Has Dirk in your opinion overtaken Larry Legend as the baddest white boy in NBA history? To me, Bird had a better peak/prime, but Dirk has been good for soooooooooooo long, and admittedly, he's always had less talent to work with than Bird had on those Celtic teams.
Agreed. Nowitzki is in the discussion when we rank the top 25 all time or so. His peak wasn't among the best ever but his longevity is astonishing and he has been able to adjust his game as his abilities have eroded. However, Bird is in the discussion when we rank the top 5 all time, right up there after MJ, Wilt and Kareem. He was among the most intelligent, versatile and creative players in the history
That's not debatable. I already said Bird had a better peak/prime. HOWEVER, if you were gonna build a team LONG-TERM.... you gotta factor in that Dirk is capable of year-in-and-out carrying role players deep in the playoffs, and to the finals. I'm only playing Devil's Advocate, as I agree that Bird was better. Just saying, Bird also had more talent around him, generally.
Bird isn't top 5 if we're talking peak. Top 10, yes. But not top 5. MJ, Kareem, Hakeem, Shaq, and Lebron (much as I hate him) all had better peaks than Bird. Curry THIS SEASON is having a better peak than Bird ever has. He just has perform at a similar level in the playoffs, and bring them another ring, and he'll officially have one of the best peak seasons ever.
What I think is most impressive about Larry is that people remember him as a guard, the shooting and passing. What sometimes is forgotten is that he was actually a forward and rebounded and defended as one. The only criticism you can say about Curry is that he isn't an exceptional defender like the others you listed. Even so I do agree, he is having an incredible season
Bird wasn't an exceptional defender either. Curry is no longer a bad defender. His D has become solid. Solid enough that it can be overlooked considering how exceptional he's been on offense.
Dirk definitely has the longevity. But I myself would rather have a prime Bird on my squad. What about peak Hakeem vs peak Shaq?
As a german i'm biased with Dirk but Bird makes him look like Shawn Kemp in the movement department. Also Bird was putting up 20 and 9 when he was 36 so Dirk is only one year older and longevity not such a big factor. But Dirk is amazing for his age. :)
he is the leading scorer and puts up 17-20 ppt in the last 4 seasons. That ain't no spurts. 40 point game is a spurt though... ::
:bears: Do the people in Dallas like him and at what level. Accepted or more? He's been there forever now...
Well yeah, he is 'doing well' all the time that is true. By spurts I meant there are a couple of games a season he plays like he did in his prime. I also like the way how he gives room to others these days early on and spares his energy and then steps it up in 4th quarter
I visited Dallas a year ago and based on what I saw he seemed to be liked. I went shopping some clothes and spoke with the salesperson. I told her I had been watching Mavericks the night before and the first thing she asked was how did Dirk play. Also in the game, whenever Dirk shot the crowd was much louder than with any other player. Also there was plenty of Dirk stuff on sale
I think he is the most modest guy together with Duncan ever playing at that level. You ain't seeing Kobe taking a pay cut even if his silly ass shoots under 10 ppg... ::
Lol at Howard crying about he's not a cheater when it comes to the stickum issue. I agree he wasn't trying to cheat even though it's obvious he did it on purpose.
Never quite understood the dislike for Dwight Howard. Harden definitely, but not Dwight. Is it the super high expectations he was saddled with early on? His lack of titles? His free throw shooting? People thinking he should be a tough guy, just because of his size? Is Anthony Davis going to become peoples enemy #1 if he doesn't win a title in the next 5 years?
His attitude always rubbed me the wrong way. For me, he never had the heart and desire to be a great player. He's soft as hell. Bitches and complains all the time. When things don't go his way or the pressure/expectations are too high for him, he finds the quickest way outta town.
I defended howard a lot, mostly because i still considered him the best center in the league until this year. His athleticism just isnt what it once was anymore. Aside from there he never developed his offensive game at all since his 3rd or 4th year. Davis has already shown more offensive improvement from when he came into the league until now than howard did at any point.
