9:00 AM Mon, Mar 24, 2008 | Permalink
Arnold Payne
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If there's one thing that seems to raise the hair on the neck
of most professional athletes is for them to hear yet another
opinion from another journalist who never played the game.
Hold that thought!
When the clock stopped at 3:18 in the third period of
Sunday's Dallas Mavericks' game It wasn't stopped for a team
regrouping session or for the players to catch a well needed rest.
Fans and players alike stood and watched as Dirk Nowitzki in
obvious pain was laid out on the floor of the AAC.
Moments earlier, Nowitzki blocked the lay-up attempt of San Antonio's
Ime Udoka. Udoka landed on the back of Nowitzki's left leg, twisting
his knee and ankle awkwardly underneath him. After being assisted from
the floor, team officials said Nowitzki suffered a lower leg injury,
although the x-rays were not discussed. Early prognosis, two to three weeks,
however he is expected to be re-evaluated.
Having said this, where does this team go from here? Even with
Nowitzki on the floor the Mavericks have been searching for its identity.
Out of their last eight home games played this team has managed only 4 wins.
By the way, those 4 were wins were over teams with minus .500 records.
Close your eyes for a second and listen intently, can you hear the clock
going "tick tock, tick tock." That needed time that Coach Avery Johnson
and his team keep saying that they need to get this season on track is
slowly ticking away. With only 12 games remaining in the regular season,
all but two opponents have a winning record, even making
the playoffs is starting to look like a challenge.
It didn't seem like long ago when a certain 4-year Maverick veteran
(insert name, Josh Howard) was quite upset because he wasn't selected
to the 2008 All-Star team. My how sometimes opportunity
just seems to present itself. So you want be an All-Star do you?
Now might be just the time to show those critics that you do belong.
Speaking of All-Stars, with the absence of Nowitzki, the time is now
that the Mavs will find out if that little trade involving one
All-Star Jason Kidd, will prove to be fruitful.
Is the Jet actually on the runway waiting for takeoff, or has
he already landed? Maybe the combined 23 years experience
of Eric Dampier and Jerry Stackhouse might prove to be of some assistance.
"Tick tock, tick-tock" Mavs you're on the clock.
Oh heck I almost forgot, in case you were wondering, I did average
nearly 4 points a game as a valuable starting forward for the infamous
Notre Dame High School Bloodhounds in Shreveport, LA.. Sorry you can't
Google this one, the small catholic power house of nearly 200
hundred students has since closed.
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