NBA Playoffs 2011: Mavs Blazers Game 4 The Secret To Stopping Dirk Nowitzki

[conwayandwhitmanman]

you're still a shit "coach"

the standings show jackass

[517wiiface]

8:19 If the ball goes out of bounds the last person who touched it the possesion goes over to the opponent, however if one player off both teams knocked the ball out of bounds, it's home team's ball.

[shadyparadox]

@517wiiface No, it's a jump ball in that situation.

[clarksc1988]

Also, if you'd watched in game 2 of the series especially, you'd know Portland was really trying to double Dirk a lot, to the tune of Peja, Kidd, and Terry lighting them up from beyond the arc. This Dallas team is so exceptional on offense that if you double Dirk, he's a good enough passer now to find the open player who will make the opposing team pay.

[clarksc1988]

IMO, if you truly watched DIrk and know how he is as a player, you'd know that for a good portion of the Portland series he wasn't playing so great. In game 1 he got to the line late, which was good, and game 6 was pretty awesome, especially late, but that series wasn't usual Dirk. I hope you watched the rest of the series these past playoffs and you'll see the Portland series was more of the exception rather than the rule.

[victoriahirchenhein]

@bballbreakdown, quite often I try to try to remember just what it was like prior to when I can easily dunk in bball. Just after I practiced the exercise system at (50-inch-vertical[dot]com) - my game has been increasing quickly I'm not a bench player anymore!

NBA Playoffs 2011: Mavs Blazers Game 4 The Secret To Stopping Dirk Nowitzki

[catalyst4thought]

I like the over the shoulder statistics for Dirk. Apart from that you can't double for shit because Dallas stroke it from Deep, having 3 of the top 8 all time 3p made leaders on their team (although you seem to hate kidd's shot; he's no.3, and CAN stroke it these days ) and others. Dirk is a willing and talented passer out of the double team. Pick your poison. MAVS 2011! BEAT THE HEAT!@

[666mirana]

8) try for a shot block from behind Dirk by a player that is closer to him 9) double team him and rotate the defense.. 10) Last resort, let him have his and try to lock down other players.. 11) Dirty play.. step on his right foot from time to time.. he will be irritated and will be difficult for him to jump fade away..

[bballbreakdown]

@666mirana All great suggestions - none of which were really tried by OKC. Good luck with Nowitzki, though.

[666mirana]

@bballbreakdown Besides that.. 1) I think putting him in foul trouble could help.. less minutes= less dirk.. 2) Be physical on Dirk.. 3) Try to fake poke his eyes when he has the ball.. funny but thats irritating to a shooter.. any other things that could irritate like taunting could be good 4) Pressure the ball handler 5) anticipate the pass to Dirk 6) Dont let him have the ball 7) Try for a steal right after he has the ball specially when the ball is lower on his chest.

[cipher0]

The best way to shut him down is to either have KG hold his forearms all game long or have two players clutch and tug and push him at the same time, every second he's on the offensive end of the floor. If you don't do either of those two things, you have no chance of shutting him down.

[cipher0]

@cipher0 Actually, I was wrong in my last comment. KG has never shut Dirk down, whether he holds his forearms or not. I don't know what I was thinking.

[Fazotronic]

Dirk would say. This is riDirkulous. You're not any smarter than the guys trying to defend me.

[bballbreakdown]

@Fazotronic Still haven't seen a double team on him in the post. that's riDirkulous! ANd I have to imagine the Lakers will do it tonight! Stay tuned for lots more - we've migrated our channel to Facebook - check out bballbreakdown there for the latest! We go over how the Mavs did so well on the pick and roll.

[Fazotronic]

@bballbreakdown they did tried it a couple times. But Dirk has improved his court vision and is quicker at finding the open man. Don't think its gonna change much with them having so many good shooters. But yea series ain't over yet so ill keep watching. cheers

[chuylupi]

you are bassing your secret on how stopping dirk in just one game?

also you also only used his fadeaway jumpshot footage

he's also got that kind of up and under and up jumphot when he's on the left side and that one was pretty effective on game 6

i'm a maverick fan so probably my arguments are kind of blinded by my heart but still i think stopping dirk is not that simple

[517wiiface]

I think the Mavs got greedy, that's what happened.

