NBA / May 9, 2011 / 4:30 pm

Rick Carlisle: Dirk Is A Top 10 NBA Player Ever

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Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki (photo. Monte Isom)

Dirk Nowitzki has his lovers and haters. He’s a seven footer with some of the most incredible offensive gifts any player – regardless of size – has ever had and is one of just four players to have career averages in the postseason of over 25 points and 10 rebounds. But despite playing at an insane level for over a decade, Dirk has his doubters. He’s different, and because of that, some people will always give him a “soft” label. It may be impossible for Nowitzki to ever break through.

But, validation from your coach is sometimes the best compliment you can receive. Check out what Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said on “ESPN First Take” today:

“In my opinion, he’s a top 10 player in NBA history because of the uniqueness of his game and how he’s carried this franchise on his back for over a decade,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told “ESPN First Take” on Monday. “He’s just right. He’s leading the team. His shot-making is great. He’s passing the ball great. He’s one of the guys that’s directing traffic for us defensively.”

Carlisle later added:

“When he’s on the floor, we feel like we can beat anybody,” Carlisle said. “He’s that good.”

How great of a player can Nowitzki become? At 32 years old, he still has time, especially since it doesn’t appear like his body is wearing down. What if he keeps this level of play up for another three years, then has two years after that where he slowly fades into one of the best role-playing, three-point shooters ever? If that happens, he would be approaching 30,000 career points with well over 10,000 career rebounds (which would throw him into the conversation with the 20-25 best rebounders ever). Could he eventually break the top 10 players in NBA history?

Do you agree with Rick Carlisle?

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  • Ross

    “now i read this bs ” With the exception of the 03 Spurs, who made it to the finals because Dirk and Webber injuries”
    pleaseeee sir in 03 duncan was the best player in the world you need to relax a bit. webber really??? didnt the mavs beat the kings?? not the spurs. the spurs beat the threepeat lakers with only one star you think dirk and fools was gonna stop them in the conf finals hell the i could say the only reason dallas got there was because of webbers injury. didnt 6th seed old td beat dirk again last year?? yeah right he was winning in 03. dirk is now better than duncan but he wasnt in 06 and dif wasnt in 03.”

    He wasn’t in 06? Remind who took over in overtime of game 7 and who vanished? Exactly. Duncan had a great series, but he was bested by Dirk at the end of Game 7. That was the difference. Also don’t take so much offense. I already said I would rather have Duncan than Dirk in their respective primes… because Dirk is a freak and Duncan is an ideal prototype PF/C.

    Tony Parker ability to destroy Jason Kidd and the Spurs superior chemistry beat the Mavs in 2010 — the Mavs just made a big trade mid-season, those teams always flame out. Do you want to go game by game comparison of Dirk and Duncan that series? It’s not fair to Duncan, he is passed his prime.

    As for 03, you would be absolutely right to say the only reason the Mavs got to the Western Finals was because of Webber’s injury. I’m not using this one way for Dirk’s benefit. The simple fact is the Mavs took seven games to beat the Kings without their best player Webber, which was incredibly lucky for the Mavs. The Spurs, in turn, needed a miracle from Steve Kerr not to go 7 games against the Mavs team who happened to have their best player get hurt. It was doubly lucky for the Spurs, first they got to play the no D Mavs over the Kings, then the Mavs best player got injured. Duncan was absolutely the best player in the NBA that year. But his teammates were incredibly poor, the fact that he won a championship even under those conditions is a testimony to Duncan’s brilliance. . KG wouldn’t have got out of the first round or more appropriately he didn’t.

    AS for the Lakers that year? Shaq was out of shape, and the Lakers lacked a supporting cast. Still , no player could have beat them by himself other than Duncan that year… but let us not pretend that team was better than the Kings and Mavs. Now maybe the Spurs would have beat the Kings that year without injuries… but we don’t know. Just like we don’t know how many championships the Spurs might have won if they didn’t have so many injuries to Ginobili, Parker and Duncan.

    Once again, saying nothing against Duncan, best player of the generation. I’m just saying it’s very rare for a player with a shitty supporting cast to make the Finals out west. Duncan and Dirk have done this, that’s it. Kobe and Garnett have always been bounced from the first round when they had shitty teammates.

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