Dirk, Wade, and Durant as playoff performers.

[Kblaze8855]

Rank them please.

[ArbitraryWater]

Tricky one.

Wade from 2005-2011 was amazing then had a steep drop-off.

KD had great stats from 2011-2016 but aways came up short when it mattered. Had a coupe dreadfu series and his stats seemed "empty" to many. GSW hid that character faw he had, that burden he needed to overcome. And since those 2 gifted rings, its been abe to mask his menta shortcomings.

Dirk consistenty deivered but had a bad rep for a whie due to the 07 series.

Id go:

2005-2011 Wade
Dirk
KD
2012-on Wade

[FultzNationRISE]

Im gonna call Dirk and Wade a tie and put KD slightly behind both.

[John8204]

Yeah this is tough.....

1. Dirk - he made the most seasons in the playoffs with the least amount of help and made it to the finals twice.
2. Durant - three runs with three different teams making the finals with two different ones
3. Wade - great in the shortest window but needed the most help

[StrongLurk]

All pretty close honestly. Can't say either of them are CLEARLY better than the other.

I say.

1a. KD
1b. Dirk
2. Wade

[BigShotBob]

KD's performance in game 3 of the Finals against the Cavs in 2018 was something special to behold.

Dirk's 48 point performance against OKC in the WCF was also something special.

Can't think of a game that Wade played that was as special as those two performances aside from being a free throw merchant in the 2006 Finals.

I'd have to go with KD first even though I love watching tape on Dirk destroy KG and Tim Duncan.

So it'll be...

KD
Dirk

Wade (not enough dominant performances)

[iamgine]

1. Durant
2. Dirk = Wade

[ArbitraryWater]

Yall reay forgot what KD was before he joined his GSW safe space.

[1987_Lakers]

KD really hasn't been that amazing in the playoffs if you take away his Golden State years (and in 2021 with Nets).

But with that said KD still probably takes this.

1. KD
2. Wade (Smaller resume than Dirk, but more dominant stretches)
3. Dirk

[ArbitraryWater]

KD really hasn't been that amazing in the playoffs if you take away his Golden State years (and in 2021 with Nets).

But with that said KD still probably takes this.

1. KD
2. Wade (Smaller resume than Dirk, but more dominant stretches)
3. Dirk


didnt expect that :oldlol:

[Kblaze8855]

KD's performance in game 3 of the Finals against the Cavs in 2018 was something special to behold.

Dirk's 48 point performance against OKC in the WCF was also something special.

Can't think of a game that Wade played that was as special as those two performances aside from being a free throw merchant in the 2006 Finals. .


Dirks performance certainly was special…but fact is he made 12 shots that game and made 24 free throws. Wade made 21 his game. It was 24 attempts vs 25. It’s just easy to blend the antics of a few games into the same memory. Not all those wild shots were the 48 point game.

I had a video on it years ago. He had some nasty fakes and tough leaners and all but he didn’t actually make that many shots.

My favorite was one of the “You can’t defend it any better than that” fallaways over Nick Collison who was all over him but like I said…he wasn’t just raining shots. It feels like he was in memory but he actually made 4 shots and 19 free throws in the second half.

Wades performances in 06 were pretty similarly special.

[Wally450]

1. Wade
2. Durant
3. Dirk

[999Guy]

Wade is better than Durant at basketball. And carries a regular season ability to dominate games into the actual playoffs. Dirk does too but he spent half his prime being lit on fire defensively in the postseason.

Durant’s a mixed bag. But mostly get contained by great defense. Ehhh. Absolutely horrible in the last postseason against Boston. But by the same age Wade was getting into pathetic himself, while Dirk peaked.

Wade
Dirk
Durant

On true ability. Dirk had the best playoff career though IMO. This is a pretty close comp. Much closer than I assumed. They’re actually definitely on the same general level.

[Axe]

Yeah this is tough.....

1. Dirk - he made the most seasons in the playoffs with the least amount of help and made it to the finals twice.
2. Durant - three runs with three different teams making the finals with two different ones
3. Wade - great in the shortest window but needed the most help
What you mentioned about durant is obviously understated. Lmao.

[dankok8]

Dirk is clearly the worst player of the three in their primes. There is more to the game than just scoring the basketball. Wade has to be first.

1. Wade
2. Durant
3. Dirk

[kawhileonard2]

Lebron joined one and lost to the other two with HCA. :oldlol:

[warriorfan]

Lebron joined one and lost to the other two with HCA. :oldlol:

:roll:

[kawhileonard2]

:roll:

:cheers:

[ArbitraryWater]

Lebron joined one and lost to the other two with HCA. :oldlol:

yea that never happened

[ImKobe]

KD
Wade
Dirk

Can't put Dirk above either of those guys with the '06 Finals & '07 choke.

