Dirk vs Bird

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Bird was clutch! Also, I remember when someone a player said that if Bird was black he would be consider an avage player. Never understood that, Bird and Magic were just great games to watch.

Isiah Thomas said that.

[roadman]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

I would disagree here. One thing that Dirk can do better than Bird is take his defender one on one and score on him. As a team, I would much rather face Bird than Dirk......but as an individual defender, Dirk is a nightmarish matchup. Bird had an incredible pump fake......but Dirk has a ball fake, spin move, can go around you, or just step back and shoot over you.

Bird could do all those things too. If it appeared Bird was tightly guarded, he would find a way to shoot the ball unscathed.

Dirk reminds me of Bird in that fashion.

[EZ Snappin]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

I would disagree here. One thing that Dirk can do better than Bird is take his defender one on one and score on him. As a team, I would much rather face Bird than Dirk......but as an individual defender, Dirk is a nightmarish matchup. Bird had an incredible pump fake......but Dirk has a ball fake, spin move, can go around you, or just step back and shoot over you.

Bird had all those moves as well. He was known for his step back jumper, as well as having a very good baseline spin move. People seem to forget he was a very good dribbler for a man his size, especially considering they actually had to dribble back then.

It's not really a contest. As good as Dirk is, he has only a slight edge as an athlete and the oft-mentioned height advantage. Bird was one of the greatest basketball players ever; few are close to his understanding of the game from every angle. He didn't need to be a freak of nature with a 60" vertical and 11' arms to dominate a game.

Someone earlier brought up how good his team was, which is true. But as a college senior, he led a bunch of scrubs to an undefeated season and to the championship game, where Magic and a talented group of Spartans were finally able to beat him. Bird was a one-of-a-kind type player.

[ZB9]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Bird and Dirk aren't even on the same planet in any of these categories.

agreed, but again Dirk is 28 and barely halfway through his career. Dirk could close the gap before his career is over

Bird was also stronger, both mentally and physically, and was a born winner who dug deep in clutch situations to do whatever was necessary to win games. In addition to being an outstanding passer,

true

which Dirk is not.

again, Dirk is not in Bird's league in these categories...but it seems as though you havent seen many Mavs games over the past couple of seasons if you dont think Dirk is a "winner".

Also, Dirk has improved his passing over the last couple of seasons and he has become a good passer. He has been very good this year at finding the open man, especially passing out of double teams.

Dirk has also been clutch quite a bit more often than he hasnt. Actually, you would be hard pressed to find a player that has been more clutch overall than Dirk has been over the past couple of seasons.

[Dice]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

I would disagree here. One thing that Dirk can do better than Bird is take his defender one on one and score on him. As a team, I would much rather face Bird than Dirk......but as an individual defender, Dirk is a nightmarish matchup. Bird had an incredible pump fake......but Dirk has a ball fake, spin move, can go around you, or just step back and shoot over you.

HUH? I disagree with you on this one. If Dirk is a better one-on-one scorer then why isn't he leading the NBA in scoring? He's 7-foot tall and normally is facing someone smaller than him. If he was a better scorer he would be averaging about what Kobe is has been averging these last two weeks.

Bird on the other hand normally faced defenders about his size and were more athletic than him BUT he still got his points. Bird, who is regarded as one of the most biggest trash talkers in the game at that time, stated that during a tied ball game against the Supersonics he told the guy who was guarding him, Xavier McDaniel, where he would hit the game winning shot. Surely enough, after the time out he proceeded to catch the ball at that spot and hit the shot over McDaniel. McDaniel wasn't an all-NBA defender but he's not a terrible defender. No way a defender who knows where his guy is going to shoot should score, unless his player is just that great of a scorer. And Larry Bird was that great of a scorer.

[Moses Shuttlesworth]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

People are saying the leagues are completely different, and Dirk is only 28 years old.

Bird constantly had to go up against Magic Johnson, MJ a few times, Dominique Wilkins, and other great players of that era.

Bird was certainly a better rebounder than Dirk, as well. Check out the stats.

Bird even had to face Moses Malone several times, in which he would still grab many boards.

One thing that really sticks out to me is one year, I don't remember which, Bird was one rebound away from recording a quadruple-double. Bird, who obviously didn't care about stats, just winning, says "Coach, take me out."
That right there is pure pride in playing the game. As long as he won, he was happy. No other player, ever, who played the game of basketball played with the same kind of heart as Larry Bird.

