The Bird v Dirk thread got me thinking: who has been the best player Dirk's played with? And I mean, while in their prime (so you can't say Kidd, obviously).

Most would say Nash, but his highest assist average was 8.8, and his highest points ave was 17.9. IOM, Nash and Dirk both greatly improved their games when he left.

Finley was the best scoring option, averaging about 20 ppg for 5 years. It's easy to forget how good he was early on, when Dallas was turning things around.

Terry has the benefit of recent history, and it's easy to recall all that he has meant to the team. Big shots when it's mattered; great chemistry w/ Dirk.

I'm gonna have to go with Eduardo Najera on this one.

Shawn Bradley

antoine rigadeau

Dennis Rodman in 1999-2000.... seriously

I'd say its a tie between Wang Zhizhi and Tariq Abdul-Wahad!

Terry has been the best player consistently, by far.

Most important teammate would probably be Chandler.

You could also make an argument for 04-09 Josh Howard.

I agree with keith, however, that Tyson Chandler was the most important.

I think Dirk would say it was Chandler.

You could make an argument for Howard, Young Nash, Old Kidd, Terry, Chandler

Howard was ridiculous for about 2-3 years.

But I think you have to go with Nash. He was making All-NBA teams in Dallas. He couldn't play D, but Honey Nelson don't care. Nash was top 10, top 10 and top 3 in assists his last three years in Dallas. Plus has been top 10 in 3FG% for the last decade. It wasn't like Nash got a lot better to win the MVP, he just had better coaching for his abilities.

Raef LaFrentz.

Seriously though it was probably, Nash, with Howard during his good years a close second. Chandler was the difference-maker, but not his best teammate.

^^^R0GUE nailed it. Nash was a great complement to Dirk, but Howard was an excellent sidekick as well. However, Chandler was clearly what he needed together over the hump.

Chandler plus a great distributing PG and a 6th man of the year, and a SF that can rebound and score, a couple of 3-point shooters and an explosive PG to change the pace in games. And lets not forget Ian Mahinmi to wave the towels with ridiculous athleticism. It takes a team and you really need all the right pieces to win it all in the NBA. That's why I would seriously consider something like LeBron+Mike Miller for Howard+Turkeyglue. The pieces would fit better, even if you are trading LeBron away.

Nash has described how he made himself a better player after leaving - it wasn't just coaching and teammates.

Another way to look at it:

If Nash stayed in Dallas, do they win a title before 2011? I say no - Chandler was always the missing piece.

What if in 2004 Cuban matched for Nash then traded Antoine Walker for expiring contracts instead of Jason Terry? All the other personnell moves the following 7 years could be the same with Nash replacing Terry. Still no title until Chandler IMO

Plus the wildcard of would Don Nelson have still quit on the team if Nash stayed, allowing for a new commitment to defense?

[This message has been edited by Internetfan02 (edited 1/12/2012 3:51p).]

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Nash has described how he made himself a better player after leaving - it wasn't just coaching and teammates.

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Link? Players generally don't make a monumental leap in talent at age 30.

quote:

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If Nash stayed in Dallas, do they win a title before 2011?

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Impossible to say. What id DAntoni had been hired. I would think that SSOL would have been ridiculous with Dirk/Howard/Nash/Terry/Stack/Harris

Can that system win? I don't know, but with that nucleus, I think you have a better shot than Amare/Marion/Nash/Barbaro.

Maybe they don't end up with Tyson. Maybe they get Marcus Camby for a 2nd round pick a couple years earlier.

Gotta be the Custodian.



[This message has been edited by helgs (edited 1/12/2012 5:29p).]

Nash said he rededicated himself to conditioning and durability, and got a new competitive edge to prove Cuban and the critics wrong.


How would 2005 Dirk have thrived in SSOL? He was only good for trailing 3s on fast breaks and pick and pops in the half court. Nash and Amare/Marion were doing pick and rolls for dunks. No one on the Mavs nucleus could come close to replicating Amare/Marion. And Dirk is never pushed to develop a low post game.

Dantoni started at phx in 2004 and would have had a respectable SSOL team with many pass-first PGs. Cuban was solidly headed in the opposite direction.

Nellie and Cuban would have had an ugly breakup anyway, but losing Nash escalated it.

[This message has been edited by Internetfan02 (edited 1/12/2012 5:39p).]

It's Nash and it's not even close.

Finley and Howard were good players. But there are guys like that on most teams.

Jason Terry. Great chemistry on the court. They have the pick and roll down to an art. 2 NBA finals together.