[WhiteKyrie]

1) Wade 2005 - 2013
2) KD
3) Dirk

[ArbitraryWater]

1) Wade 2005 - 2013
2) KD
3) Dirk


2013 Wade was a net negative and had to be benched.

[ArbitraryWater]

KD
Wade
Dirk

Can't put Dirk above either of those guys with the '06 Finals & '07 choke.

KD had an even worse R1 as MVP in 2014, stop it.

Wades 2014 finals are FAR worse than Dirks 06.

Dont be a hypocrite.

[WhiteKyrie]

2013 Wade was a net negative and had to be benched.
He was injured but came up huge in a pivotal game of the Finals on the road vs San Antonio. Once the game was already decided LeBron came in and stat padded. Even if you want to discount 2013, go for it, he was the best two way player and high end clutch performer of the group by far.

KD’s most redeeming post seasons came on utterly insanely stacked already proven championship winners. His best solo endeavor was 2021 with BK with Kyrie and Harden out. That’s it.

That huge collapse in 2016 with GS on the ropes is as unforgivable and almost as embarrassing as Dirk’s 2006 and 2007. Flash never had an embarrassment as bad as those.

KD had a couple other weird disappointing ones getting locked up by Tony Allen or CP3, too.

[ArbitraryWater]

He was injured but came up huge in a pivotal game of the Finals on the road vs San Antonio. Once the game was already decided LeBron came in and stat padded. Even if you want to discount 2013, go for it, he was the best two way player and high end clutch performer of the group by far.

KD’s most redeeming post seasons came on utterly insanely stacked already proven championship winners. His best solo endeavor was 2021 with BK with Kyrie and Harden out. That’s it.

That huge collapse in 2016 with GS on the ropes is as unforgivable and almost as embarrassing as Dirk’s 2006 and 2007. Flash never had an embarrassment as bad as those.

KD had a couple other weird disappointing ones getting locked up by Tony Allen or CP3, too.


"Flash" has a 5-year period of postseason play (05-06, 10-12 -- barely 5 years given that he was star-at-best in 2012). No shit he didnt have much bad in there. His overall stint doesnt come close as a playoff performer. By far the worst accumulative stats.

KDs true low was his 2014 1R choke/series as MVP. Even worse than Dirk 07. Refs and Reggie Jackson saved his legacy.

Then he ran off to GS safe space.

[WhiteKyrie]

Flash during that period was a better player than both. Plain and simple.

I mean he literally outperformed Dirk in his two absolute best seasons (2006 and 2011) so Dirk definitely is third on this list.

[ArbitraryWater]

Flash during that period was a better player than both. Plain and simple.

I mean he literally outperformed Dirk in his two absolute best seasons (2006 and 2011) so Dirk definitely is third on this list.

Thats like saying Kobe is better than Duncan cause the H2H is 4-2.

Or Manning is better than Brady cause hes 3-1 against him in the postseason.

It never makes sense to boil down an argument to 2 isolated series just for your narrative.

Use your brain.

"that period" consists of 4 post-season runs.

If Wades argument is that tiny, you lose.


Wade has 05-06 and 10-11 for superstar play in the postseason.

Hes clearly last if we take them as overall performers.

[ShawkFactory]

Thats like saying Kobe is better than Duncan cause the H2H is 4-2.

Or Manning is better than Brady cause hes 3-1 against him in the postseason.

It never makes sense to boil down an argument to 2 isolated series just for your narrative.

Use your brain.

"that period" consists of 4 post-season runs.

If Wades argument is that tiny, you lose.


Wade has 05-06 and 10-11 for superstar play in the postseason.

Hes clearly last if we take them as overall performers.

It's 3-2 but I see your point.

[Axe]

Lebron joined one and lost to the other two with HCA. :oldlol:
So durant didn't have the hca when he beat him in the finals twice? Dumb.

[Jasper]

KD's performance in game 3 of the Finals against the Cavs in 2018 was something special to behold.

Dirk's 48 point performance against OKC in the WCF was also something special.

Can't think of a game that Wade played that was as special as those two performances aside from being a free throw merchant in the 2006 Finals.

I'd have to go with KD first even though I love watching tape on Dirk destroy KG and Tim Duncan.

So it'll be...

KD
Dirk

Wade (not enough dominant performances)

you got to be kidding me ... he carried his team by him self for 5 years and got the heat in the playoff's.
You must be a youngster/


Wade
Durant
Dirk
/

[Jasper]

So durant didn't have the hca when he beat him in the finals twice? Dumb.

10 4

[BigShotBob]

Dirks performance certainly was special…but fact is he made 12 shots that game and made 24 free throws. Wade made 21 his game. It was 24 attempts vs 25. It’s just easy to blend the antics of a few games into the same memory. Not all those wild shots were the 48 point game.