[Rocky]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

HUH? I disagree with you on this one. If Dirk is a better one-on-one scorer then why isn't he leading the NBA in scoring? He's 7-foot tall and normally is facing someone smaller than him. If he was a better scorer he would be averaging about what Kobe is has been averging these last two weeks.

Bird on the other hand normally faced defenders about his size and were more athletic than him BUT he still got his points. Bird, who is regarded as one of the most biggest trash talkers in the game at that time, stated that during a tied ball game against the Supersonics he told the guy who was guarding him, Xavier McDaniel, where he would hit the game winning shot. Surely enough, after the time out he proceeded to catch the ball at that spot and hit the shot over McDaniel. McDaniel wasn't an all-NBA defender but he's not a terrible defender. No way a defender who knows where his guy is going to shoot should score, unless his player is just that great of a scorer. And Larry Bird was that great of a scorer.

Very good points brought up by you, roadman, and ez snappin. I'm well aware of how great of a scorer Bird was. I think his is greatest strength was being able to predict what his defender would do next. He was also an above average athlete and obviously better skilled.

That sai, I am still standing by my statement. Dirk scores one on one so easily that there is only a handful of guys who are tougher covers. Like that pull up jumper off the drive. He is so efficient at that, it is crazy......or he can go in and throw it down(the main reson why Dirk was a borderline top 10 player to now a bonafide top 5 guy).

I hate using stats to compare players from different eras. Bird was a greater rebounder than Dirk, but not because he averaged more boards. There were alot more shots attempted back then so inevitablty Bird will have more rebounds.

[grunt]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Bird was on of the smartest players ever in the NBA with a mean streak. Bird came up big in big games. I have to wait and see if Dirk can play to that level in big games. Bird also made players better with his passing and knew his limitations on defense but played well in the half court. There are few players I would pick ahead of Bird.

Oh yeah, I grew up hating, I mean hating Bird but dam he was good.

[Air23]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Isiah Thomas said that.

Actually, Dennis Rodman said that, then Isiah agreed with him. Stupid regardless of who said it first, but just wanted to clarify.

[ZB9]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Bird is a bonafide top 5 player of ALL TIME. This is not exactly a fair comparison. It's as bad as comparing Nash to Stockton.

[P2K]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Make it stop. Please, make it stop.

[Air23]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Bird was on of the smartest players ever in the NBA with a mean streak. Bird came up big in big games. I have to wait and see if Dirk can play to that level in big games. Bird also made players better with his passing and knew his limitations on defense but played well in the half court. There are few players I would pick ahead of Bird.

Oh yeah, I grew up hating, I mean hating Bird but dam he was good.

Yeah, man, when I got into watching the NBA around 1985, Magic's Showtime Lakers were my team, and I hated--HATED--the Celtics. But, as the years went on, I grew to appreciate and respect what Bird and the Celtics did. To this day, THE best playoff series I've ever watched was the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the Pistons. There was some bad blood between those teams, and I remember Bird and Parrish took turns kicking Bill Laimbeer's ***.

Great times, great times...

MJ, Magic and Bird are the Holy Trinity of basketball as far as I'm concerned.

[born_bad]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Guys, guys. It's pointless to even debate things like supporting casts and eras here.

Let this end any talk of Dirk being even close to the basketball Jesus.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=h0EOfueL2W4

[grunt]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Guys, guys. It's pointless to even debate things like supporting casts and eras here.

Let this end any talk of Dirk being even close to the basketball Jesus.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=h0EOfueL2W4

Thank you. He was doing this against future hall of famers. You can't look at his stats and try to judge Bird game. He was soooooooooooooo money there are few players that could compare with Larry Legend. This was a great era of NBA ball and being 37 I remember some of those games.

[grunt]

Re: Dirk vs Bird

Yeah, man, when I got into watching the NBA around 1985, Magic's Showtime Lakers were my team, and I hated--HATED--the Celtics. But, as the years went on, I grew to appreciate and respect what Bird and the Celtics did. To this day, THE best playoff series I've ever watched was the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the Pistons. There was some bad blood between those teams, and I remember Bird and Parrish took turns kicking Bill Laimbeer's ***.

Great times, great times...

MJ, Magic and Bird are the Holy Trinity of basketball as far as I'm concerned.

Same here. This thread should turn into the Bird appreciation thread. Those Celtics team made other teams champions. They called the Pistons the bad boys but I remember how the Celtics would out tough them as a team the same way the Pistons did to the bulls untill they were able to get over thier hump. Bird mark on the game is amazing.