The saying is legends are made in the playoffs. It’s the time of year you’ll show your true greatness, or be exposed as the guy that just can’t close. The difference between Joe Johnson and Dirk Nowitzki, they’re the villain with costumes while Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade have disguises. No one is afraid of them, they don’t strike fear in anyone when the game or series is on the line. No one worries about then taking over and willing their team to victory. It’s like Joe and Dirk went to their linen closet, grabbed a white sheet, cut holes in it, and decided to be ghosts. While Kobe and company decided to go for elaborate disguises to intimidate the opposition. Dirk has been fighting the label of being soft for years, and it hasn’t helped that his team hasn’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs since they made the NBA Finals in 2006. Joe Johnson has been getting flack for not being assertive enough. Now could this the reason their respective teams haven’t had the success their talent has brought them? Probably not, but it’s definitely an aggravating factor. The Hawks have never been out of the 2nd round and have been looked at as a team with talent, but don’t show up ready to play every game. Even with the Dallas Mavericks holding 2 games to none lead over the Lakers, until the series is over, no one is truly sure that Dirk and the Mavericks will close out the series. Everyone still remembers 2006 when the Mavericks won the first 2 games of the NBA Finals and went on to lose the next 4 games. Though this year is starting to look different for Dirk and crew, until we see them win we won’t believe they can. And with Kobe on the other side it’s kind of hard to count him out. So until Joe Johnson and Dirk win when they’re expected no one will place any faith in them.
