Dirk's rebounding

[Colombiano972]

This a bit OT, but I just want to get my fellow Mav's fans perspectives on this issue. I'm having this debate with this dude on another forum, who is basically labeling Dirk as "soft" (just like nearly all haters) and is saying that its pathetic that a 7 footer can barely average 10 rebounds a game. And as a result, he claims that it should be addressed by the team as soon as possible. My counter argument is that Dirk's role on the team isn't necessarily to completely clean the boards like other bangers a la KG and Dwight Howard, since Dirk is on a team that has players like Bass, J-Ho, Damp, and Diop that can all go off any given night and get 10+ boards. To me, since Dirk is not on a team that struggles in the rebounding department, its not really his main task to completely gobble up all the rebounds, since he has teammates that can easily take upon the rebounding role. So is this a legit counter argument or I am just sounding like a homer who is about to get owned in this debate?

[Hot Carl]

Nah you're right.

Obviously Dwight is a great rebounder, but who's going to take them off him? rashad? Hedo?

Anyway, 9 rebs in 38 minutes is fine, especially with the likes of Damp/Diop/Howard around.

IMO Dirk is one of the better defensive rebounders in the league. he is a mid-post player on offense which means he wont get the 1 or 2 extra offensive boards a game to nudge that average above 10.

Ive never had a problem with his rebounding; its his man defense that is the issue (getting better btw)

[FGump]

You can't be asked to play at the 3-pt line and kill defenders with your shot, and still be near the lane to grab rebounds. His offensive prowess costs him the chance to be in position to grab more boards.

[catalyst]

For the gump reasons, it is also true that dirk gets like 95% of his rebounds on the Defensive end.

[catalyst]

Also, dont get in a pissing match about dirk being soft. He has fought that his enitre career, and things are what they are. He is softer than the typical 7 footer. He also scores more than the average 7 footer.

[dirkforpres]

Dirk rebounds pretty well, but his job is to be the guy that whoever rebounds it kicks it out to... it isnt his job to rebound, its more of Damp's, Bass's, etc.

[realfung]

Dirk's game is outside shooting, don't expect him to get offensive rebound. Like good rebounder Big Ben, he doesn't have offensive game, so he can just focus on getting rebound both ends of floor.

[BMF Jet Jaguar]

Dirk's game is outside shooting, don't expect him to get offensive rebound. Like good rebounder Big Ben, he doesn't have offensive game, so he can just focus on getting rebound both ends of floor.

and reggie evans

[sweet daddy]

At the end of last season:

Rebounds per game - 8.6 - 90th all-time (top 2.4% all-time)
Defensive rebounds - 4,956 - 51st all-time (top 1.4% all-time)
Total rebounds - 5,842 - outside top 100 (around top 4% all-time)

He is on pace to crack the top 100 total rebounds of all-time around the end of this season. He is on pace to end his career in the top 50 rebounders of all-time. Top 2%. ALL-TIME. If you can forget that it's Dirk we're talking about, wouldn't most people consider those numbers elite or near elite level?

He'll also likely end his career in the top 30 all-time in points, points per game, free throws attempted, free throws made, free throw percentage, 3 pointers attempted and made, and around the top 50 in total blocked shots (he'll crack the top 100 by the end of the year). Blocked shots. Top 60 in 3pt field goal percentage. So, he got those rebounding statistics while playing a good amount of time away from the basket.

My career projections were made on the assumption that Dirk would play 1,000 games, or another 3 1/2 seasons. And the percentages were based on a total of approximately 3,500 total NBA players in the history of the game, which I think is fairly accurate.

Pretty unimpressive, I guess.

[Hot Carl]

He will play a lot more than 3 1/2 more seasons.

Great post Sweet Daddy.

[JES12]

I don't have any stats to back this up, so if someone here is good with stats, feel free to look it up, but Dirk appears to be a much stronger rebounder when Diop and Damp are out of the game. Whether that be by coaching (positioning) design, the fact that there are more boards for Dirk to grab or he focuses on it, I don't know. But I don't worry about Dirk's rebound numbers when we have a true center in there 48 minutes.

[Icke]

Ask him what he thinks KG might get on the Mavs. He gets 10.4 on the Celtics.
Tell him the Celtics have no player (besides KG) who is top 60 in rebounds per minute.
Tell him the Mavs have Diop and Damp who are around 20 and 10 respectively. (though Damp is not eligible on nba.com despite being a regular for some time now). They also have Bass who is still higher than Bostons 2nd highest player and Josh who is close.
So Dirk is permanently on the floor alongside 2 players who are better rebounders or as good rebounders as Kendrick Perkins who joins him maybe half the time.
Tell him what everyone else already said (Dirks role on offense) and Dirk isn't a much worse rebounder than Garnett who allegedly is one of the best.
If you wish, tell him that Dirk pulls down 11.1 in the playoffs when it matters, too. (though, having lost his point, he might want to get into that whole Warriors fiasco-thing, then)