I had a video on it years ago. He had some nasty fakes and tough leaners and all but he didn’t actually make that many shots.

My favorite was one of the “You can’t defend it any better than that” fallaways over Nick Collison who was all over him but like I said…he wasn’t just raining shots. It feels like he was in memory but he actually made 4 shots and 19 free throws in the second half.

Wades performances in 06 were pretty similarly special.

I remember more so thinking that they couldn't guard him. So it's a mixture of both. They couldn't guard him so they ended up fouling him. They tried Durant, Collison, and Ibaka and they were just too young and inexperienced. Dirk is the same guy that averaged 30 against KG in his prime rather easily. Those kids were out of their depth.

I'd have to rewatch Wade's performances but none of his seem to stick out to me as special during that run where I felt as if he absolutely could not be guarded and was raining shots all over the place.

[Kblaze8855]

They couldn’t guard Wade either…which is why he got fouled so much. They aren’t even arguing these calls. Stackhouse is the only person in that video who even looked the refs way and it was once:


https://youtu.be/MauSmDAkRBc



Also in there is Dirk missing the ft to force overtime, Wade crashing the glass for the rebound and Dirk fouling him on purpose, and Wade later blocking the buzzer beating alley attempt to keep them from going down 0-3. Dirk literally choked at the line as Wade won it for his team on both ends. Wade was a beast that whole era when he was healthy. Memory just ****s with the perception.

[ArbitraryWater]

Dirk was ike 10/11 on those FTs in his career, missed the one. As close of a miss as possible.

[Kblaze8855]

I’m sure it haunts him more than most anything.

That the game he went and kicked the bike or was that later?

He was enraged.

It happens though. Bird once missed 2 right before Doctor J of all people wet a 30 foot three for the game.

[BigShotBob]

They couldn’t guard Wade either…which is why he got fouled so much. They aren’t even arguing these calls. Stackhouse is the only person in that video who even looked the refs way and it was once:


https://youtu.be/MauSmDAkRBc



Also in there is Dirk missing the ft to force overtime, Wade crashing the glass for the rebound and Dirk fouling him on purpose, and Wade later blocking the buzzer beating alley attempt to keep them from going down 0-3. Dirk literally choked at the line as Wade won it for his team on both ends. Wade was a beast that whole era when he was healthy. Memory just ****s with the perception.

There were a lot of free throws in those highlights and limited shot making. More so in the first half than the second half. Not saying he didn't earn those calls per say because he was attacking relentlessly but this isn't a performance I'd say was just a special/brilliant display of offense.

Compare that to this


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nNGk-PVen0&ab_channel=HouseofHighlights

Barely a single free throw in that highlight. Just shot after shot after shot after shot. Now that's special.

[StrongLurk]

There were a lot of free throws in those highlights and limited shot making. More so in the first half than the second half. Not saying he didn't earn those calls per say because he was attacking relentlessly but this isn't a performance I'd say was just a special/brilliant display of offense.

Compare that to this


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nNGk-PVen0&ab_channel=HouseofHighlights

Barely a single free throw in that highlight. Just shot after shot after shot after shot. Now that's special.

Lebron with 40/9/11 on 56% right at the beginning :roll:

[Kblaze8855]

There were a lot of free throws in those highlights and limited shot making. More so in the first half than the second half. Not saying he didn't earn those calls per say because he was attacking relentlessly but this isn't a performance I'd say was just a special/brilliant display of offense.

Compare that to this


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nNGk-PVen0&ab_channel=HouseofHighlights

Barely a single free throw in that highlight. Just shot after shot after shot after shot. Now that's special.


But the game you referenced in the first place…Dirk made more free throws than Wade did in any game of his career. Just a weird game to talk about given the rest of the discussion. I personally think both games were incredible. I’m just saying how the perception can warp overtime. Dirk, in fact, did not make many shots that game. He took a lot of free throws because he…like Wade…was unstoppable within the rules.

[SouBeachTalents]

It's insane anyone could respect KD's Warriors performances, on a team that has literally proven, on multiple occasions, that they didn't even need him to win, more than Wade willing his team to the title, with Antoine Walker as his highest scoring teammate in the Finals, bringing them back from the dead and the brink of a 3-0 deficit, averaging nearly 40 a game over the final 4 games of the series.

[lakers87]

1 Dirk
2 Durant
3 Wade

Wade was a supernova but for a very short period of time.
Dirk has the longevity and with the right pieces around him, elevated his team as #1 option
KD is still TBD. Regardless of how you view his time with the Warriors, he did what he had to and made clutch shots and played the team game that is the Warriors.

I think, history will look at Dirk purely for the 2011 title road where he annihilated almost all the superstars currently at that time.