Not to mention the fact that he shot less than several top scorers of his era (0 seasons with +20 FGA/game). He also rarely turned the ball over (8.35 TO ratio for his career). That's why despite being an all-time great scorer, he managed to keep a pretty low usage rate, never ranking in the top 5 and only appearing in the top 10 for three seasons. Watching Dirk play was truly "an honor and a privilege", as Charles Barkley once said. Thanks for the video.
Yup! His impact on team turnovers is a byproduct of the space/gravity/guard synergy. Stackhouse was down 1.1 TOV per 75 with Dirk on the floor, Harris -0.9, Terry -0.6, Finley -0.5.
Speaking of low FGA/game Jokic is developing an offensive bag quite similar to Dirk I’ve been seeing him bust out these shot fakes up and unders for a while now and he’s got the touch like Dirk only he’s like a way better passer… Jokic gonna run this league for years I’m scared
That to ratio sounded absurd, looked it up and its completely false. His to ratio was 1.46 which makes more sense. Still a great ratio for a score first post bigman
@@jojoprocess2820 1.46 was his Assist to Turnover ratio, which was not what I meant. I was referring to his Turnover Ratio, or Turnover pct. or TOV%, which is an advanced metric that estimates the percentage of a player's possessions that end in a turnover. His 8.35 TOV% is the 10th lowest all-time (among qualified).
Ben’s breakdown of Dirk’s offensive arsenal and matchups in the OKC series, might be his best intro to all of his videos. Showed how much IQ Dirk had, not just ability
@@kedrprao That's some oversensitive gatekeeping. Some fans are super weird about just giving credit to the opposing team. Teams aim to outscore as well as shut down the opponent. "If this guy didn't play bad then they would have won." No sh*t. That's sports. LeBron and the Heat were swept in the regular season by Dallas that year too. He didn't get to the Finals and just start playing bad. He didn't choke, he GOT choked. There's a difference. Dallas had been shutting him down prior to the playoffs. He played bad in both of the regular season matchups and even went scoreless in the first half of one of those games. Dallas was 6-2 against the Heat that year in regular season and playoff games. No harm in just saying they were the better team. Even LeBron credits the loss for making him a better player.
Dirk was the player of my childhood that inspired me to learn how to be a better shooter. He is, and probably always will be, my favorite player of all time.
Loyal to a fault. Kobe talks about trying to recruit him to LA and Dirk told him no. In Dirks true nature he ofcoursed thanked him for thinking about him but he wasn't going to leave Dallas. Could you imagine them 2 together. Kobe and Dirk would have been as good as Kobe and Shaq.
@@rlh12345 just watched an episode of shaqs podcast where he said that he tried multiple times to get to Dallas and team up with dirk. That would have been a crazy combo too. Defenses would have been in shambles deciding whether to double Shaq in the paint and giving dirk wide open looks or staying on dirk and giving Shaq all the room he wants to go ham in the paint.
Thanks for making this! One of the reasons his post-ups increased in the mid-2000’s is because of Avery Johnson’s coaching. He challenged Dirk to post up more and take fewer 3’s.
Wrong he posted up less with Avery Johnson he used to get 12 post-ups a game with Don Nelson and 14 drives a game and to jump shots per game with Don Nelson then whenever Avery came Avery only wanted to use him at the elbow for hypo that's it that's it that's all he did after that so their dumbass he was a post up player from day one I he used to post up every single play that was their only play they ran was post up on the low block with Nowitzki either side cuz he was left-handed or right-handed what happened was Avery put them at power Forward rather than small forward and then he could not post up anymore so he started to just do that fade back shot cuz he wasn't strong enough and he lost his athleticism in 06 because he hurt his leg real bad he hurt his knee real bad he had surgery on it okay a lot of people don't know this stuff lot of castles are stupid and they first game they ever saw was 2011
Avery also was responsible for getting Dirk to play better defense. The notion Dirk was a bad defender was false. Avery just got more out of him on that end of the floor.
Dirk even played sf in the early 2000's. Coach doc perfectly explained it. "A power forward that plays like a 2" he's quicker than most bigs that tries to guard him and way bigger than small that tries to guard him. First unicorn in my books. He was fast and agile for a 7 footer
His postseason success means a lot more than other comparable players too. Only 5 all-star appearances by Dirk teammates over a 21 year career. Kobe has Shaq and Gasol, Garnett had Pierce and Allen, Wade had Shaq and LeBron, Duncan had Manu and Parker, etc. The best player Dirk ever played with was either early Nash or Jason Terry. Very short list of players that can pull off his level of sustained team success without fellow co-stars
People also forget that in Minnesota, Garnett was selected to the all-star game with 3 different all-star teammates during that time. As much as that front office screwed up, Garnett had some help yet there were always a lot of excuses why KG got knocked out of the first round 7 years in a row.
Dirk did have some really good players aswell though. Finley is one of the best SG's ever. Nash Those were his 2 best team mates ever then after that it was an older Marion like 31 still a top 35 player in the league then. Tyson was a good center made an all star team and won All NBA with another team cause David Stern would never let players make it on Dallas Lafrentz was ok for a year or so. Peja was key off the bench for a season. Cuban wouldn't pay players to stay.
@@JimBrave-ri1oc Dont forget to give love to JJ and Kidd. Nobody manage to solve the JJ Puzzle as he played around Dirk's gravity and Kidd was mostly directing traffic and a strong presence. Jason Terry was a top 3 pointer at that time and shot the lights out in the 2011 playoffs.
Yeah to echo the sentiments of some fans and players/coaches, Dirk's game was looking towards the future of a big man shooter like KD. Along with a class of guys who would try imitate KD (y'know the lanky 6'10" guy with some wing skills who could shoot). Jokic's game is a remix of the past reincarnated in a 7 footer basketball savant who was pretty good with water polo.
