Spiegel on Dirk

I thought it was a cool gift, Dirk

On playing for the German national team, Muhammad Ali and the interviewer's general disinterest in what gift he received.

Matty Ice

Dirk and 6-7 Mike Pelfrey played one-on-one later

Matt Harrison's changing perceptions around here. Stringing together quality stars was expected. Rolling into June healthy and dealing was another.

Harrison notched his sixth win tonight, beating the New York Mets 8-1 in front of 46,000 fans at the Ballpark.

It's becoming the norm. Over his past 37 innings, he's allowed just six earned runs. His ERA has dipped to 3.00. In his last two starts -- 13 innings -- he's struck out 10 and walked just two.

Harrison has also learned to keep the ball in the yard. He's allowed just six homer runs this season. Just one in his last 37 innings.

At 77 innings, he's matched his workload from his nine-win rookie season in 2008. Let's see:

2008
83.2 IP - 100 hits - 57 runs - 31 BBs - 42 Ks - 1.57 WHIP - 5.49 ERA - .300 BAA

2011
84 IP - 72 hits - 34 runs - 34 BBs - 52 Ks - 1.26 WHIP - 3.00 ERA - .238 BAA

Now is the tough part. The weather's getting hotter, teams are getting familiar and Harrison's never pitched this much as a Major Leaguer.

The Rangers are now 3-1 in this 18-game stretch before the All-Star break, all at home.

Notes:
1. Elvis Andrus sprained his wrist. No word on his injury or how severe it is. Mike Young at shortstop? Andres Blanco? Promote Jurickson Profar from Low-A Hickory? Hoping it's not serious, but if Andrus had to sit for a little while, I don't think it'd be all that bad.

2. Dirk Nowitzki threw out the first pitch. He should stick to basketball.

3. Speaking of, why wasn't Gary Pettis out there catching Nowitzki like he does when some third grader from an elementary school or the principal from South Grand Prairie throws out the first pitch? Dirk got Mike Young.

4. The Rangers have something in Mark Lowe. They just need to be patient with it. He's allowed just two baserunners in last four outings, striking out five. Strikeout tonight came on an 88-mph change-up.

5. Couldn't feel better for Yorvit Torrealba. Three hits gives him 13 in last 10 games. His average is up to .267. A fourth hit just missed from getting out of the park.

6. Really nice to see Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre hitting. Each had two-run knocks. Beltre added a pair of opposite-field doubles. Things are good.

Friday afternoon Texas Rangers tidbits

Mr. Met

The New York Metropolitans are in tonight.

****
Dirk Nowitzki is throwing out a good pitch. Finally, a decent closer on the mound. Ha.

****
Josh Hamilton said his day-night splits are due to his blue eyes. And he has a optometrist backing him up:

"Because of the lack of pigment in lighter color eyes -- like blue or green eyes as opposed to brown -- you get a lot more unwanted light and that can create glare problems."

The solution: Sunglasses.

****
Jon Daniels is not in town if you're trying to reach him to go out for drinks. I know I have. He's in the Far East. Scouting.

One specific player he's looking at is Japanese hurler Yu Darvish, the dude that's been teasing to come to the United States for two years. He's dominating, of course.

****
Eric Hurley was taken off the disabled list from his concussion after getting knocked in the head earlier this season. He's at Triple A Round Rock. The 40-man roster is full.

Why making comparisons is dumb

Who can compare?

Why are American sports fans so obsessed with making comparisons or, if you will, comps?

There's a psychology to this. I think it comes down to insecurity. Most people don't understand the true complexity of an athlete's game -- from his brain to his body. For example, a vast majority of people that know who Lebron James is don't exactly know what makes him so good. The same with Dirk Nowitzki. In fact, let's go ahead and include every athlete -- professional or no.

Sports fans know how to play a game. They don't know how to dissect it or enjoy the nuance.

