Bullsh&t to say with good reason. A lot of fans outside of Dallas and a lot of the national media cling to that reputation yet don't realize how untrue it really is. Consider that out of everyone in his draft class, no other player in that draft class has played with more spare parts around him and less legitimate all-star caliber players. The guy has been HUGE for his team ever since Finley and Nash left town and folks forget how clutch he was vs San Antonio in the 06 WCSF. People forget how huge he came up and how well he played with ZERO help in the Nuggets series 09. (Also all the more impressive when you consider how his personal life was public fodder at the time and even more embarrasing as people were dissecting his gullibility and taste in women).
I have felt for a while that reputation was undeserved. Nowiktzi has had a number of great playoff performances in the past, but the failures overshadowed it. In fact, amongst players who've played at least 3000 postseason minutes, here are the top 10 in playoff PER: Code: 1. Michael Jordan 28.6 2. LeBron James 27.0 3. Shaquille O'Neal 26.1 4. Hakeem Olajuwon 25.7 5. Tim Duncan 25.4 6. Dirk Nowitzki 24.9 7. Charles Barkely 24.2 8. Dwyane Wade 24.1 9. Jerry West 23.1 10. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23.0 Granted, he wasn't the defender that some of the other players on that list were, but he's been far and away the Maverick's best player in the playoffs each year.
The type of ppl you're up against makes a difference too, the biggest opposition for much of Dirk's career was another texan pf, who from all reports is basically impervious to head games.
Also, some of the "Dirk is soft/has been a soft player" brigade may also want to elaborate on who Dirks sidekicks have been during the pre-JKidd and post Nash years. Nothing that can be compared to a TDuncan/Ginobili-Kobe/Shaq/Pau, Rip/Chauncey/Rasheed.
People who've claimed Dirk was soft/unclutch are simply following the company line. They get on sites like this, or ESPN message boards, and they believe some 17 year old whose paid attention to all of about 4 games of Dirk's career. One of four players in NBA playoff history to average 25 points and 10 rebounds. Four. F.O.U.R.
I guess it is just the reputation which comes with 3 first round exits and 1 second round exit in the past 5 years. One of which being a 67 win team falling to an 8th seed. Plus I feel that they should have lost in the first round in '05 (damn refs) and the Mavericks losing 4 straight after going up 2-0 in the '06 finals also comes to mind. This postseason, Dirk just seems like he is on a mission. He has been playing amazing basketball, probably the best of his career (in terms of postseason).
That's another misconception. If you go by the numbers, it's actually Dirk's third or fourth best offseaosn. The guy who's benn playing much better that the last few years is actually Terry. And of course having Chandler at center instead of Dampier and Marion playing really well helps a lot, too. But Dirk's more or less doing what he's always been doing in the post season.
But goodbug & rock4ever & the Kobe fan parade have been telling me that he's the GOAT ("5 rings!!!!")... surely your numbers are wrong.
In the past, Dirk was soft. Dirk was soft because he did not play defense and he did not fight for deep post position or drive to the rim when necessary. That is not debatable. IMO, that layup at the end of Game 2 is the defining moment of Dirk's career. In the past, he would not have taken the chance going to the basket knowing that he wouldn't get the touch foul. He drove thinking he would have to make that layup with contact. Granted, the Heat didn't defend that play well but that doesn't change the mentality Dirk needed to attempt that play. That is how Dirk has changed. I don't measure toughness by making jump shots at important times, that's skill.
I think that depends on whether the Mavs win the series or not. I doubt that they can pull off three in a row against the Heat. I am really rooting for Dirk, but the Heat's talent will be tough to overcome...I'm bracing for Heat in 6 or 7. But no matter what, he has already now proven people wrong who say he is soft or unclutch.
That's not true, either. 2006 Mavs - Spurs, Game 7 last play: Dirk drives to the basket, makes the layup and gets (stupidly) fouled by Manu Ginobili for the 3 point play to go into overtime. That was in 2006 and it was a similar play in an even more decisive situation. People have short memories.
You're right, I had forgotten that. Still, to anyone that's been watching Dirk through the years it's obvious he's changed as a player late in his career. THIS Dirk wouldn't let a small guy like Bruce Bowen defend him. He would have him posted up closer to the rim for an easier bucket. That "physical" style doesn't bother him much anymore. Yeah, when I say "defining moment", I mean this is how he will be remembered by the casual fan. I don't think it matters if they win or not, historically. I think most would have placed the old Dirk just outside of the second tier of all time greats, behind the Barley/Malone types. Now, this Dirk is right there with them, in that group. Even if he wins a title, he won't be in the conversation with the best of the best like Olajuwon, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Shaq etc.
That may be true, but there are a few things to consider: For one, it depends how the game is called. In 2006 for example, Haslem was allowed to be very, very physical, putting a foot under him when he was up in the air, that kind of stuff. I don't know if they'll allow him that this series, because Dirk has much more recognition as a great player than he had back then. That's btw the one argument in favor of Lebron defending Dirk: he might get away with more stuff than anyone else. The other thing is that while 2011 Dirk may look better that any other version, the numbers say it's not his best playoff season, mor like the third or fourth best. Which goes to show that winning is the best deodorant and everything looks better if you get away with a W. Had the Mavs not gotten Chandler and gone out in the first or second round with Dirk playing the same way as he does now, nobody would talk about how Dirk has changed and how he handles contact much better now.
Sure winning helps, and his game was pretty average til he went all Atlas style in the last few minutes. It wasn't just that they won, it's that they won because he picked them up and carried the whole team over the line.
You don't think Dirk has gotten better? It's not just about these playoffs, he did it throughout the regular season and even last year. He has made an effort to fight through people hacking at him (which happens to everyone, particularly at the end of games) and get good looks rather than relying on his long range jumpshot. It may not show up in his personal stats but his decision to play more inside and take the long jumpers when they come has had a significant impact on the Mavs' success. It creates better spacing and makes their perimeter players more deadly. And while I completely agree that Chandler (and the mavs defense) is one of the big reasons this team is playing well, it would be irrelevant if teams still knew they could roll out shooting guards to defend Dirk.
I'm sceptical that Dirk really has his best playoffs run this year, because the numbers say otherwise: 2001: 22.3 2002: 24.8 2003: 23.2 2004: 27.5 2005: 20.1 <-- first round series vs Rockets 2006: 26.8 <-- Finals appearance vs Miami 2007: 20.9 <-- first round exit vs Warriors 2008: 26.3 2009: 28.4 2010: 28.3 2011: 26.1 So, one can see clearly that Dirk has had a pretty consistent playoffs history with two exceptions: 2005 and 2007, which were clearly substandard. Ironically, these two years (plus the 2006 finals, but that's another story) are the ones that shaped Dirk's reputation. Otherwise he's had a PER of at least 26 in every year since 2004. This year is clearly a step down from the last two years. It's his 6th best year, statistically. Oh, and while we're discussing Dirk and Bird, here are Bird's playoff PERs: 1980: 18.3 1981: 21.8 1982: 17.9 1983: 20.3 1984: 26.3 1985: 20.9 1986: 23.9 1987: 21.8 1988: 20.2 1990: 20.7 1991: 15.8 1992: 16.4 What is surprising is that even if you throw out 91 and 92, Bird has plenty of years at the level of Dirk's "down" years. And Bird reached Dirks statistical plateau of 26 and above only once. At the same time, Dirk gets a choker label for his two subpar seasons with a PER of 20 while nobody ever thought about calling Bird a playoff choker.