Dirk was the reason I became interested in basketball. Even as a hoops newbie, I could tell no big man shot the ball like he did. Was so happy when the Mavs finally won that championship in 2011.
“Random 1 legger in 2001” is an example of why this channel is so great. You have a real passion for the game and as someone who also has a deep love for it, that passion really serves to enrich your content. Love it man
Dirk's my all-time favorite athlete, not only because he was an MVP who won a title while scoring the 6th most points, but because he was great in unique ways, while also being a great guy and teammate. Every franchise would be lucky to have someone like him that is loyal for 21 years and represents their city well.
Hey Ben, I would love to see you do one on Ray Allen, especially comparing how dominant he was as the lead guy in Milwaukee and Seattle, to becoming more of a spot up shooter in Boston and Miami.
@@EldenRinging Ben could do a shooting mechanics video in the future by itself. But the real highlight as to why guys like Reggie/Steph/Ray for their ability isn't for mechanical stuff like that. Rather their amazing balance to be moving shooters. Because all 3 of those guys perfected the art of being able to move without the ball and be absolutely locked on for catch and shoot situations.
I have diligently watched dirks entire career from a rookie. I watched him play in the world US game and was like if sh8t. Told all my fitness about him said he was gonna be a real problem. They didn’t know what I was talking about. Turns out I was right. Dirk is one of my favorite players all time behind Jordan and Kobe and just before the legendary Jerry west. Dirk was the ultimate matchup problem and he played in I dare to say the deepest PF era in history. Duncan, Garnett, Webber, shred, Abdur-rahim, wells, Z-bo, both gasols. And he gave them all the bussiness.
I think that is a good way to put it. If a team was willing to build the offense around the best midrange assassin, how about the 2nd best which his quality was having one of the highest release points where in terms of verticality, very few can actually block it? Even better is that same shooter would get better shooting amazingly well off balance over time.
I don't think anyone has really done enough Dirk Videos of EACH season. Real Highlight videos that last 15 minutes for each season. I remember in his 4th season so he was rather young still he caught a ball with 2 seconds left before the half and jumped then turned in mid air and made a left handed double clutch jumper from 17 feet out from the left side against the Sixers D. Coleman and a few others like McKey who were both basically fouling him. The Entire Sixers crowd Cheered. There were even words in the audience audibly and of " OH great we sixer Fans have another Larry Bird we have to deal with,"
"Was compared to Larry Bird because of the outside shooting, and possibly the hair..." Ben being gracious and not stating the most common reason for comparison. :)
Him and Rick Carlisle are a match made in heaven. An offensive cannon with access to 2pts almost on command and an offensive magician who can make good offenses without high usage ball handlers for his technician. The Mavs just magic up points
When I was just a basketball infant. I started watching the NBA a and Dirk quickly became my favorite player. Never been a big man mind you. But even childhood self knew that jumper was the most unstoppable shot in the game!! Still one of the most unstoppable shots the game has ever seen.
Dirk is definetly one of the greatest and as you said, I cannot think currently of 3 bigs I'd rather have than him on my team at his peak. P.S: I cannot wait for the Manu episode!
Dirk is in a lot of peoples top 10/15.. he’s severely underrated. If he wouldn’t of lost that 2006 finals he would had 2 rings and no one would question his status.
Great look at my favorite player of all time. I especially appreciate some attention being given to young Dirk's athleticism. It's almost quaint now in the age of guys like KD and Giannis and in light of ludicrous arsenal of mid-range assassination techniques that defined most of his career, but in the early days you could see him just blow by a Garnett or someone and wonder if this could possibly be a real person.
Yes, From 98-05 he would just blow right by everyone would would DRIVE to the basket about 90% of the time. he also was posting up everytime in those 7 years. That was really his best Low Post Years cause he actually played SF most of the time then and SF's were bigger then about 6'9 230 He would just easily throw guys off like Rashard Lewis turn and dunk on them. He could pump fake guys off him then step through to the basket and gain about 10 feet and even end up with a layup or dunk. 20-26 years old Dirk would just blow right by Prime Durant or Prime Giannis. He was Faster than Durant and much Stronger. He was more on the speed of Giannis and Power of Giannis. He also Jumped kind of like Giannis but quick and more agile. Giannis is just out of control all the time and tht is why he is injured every year now. Dirk was quicker and more fleet of foot than Giannis. Also more coodinated. Dirk was also more on the level of prime Malone with Strength and Speed. Also Post moves. He most compares to Prime Young Karl Malone with a lot better ball handling and better long range shooting. Also 7 feet. If just counting Dirk from 99-05 which is 6 seasons. He is the fastest PF Ever and probably the Second best overall PF ever. Only Tim Duncan might of been a little better cause Duncan was somewhat bigger. Duncan is a lot bigger than his listed size in his prime. He was 7 feet 260 with a 7'7 Wingspan and did has a slightly better inside post game. For Inside post games I'd Rank a Prime Young Dirk about 4th. only after Duncan, Barkley, Garnett maybe. He's a tie with Malone in the low post. That is saying lot. His post game is better than Giannis. Better than Maybe even Hayes and Webber. Maybe even up their with McHale.
Great video a true offensive legend. I wonder if Dirk played today would be a center or a power forward? I think Joker proved you can win without a traditional rim protector and a center that can be attacked. All I know is that Dirk would be awesome in every era of basketball.
Great video. One thing I found kind of fascinating, even though it's a side issue that you discussed more in the Nash video, is how the Nash+Dirk pairing (speaking about offense only here, obviously there are defensive weaknesses) wasn't quite the sum of its parts. You'd think that an on-ball dribbling maestro who loved to go downhill to the rim would be a perfect offensive fit with an incredible off-ball shooter who could pull big men out of the paint. But, the offensive on-off numbers you cited, along with what I recall from the Nash video, suggest that putting them together didn't really produce the offensive supernova you might expect, just very good offenses not much better than what you had with one of the two on the court. I'm curious if you have any thoughts on why that might be--the main thing I can think of is that Dirk excelled at high-difficulty shots and Nash's game was all about creating low-difficulty shots for teammates.
