Can we please stop this Dirk debate?
Dirk was above average in the 2006 series vs. the Spurs, he surprised everyone and no one expected it.
But since then, he's been average just like expected. A lot of players can have a "breakout" series where they surprise everyone and then go back into obscurity (Mike Bibby in 2002 for example). In the 2006 NBA Finals vs. the Heat, no one thought Dallas would win, and they didn't win. Same with the 2007 series vs. the Warriors. The Warriors had won all three regular season meetings and three out of four the previous regular season meetings, thus making them the favorites in the series....the result? They won....
My point is, players will have a good breakout series and we tend to think that will carry over, but in reality, as with Dirk, it didn't. We haven't seen the 2002 Bibby from the Lakers series, and the 2006 Dirk from the Spurs series is gone too. The Kings were never the favorites to win it all after that series, as Dallas has not been the favorite to win since the Spurs series.
So let's not penalize Dirk for not being a Top 10 NBA player, he's not supposed to be a Top 10 NBA player. That's like saying "Slava Medvedenko sucks! Duncan is better!" Dirk is not in the same class as the top NBA players such as Duncan, Wade, Nash (the only Sun I give credit to), Garnett, and so forth.
Playoff results don't lie. And I know you all absolutely hate this, but the teams that are supposed to win the series usually win the series. Playoff series' are now 7 games, there is no excuse for a team who is supposedly the better team, to lose.