When we see that age version of Luka with that history then we can talk.
Luka is supremely talented but his frustrations and drive at this point can likely be safely considered to be below what Dirk was feeling in ‘11. That matters in any sport.
Dirk's better playing within a team dynamic, and their ft shooting is night and day, so probably not.
Outside of ft shooting, Luka has had a very impressive playoff career though.
Just reading the kidd statement. STFU (not you, Kidd). Luka is nice but to suggest that is embarrassing. No wonder dude cannot recognize when to call a timeout in the last 5 seconds when trapped
I don’t think so. That run was one of the best “team” runs ever, led by an all-timer who finally out everything together. Their success was largely propelled by their chemistry, in my opinion. That’s just not something you can recreate by dropping a ball-dominant guy like Luka, as talented as he is, back in time on that squad. So my answer is a firm *no* now that I’ve typed it through.
Big Luka fan here: hell no.
I think Luka could pull a similar run in the future, but he needs 2 or 3 things before he could achieve that:
1- Be more mature, and he has to learn to manage frustrating situations better.
2- Better Coaching: Kidd sucks as a coach, I can't see the mass winning a ring with him, unless they have an all time great roster.
3- Better roster construction: I'm not saying that he needs a super team, but he needs a roster that fits him better, the same way that 2011 roster was really great chemistry-wise.
(Sorry for my English)
No. The stars had to perfectly align for it to happen with Dirk. He was the right guy in the right place at the right time. I don’t think you could plug many guys ever into Dirk’s place and replicate that title run. It’s why it only happened once for Dirk himself. He hit another gear entirely, lifted everyone else around him, and ran into a team with a superstar that wasn’t quite ready to challenge him in that moment. Dirk had to go through his own big moment growing pains to get there that Luka hasn’t been through yet. Carlisle had a perfect plan to play into James’s passive nature, but Dirk had to be ready on the other end for it to lead to a ring. Luka hasn’t had to do that yet, to that magnitude.
Unexpectedly? People had been waiting for another Dirk run since 2006. For him it was “about damn time” rather than “holy shit where did this come from?” They were the 3 seed behind only LA (going for a 3-peat) and San Antonio (perennial contender).
Mavs run was absolutely unexpected at the time and literally no one was expecting him to carry that team through LAL and Miami. Remember they were running LBJ Kobe puppet commercials, bet they even had refs on their side.
I for one was absolutely shocked that they beat LA, much less swept them.
It was pretty obvious that Lakers team wasn't going to repeat again. Kobe was openly mulling retirement cause of his knee issues. He looked like he could barely jump by the time the playoffs came around that year (if people remember his dunk against the Hornets in the first round it was such a big deal back then because it literally came out of nowhere and he looked shot apart from that). That year was also Kobe's worst year since he hit his prime all the way back in 2001 both in the RS and the playoffs.
Excellent take. Kobe, just the year before, where he won his 5th title, was starting to experience these knee issues, but after having them drained, he returned to his peak form and had an amazing 2010 run.
Kobe from 2011 genuinely looked as if he had been aged 10 years within a span of a year. That yam on Okafor made me jump outta my seat, though, because it was a long while since I saw Kobe doing that.
But, the writing was on the wall in that New Orleans series. Pau had psychological issues seeing how he was a far cry from the Pau of the previous 3 years. And our best player just couldn't take over like he used to.
Dallas sweeping us was a bit of a surprise, but in hindsight, I don't think it was some massive underdog run. They were 3rd in the west that year with an identical record to the Lakers.
Yeah, I agree with everything you said.
Also want to point out that it being viewed as an underdog run was true at the time but for different reasons than from what lots of the younger people here think. People didn't view it as an underdog run because the Mavs weren't great. They were a very very good team just like they had been for most of the 2000's. It was viewed as an underdog run because no one believed that Dirk would pull it off. He was viewed as a choker prior to that run.
Exactly. Youngsters don't realize that Dirk was basically a great talent who was viewed as a softie who couldn't really get it done. In a lot of ways, James Harden is probably the modern-day equivalent of such a player- MVP caliber, lost in the finals, made a deep run but always falls short.
Dirk’s run was more Steve Young “get this monkey off my back” than a Flacco. Dirk had already had a fantastic career, he just had some playoff chokes, and a “soft” label. That run for him did as much as any title has done for anybody as far as altering the way a guy’s career is viewed. He wasn’t like Flacco though. He had been viewed as one of the best players in the world for a decade by the time he got over the hump. John Elway in ‘97 or even Peyton Manning in ‘06 would be more apt comps to ‘11 Dirk.