Dirk may have been described as an off ball shooter in the video but he has possessions sprinkled in the footage where he does the classic triple threat stance against his mismatch/big defender while his teammates clear out to the other side. So possessions like that would hurt Nash's play style which he needs the ball to probe defenses with his tight handles. Which makes sense with the other small guards that played with Dirk whose game was more about quick decision making and taking advantage of the lane without a big that is stuck on Dirk. Plus those other guards were good enough playing pick and pop with Dirk with all that spacing. With Nash he needed a big whose more of a rim roller to take advantage of his ability to drive into traffic. Which is why Stoudamire excelled with him being the recipient of many lobs off those screens.
They were the Best Pick n Roll Duo of ALL TIME!!!!! not even close. Cause Dirk would drive on that and power dunk it a lot. That is why they leave two defenders on him and Nash has a Layup and Nash became a Great player there in Dallas started putting up 20 a game in blowouts where he would needed to play like 30 mintues he would also get 9-10 assists. If that team just had one more good center and if David Stern didnt' CHEAT against them every playoffs they would've won 6 Straight Championships with just an OK Center. Even Dampier was good enough. Had to have two 7 footers in the game at all times then.
My favorite Dirk play was when he’d catch it in the high post, face up, and shoot it right in your face. He’d do it to guys that were C’s! That was just so unfair 😂
What I like about Dirk is that he put to value every drop of talent he had. Yes, he was surpremely gifted, but many more NBA players were, too. Yet, he never took that for granted but learned, improved, adjusted - and enjoyed the game until the last moment...
Great video for a very underated player! His skillset changed the game as well as what was needed from a big man, paving the way to a new era. Also great analysis on his passing plus his off ball gravity which opened wide open lanes
That 2011 team was built perfectly where Dirk can do what he does best, kidd had passing, chandler and marion for defense, terry was the other scorer and JJ was a nice spark offensively too
It's not a sport like football where one guy does one thing and the other guy does another thing Dirk is an all-around player guys y'all just need to stop forgetting he was an all-around player coming out of Germany where he had 30 points 18 rebounds and eight assists and four steals eight blocks in the Nike hoop summit.
Even old Kidd was decent defensively. Dirk was never going to win with Nash because those 2 were horrible on D, can't have both out there at the same time & not give up a ton of points.
Thanks for this. People remember the shooting, the post-ups, the fadeaway, but what's always forgotten is how freakish Dirk was for his size -- his speed, ball handling. He was one of the first 7 footers who could rebound and bring the ball down to his own shot at the other end.
Actually Embiid has some similarities. 7 footer, can shoot midrange, can bully defenders, turn around fade away is one of his signature moves. That being said, the game has changed, mid range has been cancelled by analysts AND the step back is more prominent than it used to be when Dirk played.
Dikr adopted a lot of movements from Michael Finley, it seems to me. And it’s cool how, while losing athleticism, he transformed his game while maintaining the same effectiveness
He played a lot of defense to you know if he averaged 8 points per game he would have been considered by everyone an all NBA defensive player. it's just that people don't have the cons the mind and the Brain to understand that people could be good at great at two things you know they just see the old 28 points per game ball then he must not play defense if Tim Duncan averaged 28 a game ever everyone would have said he was terrible at defense because he averaged 28 but it because Duncan averaged 19 the Galway must be a great defensive player Dirk was an amazing defensive player
I think Dirk’s impact on the NBA is heavily underrated and talked about, in fact I’d say him and Curry are the two most defining players of this generation. Dirk coming into the NBA was SO UNIQUE, mismatches for a 5 because he was faster than them and had to drag them out of the paint on man to man coverage so he can blow by them for a layup and he was too tall for small and power forwards to guard. After 2007 when Nelson exposed he was weak against 3 & D wings, he improved his post game and utilized his fadeaway more and that really made his game complete as the ankle and knee injuries gradually slowed him down. Because of Dirk, all NBA teams are looking for that “Next Dirk” to this day, a big that is competent at shooting the 3 ball, has a good post game, and is athletic enough to take it in. Also really opened the doors for international players and helped shed the idea that super teams are needed to win. There’s a reason why KD was compared to Dirk in his pre draft process, Dirk (minus the handles) is a prototype KD, Dirk was actually super fast when he was young.
The next Dirk became your lanky 6'10"s with length who had a great talent for shooting off balance. KD became the defacto successor because he had all those traits. There are other guys like Anthony Randolph, Michael Beasley and such never had success and longevity to be just a good tall wing type player. Like guys before such as Rashard Lewis, Detlef Schrempf, Hedo Turkoglu, Gallinari, Robert Horry and even Toni Kukoc. Which is why even after KD's draft class, you still get your oddball unicorn wannabes like KAT, KP, Bol, MPJ who are at best one dimensionally good but still fit in a modern offense that can use a very tall shooting big wing.
Great Video as always. Been waiting for Dirk so Long. Dirk will Stay at the top spot of best shooting big man for a Long Time with his 3 point Game and the goat midrange. Keep up the Great content Much love from Germany ❤️🇩🇪💯✌🏻
@@ThinkingBasketball wow Dirk (slightly) over Kareem. I guess they are pretty similar, willing but not great passers, and they produce 2 points on demand, but Dirk's range is better at creating space and opportunities for others
Even in the early 2000s I respected Dirk's game even though he was unfairly labeled as 'soft'. His game was in some aspects an evolution of the big man and nowadays the prototypical modern big man
@@jdurrant5633 Let's go back to the early 2000s and even further back in NBA history to see. If Durant was drafted in 2001, he'd be a shooting guard more into a small forward. Sure, with data analysis and more modern ways to track players he'd have an advantage as a power forward. The competition he would deal with on a nightly basis now forces him to bulk up. He now loses that mobility and coaches are going to change his game for the worst. If anything Kevin is from the mold of Alex English, Dominique Wilkins, Tracy McGrady. Elite wings that could score from just about anywhere. Kevin isn't gonna post up a Kenyon Martin, Rasheed Wallace, or Zach Randolph just to name a few folks. Appreciate your perspective on the topic. Have a blessed day.
