How Have the Spurs Been Stopping Dirk?

by Graydon Gordian

Earlier today at the Two Man Game, Rob Mahoney had something to say about that very question:

On some possessions, the Spurs are just playing damn good defense.  They get up in Dirk’s chest, draw an offensive foul, or push him out of his comfort zones.  That’s to be expected from a premier defensive outfit like San Antonio.  But Dirk’s struggles go beyond that; he’s flat-out missing shots that he normally makes.  Elbow jumpers really do fall with the ease of layups for Dirk, and he’s missing both his trademark fallaway shots as well as wide open looks.  A wide open jumper from mid-range, and Dirk throws up a brick.  That’s not good defense, that’s just a matter of a shooter doing what shooters do: have off nights.

Fundamentally I agree with Rob but that doesn’t mean I am resigned to the idea that Dirk is due for a big game. The key to covering Dirk is making him work both physically and mentally. When he catches the ball near the top of the key, our defenders have bodied him aggressively. Sometimes this leads to an unnecessary foul on our part (particularly in the case of Matt Bonner, who keeps his forearm in front of him when he defends) but, as Rob notes, it has also produced some offensive fouls and prevented Dirk from easily reaching his favorite spots on the floor.

But an equally important element in our success against Dirk has been the variety of looks we have thrown at him. Drew Gooden, Kurt Thomas, Tim Duncan, Matt Bonner, Bruce Bowen, and even Tony Parker (for a very brief stretch) have found themselves covering the big German. The multiplicity of styles he’s faced has made it difficult for him to find a rhythm on the offensive end. Similarly, the Spurs have sent hard double teams at Nowitzki sporadically. When the double comes at irregular intervals, we make it more difficult for Dirk to predict the coverage and find the open man quickly.

It will be very hard to slow down Dirk for an entire series. He is an elite NBA scorer, and despite whatever rumors you may have heard, he is not the cause of the Mavs’ recent postseason struggles. Dallas’ high-profile playoff failures have generated more criticism of Dirk than he rightfully deserves. The Mavs’ shortcomings occurred despite Dirk’s effort, not because of its absence.

But Dirk Nowitzki is not Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, or even Chris Paul. My reaction has never been, “he’ll get his points; let’s shut down everyone else.” I believe we can control the scope of the damage he causes. In order to do so the intensity of our defensive effort needs to be more than sophisticated; it needs to be ceaseless.