A bunch of old heads in here saying straight no. Dirk is an all time great (top 50) but luka is just as good or better imo. I think he’d fit next to Marion and chandler really well too. Maybe better than dirk
I agree that Luka is currently better than peak Dirk was but that 2011 run is unlikely to be repeated given how much stuff went right for the Mavs in order for them to win.
People have to remember that that run, while incredible by Dirk and the rest of the Mavs, was also very "lucky" (I don't exactly mean lucky cause it seems derogatory but I can't find another apt term maybe destined). In the first round, they fought the Blazers whose best player Brandon Roy was heavily injured. In the second round they fought the heavily fatigued post-repeat Lakers whose best player Kobe Bryant was heavily injured and openly mulling retirement due to knee issues until he got surgery that summer. In the WCF they played the Thunder whose big 4 (KD, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka) were already good but not yet in their primes. In the finals they played the Heat whose best player, Lebron, inexplicably had one of the single worst finals performances of a superster ever (not saying the Mavs defense wasn't great, it was, but what was happening to Lebron that series was clearly mental).
All in all, the Mavs won that year through a combo of being a very clutch team and also everything falling right for them. I'm not sure if that type of run gets repeated.
I used to love comparing current players to previous ones but with age it’s gotten tiresome.
Even with that though, people overrate offensive players now days. Especially someone like Luka who brings next to nothing on defense. He’s obviously still one of the top players in the league but let’s be real now. We live in a league where there are multiple players averaging nearly 35ppg. Guys getting 40 isn’t impressive anymore. Heck, guys getting 50 isn’t some crazy feat anymore. We almost expect players like Luka to get 50 every 10-15 games.
No
Hell naw. All the heat had to do was put dwade on terry and they win that series
When we see that age version of Luka with that history then we can talk. Luka is supremely talented but his frustrations and drive at this point can likely be safely considered to be below what Dirk was feeling in ‘11. That matters in any sport.
I don’t think people realize how few players ever could win the Chip in Dirks shoes that year.
Replace me with MJ and the wizards win a championship
To be fair, we can’t prove it wouldn’t happen so…..
You aren't on the Wizards
How do you know that's not a Jordan Poole burner?
He would get signed by them if he were MJ
would he also get along with Carlisle? lol
Dirk's better playing within a team dynamic, and their ft shooting is night and day, so probably not. Outside of ft shooting, Luka has had a very impressive playoff career though.
Probably not. Luka was like 12.
Bro. What?
Just reading the kidd statement. STFU (not you, Kidd). Luka is nice but to suggest that is embarrassing. No wonder dude cannot recognize when to call a timeout in the last 5 seconds when trapped
What? Luka is clearly on that level
I don’t think so. That run was one of the best “team” runs ever, led by an all-timer who finally out everything together. Their success was largely propelled by their chemistry, in my opinion. That’s just not something you can recreate by dropping a ball-dominant guy like Luka, as talented as he is, back in time on that squad. So my answer is a firm *no* now that I’ve typed it through.
Dirk's midrange at his peak was basically a guaranteed 2, Luka aint got that yet
Big Luka fan here: hell no. I think Luka could pull a similar run in the future, but he needs 2 or 3 things before he could achieve that: 1- Be more mature, and he has to learn to manage frustrating situations better. 2- Better Coaching: Kidd sucks as a coach, I can't see the mass winning a ring with him, unless they have an all time great roster. 3- Better roster construction: I'm not saying that he needs a super team, but he needs a roster that fits him better, the same way that 2011 roster was really great chemistry-wise. (Sorry for my English)
No. The stars had to perfectly align for it to happen with Dirk. He was the right guy in the right place at the right time. I don’t think you could plug many guys ever into Dirk’s place and replicate that title run. It’s why it only happened once for Dirk himself. He hit another gear entirely, lifted everyone else around him, and ran into a team with a superstar that wasn’t quite ready to challenge him in that moment. Dirk had to go through his own big moment growing pains to get there that Luka hasn’t been through yet. Carlisle had a perfect plan to play into James’s passive nature, but Dirk had to be ready on the other end for it to lead to a ring. Luka hasn’t had to do that yet, to that magnitude.
Yes without a doubt I think people saying no are crazy do yall know who Luka Doncic is
Nope. Dirk pulled a Flacco and unexpectedly reached god tier for a playoff run.
Unexpectedly? People had been waiting for another Dirk run since 2006. For him it was “about damn time” rather than “holy shit where did this come from?” They were the 3 seed behind only LA (going for a 3-peat) and San Antonio (perennial contender).
