Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 at 9:35 am  |  95 responses

Rick Carlisle: ‘Dirk Nowitzki Is the Best Basketball Player on This Planet’


In the rush of excitement over Dirk Nowitzki’s stirring Playoff performances this year, many have understandably gone overboard when attempting to rank Dirk historically. Nowitzki’s coach, Rick Carlisle, goes overboard when assessing the German’s place in today’s game. From SRI (via ESPN radio): “What has changed since they won the NBA Championship: ‘For me the most drastic change was there was kind of this calm for two months and then all of the sudden Mark Cuban was everywhere again. He was in the interview room and he was on TV. I was so happy for him. Him and I had an embrace as the horn went off and I just told him how thrilled I was for him and for all the people, there have been people that have worked for this franchise for 30 years that have waited and waited and labored and tried to sell tickets during cold periods of seven, eight, or nine years. Donnie Nelson and Nellie, they find a way to come up with Dirk Nowitzki and then things started getting better. Then it’s (Steve) Nash and (Michael) Finley and all those guys. Then there’s 2006 and the disappointment of that. The five years between then and now have been up and down and there’s been inconsistency, but this year was defined by a team that really was focused, the acquisition of (Tyson) Chandler made all the difference in the world to us on so many different levels. The season, the success really came down to two things: Resourcefulness and being opportunistic. This was not the most talented team in the playoffs by any stretch, but it was the smartest team, the most together team, the most committed team, and it was a team that was extremely tough. As we’re the only ones left in I can tell you right now two things. We are the toughest team on the planet. The second thing that I know for sure at this moment, Dirk Nowitzki is the best basketball player on this planet.’”

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  • Riggs

    I give dirk all the praise right now but he still isn’t good on defense which makes him great only on one side of the court which doesn’t mean he’s the best basketball player on the planet.

  • ctkennedy

    Goin into next season Dirk HANDS DOWN has to be the best player in the league…..He just went thru Brandon Roy,LaMarcus Aldridge,Gerald Wallace,Kobe Bryant,Lamar Odom,Pau Gasol,Kevin Durant,Russell Westbrook,Chris Bosh,Dwayne Wade,n Lebron James…thats arguably half of the top 25 in the LEAGUE…what else can he do?

  • BAWSE

    No the best player on the planet still resides in LA. SOrry. Bron aint it and Dirk is nice but Kobe is better. Dirk’s defense is atrocious. He is great though.

  • lp

    I wanna object, but i can’t make a legitimate case for anybody else, This is sad….

  • Diesel

    kudos to Dirk… The best player on the best team. As for best player on the planet??? I’d stick to Spoelstra’s postgame word that the the man is the most “indefensible” offensive player in the game today.

  • ctkennedy

    Dirk D aint that bad as people make it out to be…he plays his position …uses his length well…n grabs his share of rebounds(a defenvise of possession aint over until u get the ball back) so that is important

  • http://www.slamonline.com Nick Tha Quick

    Comments like thi happen everytime someone wins the chip. See Pierce, Paul (2008), Milicic, Darko (2004).

  • Lz – Cphfinest3

    Dirk is hands down the best player, he just soundly outdueled the 4 guys who are in the discussion with him: Kobe, Durant, LeBron and Wade… His defense isn’t great but neither is Kobe’s, Durant’s or Wade’s (cheats to much), LeBron is the only one from the group with elite D and we all know what happens with his offensive production when the game is on the line, just like his talents it goes South… Dirk is the best player in the world until somebody goes out and show they are better.

  • AT33

    I would give it to DWade. But as a champ this year I can see that Dirk got the upper hand this time around. In any case, DWade and Dirk should be 1st team All-NBA!!!!!!!!

  • rich

    lebrons still the best player in the nba. ironclad defender who could lock up any position, except when he lost his mind and let terry score at the end of the finals. lebron will prolly finish with 2 or 3 titles, 1 finals mvp but after this he really owes wade and bosh better play

  • sigmaman

    Dude just Kobe and Wade’s defense isn’t great. I wonder if he watches basketball…..