[rtifishul]

Coach, we need a Boston/Miami preview!!!

[AndiOVai]

I never liked J. Kidd, more a Gary Payton fan, i dont understand how the Mavs didnt see that AGE affects on some players game.-

[sexa19]

this guy should coach the mavs..

[bballbreakdown]

@ko8e24824 Memphis thing is crazy and I wish I could've foreseen it. I want to get to OKC Den, but I don't think I'll have time... THanks,

Coach Nick

[bballbreakdown]

@ivan61750 LOL

[bballbreakdown]

@celticsjock101 Mike Breen?? Not sure...

[bballbreakdown]

@Kramerification Thanks! You see our LAL - NOH game 4?

[fooo311]

bs...there is no such thing as shutting down Dirk

[bballbreakdown]

@fooo311 He didn't do that well in Game 5 - and didn't score on the left block. I really can't understand why they don't double him on the right block. Makes NO sense.

[ThePRBaller]

Dirk is MVP material, he can't be stopped. He is by far the best player in the series.You don't talk about him making a fadeaway while Aldridge had his hand in his face but you talk about him getting packed and saying that he can be 'stopped'...Glad that Portland got blown out in game 5 and can't wait til thursday.

[bballbreakdown]

@ThePRBaller Didn't look like Dirk shot that well in Game 5 - Brandon Roy really didn't have it. It should be a great game - why Portland won't double down on Dirk on the right side is mystifying...

[ThePRBaller]

@bballbreakdown I agree 8 of 18 isn't great but he had 8 boards and 3 assist + 2 steals...Roy 5 pts 2 of 7 in 26 minutes so it's not like he isn't getting minutes...He scores 2 points on the road and 20 at home. Playing like that will get him a fishing rod ahead of time. Portland is only where they are at because of role players stepping up , especially LaMarcus and Miller. The Mavs are playing great , the only big factor problem is slow starts and relaxing while having the lead.

[allytron]

Coach Nick I have just discovered your videos and I must say hats off! Really helping me understand different aspects of the game.

From London

Ally

[bballbreakdown]

@allytron Thanks! or Cheers!

Lots more coming up, so stay tuned.

Coach Nick

[bubibobo]

you cant stop him. maybe they could stop him like 4 years ago like don nelson did with golden state but dirk worked on that

[bballbreakdown]

@bubibobo How about at least try a double team?

[bubibobo]

@bballbreakdown I think he is not vulnerable to double teams. his passin is underrated and he prolly still could shoot over both defenders. golden state put small athletic defenders on him back in 07 but that wont work out either. batum looks like dirks favorite matchup in this series, he allways scores on him. but maybe you are right double teams are one thing u could try. if the other mavs player dont step up then, blazers might got a chance

[timotekz]

what about celtics and knicks, game 4? :)

[asddassdd]

Well done!. Argentina salutes you. :P

[bballbreakdown]

@asddassdd ¡Genial!

[cakoose]

Some interesting stuff, but the thing about Jason Kidd being LESS likely to make shots after having made three 3s is dead wrong. Making a shot doesn't reduce your percentage for the next one. That's not how statistics work.

[bballbreakdown]

@cakoose I've seen the argument that each shot exists on its own merit - but that's not how basketball works. I'm much more convinced, based on both stats and experience as a coach, that a player is infinitely more likely to miss his next 3 pointer after having made 3 in a row...

[cakoose]

@bballbreakdown What stats are you referring to? The research on the subject shows either no correlation or a slight positive correlation (i.e. making a shot makes you more likely to make the next one).

[Fitplayer66]

8:29 "gets right to the basket, easy dotted line shot"...yeah very easy fadeaway with a hand in his face that he had to bank his way in.

[bballbreakdown]

@Fitplayer66 For Dirk, it looked easy enough... I just want a double team - just once!

