The All-Choke Team

[SCdac]

Oh you the game he scored 33 points in? Dirk did about everything he could do in that game, but he couldn't make up for the rest of his team missing open shots, Kidd not being able to guard Parker, or Carsile's shitty coaching.

yeah... and not a single one of them was scored in the paint... that's my point.

It's not how much you score, it's how you are scoring.

I didn't even get into the questionable fouls that Dirk committed in the first half (especially the one on Hill), in essence taking himself out of the game.

[DStebb716]

Lmao, always gonna be those LeBron "choke" people out there. His entire team plays like sh*t in the playoffs, he can't do anything about that. I will say that this passed year against the Celts he just flat out gave up.

[Calabis]

All it takes is one bad performance to go from hero to goat (not the good one).

Can't say that...because many greats would be on that list

[Tide]

Why does it matter where they are scored that doesn't have to do with anything he shot a high percentage too. Dirk didn't have anything to do with that loss there are two people you can blame Carsile and Kidd.

[TMacsOneGoodEye]

Dirk is labeled a choker by missing that FT in the finals that could have put them up 3-0 in the finals (he was a 90% FT shooter!). He allowed his team to lose the next 4 games and the series. Then the next year winning 67 games, MVP, then shooting something like 38% and losing in the first round to an 8 seed.

Dirk is pretty much the definition of a choker. Whens somoene who normally does something great (FT's, great regular seasons) fails to do it on the big stage, that's choking.

[Calabis]

Dirk is labeled a choker by missing that FT in the finals that could have put them up 3-0 in the finals (he was a 90% FT shooter!). He allowed his team to lose the next 4 games and the series. Then the next year winning 67 games, MVP, then shooting something like 38% and losing in the first round to an 8 seed.

Dirk is pretty much the definition of a choker. Whens somoene who normally does something great (FT's, great regular seasons) fails to do it on the big stage, that's choking.

I agree with this

[G-Funk]

Lebron, "His team" was the Favorite to win for 2 straight years with HOA and found a way to lose

[SCdac]

Why does it matter where they are scored that doesn't have to do with anything he shot a high percentage too. Dirk didn't have anything to do with that loss there are two people you can blame Carsile and Kidd.

Riiiight.

And it does matter where he's scoring from... didn't you read where I said he had a perfect opportunity to come close to equalizing the score in the 4th quarter, but he decided to take a weak jump shot instead?.... driving to the basket, getting layups and dunks, staying aggressive, using your low post game against shorter players.... that is good basketball for someone of his size and talent.... I admit he's gotten alot better at it, but some times he looks allergic to doing those things.... and that is borderline choking if you ask me... (granted he didn't cost them the series entirely, but I felt he cost them that game more so than others).

[G-Funk]

Lmao, always gonna be those LeBron "choke" people out there. His entire team plays like sh*t in the playoffs, he can't do anything about that. I will say that this passed year against the Celts he just flat out gave up.

He gave his team confidence when he was dancing and doing all that shh during the season but when things got tight during the playoffs and they seen him stop doing all that, they couldn't win like that. They lost all confidence, they had to be having fun. And they were put in a unfamiliar situation

[broy]

Kevin Durant.

[TMacsOneGoodEye]

Why does it matter where they are scored that doesn't have to do with anything he shot a high percentage too. Dirk didn't have anything to do with that loss there are two people you can blame Carsile and Kidd.

I disagree here. I think Dirk is the main reason why his team struggled. That team should have beat those Spurs. They were more talented, deeper, had more momentum. They should have won.

It's difficult being a Dirk teammate because Dirk is so one-dimensional that it forces his teammates to pick up the slack for his shortcomings. Whereas other franchise players bring more than just jumpshooting, that is all that Dirk brings. Granted, he's phenomenal at that one dimension, but it makes things a lot harder on his teammates who have to play a lot harder in the post-season to make up for Dirk's lack of defense, passing, leadership and rebounding depending on if he's hanging out on the perimeter. These are issues other franchise players don't force upon their teammates since they usually bring scoring, but also some semblance of passing, rebounding, defense and leadership.

Dirk is in a tough spot where he's a franchise scorer, but not a franchise player. It's something that I don't think we've ever seen in the NBA. He's ALMOST good enough to get it done as the man of his own team, but his lack of mental toughness really prevents him from getting over that hump and coupled with his lack of diversity, it's a recipe that sometimes ends in disaster as we saw in the finals in 06 and the GS series in 07.

[PistolPete]

Where's Iverson??

[G-Funk]

BTW I luv Dwight but he did miss some FT's in a very crucial game during the Finals.

[creepingdeath]

Riiiight.

And it does matter where he's scoring from... didn't you read where I said he had a perfect opportunity to come close to equalizing the score in the 4th quarter, but he decided to take a weak jump shot instead?.... driving to the basket, getting layups and dunks, staying aggressive, using your low post game against shorter players.... that is good basketball for someone of his size and talent.... I admit he's gotten alot better at it, but some times he looks allergic to doing those things.... and that is borderline choking if you ask me... (granted he didn't cost them the series entirely, but I felt he cost them that game more so than others).

I'm sorry, but Dirk (and Beauboius) were the reason the Mavs overcame a 20+ pts deficit, Dirk scoring even scoring a clutch 3pointer that gave them the first lead of the game. But then came along Rick Carlisle, moment killer. You're right, Dirk should've driven to the basket stronger, and I was very angry at him for not doing it (especially coz he's got GREAT post moves) but that one moment doesn't mean at all that he choked. Concerning those fouls in the first half: That was pure frustration and absolutely comprehensible, because the rest of the team has been playing like sh!t, especially someone like Jason Kidd, who is supposed to be a leader and a go-to-guy, too.

Granted, Dirk did choke several times against Miami and the Warriors. But even great players have such moments. Often the difference is that a good team is supposed to step into the breach for its superstar the way that he usually does it the other way around.

And if hitting gamewinners doesn't somehow translate into clutchness, then why don't other players have a similar or better ratio than Dirk? And hasn't Dirk been in the top 3 4th quarter players the last 5 years? His choker label derives from the Miami and the Golden State series, which is totally understandable, but it's not fair towards Dirk that he's still being called a choker when the last few playoff series losses have not been his fault at all.

[broy]

BTW I luv Dwight but he did miss some FT's in a very crucial game during the Finals.

he always misses.