Seeing a player who considers himself to be an elite player get shut down by Udonis Haslem did in fact make me want to punch myself in the face.

And yeah, Don Nelson has secrets about Dirk that nobody else knows. As if Nelson is the only player that understands that you can crowd Dirk with a strong player who moves his feet and push him around.

Remember when I brought up the part about good defense? Please explain to me how that Suns team (in 2006 they beat Phoenix…in 2005 they lost to Phoenix, maybe you should hire a fact checker) qualifies as a good defensive team when Tim Thomas or Shawn Marion were guarding Dirk the majority of the time with almost no help defense.

Nobody argues about Kobe because he’s actually, you know, led his team to championships before. Dirk had all the breaks in the world, and did nothing but miss free throws and collapse in fourth quarters against Miami.

Just like he did absolutely nothing against the Lakers Friday night when LA made its run. Just like he did nothing against the Hornets when they made their runs. Just like he did nothing against the Warriors when they pushed him around, etc, etc, etc.

Dwayne Wade plays defense with energy, fights through screens, and doesn’t miss rotations. He’s no all-defensive first teamer but he’s better than Dirk.

And there is a huge difference between getting more rebounds and being a better rebounder. Early in his career, Dirk wouldn’t box out, wouldn’t fight for loose balls, and would easily get pushed around. His rebounding totals were the product of being on a team with no other rebounding presence. He’s been much more assertive on the glass these past few seasons.

The Mavs faced an eight seed, a defenseless Suns team, a Spurs team with half its roster crippled from plantar fascitiis, and was up 2-0 on the worst NBA champion of the millennium, and couldn’t get it done.

Anyone with half a brain could see that if Dirk did anything against Haslem and Posey in Game 3, neither the Heat, nor the refs, would have had a chance do a damn thing about winning that series.

But first of all, Johnson’s micromanaging did not assign Jackson to Dirk. Jackson got his assignment from Don Nelson, the man who taught Dirk how to play NBA basketball. You think he might be able to help someone with guarding him? Maybe?

And how about his conference finals against the Suns. I see you missed that. And in 2005 when he scored 50 in Game 5 against the Suns to turn around a series that looked lost. Bashers always leave out what doesn’t fit their theories. You fit the pattern. Kobe Bryant scored zero points in the second half of a Game 7 in the playoffs. Yet nobody argues that he cannot be a championship team leader. Good. They are right. He is definitely capable of carrying a championship team and probably will this year The fact that you can find evidence that supports your opinion doesn’t mean you get to ignore the rest.

Also, to address your other points, Dwayne Wade is no All-Defensive player, and Dirk has improved his defense exponentially even since 2006. His three top rebounding seasons were under Don Nelson, not Avery Johnson, so hire a fact-checker.

I am not saying that this Mavericks team is a favorite or even a strong contender. But if someone tries to say a team that was up 2-0 in an NBA Finals, then proceeded to one of the dominating regular seasons in history was never a true contender, then that person is a moron. I will even give you that the Mavs blew that series (again, thanks Avery), although anyone with half a brain can see that the refs were the winning team in that series.

I believe the series you were trying to reference was the conference semi’s against San Antonio, where Dirk’s inability to defend Duncan with 30 seconds left led to a Manu Ginobili three, and on the next possession, Dirk blatantly hooked his arm around Bruce Bowen and should’ve been called for an offensive foul for his game-tying and-one against the Spurs.

That same series, Dirk was stripped with two minutes to go in a three-point game, and missed a layup with a minute to go in a Game One where he went 1-4.

In Game Four of that series, he went 0-4 in the fourth quarter and OT (though he did hit a big pair of free throws to tie the game at the end of regulation).

In Game Five Dirk was stuffed by Bowen with ten seconds left.

In Game Six, Dirk could only manage four points in the fourth quarter of a close loss.

And in Game Seven, if the refs see Dirk’s right hand, Dallas never makes it to the conference Finals.

Dirk had a solid Game 2 in an easy win, a great Game 3, and a big fourth quarter of Game 7 until the end.

He’s also never been a quality defender, and before Avery Johnson came on board, never was a really forceful rebounder.

And beating an Eight Seed is nice and all, but I’d rather see Dirk dominate a good team rather than an eight-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

Even last year when it looked like he had turned a corner, he ended up flopping around in the third quarter of Game 1 against the Hornets, so New Orleans knew he was soft and cowardly and attacked and defended the paint mercilessly.

Dirk went 2-5 from the point of his flop job against Tyson Chandler on, and the whole outlook of the series changed. Besides a blowout Game 3 win, Dirk was outplayed in every fourth quarter last year, and that’s not taking into account his massive choke jobs against the Warriors and the Heat.

The talent disparity is obvious.

However, to be fair to Dirk, he has come up big in the clutch before. The only thing is, it is not often enough. But to generalize that Dirk disappears down the stretch is not true.