Dwyane Wade or Clyde Drexler

[Chris435]

Last season, I posted this thread about who the better player was. The end result: You all laughed in my face!! Everyone thought D-Wade was a One Hit Wonder... now look at him! I pose the question again: Who's better?

[writerman]

Still Drexler.

And if Drexler had gotten the benefit of half the number of totally bogus phantom calls during his career that Wade routinely gets now, Clyde's already impressive career stats would have been significantly better.

[Wade2k6]

gimme Wade.

[ImmortalD24]

gimme Wade.

[mojomarc]

Drexler. Bigger, stronger, better rebounder, better passer, more durable.

But for a given peak season, that one or two magic year seasons, I am getting pretty darned close to saying Wade.

[HeatInOhio]

Drexler. Bigger, stronger, better rebounder, better passer, more durable.

But for a given peak season, that one or two magic year seasons, I am getting pretty darned close to saying Wade.

Drexler did it for longer and was an awesome player but some of those arguments don't fly IMO. Yes he's bigger but stronger? I'm not sure. Wade is pretty strong these days:



Did Clyde ever have arms/shoudlers that shredded? Clyde was a better rebounder (albeit he was a few inches taller) and more durable. I'm not so inclined to agree he was a better passer. Wade pretty much sets up around 15ish wide open jumpers for his teammates every game. Also if you look at just stats, Wade's first 6 years collectively are better as a whole. And consider that last year before his shoulder injury Wade was averaging similar numbers to this season. But coming back for the last few weeks and playing limited minutes really dropped his averages.

[That Nicka]

I'll take Wade for my team... Clyde has the better career so far, but if Wade keeps this up for another 5 years then it will be Wade easily imo

[Baller 24]

I'm going with Clyde; more durable, bigger, stronger, just as efficient of a scorer at his very peak with much more shooting range, had better rebounding skills, a better overall defender, although assist numbers make it close, Clyde has always said he values passing and getting his teammates involved more than anything---very underrated in this department.

[G35]

I'm going with Clyde; more durable, bigger, stronger, just as efficient of a scorer at his very peak with much more shooting range, had better rebounding skills, a better overall defender, although assist numbers make it close, Clyde has always said he values passing and getting his teammates involved more than anything---very underrated in this department.

I think as a PG or dominant big man that is good to make sure you involve your teammates. But that's why I take Wade over Clyde is there are times in games, seasons, playoff series where your best guy needs to take over. The offense isn't working for whatever reason and it's clear out a side and let him earn his money.

I know it's been a while but I don't remember Clyde being that way.....

[ponder276]

Wade in 05/06, 06/07 (pre injury), and 08/09 has been a better player than Drexler has ever been. More able to take over games, gets to the line far more, just a better scorer in general, a better playmaker, and you can make an argument for Wade being a better defender (he's playing fantastic d this year). If Wade's career ended today, it'd still be Clyde, but if Wade stays healthy and continues to play at this level for another 5ish years, this comparison goes to Wade easily. Wade is arguably the 2nd best player in the league at this point, Drexler was NEVER that good.

[Baller 24]

I'd disagree with Drexler never being that good, he was a tremendous player early on with the Blazers, and it could be argued that Drexler was at least a top 3-5 player back in the late 80s and early 90s when he was leading that Blazers team. He did come in 2nd in MVP voting in '92 to Jordan, and Drexler was playing great all around basketball. I'd argue Drexler at his peak is comparable to Wade, and I wouldn't say Wade would be the 2nd best player in the league if he played back in '92 since the talent level compared to right now among the top 5 players is relatively weak in comparison to what Drexler had to go up against. Though, those Blazers were good, and Drexler was the sole leader of that team back in the late 80s and early 90s.

