Everything is Bigger in Texas

After their dismantling of the Lakers, the Mavericks have turned me into a believer.

Okay, I'll admit it, I was not a Dirk fan this time last Monday.  Overrated, over the hill, and soft were just a few of the adjectives I used to describe the 7'0" German Sharpshooter.  Was I wrong in thinking that, though?  Just look back at the 2008 Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Hornets, when he let David West slap him in the face, intimidate him, and get inside the head of the entire Dallas team.  I mean, when your leader, the MVP the year before lets people push him around, how can it not possibly hinder a young team's intensity and overall belief that they can win the series?  While he averaged 25 points per game in 2007-08, Dirk was not a guy who could be a reliable leader, and therefore Dallas would continue to be a talented young team who did not have the belief needed to win on Basketball's grandest stage. 

Take your DVR, and fast forward it to the 2011 playoffs.  Scroll down, click on Game Three, and fast worward to the Fourth Quater.  The calm and poised attitude that Nowitzki displayed was one that inspires admiration and demands your respect.  Not only did he take the big shot, but he made the big shots, and let all of them fly with confidence.  While veterans like Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, and Peja Stojakovic obviously had something to do with the second round shocker, Dirk was the catalyst of this victory, as he was in the entire series against the two-time defending champions. 

Although he is Getting older, Dirk Nowitzki is still a force to be reckoned with and commands double teams on a consistent basis.  This opens up guys like Jason Terry, who poured in an incredible shooting performance, lighting things up for a game high 32 points in Sunday's game four clincher.  With Dirk still performing and evolving as a leader, and the Mavericks, a team that now seems to have every piece necessary in place to be a true championship team, do not be the least bit surprised when Dallas holds up the Larry O' Brien trophy in June.