Regan: Dirk vs. Malone

I have a man crush on Dirk Nowitzki. I have closely followed his career since I was 9 years old. He is my favorite athlete in the world. As a result, everything I am about to say is 110% biased, and quite possibly irrational. The debate: Karl Malone vs. Dirk Nowitzki, both of whom are in the select list of top five power forwards of all time. It would seem you can’t go wrong when choosing between the two. However, there is an obvious choice here and assuming you have some degree of intelligence you know the obvious choice is Dirk.

Dirk first played in the NBA in 1998 trying to shed the “soft tag” that several basketball pundits and fans branded upon him. Thirteen years, a ring, a finals MVP, and a regular season MVP later it’s fair to say he’s done away with the label given to him so many years ago. His statistics are incredible: 23 points per game, almost 9 rebounds a game, 88% career free throw shooter. In addition, he boasts ten all-star selections, eleven all-NBA selections, and is the only player in NBA history to hit 150 three-pointers while also recording over 100 blocks in the same season. However, admittedly Karl Malone’s stats are also incredible, even better then Nowitzki’s in several aspects. Fortunately, there are more measures then statistics to measure a player’s greatness. (How else could Bill Russell even be considered to be in the same league as Wilt Chamberlin when Wilt’s stats were far superior?) Let me start this argument by giving you a few names: Adrian Griffin, Keith Van Horn, Erick Dampier, Desagna Diop (no idea if I spelled that one right). If you’re not a big basketball fan you probably don’t recognize those names and if you are a fan you’re probably thinking to yourself “my gosh, those guys suck, there’s middle school B-team kids that are better then they are,” and you would be 100% correct. Yet, all of those names were key players on the Mavs 2006 team that Dirk led to the finals. The only respectable players on that roster were Jason Terry, and Josh “I’m higher than a kite” Howard. A few more names you’ll most likely recognize this time: J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion, Brain Cardinal, Ian Mahinmi. Along with Dirk, this is the core of this year’s title team. You might say “Oh wow JKidd, Marion, and Terry are all good players” and I am not disputing that except Kidd is currently 57 years old, Marion hasn’t been in an all-star in four years and Terry has never even been an all-star. And let me repeat two names: J.J Barea and Brian Cardinal, both played huge minutes for the Mavs throughout the year and in the playoffs. Dirk Nowitzki took both of these rosters to the NBA finals winning one.

Throughout history the NBA has been a league of stars, and the champion generally has at least two superstars. For example, Kobe/Shaq, Kobe/Pau, Pierce/Garnett/Allen, Jordan/Pippen, Magic/Kareem, and Bird/McHale just to name a few. Dirk, a little over a month ago, defied this logic when he won the title as his teams only superstar, defeating a team with three in the process. Malone on the other hand played his entire career with at least one superstar (John Stockton in Utah, Kobe and others in LA) yet never could win the title.

Karl Malone was consistently worse in the fourth quarter of games and in the playoffs. For his career he shot five percentage points worse in the playoffs then during the regular season and averaged less points per game. He didn’t relish the big moment like true superstars; he pooped himself when they came. I recently watched a Youtube clip of the final minutes of a playoff game between Dallas and Utah in which Utah led by about seven with about five minutes left. Well Dallas ended up winning by one, and in the final three minutes Malone was 1-2 from the line 0-1 from the field (he might have had a lay-up, for the sake of the argument let’s say he didn’t though) with a turnover and a missed defensive assignment that gave up the game-winning lay-up. In addition to those miscues he passed the ball like it was a hot potato several times and seemed to avoid it. Not to mention the infamous play in which he lost the ball to Jordan in the final seconds in game six of the 1998 finals, or when he missed two free throws at the end of game one in 1997, and countless other examples. Go type in Karl Malone buzzer beater on YouTube and the top results are all buzzer beaters by his teammate Stockton, one by Kobe and so on. I’m not entirely sure what that means but I feel like it must mean something. Whereas Dirk elevates his game year after year in the playoffs averaging over 25 points and 10 rebounds per game, one of four players in the history of the game to do that. Also, Dirk has hit several game winners/ buzzer beaters in career including what seemed like 37 in this years playoffs alone; to use a How I Met Your Mother reference he was legend…. Wait for it… dary LEGENDARY.

