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I'll take Durant because he's a better ball-handler.
Durant
Dirk
Better player.
Both are offensive machines, don't really do that much else, but they're great at what they do.
This is not who do you take to start a franchise now, thats obviously the younger Durant. Who is the better player currently?
I'll take Durant because he's a better ball-handler.
Dirk averaged 1.8 turnovers per game last year, KD 3.3. You might wanna rethink your statement.
I'd take Dirk because he's more unguardable than KD, but KD obviously has a much brighter future ahead.
If Dirk was a SF he would be a lot more valuable, as a bigman he creates some very important problems for his own team.
Oh Durant by far. Son that's like trying to compare Michael Jordan to Luke Longley.
Couple a cupcakes.
Durant b/c he's 6'11" and talented like me.
dirk cause hes the last great white player of this league
god bless
Durant. More upside. It's all downhill for Dirk.
This is a stupid, Durant is younger with better upside right. I love Dirk but he is 32 and will decline soon. Its like asking who would rather have Kevin Garnet or John Wall?
Dump comment of the day. I knew I was going to find one.
Durant and it's not even close.
This is not who do you take to start a franchise now, thats obviously the younger Durant. Who is the better player currently?
What about defense? Dirk would get beat every play playing against a quicker SF like a Durant or all the other starting small forwards in the league and probably also the ones who play on the bench to.
Durant has morphed into a solid defender and he's already a more versatile scorer.
This is tough actually.
The question is asking right now who is better. I'd probably still say Dirk but it's close. Durant has evolved into a complete beast of a scorer. I underestimated his abilities a few years ago, but I don't anymore. With Dirk starting his decline, I think there's a very good argument that Durant has passed him. I do think Dirk gets ted on for his defense when he has become an adequate defender. Not great, never will be, but he isn't a horrible defender, imo. What was more surprising about Dirk's decline last season was he became an Amare-like rebounder at PF. There's no reason Dirk at 7-feet tall and fairly quick and athletic playing big minutes shouldn't be pulling down 9 rpg. I guess having more help on his team for rebounding, with Haywood and Damp, Marion being a very good defender for his size and position, and Kidd and Butler very good rebounders from the perimeter played a role in his rebounding numbers dropping. I still would like to see him closer to 9-10 rpg since he was still playing 37+ minutes a game.
Durant still has room to grow and is already a superstar or at least on the cusp of supers om. I think his play will continue to improve, but his first round playoff performance showed he has a ways to go still. He scored and he had that one ridiculous rebounding game, but he also shot 35% from the field for the series. He even shot 5-for-23 in the series deciding game 6. That's something other "superstar" players get crucified for. To me, it means he's still got a ways to go. Dirk gets ted on for a couple choking performances in the Finals and against Golden State, but I've also seen Dirk nut up and play like a beast in the playoffs and I think for the criticism he takes for being soft he's actually a pretty tough s.o.b.
We're talking about today, I'll still take Dirk but it's close. That could change very soon because it's almost a toss-up with Durant already.
Durant. no contest
the kinda thread is this?
not a very fair comparison
lol dirk no but durant is just as good now if not better wont be long before dirk starts to fall off
No, this is not tough. Yeah Dirk has had a hall of fame career. But why would anybody take a 32 year old aging PF over a 21 year star. Yes, Durant has already reached supers om.
Kevin Durant. Dirk Nowitzki is a average sized power forward and his defense is worthless, at least Durant is tall. He's longer than most small forwards so that gives him a little advantage on the defensive end. You can't stop neither one of them from getting a shot off though, just have to hope he misses.
Besides Tim Duncan (who plays more at center) and Paul Gasol name another 7'0 Power forward.
All of those guys are within about half an inch-1 inch at most to Dirk. And those are just about all starting PF's going into this season. Regardless, he doesn't have a length advantage on hardly any of these names I listed.
Garnett
Favors
Amar'e
Speights
Bosh
Blatche
Nene
Aldridge
Camby
Al Jefferson
Biedrins
Channing Frye
Jason Thompson
Brad Miller
Right now, Garnett.
You just named several centers, Nene, Camby, Biedrins, Brad Miller. Al Jefferson will probably play more center than PF as well. Channing Frye plays smaller than Dirk. LaMarcus Aldridge doesn't play all that big either. For all of Amare's athleticism, it would be more accurate to call him average size for a PF than it would be to call Dirk average size. They list Amare at 6'10 but I think he's closer to being between 6'8 and 6'9. His athleticism does help him in that regard. He's got a good 7-foot wingspan but it's not ridiculous like 7'4+ like Nene's wingspan.
Dirk might not the greatest wingspan for his height and he doesn't jump out of the building, but to say he is an "average sized PF" is pretty inaccurate. He's got very good size for an NBA PF, at the very least above average size. Certainly not average size.
Dirk might be on his decline but he's still an elite superstar in the NBA. And he elevated his game last year in the playoffs. Losing to Spurs last playoffs certainly wasn't on Dirk. He balled his ass off. And while I realize it was Durant's first playoff experience, his numbers suffered in the post season, and especially with his scoring which is biggest strength, his shooting numbers were pretty horrible against the Lakers (47.6% FG and 36.5% 3PT in the regular season versus 35.0% FG and 28.6% 3PT in the playoffs). Durant definitely needs to add 10-15 lbs. of muscle mass so that he can start mixing in more drives at the basket without worrying about getting pushed around, and be able to finish in traffic and with contact as well.
There's no doubt that Kevin Durant has a brighter future because of the age differences. And while I believe Dirk is still better, I don't think it's by a lot. We're talking about now, so I still give a slight edge to Dirk. But it certainly could change as soon as this upcoming season.
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