  • http://Www.dimemag.com Royal

    Yeah he has the right to be called the best for now….I mean weren’t people (mainly Paul Pierce himself) calling Paul Pierce the best player in the world after they won the title?

  • http://www.nba.com Gman

    LOl i was just going to say the Paul Pierce thing LOL

  • Luis

    Hmm..so when Detroit became World Champions who was the best player on the planet? Chauncey??? Rip?! Sheed?! Jst give credit where its due,let them celebrate & not take everything they say seriously.

  • lp

    I wouldn’t exactly call Lebron a “player”….. Players play…

  • http://www.slamonline.com Wayno

    Paul Pierce does not approve this message…

  • Playa

    I’m so happy for Dirk; but Slick Rick is on crack….

  • ripslam

    You cannot honestly still call Kobe the best player on the planet. Just no.

  • James cutler

    In what demented universe is dirk not as good as Kobe because he doesn’t play elite defense? Did you even SEE Kobe play defense this year? It was ATROCIOUS. Deshawn lit him up, and then jet completed the sweep because his idea of playing championship d is playing free safety roaming d.

    It’s so sad when casual basketball fans make player evaluations based on reputation.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    @LZ you just said Kobe’s and D-Wade’s defense aren’t elite. Sure, he lead his team to their first chip but that alone doesn’t make him the best. All the guys you named play better D than Dirk.

  • Red Star

    Kobe! You heard right KOBE!! LAKERS 4 LIFE!!!

  • rich

    just because ur a laker fan doesnt mean u have to think kobe is the best. i dont think kobe does enough things on the court to be the best, neither does dirk. both guys can shoot the lights out, post up and attack the rim but what else? hard to make a case when u got guys like wade lebron durant, and dwight that can affect the game in so many ways

  • rich

    durant was a typo btw he just scores

  • Vince5

    I believe James is the best player because he is much more complete as a player. I mean it’s not because that his finals were really bad that he’s not the best anymore. He had a great season and even better round 1-3 playoffs.

  • http://slamonline.com tealish

    I wouldn’t mind “best player on the planet, as of today, when it matters most”. That’s what I’m going to choose to believe he meant and I will agree.

  • Dagger

    Well, Lebron is the best player but there’s no question Dirk is, right now, the guy you want to build your team around if you’re looking for a championship. That’s more important anyway. Ultimately it’s more useful to have a super player who’s dependable than a super duper player who might just bail in the fourth game of the Finals.

  • Lz – Cphfinest3

    BlackCasper; You are right that they play better D than Dirk (except Durant who is suspect and a worse rebounder). The fact that makes Dirk better – right now, right here – is that he played in series against all those guys and dominated all those series. All those guys had a better secondary guy than Dirk (Pau, Westbrook, James/Wade (+ Bosh) however you look at it)to take the pressure of them but Dirk was still clearly the best and most decisive player in all of those series, very efficient and very very clutch. What does the guy really have to do to be considered the best? LeBron was having a heck of a playoffs up until the Finals but completely wet his pants when it mattered. Remember it is the playoffs where the real ballers come out and there was no better baller than Dirk this postseason – it wasn’t even close. Hence him having No. 1 status in my book.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    Ok, Dirk was definitely the best player in the L during this postseason.

  • http://Slamonline.com Caboose

    Championships really make some people delusional don’t they? I cannot stand LeBron but he is the best player on the planet. I’d argue that Wade, Rose, and Dwight are also currently better than Dirkus. 5th feels about right.

  • Glenroy

    Isn’t it funny how a year ago everyone was singing praises to Pau Gasol as the best big man etc etc?
    Dirk wasn’t even considered.

    How soon we forget!

  • toinefan88

    Dirk is great but he is only the 2nd best player in the league. Paul Pierce is the best.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Wayno

    Bron is still the best…you know you’re the best in the league when you get a triple double and people are pissed about it and saying he choked. I honestly think he did choke, but he’s so good that him choking can still result in a triple double.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Max

    *Charles Barkley voice*
    *Lebrooon James, is the best choker ON the PLANET!*

    Dwight NO1!

