Is Dirk Nowitzki a Top 5 NBA player?

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Pro Sports ▸ Is Dirk Nowitzki a Top 5 NBA player?
lhslep134's avatar

lhslep134

why so serious?

9,774 posts
May 18, 2011 6:59 AM
Simple question, not simple answer.

We argued for an hour yesterday after the game if he was or not.


Discuss
May 18, 2011 6:59am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
May 18, 2011 7:07 AM
Today? Possibly
All time? No
May 18, 2011 7:07am
lhslep134's avatar

lhslep134

why so serious?

9,774 posts
May 18, 2011 7:39 AM
To clarify:

I'm not talking about all time, I'm not talking about player you would build your team for the next 10 years around.

The question is:

In 2010-2011, is Dirk Nowitzki one of the 5 best players in the NBA?
May 18, 2011 7:39am
riders1's avatar

riders1

Yankees,Riders,Bengals

2,275 posts
May 18, 2011 7:59 AM
Maybe top 10, but not top 5 for this season.
May 18, 2011 7:59am
thedynasty1998's avatar

thedynasty1998

Senior Member

6,844 posts
May 18, 2011 8:05 AM
Very good question. I've always respected his game but never truly thought of him as elite. After watching him and Wade this postseason I am torn between those two. Wade plays defense but Dirk seems to be more efficient.

I personally think Lebron is the only player clearly better than Dirk. You could Dirk above guys like Howard, Wade, Kobe, Durant and Amare and make a really good argument.
May 18, 2011 8:05am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
May 18, 2011 8:25 AM
lhslep134;772580 wrote:To clarify:

I'm not talking about all time, I'm not talking about player you would build your team for the next 10 years around.

The question is:

In 2010-2011, is Dirk Nowitzki one of the 5 best players in the NBA?

I don't think he has 10 years left in him, so no.
May 18, 2011 8:25am
sleeper's avatar

sleeper

Legend

27,879 posts
May 18, 2011 8:28 AM
Right now there isn't a player playing better than Dirk. I'd say he is.

Lebron
Wade
Durant
Howard
Dirk
May 18, 2011 8:28am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
May 18, 2011 8:29 AM
sleeper;772607 wrote:Right now there isn't a player playing better than Dirk. I'd say he is.

Lebron
Wade
Durant
Howard
Dirk

Kobe?
May 18, 2011 8:29am
sleeper's avatar

sleeper

Legend

27,879 posts
May 18, 2011 8:30 AM
ernest_t_bass;772608 wrote:Kobe?

Washed up.
May 18, 2011 8:30am
D

devil1197

Senior Member

6,220 posts
May 18, 2011 8:30 AM
sleeper;772607 wrote:Right now there isn't a player playing better than Dirk. I'd say he is.

Lebron
Wade
Durant
Howard
Dirk
lolz at no NBA MVP Derrick Rose.

He is playing better than the two Heat players on that list right now.
May 18, 2011 8:30am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
May 18, 2011 8:31 AM
Lebron
Durant
Rose
Bryant
Howard
----
Wade
Dirk
Morrison
May 18, 2011 8:31am
sleeper's avatar

sleeper

Legend

27,879 posts
May 18, 2011 8:32 AM
devil1197;772610 wrote:lolz at no NBA MVP Derrick Rose.

He is playing better than the two Heat players on that list right now.

Really a top 5 list should look like

Lebron
Wade
Durant
Howard/Dirk/Rose/Melo/Amare/CP3/etc...
May 18, 2011 8:32am
lhslep134's avatar

lhslep134

why so serious?

9,774 posts
May 18, 2011 8:55 AM
ernest_t_bass;772605 wrote:I don't think he has 10 years left in him, so no.

I know it's early and you may be drunk ;) but I said this is not about the next 10 years, only this one.
May 18, 2011 8:55am
lhslep134's avatar

lhslep134

why so serious?

9,774 posts
May 18, 2011 8:59 AM
I agree that it should read (in no order)

Lebron
Wade
Durant
Rose

But in that 5th spot, I just can't justify Howard going there (until he actually becomes a consistent force on offense). I think the spot is between Kobe, Dirk, and CP3, and in a matter of preference I take Dirk there. Ugh it's tough to say that because Kobe is still unfreakingbelievable.

