Who Do You Like to Guard Dirk?

[GSH]

I don't know why anyone even took the bait on this one. In the first two games this year, Nitwitzki averaged 16 ppg...lower than against any other opponent. Somebody is sure as defending him.

But if that's not good enough, there's a 2-step approach to stopping Dirk that's guaranteed. Just tell him the following:

1. This is a very important game, and everyone is watching
2. Don Nelson called Popovich last night and gave him the secret to making Nitwitzki look stupid

Then step back and watch the fun. Just be sure not to give the zebras any excuse to perform an on-court Heimlich maneiver by putting him on the line 25 times.

[whottt]

Not that you had any credibilty to begin but that statement gave me insurance that you are an idiot. Duncan was incredible that year. Much more mobile than he is now.

Duncan wasn't that mobile then and he's not that immobile now....

He lost his jumping ability long before the 2003 season...

The injury that changed him was in 2000.


He's a better leader now...he's a better shooter now, he's a smarter and more experienced player now...He hasn't relied on physical ability since 2000 dude...

[mavsfan1000]

Of all the random arguing going on in this thread, I think Whott nailed it:

Dallas beat SA in 2006 because they ran iso-plays. They'd use a screen or two to get a mismatch, but iso was their key ingredient. The Spurs' D thrives against passing-oriented offenses. AJ knows this best, so all he did was isolate his best weapons 1-on-1.

Now the Mavs' easiest points come when they get out faster on transition with Kidd looking to create an easy bucket for Dirk or Dampier or whoever else. Believe me, the Spurs play best against that type of offense (see Phoenix). Kidd + scoring weapons is like Nash + scoring weapons, except:
a) Nash is a better shooter so you cant sag off of him. With Kidd the Spurs are going to dare him to beat them. They're going to stay home on Terry and Stack and give Kidd the look.
b) Amare is way more athletic inside than any Mavs finisher (Dampier, Dirk, Howard). You're not getting any easy points inside.

If Avery goes for the iso stuff they're still going to leave Kidd alone and bring help from the weak side. Should be good stuff, especially since the Spurs seemed to have picked up their D in the last few games.

Dallas will no doubt rebound well, but that won't be enough.

If Phoenix was able to match San Antonio with their rebounding than Phoenix would've won. That fact is San Antonio dominated the boards and therefore won the series. The games were close but the rebounds made the difference.

[T Park]

Not that you had any credibilty to begin but that statement gave me insurance that you are an idiot. Duncan was incredible that year. Much more mobile than he is now.

More mobile, but not as good as he is now.

Once again, Mavs fan shows his ignorance.

[mavsfan1000]

Duncan wasn't that mobile then and he's not that immobile now....

He lost his jumping ability long before the 2003 season...

The injury that changed him was in 2000.


He's a better leader now...he's a better shooter now, he's a smarter and more experienced player now...He hasn't relied on physical ability since 2000 dude...

Well if that's the case, Dampier has a good chance against Duncan tonight. I don't believe that. Duncan had some great years from 2001-2005. 2006 he didn't play well until the playoffs and last year he wasn't quite same despite being healthy as of years past. This year the same story.

[whottt]

Tim Duncan then

39 MPG
23 PPG
13 RPG
3 BPG

Tim Duncan now
34 MPG
20 PPG
11 RPG
2 BPG


They don't call him groundhog day for nothing...the only thing that's truly less now is his minutes and the fact that he doesn't get as many touches in the fourth as he used too...and he's a got a better team now.

[td4mvp21]

If Phoenix was able to match San Antonio with their rebounding than Phoenix would've won. That fact is San Antonio dominated the boards and therefore won the series. The games were close but the rebounds made the difference.

False. They outrebounded us in 2 games that series, the rebounding was equal in 1 game, and they were within 1 rebound in 1 game.

[T Park]

Gauranteed tonight, there is gonna be a huge helpin of 4 down, with Dampier the only big man worth a crap on the roster.

[mavsfan1000]

False. They outrebounded us in 2 games that series, the rebounding was equal in 1 game, and they were within 1 rebound in 1 game.

Still advantage spurs and game 5 was the killer for the suns when they got Amare and Diaw suspended. Could've been a different story. Should be a good game tonight but you are definitely underestimating the damage Kidd could do to the spurs. Dallas has the isolation players still and Kidd will allow some fastbreak points if San Antonio does some screw ups.

[td4mvp21]

Well if that's the case, Dampier has a good chance against Duncan tonight. I don't believe that. Duncan had some great years from 2001-2005. 2006 he didn't play well until the playoffs and last year he wasn't quite same despite being healthy as of years past. This year the same story.

What the are you talking about? Quit talking out of your ass. Duncan looked fine last season, last playoffs, and he looks great this season.

[td4mvp21]

Still advantage spurs and game 5 was the killer for the suns when they got Amare and Diaw suspended. Could've been a different story. Should be a good game tonight but you are definitely underestimating the damage Kidd could do to the spurs. Dallas has the isolation players still and Kidd will allow some fastbreak points if San Antonio does some screw ups.

We won because we were the better team.

[GSH]

Well if that's the case, Dampier has a good chance against Duncan tonight. I don't believe that. Duncan had some great years from 2001-2005. 2006 he didn't play well until the playoffs and last year he wasn't quite same despite being healthy as of years past. This year the same story.

