How Impressive was Dirk's season last year?

[russwest0]

Averaged 22/6/3 on 50/40/90. 32 minutes per game. Age 35. Took the Spurs to 7 games.

[ImKobe]

A good individual year, wasted on a medicore team.

[masonanddixon]

One of his most efficient seasons. Mavs outplayed Spurs all series but lost due to combination of refs and slow starts.

[ImKobe]

One of his most efficient seasons. Mavs outplayed Spurs all series but lost due to combination of refs and slow starts.

Mavs choked Game 1 down the stretch, refs had nothing to do with it. Dirk, Monta & Marion combined for 12/39 shooting in that game and it was tied going into the 4th and they only lost by 5 . They play average and Mavs possibly win the series in 6.

[masonanddixon]

Mavs choked Game 1 down the stretch, refs had nothing to do with it. Dirk, Monta & Marion combined for 12/39 shooting in that game and it was tied going into the 4th and they only lost by 5 . They play average and Mavs possibly win the series in 6.

yeah at the end of Game 1 the Spurs played incredible defense.

It's more the calls at end of game 4 with the Blair ejection and game 7 calls

[russwest0]

yeah at the end of Game 1 the Spurs played incredible defense.

It's more the calls at end of game 4 with the Blair ejection and game 7 calls

Yep.

[eklip]

The only problem with Dirk is that he can't play 40 minutes per game like other stars, so his overall numbers aren't that high.

Per minute/per possession he was incredible, especially in terms of shooting. He scored more points per 100 possessions than Blake, Curry, Aldridge, ... .
Only Durant, Lebron, Carmelo, Cousins, Westbrook and Love scored more points per possession (20ppg scorer) and of these 6 only Lebron and Durant had better efficiency (TS%).

"Dirk Nowitzki averaged 1.11 points per play last season, tied with LeBron James for the league lead among the 89 players with at least 1,000 plays."
-- ESPN Stats & Information

Sadly, most people don't care about efficiency. That's why most people rank Aldridge above Dirk.

Basketball-Reference Link

[masonanddixon]

The only problem with Dirk is that he can't play 40 minutes per game like other stars, so his overall numbers aren't that high.

Per minute/per possession he was incredible, especially in terms of shooting. He scored more points per 100 possessions than Blake, Curry, Aldridge, ... .
Only Durant, Lebron, Carmelo, Cousins, Westbrook and Love scored more points per possession (20ppg scorer) and of these 6 only Lebron and Durant had better efficiency (TS%).

"Dirk Nowitzki averaged 1.11 points per play last season, tied with LeBron James for the league lead among the 89 players with at least 1,000 plays."
-- ESPN Stats & Information

Sadly, most people don't care about efficiency. That's why most people rank Aldridge above Dirk.

Basketball-Reference Link

Yeah nobody who knows basketball thinks Aldridge was better. No one else in the league could've done what Dirk did with that Mavs team. I think it's because Aldridge is younger and Dirk doesn't care for the spotlight, but anyone who knows basketball knows Dirk is still easily top 5-8 in the league.

[Lebronxrings]

like i said, probably THE greatest pf of all time. Consistent producer at that age, extremely efficient, deadly from anywhere on the floor, had the greatest playoff run in 2011, etc.

[StephHamann]

Yeah nobody who knows basketball thinks Aldridge was better. No one else in the league could've done what Dirk did with that Mavs team. I think it's because Aldridge is younger and Dirk doesn't care for the spotlight, but anyone who knows basketball knows Dirk is still easily top 5-8 in the league.

Just look how awful Dirk's 2011 teammates turned out.

Terry was straight garbage in Boston, Kidd was done in NY, Butler can't stay on a team, Barrea with another "Superstar PF" in Love is useless, Stephenson out of the league etc.

the only one that was still good is Tyson who won DPOY in 2012

[masonanddixon]

Just look how awful Dirk's 2011 teammates turned out.

Terry was straight garbage in Boston, Kidd was done in NY, Butler can't stay on a team, Barrea with another "Superstar PF" in Love is useless, Stephenson out of the league etc.

the only one that was still good is Tyson who won DPOY in 2012

Yeah it's incredible really. I get a chuckle reading these espn nba rankings. As if anyone, ANYONE, would choose the likes of a Damian Lillard over Dirk. Get the hell out of here, ESPN.

[ArbitraryWater]

The only problem with Dirk is that he can't play 40 minutes per game like other stars, so his overall numbers aren't that high.

Per minute/per possession he was incredible, especially in terms of shooting. He scored more points per 100 possessions than Blake, Curry, Aldridge, ... .
Only Durant, Lebron, Carmelo, Cousins, Westbrook and Love scored more points per possession (20ppg scorer) and of these 6 only Lebron and Durant had better efficiency (TS%).

"Dirk Nowitzki averaged 1.11 points per play last season, tied with LeBron James for the league lead among the 89 players with at least 1,000 plays."
-- ESPN Stats & Information

Sadly, most people don't care about efficiency. That's why most people rank Aldridge above Dirk.

Basketball-Reference Link

Ranked Dirk Top SEVEN last year...

Only would put LeBron/Durant/Griffin/Howard/Paul/Westbrook ahead of him... No one else.

[Taller than CP3]

Just look how awful Dirk's 2011 teammates turned out.

Terry was straight garbage in Boston, Kidd was done in NY, Butler can't stay on a team, Barrea with another "Superstar PF" in Love is useless, Stephenson out of the league etc.

the only one that was still good is Tyson who won DPOY in 2012

Tim Duncan certainly wouldn't have won with that team.

Give me Dirk over Timmy

[T_L_P]

yeah at the end of Game 1 the Spurs played incredible defense.

It's more the calls at end of game 4 with the Blair ejection and game 7 calls

So Terry's suspension was unfounded?

[SCdac]

Underwhelming in the playoffs. Got bodied by Tiago and Diaw under single covererage. Good regular season though. Still a great shooter but not quick/athletic as used to be or a defensive cog for the Mavs.