Hall of fame ???

[sonnyp]

im no fan of the nba. i do watch the playoffs on occasion.

is dirk novwitski (sp) a hall of famer ? he can shoot and refreshingly humble, no apparent attitude. nice.

[thaskalos]

im no fan of the nba. i do watch the playoffs on occasion.

is dirk novwitski (sp) a hall of famer ? he can shoot and refreshingly humble, no apparent attitude. nice. If Dennis Rodman is a Hall Of Famer...how do you keep Dirk out?

[sonnyp]

interesting opposite comparison. the 2 d's, dennis and dirk. black and white, defense,rebounding and scoring, championships and none, outrageous and humble.

i wonder if dirk will make it ?

[Zippy Chippy]

We were having same conversation about Paul Pierce yesterday. Ironically Dirk was selected 1 ahead of Pierce in that draft

[cj]

Pierce and Dirk are shoe-ins.

[slew101]

Only thing Rick Pitino did right in 4 years, and even with Pierce, he fell into the Celtics' lap at No. 10. He was projected to go from 4-8 in that draft.

Ironically Dirk was selected 1 ahead of Pierce in that draft

[Zippy Chippy]

Only thing Rick Pitino did right in 4 years, and even with Pierce, he fell into the Celtics' lap at No. 10. He was projected to go from 4-8 in that draft.

Ya but he probably would have taken Robert tractor Traylor if he was still around.

I remember watching that draft in shock watching Pierce fall..

[kingfin66]

The NBA Hall of Fame is bizarre. Or should I say, it is much easier for a player to enter the NBA Hall than those of the other major sports. Case in point, this year's class (excluding non-NBA players):

Tom "Satch" Sanders
Dennis Rodman
Arvydas Sabonis
Chris Mullin
Artis Gilmore

If this is the 2011 class, then Nowitski had better get in. Arvydas Sabonis? Tom Sanders? Really?

[cj]

Sabonis was a fabulous player before he made it to this country. He was still pretty good here but was on the tail end of his career and on bad legs.

[kingfin66]

Sabonis was definitely a force in international play, but his NBA career averages of 12.0 ppg and 7.3 rpg are not hall of fame caliber IMO. He is not even one of the top centers of his era much less all time (NBA only). It really makes me wonder why it took Artis Gilmore so long to get in.

[mostpost]

Am I wrong? It's the basketball hall of fame; not the NBA hall of fame. not sure.

[sonnyp]

Am I wrong? It's the basketball hall of fame; not the NBA hall of fame. not sure.


you are 100% correct. i remember listening to a radio sports talk show discussion of rodman going in and reggie miller a non entity.

one point brought up was that it is NOT the pro basketball hall of fame.

[cj]

you are 100% correct. i remember listening to a radio sports talk show discussion of rodman going in and reggie miller a non entity.

one point brought up was that it is NOT the pro basketball hall of fame.

Exactly, which is why Sabonis is not a bad choice.

[kingfin66]

That is true, it is the basketball hall of fame. If this is justification for sabonis being inducted, where are all the other foreign players? Why is Oscar schmidt not in? Or, is it necessary to have played in the NBA but be given credit for other play. Surely, sabonis is not the only worthy player. How about sirens marchiulonis?

Sorry, but I am just not sold on his enshrinement. I am admittedly biased about requirements to make it in based on what other sports require.

[sonnyp]

from espn.com :

Carlisle's Mavs Coming Together


(http://search.espn.go.com/first-take/video/6)

Carlisle's Mavs Coming Together (http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6514244)
DALLAS -- There's something different about Dirk Nowitzki (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/609/dirk-nowitzki), and it seems as if the rest of the country is taking notice of the Dallas Mavericks' (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/dal/dallas-mavericks) superstar.

And opinion isn't being confined only to this year's playoffs: Nowitzki's legacy as an all-time great is also gaining momentum.



The B.S. Report


Bill Simmons breaks down the Mavericks' sweep of the Lakers with Jimmy Kimmel and ESPN NBA Insider Marc Stein.

More Podcasts » (http://espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/)



"In my opinion, he's a top 10 player in NBA history because of the uniqueness of his game and how he's carried this franchise on his back for over a decade," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told "ESPN First Take" on Monday. "He's just right. He's leading the team. His shot-making is great. He's passing the ball great. He's one of the guys that's directing traffic for us defensively."

