Getting a Raw Deal

Take a look at these playoff numbers:

25.1 points/game
11.0 rebounds/game
45% shooting
87.6% free-throw shooter
37% three-point shooter

Pretty impressive, right? You would think that someone who produces these type of post-season numbers would deserve the most utmost respect from players and former players around the league. He doesn't.

Dirk Nowitzki has become one of the best playoff producers in the history of the NBA. Every year, he takes his game to another level when the playoffs begin. He scores more. He drives more. He rebounds more. And yes, he is criticized more.

After the first game of the Denver series, Dirk was asked about the three different defenders that the Nuggets threw at him and what they each do to make his life difficult. He responded by saying:

I think Birdman does a good job because he’s so long. He contests my shot. Martin and Nene are stronger and they try to body me more and Birdman’s just long and when I shoot he can still jump up there and contest the shot. So, yeah, they’ve got three very good defenders.

TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber took this opportunity to blast Nowitzki. Webber suggested that Dirk was "soft" because,

I’ve never heard a scorer, I’ve never heard a true warrior, a dog, say 'this guy can check me.'

[Dirk didn't say that]

Barkley dogpiled by adding,

One of the keys to being a great player is having so much confidence in yourself…for Dirk to say that guys can stop him, that’s just not cool.

[He didn't say that, either]

Kenny then claimed,

It feeds the stereotype that this guy is playing a little soft.

[No it doesn't..it just feeds the stereotype that Dirk can understand and speak English]

I love Kenny and Charles, but what the hell are they talking about? Seriously. Dirk was asked about each defender and what each does differently. He answered the question. He said that Birdman was long and challenged shots while Kenyon Martin and Nene were more physical.

He didn't say that they 'could stop him.'
He didn't say that he hated playing them.
He didn't say that he couldn't score against them.
He simply described their defensive styles.

I just don't get it. If Dirk had scored 10 points in each game and then said that Denver's defense was just 'too good to overcome,' I could understand the criticism. But Dirk isn't struggling. In actuality, he is dominating.

For the series, Dirk is shooting 54% (23 of 42), has averaged 31.5 points/game and has pulled down 19 rebounds. Last night, the day after "giving props" to Denver's defense, Dirk put a 35 spot on the Nuggets. If Dirk hadn't said anything, would he have scored 50?

Dirk is just a guy that can't win. Despite having better numbers in the playoffs than he does in the regular season, Dirk still deals with accusations that he can't produce in the clutch (I guess haters missed Game 7 in San Antonio during the Finals' run). Despite refining his game and driving to the rim (something that he was accused of being afraid to do early in his career), Dirk still doesn't get the calls that Wade, Kobe, Lebron and company get.

And despite constantly saying/doing the right things, he can't avoid criticism. It's just idiotic. Dirk gets less respect than any other NBA Superstar that I can remember. The guy has transformed into one of the greatest post-season scorers of all time, and instead of hearing, I don't know - about the fact that he is torching Denver in this series, we only hear that Dirk is "soft" and said something that Kobe would "never" say.

It's really sickening. Maybe on Saturday, when Dirk lights up the scoreboard for another 35 points, he will cheap-shot Kenyon Martin in the back of the head...you know, to gain some street-cred. Apparently, that's what it's all about.