NBA Halloween: Playing trick-or-treat with 2017-18 early season trends

Dallas Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki going out like Kobe Bryant: Treat

Father Time comes for us all, and though it’s no treat to see it happen, Dirk Nowitzki is well past his prime. This might not be his last year in the league, but Dirk Diggler looks like he’s going to go out a lot like Kobe Bryant did in his final season — and no, we’re not talking about the 60-point game.

At age 39, it’s no surprise to see Nowitzki wearing down. The 20-year pro is averaging just 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the field so far this year. Though he’s canned an impressive 44.8 percent of his 3s, that’s mostly because of 3-for-5 and 4-for-5 shooting nights in his last two games.

As the regular season wears on, that 3-point shooting will come back down to earth, what little athleticism remains will continue to wane and as the losses pile on for the Dallas Mavericks, the Kobe comparisons — ungrounded as they may be, given Dirk’s repeated financial sacrifices — will become all too common.