With Dirks' recent dominance in these playoffs and most notably in the 4th quarter averaging over 10 point in the most important quarter. How can we compare the greatest of today to the great of the past. Bob Cousy, often referred by old timers as a top 25 player in NBA history is 6'1 175 with very limited athletic ability. His career averages are 18.4 pts, 7.5 assists and shooting an abysmal 37.5%. and 80% from the charity stripe, he is an all time great? Steve Nash, a player not considered in the class of cousy, has career averages of 14.6 ppg, 8.5 assists, 43% 3-pt, 90.4% from the line and 50% fg shooting. Nash has done this against the top athletes in the world 6-4 to 6-8 super athletic muscle bound with 40in verticals covering him You cannot put Bob Cousy in Steve Nash's' ballpark and it's not even that close. In 2011 90% of the NBA will school Cousy and he will have no better chance than me or you. It simply is not fair to compare the past greats to the current greats of all time. 40 years ago they did not lift weights, know about protein and carb % intakes and due to black athletes having to overcome much more to make it pro the competition was inferior. If Bill Russell played in today's game against a Shaq in his prime, due to Shaq's size and dominace, I would give Shaq a huge advantage. We can not look at weight lifting and nutrition as a rule of thumb that will improve Russells' physcial staturebecause it cannot be foreseen if he would take advantage or not. You have to judge the greats in the NBA against their competition at the time they played. Jerry West the NBA logo, went to the finals 9 times and won once. One? 1-8 in the finals we would crucify him in these modern days. Cousy dominated his time more than Nash, Nash would destroy Cousy in a game of one on onevb, but in their generation Cousy was more dominate than Nash and that is all that we can go by. Bill Russell was 6'9 235 and would of covered Dirk, Dirk would have posterized Russell every single time and it's not even close.
My top ten (according to their time)
#1 Jordan ( he would be the best player in 2011 hands down)
#2 Magic Johnson (6'9 Point Guard best PG ever)
#3 Kareen Abdoul Jabbar
#4 Larry Bird
#5 Bill Russell ( 10 Championships)
#6 Wilt
#7 Kobe
#8 Hakeem
#9 Shaq
#10 Tim Duncan
Dirk, Lebron and Wade are all players to keep an eye on depending on what happens in the finals. If Dirk carries this Mavs team to a Championship with no Robin to his Batman. He will jump up the list and without question go down as better than Malone and Barkley as the better power forward. Even if he does not win this ring, I believe he has jumped Malone and Barkley as the second best power forward ever behind Duncan and should be considered a top 20 player of all time.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Epic revenge for Dirk
In June of 2006, Nowitzki's legacy was forged with the national media as a soft European that pulled a historic choke-job in the "big one". The Mavericks massive collapse in the 2006 Finals was squarely on those same German shoulders that got the team to the Finals. Never mind Game 7 in San Antonio when they were the best team in the league that Nowitzki had a huge game and hit the the and one to send it to OT. Forget the 50 he dropped on the Suns in the Western Conference Finals in a pivotal Game 5. In both series he was inarguably the MVP and carried a young team with no stars around him to the NBA finals and made them a favorite enjoying a 2-0 lead. 2-0 lead no team losses after being up 2-0. Right?
The MAVs and the entire City of Dallas had a premature celebration after going up 2-0 having home court and being the favored team. News that the City Mayor was already planning a parade route leaked out. A premature celebration by the City that made the Wade-Lebron celebration from Thursday's Game 2 of the Finals series look nothing more than a high-five. Wade and O'Neal took that to heart and used it as inspiration for the whole team posting it on the bulletin board.
In Game 3 of the 2006 finals series the MAVs were rolling and seemingly had the series locked up 3-0 series over.. MAVs blew a 13-point lead with 6 minutes to go, Dirk played decent but not how he needed to play for Dallas to win. Wade completely out super-starred Nowitzki and Wade looked unstoppable. They were then blown out in Game 4, a few questionable calls in the final seconds of Game 5 put the Heat up 3-2 and the MAVs were so devastated. The MAVs thought they had the championship after 2 3/4 games; they were in the fight for their lives. They needed one win at home to force a Game 7, but it never happened. The MAVs lost Game 6, playing from behind the entire game, looking like a team stripped of their confidence and were completely heartbroken.