[schr4nzi]

Jason Terry always drives me nuts in the final minutes of the game. He's got talent and speed but absolutely no basketball IQ.

How they didn't get Dirk into the game at the end of the fourth quarter was an absolute riddle to me.

However, I do believe that Kidd has to take that three, I think that was a good shot for that moment.

Can't wait for a breakdown of game 4 LAL-NOH. I was really impressed with the plays CP3 created there, I think that game was full of possibilities.

[bballbreakdown]

@schr4nzi Hope you checked out our LAL-NOH Game 4 breakdown! It was a fun one.

Coach Nick

[DwyaneRudy22]

I think the reason Kidd took the 3 was to get a 2 for 1 incase they didn't score. Which worked because they got the Terry shot at the end

[bballbreakdown]

@DwyaneRudy22 I've thought about it for a while, and the 2 for 1 kinda makes sense. BUT, a Kidd three had to be the absolute last choice for the 2 for 1 - dirk or Jason Terry getting a quick shot had to be the top of the list.

[lurtsman]

Has this been posted to blazersedge and sent to the blazers front office?

They have some stat guys but those numbers could be very telling. Were the points per possession for the entire season? Did you try running a similar analysis on the previous year or two? The moves he is using are clearly different because he has to reach his shooting position. While he shoots in awkward positions, he gets to it differently allowing the defender much better position. Wish you were my coach growing up.

[bballbreakdown]

@lurtsman I posted it at Blazer's Edge, for sure. In Game 5, he scored more on the right block again. Why won't they just double down on him? I'm mystified, really. He had one nice fake turnaround on the left block and scored on an up and under - but they blocked the crap out of his other left block post up when they forced him to the middle...

[SonicBoom91]

On the 3-pointer by Jason kidd with 17 seconds left on the shot clock, I think they were going for a 2 for 1 coach nick. That way they could get the ball back after the blazers' 24 seconds are up. I really loved this video by the way

[bballbreakdown]

@SonicBoom91 Thanks! Been thinking a lot, and there have been a lot of comments, about the 2 for 1. All's I can say is that a Kidd 3 there had to be the last option possible. Dirk or Terry getting quicker shots had to be the top of the list for the Mavs.

[y331256mm]

this story...very touching ~for roy~

p.s. coach nick!see! no dislike!!!!xd

[bballbreakdown]

@y331256mm Awesome! Hope you liked our LAL - NOH Game 4 breakdown. IT was a fun one!

Coach Nick

[MrRiseagainst1]

This game was really epic

[bballbreakdown]

@MrRiseagainst1 Yeah! Lots more coming up. LAL NOH tonight. Should be a good one, in LA.

[stripeyg]

LOL at the sepia toned flashback cam. It just needs some overlaid scratches and old timey organ music.

[bballbreakdown]

@stripeyg Good idea - I'll do that next time...

[NickTF2]

go back to hip-hop/jazz

[DMurda201]

Love it..Numbers don't lie.

[bballbreakdown]

@DMurda201 Thanks - interesting enough - the numbers tend to support my instincts as a coach anyway. So it's nice to have some data as backup

[ballakobe24]

I still think Kidd's last shot was a good take. It was an open look and gave his team the two for one. And no one can win in the playoffs if they are scared of the big shots, so I almost feel like he had to take that open look.

[bballbreakdown]

@ballakobe24 I'm willing to accept the 2 for 1 notion - but Kidd taking it there had to be one of the last options for the Mavs... Dirk or Terry taking the shot must've been what they would've wanted a LOT more

[MarcinLudwicki]

I'm interested how your theory will check in game 5 :)

[bballbreakdown]

@MarcinLudwicki Dirk didn't shoot great - they blocked the hell out of one of his left block low post shots again. BUT NO double on the right block, and he scored 2/2 from there

[1playerroyal]

Great video coach nick ! Are you a soccer fan or why do you wear that argentinia jersey sometimes =D ? If yes, Messi or C.Ronaldo, who's your pick ?

