Dirk Nowitzki Nearing 9th on All-Time Field Goals List

Should Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki make three shots in Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, he will pass Alex English for ninth place on the NBA all-time made field goals list, per Basketball Reference.

Nowitzki, who's first among active players in made field goals, is averaging 14.4 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc this season.

With the Mavericks being a fringe playoff team all season and a $25 million team option on the table for Nowitzki next year, the Dallas brass has been playing it safe with the 38-year-old's workload. He's seen his minutes decrease from last season, averaging 26.6 minutes per game this year compared to 31.5 minutes last year.

Despite his reduced playing time, Nowitzki is still a crucial part of what makes the Mavericks tick. He's currently ranked second on the team in scoring and usage rate (25.6)—of players who have seen more than 300 minutes—behind Harrison Barnes in both. He's also the Mavericks' second-leading rebounder (6.6) to just Nerlens Noel.

Though the Mavericks are all but out of the playoffs and have lost seven of their last ten games, coach Rick Carlisle hasn't resorted to shutting down his veteran big man for the season. Instead, he's working to help the team—featuring two young new acquisitions in Noel and Yogi Ferrell—jell for next season.

With some hard work in the offseason by the Mavericks front office, coaching and players, maybe fans will get to see Nowitzki in the playoffs once more before it's all said and done.