Dirk is better than Charles Barkley, KG and Malone

[Malta]

First, I don't put any stock into finals MVP meaning anything. KG was the leader of the boston team bar none, I don't think anyone could argue with that. KG set the tone for the team from game one to the last game of the finals, I don't think any single person would argue the fact that KG was the single biggest reason why Boston won the title that year.

Being the leader and being the guy who powered the team to the ring are two different things. He set the tone, cool, but he wasn't the best performer in the finals or in the playoffs for his team. He also set the tone for missing the playoffs in Minnesota as well.

Did Barkley and Malone choke alot? Barkley I am going to give a pass on because he is really all of maybe 6 "6" and he spent his career battling men with 4 to 8 inches on him, and men with much larger wingspans, it is really a testament to Charles skill level that he was even able to have a career playing power forward at his height. Malone? Yeah, he was choke artist. However, I never once saw another player or team impose there will on charles or karl like the warriors did on Dirk. I never saw Charles and Karl fold up like I saw Dirk fold up. I saw them drive to the lane and miss shot after shot after shot after shot, but I never saw them just become so passive as to not shoot the ball, or to just get completely bullied by men who were 4 to 6 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter.

You never saw Charles or Karl fold up like Dirk, word? Well I never saw Karl or Charles win a title I never saw Karl put on a performance like the one Dirk had against the Thunder. If Karl Malone's Jazz ran into that Heat team in 2011, they would have lost 4-0, cause that nikka had no type of fight in him.

Didn't Dirk also lose to a heat team that was down 2 - 0 in the finals Didn't Dirk lost to a heat team that had the shadows of ANTOINE WALKER AND GARY PEYTON playing key minutes

And? Where are the playoff success stories for Karl and Barkley, where are the multiple great playoff runs for KG?

I like Dirk...I think he is a top 25 player in league history...But I can't put him over barkely, who spent his career mauling men much taller and longer...pause...than him...I can't put him over Malone...who I cannot once recall having his will just broken to the point where it was obvious he didn't even want to play anymore...like Dirk looked in that warriors series...I can't put him over KG, who career-wise shyts all over dirk when it comes to one on one defense, help defense, rebounding, and blocked shots...because to me those are all very important things to take into consideration when judging a players career...

You don't get an award or special consideration for being undersized and Karl Malone had his will broken by the Bulls, twice, what are you talking about. That dude had the deer in headlights look all throughout both finals and managed to come up smaller everytime the games mattered. Sorry, but your criteria is all over the place, Dirk did more with less, and he was the absolute best playoff performer of the 4 players mentioned. You talk about his will being broken, and you're comparing him to two guys who never won titles, one of which always had his damn will broken. And the other guy who did win a title had 1 good playoff run, and it wasn't with the team that won the chip.

 

[the cool]

can anyone point out the greatest thing kg did in the playoffs in his career? i dont remember shyt he did besides play 2nd fiddle to his teammates

 

[ghostwriterx]

can anyone point out the greatest thing kg did in the playoffs in his career? i dont remember shyt he did besides play 2nd fiddle to his teammates

Game 7 against the kings 2004

 

[the cool]

Game 7 against the kings 2004

what he do?

 

[Liquid]

This KG vs Dirk talk reminds me of the state of denial KG fans had when people were starting to say that it was clear Duncan > KG years ago.

KG has had a good career, but he is just not on the same level of Duncan or Dirk. I know it hurts some fans, but its quite true.

As far as the Dirk vs Barkley debate...Its hard for me to pick one over the other clear cut, but if I had to pick one I am going with Dirk because he had 3 stages in his career:

Went to the Finals in 2006 and got screwed out of that ring. I will never be convinced that the Heat won that series fair.

Came back the next year and crushed it in the regular season...then lost to the Warriors

Got back to the finals and faced an even TOUGHER team with LeBron, Bosh, and Wade...and led that RIDICULOUS comeback ON THE ROAD





He EMBARRASSED BOSH on that last play...I was literally when I saw that live.

 

[mastermind]

Who are the other PF's better then him in the playoffs?

Elgin Baylor

 

[ghostwriterx]

what he do?

32pts 21 boards 5 blocks 4 steals 14 in the 4th
One of the few times he really took over a playoff game.

 

[the cool]

32pts 21 boards 5 blocks 4 steals 14 in the 4th
One of the few times he really took over a playoff game.

few times????? ONE TIME and no one remembers it

 

[Ashyneezz]

This thread is a case of a player being overrated after winning a championship.

No one would've said dirk was better than KG, Malone, and Barkley had he not won his lone title.

We like to use the eye test, Dirk was only a better shooter than all 3, but in other areas he was clearly inferior to them. Not to mention he played with multiple allstars throughout the duration of career. Malone had Stockton, KG had no one in his prime in Minny, and Barkley, had KJ a few years in phoenix.

Dirk played with Steve Nash before he was the HOF Nash he is today, and he played with Michael Finely, but that team obviously wasn't going anywhere. Which other allstars did Dirk play with that were all stars while he was actually playing with them? (and don't give me Josh Howard because dude was an injury replacement that season )

Malone had one of the best pgs ever for the majority of his career. KG hopped on the Celtics to create the first "super team" of this generation

And don't act like Sprewell wasn't averaging 17/game and Cassell wasn't averaging 20/game during the 03-04 season in Minn

 

[VegetasHairline]

Dirk played with Steve Nash before he was the HOF Nash he is today, and he played with Michael Finely, but that team obviously wasn't going anywhere. Which other allstars did Dirk play with that were all stars while he was actually playing with them?

Malone had one of the best pgs ever for the majority of his career. KG hopped on the Celtics to create the first "super team" of this generation

And don't act like Sprewell wasn't averaging 17/game and Cassell wasn't averaging 20/game during the 03-04 season in Minn

KG didn't hop to Boston. He was traded there. Before Sprewell and Cassell who was the next best player KG played with? Those Minnesota teams had little talent next to KG.

 

[torcher]

I wouldn't take him over Barkley but definitely over Karl and KG

 

[Broke Wave]

Cmon man Dirk is really being mentioned with ringless nikkas after the masterpiece he put on a couple years back? He Swept the world champion Lakers, embarrased the up and coming stacked Thunder, then crushed the Miami Heat without anyone being even a fringe all-star. I don't even wanna bring up the individual games, that was probably the best individual playoff run I've ever seen.

 

[Ashyneezz]

KG didn't hop to Boston. He was traded there. Before Sprewell and Cassell who was the next best player KG played with? Those Minnesota teams had little talent next to KG.

Don't act like he was traded to Boston without him knowing

When he was traded there he said "This is probably my best opportunity at winning a ring, It was a no-brainer." Which lets you know he pretty much got to choose where he wanted to go

 

[torcher]

KG didn't hop to Boston. He was traded there. Before Sprewell and Cassell who was the next best player KG played with? Those Minnesota teams had little talent next to KG.

Tom Guggliotta? Terrell Brandon? Marbury?

 

[yawn]

I can see Dirk being better then Malone but better then KG the greatest all around PF?