On 2017 J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, Yogi Ferrell, Dwight Powell, and Dirk Nowitzki were on fire during a stretch of the season. All in part thNks to his gravity. I think they lead the league in dunks for part of the season also. Great player. Dirk made possible that Jj had a career. Jj is my favorite player. Love to see their pick and roll.
great work that perimeter gravity was like the preview to what Steph would do! dirk as the main scorer allowed for some different combinations of offensives leading to real title-contending teams 03,06,11 I would say 07 too but losing to the we believe team ..
I was pretty surprised when I put championship leading scorers against postseason league average true shooting and found Dirk may have had a better scoring postseason than even Curry in 2015. They were roughly the same but I'd argue Curry benefitted from his teammates offensively more, similar (though to a lesser degree) to the other seasons that beat out '11 Dirk ('17 Durant & '20 Davis).
Dirk is one of the harder guys to rank or compare with other greats because he was fairly one dimensional, even though that one dimension is the biggest thing (scoring). He wasn't much of a playmaker, rebounder, or defender. I think he was ahead of his time and had he played in today's game he would be a perennial MVP candidate. But because his prime coincided with the slower more physical players of the 90s, he often gets overlooked when talking about all time greats. Think of when people give their all time starting 5 and how often we see a Duncan or Garnet in that lineup, but we almost never see Dirk make it in someone's all time starting 5.
Absolutely love this series. All these stars i grew up watching just adding and appreciating even more from the insight being provided.. hoping to see a breakdown of Jason Kidd and Karl Malone soon❤
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Not to mention the fact that he shot less than several top scorers of his era (0 seasons with +20 FGA/game). He also rarely turned the ball over (8.35 TO ratio for his career). That's why despite being an all-time great scorer, he managed to keep a pretty low usage rate, never ranking in the top 5 and only appearing in the top 10 for three seasons. Watching Dirk play was truly "an honor and a privilege", as Charles Barkley once said. Thanks for the video.
Yup! His impact on team turnovers is a byproduct of the space/gravity/guard synergy. Stackhouse was down 1.1 TOV per 75 with Dirk on the floor, Harris -0.9, Terry -0.6, Finley -0.5.
Speaking of low FGA/game Jokic is developing an offensive bag quite similar to Dirk I’ve been seeing him bust out these shot fakes up and unders for a while now and he’s got the touch like Dirk only he’s like a way better passer… Jokic gonna run this league for years I’m scared
That to ratio sounded absurd, looked it up and its completely false. His to ratio was 1.46 which makes more sense. Still a great ratio for a score first post bigman
@@jojoprocess2820 1.46 was his Assist to Turnover ratio, which was not what I meant. I was referring to his Turnover Ratio, or Turnover pct. or TOV%, which is an advanced metric that estimates the percentage of a player's possessions that end in a turnover. His 8.35 TOV% is the 10th lowest all-time (among qualified).
@@orestis103you don't know ball. He's done this since his rookie year
Ben’s breakdown of Dirk’s offensive arsenal and matchups in the OKC series, might be his best intro to all of his videos. Showed how much IQ Dirk had, not just ability
Ben is a master of his craft.
Dude was unstoppable in 2011. That run was incredible to watch.
definitely top 3 ever and imo the greatest
I remember watching him live in 2011... Was in awe the whole playoff run
If LeBron didn't have mental breakdown, we wouldn't be talking about Dirk today as champion
@@kedrprao That's some oversensitive gatekeeping. Some fans are super weird about just giving credit to the opposing team. Teams aim to outscore as well as shut down the opponent. "If this guy didn't play bad then they would have won." No sh*t. That's sports. LeBron and the Heat were swept in the regular season by Dallas that year too. He didn't get to the Finals and just start playing bad. He didn't choke, he GOT choked. There's a difference. Dallas had been shutting him down prior to the playoffs. He played bad in both of the regular season matchups and even went scoreless in the first half of one of those games. Dallas was 6-2 against the Heat that year in regular season and playoff games. No harm in just saying they were the better team. Even LeBron credits the loss for making him a better player.
Best run ever.
Dirk was the player of my childhood that inspired me to learn how to be a better shooter. He is, and probably always will be, my favorite player of all time.
Kaw
Right there with you
Same with me. Growing up in Texas in the early 2000s was great for me. Dirk will always be my guy.
People only seem to remember Dirk’s insane poster dunks, but he was a decent shooter, too.
He had boffum 😤
I think people remember Dirk's shooting more than his dunks.
@@marco5030r/wooooosh
@@marco5030sarcasm on his part
@@marco5030not really, most of his shots were pure luck. He only used 20% of his athletic ability though to give the rest of the league a chance
Nevermind his skill and leadership, you simply cannot dislike Dirk. Class act, loyal to his franchise and his national team.
Loyal to a fault. Kobe talks about trying to recruit him to LA and Dirk told him no. In Dirks true nature he ofcoursed thanked him for thinking about him but he wasn't going to leave Dallas. Could you imagine them 2 together. Kobe and Dirk would have been as good as Kobe and Shaq.
@@bigred9991 That's my biggest "what if" because they were my 2 favorite players at that time.
@@bigred9991 I would have loved to see Dirk and Lebron together. I think they perfectly complimented each other.
