Dirk Nowitzki’s hyped’ ‘shut it down’ reaction after Mavs’ clutch play vs. Rockets
Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki was on the Dallas broadcast on Tuesday night and he managed to recreate one of his most viral moments
Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki joined the Mavs broadcast for their game against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
The Mavs Hall of Famer had some fun and even managed a call back to one of his most viral moments
It was eleven years ago that Dirk did the exact same thing during a Mavs vs. Timberwolves game in what became an instant meme
After one of the greatest careers in NBA history, Nowitzki has plenty of time to hang out and get hyped at various events. He was closely following and reacting to the Texas Rangers run to a World Series title.
Nowitzki has never been shy in showing his support for his sporting brethren in Texas, and he’s definitely going to cheer for the Rangers the rest of the way. Texas is only two wins away from winning the World Series and could inch closer to that goal with another win in Game 4 this coming Tuesday night. Texas is giving the ball to Andrew Heaney, who went 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA back in the 2023 MLB regular season.
Nowitzki knows a thing or two about bringing a championship to Texas, having led the Mavs to win the NBA title back in 2011. That same year, the Rangers reached the World Series but lost to Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals in six games.
In his 21-year NBA career, all with the Mavs, Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points,7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
Up next for the Mavs – they take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
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Top landing spots for free-agent left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery
As the 2023-24 MLB offseason marches on, Jordan Montgomery finds himself as one of the top available starting pitchers on the market.
Montgomery, 30, is the definition of a “late bloomer.” The fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft did not make his big league debut until 2017 and wasn’t able to consistently make 30 starts a year until 2021 at the age of 28.
Now, however, he sits alongside Blake Snell as one of the top left-handers to watch during the offseason.
After a strong showing in each of the 2021 and ’22 campaigns, expectations were high for Montgomery entering this past year. Traded at the deadline from the Cardinals to the eventual champion Rangers, “Monty” was solid as a rock for a team marching towards its first-ever World Series victory.
In 11 starts for the Rangers, Montgomery went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 160 ERA+. Then, he put up a seven-inning shutout performance over the Rays in the Wild Card Series, and he was an integral part of the Rangers’ deep postseason run. Overall, he tossed 31 innings in this year’s postseason with a sparkling 2.90 ERA.
At the end of the day, Montgomery finished the 2023 campaign in the 82nd percentile in walk percentage. In addition, he finished in the 93rd percentile in Pitching Run Value, per Baseball Savant.
Nearly all 30 teams around the league have a need for starting pitching. Let’s take a closer look and identify the top five fits for Montgomery in free agency.
Arizona Diamondbacks
As things currently stand, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly will be the only arms with much experience in Arizona’s rotation. Beyond them, Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson and Tommy Henry figure to round out the group, but there’s an obvious need for some additional innings.
Montgomery would provide the 2023 NL Champs with a steady veteran presence, which is exactly what they need if they hope to go back-to-back.
This past season, the Diamondbacks had the tenth-highest ERA amongst starting pitchers at 4.67; their 4.36 FIP ranked 15th. Again, there’s a need for at least one more arm, and Montgomery would fit that bill nicely.
Boston Red Sox
The Diamondbacks had the 10th highest starter ERA and the Red Sox were one spot lower with the ninth-highest (4.68). With a new GM in town, the Red Sox figure to be active on both the trade and free agent markets.
Nick Pivetta and Brayan Bello are the only true locks for Boston’s 2024 rotation. Chris Sale has already been tabbed as the club’s Opening Day starter, but who knows what kind of health issues he’ll run into this offseason. Over the past few years, the 34-year-old has seemingly been made of glass.
Adding Montgomery to the rotation would add some much-needed depth to the starting five. If the Red Sox are serious about a swift return to contention, this would be a good place to start.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are a team that has not been talked about enough this offseason. After a third-place finish in the NL Central, the club appears to be in prime position to move up in the standings in the coming years. With the Brewers on the brink of a potential sell-off, Cincinnati could leapfrog Milwaukee as soon as next year.
In 2023, Reds starters posted a combined 5.43 ERA. Only the Rockies’ and Athletics’ pitching staffs were worse than that.
Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Brandon Williamson and Nick Lodolo are all full of potential but are also five largely unproven 20-somethings. A veteran presence like Montgomery would immediately give Cincinnati some legitimacy in their quest to regain the Central.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Outside of free agent Clayton Kershaw and rookie standout Bobby Miller, the Dodgers received little to no production from their starters in 2023. If Kershaw does not re-sign this winter, the team’s need for more starting will be amplified 10 times over.
Julio Urías ran into some off-the-field issues that could take him out of action for the foreseeable future. Michael Grove and Emmet Sheehan each showed occasional glimpses of promise but largely struggled.
Noah Syndergaard, acquired last winter, was flipped at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Lance Lynn, who was acquired at the deadline, recently signed with the Cardinals. Simply put, there are a whole lot of innings that need to be filled on the Dodgers’ staff.