[bballbreakdown]

@1playerroyal Have no clue about soccer, just lived in Buenos Aires for a couple of months and bought some soccer shirts! But everyone seems to like them.

[pnewtonfarley]

i love watching dirk running around trying to play D

[apstoh]

good observation!

[bballbreakdown]

@apstoh Thanks! Hope you had a chance to see our game 4 LAL NOH game...

Coach Nick

[DemilitionRawr]

Just realized I have that chair.. HAHA :)

[bballbreakdown]

@DemilitionRawr Herman Miller - it's the best!

[soulluvsista08]

Hey coach, a few questions for you: Do you think that the Mavs just seem to collaspe under pressure...especially in the playoffs? Can the Spurs rebound and take game 4? Will the Hawks close it out in game 5? How likely can the Hornets upset the Lakers? Sixers done game 5? Ok, that was more than a few but your opinion is greatly appreciated. :)

[bballbreakdown]

@soulluvsista08 Well, I now can answer these questions definitively. I suspect the Spurs simply peaked too early in the season, plus are running up against a team that causes them unique problems. That said, the Grizzlies are gonna cause problems for everybody. Sixers hung on for one more day, but it'll be over soon enough. If u saw our Game 4 LAL NOH breakdown, you'll see my take on that series. Magic are done - kaput.

[basketballfreak24]

great notes on dirk. roy is becoming a nightmare for the mavs. if a guy is gonna go 1 on 1 at the top of the key, the mavs are suppose to zone up and force a contested jumper and get the rebound. carlisle is not one of my favorie coaches and this game was a good example why.

[bballbreakdown]

@basketballfreak24 Well, the Mavs held court - so this looks like a 7 game series...

[iiiLyKeRiCe]

i'd be interested in an analysis of what Roy did differently to get his game going in the past two games against the Mavs

[bballbreakdown]

@iiiLyKeRiCe And then he did terribly last night. I just think his knees are so bad that it's inconsistent when he'll be able to perform. Without him, the Blazers can't win...

[MisterBinx]

I'm a huge Blazers fan, and that was the most amazing game ever. Hearing this guy say things like "All you gotta do" when talking about how to stop Dirk is ridiculous. As if it's easy to stop Dirk. The dude is a beast. All you gotta do is hope that he misses.

[bballbreakdown]

@MisterBinx How about double team ONCE? Just try double teaming when he's on the right block. Again, he did his damage from that side last night...

[wodnerduck]

thumbs up if you think coach nick looks like jeff foster

[bballbreakdown]

@wodnerduck No thumbs up, huh? I've gotten more Ross from Friends...

And besides - the way Jeff Foster played the other night - just looking to hurt people - was upsetting.

[wanstrading]

hi nick, great video!

this year the playoffs are great! every match up is simply great.

hope to see u break down other games more often!!!!

nice job!

[bballbreakdown]

@wanstrading Thanks! Stay tuned - lots more coming up from the 1st round.

Coach Nick

[rayzrr21]

Awesome statistics, Coach Nick! So far I am enjoying all these breakdowns you're doing on the playoff games.

[bballbreakdown]

@rayzrr21 Thanks! It's been tough to get them out every day, but we'll keep our heads down...

[jeepkivary]

do ya think hornets will beat the lakers and why?

[bballbreakdown]

@jeepkivary I think if the Lakers can get average games out of Gasol and Odom, they win. So that means I think the Lakers will win. But the Hornets are giving them all they can handle.

[sdw9342]

plz New Orleans vs Lakers game 4

[ddericwu]

@bballbreakdown Coach nick, who is the championship contender beside bulls?

[goldensun123]

the refs made the most terrible calls in this game. The cherry on top was that out of bounds call made with like one minute left in the game. I finally believe the NBA is fixed

[odomisauq]

@goldensun123 Or you can look at it this way, the refs are human and they make mistakes. This is not the only game with terrible calls, mind you. If you absolutely believe that it is fixed then stop watching sports altogether forever and do some thing about it, like digging evidence to support your claims or start a protest or if you believe you can do a perfect job as a nba ref, go be one. Just saying you believe the nba is fixed over the internet will not change anything.

