Dirk Nowitzki is still shaking off the cobwebs. Or the summer parties.
He played in his first preseason game Tuesday night and was 2-for-10 shooting, playing 23 minutes and looking rusty. He had skipped the team’s first preseason contest.
After the game he admitted he’s not all the way back yet to the Star-Telegram.
“I’m fine, nothing hurts,’’ Nowitzki said. “The wind will come back, but it’s definitely better than what it was two weeks ago when we started camp. I actually wasn’t joking about the amnesty thing two weeks ago. That’s how bad I looked. It’s been some hard work the last two weeks, but I’m still obviously not 100 percent.’’
Dallas — after all its personnel changes — is going to need him at 100 percent, and fast. They open at home Christmas Day against a Heat team that would love to spoil the banner-raising party.