Nowitzki and the MAVs certainly pulled a big, if not the biggest, choke-job in recent NBA history. The 2007 Playoffs was almost as bad coming in as a heavy favored MAVs #1 seed winning 67 games most since the Bulls won 70 in 96-97. They again choked losing to the eight seed warriors who went on to lose to the Jazz in 5. Three of the last four years they went out in the first round, the year they got out of the first they were out in the 2nd. The MAVs being the oldest team in the league and still only having 1 superstar in his 30s most analyst counted the MAVs out before the year started. The Mavericks became a running joke in the league, good regular season team but can't get it done in the Playoffs. Local fans even questioned Nowitzki, wondering if he could get Dallas to a championship with him as the best player. The Mavericks and Nowitzki were now synonymous as choke artists. Going into the Playoffs this post season all the lower seeds were trying to get the 6th seed to match up with the MAVs, because anyone can beat the lowly MAVs in the Playoffs. Portland won the MAVs sweepstakes and was instantly favored to win the series. After going up 2-0 Dallas lost a close Game 3. They held a 23-point lead late in the 4th Quarter of Game 4 and they did what they are known for. They choked away another game in epic fashion getting outscored by 20 points to lose by 2. Same old Maversicks with same old Dirk? No their convincing win Game 5 at home and come back late in Game 6 to take the series. MAVs got out of the first round but not a single person in the world picked the MAVs over LA except Barkley. If you did you were obviously a homer or delusional. These same MAVs rally from down 16 in Game 1 to steal a win, they proceeded to sweep the two-time defending champions handedly with a convincing blow out by 36 points in a sweep of the infamous Lakers! Game 4 of the Western Conference finals the MAVs trailed OKC by 15 with a tick under 5 minutes to go and had been badly outplayed. Then the MAVs headed by Dirk go on a magical 17-2 run to send the game into overtime and won in OT. Did the MAVs just pull a reverse MAVs? They were on the other side of an epic comeback win. Five years from the debacle in 2006 Dirk and the Mavs match up with the same Heat that embarrassed them and was responsible for the black cloud looming over the franchise and over Dirk ever since. Miami lucked out and landed the biggest free agent of all time in a memorable fashion and from day one were a consensus favorite to come out of the East. With LA being the only team that could beat them in the West. Jokingly I told a friend that Mavs would come home down 0-2 and pull off a miracle comeback in Game 3 like Miami did and we would win 6 games. That would be the ultimate revenge and redemption story for Dirk and Dallas you couldn't write it any better for him I joked.
In Game 2 of the Finals, Miami up 1-0 close to a 2-0 stranglehold on the series, was the team that had the premature celebration and Dallas took it to them with a 22-5 run to win the game by 2. It was Eerily reminiscent of Game 3 in 2006, Miami won that game with a 22-7 run winning by 2. These Mavs and Dirk just Miami'd Miami, the exact same monkey, more like gorilla, Dirk had on his back, has pulled a 180 and was exorcising all the demons that tarnished his legacy. Soft? Not a leader? Can't lead a team down the stretch? Not clutch? Not a closer? We can no longer utter these words about Dirk. This story line couldn't be scripted any better in Hollywood than it has for Dirk and his Mavs. God has given Dirk the ultimate shot of redemption, a chance to rewrite and cement his legacy in NBA history as one of the greats. This whole playoff run is legendary and I can't help but think this is destiny for Dirk. He has been by far the best closer and clutch player in these playoffs, and its not even close. He works too hard and is too great to never win a championship. If this movie plays out how it seems it would in Hollywood, it ends with the MAVs beating the Heat in 6 on the Heats' home floor with Dirk holding the MVP trophy. The opportunity to prove the doubters wrong is finally here for Dirk and the Mavericks, will they seize it? Or will they let the opporutnity slip away like so many doubters believe and thus keeping Dirk to hav ethe same tags attached to his name forever. "Never won a ring." Guess we'll find out in a week and a half.
The MAVs and the entire City of Dallas had a premature celebration after going up 2-0 having home court and being the favored team. News that the City Mayor was already planning a parade route leaked out. A premature celebration by the City that made the Wade-Lebron celebration from Thursday's Game 2 of the Finals series look nothing more than a high-five. Wade and O'Neal took that to heart and used it as inspiration for the whole team posting it on the bulletin board.
