would you in hindsight?

[dustcover41]

Dirk was selected 9th in 1998 and Paul Pierce 10th.  If you had a do-over and could get Dirk or Pierce, who would be your Choice?

[Phantom255x]

I mean, I've got to say Dirk. Who is Pearce? 

[RockinRyA]

Dirk 100%

Never even heard of this Pearce guy.

[Roy H.]

I’ll stick with the Captain, because we know how it turned out. I’ll take the title, the KG era, and the BRK picks.

[Ogaju]

they both delivered one championship a peace............see what I did there?

OP you cannot edit after the first joke .... its like points in a football game after gatorade shower...they just don't count.

[liam]

PP was the better two way player, so I'd take him in a second.

[Jvalin]

The C's wanted Dirk. We were picking 10th. The Bucks were on the clock at #9. Both Dirk and Pierce were still available. Last minute, the Mavs pulled off a trade with the Bucks and we ended up with Pierce.

Here's Rick Pitino (C's coach at the time) with the details

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP-rcrhplm4

(I can't find the actual footage from the press conference )

[gouki88]

I'd probably go Pierce, because he served us so well on the court, off the court, and even as a trade piece.

The idea of a Dirk-KG front court is insane though. Dirk was basically a 25/8/3 guy then, and KG was a defensive beast

[Moranis]

Dirk without question. 

[Jvalin]

Dirk without question.

Yep, in all honesty, I would have picked Dirk as well.

[slamtheking]

would have taken Dirk then and would probably do so now in hindsight if he was available.  he led Dallas to the finals twice as clearly the best player on the team including a win over the (C)Heat.  Pierce didn't get that far until KG and Ray.  Still love PP though

[footey]

Dirk.

And Danny would have gotten an extra first round pick when he traded him.

[gouki88]

Dirk.

And Danny would have gotten an extra first round pick when he traded him.

Do you think DA would have traded Dirk when he traded PP? Dirk was still a 17-20ppg scorer from 2013-2016. 

[GreenEnvy]

While I appreciate Dirk’s career and believe he would have been as iconic here as Pierce, I have to stick with the Captain.

I really don’t think Dirk would have become the player he was under Pitino or even Doc (and without Nash early). Pierce became the player he was basically despite the situation he was thrust into.

To me this is kind of like the KG/Duncan comparison. Had KG went to SAS and groomed alongside the Admiral and under Pop, and Duncan went to MIN and endured that franchise being ran into the ground... I think history would remember each player very differently.

[Tr1boy]

I’ll stick with the Captain, because we know how it turned out. I’ll take the title, the KG era, and the BRK picks.

Umm Dirk also won a championship