I believe there is something called "Defense" that is not in Dirk's dictionary. Too one-dimensional to be considered an all time great. But on the cusp.
This. KG in his prime was much more dominant than Dirk. On both ends of the court. The only downside to KG's game was his douchebaggery.
Despite my hatred for his douchebag behaviors oncourt, I would still take Garnett over Dirk by a hair. 1. Duncan 2. Garnett 3. Dirk
Jesus Christ the appreciation for defense on this board is insane. Garnett is an all time douche but he plays great defense unlike dirk.
i have a problem with duncan being listed as a PF when for most of his career he was the tallest player in the starting lineup, played the post, and did the jump ball. he's a center and always has been. as a center he would be maybe 5th best of all time, but as a PF he's #1... its a joke. dirk is probably #3 or 4.
Nowitzki's bad defense is overstated. For instance, Carmelo Anthony's defensive lapses are much more detrimental to a team defense than Nowitzki's D IMO. At the end of the day, he's still a fairly mobile 7-footer who was an above average defensive rebounder and a high-concentration guy. No one says Larry Bird or Magic Johnson weren't all time greats just because their individual D wasn't good.