Garnett and Kidd vs. Dirk and Nash in today's NBA

[picc]

Prime versions of each.

Who do you take? Defensive dynamo duo vs. offensive dynamo duo.

[Mavrelous]

Dirk and Nash, fill the roster with 3&D guard, 3&D wing and rim protecting/running center.

[SlimShady83]

Give me Kobe/Shaq .. Ok ok ok

Dirk/Nash not even contest

[SlimShady83]

Dirk and Nash, fill the roster with 3&D guard, 3&D wing and rim protecting/running center.

Gafford/Dirk/Flag/Christie/Nash

[picc]

Dirk and Nash, fill the roster with 3&D guard, 3&D wing and rim protecting/running center.

That's true.

At the same time, all KG and Kidd need is one decent scorer and you could be in trouble.

[Mavrelous]

Dirk and Nash, fill the roster with 3&D guard, 3&D wing and rim protecting/running center.

That's true.

At the same time, all KG and Kidd need is one decent scorer and you could be in trouble.

The offensive cieling is just in a different tier, and you can achieve good defense with them by going all defense in other positions, say DJJ, Hayword Highsmith and Jaret Allen.
I think you underrate it the scoring needed next to Kidd/KG it needs to be more than decent, you need a star there and top notch shooters.

[KGtabake]

In this era? You need at least one sniper.
I count 2 in Dirk and Nash.

[kivancb]

Dirk and KG are very, very close.

Kidd is at least a tier above Nash. I find people taking Nash over Kidd pretty funny actually. I would take KG & Kidd or Dirk & Kidd over other possible combinations 8 days a week.

[JinKaz69]

Old rules : Kidd KG
Today's rules : Nash Dirk

[HiDef]

ason Kidd would struggle in today's game. Dirk & Nash

[Myth]

Dirk and KG are very, very close.

Kidd is at least a tier above Nash. I find people taking Nash over Kidd pretty funny actually. I would take KG & Kidd or Dirk & Kidd over other possible combinations 8 days a week.

This is where I’m torn. I also have Kidd above Nash, and I go back and forth on KG and Dirk. But offensively in the modern day, 3s matter more which gives me a lot of faith in the Dirk/Nash offense, but I just believe in them less as a defensive duo. It does feel easier listening them out separately than together.

[JinKaz69]

Dirk and KG are very, very close.

Kidd is at least a tier above Nash. I find people taking Nash over Kidd pretty funny actually. I would take KG & Kidd or Dirk & Kidd over other possible combinations 8 days a week.

I love Kidd and I prefer him over Nash.
But in today's game, I value more Nash' shooting and his ability to break down his opponent although Kidd's ability to defend multiple positions is very valuable today.

[Rdude22]

It's a great topic honestly. The challenges each faced in their own era would just be magnified in today's league.

Mismatch hunting wasn't really a thing back then, so poor defenders were let off the hook more and easier to hide. Whereas in 2025 that's no longer basketball culture. They'll pick on you until you're off the court or find a solution.

Whereas not being able to shoot, not having a consistently explosive scorer, and instead relying on your defense to generate offense... it worked in a weak Eastern conference where 1.5 players per team could generate offense (making teams easier to defend and less pressure on you to score every time down). Now a team like IND will eventually run you out the gym if all you got is good defense.

For both groups it really does come down to who the other 3 players are, if they cover up the weaknesses of the duos.

[Anderson Hunt]

To win a championship, Garnett is not ideal as a first option, and Kidd is, ideally, a number three or four scorer on a championship team.

Simply put, any team "led" by Garnett and Kidd will still need at least one really dynamic scorer, possibly two.

Is it easier to find two proficient scorers or three elite defenders (what you'd need for a team "led" by Nash and Nowitzki)?

I think it's easier to find scoring (reference Cam Thomas and Malik Monk and Kyle Kuzma), so I'd go with Garnett and Kidd.

A team with Kidd and Thomas in the backcourt with Garnett at center and Kuzma at PF with a defensive role-player at SF can compete. Thomas would need to average 24 a game. Garnett would need to throw-in 22 a game, with Kuzma and Kidd contributing 17 and 15 respectively.

[dhsilv2]

I want to live in this fantasy world where you can just get 3 different 3 and D players to fill in around two guys, lol.

[DimesandKnicks]

Dirk and KG are very, very close.

Kidd is at least a tier above Nash. I find people taking Nash over Kidd pretty funny actually. I would take KG & Kidd or Dirk & Kidd over other possible combinations 8 days a week.

This is where I’m torn. I also have Kidd above Nash, and I go back and forth on KG and Dirk. But offensively in the modern day, 3s matter more which gives me a lot of faith in the Dirk/Nash offense, but I just believe in them less as a defensive duo. It does feel easier listening them out separately than together.

Threes matter more but u can find plenty of players who can put them up alongside them. U aren’t gonna find that many elite two way players

[MrBigShot]

Nash and Dirk all day long.

Not a snowball's chance in hell Kidd was as good as Nash, and Nash would be even be better today.

[God Squad]

I am interested in seeing how people compare/rank Kidd vs. Nash. We all know Dirk/KG is a wash, or a slight edge either way.

[davidfr94]

Nash would get absolutely destroyed defensively in today's era, like targetted on every possesion, and i am not sure how dirk would handle defending the pick and roll on every possession.

On the contrary, Garnett would work on his 3 pt shot (he was taking those long 2 back in the day) while playing at the center position. Kidd also became a great 3 pt shooter in his last years and would obviously fit pretty well in a fast paced offense. I am taking those two.

[Quattro]

Im going Dirk and Nash for the sole reason that they'd be way more fun to watch.