Victors are determined decisively on the court, but one great joy of fandom outside the lines has no clear winner. We love to weigh the merits of our favorite players against each other, and yet a taproom full of basketball fans can never unanimously agree on the GOAT. In this series, we attempt to settle scores of NBA undercard debates — or at least give you fodder for your next “Who is better?” argument.

THE MATCHUP: Dwyane Wade vs. Dirk Nowitzki

Prime numbers

Wade’s prime began in his breakout sophomore campaign and lasted 11 seasons, culminating in a failed bid for the playoffs in Miami’s first season post-LeBron James. From 2004-15, he averaged 24.8 points (49.2 FG%, 28.8 3P%, 76.6 FT%), six assists, five rebounds and 2.6 combined blocks/steals, making 10 playoff appearances and earning eight top-10 MVP finishes. He was his team’s best player in six of those 11 seasons, ceding status to Shaquille O’Neal during his 2004-05 MVP runner-up campaign and LeBron James in their four seasons together.

Nowitzki entered his prime in Year Three and remained in that stratosphere for 12 seasons, leading the Mavericks to the playoffs each year. From 2000-12, he averaged 24.1 points (47.8 FG%, 38.4 3P%, 88.3 FT%), 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 blocks/steals per game. He was the best player on his team every year, finishing top-10 in MVP voting nine times in that stretch and winning the award in the 2006-07 season (he placed 11th and 12th the other two years). His best years were bookended by four-year stretches with a pre-MVP Steve Nash and post-prime Jason Kidd, with Jason Terry and Michael Finley serving as his best teammates in between.

Nowitzki remained remarkably healthy during his prime, never missing more than nine games in a single season. Save for the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign, the Mavericks won 50 or more games each year, including three 60-win seasons in the consistently superior Western Conference. Wade, meanwhile, missed 15 or more games five times during his prime. His three All-Defensive nods give him an edge on that end, but the Heat’s 15-win 2007-08 season in the watered-down East is an impossible-to-ignore black mark when comparing their overall impact.

Nowitzki’s health and longevity have him seventh on the all-time scoring list, on the verge of surpassing Wilt Chamberlain for sixth. Wade is 30th, about to be eclipsed by Kevin Durant. Nowitzki is also a top-30 rebounder in NBA history. Wade is top 50 in both steals and assists.

Advantage: Nowitzki

View photos Dwyane Wade vs. Dirk Nowitzki (Yahoo Sports graphic via Amber Matsumoto) More

Career high

Wade’s 30.2 points per game led the league in 2008-09, when he finished third behind James and Kobe Bryant for his best MVP finish, but his Heat were 43-39 that year and lost in the first round. His apex is 2005-06, his third NBA season, when he averaged 27.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game on 57.7 percent true shooting before elevating his game in the playoffs and capturing Finals MVP honors for a 52-win team that featured O’Neal in his early decline. Wade was a Second-Team All-NBA guard behind Bryant and Nash that year.

Nowitzki finished higher in the MVP voting during Wade’s 2005-06 season, when he had his second of three straight top-three finishes. His regular-season apex came the following year, when he won the league’s top honor upon averaging 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 60.5 percent true shooting for a Mavs team that won 67 games and shockingly lost as a No. 1 seed in the first round. His playoff apex came four years later, when he averaged 28 and eight on better than 60 percent shooting, securing 2011 Finals MVP honors en route to his lone title. He was a Second-Team All-NBA forward behind James and Kevin Durant that season.

Advantage: Nowitzki

Story continues