Very excited for Dirk vs. Duncan one more time.

[creepingdeath]

Even DMAVS would disagree with you. Mavs were better than the Spurs in '03 (even though Dirk went down) and '06 (that might be just me). Hell, most people on here use seedings as their "stacked" metric so in 2010 the Mavs were a better team also (2nd seed vs. 7th seed, even though the Spurs were slightly better in reality). Manu was hurt in '09.

Even if he did have more stacked teams, Duncan's overall numbers are simply better. Go back and watch some basketball, why don't you.

Well, sans Dirk the Spurs were certainly more stacked in 03. With a healthy Dirk, the opposite is true, though. There's no case for the 2006 Mavs over the Spurs that year. The 2006 Spurs were definitely a better team. You're right about 2009. As you correctly said regarding 2010, the seeding did not reflect the actual reality, as Parker missed almost 30 games of the regular season.

[ArbitraryWater]

Im so pissed at this..

we needed 7th seed vs okc, this? we will lose in 5

[DMAVS41]

I think the '06 Spurs were better than the Mavs on paper/during the season, but when it came to the Semifinals Dirk's teammates stepped up more. Now, that might not necessarily mean Dirk had more help, but the two teams were at the very least comparable, and in no way was one "way more stacked" than the other.

I agree with you on 2010 also. Even though we were the 7th seed, we had the better team (again, only slightly). I was just pointing out that most people on here judge how talented a team is by their regular season record.

There's a reason it's one of the best rivalries of the '00s: the teams were very comparable a lot of the time, and most of the series' depended on how well Timmy or Dirk played.

For sure about 06...that is why it went 7 and could have gone either way. Duncan and Dirk basically played even in that series....and Dirk's help, especially in the OT in game 7, stepped up more.

That was a strange series because Duncan really couldn't make his mark on it defensively. The Mavs were just flowing too well and Dirk went off the last 4 games and there was nothing to be done. Duncan was a ****ing beast himself offensively, but the Spurs got taken out of their game a bit by the Mavs dominant offense in that series.

The Spurs had a 99.6 drtg in the regular season...and had a 114.7 drtg in that series against the Mavs. The games just weren't played the way the Spurs wanted them to be...they just couldn't stop Dirk once he got going...and then that just created way too many defensive problems that not even the best defender in the league and the best defensive team and a great coach to solve.

[DMAVS41]

Well, sans Dirk the Spurs were certainly more stacked in 03. With a healthy Dirk, the opposite is true, though. There's no case for the 2006 Mavs over the Spurs that year. The 2006 Spurs were definitely a better team. You're right about 2009. As you correctly said regarding 2010, the seeding did not reflect the actual reality, as Parker missed almost 30 games of the regular season.

Yea...so it seems Duncan clearly had more help in 01 and 14...slightly more help in 06 and 10

Dirk had clearly more help in 09...and should have had clearly more help in 03 if he didn't get hurt, but he did get hurt and that obviously changed everything.

So while it's not this "far" more stacked or anything...really outside of 09...Duncan either had the clear better team or slightly better help.

[T_L_P]

For sure about 06...that is why it went 7 and could have gone either way. Duncan and Dirk basically played even in that series....and Dirk's help, especially in the OT in game 7, stepped up more.

That was a strange series because Duncan really couldn't make his mark on it defensively. The Mavs were just flowing too well and Dirk went off the last 4 games and there was nothing to be done. Duncan was a ****ing beast himself offensively, but the Spurs got taken out of their game a bit by the Mavs dominant offense in that series.

The Spurs had a 99.6 drtg in the regular season...and had a 114.7 drtg in that series against the Mavs. The games just weren't played the way the Spurs wanted them to be...they just couldn't stop Dirk once he got going...and then that just created way too many defensive problems that not even the best defender in the league and the best defensive team and a great coach to solve.

It was definitely one of my all time favourite series, regardless of the end result.

You're absolutely right about Duncan's defense. He was blocking about three shots a game (iirc) but Dirk was just too good and the Mavs gelled together so well. You could argue Duncan's offense made up for the underwhelming defense (underwhelming for Duncan that is), but the reality is prime Duncan is not prime Duncan without his ability to orchestrate his team's D.

F*ck '06 Manu though.

[DMAVS41]

It was definitely one of my all time favourite series, regardless of the end result.

You're absolutely right about Duncan's defense. He was blocking about three shots a game (iirc) but Dirk was just too good and the Mavs gelled together so well. You could argue Duncan's offense made up for the underwhelming defense (underwhelming for Duncan that is), but the reality is prime Duncan is not prime Duncan without his ability to orchestrate his team's D.

F*ck '06 Manu though.

for sure...Duncan did make up for it...it's just that they played the game the Mavs wanted to play for that series.

It just shows you how good Duncan is...that he can still do that shit.

It was a battle of the best offense vs the best defense...and the best offense won.

Could have gone either way though...we can call those teams even if Spurs/Duncan fans really want to. it doesn't matter to me...it was amazing to watch and is truly an all timer from the two best teams in the league over the last 10 years...

If we get a series half as good in a couple days we will be so lucky...i'm not expecting that, but I'm hoping...

Check this out...last 5 games of the 06 series...tied 1-1

Dirk - 30/14/4 69% TS

Duncan - 33/12/4 60% TS

What a show...

[rmt]

The 06 series was probably the best series I ever saw, but it marked a turning point for Pop when he abandoned tall ball and went with small ball (see Finley playing PF). Just very frustrating for me to see his emphasis on going small and the failed experiments with Bonner, Blair, McDyess (who did a fantastic job on Dirk in ?'10) and then the ignoramus loss to MEM while Splitter sat on the bench until game 4.

Anyway, I think Spurs in 5.