Pau Gasol or Dirk Nowitzki?

[midnightpulp]

nice, try

He is. Kobe gets the glory, because when you chuck 25 shots a game, you will post a higher PPG, hit some spectacular shots, and be the toast of the highlight obsessed media, but in reality, Gasol is currently the best player on the Lakers.

Now that he's getting a similar amount of attempts as Kobe, look at their stats:

25, 9.5, and 5 on .530 shooting>>26, 6, and 5 on .436.

[Darrin]

discuss. i'm voting for dirk of course. to me, it's not even close. don't get me wrong, gasol is a very good player, but he has KOBE on his team, arguably the best player in the world. he has the best coach in the world. dirk has caron butler (josh howard v2) and rick carlisle, kinda unfair..

i just don't see why people say gasol > dirk nowadays, just because he won 2 'chips as a kobe side kick?

I think if you offered Dirk straight up for Pau, the Lakers would make that deal.

[LakeShow]

I think if you offered Dirk straight up for Pau, the Lakers would make that deal.

[TD 21]

This.

Dirk is nothing more than a 7ft shooting guard. His defense has always been soft and weak. His game is great for the regular season but a weakness in the playoffs. In the history of the championships, I have never seen a team win a le with a PF that plays on the perimeter. When you have your power forward on the perimeter being defended by Sf's and SG's the opponent has an advantage in the paint. I have said since 2000, that the Mavs will NEVER win a le with Dirk at the 4. Guess what? They haven't.

Everyone wants to blame the officials for the mavs loss against the heat. Although it was bad at times the real turning point in that series came in game 3 when Shaq fouled Dirk hard when he drove the lane. Dirk punked out and never attacked the rim again. He was a jump shooter for the rest of the series.

I would take Gasol's game over Dirks game when it matters. Give me Pau

LakeShow, no Mavs fan should about the officiating in the '06 Finals, because if not for atrocious officiating in the Conference Semi-Finals, they'd have never reached the Finals in the first place.

Nahtanoj, rebounding is partially about height. Had you watched the first half of the Lakers-Warriors game tonight, you wouldn't be saying it isn't. Against a solid rebounding big combo of Lee and Biedrins, the Lakers destroyed them on the glass in the first half. Why? Because Gasol is really 7-2 or 7-3 and not the 7-0 he's listed as being and because of his and Odom's superior length, they're playing volleyball on the offensive glass. Same thing with Nowitzki, just by virtue of being 7-0 tall and playing 37-38 mpg, he's going to collect his fair share of rebounds.

[DAF86]

I think if you offered Dirk straight up for Pau, the Lakers would make that deal.

No, they wouldn't. Why would they trade a guy that fits their system to perfection and is the best low post player in the league?

[21_Blessings]

laker fan showing support for an empty-headed fool like matt barnes just because he's on his team now

Cuban paying Shawn Marion 33 million the next 4 years while Barnes makes about 4m over the next 2.

What a re ed ing owner Cuban is

[DAF86]

No, they wouldn't. Why would they trade a guy that fits their system to perfection and is the best low post player in the league?

I want to add that IMO Bryant is more replaceable than Gasol in the Lakers system.

[21_Blessings]

Seriously. The Lakers have no use for another shooting guard.

Dirk playing center or trying to post/defend anybody up

[dirk4mvp]

LakeShow, no Mavs fan should about the officiating in the '06 Finals, because if not for atrocious officiating in the Conference Semi-Finals, they'd have never reached the Finals in the first place.

classic gray spur fan. continue being irrelevant on ST, you flaming sack of .

[HarlemHeat37]

classic gray spur fan. continue being irrelevant on ST, you flaming sack of .

You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.

[Killakobe81]

I want to add that IMO Bryant is more replaceable than Gasol in the Lakers system.

I get what you are trying to say but a top 5 current player and top 10 all-time player is not EVER easily replaceable ...

[LakeShow]

Seriously. The Lakers have no use for another shooting guard.

