I've noticed this as well. Mark Cuban has really toned it down a lot as well. In years past Cuban would've gone nuts if the Mavs knocked off the Lakers. You can tell Dirk has really been humbled over the years with that 05 collapse and the loss against the Warriors his MVP year and early playoff exit last year. He and his teammates are all business right now and they're clicking on all cylinders. If they win it all this year it will be one of the hardest/ most impressive road to a championship in recent memory. Round 1- I think many were expecting a Blazer's upset. I was for sure. Semi finals- I don't think anybody predicted a Mavs win let alone a sweep. West Finals- The series is far from over but the Thunder are and will be the cream of the crop for the forseeable future. Finals- It's going to be really hard to beat either Chicago or Miami.
I can't argue with the first paragraph cause I agree with everything there. I don't think we'll see a steady decline as soon as you think though. The thing is he can coast in the regular season because his team is always stacked and deep. Statistically speaking this year was one of his down years but he hasn't lost a step. Another thing is he doesn't play a ton of minutes like other Superstars. As long as he puts up 20+ and 8+ rebs in the regular season and turn it on in the playoffs and makes noise that's all that matters.
I'd say he's got 2-3 superstar years left. Then he'll probably go into a Ray Allen-type mode, mostly a shooter but not the franchise player anymore.
Agree with this. Dirk is extreamly athletic for a 7 footer. Just ask Serg Ibalka who could not keep Dirk in front of him. Dirk is a great player. I think top 50 (with out checking to see who is on the list) of all time. Definitely better than Pippen and probably on par with Charles Barkley (another great PF that did not play a lot of defense). Barkley was a much better rebounder and passer so I would probably give the nod to Sir Charles over Dirk. Definitely not as good as Duncan or (it pains me to say this) Karl Malone. Although Dirk is a better offensive weopon than Elvin Hayes was, I think Big E was far supperior to Dirk in just about every other way (Defense, Rebounding, Block Shots etc...) Dirk needs to be ranked among Power Forwards in the league and see if he is top 5. As good as Dirk is I'm not sure he is top 5 all time among Power Forwards.
My guess is two more peak years as the franchise player. A lockout next season would really suck for him. But the way he's playing, he could be effective for several more years as the second or third option if Cuban could find another star player to build around.
A long time. He is basically a tall jumpshooter who doesn't rely on athleticism. Reggie Miller played until he was 39. 37 for Kerr. 36 for Horny. 39 for Dale Ellis. 37 for Mullin. Etc. Shooters last.
Makes me wonder why so many people think it's time to move kevin martin on the basis that at age 28 he is old and won't be able to contribute when we are ready to contend. Like was said before...shooters last, age can't take away a great shooters shooting touch. It's no wonder that if you take a look at the list of career TS% on basketball reference a very large majority of the 250 listed had long productive careers, even the players that were never considered super stars. As long as you continue to put the ball in the bucket effectively and avoid chronic injuries you can last in the NBA well past the average players shelf life.
Nobody's saying Dirk's better than Duncan. But I you're underrating Dirk if you think he isn't in the ballpark of GOAT PF. He's pretty much unstoppable at this point, and what I really like about him is how he's consistently been at the top of his game for the last 9 years. The mavs have been wildly successful since Cuban owned the team, however the biggest factor for their success has always been dirk. I don't really think there's ever been a time when he became the overall best player in the league, however he's always been in the top 10, and I'll take a guy who can give me top 10 performance for 13 years and counting over someone who has been among the best players in the league but could only keep it up for like 3-4 years (like Tmac and Yao).
Well, if we are talking about where he ranks all time... which are the best PFs of all time? I guess Duncan makes a real good case for #1 - but then? Karl Malone? Charles Barkley? I´d say Dirk has to be considered better than Chuck right now - maybe behind Malone, maybe not. If he wins a championship he`d be definetly in front of him. Am I forgetting someone?
its hard to compare different eras but you guys need to look at elgin baylor's stats 27-13-4 over a 14 yr career
Shaq would have averaged 60 points, 48 rebounds, and 22 blocked shots per game back in the old days. I know it's fun to compare, but the evolution of sports nutrition and weight training makes me pretty much disregard most players prior to the 80s. I bet Shawn Marion would have been considered an all-time great had he played back in the days of Jerry West.
