Pagels of Forbes, the 13-time All-Star passed up more money this past offseason than anyone in NBA history, walking away from over $72 million in order to stay in Dallas.
However, his generosity may have been too little, too late. After failing to pair Nowitzki with a younger superstar such as Deron Williams or Dwight Howard, two players who have since trended downward, the Mavericks have been forced to retool their roster on the fly. Since winning the championship in 2011, Dallas has failed to get past the first round of the playoffs, including missing the postseason altogether in 2013, per Basketball Reference.
With Nowitzki's 16th season now in the books, it has become obvious that the Mavericks can no longer win a championship with him as their best player. Unfortunately, a free agent class that features the likes of Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard doesn't figure to see much movement.
This means that Dallas, which figures to have roughly $23 million in cap space based on the league's projection of a cap around $68 million next season, will likely have to continue adding second-tier free agents, such as Detroit's Greg Monroe.
What will also help is moving Nowitzki to the bench. He still has plenty left to offer offensively, as indicated by his regular-season offensive rating of 109 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. Transitioning to a sixth-man role will help to maximize the remainder of his Hall of Fame career.
