Dirk Nowitzki Showing the Importance of Free Throw Shooting

Anyone watching the 2011 NBA Finals ought to be impressed by what they are witnessing from Dirk Nowitzki. He is 24-24 from the free throw line in the 4^th quarter. Compare that to LeBron James, who has been to the line only 3 times in the 4^th and is now enduring a great deal of criticism for his play down the stretch. Another amazing fact about Nowitzki's shooting is that he has missed only one free throw in the entire finals and only 11 (173-184) free throws in the playoffs. Considering how close the games have been, Dirk Nowitzki's lights out shooting from the foul line has made all the difference in these finals. When Dirk goes to the line, everyone pretty much expects two points automatically for the Mavs. When someone performs at that level night in and night out it can almost be taken for granted. Yet, a free throw is not a layup and it requires a great deal of concentration to make them consistently. If the Dallas Mavericks go on to close out these finals and win the NBA title, the first place that people should be looking to as the reason for their victory is Dirk Nowitzki's free throw shooting.