Mavs' quotes cause for optimism, concern

Sometimes Jerry Stackhouse gives you the feeling he would rip the heart out of a crippled child to win a game. Not always known for team play, he's developed a deep desire to secure a title in recent years. He's already had some buzzer-beating winners this season (like on the road vs. Boston), and when it comes to stepping up and taking on responsibility or pressure, he's always game. On the subject of tonight's match-up, Stackhouse told the DMN this:

"We're playing the world champions and we're trying to get something they have," Jerry Stackhouse said. "If anybody tries to downplay it, that's all you're doing – trying to downplay it – because this is a statement game."

Bam. There it is. He's definitely not shying away from the importance of this game on national TV against the Spurs. Guys like Terry, Howard, and even the Little General are inclined to do the same thing, and it gives Mavs fans hope that the cliched heart of a champion exists deep down in this team.

..and then there's Dirk.

Dirk is an incredible talent, an elite player, a great teammate, and capable of single-handedly killing a team with his offense. He's improved immensely on defense and made 2 stops (and 2 blocks) last week on final possessions against Sam Cassell and Mo Peterson to preserve victories.

But he also lacks just a touch of confidence. His quote today:

"It's going to be a big game, a fun game," Dirk Nowitzki said. "That's about all it is. But there's a big difference in being the first seed and the fourth seed. All we can do is go for it. Even if we should lose, there's a lot of basketball to be played."

Yeah, uh, someone should mention to Dirk that you never ever ever ever ever mention losing the game like it's no big deal. Technically, he's right. But how can he have that mindset going into the match-up and hope to draw on the kind of killer instinct he'll need to drive the dagger through their collective hearts?

On a personal note, Dirk Nowitzki is by far my favorite NBA player. Unfortunately, Dirk wants to win but it doesn't consume him. If it did, he would be incapable of uttering such disappointingly even-keeled statements. His teammates may possess enough of the desire to help him win it all, but I'm not sure a team can win a championship if their best player wouldn't rather rip out his fingernails than lose a game to his hated rivals. So while he's my favorite player and perhaps the regular season MVP, this one flaw deeply disturbs me. It'll be interesting to see if he ever grows out of it like Stackhouse did.