In Game 3 of the 2006 finals series the MAVs were rolling and seemingly had the series locked up 3-0 series over.. MAVs blew a 13-point lead with 6 minutes to go, Dirk played decent but not how he needed to play for Dallas to win. Wade completely out super-starred Nowitzki and Wade looked unstoppable. They were then blown out in Game 4, a few questionable calls in the final seconds of Game 5 put the Heat up 3-2 and the MAVs were so devastated. The MAVs thought they had the championship after 2 3/4 games; they were in the fight for their lives. They needed one win at home to force a Game 7, but it never happened. The MAVs lost Game 6, playing from behind the entire game, looking like a team stripped of their confidence and were completely heartbroken.
Nowitzki and the MAVs certainly pulled a big, if not the biggest, choke-job in recent NBA history. The 2007 Playoffs was almost as bad coming in as a heavy favored MAVs #1 seed winning 67 games most since the Bulls won 70 in 96-97. They again choked losing to the eight seed warriors who went on to lose to the Jazz in 5. Three of the last four years they went out in the first round, the year they got out of the first they were out in the 2nd. The MAVs being the oldest team in the league and still only having 1 superstar in his 30s most analyst counted the MAVs out before the year started. The Mavericks became a running joke in the league, good regular season team but can't get it done in the Playoffs. Local fans even questioned Nowitzki, wondering if he could get Dallas to a championship with him as the best player. The Mavericks and Nowitzki were now synonymous as choke artists. Going into the Playoffs this post season all the lower seeds were trying to get the 6th seed to match up with the MAVs, because anyone can beat the lowly MAVs in the Playoffs. Portland won the MAVs sweepstakes and was instantly favored to win the series. After going up 2-0 Dallas lost a close Game 3. They held a 23-point lead late in the 4th Quarter of Game 4 and they did what they are known for. They choked away another game in epic fashion getting outscored by 20 points to lose by 2. Same old Maversicks with same old Dirk? No their convincing win Game 5 at home and come back late in Game 6 to take the series. MAVs got out of the first round but not a single person in the world picked the MAVs over LA except Barkley. If you did you were obviously a homer or delusional. These same MAVs rally from down 16 in Game 1 to steal a win, they proceeded to sweep the two-time defending champions handedly with a convincing blow out by 36 points in a sweep of the infamous Lakers! Game 4 of the Western Conference finals the MAVs trailed OKC by 15 with a tick under 5 minutes to go and had been badly outplayed. Then the MAVs headed by Dirk go on a magical 17-2 run to send the game into overtime and won in OT. Did the MAVs just pull a reverse MAVs? They were on the other side of an epic comeback win. Five years from the debacle in 2006 Dirk and the Mavs match up with the same Heat that embarrassed them and was responsible for the black cloud looming over the franchise and over Dirk ever since. Miami lucked out and landed the biggest free agent of all time in a memorable fashion and from day one were a consensus favorite to come out of the East. With LA being the only team that could beat them in the West. Jokingly I told a friend that Mavs would come home down 0-2 and pull off a miracle comeback in Game 3 like Miami did and we would win 6 games. That would be the ultimate revenge and redemption story for Dirk and Dallas you couldn't write it any better for him I joked.
In Game 2 of the Finals, Miami up 1-0 close to a 2-0 stranglehold on the series, was the team that had the premature celebration and Dallas took it to them with a 22-5 run to win the game by 2. It was Eerily reminiscent of Game 3 in 2006, Miami won that game with a 22-7 run winning by 2. These Mavs and Dirk just Miami'd Miami, the exact same monkey, more like gorilla, Dirk had on his back, has pulled a 180 and was exorcising all the demons that tarnished his legacy. Soft? Not a leader? Can't lead a team down the stretch? Not clutch? Not a closer? We can no longer utter these words about Dirk. This story line couldn't be scripted any better in Hollywood than it has for Dirk and his Mavs. God has given Dirk the ultimate shot of redemption, a chance to rewrite and cement his legacy in NBA history as one of the greats. This whole playoff run is legendary and I can't help but think this is destiny for Dirk. He has been by far the best closer and clutch player in these playoffs, and its not even close. He works too hard and is too great to never win a championship. If this movie plays out how it seems it would in Hollywood, it ends with the MAVs beating the Heat in 6 on the Heats' home floor with Dirk holding the MVP trophy. The opportunity to prove the doubters wrong is finally here for Dirk and the Mavericks, will they seize it? Or will they let the opporutnity slip away like so many doubters believe and thus keeping Dirk to hav ethe same tags attached to his name forever. "Never won a ring." Guess we'll find out in a week and a half.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)