Dallas Mavericks: Better Off Without Dirk Nowitzki

When the Mavericks lost reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki to a knee and ankle sprain for at least 2 weeks, adding insult to the injury of falling to 0-8 against playoff teams since the Jason Kidd trade, things were looking bad, and the doomsayers, smelling blood, came out and started proclaiming fire and brimstone for Dallas.     However, the latest coming out of this camp is that not everything is gloomy on the Dallas front. In fact, Dallas figures to improve with Dirk out of the lineup. How is this possible? Are we putting our credibility on the line? While this may seem quite contrarian the opinion, upon further investigation, you will find that it is quite valid. So, just how will Dallas be better with Nowitzki, at least to finish the regular season? (No one is suggesting that Dallas won’t need Dirk for the playoffs).   Dallas currently has one of the most motionless offenses in the league – their half-court sets consist mainly of isolations and teammates standing around. ... [link]