Next point, without Stockton (one of the top five point guards ever/top 40 player ever) I don’t think Malone could have been as good as he was. Stockton ran the pick and roll better then any other guard in history. He set up Malone masterfully time and time again for years. And while it’s obviously a two-man play and Malone also ran it to perfection, I think most would agree that it depends on the ball handler. While Malone could also score one on one, I just think his game depended too much on another player. On the other side of it you have Dirk, who can score on anyone at anytime, pretty much anyway he wants to, he’s honestly not guardable, you just have to hope it doesn’t go in when he shoots. And fair or not players are often judged by rings and Dirk now has one compared to the goose egg for Malone.

Dirk is clearly better than Malone. When starting a team he’s the clear choice because he simply put his team on his back time and time again. The Mavs without Dirk in 2011 were horrible going 2-7, with Dirk they were a championship team, winning with the likes of J.J Barea and Brian Cardinal as prominent players, and earning the status as my favorite team ever. 

Fell free to comment and let us know you think I am right over Devin.

Regan

Devin: Dirk vs. Malone

Stockton to Malone. Nash and Kidd to Nowitzki. The point (pun intended) is both Karl Malone and Dirk Nowitzki have played with elite passing point guards, which evened the playing field between the two. Both have the stats, the wins, and the MVP’s. But who is better? To me, this is kinda like choosing between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini; you can’t go wrong either way. My preference though is Karl Malone. My argument you might ask, is that the numbers don’t lie. After being drafted 13^th overall in the 1985 NBA draft, it didn’t take long for him to hit his stride. He averaged 15 ppg and 9 rpg in his rookie season, earning him a spot on the NBA All rookie team. But he didn’t stop there; Malone dominated the PF position for years, averaging 25 ppg and 10.1 rpg in his 19 year career. During that time Karl Malone scored 36,928 points (2^nd) and pulled down 14,968 rebounds (6^th). To put that in perspective, in order for Dirk Nowitzki to reach those numbers in the same amount of games Malone did, he would have to score 14,136 points and grab 6,653 rebounds. That’s an average of 29.2 ppg and 13.7 rpg. I think it’s safe to say Nowitzki won’t reach those numbers considering his career average is 23 ppg and 8.4 rpg. Career Numbers- Malone>Nowitzki. One great aspect of Karl Malone’s game is that he was a master at getting to the free throw line. He holds the record for the most free throws attempted and made, averaging 8.9 attempts and 6.6 makes per game during his career. Speaking of records, Malone also holds records for all-time defensive rebounds and consecutive seasons scoring at least 2,000 points, with 11. Records- Malone>Nowitzki. While I feel like Nowitzki is an underrated defender, he is still not even in the same zip code as Malone in terms of defense; and Malone wasn’t even considered an elite defender. Malone averaged 1.4 steals and 7.7 defensive rebounds per game, making 3 NBA All-Defense first teams, and one NBA All-Defense second team. Nowitzki has averaged .9 steals and 7.2 defensive rebounds per game, but has not been voted to any NBA All-Defensive teams. Defense- Malone>Nowitzki. But Malone being better on the defensive end was a given, right? So how about the offensive end. This may come as a surprise to some, but Malone has better stats than Nowitzki in categories such as ppg, rpb, ast, and even FG%. In fact Nowitzki’s best season FG% wise is 51.7%, only .01% higher than Malone’s career average of 51.6%. If you compare offensive stats of the two All-Stars best seasons, Malone clearly has the edge. In the 2005-06 season Nowitzki averaged 26.6 points, 2.8 assists, 9 total rebounds (1.4 offensive) per game, while shooting 48% from the floor. In the 1989-90 season Malone averaged 31 points, 2.8 assists, and 11.1 total rebounds (2.8 offensive) per game, all while shooting 56.2% from the floor. Nowitzki has played against some great defenders like Duncan, Garnett, and Howard. However, Karl Malone played against arguably some of the best interior defenders to ever play the game; Olajuwon, Robinson, Mutombo, Ewing, Mourning, Jabbar, and Rodman. Offense- Malone>Nowitzki. During Malone’s career he was selected to 11 All NBA-First Teams and 14 All-Star games, receiving the MVP award in two of those. Nowitzki has been selected to 4 All NBA-First Teams and 10 All-Star games so far for Nowitzki, but no All-Star MVP awards. And lastly, the regular season MVP awards. Malone collected 2, while Nowitzki owns 1. Personal accolades- Malone>Nowitzki. So now we can argue the postseason. Let’s get this out of the way; I’ve heard the argument that Malone was a choke. But does anyone remember the 2006-07 season when Nowitzki was named the MVP and the Mavs were the #1 seed? That’s right; they lost in the 1^st round to the 8^th seeded GS Warriors 4-2. How about the 2010 playoffs, they were again the #1 seed and lost 4-2 to the 8^th seeded Spurs. Or how about giving up a 2-0 advantage in the 2006 Finals against the Heat, to again lose 4-2? I’ve also heard that Malone played with a better supporting cast. Take a look at these stats from each team’s playoff runs though; John Stockton averaged 13.6 pts in the ‘97 and ‘98 playoffs. The point guards in the ‘06 and ’10 playoffs for the Mavs averaged 14.1 pts. The top 3 players behind Malone averaged a combined 37.8 ppg, while the top 3 behind Nowitzki averaged 43.8 ppg. In the Jazz two title runs, Malone scored 27.5% of the Jazz points. Nowitzki in the Mavs two title runs-26.3%. The numbers are close, but they do suggest a better supporting cast for Nowitzki. But I digress. While Karl Malone made it to 3 finals, he of course was never able to win a ring. But he also never once in his 19 year career missed the playoffs; the same can’t be said for Nowitzki. So Dirk just won the title that Malone never did…congrats to Dirk and the Mavs! Three things though; in my opinion Tyson Chandler was the unsung hero in the playoffs. Mavs don’t win it without him. Also, there was one big difference in the Mavs title quest vs. the Jazz title quest….DA BULLS!! To be blunt, no Nowitzki led team would have had success against those Bulls teams of the 90’s either; and let’s be honest, LeBron and Wade are no Jordan and Pippen right now. Lastly, we’re talking about individual players, not team accomplishments. Not even MJ could have won the titles he did without Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Horace Grant. In fact, that team (minus Rodman) went 55-27 without Jordan when he decided to take his talents to the baseball diamond; a testament of how good they really were. As we all know the Utah Jazz lost in the ‘97 and ‘98 Finals where they had the pleasure of going against the GOAT Michael Jordan and his Bulls, who NEVER lost once they reached the finals. Shame on Malone for not beating arguably the greatest team to ever play in the NBA. So Malone never won a championship, but does one ring really make Nowitzki better? Look, neither John Stockton nor ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich ever won a championship, but are we going to debate whether Derek Fisher is better than both of them because of his 5 championships? I didn’t think so. Be patient Nowitzki fans, in time he could become better than Malone; but right now should Malone vs. Nowitzki even be a debate? No, it’s actually really simple…..Malone>Nowitzki.