[ponder276]

I'd disagree with Drexler never being that good, he was a tremendous player early on with the Blazers, and it could be argued that Drexler was at least a top 3-5 player back in the late 80s and early 90s when he was leading that Blazers team. He did come in 2nd in MVP voting in '92 to Jordan, and Drexler was playing great all around basketball. I'd argue Drexler at his peak is comparable to Wade, and I wouldn't say Wade would be the 2nd best player in the league if he played back in '92 since the talent level compared to right now among the top 5 players is relatively weak in comparison to what Drexler had to go up against. Though, those Blazers were good, and Drexler was the sole leader of that team back in the late 80s and early 90s.

MVP voting is not a good judge at all of how good a player is - remember that Steve Nash has 2 MVPs, while Kobe has 1. In 1992 there's no way that Drexler was a top 3-5 player, he was clearly worse than all of Jordan, Hakeem, DRob, Malone, Barkley and Ewing IMO. If you can name a single season where there's a strong argument for Drexler being a top 3 player in the league, I'll be impressed. And I personally do not agree that talent was better in Drexler's era than it is now, though many old-timers will argue with this.

[Baller 24]

MVP voting is not a good judge at all of how good a player is - remember that Steve Nash has 2 MVPs, while Kobe has 1. In 1992 there's no way that Drexler was a top 3-5 player, he was clearly worse than all of Jordan, Hakeem, DRob, Malone, Barkley and Ewing IMO. If you can name a single season where there's a strong argument for Drexler being a top 3 player in the league, I'll be impressed. And I personally do not agree that talent was better in Drexler's era than it is now, though many old-timers will argue with this.

Well I'm not an old timer

1) My argument is that Drexler at his utter most peak was playing against talent of the following also at their utter most peak/prime. The top 7-8 players in the league at the time were Jordan, Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, Malone, Drexler, Pippen, Mullin, and Barkley. Compared to right now Wade has the following is against the following as top 5 players in the league SOLELY based on talent and ability---Kobe, LeBron, Dwight, CP3---but then you've got a drop off in talent due to age with players like KG and Duncan around 32-33; and Shaq at 36. The competitiveness in talent was easily better back in the early 90s compared to right now, you had a solid 7-8 guys that were on the level of LeBron, Wade, Kobe, and CP3.

MVP voting is depended highly on team success---Shaq should have won the first one, but Nash has his arguments if you factor in how the Suns were the season before, and season after with Nash on his team, the 2nd one is also arguable, but again its highly depended on team success---I could go in depth and on about why if you'd like for me too and give my part of the analysis that I've sorta dug up on Nash and his 2 MVPs.

Drexler among guards is one of only 3 players in history to have 20,000 points 6,000 rebounds, 6,000 assist, and is the leader among guards for offensive rebounds at 2.4 per game; and overall was a much more versatile player than Wade, as he was close to being just the 2nd guard in NBA history to get a quadruple double twice in points, rebounds, assist, and steals. Behind Jordan, during Drexler's peak he was the 2nd best shooting guard, and it isn't really even close. In 1992, Drexler was the leader of the best team in the west, and I'd argue he was a top 3-5 player in the league at the time, team success is how we weigh certain players, despite another player putting up better statistics, if that wasn't the case than Tim Duncan wouldn't be getting ultimate praise. Anyways, here are Drexler's stats in '92:

