CubanMustGo
05-09-2006, 02:18 PM
From http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&id=2438275
Who'll win the Dirk vs. Duncan battle?
Yes, there are some secondary players who will play key roles in the Spurs-Mavs series -- Tony Parker vs. Jason Terry and Josh Howard vs. Manu Ginobili, for instance.
And no, Duncan and Dirk aren't going to be matched up against each other much, if at all.
But set that aside for a second. In the big picture, chances are the series will come down to which team's superstar plays better.
In the regular season, this was a slam dunk for Nowitzki. The Teutonic titan had the best season of his career and had the league's highest PER. Duncan, meanwhile, was slowed by plantar fasciitis and averaged career lows in every important category. As a result, he'll likely be left off the first-team All-NBA squad for the first time in his nine pro seasons.
But lo and behold, Timmy's foot doesn't seem so bothersome anymore. Just check out his past five games for proof. Duncan's numbers in that span are 25.2 points, 9.6 boards and 61.3 percent shooting, and they would be even more impressive if the Spurs hadn't cut back his minutes in a couple of blowout games against the Kings.
We didn't pay much attention when Duncan went off on the Kings, who are featherweights in the paint, but Game 1 against Dallas certainly got everyone's attention. Duncan dropped 31 and 13 in the opening win, on a day when the other options struggled, and in doing so kept Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop in foul trouble for most of the game.
Nowitzki, meanwhile, was dominant in a first-round sweep of the Grizzlies -- posting the best PER in the first round -- but struggled against longtime nemesis Bruce Bowen in Game 1. Although Dirk's bottom line -- 20 points and 14 boards -- didn't look too bad, he got many of his points at the expense of Michael Finley when Bowen was in foul trouble.
And at the end of the game, with Dallas needing a basket to tie, it was Bowen who first forced Nowitzki to catch the ball a few feet outside his post-up comfort zone, then harassed him into a wild cross-court pass that ultimately resulted in time running out on the Mavs.
The kicker here is that Nowitzki can't just play Duncan to a draw -- with Parker and Ginobili likely having the edge in the two pairings referenced above, Dallas doesn't advance unless Dirk outplays Duncan. Based on recent history, that's not looking like a smart bet.
Who'll win the Dirk vs. Duncan battle?
Yes, there are some secondary players who will play key roles in the Spurs-Mavs series -- Tony Parker vs. Jason Terry and Josh Howard vs. Manu Ginobili, for instance.
And no, Duncan and Dirk aren't going to be matched up against each other much, if at all.
But set that aside for a second. In the big picture, chances are the series will come down to which team's superstar plays better.
In the regular season, this was a slam dunk for Nowitzki. The Teutonic titan had the best season of his career and had the league's highest PER. Duncan, meanwhile, was slowed by plantar fasciitis and averaged career lows in every important category. As a result, he'll likely be left off the first-team All-NBA squad for the first time in his nine pro seasons.
But lo and behold, Timmy's foot doesn't seem so bothersome anymore. Just check out his past five games for proof. Duncan's numbers in that span are 25.2 points, 9.6 boards and 61.3 percent shooting, and they would be even more impressive if the Spurs hadn't cut back his minutes in a couple of blowout games against the Kings.
We didn't pay much attention when Duncan went off on the Kings, who are featherweights in the paint, but Game 1 against Dallas certainly got everyone's attention. Duncan dropped 31 and 13 in the opening win, on a day when the other options struggled, and in doing so kept Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop in foul trouble for most of the game.
Nowitzki, meanwhile, was dominant in a first-round sweep of the Grizzlies -- posting the best PER in the first round -- but struggled against longtime nemesis Bruce Bowen in Game 1. Although Dirk's bottom line -- 20 points and 14 boards -- didn't look too bad, he got many of his points at the expense of Michael Finley when Bowen was in foul trouble.
And at the end of the game, with Dallas needing a basket to tie, it was Bowen who first forced Nowitzki to catch the ball a few feet outside his post-up comfort zone, then harassed him into a wild cross-court pass that ultimately resulted in time running out on the Mavs.
The kicker here is that Nowitzki can't just play Duncan to a draw -- with Parker and Ginobili likely having the edge in the two pairings referenced above, Dallas doesn't advance unless Dirk outplays Duncan. Based on recent history, that's not looking like a smart bet.