Dallas Mavericks: Should Dirk Nowitzki Ever Come Off the Bench?

The Dallas Mavericks roster is far from set for the upcoming season. Plenty of moves will still be made and the Mavs may put together a solid team. If they get a new 4 and a new 5 over the summer, could Dirk Nowitzki potentially come off the bench for potentially his last season?

The case for Dirk Nowitzki coming off the bench for the Dallas Mavericks has been discussed at least briefly every season since Monta Ellis left the team. Sure, at Dirk’s advanced age, there is always a case that could be made that coming off the bench would maximize his play without the dangers of having to watch him play defense on the other starters in the NBA.

So why doesn’t it make sense for the Mavs to move Dirk to a bench role? There are a few reasons.

One, Dirk has put every ounce of his heart and soul into the Dallas Mavericks for over 20 years now. That has not just been during the season, as Dirk takes very little vacation, rarely eats unhealthy food, rarely drinks, and does everything he can to stay in peak physical health at all times. Having him come off the bench would be a slap in the face to the guy that has given us so many incredible moments.

Two, Dirk has his regiment down to a science. He has perfected his pre-game routine in order to be able to come in and go to work as soon as the ball is tipped into play. if he sits for the first few minutes of the game, he loses all that warming up and has to start off cold. At 40 years old, that kind of wear and tear on the body can have major effects. Dirk can be very effective on the court, but changing his role is a dangerous game.

Three, Dirk is still a game changer. His killer instinct may not be what it used to be but if he catches fire early in a game, you can bet that he will keep it throughout. Having that as an option is important and you miss out on it if he comes off the bench.

Ideally, Dirk in the 6th man role would be a match made in heaven, with a chance at instant offense off the pine, but it just doesn’t seem right to have the greatest player in Dallas sports history and a top 10 NBA player of all time starting the game on the bench.

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You may not agree with my analysis, and that’s alright, but just know that Dirk will be starting again next season and that is exactly the way it should be. Some things are just not meant to be changed.