This is why we have sports writers, radio guys and the pundits we see on ESPN or we might read at Baseball Prospectus. It's what makes an OK color analyst on TV a great color analyst on TV: The ability to explain those subtleties and details to a dumb audience.

One of the biggest hubs of controversy in the recent NBA Finals were the comps of James to Michael Jordan (or Magic Johnson ... or Scottie Pippen) and those of Nowitzki to Larry Bird.

The camps were at a stalemate. James' comparisons were based on the observation that he stunk. Nowitzki's comparison were based on him being very good.

Comps are made because A) we're lazy; and B) we're stupid.

Both go hand in hand really. At first, we're stupid. Luckily, if you watch enough of the sports, read about it, study it, read more, listen to others you might develop a true grasp of the game with the ability to make salient and insightful points.

Most remain stupid and don't want to put the work into it. They just want to know why Tony Romo can't just throw the ball to Jason Witten 40 times a game. That's laziness.

Most people can't look at Nowitzki's game and tell another person what's so good about it: Maybe his ability to get his shot off against smaller guys, his touch, the ability to take certain guys off the dribble and, frankly, his noted improvement every year from passing to rebounding to understanding the flow of a game.

Comparisons are often shortsighted. Nowitzki is compared to Bird because they could both shoot, they have shaggy haircuts and they are both white. Those are actually where the comparison ends.

Truth is -- and I love Dirk Nowitzki -- but he is no Larry Bird.

Here's another truth: Of the 250,000 people that crammed into downtown Dallas yesterday, I would predict 95 percent have not seen Bird play a substantial amount of basketball.

Some are too young. Others merely just jumped on the Mavericks' bandwagon. Still, a vast majority have no idea what Bird was about.

First and foremost, he was not a good defender. He was a fantastic defender. He was gritty and tough his entire career. Nowitzki can not come even close to touching him here.

Bird was the superior passer. He was the superior rebounder.

Bird has three NBA titles. And three MVP awards. Bird was simply better.

Comparing the two is unfair ... to both.

For one, Bird was the superior player and if his name has to keep fighting off more and more white guys for eternity, then it sort of devalues what he was actually about.

It's unfair to Nowitzki, too. Bird had no comps. No one was watching him win those titles in the 1980s and simply commenting on his ability by saying he was in the mold of George Gervin or Jerry West. I don't remember anyone comparing Michael Jordan to Julius Erving or Oscar Robertson. They simply watched the game and enjoyed the brilliance.

If we are smart, we'd do the same. Instead of attempting to look "smart" and say so and so reminds me of so and so, why not take these players for what they are and enjoy it?

Fact is, most of us are dumb. A vast, vast, vast majority have never seen Erving, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Bob Cousy, Moses Malone or Earl Monroe play the game. Many others have never really seen Magic, Bird or, even, Jordan.

Just leave the comps alone.

Gay as a parade

There was an apparent parade this morning in downtown Dallas.

There was not enough money in the world to get me to go to this. I hate people, parades and heat.

The legacy of Jason Kidd

Worth every penny

When the news came down in February of 2008 that the Dallas Mavericks had traded for Jason Kidd, I had already vehemently stated my case that it was a mistake.

It was essentially a swap of Devin Harris for the aging Kidd. I hated such desperate, panic move. I thought it was too steep of a price, although Kidd was rather expensive. The Mavs sent Harris, Trenton Hassell, Mo Ager, DeSagana Diop, Keith Van Horn, cash and first round picks to the Nets for Kidd and Malik Allen.

It doesn't sound like much. In reality, only Harris and Van Horn had any value, and Van Horn had a very sweet expiring deal at the time, not unlike the Erick Dampier trade chip they had last summer. The Van Horn chip was supposed to be a huge player in getting an impact guy. Instead, he was just another name in a trade for a point guard past his prime.

