[torukParticipant]

 which player is the best matchup to defend dirk in the entire league?
and in the miami and bulls team?(maybe a finals match up, don`t give up on ibaka yet)

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

The Thunders actually have good defenders (Ibaka, Safalosha, Harden), the problem in game one is they played Nowitzki WAY TOO aggressive, and Nowitzki used their aggressiveness against them to get to the free throw line.

As far as entire league, I would say Lebron James due to his height and bulk, you can argue he is probably stronger than Dirk, and his athleticism makes up for the height difference. KG also, but he is aging, perhaps when he was in his prime.

[torukParticipant]

 ibaka is a great matchup, one of the best actually, he dirk was playing great but they should have double teamed him. Lebron is a great matchup but even him would not defend him one on one, kg probably can but i think a great match up would be joakim noah!

[BasterdInABasketParticipant]

Might have been his first round matchup Lamarcus Aldridge. Wasnt as efficient in that series but did put up some big numbers. Honestly nobody is a good matchup for an aggresive 7 footer who makes fadeaway one footed jumpers.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Udonis Haslem in 2006. That being said, no one left in the play-offs can guard Dirk Nowitzki well. It will be about guarding Jason Terry, and making sure JJ Barea stops going off for about 15-20 points so often. Dirk is going to keep kicking @ss it seems, just have a feeling.  

[TeamShowtimeLakersParticipant]

a great matchup for dirk could be lebron james because lebron is strong and quick enough to lock up dirk..also i like josh smith for the hawks…smith is so athletic and can jump and blocks shots he could make dirk work…as for the thunder, they need to keep either ibaka or thabo on dirk…ibaka is like josh smith as ibaka has the size and athletic ability with shot blocking to defend dirk..thabo wont block dirk shots, but he will make dirk work to try to put the ball on the floor…in a potential finals matchup, lebron for the heat would have to check dirk and noah for the bulls would have to check dirk.

[forrestjParticipant]

Stephen Jackson=dirk stopper. hahaha laugh all you want but its true. Or maybe he just got lucky for six games, but still…

Nowitzki averaged only 19.7 points and shot 38.3 percent in the six-game playoff defeat against the Warriors.

"He’s a competitor. He’s one of those guys you hate to play against but love to be on your team. He always plays hard. He’s a very skilled player, a heck of a shooter but can make plays off the dribble and is a great passer."

 “He’s a competitor more than anything,” Nowitzki said of the 29-year-old Jackson. “He goes after it. That’s how he plays. He’s out there. He’s talking to himself in the game sometimes. He just loves to compete.”

-Dirk on Jackson

[jerb2011Participant]

But in this series, they shouldn’t double-team Dirk at all. Just stay one-on-one and try to face him up. Dallas has too many shooters to double-team and Dirk will NOT be that effecient every night. I would just stay one-on-one and try not to foul Dirk and if the shot goes in, itgoes in. 24 of his 48 were free throws. That’s half and some of the shot he was fouled on would be a bad shot anyway. I would just stay man-to-man on the rest of the team and make Dirk have to score 90+ points every game w/ different defenders on him on different possessions depending on where he is on the court. In the paint would be Serge or Kendrick. On the perimeter or in between the perimeter and the paint would be Thabo or KD. I would rather give up about 30+ points on contested shots that 48 poits, 24 of them coming from the FT line. Also, if the Thunder stay man-to-man, that almost eliminates the wide open 3s that pretty much sealed the deal last game in the late 4th quarter. If they can make Dirk put the ball on the floor then that will definitely help, too.

[Sasha4MVPParticipant]

I would disgree.  I think getting the ball out of Dirk’s hands is the best situation for the Thunder.  Obviously they need to be smart about which man to send, e.g. don’t leave Terry.  I feel like with the way Dirk has been playing, the Thunder should try to make the rest of the Mavericks beat them.   When the Thunder doubled Dirk in game 1, the Mavericks offense was a bit rushed and out of sync.  They can’t just allow Dirk to camp at the midpost and rain jumpers on Ibaka all day.  

[nateoak10Participant]

 He clamped him down in 07 🙂

Gerald Wallce and Batum as well imo 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

"which player is the best matchup to defend dirk in the entire league?"

 

It might be the worst video ever made, but still.

[TRC1991Participant]

the lack of quality of that video will "haunt" my dreams tonight

[apb540Participant]

Dirk is a HOFer and arguably the best European player ever.  No one guards him well.  Ibaka would of been my pick before game 1….. 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Or the best! That was hilarious :). Man, that series was so much fun, it is cool to see a team be a great counterbalance to another, in that case the Warriors athleticism destroying Dallas inside. I remember Nelly had a whole gameplan into stopping Dirk, and they did a decent job of doing so. Even so, it is easier said than done, and Dirk honestly is better than he has ever been, not to mention playing with a better supporting cast and having length and athleticism in the post. This has made him even more dangerous, and I think he is going to be a tough match-up for anyone in these play-offs. In the mean time, you try and shadow him, give him as little space possible, and in a way play as physically against him as Memphis did against Durant. The problem with that is it more than likely creates space for Dallas’ other shooters, they really have a number of weapons now. Going to be a very difficult team to stop, it can be done, but I think the odds are that Dirk will be putting up numbers the rest of these play-offs, and it will be about stopping Dallas’ other weapons from lighting you up.

[omphalosParticipant]

Let’s keep in mind the Thunder didn’t have too long to game-plan for Dirk with such a short layoff. I don’t think they should double him, but rather focus on stopping Dallas getting hot from deep, which is what really killed the Thunder. Oh, and find someone who can stop Barea.

Honestly, Dirk isn’t going to sustain that level at his age for a whole series, and if Ibaka and Collison are more disciplined with fouling then the Thunder have got this covered. Dirk only made 12 field goals, so it’s hard to say he’d be that efficient if he weren’t getting fouled and was forced to become a volume shooter from the field.

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