Just speculating a little here. I've never seen him playing at a higher level. He's playing all-world all-time right now, right up there with the greats of all time. In two years, barring injury he will be in the top 10 all-time scorers. How much longer do you think he can play? When he retires, where will he rank with the all time greats? He has to be moving up amongst the all time greats right now. If he puts a ring on his finger, that pushes him up considerably. (I'm still a Dallas doubter. I think Chicago toasts them in the Finals. But I've never seen Dirk playing this good either.)
I think he has 4 or 5 more good years (23/8)...If he gets a ring he will be top PF's to ever play...The best case scenario for Dirk and basketball purist is the same he was the most difficult matchup for opposing players of all-time....
He does turn 33 next month but he never relied much on his athleticism and he's steered clear of major injuries his whole career. I say he has another 3 really good years left before he slows down a bit. I think Dirk gets a lot of undeserved hate on this board. The guy has been killing it year in and year out since he first entered the league 12 years ago. When I think of Dirk I think of consitency. You know you're going to get your 20+ points, at least 8 rebounds and consistent shooting % and when he's on he's basically unstoppable and his game is a beauty to watch like last night. The only time he really dissapears in games is when his teammates quit going to him. It's crazy to think he was oh so close to already having won a ring in 04-05. That was 6 long years ago and he was in his PRIME then. This goes back to the whole consistency thing I was talking about earlier. Remember when T-Mac was neck and neck with him in our '05 series and everyone was on Mcgrady's jock? Dirk's put in a lotta work since then, hasn't slowed down one bit and he's gotten even better in terms of mental toughness and letting the game come to him. I gotta give the guy his props.
2 great years left, and then a steady decline instead of a rapid fall off. I would guess he has 5 or 6 years left overall.
Dirk's game does not depend on athleticism so he can continue to play at this level for a long time. His size and shooting ability will not diminish with age. I'd say he's got 4 to 5 good years left. If he wins a ring he'll be the 3rd or 4th best PF of all time. If he doesn't he'll be No. 5. He will not be considered the best PF of all time. How can you be the best PF of all time when your defense is average at best?
Honestly, I think if Dirk gets his championship, he'll hang it up within a few years or go play in Germany.
He's a seven footer whose game is based upon his jumper. Unless he suffers a catastrophic injury, he's still going to be productive for a while.
He said it as if Dirk was the exception...At least thats how my humor interpreted it!!!!....Thanks again for input
actually that is not a LOL.. everyone shrinks when they get older. Look at old people. . they clearly shrink in size
What if he wins 3 rings back to back to back, and finishes with over 30,000 points? I'm really wondering if he isn't a lot better in terms of the greats PFs of all time then most of us have given him credit for. If this guy wins a ring, or better yet if he wins multiple rings, that's the ultimate valuation of greatness. If (and it's a big IF) Dallas gets a ring this season, Dirk is the undisputed MVP of that team and the one that drove them to the C. Nobody else. And he's not playing alongside other superstars. Kidd is the closest to a superstar, he was a superstar at one time, but Kidd at this point in his career is a very good, grizzled vet. Dirk is not playing alongside a Kobe or a Manu. He's surrounded by very, very good role players, but role players they are. He is the sole superstar. IF Dallas wins a ring, I will be very much more impressed with Dirk's career. I don't see how you could ignore that his career was not just a bunch of numbers but he truly is a great, great player that measures his own success in wins and rings. When you hear him talk, he's talking like an all-time great. Constantly harping on wins. He was very kewl at the press conference after the game last night. They kept asking him about his stat line. You could tell he didn't care. All he cared about was the W. I think he's becoming an all-time great right now. A ring would confirm it.
I actually think Dirk uses his athletecism more than you guys think. He is a 7 footer that plays on the perimeter and drives it inside pretty often. Sure he's not tomahawking it over fools like Westbrook, but don't discredit the amount of athletic ability it takes for a 7 footer to beat guys off the dribble. I think this year is his absolute prime. He will steadily decline for the next 2 years and then plummet in year 3. Book it!
it would be nice if Nash finds his way back to Dallas and they win at least one ring together. i remember in 2000(?) they made some noise in the playoffs and in one of the interviews they were laughing and saying that they didnt belong there. they were the ultimate underdogs. nash and nowitzki work their butts off. no surprise they went from 'Dallas Mavericks, one fan at a time..' to MVPs.
