MVPs: 1. Finals MVPs: 1. All-NBA 1st Team: 4. 2nd Team: 5. 3rd Team: 3. All Star: 14. MVP: 0.
Defensive POY: 0. All-Defense Teams: 0.
Career Averages: 21 PPG/ 7 RPG/ 2 APG/ .8 SPG/ .8 BPG/ .512 eFG%/ .879 FT%.
Best Season: 27/ 9/ 3/ .7/ 1/ .515/ .901 (2005-06).
Postseason Averages: 25 PPG/ 10 RPG/ 2 APG/ 1 SPG/ .9 BPG/ .490 eFG%/ .892 FT%.
Best Postseason: 27/ 12/ 3/ 1.1/ .6/ .495/ .895 (2006).
Championships: 1 (#1 player). Runner-ups: 1 (#1 player).
Why he's below Kevin Garnett: Dirk was an all-time great offensive player and an average defensive player; Garnett was a good offensive player and an all-time great defensive player. The two players have extremely close resumes, so I went with the player with a slightly more balanced game.
Why he's above the rest: Dirk was one of the hardest players for me to rank. He started in the top #20, then dropped below #30, before ending up in the middle at #25. Dirk was a guy who could absolutely put a team on his back and take them to the Finals, which isn't the case for some of the players I have ranked higher than him. When he was at his best, no one could guard him. Slow bigs got taken to the perimeter where Dirk would drive past them or take the open shot if they backed off. Smaller guards got shot over or taken to the post, where Dirk was stronger and tougher than you might remember. Dirk is in the conversation with LeBron, Wade and Kobe for the best player over a six year period from 2006 to 2011. It's hard for me to remember that sometimes. A spot in the top 25 all time should make him a lot easier to remember now.
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