Dirk vs Bird...

[Murphy3]

With the Mavs recent trip to Boston, many comparisons have been made between Dirk and Bird. Honestly, at this point in Dirk's career, his career numbers don't match up favorably to Bird's. Why? Well, Dirk came into the NBA much younger than Bird. Obviously he hadn't played against the same level of competition at that point either. So, it's a little difficult to compare their statistics for their career at this point in time.

But, I did decide to look at their playoff numbers. What I found was a little shocking. Yes, Bird was on a team that found alot of success in the playoffs with many final appearances and championships. Of course, that is the ultimate goal. However, Bird was obviously playing alongside a better cast. Anyways, what are the shocking results? Well, here's the stats:

Games
Bird - 164
Dirk - 40

MPG
Bird - 42
Dirk - 42

FGM
B - 8.89
D - 8.43

FGA
B - 18.84
D - 18.5

FG%
B - 47%
D - 45%

3PM
B - .49
D - 1.57

3PA'S
B - 1.52
D - 3.75

3P%
B- 32%
D- 41%

FTM
B - 5.49
D - 7.17

FTA
B - 6.17
D - 8.07

FT%
B - 88%
D - 88%

REB
B - 10.26
D - 11.03

AST
B - 6.48
D - 1.9

STL
B - 1.8
D - 1.38

BLK
B - .88
D - 1.07

TO
B- 3.09
D - 2.05

PTS
B - 23.76
D - 25.60


Obviously, we notice that Bird has a huge lead in assists and a slight edge in fg% and steals. But, Dirk has a huge lead in free throw attempts, fewer turnovers, and 3pt percentage. Plus, Dirk has a decent edge in blocks, rebounds, and points.

What do the numbers prove? Not much. It just shows that Dirk is probably a little closer to Bird than what most of us realize. And don't forget, Bird was playing in a more offensive oriented time... I think it's safe to say that Dirk's numbers would be bumped up a bit across the board if he were playing in the 80's.