DALLAS -- There’s only one debatable question that prevents Dirk Nowitzki from firmly declaring who deserves to be considered the best power forward in NBA history:
Should Tim Duncan be classified as a power forward or a center?
There is no question that Nowitzki's name appears near the top of any list of all-time great power forwards.
As the two future Hall of Famers prepare to face each other in a playoff series for the sixth time, let’s take a look at how they stack up against each other statistically.
Regular-season statistics
Games: Duncan 1,254; Nowitzki 1,188
Points: Nowitzki 26,786; Duncan 24,904
Points per game: Nowitzki 22.5; Duncan 19.9
Rebounds: Duncan 13,940; Nowitzki 9,594
Rebounds per game: Duncan 11.1; Nowitzki 8.1
Assists: Duncan 3,832; Nowitzki 3,139
Assists per game: Duncan 3.1; Nowitzki 2.6
Blocks: Duncan 2,715; Nowitzki 1,095
Blocks per game: Duncan 2.2; Nowitzki 0.9
Steals: Nowitzki 1,037; Duncan 915
Steals per game: Nowitzki 0.9; Duncan 0.7
Field goal percentage: Duncan 50.6; Nowitzki 47.6
3-point percentage: Nowitzki 38.3; Duncan 17.6
Playoff statistics
Games: Duncan 211; Nowitzki 128
Titles: Duncan 4; Nowitzki 1
NBA Finals appearances: Duncan 5; Nowitzki 2
Points: Duncan 4,614; Nowitzki 3,321
Points per game: Nowitzki 25.9; Duncan 21.9
Rebounds: Duncan 2,522; Nowitzki 1,314
Rebounds per game: Duncan 12.0; Nowitzki 10.3
Assists: Duncan 682; Nowitzki 329
Assists per game: Duncan 3.2; Nowitzki 2.6
Blocks: Duncan 516; Nowitzki 118
Blocks per game: Duncan 2.4; Nowitzki 0.9
Steals: Duncan 150; Nowitzki 139
Steals per game: Nowitzki 1.1; Duncan 0.7
Field goal percentage: Duncan 49.9; Nowitzki 46.3
3-point percentage: Nowitzki 38.0; Duncan 15.6
2013-14 statistics
Games: Nowitzki 80; Duncan 74
Minutes per game: Nowitzki 32.9; Duncan 29.2
Points per game: Nowitzki 21.7; Duncan 15.1
Rebounds per game: Duncan 9.7; Nowitzki 6.2
Assists per game: Duncan 3.0; Nowitzki 2.7
Blocks per game: Duncan 1.9; Nowitzki 0.6
Steals per game: Nowitzki 0.9; Duncan 0.6
Field goal percentage: Nowitzki 49.7; Duncan 49.0
3-point percentage: Nowitzki 39.8; Duncan 0.0
Honors
All-Star appearances: Duncan 14; Nowitzki 12
MVP: Duncan 2; Nowitzki 1
Finals MVP: Duncan 3; Nowitzki 1
Rookie of the year: Duncan 1; Nowitzki 0
All-Defensive team: Duncan 14 (eight first team); Nowitzki 0
All-NBA: Duncan 14 (10 first team); Nowitzki 12 (four first team)
Player of the week: Duncan 22; Nowitzki 16
Player of the month: Nowitzki 6; Duncan 3
Regular season head-to-head
Points per game: Duncan 21.6; Nowitzki 21.3
Rebounds per game: Duncan 11.3; Nowitzki 8.3
Assists per game: Duncan 3.0; Nowitzki 2.4
Blocks per game: Duncan 1.8; Nowitzki 1.0
Steals per game: Nowitzki 0.8; Duncan 0.6
Field-goal percentage: Duncan 51.3; Nowitzki 45.6
3-point percentage: Duncan 40.0; Nowitzki 37.5
Wins: Duncan 31; Nowitzki 21
Playoffs head-to-head
Points per game: Duncan 26.0; Nowitzki 24.5
Rebounds per game: Duncan 12.3; Nowitzki 10.1
Assists per game: Duncan 3.6; Nowitzki 2.3
Blocks per game: Duncan 1.9; Nowitzki 0.6
Steals per game: Nowitzki 1.3; Duncan 0.8
Field-goal percentage: Duncan 53.9; Nowitzki 49.8
3-point percentage: Nowitzki 22.9; Duncan 0.0
Wins: Duncan 14; Nowitzki 12