So I Look Like Dirk...

(And so do my playoff performances)

Ok, I get it! Really I do! The whole, blond head, long goatee chin music, and the fact that he's almost as white as I am, make for an interesting and funny conversation topic about how much I look like Dirk Nowitzki. You know what, maybe it's funny to you, but really, I hear it about, I don't know once a week. Guess what, I'm not German, I'm not 7 feet tall, and I'm not making millions in the NBA!

But then I stepped back a second and thought, maybe it's more than just physical appearance that everyone is talking about. Maybe it's not the compliment that it appears to be on the surface. For those of you that know me, I tend to have a, uh, performance problem, in the playoffs over at CRFC Basketball. There have been many notable flame-outs, all well documented in CRFC Lore (but thankfully hidden in cyberspace). But the numbers speak for themselves. A 33% dip in scoring (18.5 compared to 12.5) and a 20% dip in rebounds (9.5 to 7.5) are just the tip of the iceberg. Even blocks fall by 33% when post season play starts (3 to 2). Is it the pressure, the raucous CRFC atmosphere, the second ref? What?

When looking at Dirk's numbers, his numbers hold up when compared to the regular season. They don't decrease at all. In fact, shooting percentage is the only category that takes a noticeable dip when he hits the NBA's second season. But if you've been observing the past 2 post seasons, even mildly, you've noticed something is off when it comes down to crunch time and Dirk. It's not that he necessarily shy away from the big moments, but he hasn't embraced it as his past two star opponents have. Both Dwayne Wade and Baron Davis have feed off the spotlight and pressure that the post season brings against Dirk and the Mavs. After falling into a 0-2 hole, Miami swept the finals away as Dirk could do nothing to get his team going. The Baron has his Warriors up 3 games to 1 and a chance to wrap up the series at home if they Dallas finds a way to respond in Game 5. What makes this season particularly embarrassing is that the best team in the league is about to go down to a barely qualified for the playoffs, barely .500 Golden State team. Dirk doesn't shoulder sole responsibility for the Mav's collapse, but the MVP of the league is supposed to make the players around him better, especially in the biggest games. But hey, the voting is already in for the regular season, so give him the award. Just don't count on him to come through when the pressure is the highest in the playoffs. Maybe people aren't really only talking about facial features when they say, "you know who you remind me of? Dirk Nowitzki" Maybe my similarities with Dirk are more than just skin deep. And I'm ok with that, because the one thing we absolutely share in common? Our impeccable taste in drinking buddies. Now if I only made the millions....