@@rlh12345 just watched an episode of shaqs podcast where he said that he tried multiple times to get to Dallas and team up with dirk. That would have been a crazy combo too. Defenses would have been in shambles deciding whether to double Shaq in the paint and giving dirk wide open looks or staying on dirk and giving Shaq all the room he wants to go ham in the paint.
@@MrCedimaan Lebron, Shaq, and Giannis type players who feast at the rim would have mixed well with someone like Dirk.
Thanks for making this! One of the reasons his post-ups increased in the mid-2000’s is because of Avery Johnson’s coaching. He challenged Dirk to post up more and take fewer 3’s.
Wrong he posted up less with Avery Johnson he used to get 12 post-ups a game with Don Nelson and 14 drives a game and to jump shots per game with Don Nelson then whenever Avery came Avery only wanted to use him at the elbow for hypo that's it that's it that's all he did after that so their dumbass he was a post up player from day one I he used to post up every single play that was their only play they ran was post up on the low block with Nowitzki either side cuz he was left-handed or right-handed what happened was Avery put them at power Forward rather than small forward and then he could not post up anymore so he started to just do that fade back shot cuz he wasn't strong enough and he lost his athleticism in 06 because he hurt his leg real bad he hurt his knee real bad he had surgery on it okay a lot of people don't know this stuff lot of castles are stupid and they first game they ever saw was 2011
Yup - I ended up cutting the line where he gives Avery credit.
Avery also was responsible for getting Dirk to play better defense. The notion Dirk was a bad defender was false. Avery just got more out of him on that end of the floor.
The fact that he was outscoring KD while being guarded by Ibaka is what makes it impressive.
Shoutout to Ben for mentioning that young Dirk was a hell of an athlete.
Dirk. So unique. So great. So sympathetic. What a baller.
Dirk even played sf in the early 2000's. Coach doc perfectly explained it. "A power forward that plays like a 2" he's quicker than most bigs that tries to guard him and way bigger than small that tries to guard him. First unicorn in my books. He was fast and agile for a 7 footer
His postseason success means a lot more than other comparable players too. Only 5 all-star appearances by Dirk teammates over a 21 year career. Kobe has Shaq and Gasol, Garnett had Pierce and Allen, Wade had Shaq and LeBron, Duncan had Manu and Parker, etc. The best player Dirk ever played with was either early Nash or Jason Terry. Very short list of players that can pull off his level of sustained team success without fellow co-stars
People also forget that in Minnesota, Garnett was selected to the all-star game with 3 different all-star teammates during that time. As much as that front office screwed up, Garnett had some help yet there were always a lot of excuses why KG got knocked out of the first round 7 years in a row.
Dirk did have some really good players aswell though.
Finley is one of the best SG's ever.
Nash
Those were his 2 best team mates ever then after that it was
an older Marion like 31 still a top 35 player in the league then.
Tyson was a good center made an all star team and won All NBA with another team cause David Stern would never let players make it on Dallas
Lafrentz was ok for a year or so.
Peja was key off the bench for a season.
Cuban wouldn't pay players to stay.
Naming Finley as one of the best SG's ever is the biggest stretch I've ever heard in my life.@@JimBrave-ri1oc
The man reach the NBA Finals with Dampier and Diop as Centers, that says it all He's Top 10 Offensive player of all time.
@@JimBrave-ri1oc Dont forget to give love to JJ and Kidd. Nobody manage to solve the JJ Puzzle as he played around Dirk's gravity and Kidd was mostly directing traffic and a strong presence. Jason Terry was a top 3 pointer at that time and shot the lights out in the 2011 playoffs.
The section about his lack of play making makes me appreciate what Jokic does even more as a big
Dirk’s true successor was KD, but his legacy also lives on in Jokic 100%
@@hb-robo totally agree. Jokic is a traditional big more than KD and Dirk. Watching some of those young Dirk clips reminded me of Lauri from the jazz
Yeah to echo the sentiments of some fans and players/coaches, Dirk's game was looking towards the future of a big man shooter like KD. Along with a class of guys who would try imitate KD (y'know the lanky 6'10" guy with some wing skills who could shoot). Jokic's game is a remix of the past reincarnated in a 7 footer basketball savant who was pretty good with water polo.
@@hb-roboI thought kd was tmac’s successor
His championship run was insane. One of the most exciting things i ever seen
Dirk really had a bag ahead of his time. This is gonna be a good one!
Dirk was the reason I became interested in basketball. Even as a hoops newbie, I could tell no big man shot the ball like he did. Was so happy when the Mavs finally won that championship in 2011.
“Random 1 legger in 2001” is an example of why this channel is so great. You have a real passion for the game and as someone who also has a deep love for it, that passion really serves to enrich your content. Love it man
Love the series! So ready for the Ginobili episode!!!
Me too!!!!
LETS GO
Hell yes.
Same!
Dirk's my all-time favorite athlete, not only because he was an MVP who won a title while scoring the 6th most points, but because he was great in unique ways, while also being a great guy and teammate. Every franchise would be lucky to have someone like him that is loyal for 21 years and represents their city well.
Dirk was an absolute artist of a player. Such a unique talent. I loved watching him go to work and that championship run remains memorable for me💪🏼🏆
Hey Ben, I would love to see you do one on Ray Allen, especially comparing how dominant he was as the lead guy in Milwaukee and Seattle, to becoming more of a spot up shooter in Boston and Miami.
With an extra chapter dedicated to his shooting form and mechanics which were considered the best before Steph came along. :)
@@EldenRinging If he and Reggie were playing today, they would take and make as many threes, if not more than Steph
@@4392amtrakno they wouldn’t.