From last year:

"If I get (the MVP), that's great, obviously," Nowitzki said. "In 20 years, looking back on my career, it would be wonderful to say that I was MVP one year. But that's not really something right now I'm thinking about. Right now, we're so close to winning a championship, that's really the only thing on my mind."

If Nowitzki wants some good news, 10 of the 11 teams to have won 65 or more games won the crown, with it happening eight of the nine times the MVP came off such a team.

Does that ring any bells? Can you say first round? Number eight seed? Seriously, I would think you Mavs trolls would tone it down a bit after watching your team suffer the most spectacular meltdown in the history of the sport. Duncan didn't play good until the playoffs? o.... that beats the out of the other way around.

Nobody gives a who is going to guard Dirk, or how many games the Mavs win in the regular season. Win a ring. Then come back and we'll talk.

[whottt]

I hate to break this to you Mavfan...but there's a bigger dropff in some of Dirk's numbers between now and 2 years ago than there are between Duncan's now and 5 years ago.

[td4mvp21]

From last year:

"If I get (the MVP), that's great, obviously," Nowitzki said. "In 20 years, looking back on my career, it would be wonderful to say that I was MVP one year. But that's not really something right now I'm thinking about. Right now, we're so close to winning a championship, that's really the only thing on my mind."

If Nowitzki wants some good news, 10 of the 11 teams to have won 65 or more games won the crown, with it happening eight of the nine times the MVP came off such a team.

Does that ring any bells? Can you say first round? Number eight seed? Seriously, I would think you Mavs trolls would tone it down a bit after watching your team suffer the most spectacular meltdown in the history of the sport.

Nobody gives a who is going to guard Dirk, or how many games the Mavs win in the regular season. Win a ring. Then come back and we'll talk.

I don't think any of them are trolling. And we are talking about tonight's matchup, I don't think championships have anything to do with it

[duncan228]

Duncan is playing great this season, especially lately as he begins to turn it up for the stretch run.

He played with plantar facciitis in '05-'06, his numbers went down.
Even hurt he was incredible in the Mavs series.

Last year he was fine.

[GSH]

I don't think any of them are trolling. And we are talking about tonight's matchup, I don't think championships have anything to do with it

No?
"Earth to Spurs homers...NO ONE on the Spurs can guard Dirk...just pray you can contain him" and the comment about Tim not playing good until the playoffs? Looks a little like trolling to me. But it's not just this thread.

My point was just that the regular season doesn't bring home the hardware. And being "unstoppable" during the regular season might have gotten Nowitzki a trophy, but not the one he wanted.

[dirk4mvp]

No?
"Earth to Spurs homers...NO ONE on the Spurs can guard Dirk...just pray you can contain him"

That's not trolling. That's just a true statement.

[Sense]

even TP can guard him

[td4mvp21]

No?
"Earth to Spurs homers...NO ONE on the Spurs can guard Dirk...just pray you can contain him"

It's hard to guard Dirk. The Spurs defend him well, but he scores anyway. Kind of like with Duncan.

and the comment about Tim not playing good until the playoffs? Looks a little like trolling to me. But it's not just this thread.

That was stupidity, not trolling.

[ChumpDumper]

even TP can guard him

Nothing makes me laugh harder than Dirk's shooting fadeaway 18-footers over a guy a foot shorter.

[GSH]

Well if that's the case, Dampier has a good chance against Duncan tonight. I don't believe that. Duncan had some great years from 2001-2005. 2006 he didn't play well until the playoffs and last year he wasn't quite same despite being healthy as of years past. This year the same story.

One more thing - the idiots who want to talk about the drop in Duncan's numbers without mentioning the decrease in his minutes. I guess it never occurs to any of you that there is a reason Tim has enough gas in the tank to step things up during the playoffs.

Time takes a toll on every player, and Tim doesn't have the lift he had coming out of Wake. But the numbers have dropped pretty much in proportion to his minutes. And I think even some Spurs fans haven't noticed that includes his turnovers and fouls too. That's right... his turnovers and fouls have dropped in proportion to everything else. That's not a factor of age, it's a factor of minutes.

[K-State Spur]

Anybody other than Bowen.

Bruce makes Dirk work, but Dirk still manages to get his.

However, Bruce is capable of putting the clamps on Howard.

[Allanon]

The truth of the matter is Dirk will get his, Duncan will get his and Manu will get his.

Those are the certainties, you can pencil them in.

The questions will be Jet, TP, Howard and whether or not Kidd will be effective.

[K-State Spur]

One more thing - the idiots who want to talk about the drop in Duncan's numbers without mentioning the decrease in his minutes. I guess it never occurs to any of you that there is a reason Tim has enough gas in the tank to step things up during the playoffs.

Time takes a toll on every player, and Tim doesn't have the lift he had coming out of Wake. But the numbers have dropped pretty much in proportion to his minutes. And I think even some Spurs fans haven't noticed that includes his turnovers and fouls too. That's right... his turnovers and fouls have dropped in proportion to everything else. That's not a factor of age, it's a factor of minutes.

Good point. I'm not a huge believer in PER, but that is based more on per minute numbers, and his PER still puts him as one of the best players in the game. It has not dropped much with his age.

I really can't think of a better all-around true low post player anywhere else in the game.

[Sense]

Nothing makes me laugh harder than Dirk's shooting fadeaway 18-footers over a guy a foot shorter.

I've paid alot of attention to it.. haha and he actually misses alot of those. I do actually believe TP can guard him..