Well, and Davis can hit foul throws to, which makes him more valuable down the stretch as a big man. Not really comparing Howard to Davis....I just kind of scratch my head at the term "soft" being thrown around in regards to Howard. Guy missed like 3 games total his first 7 years in the league (Davis misses that many games every month). His rebound and block totals throughout his career don't suggest he's soft. I did notice a lot of inferior players trying to bait him into fights, and him not taking the bait...not sure if that makes him "soft" or "smart". I saw him leave L.A., because Kobe is a cunt...and to be fair Kobe IS a cunt. And now, the guy is just breaking down physically, at an age when most men his size start to break down physically.
Dirk's a Certified Sporting LEGEND in Dallas... Roger Staubach TOPS the Charts in Dallas, w/Several Other Former Cowboys a Notch or 2 Below...Troy Aikman, Tony Dorsett Drew Pearson, Randy White, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, etc...Dirk's as BELOVED as that Next Group of Guys & There ISN'T a Past or Present Maverick that Approaches Dirk's Popularity... In Black Neighborhood's, it's NOT Uncommon to See Brother's Rockin' Dirk Jersey's....For Whatever Reason, Brother's DON'T Typically Wear the Jersey's of White Athlete's, but Dirk has Risen ABOVE His Race in That Regard, in Dallas... In Short, He's THE Man and That'll Be the Case Until the Day he Dies...Mark Cuban's Even Stated a Statue of Dirk WILL Be Erected Outside of the Stadium the Mavs Play In... REED:mj:
Dwight Howard is FAKE...The Ever Smiling, Jolly Big Man Routine is BULLSHIT... There was a Media Gangbang w/Stan Van Gundy, Where he Basically Said "I Know Dwight Wants Me Fired Because the Front Office Told Me So"....Moments Later (& Unbeknownst to What Van Gundy had JUST Said), Howard Walks Up, Puts his Arm Around Van Gundy and Said "I Haven't Asked for Stan to Be Fired, Stan and I are Fine. I Don't Know Where You Guys Get This Stuff From"...In MIDfuckingINTERVIEW, Van Gundy Walked from Under Howard's Arm and Away from the Gangbang... Not Loooooooooooooooong Afterwards, Van Gundy was Dismissed as Coach of the Orlando Magic... When Howard Entered the League, He was a Full Blown Bible Banger Speaking Openly of Strengthening the Faith of his Teammates, etc...Now, Dude Allegedly has 8 Kids w/8 Baby Mommas... Add in the Fact he's Never EVER Happy w/his "Role" on a Team, Politics for More OFFENSIVE Touches than Warranted and it's Easy to See Why Dwight Howard's 1 of the More DISliked Players in the League, Currently...He's a BITCH... As for Harden, his STYLE of Play is what Makes him Unlikable, in REED's Opinion... REED:mj:
agREED... Davis' Scoring, the Last 2 Seasons, is HIGHER than Any Single Season Averages of Howard's ENTIRE Career... REED:mj:
You Have to Stand Up for Yourself @ SOME Point... Could You Imagine Kevin Durant's 6'11, 175lb Ass Getting In the Face of Shaq or Boogie Cousins or Even Andrew Bogut, and Calling them a "Pussy", w/Out ANY Reaction???...Or Kobe Being Inches From Them Saying "You're SOFT"???... It's Not about FIGHTING, Necessarily, but Dwight Howard has CONSISTENTLY Shied AWAY from Confrontation in a Manner that Makes him Look SOFT... REED:mj:
As for the Whole Bird-Dirk Comparison, Dirk was More TALENTED (Taller, More Athletic, Similar Shooting Touch), but Bird Possessed More INTANGIBLES (CLUTCH Factor, Unwavering SELF BELIEF from Day 1, Mental TOUGHNESS and Quite Possibly THE Highest Basketball IQ in NBA History)... Head to Head, Dirk Very Well Could've OUTPLAYED Bird, but in Terms of GREATNESS, There's NO Comparison... REED:hammert:
No doubt Dwight is soft but he didn't back down from Kobe calling him soft. I saw a GIF with D12 calling KB a bitch ass n...a at the same time. I'll give him that one but he hides behind the smiling giant too much. It's the Shaq blueprint with the exception of Shaq not being soft.
Lillard got out game-winnered by Crawford, and then Redick [video=youtube;MNPerufNpU4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNPerufNpU4[/video]