@@EldenRinging Ben could do a shooting mechanics video in the future by itself. But the real highlight as to why guys like Reggie/Steph/Ray for their ability isn't for mechanical stuff like that. Rather their amazing balance to be moving shooters. Because all 3 of those guys perfected the art of being able to move without the ball and be absolutely locked on for catch and shoot situations.
the episode we were all waiting for
I fell in love with basketball as a kid watching this man play basketball.
dirk was and is one of my favorite offensive players. with his height, touch, and skill, he was simply unstoppable at his peak.
Great job of showcasing that NO ONE really had an answer for this man
Dirk was a matchup nightmare. I loved watching him play!
THIS IS WHAT I NEEDED
I have diligently watched dirks entire career from a rookie. I watched him play in the world US game and was like if sh8t. Told all my fitness about him said he was gonna be a real problem. They didn’t know what I was talking about. Turns out I was right. Dirk is one of my favorite players all time behind Jordan and Kobe and just before the legendary Jerry west. Dirk was the ultimate matchup problem and he played in I dare to say the deepest PF era in history. Duncan, Garnett, Webber, shred, Abdur-rahim, wells, Z-bo, both gasols. And he gave them all the bussiness.
He was a generational shooter. Even if his balance collapses, he just made those tough shots casually. Second best midrange assassine in nba history
I think that is a good way to put it. If a team was willing to build the offense around the best midrange assassin, how about the 2nd best which his quality was having one of the highest release points where in terms of verticality, very few can actually block it? Even better is that same shooter would get better shooting amazingly well off balance over time.
I don't think anyone has really done enough Dirk Videos of EACH season. Real Highlight videos that last 15 minutes for each season. I remember in his 4th season so he was rather young still he caught a ball with 2 seconds left before the half and jumped then turned in mid air and made a left handed double clutch jumper from 17 feet out from the left side against the Sixers D. Coleman and a few others like McKey who were both basically fouling him. The Entire Sixers crowd Cheered. There were even words in the audience audibly and of " OH great we sixer Fans have another Larry Bird we have to deal with,"
"Was compared to Larry Bird because of the outside shooting, and possibly the hair..."
Ben being gracious and not stating the most common reason for comparison. :)
is there like a Thinking Baseball? Football? Hockey? these videos are amazing
There is a Thinking Football channel but not associated with Ben. They also drop very good content as well.
Him and Rick Carlisle are a match made in heaven. An offensive cannon with access to 2pts almost on command and an offensive magician who can make good offenses without high usage ball handlers for his technician. The Mavs just magic up points
Maybe the most unique player of all time at this high quality.
Early days Dirk was an athletic monster
Great video ! Will be waiting for the Ginobili video
We need this series but for defense too
100%
Check the great peaks which had a feature on defensive bigs.
they had a defense series in their podcast. it was great. wish there was a video too
When I was just a basketball infant. I started watching the NBA a and Dirk quickly became my favorite player. Never been a big man mind you. But even childhood self knew that jumper was the most unstoppable shot in the game!! Still one of the most unstoppable shots the game has ever seen.
I like to think Dirk’s bad playoff loses was to unlock one of the greatest championships runs in NBA history.
I was waiting patiently for this, as soon as I seen the Nash video I knew he had to do Dirk. Thank you sir
The GOAT of RUclips strikes again.
Dirk is definetly one of the greatest and as you said, I cannot think currently of 3 bigs I'd rather have than him on my team at his peak. P.S: I cannot wait for the Manu episode!
Dirk is in a lot of peoples top 10/15.. he’s severely underrated. If he wouldn’t of lost that 2006 finals he would had 2 rings and no one would question his status.
Great look at my favorite player of all time. I especially appreciate some attention being given to young Dirk's athleticism. It's almost quaint now in the age of guys like KD and Giannis and in light of ludicrous arsenal of mid-range assassination techniques that defined most of his career, but in the early days you could see him just blow by a Garnett or someone and wonder if this could possibly be a real person.
Yes, From 98-05 he would just blow right by everyone would would DRIVE to the basket about 90% of the time. he also was posting up everytime in those 7 years. That was really his best Low Post Years cause he actually played SF most of the time then and SF's were bigger then about 6'9 230 He would just easily throw guys off like Rashard Lewis turn and dunk on them. He could pump fake guys off him then step through to the basket and gain about 10 feet and even end up with a layup or dunk. 20-26 years old Dirk would just blow right by Prime Durant or Prime Giannis. He was Faster than Durant and much Stronger. He was more on the speed of Giannis and Power of Giannis. He also Jumped kind of like Giannis but quick and more agile. Giannis is just out of control all the time and tht is why he is injured every year now. Dirk was quicker and more fleet of foot than Giannis. Also more coodinated. Dirk was also more on the level of prime Malone with Strength and Speed. Also Post moves. He most compares to Prime Young Karl Malone with a lot better ball handling and better long range shooting. Also 7 feet. If just counting Dirk from 99-05 which is 6 seasons. He is the fastest PF Ever and probably the Second best overall PF ever. Only Tim Duncan might of been a little better cause Duncan was somewhat bigger. Duncan is a lot bigger than his listed size in his prime. He was 7 feet 260 with a 7'7 Wingspan and did has a slightly better inside post game. For Inside post games I'd Rank a Prime Young Dirk about 4th. only after Duncan, Barkley, Garnett maybe. He's a tie with Malone in the low post. That is saying lot. His post game is better than Giannis. Better than Maybe even Hayes and Webber. Maybe even up their with McHale.
Great video a true offensive legend. I wonder if Dirk played today would be a center or a power forward? I think Joker proved you can win without a traditional rim protector and a center that can be attacked. All I know is that Dirk would be awesome in every era of basketball.
This is the best breakdown of Dirk’s game that I’ve ever seen
King of the one-leg fadeaway
Ben & Dirk are 2 GOATs!
Glad u did this. I grew up on dirk and used to play with Dallas on nba live lol. Dirk is one of my all time favorite players and a great scorer
FINALLY. As a Dallas fan, I've waited for this since the Greatest Peaks series.