Despite all my bitching, I wrote this on Feb. 20, 2008:

"No more bitching, but also no more excuses about lack of toughness or leadership. This is it. The Mavs have to start winning and they must start winning playoff games by the handfuls. A NBA Championship within the next two years is the only thing that will make this entire rigmarole worth it. The Mavs win and all doubters are silenced."

It took more than three years, but it happened. Jason Kidd was the starting point guard -- an integral ingredient -- on a championship team.

All of the attention goes to Dirk Nowitzki and how this title will boost his image and legacy.

No one really talks about Jason Kidd. He'd been to the Finals twice before against a clearly outmatched, but scrappy, New Jersey Nets team. Kidd was the Nets (finished five times in the top 10 in MVP voting ... in 2001-02 he finished second behind Tim Duncan). He'd never won big before, but now he has.

I don't think it matters that he is clearly past his prime. He says he has years left. His brain is probably making decisions his legs can't handle. Despite what everyone says, he's not near the defender we think he is. Yes, he's highly intelligent on the court and that makes up for a lot of physical deficiencies. Still, he was important more so in working hard, staying the course and never, ever getting frazzled. The latter, I think, was Kidd's most vital contribution to the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks.

My end game with Kidd's arrival was that only a title matters. You never trade a young commodity like Devin Harris for someone like Kidd unless it ended with a title. I stand by that. Now that the Mavericks have won, the trade is validated in my eyes. That was a good trade, zero doubt ... now.

I hate to judge Harris on this point. Yes, the injuries he's had since are scary. Still, we sent him to New Jersey. It's like sending someone to Siberia and not being able to believe that person can't stay warm. Everyone's going to look worse in New Jersey. Playing next to Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion and others is far and away a totally different set of circumstances that make comparisons unfair.

My most frustrating thoughts about Kidd regard how everyone treats him in the media and public. Like most things concerning the Mavericks, we ignore the bad and over-celebrate the good. No one talks about Kidd's 1-6 shooting nights. Everyone talks when he goes 4-6.

The shooting irks me too. Kidd's played in 17 season in the NBA. For 16 of those seasons, including the 14 previous to re-joining the Mavericks, he was an awful shooter. Then, suddenly, in 2009-10, he's shooting and shooting well. With time, his ability to beat defenders off the dribble has disappeared and he never gets to the free-throw line. Apparently, all it took was some tutoring from Nowitzki and he can suddenly shoot.

Kidd was a Hall-of-Fame point guard before he came back to Dallas. But him "learning" how to shoot this far into his career is like learning Shaquille O'Neal could really shooting 90 percent from the free-throw line. If Kidd could always learn to shoot, why didn't he do it earlier? Would it not have helped his team? No one's really explained this.

Note: I always like to bring up in the "Jason Kidd is a good shooter" discussion that he was 36 percent from the field this season and 34 percent from the three-point line. Kidd still can't shoot. But he can hit big shots. There's a marked difference.

Kidd has his limitations. He knows them even if the rest of us would like to think he's a 38-year-old, defying-all-odds superstar that no one really appreciates. I think he could give a shit. That dude, maybe more than anyone, including Nowitzki, wanted a ring. He cared nothing for legacy (or else he would've learned to shoot in 1994) or for how he looked (or else he wouldn't have beat his wife).

He was about the ring. It validates everything. It, in turn, solidifies his legacy.

Stay classy, DeShawn Stevenson

Classy

When the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA title, it was generally thought that the Mavericks had class and the Miami Heat, I guess, I didn't.

This has nothing to do with what happened on the court. It has everything to do with last summer.

Still, I would guarantee you that most of Miami absolutely hate DeShawn Stevenson and Brian Cardinal. 100 percent.

Now, there's photos of Stevenson wearing a T-shirt that asks "Hey Lebron! How's My Dirk Taste?"

At the bottom of the shirt is the HD Net logo. Which is owned by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the king of class.

"Class" is a fragile thing. Dick jokes are not classy.

Just goes to show that its cool if your team is doing it.

