Dirk and wemby shell
DALLAS - When you boil it down, it really amounts to just four golden words.
"Go work with Dirk.''
Those words come from former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, who is publicly urging young San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama to spend the offseason learning from the Dallas Mavs icon Dirk Nowitzki.
The idea came on a recent episode of "The Gilbert Arenas Show." Arenas thinks the San Antonio Spurs superstar is in too big a hurry on offense and is not making enough of his size at 7-foot-4, and that Nowitzki is the blueprint for fixing both.
"Slow down. You're in a rush … Go work with Dirk this summer," Arenas said. "Dirk understood to keep the ball high. Shot from above his head. You couldn't block his shot. Dirk didn't move very fast or very quick. But got by everybody. Understanding pump fakes, triple threats."
Back in November, Arenas argued that Wembanyama "doesn't understand his advantage," that he keeps dropping low to create instead of just turning, facing up, and shooting over whoever is in front of him.
In fairness, Wemby is in the process of leading his Spurs into an NBA Finals against the New York Knicks (Game 1 is Wednesday night) and is also in the process of becoming the best player in the world.
Still ...
Nowitzki forged a Hall-of-Fame career out of doing all of the little things right. And once his personal building project was complete? Over 21 seasons, he averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, shot 38 percent from 3 and 87.9 percent from the line, won the 2007 MVP, and carried the Dallas Mavericks to the 2011 title.
The Mavs retired his No. 41. ... as the greatest player in franchise history.
So yeah, borrowing a page from Nowitzki is good advice for every NBA player.
Mavs fans might not like the idea; you know, "Sleeping with the Enemy,'' and all of that. But in some ways, Dirk is an ambassador of the sport, something that's maybe bigger than just his Dallas "citizenship.''
Oh, and then there is the fact that new Mavs ownership hasn't exactly fully embraced him. (Mavs fans would like to see that fixed, for sure.)
As it happens, Nowitzki has spoken glowingly of Wembanyama, calling him a player who is changing the game.
This year, the 7-4 Frenchman averaged a career-high 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 64 games on 51.2 percent. At 22, he's already shown the wisdom in borrowing from the greats, having worked on his footwork with Hakeem Olajuwon and having picked Kevin Garnett's brain on defense in past summers.
Mavs fans can be forgiven for hoping the Dirk/Wemby hookup never happens; the arch-rival Spurs' greatness means Dallas already has its hands full in the Southwest Division and in the West.
But the Dirk-related advice is good. ... on the way to making Wembanyama even more great.