Our guy, our Legend from Würzburg. So proud of this guy
Great video. One thing I found kind of fascinating, even though it's a side issue that you discussed more in the Nash video, is how the Nash+Dirk pairing (speaking about offense only here, obviously there are defensive weaknesses) wasn't quite the sum of its parts. You'd think that an on-ball dribbling maestro who loved to go downhill to the rim would be a perfect offensive fit with an incredible off-ball shooter who could pull big men out of the paint. But, the offensive on-off numbers you cited, along with what I recall from the Nash video, suggest that putting them together didn't really produce the offensive supernova you might expect, just very good offenses not much better than what you had with one of the two on the court. I'm curious if you have any thoughts on why that might be--the main thing I can think of is that Dirk excelled at high-difficulty shots and Nash's game was all about creating low-difficulty shots for teammates.
Dirk may have been described as an off ball shooter in the video but he has possessions sprinkled in the footage where he does the classic triple threat stance against his mismatch/big defender while his teammates clear out to the other side. So possessions like that would hurt Nash's play style which he needs the ball to probe defenses with his tight handles. Which makes sense with the other small guards that played with Dirk whose game was more about quick decision making and taking advantage of the lane without a big that is stuck on Dirk. Plus those other guards were good enough playing pick and pop with Dirk with all that spacing. With Nash he needed a big whose more of a rim roller to take advantage of his ability to drive into traffic. Which is why Stoudamire excelled with him being the recipient of many lobs off those screens.
They were the Best Pick n Roll Duo of ALL TIME!!!!! not even close. Cause Dirk would drive on that and power dunk it a lot. That is why they leave two defenders on him and Nash has a Layup and Nash became a Great player there in Dallas started putting up 20 a game in blowouts where he would needed to play like 30 mintues he would also get 9-10 assists. If that team just had one more good center and if David Stern didnt' CHEAT against them every playoffs they would've won 6 Straight Championships with just an OK Center. Even Dampier was good enough. Had to have two 7 footers in the game at all times then.
My favorite Dirk play was when he’d catch it in the high post, face up, and shoot it right in your face. He’d do it to guys that were C’s!
That was just so unfair 😂
I doubt it's true, but I like to believe lebron took inspiration from this for his lefkyou 3
What I like about Dirk is that he put to value every drop of talent he had. Yes, he was surpremely gifted, but many more NBA players were, too. Yet, he never took that for granted but learned, improved, adjusted - and enjoyed the game until the last moment...
Great video for a very underated player! His skillset changed the game as well as what was needed from a big man, paving the way to a new era. Also great analysis on his passing plus his off ball gravity which opened wide open lanes
A machine of the fadeway/mid range. surprised when he missed
That 2011 team was built perfectly where Dirk can do what he does best, kidd had passing, chandler and marion for defense, terry was the other scorer and JJ was a nice spark offensively too
It's not a sport like football where one guy does one thing and the other guy does another thing Dirk is an all-around player guys y'all just need to stop forgetting he was an all-around player coming out of Germany where he had 30 points 18 rebounds and eight assists and four steals eight blocks in the Nike hoop summit.
JJ is allegedly 5'10 and he looked like Muggsy Bogues lol.
And not to forget Brian Cardinal!
Even old Kidd was decent defensively. Dirk was never going to win with Nash because those 2 were horrible on D, can't have both out there at the same time & not give up a ton of points.
@@liekegerritsen1620one should never forget the custodian
Thanks for this. People remember the shooting, the post-ups, the fadeaway, but what's always forgotten is how freakish Dirk was for his size -- his speed, ball handling. He was one of the first 7 footers who could rebound and bring the ball down to his own shot at the other end.
Once again I will remind people amazed by young Dirk's agility that when Durant was being drafted, he was compared closely to Dirk for a reason.
People really need to recognize Dirk’s game. current players to even all time greats failed to realize what Dirk brings to the table.
Had a deceptively quick first step. If he got you with the pump fake he was terrific at finishing at the basket.
Dirk was such a fun player to watch, I feel that no one will ever play like him again
Actually Embiid has some similarities. 7 footer, can shoot midrange, can bully defenders, turn around fade away is one of his signature moves. That being said, the game has changed, mid range has been cancelled by analysts AND the step back is more prominent than it used to be when Dirk played.
This video made me reminisce for when basketball was actually entertaining.
Dikr adopted a lot of movements from Michael Finley, it seems to me. And it’s cool how, while losing athleticism, he transformed his game while maintaining the same effectiveness
This is just.. beautiful [offensive] basketball.
He played a lot of defense to you know if he averaged 8 points per game he would have been considered by everyone an all NBA defensive player. it's just that people don't have the cons the mind and the Brain to understand that people could be good at great at two things you know they just see the old 28 points per game ball then he must not play defense if Tim Duncan averaged 28 a game ever everyone would have said he was terrible at defense because he averaged 28 but it because Duncan averaged 19 the Galway must be a great defensive player Dirk was an amazing defensive player
I think Dirk’s impact on the NBA is heavily underrated and talked about, in fact I’d say him and Curry are the two most defining players of this generation.
Dirk coming into the NBA was SO UNIQUE, mismatches for a 5 because he was faster than them and had to drag them out of the paint on man to man coverage so he can blow by them for a layup and he was too tall for small and power forwards to guard. After 2007 when Nelson exposed he was weak against 3 & D wings, he improved his post game and utilized his fadeaway more and that really made his game complete as the ankle and knee injuries gradually slowed him down.
Because of Dirk, all NBA teams are looking for that “Next Dirk” to this day, a big that is competent at shooting the 3 ball, has a good post game, and is athletic enough to take it in. Also really opened the doors for international players and helped shed the idea that super teams are needed to win.