The NBA Finals

Someone's excited

This is where legacies are made.

The NBA Finals begins tonight and in at least four games (possibly seven), we will look completely different at some players than we do today.

It's one of the reasons I love sports. It's a big reason I love the NBA Finals.

Imagine what you'll think about Dirk Nowitzki or Lebron James once this thing is all decided upon. It's incredible. Both players have had to work to patch together their identity and reputation in different ways.

Nowitzki was considered a great player, but a soft one. One that could be pushed around and kowtowed to opposing players. Someone that was on that third tier of superstardom.

James dumped his multi-billion dollar reputation in the toilet a summer ago with "The Decision" and the apparent tampering involved with him going to the Miami Heat in free agency. His reputation is not completely healed and it might take years. Or a championship.

Many think that the Heat are just going to improve over the years and that this is the last year before they take over. This is awfully presumptuous, clearly. I don't pay it any mind. Still, Heat or no, this is probably a final hurrah for Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and others. With a work stoppage looming, it might be the last chance for the Mavericks as we know them today.

My first thoughts about this series started with match-ups. I honestly don't know who guards James or Dwayne Wade (stick DeShawn Stevenson on James ... OK, who guards Wade?). I also don't know who guards Nowitzki. Truth is, the Mavericks haven't faced an animal like James or Wade nor have the Heat faced an animal like Nowitzki.

It comes down to execution, clearly. If Jason Terry shoots 2-12, the Mavericks are sunk. If Kidd turns the ball over six times and dishes three assists, the Mavericks are sunk. If Lebron James shoots 22 feet from the basket or if Chris Bosh goes 5-15, the Heat don't stand a very good chance.

Honestly, if either team wants to win, you simply go to the hoop. You'll get lay-ups, you'll get fouled and you'll put the opponent in deep shit with foul trouble.

When's the last time you watched the 2006 Finals? I re-watched them recently on YouTube. It's extraordinary how "facts" change when you watch those games again. So much attention was poured on the officiating. You forget Josh Howard and Jason Terry being the dumbest basketball players on Earth. You forget DeSagana Diop being the starting center. You forget Dirk Nowitzki not touching the ball for possession after possession in the fourth quarter.

You forget the 20 footers in crunch time. When the Mavericks absolutely needed a basket, they could not (or would not) get any closer than 20 feet for a shot, many of them bad with the shot clock winding down. Meanwhile, if the Heat needed a basket, they could drive past their defender ANY TIME THEY WANTED and get a lay-up or a WIDE-OPEN jumper.

Want know why the Mavericks didn't get the free throw attempts? They shot the ball from 20 feet away from the basket.

Our idea of officiating was skewed. We thought free throw numbers should be even. However, re-watching those games, the fouls were not even. Maybe there were some missed calls that were in favor of Dallas, but there were twice as many Mavericks mistakes and just as many times the Heat took advantage.

The Mavericks -- contrary to what their owner would tell you -- killed themselves.

If it happens again, blame the referees all you want, but chances are we'll be able to check the tape and find out that execution and intelligence was lacking.

Five points:

Ghosts
If you don't think that Mark Cuban, Terry and Nowitzki hasn't thought about 2006, you are crazy. They've pretty much said the same thing. Granted, the rest of the roster was not around. But neither was most of the Heat's roster, outside of Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem. Neither team may realize the ghosts that inhabit the eastern American Airlines Center, but the fans know, Nowitzki knows and Terry knows. Dangerously, Wade knows. Bad sports mojo exists. It was one of the greatest collapses in sports history. That can not be forgotten.

Chris Bosh
As Bosh goes, so do the Heat. Simple. Two superstars are fine. It'll get you in the arena. Three superstar-like players win you most games. Tyson Chandler has a mighty deed to stop him and make him look silly. If Bosh spits the bit, the Mavericks win.