Sure, Nowitzki has been the league MVP (2006-07), and he's been the one constant on the floor during the Mavericks' run of 11 consecutive 50-win seasons. Only the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics (1959-1968), the Magic Johnson-led Lakers (1980-91) and the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs (2000-present) have had comparable runs.

Those teams, however, won championships. Dirk has yet to win an NBA title, making his only Finals appearance in 2006 when the Mavericks lost to the Miami Heat (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/mia/miami-heat) in six games.

"He's got one thing missing from the mantel and that drives him," Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson told ESPN 103.3 FM on Monday morning. "We've maybe been spoiled by how good he is."

Nowitzki is 23rd on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 22,792 points, his career average of 23.0 points ranks 21st, and his free-throw percentage (.877) is tied for 13th all-time.

One could make a strong case that Nowitzki has been the NBA's MVP of the first two rounds of the playoffs. The 7-footer has averaged 26.5 points and has consistently come through as a closer, putting up double figures in the fourth quarter of half the Mavs' wins this postseason.



2011 NBA Playoffs: Mavericks Galleries


http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?v=20110415022955&img=%2fphoto%2f2011%2f0415%2fdal_g_mavs1_576.jpg&w=288 (http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/mavericks/2011/playoffs)Relive the Mavericks' playoff history in images here.
Best Moments (http://espn.go.com/dallas/photos/gallery/_/id/6348580) | Top Performers (http://espn.go.com/losangeles/photos/gallery/_/id/6289779/nba-playoffs-top-performers)
Worst Moments (http://espn.go.com/dallas/photos/gallery/_/id/6288750) | Mavs Killers (http://espn.go.com/dallas/photos/gallery/_/id/6379395)



He also twice hit go-ahead shots in the final two minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers (http://espn.go.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers), whom the Mavericks swept out of the playoffs with a 122-86 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday.

"When he's on the floor, we feel like we can beat anybody," Carlisle said. "He's that good."

Nowitzki is one of four players in NBA history with career postseason averages of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds.

"This is the best I've seen him play in his career, to be honest with you," said Lakers forward Pau Gasol, (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/996/pau-gasol) who was defended by Nowitzki for most of the series.

[ElKabong]

not to be a mavs hater, but....that wasn't the Laker team of the past 2 yrs they beat. Kobe didn't drive the lane much, Gasol (sp?) was rumored to be hurt or sore...the cheat shots pretty much told you they didn't have their act together. Having a lame duck coach didn't help matters (reference Lou Holtz last weeks at So Car)

Getting by Portland wasn't a huge deal either.....if they play anyone in the east i don't know how they win.

Dirk= shoe in. Not a leader by any means, but based on the scale of recent inductees he can't miss

[sonnyp]

Ya but he probably would have taken Robert tractor Traylor if he was still around.

I remember watching that draft in shock watching Pierce fall..




you mentioned this guy traylor out of the clear blue sky.....and they find him dead today

[BlueShoe]

Just a little amusing, but rather sad, update on a former NBA Hall of Famer that is almost as well known for his outrageous off court behavior as for his outstanding defensive and rebounding play. It would seem that Dennis is being naughty again, and not taking care of his obligations. Do have to feel sympathy for his ex wife and children. For a nostalgic (?) peek back in time to a few of his more noteworthy moments, click on the photos in the first article.
www.ocregister.com/articles/rodman-356325-michelle-child.html (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rodman-356325-michelle-child.html)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/temporary-restraining-order-bars-dennis-rodman-from-his-ex-wife-kids.html

[JustRalph]

He gets a pass because he is ex NBA. He is part of a culture of black athletes that get away with this kind of thing because there is nobody with the balls to condemn this behavior. It's a cultural thing.

24 months is my prediction of his death or imprisonment



Just a little amusing, but rather sad, update on a former NBA Hall of Famer that is almost as well known for his outrageous off court behavior as for his outstanding defensive and rebounding play. It would seem that Dennis is being naughty again, and not taking care of his obligations. Do have to feel sympathy for his ex wife and children. For a nostalgic (?) peek back in time to a few of his more noteworthy moments, click on the photos in the first article.
www.ocregister.com/articles/rodman-356325-michelle-child.html (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rodman-356325-michelle-child.html)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/temporary-restraining-order-bars-dennis-rodman-from-his-ex-wife-kids.html