The counter arguments my friend used to say no was that if he's so good why can't he get to Western Finals every year but he doesn't realize that in the West you can't depend on just one player to get you that far like you can in the East.

Up until this year, Dirk had to do both offense and defense in the post in the playoffs and it negatively affected his offense. This year, Tyson Chandler is a defensive stalwart down low and allows Dirk to focus pretty much exclusively on offense and we can see exactly how unstoppable he is.

It's a great debate.
May 18, 2011 8:59am
ernest_t_bass's avatar

ernest_t_bass

12th Son of the Lama

24,984 posts
May 18, 2011 9:07 AM
lhslep134;772626 wrote:I know it's early and you may be drunk ;) but I said this is not about the next 10 years, only this one.

May 18, 2011 9:07am
Hb31187's avatar

Hb31187

Senior Member

8,534 posts
May 18, 2011 9:14 AM
No, hes not far off the top 5 though
May 18, 2011 9:14am
Skyhook79's avatar

Skyhook79

Senior Member

5,739 posts
May 18, 2011 9:20 AM
devil1197;772610 wrote:lolz at no NBA MVP Derrick Rose.

He is playing better than the two Heat players on that list right now.

Don't forget who we are dealing with here. sleeper, the guy who said Bill Russell and Magic Johnson were not all time great players because they didn't win rookie of the year.

To me Dirk is still the guy who lost 4 in a row in the Finals and got knocked out by an 8 seed the year he was the MVP.

Nobody mentioned Dirk in any top list until this year, because the Mavs have won a couple of series now Dirk is all of a sudden Jordan.
May 18, 2011 9:20am
hoops23's avatar

hoops23

Senior Member

15,696 posts
May 18, 2011 9:36 AM
I put it this way..

Is he a top 5 player consistently? No.

Is he a top 5 player when he's on his game like last night? No question.

To me, he just isn't consistent enough to be labeled a top 5 player in the NBA..
May 18, 2011 9:36am
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

GOAT

29,506 posts
May 18, 2011 11:25 AM
Yes. Most offensively skilled big man Ive ever seen (with possible exception to The Dream). Though, I love Dirk, and have been saying he is the most underrated player of all time, so Im probably biased in this thinking.
May 18, 2011 11:25am
Skyhook79's avatar

Skyhook79

Senior Member

5,739 posts
May 18, 2011 12:51 PM
ppm... another useless stat.
May 18, 2011 12:51pm
Ty Webb's avatar

Ty Webb

Senior Member

2,798 posts
May 18, 2011 1:11 PM
Lebron
Kobe
Rose
Wade
Durant
Melo
A'mare
Dwight

I might put him right behind those guys
May 18, 2011 1:11pm
Scarlet_Buckeye's avatar

Scarlet_Buckeye

Senior Member

5,264 posts
May 18, 2011 1:16 PM
Dirk Nowitzki has played 12 seasons... he's made it to exactly ONE NBA Finals. This isn't even mentioning the number of early exits Dallas has had while Dirk has been it's main star-player. No... Dirk is NOT a Top 5 NBA player.
May 18, 2011 1:16pm
lhslep134's avatar

lhslep134

why so serious?

9,774 posts
May 18, 2011 1:31 PM
Scarlet_Buckeye;772971 wrote:Dirk Nowitzki has played 12 seasons... he's made it to exactly ONE NBA Finals. This isn't even mentioning the number of early exits Dallas has had while Dirk has been it's main star-player. No... Dirk is NOT a Top 5 NBA player.

Lebron's played 8 seasons in a SIGNIFICANTLY easier conference and has only made 1 (maybe this year 2) finals yet he's considered top 5.

That's a terrible argument for why he's not top 5. In the West, you can't ride 1 player to the finals, the West is too talented.

In the east we saw two teams (Philly 01 and Cavs 07 off the top of my head) that were garbage but had singular transcendental performances to take them to the finals.
May 18, 2011 1:31pm