Dirk Is Pissed! (Well, By His Standards)

It’s always hilarious when a well-behaved player with a good reputation speaks out against a coach. Does his credibility justify him, excuse the whole thing, or suddenly start to chip away at all he’s achieved?↵
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↵Sorry if that was too vague, but like there was any doubt as to what I was talking about. On his way out, Avery Johnson insinuated that the team, not him, had faltered. So now, star Dirk Nowitzki—oft-criticized for certain on-court tendencies, but still well-respected—has returned the favor. From the Star-Telegram:↵↵⇥He criticized how Avery used J-Kidd and how he dealt with players. And while what he said and his tone hardly qualifies as a T.O.-on-Andy Reid tirade, Dirk left no doubt that he had lost faith in Avery.
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↵⇥And Dirk is not easily lost. He is not that guy. Avery really had to work at alienating him.
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↵⇥“I think that’s what Avery was missing a little bit, the communication with the players individually,” Dirk said. “I think that’s the way to go -- not only find your way as a coach, but find out what the players like, where they like to catch the ball, what sets they like. Because it’s still a player’s league. It’s not a league of coaches.”↵↵Be honest here: If Carmelo Anthony said this, even in the same mild tone, it would be headline news and proof that the league was collapsing. That coach-killers walked among us. I like whenever Dirk shows some fire, but there is a double-standard here.
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↵Speaking of which, the same column calls Josh Howard a “selfish idiot” and wonders if his career is “salvageable.”↵