Depth
Famously, the Heat employ the services of Joel Anthony, Mike Bibby, Mario Chalmers, James Jones, Juwan Howard and Erick Dampier. It is safe to say that the Mavericks hold the edge on depth over the Heat. Hell, it's safe to say most teams hold that edge. It's one thing to hold that edge. It's another to make it work for you. The Mavericks bench will need to be notable in this series. You'll need to see a double-digit point differentials from the bench players. Jason Terry will need to be good. And they'll all need to be as good as they can on defense, especially Brendan Haywood and J.J. Barea.

Lebron James: Defender
Forget his offense, James has solidified himself as a top-notch defender this season. I've always felt this way, but there's an intensity in these playoffs that have caught everyone's attention. I think the Heat will throw a number of looks at Nowitzki and I think a big one will be James. Yes, a smaller player (a player Nowitzki's punished before), but he's not smaller in the way that Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant are smaller. He's like a tall linebacker. Either way, he could guard Jason Kidd, Jason Terry or Shawn Marion. He can take away at least one of your players. Period.

Dirk
Take all the good press, impressive players and fantastic games Nowitzki's had this post-season and stuff them into seven games. That's what he'll need to do. Take that 2006 Nowitzki and improve him 45 percent and that's the guy that'll need to show up. The Heat can probably survive a superstar struggling. I don't think the Mavericks can do that. I hate to put everything him, but we'll need to be agog in regards to Nowitzki when this thing's over if the Mavericks hope to win.

Prediction
Mavericks in 6
Dirk's different. This is a team of destiny. A team defying all odds, so why should that change? I said I wouldn't pick against them again after the Los Angeles sweep and I'll stand by that. I think the depth will hurt the Heat. I think the Mavericks are smarter and I don't think they'll fall into the same traps they did in 2006.

Distractions

Olssen twins

Dirk Nowitzki -- probably jealous of Tony Romo getting hitched -- supposedly proposed to his girlfriend, Dallas art curator Jessica Olssen.

The very last thing you wanted to hear with game 1 of the NBA Finals hours away. And considering his past with females.

Don't like it.

UPDATE: This was false. Apparently they are not engaged. She's still a distraction.

The ouster

Eins. Zwei. Drei

Question: Will Mark Cuban be criticized for his reaction to the Mavericks winning the Western Conference Finals as much as if it was Lebron James?

Answer: No.

I’m about to be a big asshole right here, so hold on to your hats. Watching the post-game celebration last night I got sick to my stomach. In the gaggle of revelry there was Cuban, Jason Terry, J.J. Barea and others right up front, pointing to the crowd and whatnot.

I just thought to myself, “You’d be nowhere without Dirk Nowitzki.”

It sounds rude. Cuban, of course, signs the paychecks. Terry had a nice series against Los Angeles. Barea, I’m sure, brings something to the table. Off the court, of course.

Still, I saw them glowing in the spotlight meanwhile Nowitzki stood there awkwardly for a little bit, raised the trophy, looked happy and then slipped off to the locker room. The good German does not want to celebrate now. He does not want a parade route. He wants to win another four games and be done with the 2010-11 season.

That’s all. Right now, he doesn’t want to grin for the camera, point at the crowds of fans that he know would give a shit had they slipped in the first round. All he wants to do is win. For the past 16 games, he has done that almost by himself.

When a team finds success in the post-season, the contributions (or lack thereof) tend to get exaggerated. Case in point: Brendan Haywood in the Lakers series. Come on. You really want to call him a key to winning that series while playing 10 mistake-filled minutes? But, you sweep a team and those 10 minutes become “productive.” It’s the nature of the beast.

For my money, one guy has been game in and game out great, and that’s Nowitzki. Shawn Marion’s probably the only player in the second tier. Third tier includes Jason Kidd and Tyson Chandler. Most games you’ll find quality contributions; however, there are long stretches when you wonder where they’ve gone.

