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I frequently hear people talking about Luka/KP being like the new Dirk/Nash duo (even Cubes mentioned it) and I think in most peoples minds KP is Dirk and Luka is Nash. It's obvious to see why people would see it that way since KP is the tall one and Luka is the ball-handler but, personally, I see it as the other way around.

Luka was drafted here (like Dirk) and KP was traded here (like Nash). Also, KP already has a few years of NBA experience under his belt before coming to Dallas (like Nash except KP was a starter). Luka is the younger of the two like Dirk was with Nash. Finally, like Dirk, I think Luka has the higher potential ceiling between the two although both can be perennial all-stars.

Anyone else see it this way? Or am I the only one?

I don't know how Luka and KP's games mesh yet. Basketball-wise, I'm thinking Nash and Stoudemire is actually a closer comp for those two. KP doesn't challenge defenders on shots like Dirk did. He's more of a post guy who can also knock down catch-and-shoots.

Also, Dirk and Nash were never an ideal fit together offensively. Hard to explain really, I think the shift happened when Dirk became more of the roll man in PnRs than a catch and shoot guy, but Dirk's best seasons (the Mavs' as well) were the ones immediately after Nash left. They were both really really good players in Dallas, but the idea of them as a complementary duo is kind of foiled by that final season they played together which was kind of the low point for both players and the team relative to their successes before and after.

I hate the Nash comparison. Luka plays like a modern well rounded wing, ala LBJ.. do it all type of player. Nash obviously was far from that. If Mavs drafted Trae, this would have been a valid comparison then.

In short, i have no clue how these two will do together but if LBJ made it work with Bosh and Wade, then Luka can make it work with KP. And lets not forget that Luka did actually play with Dirk. Even though it was a broken down Dirk, they did have some nice passes.

Porzingis/Luka better complement each other's skill sets than Dirk/Nash ever did.

A huge problem with Dirk/Nash was that both guys were really bad defenders. When 2 of your 5 starters are really bad defenders, you're going to get into a lot of trouble. The Don Nelson era Mavs were notoriously bad on defense for that reason. You can hide one bad defender, but you can't hide two. And that was the issue with Dirk/Nash.

bran muffin wrote:Porzingis/Luka better complement each other's skill sets than Dirk/Nash ever did.

A huge problem with Dirk/Nash was that both guys were really bad defenders. When 2 of your 5 starters are really bad defenders, you're going to get into a lot of trouble. The Don Nelson era Mavs were notoriously bad on defense for that reason. You can hide one bad defender, but you can't hide two. And that was the issue with Dirk/Nash.

Many don’t seem to remember or maybe even realize the Mavs won a championship with most likely their best defensive starting lineup ever (Kidd, DeShawn, Marion, TC nd Dirk).

Teffer10 wrote:

bran muffin wrote:Porzingis/Luka better complement each other's skill sets than Dirk/Nash ever did.

A huge problem with Dirk/Nash was that both guys were really bad defenders. When 2 of your 5 starters are really bad defenders, you're going to get into a lot of trouble. The Don Nelson era Mavs were notoriously bad on defense for that reason. You can hide one bad defender, but you can't hide two. And that was the issue with Dirk/Nash.

Many don’t seem to remember or maybe even realize the Mavs won a championship with most likely their best defensive starting lineup ever (Kidd, DeShawn, Marion, TC nd Dirk).

RC replaced DeShawn halfway through the Finals with the defensive juggernaut JJ Barea.
I'll always remember with great fondness how Barea put the clamps on Lebron.

bran muffin wrote:Porzingis/Luka better complement each other's skill sets than Dirk/Nash ever did.

A huge problem with Dirk/Nash was that both guys were really bad defenders. When 2 of your 5 starters are really bad defenders, you're going to get into a lot of trouble. The Don Nelson era Mavs were notoriously bad on defense for that reason. You can hide one bad defender, but you can't hide two. And that was the issue with Dirk/Nash.

I actually don't think that in 2019 Dirk and Nash would be the liability defensively that it was 15 years ago.

At the same time, I think putting those guys on the floor with Antoine Walker, Antawn Jamison, and Michael Finley looks even sillier defensively now than it did then.

Yeah, Luka is Dirk, and KP is Nash.

Playing style wise, KP is Dirk and Luka is Nash, but in terms of how they are seen in the eyes of the franchise, Luka is the new Dirk and KP is the new Nash.