Is Dirk Nowitzki the worst 7 foot defender of all time?

[Aidz]

Currently averaging 0.4 blocks per game (career avg: 0.9)
Currently averaging 5.9 rebounds per game (career avg: 7.9)

7 footer that can't even average 1 block per game playing HEAVY minutes.
Pretty pathetic.

[Wiltside]

Do you know how many 7 footers made it to the NBA based on height but no skill and washed up immediately? I'm guessing one of them is worst than current Dirk.

[eklip]

Most 36+ year old 7 footers don't even average 1 rebound or 0.1 blocks, because they aren't playing anymore.

If you're just interested in stats, Dirk averaged over 1 block and 1 steal in his prime.

He also averaged 10 rebounds in 138 playoff games and he's one of the all-time great defensive rebounders in the playoffs.

[T_L_P]

It's because he's a star and we're looking at him more. There have been plenty of worse 7 foot defenders (in fact, for his career, he's a solid defender).

That said, Dirk's defense has been abysmal. He's like Tony Parker where he's leaving his help on an island to do all the work.

Right now he looks like one of the worst PnR defenders of all time.

[BigNBAfan]

Currently averaging 0.4 blocks per game (career avg: 0.9)
Currently averaging 5.9 rebounds per game (career avg: 7.9)

7 footer that can't even average 1 block per game playing HEAVY minutes.
Pretty pathetic.

How many Cs are capable of playing away from the rim like him?

[coin24]

Have you ever seen Bargs play?

Current old man dirk shits on him

[eklip]

It's because he's a star and we're looking at him more. There have been plenty of worse 7 foot defenders (in fact, for his career, he's a solid defender).

That said, Dirk's defense has been abysmal. He's like Tony Parker where he's leaving his help on an island to do all the work.

Right now he looks like one of the worst PnR defenders of all time.

He looks bad in PnRs, but sadly Aminu and Tyson weren't doing much better in game three. I think Dirk stayed longer on Harden and tried to trap him in game 1 and 2 and Harden made the smart pass to Smith/Jones and they killed us. Tyson and Aminu stayed close to Howard/Jones/Smith but left Harden open and he killed us.

Carlisle put Dirk on Ariza who can't really score against Dirk 1on1 and doesn't set screens. That part worked out well but like I said, it didn't help our overall defense.

[WillC]

Have you ever seen Bargs play?

Current old man dirk shits on him

Came in here to post the same thing.

[Prime_Shaq]

Dirk's defense has often been underrated though. I mean right now its horrible but recent years people have been giving him shit for it while he was an average defender.

[R.I.P.]

Currently averaging 0.4 blocks per game (career avg: 0.9)
Currently averaging 5.9 rebounds per game (career avg: 7.9)

7 footer that can't even average 1 block per game playing HEAVY minutes.
Pretty pathetic.

He

[R.I.P.]

Dirk's defense has often been underrated though. I mean right now its horrible but recent years people have been giving him shit for it while he was an average defender.

Yes. Even this year Tyson Chandler numbers have been atrocious the whole play-offs. Advanced stats say the Mavs are actually better defensively when Dirk plays without Tyson than they are when Tyson plays without Dirk.

Tyson Chandler has done really well the last few years to surround himself with players who have a shitty defensive reputation like Dirk, Amare, Bargnani and Melo. As a result he never gets any blame, although he has seriously declined.

Tyson had two defensive rebounds in game three. Howard had 26 total, 11 offensive. Tyson had eight overall. Felton/Barea had more in the same time.

[Real Men Wear Green]

At the start of his career he was a terrible defender, especially as he was almost like Reggie Miller stretched to 7 feet in a league that had a lot more post scorers. But as the post game has been majorly deempasized and he improved his d was averaged, maybe a little below-average, through much of his prime. He's one of the worst defenders amongst bigs that we would put at the all-time great level but he's far from the worst defender we've ever seen. For that title I'd nominate Bargnani (excluding guys that couldn't stay in the league long and were so bad they just didn't play).

[Dro]

Dirk's defense is absolutely horrible. He just lets defenders go right up over him or around him for easy layups...He barely tries....

[DMAVS41]

It's because he's a star and we're looking at him more. There have been plenty of worse 7 foot defenders (in fact, for his career, he's a solid defender).

That said, Dirk's defense has been abysmal. He's like Tony Parker where he's leaving his help on an island to do all the work.

Right now he looks like one of the worst PnR defenders of all time.

Then what the hell does that make Amare?

Houston is good. They are going to drive any team without truly elite defensive personnel absolutely nuts with the Harden/Smith/Howard pick and rolls.

No doubt at this point in his career Dirk has almost no chance to hedge a pick and roll and disrupt passing lanes/angles and recover in time weak side, but it's not like he goes out and our defense dramatically improves against the same plays or something.

A big part of this is that Tyson is getting utterly destroyed by Howard and Amare/Charlie V. play even worse defense than Dirk.

We also don't contain the ball at all. Once again we've compiled a pathetic group of defensive guards. And honestly, the Mavs bigs play better defense than the Mavs guards.

Felton/Ellis/Harris/Barea is about as bad as you can do defensively at the guard position...and none of them rebound worth shit either.

It's really tough to play defense on the pick and roll when the guard gets screened off easily and does absolutely nothing the rest of the play.

Or, if there isn't a screen, never contains the ball at all.

That is why we traded for Rondo. We needed improved guard defense and rebounding.

Sucks because this team was a healthy Parsons, decent guard, and 1 more big from being really damn scary.

But what are you going to do...if we played in the East we'd probably make the conference finals even in our current state. Just the bad luck of playing in a loaded conference and some untimely injuries and quitters.

[Kblaze8855]

Eddy Curry was even in his prime a worse rebounder and rim protector than Dirk is at his current age....and he had the athletic ability and size to be among the best in the NBA at both. Dirk wasnt exceptionally bad on the defensive end for very long. He just developed a reputation he couldnt drop because fans do more assuming than active evaluation.

Dirk was an above average defender for a while relative to his athletic ability.