Then there’s the rest. Terry certainly had his stretch. Barea’s had his moments, but mostly he’s such a huge liability defensively that you just hope to break even (note any time the Thunder pulled away in this series – win or lose – and you’ll see Barea on the court, and that is not a coincidence). I think Haywood’s been, generally, awful. Stevenson’s had his moments. Too many
“I need my shots!” moments with him.

It’s about Nowitzki, which is my general point. Any thought of giving significant amounts of credit to any tandem or individual is offensive.

The age-old argument in sports still persists. Would you rather be the Atlanta Braves and go to the playoffs a billion times and win one World Series, or the Florida Marlins who go to the playoffs twice and win World Series both times?

Would you want to be the Buffalo Bills and go to four straight Super Bowls and never win, or go to one Super Bowl and win?

I still have no hard-and-fast answer. As of this minute, it feels extremely nice going to the NBA Finals for a second time in five years. This, despite the fact that the Mavericks have won nothing as of yet.

It feels real good, and it’ll feel good in five years if they don’t go to another finals and they’re losing 55 games a year. Nothing beats winning and watching your favorite sports team make it to the pinnacle of that sport. Nothing.

We are so blessed to have Nowitzki on our team, in our city. Such a consummate professional, who wants to win more than anyone. We are lucky enough to have watched a legacy be built here with Nowitzki. He will one day be inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame as a Dallas Maverick. When that day comes, we will know these moments. That ball-breaking three pointer last night. The 48 he poured on the Thunder in game 1. The crazy one-legged fall away in game 4.

History, literally, is being written. Nowitzki – and, in turn, the Mavericks – from gone from being a national, leaguewide joke to being a salty character no one wants a part of and that everyone generally agrees is one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

It's all present tense, too. It's being written. There's one chapter left. If you want an epic, just watch these final seven games (if needed, of course).

Collapse and release

Das German

First of all, and with little to really say: I'm happy it finally happened to someone else.

I've been witness -- as have most of us -- to many Dallas Mavericks collapses over the years of all kinds. Finally, it's the morning after and no one's talking about the Mavericks in terms of disappointment.

The Mavericks overcame a 15-point deficit in the final quarter last night getting an overtime win 112-105.

There's too much here. Sports overload. What do you start with, how do you finish and just imagine the other 1,000 things in between that defined this silly basketball game.

I will say this: I thought the Mavericks were toast. Everything was against them. The crowd. The odds. The rebounding differential. The Thunder's field-goal percentage. Six minutes left in last night's game and the Mavericks had nothing -- zero! -- going for them.

Even the Mavs' white flag -- J.J. Barea -- was eating up big minutes in the third and beginning of the fourth quarter.

Then like a flash, when it seemed all was lost, it snapped. The Thunder had their lead, they got lazy and the Mavs never quit pushing. When all is said and done, that's all you want out of your professional sports team, to never quit pushing.

Five things:

1. I feel absolutely sick for Kevin Durant. He's one of the most enjoyable -- and by all accounts, sweetest -- players in the league, and to lose that game on your homecourt when the ball pretty much in other people's hands was killer. He wants to win as bad as anyone and he's stuck with a teammate (Russell Westbrook) that's too big for his britches. That game should have been lost with Durant taking a majority of the shots.

2. Small keys: Shawn Marion entering the game, Barea going out, Harden fouling out with four minutes left (do you protect him knowing what was coming?), Kendrick Perkins being an absolute non-factor, Mavs hitting the boards late (if you look, the rebounding differential shrunk considerably from the third quarter to the end of regulation) and the Thunder committing ridiculously bad fouls and sending the Mavericks to the line.

3. The legend of Dirk Nowitzki -- just when you think it can't anymore -- keeps growing. He is beyond words. Right now, the basketball world is watching him and wondering what they were watching the last 10 years. It's indescribably beautiful.

4. As unimpressive as Westbrook has been, Nick Collison has been equally as impressive. Love that guy and I'd have him or someone like him on my team any day of the week.