Dirk playing center or trying to post/defend anybody up

Can you imagine Dirk and Lamar going up against the Celtics? That would have been downright comical.

[mavsfan1000]

Okur was a reserve for the Pistons championship. Starters were the Wallace's. Bill Laimbeer and Horry did the intangibles well, defense, blocks, steals, Heart. Both players had very good low post players. Horry, playing with three of the best low post players in the game in Shaq, Olajuwon and Duncan. It was no room for him in the paint. If you pair Dirk with a very good low post player he will have a chance at a le but as it stands now and has stood for the last 10 years or so, the mavs offense goes threw Dirk who plays exclusively on the perimeter.

Right. Pau needed Kobe and Dirk needs a big man. Not one style is better than the other. With great perimeter players you need inside players and vice versa.

[O.J Mayo]

Pau Gasol.

Pau Gasol is the MVP of the Lakers. If Dirk was on the Lakers, he might not even be the 1st option.

[DAF86]

I get what you are trying to say but a top 5 current player and top 10 all-time player is not EVER easily replaceable ...

Lebron, Wade, Durant are all players that could replace Kobe in the Lakers and perform at least at a similar level to Bryant (if not better).

Tell me what other player in the league could do what Pau does in the lakers as good as him? Maybe Duncan but I don't think Tim would fit the triangle like Pau does.

[mavsfan1000]

Pau Gasol.

Pau Gasol is the MVP of the Lakers. If Dirk was on the Lakers, he might not even be the 1st option.

Uh no. Kobe is.

[O.J Mayo]

Uh no. Kobe is.

Prove it with evidence.

[mavsfan1000]

Prove it with evidence.

It's early in the season but Kobe was lighting it up in last years playoffs. Especially against the Suns. The amount of pressure a player has to defend him with allows for Gasol to not be guarded as well as how he was guarded in Memphis.

[Jelloisjigglin]

Prove it with evidence.

Evidence? Kobe has led the Lakers in all statistical categories outside of rebounds the last two years. He was also the finals MVP the last two years. I know you hate Kobe but he's still the unquestioned leader.

[21_Blessings]

Lebron, Wade, Durant are all players that could replace Kobe in the Lakers and perform at least at a similar level to Bryant (if not better).

Tell me what other player in the league could do what Pau does in the lakers as good as him? Maybe Duncan but I don't think Tim would fit the triangle like Pau does.

Based on your logic, none of those players could run the triangle or defend as well as Kobe.

Dumb ing Spur fans. Desperately pretending their team/Timmy is still relevant.

[rascalpascal09]

Based on your logic, none of those players could run the triangle or defend as well as Kobe.

Dumb ing Spur fans. Desperately pretending their team/Timmy is still relevant.

From my understanding, I heard you were a got

[O.J Mayo]

It's early in the season but Kobe was lighting it up in last years playoffs. Especially against the Suns. The amount of pressure a player has to defend him with allows for Gasol to not be guarded as well as how he was guarded in Memphis.

That's bull . It could be said that Gasol allows Kobe to focus more on scoring instead on playmaking and his FG% still remains the same when it should increase.

[DAF86]

Based on your logic, none of those players could run the triangle or defend as well as Kobe.

Dumb ing Spur fans. Desperately pretending their team/Timmy is still relevant.

Any of those three could run the triangle and defend as well as Kobe does. I'm talking about skillsets, those three guys have the talent and skills to perform like Kobe in the triangle, there isn't a bigmen in the league with the talent and/or skills to perform like Gasol under this system.

[LkrFan]

David Lee had 118 double doubles the last two years - 2nd only to D12 in that span. His stat line tonight against Pau:

0-3 FG
5 TOs
3 rebs
+/- = -26

Meanwhile, the best big man in the game:
10/19 - 26 pts
12 rebs
4 asts
2 blocks
+/- = +33
35 minutes of work

Another day at the office. _irk couldn't do damage like that on both sides of the ball.

[dirk4mvp]

I wonder if LkrFan realizes she is close to the bottom on the totem pole of ty laker fans on ST?