Code: Select all

FG     3PT   FT%  REB   AST   STL   BLK   PTS
.470   .337   .794   6.6   6.7   1.8   0.9   25.0

Lets see, the Rockets didn't even make the playoffs that year, Hakeem Olajuwon had injury problems and had A LOT of problems with the management in charge, David Robinson was injured at the end of the season, and didn't even get to play in the playoffs, Karl Malone has a strong case to be over Drexler that year, possibly---Barkley was in the middle of playing on one of the worst teams in the league, while blatantly not enjoying his stay in Philly, calling out management, and his team was very successful just two years ago with the same core, I'd put Barkley behind Clyde that year especially, I'd put Ewing ahead of Drexler, similar team impact, but Ewing could possibly have a case of anchoring the best defensive team in the early 90s, and obviously Jordan goes ahead. So you've got Jordan, Ewing, Malone possibly being better than Drexler that year, what I don't understand though is that would Wade be ANY better? I don't think; if you do I'd like to hear your argument. Drexler was just more of a less potent McGrady; his passing abilities were wonderful along with everything else, but his scoring wasn't that high, though he did average 25+ 2 times, including twice averaging 27 ppg. Wade this season is on pace to have his best year yet, lets say he keeps it up---
Defensively its a wash IMO, both are similar pocket pickers/blockers, and aren't anything lock down on defense, passing could be considered a wash due to his ability to get their teammates involved, good play makers, scoring efficiency is there, but Drexler has a little more range, while Wade doesn't. Wade though does score more points, and if you've seen Drexler play, you'd know he was an explosive player athletically and when his team needs him he really can pick it up. I wouldn't say Wade is better than Drexler ever was, because they are very similar statistically, but Wade might have a slight edge scoring the ball.....either way all in all, I'd say in 1992, the way the season ended Drexler is a top 5 player, injuries and management problems to the Dream, injuries to Robinson, and Barkley playing on one of the worst teams in the league obviously hurt, and Drexler IMO goes ahead them that year especially, and that's exactly what the MVP voting did that year as Dream and Barkley were out of the top 10, while Jordan, Drexler, Malone, Ewing, and Robinson were in the top 5. I'd also argue that Wade wouldn't be any higher than Drexler if he played in the same time.

[ronnymac2]

I'll go with Wade.

If there was a gap in defense, it has been closed by Wade this year. Rebounding goes to Clyde. For playmaking....I'm going to include Wade's ability to use his own teammates, get them going, and get himself going when necesary with playmaking....or, to make this understandable, I'm putting playmaking with the ability to help teammates out (there is a difference) lol. Wade wins this.

Now, I think Clyde's ability to take over gets vastly underrated/underappreciated. Those Blazers were talented, but from what I have seen, Clyde had the ability to read when his team needed him to step it up. He was also VERY capable of doing it. I think this gets underrated simply because Clyde's ability gets looked at along side Jordan's ability, and Clyde's looks bad in comparison (they were contemporaries...dynamic shooting guards in the same era). That's not fair to Drexler though imo. He was, from what I have seen, a big game performer who had the skills and mentality to be flexible for his teams...to go with the flow when that is what was needed, and to go to the next level and carry the team for stretches as well.

Scoring, I'm going with Wade by a little bit. He's ultra-aggressive and works to his own strengths and weaknesses. His jumper has improved this year, too.

Basically, I think Wade is a more effective offensive player, which is why I give it to him. This is a close comparison though. I think when looking at a player-to-player comparison, Wade is right there with Clyde right now (and, like I said, surpasses him). All-time, as long as Dwyane keeps it up, he'll join Clyde as a top 5 shooting guard ever.

[DBurks2818]

It's close (There's a reason Clyde was a Top 50 guy) as people above have written. I'd go with DW though.

[Jcrawford11]

wade anyday

[farzi]

Drexler

[miamiballer]

what i got out of this is that hou and port fans choose drexler, just about everyone else, wade

right now, id give the edge to drexler ONLY because of longevity, but if wade keeps it up itll be him pretty easily, both are/will be top 5 sg's of all time though

[WadeKnicks2010]

Its pretty obvious that Wade is better. People just like to pick players whose careers started further in the past to sound more experienced and wiser. Sorry kids it doesn't work that way, the better player is the better player, regardless of what era they played in.

[CB-Blazer]

Its pretty obvious that Wade is better. People just like to pick players whose careers started further in the past to sound more experienced and wiser. Sorry kids it doesn't work that way, the better player is the better player, regardless of what era they played in.

Or a lot of people chose Wade do to the fact that they know little to nothing about Drexler. Many posters on this board weren't even watching b-ball during Drexlers career.

Nothing is "obvious" in this comparison albeit scoring, playmaking, overall offense, or defense. This is one of the closer comparisons that have been on this board.

You can make a case for both players and both will be regarded as some of the greatest of all time. There is no clear winner and no one should be ridiculed for picking one or the other.