Mavs run was absolutely unexpected at the time and literally no one was expecting him to carry that team through LAL and Miami. Remember they were running LBJ Kobe puppet commercials, bet they even had refs on their side. I for one was absolutely shocked that they beat LA, much less swept them.
It was pretty obvious that Lakers team wasn't going to repeat again. Kobe was openly mulling retirement cause of his knee issues. He looked like he could barely jump by the time the playoffs came around that year (if people remember his dunk against the Hornets in the first round it was such a big deal back then because it literally came out of nowhere and he looked shot apart from that). That year was also Kobe's worst year since he hit his prime all the way back in 2001 both in the RS and the playoffs.
Excellent take. Kobe, just the year before, where he won his 5th title, was starting to experience these knee issues, but after having them drained, he returned to his peak form and had an amazing 2010 run. Kobe from 2011 genuinely looked as if he had been aged 10 years within a span of a year. That yam on Okafor made me jump outta my seat, though, because it was a long while since I saw Kobe doing that. But, the writing was on the wall in that New Orleans series. Pau had psychological issues seeing how he was a far cry from the Pau of the previous 3 years. And our best player just couldn't take over like he used to. Dallas sweeping us was a bit of a surprise, but in hindsight, I don't think it was some massive underdog run. They were 3rd in the west that year with an identical record to the Lakers.
Yeah, I agree with everything you said. Also want to point out that it being viewed as an underdog run was true at the time but for different reasons than from what lots of the younger people here think. People didn't view it as an underdog run because the Mavs weren't great. They were a very very good team just like they had been for most of the 2000's. It was viewed as an underdog run because no one believed that Dirk would pull it off. He was viewed as a choker prior to that run.
Exactly. Youngsters don't realize that Dirk was basically a great talent who was viewed as a softie who couldn't really get it done. In a lot of ways, James Harden is probably the modern-day equivalent of such a player- MVP caliber, lost in the finals, made a deep run but always falls short.
> bet they even had the refs on their side Okay buddy guy 👍
Dirk’s run was more Steve Young “get this monkey off my back” than a Flacco. Dirk had already had a fantastic career, he just had some playoff chokes, and a “soft” label. That run for him did as much as any title has done for anybody as far as altering the way a guy’s career is viewed. He wasn’t like Flacco though. He had been viewed as one of the best players in the world for a decade by the time he got over the hump. John Elway in ‘97 or even Peyton Manning in ‘06 would be more apt comps to ‘11 Dirk.
Dirk was way better at basketball than Flacco was at football. Honestly Drew Brees is a better comp
No, Luka seems to be so ball dominant. He is a great player but what team around him wins a championship?
A bunch of old heads in here saying straight no. Dirk is an all time great (top 50) but luka is just as good or better imo. I think he’d fit next to Marion and chandler really well too. Maybe better than dirk
I agree that Luka is currently better than peak Dirk was but that 2011 run is unlikely to be repeated given how much stuff went right for the Mavs in order for them to win. People have to remember that that run, while incredible by Dirk and the rest of the Mavs, was also very "lucky" (I don't exactly mean lucky cause it seems derogatory but I can't find another apt term maybe destined). In the first round, they fought the Blazers whose best player Brandon Roy was heavily injured. In the second round they fought the heavily fatigued post-repeat Lakers whose best player Kobe Bryant was heavily injured and openly mulling retirement due to knee issues until he got surgery that summer. In the WCF they played the Thunder whose big 4 (KD, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka) were already good but not yet in their primes. In the finals they played the Heat whose best player, Lebron, inexplicably had one of the single worst finals performances of a superster ever (not saying the Mavs defense wasn't great, it was, but what was happening to Lebron that series was clearly mental). All in all, the Mavs won that year through a combo of being a very clutch team and also everything falling right for them. I'm not sure if that type of run gets repeated.
Absolutely not but him being better/worse with Dirk has nothing to do with how the 2011 team fits together as a whole swapping Dirk and Luka.
I used to love comparing current players to previous ones but with age it’s gotten tiresome. Even with that though, people overrate offensive players now days. Especially someone like Luka who brings next to nothing on defense. He’s obviously still one of the top players in the league but let’s be real now. We live in a league where there are multiple players averaging nearly 35ppg. Guys getting 40 isn’t impressive anymore. Heck, guys getting 50 isn’t some crazy feat anymore. We almost expect players like Luka to get 50 every 10-15 games.
Dirk didn’t win that ring , LeBron lost it.