Regan: Tim Tebow- Savior or Bust?

Savior. Stud. Superbowls. When a NFL team drafts a quarterback in the first round, those three words describe the expectations that are born. Consequently, when the Denver Broncos selected Tim Tebow, the most celebrated player in college football history with the 25^th pick in the 2010 draft, he earned that same scrutiny that the Mannings and Elways of the world have flourished under, and under which Ryan Leaf, David Carr, and Alex Smith have faltered under. As for which category Tebow will end up in, I believe the latter, but not because he can’t handle pressure, it’s simply because he is not good enough to be a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL. Advocates for Tebow point to his college stats, which were admittedly spectacular, however when compared to Alex Smith’s final college season the statistics are remarkably similar. The advocates then talk about what a winner Tebow is with his two national championships, however Alex Smith went undefeated in 2004 (but had the misfortune of playing at Utah which at the time was in a conference that gets the finger from the BCS system year after year). They both are nearly the same height, same weight, and ran similar 40 yard dash time when timed for the NFL draft. They even played for the same head coach in the brilliant Urban Meyer, whose offensive system allowed them to dominate college defenses. So Alex Smith comes off of an undefeated season, a great statistical season into a draft with a once proud San Francisco franchise that was coming off of a horrible season, especially offensively, picking first and they made him the number one pick and the expectations to turn it around in San Fran. Well, as we all know that didn’t happen. Smith has had what can be considered at best a mediocre, injury-plagued career and the 49ers still suck.  The same thing will happen in Denver with Tebow. Both Smith and Tebow benefited from playing with superior talent around them and under a great coach who produces offensive juggernauts year after year that fit their strengths perfectly. However, that offensive system just doesn’t translate to the NFL because of stronger, faster, smarter, more complex defenses. 

