Both guys have an MVP, two Finals appearances, and a ring each (coincidentally, both coming against a team with a generational superstar that would go on to win the next two titles). Both suffered from (perhaps unfair) reputations as playoff underachievers, until winning championships in the tail ends of their respective primes. Neither's career quite stands up to Tim Duncan's, but they're clearly the next best players of their generation at the position. Dirk has a Finals MVP and gave his teams a tremendous offensive advantage by allowing them to play four three point shooters without getting killed on D or the boards. KG was essentially a Point Power Forward, and one of the greatest and most versatile defensive bigs to ever play. Dirk's a flopper and a whiner, KG's a huge *******. Here are their career, and 10-year-peak stats: Who's the greater player? (Note: Because there's always one person who decides to be that guy, let me say that while I'm the biggest Chris Webber fan in the world, he does not belong in this conversation. Nor does Pau Gasol, if you're lurking under yet another moniker, OHMSS.)
I would have to say Dirk. Prime Dirk was the only PF I was genuinely scared of. Automatic from anywhere on the court if left wide open.
This is a hard one. Offensively as good as KG was, Dirk was even better. Defensively Dirk was terrible, and KG was dominant. Give me KG.
Kevin Garnett all the way. He is the greatest total defender the game has seen since Bill Russell and Hakeem Olajuwon, and his athleticism and versatility on offense, in his prime, were extraordinary. The post game, the passing, the jumper, the leadership, the effort on every single possession. I would do battle with prime Garnett over prime Nowitzki all day every day. It really isn't even close for me.
That battle happened. Nowitzki won. Both the series and the individual battle. KG couldn't stop him - at all.
Dirk was the Iverson of that team, surrounded by really good defenders and rebounders to compensate for his deficiencies. If I were a GM, I'd say KG. You could win with a number of combinations of players. Winning a chip with Dirk took a very unique cast of rebounders/defenders that could also hit outside shots when called upon.
this pretty much. As much as i dislike the Mavs it was insane watching Dirk in those playoffs. Dude was unconscious.
Offense tends to get voted higher than defense, but KG was no slouch on offense. So I'll vote even, mainly because I love defense Btw. Whoever says Garnett was a loser at minny should consider that first due to illegal mgmt practices Minny lost THREE first round picks during KGs tenure and, secondly, they still had a great chance of winning the WCF in 2004 until Cassel got injured in the playoffs
kg w/o question. kg still killer on offense, but one of the best defenders of his time. dirk was average on defense
KG was a loser? Not in the slightest. Making that ****ty Minny roster a playoff team every year was remarkable.
That's because KG was trying to stop the whole damn team. It wasn't a game of 1 on 1, It was the Wolves vs the Mavs. Get off the small sample size box score stats. They are about as intriguing as your posts in the D&D... Even so, look at those assist numbers. 5 for KG, ZERO for Dirk...
You don't pass the ball if you shoot these %%s. It's highly unlikely that anyone else would have made more than .727 % on threes. Excuses, excuses. You said you would have liked to see them matched up against each other in their prime. They were. Nowitzki completely destroyed Garnett.
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Dirk is way better its not even close He just passed him up in career points as well old man KG needs to retire while Dirk will still play at least 2 more 20 ppg seasons. Haters gonna hate