5. I think the age and experience has finally shown itself in this series. I think, also, hunger is playing a big role. Not that Durant and Co. aren't hungry. They probably want a title more than anyone. However, the Mavericks are hungrier, and, on top of that, they know exactly what to do to reach that certain level to get it. The Mavericks are old. This could very well be the final season for Jason Kidd. As presently constructed, it's conceivable that Mark Cuban could light the fuse and blow this team up if the Mavericks don't win and win big. With a potential work stoppage, that only complicates things for a group of guys mostly in their 30s and knowing that the Thunder are only going to get better with age.

Das German

Because I liked "She's Gotta Have It"

Note to Tyson Chandler: I love you. But if you have to perpetually tout that you're the best center in the Western Conference, then you might not actually be the best center in the Wsetern Conference.

Hyping yourself is lame. Others hyping you is awesome. Chandler's doing too much of the former.

Thankfully, Chandler's chest pounding is coming in post-game interviews in which the Mavericks actually win. And this one came after the Mavericks actually blew out an opponent. The New York Knicks were the victim at Madison Square Garden in a 113-97 win last night.

I can not preach enough about how good Dirk Nowitzki's been the last four or five games. He's putting up really good numbers putting forth the least amount of effort.

He went 10-16 last night for 29 points and 11 rebounds.

His past four games:

32-54 FGs -- 6-9 3PTs -- 20-22 FTs.

That's 54 shots to get 90 points in four games. Basically, Nowitzki's making the least amount of moves to get the maximum amount of impact. It's brilliant. He's Dirk. Let us rejoice.

It's a six-game win streak. Third in the conference. Hottest team in the NBA. I'll take it.

Notes:
1. Another point on Caron Butler, at the end of the season, which statement were we more likely to utter: "Man, Caron Butler was the difference in that playoff win!" or "Man, at least we have Caron Butler's contract coming off the books so we can go out and get someone better!"

2. Tyson Chandler puts up 15 points and 11 rebounds. Shooting 66 percent and 77 percent from the free-throw line, he's careering.

3. Shawne Williams couldn't fart himself into a Mavericks uniform because he was such a "screw up." Yet, the Knicks get him, he's played in 30 games, 18 minutes apiece and averaging almost seven points, three rebounds and shooting 50 percent from three point.

4. Jason Kidd, if the shot ain't going, needs to tone it down.

5. The New York Knicks: The only team in the NBA with no answer for J.J. Barea.

6. Knicks starting backcourt: 6-25 from the field.

7. No doubt that Danilo Gallinari gives Donnie Nelson a hard on. Tall. White. European. Outside shooter.

Troy Aikman gets blasted, coddled

And he loves French fries

It's been a whirlwind week for former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.

Yesterday, we all got word that Troy and his wife of 10 years, Rhonda, are splitting up.

When I heard about this, I immediately thought about all the games, commercials and radio interviews I've heard Aikman give over the past year. As he's making jokes and talking about inane things like football, his home life was in shambles. Or something was disintegrating personally. It's an odd feeling for someone that is privy to a lot of Troy Aikman in a given year.

What's odder is that D Magazine just ran a cover feature on Aikman and it does not mention the break-up. Granted, feature stories are far in advance of publication, but updates are always shoe-horned in.

What also threw me off was the way the local media has tackled the subject.

The Dallas Morning News barely mentioned it. The Dallas Observer has stayed away completely. And the dudes at The Ticket gave it the "well, I don't see how this is news, but ..." treatment during morning and afternoon drive. Then they proceeded to bitch about how it's nobody's business.

I don't disagree. I do think it's nobody's business. However, to my knowledge as to how it's being reported, no journalist was digging through divorce filings and found Troy Aikman's name.

Aikman either offered up an interview or, probably, a statement. If he makes it public, then it goes public.