  • A2

    For real, no love for CP3? Oh, how soon we forget. Check out his PER for the season and the 6 game hurting he put on the Lakers. I’m telling you, when CP3 decides to switch teams, that will decide the next NBA chip.

  • HAMMER

    Dirk 4 sure isn’t the best b-ball player on the planet. But…he did play like he was the best b-ball player on the planet.

  • Jono

    Dirk is the best scoring big man on planet earth right now. I guess that is what we can agree on?

  • http://www.slamonline.com Max

    @A2 I see you, if he gets healthy 100% he might be right up there.
    CP3+Dwight = Chips

  • http://www.twitter.com/dfrance21 dfrance21

    Why do we get so hung up on labels and comparisons? Just enjoy the way a player plays the game. The definition of what makes a player “The Best” is varies from person to person.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Wayno

    I don’t know about all this who’s thebest stuff, but I do know that Ian Mahinmi was the MVP of the last 2 seconds of the 3rd quarter in game 6…

  • http://fivemag.de Speedy

    Cosign dfrance
    I mean it’s Carlisle that started the discussion but it’s not needed.
    There are so many grat players out there that play the game at an insane level with their very own style that it’s just not posible to compare them.
    Right now Dirk, J Kidd, J Terry,…are the champs and that is all that matters till next year.
    I hope the offseason isn’t to long because these discussions will be boring as hell.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Max

    ^^
    We got Deshawn to keep us busy in the off-season.. :)

  • booosssss

    This man is not even better then derrick rose or lebron james will see if hes still gonna be hungry for another ring next year doubt it

  • B.C.

    Taking it too far, Kobe is still the best player on the planet. Dirk can’t play defense to save his life, Kobe can do both.

  • http://fivemag.de Speedy

    I forgot Max. :-)

  • 4right

    B.C. What game and what year (199-) dig Kobe play good defense?

  • hiphopcop

    Deshawn Stevenson is the best basketball player on this planet, oh yes, he is.

  • Rainman

    ppl saying Kobe, ar ejsut saying so based on his rep.

    Ppl that say LeBron…yeha he’s a great regular SEASON player, he’ll get his stats.

    But Dirk is probably top 3, (and the dude that said pau was at all better…SERIOUSLY?)

    Best player on the planet? maybe not, depends who u ask. Top 3, easily top 5.

  • http://www.zackdiliberto.com Zack D

    I can’t see how anyone can say Dirk is not the best player at the moment. I think he proved it throughout the playoffs. Clutch shots virtually every 4th quarter. He led his team and dominated the way MJ, Bird, Kobe, etc. have in the past. Personally, I think Kobe has been the best player over the past 5 years – not Lebron. But Kobe is banged up a lot these days and time will tell if he gets back to his old self. As far as Lebron, people call him “the most talented” player in the game. But to me, if he’s gonna be THE MAN in this league, he has to work on his game a bit… just like Dirk did the past few. Lebron needs to get a better low post game, which he is big and strong enough to do. He also needs to get better without the ball. He tends to disappear without the ball. Clutch players need a pet shot when the game is on the line. He doesn’t have that presently. He relies on 3′s an athleticism. It didn’t work this Finals.

  • http://slamonline.com Kap

    Why does there have to be a best player. Everyone honestly looks neck to neck. I see no player head and shoulders above everyone else. Each player in discussion had games in playoffs where they just flat went off like Kobe against Dallas in game 1 and in games against Hornets,Wade in finals, Lebron in eastern conference playoffs, KD, and Dirk. However, I think a healthy Kobe is the best. OAN…kobe looked awful on D because he has a f*cked up knee. It wasn’t because he was 32. Kobe still had one of his best seasons individually and efficiently which is weird because it didn’t look like it.

  • http://slamonline.com AllBall

    Dirk is the best player in the L right now, or at least he was for the past two months. The top 5 when all are fully healthy looks something like Dirk, LeBron, Howard, Paul and Wade.

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