[BakaDemi]

Jason Kidd gets a wide open look for 3 at video 8:48. 3rd in the NBA in number of three-pointers made. That shot was good, it just didn't go in.

They either should've thrown it to dirk, and let him hold the ball to run clock down then isolate. But they didn't, and Kidd gets an open look for 3. If Kidd had not taken the shot, it would've hurt his team.

[bballbreakdown]

@BakaDemi Been thinking a lot about the 2 for 1 idea, and all I can say is that Kidd taking that three for a 2 for 1 must've been one of the last choices the mavericks wanted...

[IvanTripleD]

Portland is an great team

If Roy and Oden both magically come back to all star level. they will top seed in the west next year

[Blackhandles]

@IvanTripleD They'd have to resign Oden first.

[bballbreakdown]

@IvanTripleD Imagine how good Memphis will be when Rudy Gay comes back from injury!

[AJVersatility19]

I had to play music from my iTunes while watching this vid. Gives us an opportunity to add our own sound. Turned out okay.

[bballbreakdown]

@AJVersatility19 Cool - I've got a beef with Final Cut Pro - should never have happened...

[bebei0000]

Good job, coach.

Just hoping Lakers coaching staff see that about Dirk too

(although now I'm leaning towards the Blazers getting out of this series alive)

[bballbreakdown]

@bebei0000 We'll see - I don't think either of them pose more of a threat than the other to the Lakers.

[spiross123]

what a great video, good job coach

[bballbreakdown]

@spiross123 Gee thanks! Lots more coming up. Also - what about this Laker game? They're down & it's the 3rd quarter!

[ivesishere]

ZERO!!!

[wikkywah3]

why do you think the knicks failed to stop rondo?

[KamalAkaBeLikeKobe]

@wikkywah3 Not coach Nick, but Rondo himself said that Boston's bigs played great and that left Pierce and Allen open for shots, and Rondo is a beast in finding an open man

[bballbreakdown]

@wikkywah3 Because their coach doesn't teach/stress defense - and even if they did, Chauncy doesn't have the physical tools to really defend anymore, and Douglas doesn't have the experience.

[ihatewonders]

i like how people say jason terry should deserve the 6th man of the year. he is a terrible team player!

[bballbreakdown]

@ihatewonders I HATE the way he plays! Always have! I think it's the headband. lol

[tech2kn0w]

isnt kidd like 3rd in most 3's made? after reggie... if he is open he shud shoot

[erilee84]

@tech2kn0w there's a difference between most 3's made and highest 3 point %

most made does not imply accuracy

[bballbreakdown]

@tech2kn0w @erilee84 HArd to believe he's 3rd- but it's true. That said, he has THE lowest 3 PT shooting percentage of any of the top 17

[slowey5]

Great video once again Nick, have been loving this match up so far, both teams have a lot of good parts and there are so many good match ups, just wondered what you thought about Patty Mills, and when Rudy is shooting as poorly as he is would it be wrong to put Patty in there? Rudy just doesnt seem to be doing a whole lot right now and Im a big fan of Pattys quickness and shooting can be a real asset

[bballbreakdown]

@slowey5 I think you'll see him in Game 5 - no sense wasting minutes on Rudy when he is obviously psyched out or something...

[N0CAPE]

Coach Nick, I disagree about Kidd not being a good 3pt shooter. He did shoot 42% from three last season. You don't just lose that. And hes actually shooting threes at 48% in the playoff this season. So I think you're wrong about using the statistics.

And on that last Kidd play, I think you're also wrong. Kidd was WIDE OPEN and shooting early gave them a 2 for 1 play. I think it was a good shot attempt that just happen to miss.

Interesting stuff about Dirk though. We'll see if Portland use it.