Also, I wonder how media would reacted or have reacted to other personal issues.

When Dirk Nowitzki had a drifter sleeping in his bed, wasn't that super-personal on par with Aikman's divorce? Yes, it was a criminal issue. But it was still a relationship-oriented thing that is no more interesting than Aikman not getting along with his wife.

How about drug issues or arrests? Or the Sean Salisbury brouhaha and multiple firings? Frankly, none of these instances should necessarily be any of our business. Then again, we don't hold Aikman in the same regard as Salisbury or, I guess to a certain point, Nowitzki.

Fact is, local media is coddling Aikman because he's a good guy and because they know him. Know him certainly more than Nowitzki and he appears to be a better guy than Michael Irvin or Quincy Carter.

That's the thing with Aikman: He seems like a super sweet guy. The D Magazine feature is basically a 2,500 blow job on how great of a person he is. Fact of the matter is that Aikman probably is a super swell guy. His post-career announcing gig has done wonders for his image. His personality is shining, his endorsements are booming and that's why I consider him one of the all-time top 5 Dallas Cowboys: He's on par with Roger Staubach as being the eternal face of the franchise.

However, that doesn't or shouldn't preclude him from the same scrutiny that local media gives other athletes.

****
One group not giving Aikman any leeway is Slate. The online publication called Aikman irresponsible for his, I guess, silent treatment on concussions.

Aikman, as is well documented, retired fairly early due to back problems and multiple concussions, 10 for sure, maybe a dozen or more.

Slate notes that Aikman is awkwardly quiet when concussions become something of a discussion point during his FOX NFL broadcasts and that he should take a more hardline stance (or any stance) on concussions considering they are a part of his career.

I like Slate and they probably have a point here. My problem is that they didn't quote or talk to Aikman for this piece. I am almost pretty sure he would've given an interview. If what's in the story is any indication, they did not go that route.

In the story, they quote Aikman from another story where he stated that he doesn't want to become a "poster boy" for concussions. I logical question to Aikman, then, would be why and why he says nothing or very little about concussions.

I have heard him talk concussions. Most notably, he stated that he would be careful about letting his son play football.

I do think Aikman purposefully doesn't talk about concussions. It may be because he isn't a doctor. Also, concussions are different. Some guys are out weeks. Some come back to play again in six days. I would bet good money some fight through them, still.

But there's a reason. And it would've been a good question for Slate to ask Aikman.

The scary goodness of Dirk Nowitzki

Swish 41

We are 25 games into a potentially historically awesome season from Dirk Nowitzki.

He had a quiet 21-5-3 as the Mavericks got back into the winning saddle beating Portland 103-98 last night.

However, on the season, he's playing as well as anyone in the league and the MVP rumblings are already starting.

His percentages:

56% FG - 40% 3PT - 85% FT

There's a good chance that Nowitzki works out the vaunted 50/40/90 season, which he pulled off in his previous MVP season in 2006-07.

Consider this, Nowitzki's shot 50 percent just one other time (2006-07). He's shot 40 percent from the three-point line just three other times.

All the while, he's still getting his eight rebounds, three assists and block.

Nowitzki is 32 years old and he's still peaking. He's not getting worse and he's only getting older.

I hope everyone's paying attention.

Notes:
1. Brendan Haywood: 10 minutes - 2 points - 1 rebound - 2 fouls

2. Ian Mahinmi: 3 minutes - 2 points - 1 rebound - 1 foul

3. It's not that Mahinmi is awesome or anything. It's about effort. Haywood is giving none and he's getting paid $6.5 million this season. Why aren't more people completely pissed about this?

4. Tyson Chandler's shooting a career-high 65 percent from the field. He's also hitting 80 percent of his free throws. He's a 61.9 percent career free-throw shooter.

5. Caron Butler with -- by a million miles -- his best game of the year: 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists.

6. Second-best start in franchise history at 20-5. This season his knocking me for a loop.