who would you rather have?

Question

Prime Mourning pre kidney issues or a prime dirk?

Answer 1

Lets see a prime dirk is 25 and 9 with no defense at all and can be taken out of games by shooting guards.

a prime Zo is 23 and 10 with 3 blocks a game and one of the best defensive presences of all time. He protects the rim and has a low post game.

Basketball is played both ways and Zo's defense is good enough to anchor an entire team around.

Zo hands down

Answer 2

Prime Mourning, baby. Mourning was more of a leader than Dirk. Mourning also became an offensive threat. His stats were Robinson-esque. Alonzo also played more defense than Dirk is playing now at his prime. The only thing Dirk has over Mourning is range. Props to Dirk for that. Mourning was just a defensive beast. Dirk may be a better offensive player prime-to-prime; but you know what they say, "a great offense is a good defense." Seems like Mourning is the one great here.

Answer 3

I'd rather have Prime Mourning- the Heat were battling Orlando Shaq back in the day- because Mourning held down the middle. Mourning wasn't surrounded with too much talent (Steve Smith, Grant Long, "Spider" Sally, etc., Glen Rice)... Good players but not near the surrounding cast that Dirk has. Dirk can score, but in the NBA there are few dominating centers and so if you have someone who can hold down the middle, you take him. It's almost like the do you take Oden or Durant argument- most GM's say Oden because of his defensive presence.

If you looked at last year's finals, the Heat won Game 6 because of Alonzo's monster defensive presence late in the game (this is Post-kidney Alonzo vs Prime Dirk).

Nickster

Answer 4

This would all depend on who else I had on my team. If I had a SF that could get me 20+ points a game and a back court that could also put up point but I had no defense. I would take Prime Zo since I do believe that a Center's job is to primarily rebound and play defense. Now if I had a great defense team with a back court that resembles that of Detroit, I would probably take Dirk because he can score and also is a decent passer. Also it would depend on the structure of my team. If I was a Larry Brown, or Jeff VanGundy, a coach who love to play games in the 70' and 80's( points) and win by playing a trenchwar with the other team, I would take Zo. If I was a coach like Avery Johnson or Jerry Sloan when I love to have great defense and demand it, but also I want players that make for a terrible matchup on the offensive side as well, no doubt would I have to take Dirk. Just like in the fantasy world, it all depends on what players you have and what kind of game you want those players to play.

Answer 5

If you are starting a team from scratch I would pick Mourning for the intensity and defense he has, no disrepect to Dirk, but alone he wouldn't get much done.

Answer 6

Dirk is more of a leader and go-to guy. In his prime Zo wasn't as much as the go-to guy as Dirk was.

So probably Dirk but nothing against Zo cause I wouldn't mind having either one.

Answer 7

prime mourning, why cuz Dirk is good now not when he was in his prime

Answer 8

Dirk Nowitzki. He's a more versatile player.

Answer 9

i rather have prime dirk.still had good offense game

Answer 10

Neither