The Mavs totally shut Brand down when they played. Brand is stoppable and the mavs have his number. So what if Dirk doesn't play like the typical 7 footer. I keep saying that Dirk playing outside alters a teams defense in that one of their bigs has to guard the perimeter. This spreads out the floor more and that is why the Grizzlies were not able to slow down Dallas. Mike Fratello is an idiot though for not putting Battier on Dirk and Gasol on Griffin.
Well once again, this is a perception thing. Most 7 footers don't play like Dirk, but that doens't make Dirk a bad player, it makes him unique.I mean people say they'd take Brand in a heart beat, fine, then take his 8 losing seasons before this playoff berth with him.How many losing teams has Dirk been a part of? 2, his rookie and sophmore season.Dirk may not be the guy you want at power foward, but you're kidding yourself if you're saying you wouldn't want him on your team.
If you want your 7 foot players shooting 3 pointers, put them at the shooting guard position. It of course has to be more of a low post dominant player. It should be an easy answer right away. It basically comes down to who is more dominanant; dirk or shaq? and everybody knows the answer to that...
Best type of power forwards would be a better thread. Of course you want your center to be in the paint but the power forward I think is better playing like Dirk. If not than you are more like a center anyways. If you have Shaq at center you wouldn't want another post player at power forward. You would want somebody to shoot 3's and hit outside shots at power forward.
I think you need a banger at the PF position. You need to be able to dump the ball in and get easy buckets at high percentages..You have guards to shoot long range shots, you need balance on your team and a post presence. Its nice to have a big man with a solid shot to go with that, but I think the post ability is more important if you had to pick just one..
The Knicks had 2 bangers in Ewing and Oakley though they had trouble scoring. You need to spread the court out. Some of the power forwards that do this include Dirk, Marion, Horry, and Rasheed. The combination of banger at center and outside shooter power forward include Ben and Rasheed, Dampier (or Diop) and Nowitzki, Duncan and Horry (when in the game), and Amare (or Diaw) and Marion. Pretty much all the top teams set up their team like this.
What Im saying is that you need a banger at this position moreso than a shooter..Im not saying a combo isnt extremelly succesful, but if you have no low post threat, youre team is going nowhere..
Well Dallas really doesn't have much of a low post prescence and the same with Phoenix. You can win without a low post prescence in the playoffs. Detroit really has no low post prescence either so low post stuff is overrated.
The difference with Marion and Dirk though is the fact that both can score from the inside and out, and not hurt you either way.Of course you want your PF getting high percentage shots, but in Dirks case, especially, he can play outside, and it actually helps, not hurts, the Mavs by having a PF that can play both ways, same with PHX and Marion, and even Sheed and the Pistons...notice 3 of the top 4-5 teams all have combe PF's...Interestingly enough, I think that makes a case for the evolution of the position. Heck even TD can score from the outside with that smooth bank shot of his, even though he's considered a banger down low.
Yeah they can score a little in the post but players like that prove you don't need a dominant force in the low post to score a lot. Dampier hardly scores in the low post and Diop even less. Maybe their prescence makes a difference but they hardly score so the power forward like Marion and Dirk are an alternate that is equally effective as the low post scorers. They are such tough matchups that it might actually be better than a low post player.
I agree with you on this Mavsfan, I didn't disagree with you. The only problem is that there are only 4 guys that are effective in both roles. Dirk and Marion of course, Sheed and even KG as well...and in some regards, I think of Ducan as a combo guy too. No he doesn't shoot 3's, but he does shoot the mid range and top of the key shot like SG's and SF's do.But hell, if I had to choose between young healthy Shaq, and Dirk now...I'd probably go Shaq. I think we can all agree with that, the thing is, that Shaq isn't his old self, and noone really plays like him, and the game is changing to make room for more versatile big men.
