Are Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams overpaid?
Southern Utah University economics professor David Berri ranks Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki and Brooklyn Nets All-Star point guard Deron Williams among his list of the 10 most overpaid NBA players.
Berri is the co-author of the 2006 book "The Wages of Wins," which determines which players are overpaid with a statistical method called "Wins Produced" that he and his co-authors developed.
His top 10 list of most overpaid NBA players and a detailed explanation for each is being featured at cnbc.com.
Williams, who will receive a raise next season with whichever team signs him, ranks ninth. Dirk, who is set to make more than $20 million next season, is eighth on the list.
Berri, who refers to Nowitzki as performing "above average" for most of his career, theorizes that Dirk is overpaid by some $12 million in terms of wins produced for the buck. Here's Berri's explanation:
He doesn’t rebound, block shots, or get steals. Consequently, his productivity is no longer consistent with this pay or reputation. ... Once you look past his scoring totals (totals driven by above average shot attempts), Nowitzki is no longer a top NBA player.
As for Williams, Berri believes his production has slipped since being traded to the Nets and that he is also overpaid by some $12 million:
His shooting efficiency has dropped. This could be because he doesn’t believe his teammates are a better option. … Whatever the reason, Williams has not been productive in New Jersey.
Still, something tells me Mavs owner Mark Cuban won't mind overpaying both of those guys.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Tim MacMahon
Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
Marc Stein
Marc Stein began writing for ESPN.com in 2000 and signed on full-time in 2002 as Senior NBA Writer. He also makes regular appearances on "SportsCenter," "NBA Shootaround," "NBA Fastbreak," "NBA Coast To Coast," ESPNEWS, ESPN "First Take" and ESPN Radio.
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TEAM LEADERS
| POINTS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Dirk Nowitzki
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| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| Rebounds | S. Marion | 7.8 | ||||||||||
| Assists | D. Collison | 5.1 | ||||||||||
| Steals | D. Collison | 1.2 | ||||||||||
| Blocks | E. Brand | 1.3 | ||||||||||
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