     Another possibility is he ends up a slower (albeit stronger) version of the Michael Vick of the early 2000’s. Exciting, game changing, “holy crap” plays at times, but a hindrance to ever actually winning anything of importance. I’ve heard several experts say he doesn’t need to try to be like Aaron Rodgers, or Peyton Manning, or Tom Brady, that statement is absolutely true; there’s just one problem, those are the types of quarterbacks who win the Superbowl every year. The last ten Superbowl winning quarterback are Rodgers, Brees, Big Ben (has two), the two Mannings, Brad Johnson, Brady (has three), Warner, Dilfer, and Elway. Besides Dilfer who played with arguably the best defense of the last 25 years, those are all elite pocket passers, which is a quality Tim Tebow will never have. I just think while its great to be able to mobile as a quarterback to win the big one you have to be able to make the throws, and I don’t think that Tebow can. Lastly, his supporters will point to his leadership skills and competitive tenacity and while that is SOOO cool to have those qualities, the ten guys listed above all had them as well; the only difference is they could actually make all the throws. (Yes, yes I know except for Dilfer) Look, if Tim Tebow wanted to marry my daughter I would support that 100%, he’s a great guy that makes a lot of money. But if he were going to coach the Cowboys (my favorite team for anyone who doesn’t know me) then I would cry and wish for a Jason Garrett playing comeback. Savior. Stud. Superbowl. I say you can expect none of the above with Tim Tebow.

Regan

Devin: Tim Tebow-Savior or Bust?

The name rings many emotions among football fans across America. Some love his passion for the game; others find his media factory nauseating. But no matter who you are, you have an opinion on Tim Tebow. Coming out of college many thought he had no chance to be an NFL quarterback, either needing a switch to tight end or fullback. But I believe Tebow will do what he has done his entire football career; win at the quarterback position. Although my opinion may be a little biased due to me being a diehard Broncos fan, hear me out. You can’t argue with his college career, he has the awards and stats to back him up as one of colleges’ greatest players. 35-6 as a starter, he became the first college sophomore to win the Heisman, the first player to rush for 20 td’s and throw for 20 td’s in a season, he boasts 2 National Championships, all he did was win. Blah, blah, blah. Yeah we get it, he was good. But that was college, now he is in the NFL playing against the worlds' elite; players are bigger, faster, and stronger. There are no more lineman and linebackers he can plow through (which he learned about early last season), he won’t be outrunning db's, and he most certainly will not pass for 30+ touchdowns, all things he was able to accomplish in college. Most will argue against his throwing motion and the sometimes wreckless way he throws his body around. Granted, both need to be looked at in order for him to succeed. But there are a few things that Tim Tebow will have no problem transitioning over to the NFL, his passion, work ethic, and leadership. He is the type of player that will demand the very best out of his teammates, and gain their respect by always leading the way. We have all heard “The Speech” that was given after UF’s 31-30 loss to Ole Miss in 2008, but the way the team played after his speech was nothing short of spectacular. Outscoring opponents 469-131 in their last ten games against the likes of LSU, Georgia, FSU, Alabama, and OU. The Tebow led offense averaged 47 points a game on their way to a National Championship, where he outplayed the 2010 #1 overall pick Sam Bradford. His teammates followed his lead all the way to the BCS title. If you were able to watch the 3 games he started last year then you could see the impact he had on his team, and I’m not talking about his game stats. I’m talking about the way he psyched up his teammates. His passion and fire were contagious, and the Broncos were missing that with Kyle Orton starting. He also showed promise on the field for the Denver Broncos last year, passing for 654 yards on 82 attempts with a 5/3 touchdown to interception ratio while also rushing for 227 yards and 6 touchdowns. In the 3 games he started Denver averaged 25 ppg, 5 more points than they averaged with Orton at the helm. (A little tidbit for you fantasy buffs, in those 3 games he scored more fantasy points than any other player in the league.) He is expected to start this year, which I think would be smart for a rebuilding Broncos team. He demanded the ball when the game was on the line and played better than most expected. Now, am I saying he will be a Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Aaron Rodgers type player? No, not a chance. He won’t break records like he did in college, he won't beat you with his arm, and he may not even beat you with his legs. But when all is said and done, he WILL find a way to beat you. For these reasons I think it is very conceivable for Tebow to make a few Pro Bowls and lead a team to the Super Bowl. The one thing that can't be denied about Tebow is that he is a winner, he always has been, and in my opinion he always will be. We all knew he was a high risk high reward type player coming out of college, but I believe in the end the reward will make us all forget about the risk.
Devin