There’s a reason why KD was compared to Dirk in his pre draft process, Dirk (minus the handles) is a prototype KD, Dirk was actually super fast when he was young.
The next Dirk became your lanky 6'10"s with length who had a great talent for shooting off balance. KD became the defacto successor because he had all those traits. There are other guys like Anthony Randolph, Michael Beasley and such never had success and longevity to be just a good tall wing type player. Like guys before such as Rashard Lewis, Detlef Schrempf, Hedo Turkoglu, Gallinari, Robert Horry and even Toni Kukoc. Which is why even after KD's draft class, you still get your oddball unicorn wannabes like KAT, KP, Bol, MPJ who are at best one dimensionally good but still fit in a modern offense that can use a very tall shooting big wing.
Great Video as always.
Been waiting for Dirk so Long.
Dirk will Stay at the top spot of best shooting big man for a Long Time with his 3 point Game and the goat midrange.
Keep up the Great content
Much love from Germany ❤️🇩🇪💯✌🏻
The big 3 vs. the only one. But that one was Dirk, with all the legacy marbles on the line. And it never felt like he'd lose.
Dirk was the 2nd greatest PF of all time. Dude was money from anywhere on the floor, and his post-up game, especially late in his career was amazing.
@ThinkingBasketball I’m curious which 2 big men you’d take over Dirk on offense?
I assume Jokic and either Kareem or Shaq?
Jokic and Shaq. Kareem is right there but at that point I think I'm more comfortable with Dirk's offense.
@@ThinkingBasketball wow Dirk (slightly) over Kareem. I guess they are pretty similar, willing but not great passers, and they produce 2 points on demand, but Dirk's range is better at creating space and opportunities for others
Anyone that’s played basketball knows Dirk is peak offensive perfection
He changed the game tbh! The 2011 run was the best run I've seen in my 40 years!
awesome analysis of Dirks game, appreciate it! Greetings from Germany❤
As a german, Dirk made me very proud and happy❤
Even in the early 2000s I respected Dirk's game even though he was unfairly labeled as 'soft'. His game was in some aspects an evolution of the big man and nowadays the prototypical modern big man
KD is the evolution of the big man. A legit 7ft would guard skills and an arguably better shooter than dirk
@@jdurrant5633 Let's go back to the early 2000s and even further back in NBA history to see. If Durant was drafted in 2001, he'd be a shooting guard more into a small forward. Sure, with data analysis and more modern ways to track players he'd have an advantage as a power forward. The competition he would deal with on a nightly basis now forces him to bulk up. He now loses that mobility and coaches are going to change his game for the worst. If anything Kevin is from the mold of Alex English, Dominique Wilkins, Tracy McGrady. Elite wings that could score from just about anywhere. Kevin isn't gonna post up a Kenyon Martin, Rasheed Wallace, or Zach Randolph just to name a few folks. Appreciate your perspective on the topic. Have a blessed day.
" Where the ball handler ends up with a red carpet to the basket "😂😂😂 ... HILARIUS
great video...I've been waiting for this and U did not disappoint
Love Dirk man!
I've been very impressed with this series! Would be great to see a breakdown on Charles Barkley
Ur videos always make my day. Been loving the podcast lately too!
The spin hesi vs bosh is one of my favs ever
Awesome !!!🎉🎉🎉🎉 especially coming on the heels of the Jabbar comment about Dirk not being “Dominant”
One of my two favorite players. Now waiting for Manu's video
i just came to say its been amazing watching this page grow! plus congratulations on the NBA videos! great to see credit given
what a beautiful intro, goosebumps
On 2017 J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, Yogi Ferrell, Dwight Powell, and Dirk Nowitzki were on fire during a stretch of the season. All in part thNks to his gravity. I think they lead the league in dunks for part of the season also. Great player. Dirk made possible that Jj had a career. Jj is my favorite player. Love to see their pick and roll.
great work that perimeter gravity was like the preview to what Steph would do! dirk as the main scorer allowed for some different combinations of offensives leading to real title-contending teams 03,06,11 I would say 07 too but losing to the we believe team ..
the arch on his shot is incredible especially for shooting above his head and being 7 foot
Another certified classic by Ben
basketball is beautiful
Ben on his way to be a worldwide celebrity
(please do "best players of 2023")
He already did it on his podcast. He’s not gonna do it on RUclips anymore because the videos take too long to edit.
you should make a tier list that you update each time you do one of these. I get the comparisons wont always be fair but its fun nonetheless
Another Ben Taylor masterclass
He was really good, one of my favourite players in my life, love you Dirk #41
when u think about this.. this is like the denver nuggets. well balanced team and a player you cannot stop!
I was pretty surprised when I put championship leading scorers against postseason league average true shooting and found Dirk may have had a better scoring postseason than even Curry in 2015. They were roughly the same but I'd argue Curry benefitted from his teammates offensively more, similar (though to a lesser degree) to the other seasons that beat out '11 Dirk ('17 Durant & '20 Davis).
Love these different series you make !
Probly my fav pf of all time... Dirk was him
I'm obviously biased bc I'm a Mavs fan, but Dirk is my favorite player of all-time and likely will be forever.
Dirk is one of the harder guys to rank or compare with other greats because he was fairly one dimensional, even though that one dimension is the biggest thing (scoring). He wasn't much of a playmaker, rebounder, or defender. I think he was ahead of his time and had he played in today's game he would be a perennial MVP candidate. But because his prime coincided with the slower more physical players of the 90s, he often gets overlooked when talking about all time greats. Think of when people give their all time starting 5 and how often we see a Duncan or Garnet in that lineup, but we almost never see Dirk make it in someone's all time starting 5.
Absolutely love this series. All these stars i grew up watching just adding and appreciating even more from the insight being provided.. hoping to see a breakdown of Jason Kidd and Karl Malone soon❤