Can Dirk Nowitzki play Small Forward? - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Epitome22 · 05-08-2003, 08:03 AM

This question has more to do with potential moves the Mavs could make and potential personnel they may be able to bring in.

Dirk Nowitzki has been at the "Power Forward" position for most of this season and last season , but despite where he's penciled in, his game echos more of Tom Chambers, Toni Kukoc, Detlef Schrempf, Lamar Odom, Keith Van Horn etc Than a game like that of Tim Duncan's, Karl Malone's or Kevin McHale's. Since his game is also much superior to any of the similiar players listed above, with respect to them, then I suppose the real question is, Can Dirk Nowitzki guard Small Forwards? The Mavericks seem to feel that any weaknesses they perceive in Dirk's defensive ability are best minimized by putting him on Power Forwards and going into the beginning of the season I would agree with them. And while I wasn't too fond of the 2002-2003 Dirk Nowitzki physique in comparison to the beefier Dirk of the previous season, it is apparant that the slimmer Dirk seems more agile and able on defense and those improvements are in areas of finesse documented by his team leading 1,39 steals per game, rather than in shot swatting, post fronting physical areas. Obviously Dirk is going to have trouble guarding a 6'5 Bonzi Wells, a natural 2 guard who wouldn't be playing small forward on any other team but even the most perimeter oriented swingmen playing small forward in the league aren't that small and elusive. If for argument's sake you assume that Dirk is a poor defender and always will be a poor defender (for argument's sake) and take into consideration any defensive strengths he may possess lie more in the finesse area than the power area, and take into consideration what a big question mark and constant revolving door the starting small forward position is for the Mavericks. If by some chance (highly unlikely because of cap sitaution) the Mavs were to luck into the personnel, then would a line up of

G: Nash or Van Exel
G: Finley
F: Nowitzki
F: PJ Brown/Malone(hypothetical)
C: Olowokandi/D. Davis (hypothetical)

be plausible to you? This is effectivly the type of lineup Minnesota uses. KG being their star at small forward, with Joe Smith at Power Forward and Nesterovic at Center. With PJ brown, a 2 time all defensive selection being an improvement on Smith and Olowokandi being an improvement on Nesterovic, the Mavs would have a respectable front court. Not to mention these people would obviously be an improvement on the dynamic duo of suck that is currently a part of the Maverick front court.

Just dreaming

Drbio · 05-08-2003, 08:24 AM

epitome- I think if we could get a reliable PF that Dirk would flourish at SF. The guy can basically play at any position and play there well. It's amazing to speak fo a 7 footer in that regard, but I have no problem giving him that kind of credit.

mavsfanforever · 05-08-2003, 09:06 AM

Offensively he can play SF or PF. But defensively I am not sure he can guard SF.

Ummmmm Ok · 05-08-2003, 09:14 AM

Obviously Dirk can't guard the PF's either as we always put Najera or the likes of Webber or Duncan.

mavsfanforever · 05-08-2003, 09:20 AM

No one can guard Duncan. But I feel you do not need to be very quick to guard PF's as opposed SF's. Obviously Dirk is not very quick at the defensive end as opposed to offensive end.

seelenjaeger · 05-08-2003, 09:38 AM

Here we go again ... Kandi and Davis are scrubs not worth trading for. And PJ Brown is nice but old. Sign him - fine with me. Trade for him - no way.

madape · 05-08-2003, 09:45 AM

I know one man who can guard Duncan... A man who has confounded and frustrated him a couple of times already this season.

SeriousSummer · 05-08-2003, 10:35 AM

Dirk can't guard many small forwards. Few teams have both legitimate scorers at center and power forwards. Dirk needs always to guard the weaker of those two players.

Not so much because he's a bad defender (by Maverick standards at least) but because you don't want him in foul trouble and you don't want him to waste energy he needs at the offensive end.

Dallas needs a forward who can defend small forwards, rebound, and hit the open shot at least out to 18'.

I still think that's Shawn Marion (or maybe Rashard Lewis), or somebody similar.

LRB · 05-08-2003, 11:02 AM

Dirk is quite capable of playing the SF. While he'll probably never be all NBA defensive team material there, I think he can be more than adequate. But it he will need at least a full season playing that position primarily to adjust. Right now Dirk gets flipped from guards 5's, 4's, 3's, and even in some cases 2's (Bonzi). That's a lot of different skills and physical abilities need to guard all those positions. Dirk would be better if we could narrow this down. Also if he could be told before the off season which position he would need to prepare for, he could structure his offseason workouts to accomodate that. I feel that this would make a huge difference.

mavsfanforever · 05-08-2003, 11:07 AM

<< I know one man who can guard Duncan... A man who has confounded and frustrated him a couple of times already this season. >>

Who is THAT?

Hoopsmeister · 05-08-2003, 02:03 PM

<< Obviously Dirk can't guard the PF's either as we always put Najera or the likes of Webber or Duncan. >>

And the Spurs put Malik Rose on Shaq before Duncan--not because Duncan's not a center (he would have spent his career playing center on any team that didn't already have a Hall of Fame center when he was drafted and he sure as hell is more of a center than Rose who's an undersized pf) or because Duncan is a bad defender. But because you don't want your best player getting into foul trouble too early.

nowitzki_prophecy · 05-08-2003, 03:39 PM

Dirk does a good job at the SF position,the problem is he's having a hard time guarding those SFs,and those guards.
he has the quicknes to penetrate even by guards,the offense is not an issue.

TheKid · 05-08-2003, 03:44 PM

Hell yeah he can play small forward, hell Dominique Wilkens couldn't stop anyone but he was a damn good small forward.

LRB · 05-08-2003, 04:37 PM

<< Hell yeah he can play small forward, hell Dominique Wilkens couldn't stop anyone but he was a damn good small forward. >>

For that matter Bird was never thought of as shutting anyone down one on one, but he often played SF with McHale at PF and Chief at center.

Epitome22 · 05-08-2003, 05:43 PM

that was my original thought. Bird was a poor defender, but he still played small forward and the rest of the frontcourt was more than anchored with Parrish and McHale. Mavs can't get a Parrish or McHale but they could get 2 guys who could anchor the PF and Center positions defensivly and Dirk could play small forward.

nowitzki_prophecy · 05-08-2003, 06:05 PM

thats exacly my thoughts about what we should do in the offseason.
trade Raef&Shawn for a Brian Grant&an Antonio Davis.