[bballbreakdown]

@N0CAPE I think at best, Kidd is a streaky 3 point shooter. Not the guy you want taking it when you're down 2 in the closing seconds. He is 3rd all time, but mostly b/c he's old and his 3 pT shooting % is by far the lowest of any of the top 17

[N0CAPE]

@bballbreakdown Coach Nick, Kidd's 3pt shooting% all time is low because he wasn't good at it early in his career. But for the previous 2 seasons, he's been shooting over 40% from three. And he's been red hot in this year's playoff making 48% of his threes. I don't know how you can just ignore that.

A wide open shot PLUS an extra possession in which they ended up with a good look as well. How can anyone say it was not a good play they just happen to choke.

[genghisman]

@N0CAPE Good video as usual Coach, but I think you were slightly guilty of committing Gambler's fallacy when analysing Jason Kidd's 3-point shots.

Anyways, keep up the great videos! Cheers.

[AshGhiassi2]

Synergy Sports must be fun to play around with haha. But I really think it's an awesome new resource your using.

[bballbreakdown]

@AshGhiassi2 Thanks! It is really cool - you can get lost in it

[joekimusic]

This game made me tear up. I couldn't believe it. Best blazers comeback ever.

[bballbreakdown]

@joekimusic I hear ya! I was on my feet.

[Thegingerkid89]

didn't popovich do what you recommend in last years dallas spurs series?

[bballbreakdown]

@Thegingerkid89 Anyone confirm this?

[AshGhiassi2]

W/O the music I can finally see why some people don't like the 13 sec. intro.

[bballbreakdown]

@AshGhiassi2 OK - I'll recut the intro to the new music anyway, and shorten it up to about 8 or 9 secs

[Raferkong]

Cool stats

[ahchang7]

That night God said okay B.Roy, let me just play the 4th quarter through you.

[chasna]

Brandon Roy is a beast!

[atlside3]

yeah it was. too bad i couldnt watch it i was out but i saw the highlight and have the game saved in my dvr

if its not too much to ask can you upload some more stuff? i subscribed to you last playoffs but for some reason i wasnt subscribed anymore and didnt get to subscribe again till the playoffs started this year. youve been great with the breakdowns.

[atlside3]

good job man keep up the good work

[bballbreakdown]

@atlside3 Thanks! What an amazing game...

[Armadylelite]

Great analysis once again, Coach. I figured he had a weakness because of the nature of his shot, but I didn't think it had to do with which side of the floor he was on.

I liked how you emphasized the coaching in the end. People really underestimate the impact of coaches on basketball games (i.e. Spoelstra apparently drawing up a LeBron iso and drive to the rim from the 3 pt line on the FINAL possession....oh dear).

[IamHaddy]

I don't think it's a big surprise how good dirk is on different side of the floor. It has to do with the way he shoots his fadaways. His fadaway is the most accurate when he turns towards his right and jumps off his left foot. He is not as accurate shooter when he turns the other way.

[bballbreakdown]

@IamHaddy So why does the defense LET him turn that way?!!? I don't think most other players that score as much as him are so lopsided like this. Thanks!

[IamHaddy]

@bballbreakdown haha, he is probably the only player that scores efficiently from a "bad" looking shot. I mean shooting a fadaway off balanced while pushing off one leg, I don't know how he scores those sometimes.

[chimpston]

aldridge also only goes right

[dazzleD50]

wow, cool statistics about Dirk! Great effort!

[bballbreakdown]

@dazzleD50 Thanks! It took a bit of work, but thanks to Synergy Sports, it was easy to make those connections.

[PeanutSouup]

No game commentary besides yours please. It's confusing.

[bballbreakdown]

@PeanutSouup Technical difficulties - I can assure you when we edited this, there was no sound from the TV. Sorry about that -hope you still got some great stuff from it.

Coach Nick

[MrAlesana143]

no music?

[bballbreakdown]

@MrAlesana143 Argh! Technical difficulties - it was there when we edited it together. Hopefully, it still worked for you...

Coach Nick

[maxedout12441]

firsttttttttttt

[ricobellic1]

@maxedout12441 epic fail

[kh1234567ed]

1st

[TheDoc500]

@kh1234567ed fag