[high floorParticipant]

Just for fun, to help pass the time during these final offseason weeks…… I thought it’d be fun to compare and contrast a couple of stud wings from the 80’s and early 90’s. Dominique ‘The Human Highlight Film’ Wilkins, and Clyde ‘The Glide" Drexler:

Wilkins:

• Career: 24.8pts, 6.7rebs, 2.5assists, 46% FG, 80% FT, 1.3stl, 2.5 t.o’s
• 9 time all star
• All NBA First Team, 1985-86
• All NBA Second Team, 4 times
• Led NBA in scoring in 1985-86 @ 30.2ppg
• Eight seasons of 2,000+ pts!! (Durability)
• 2-time slam dunk champion

Drexler:

• Career: 20.4pts, 6.1rebs, 5.6assists, 47% FG, 79% FT, 2.0stl, 2.7 t.o’s
• 10 time all star
• All NBA First Team, 1991-92
• All NBA Second Team, 2 times
• Top 4 in steals per game, four seasons
• NBA Dream Team selectee, 1992
• Three time nba finals participant, winner w/ Houston in 1995 
     

*Who do you guys have as the better player & overall better career?

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 Definitely Clyde. Wilkins was the pure scorer, but Clyde was superior in virtually every other aspect of the game. Clyde’s defense and playmaking skills were vastly superior to Dominique and he made his teammates better in a way that Dominique couldn’t. 

[The GoatParticipant]

 Agree, Clyde easily. Nique was a pure scorer though. 

[Robb_CParticipant]

Drexler, no doubt he was the West Coast Jordan. 

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 Eh. While drexler was no doubt really good in his prime I’m not sure if I would go that far. Anyone who saw them play would instantly recognize there was a pretty significant gap between the two. Drexler lacked Jordan’s dynamic scoring ability and refined offensive game. He didn’t have anywhere close to the ability to take over a game the way jordan did. I think that’s part of the reason his Portland teams never won, because he just couldn’t carry a team the way the truly elite offensive stars in the league could at that time. I thought he was probably better suited as a second option, a role that he excelled in quite nicely later in his career. I actually think he was probably more comparable to Scottie pippen than Jordan to be honest, but that opens up a whole nother debate.

[Robb_CParticipant]

 Let me ask you this.. If Clyde wasn’t comparable to Jordan or have similar skillsets.. why were they always guarding each other in Team USA practices.. 

Clyde was a nightmare! In fact that whole Trailblazer team was ahead of its time.. if Cliff Robinson played in the league today he’d be considered one of the best.

 

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

 Because Clyde was the other shooting guard with similar size to Jordan… if who you guard is how good you are everyone would be the same

[SubZeroParticipant]

Maybe because they were the only 2 SGs on the team

[Robb_CParticipant]

 Exactly my point!! He was the only SG in the league who could keep up with him, hence Clyde being the only other SG on the roster.

[cohenbc1Participant]

What they said. Up until the ’92 finals, Drexler or Jordan was a legitimate argument. He was that good. 

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

 No. No it was not. Please stop this.

[terrancebowerParticipant]

 Drexler, easily…. very easily

[whiteflashParticipant]

 What people forget (or never knew) about Drexler is what a phenomenal passer he was. I mean, his assist stats are damn good, but his ability to pass the ball was WAY better than his numbers would indicate, and that’s saying something. Drexler was without question the second best 2-guard of his era, and I believe a top 5 2-guard of all time. Wilkins was good but INCREDIBLY one dimensiona. Clyde wins this in a landslide. 

[BeastMode716Participant]

 Drexler was a more well rounded player while Dominique was an unstoppable, explosive scorer

From 24 thru 31 years old – his prime – Drexler averaged roughly 24 pts 6 reb 6 ast & shot 49% fg%

During that same age bracket, Dominique averaged 29 pts 4 reb 3 ast & shot 46% fg%

Both these players were among the greatest in game Dunkers the league has Ever seen – ironically both men are listed at 6’7” but in my mind Dominique was taller b/c Dominique could Yam on Anyone, Any time – in the half court set, on the fast break – if he got a sliver of space Dominique was going Hard to the rim & Dunking 

Drexler’s exciting dunks came mainly on the fast break. Dominique was closer to Jordan (to me) b/c Dominque was an absolutely impossible to stop scorer who would Ruthlessly Dunk on Evertyone where Clyde’s game was smoother & more team oriented b/c let’s be honest, if he could do what Dominique (or Jordan) could do in the half court he would have done it – Every one would have done it,.,.;…

If Dominique played in today’s game where you can No longer even hand check on the perimeter half the League would be on a shrink’s couch trying to recover from Dominque posterizing half the team Every night – the man was Not human

 

 

 

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Drexler also averaged over 2 steals and damn near a block a game during that span. Let’s also not forget that Drexler was the man on TWO Finals teams where Wilkins was routinely bounced in the first round.

[IlladelphParticipant]

Drexler was probably the better all-around player, and team-oriented.  By the time he won a chip in ’95 with Houston, he had become the ultimate teammate.  Gotta probably go with Clyde as the overall "better" player.

BUT, I submit that Dominique was the more athletic, more exciting, and more entertaining player.  I’d rather watch ‘Nique play any day over Drexler.  ‘Nique would absolutely f***ing destroy defenders.  Anyone who got in his way got got f***ing posterized.  If ‘Nique had been on a good team during his prime, he would have been a household name, and we’d be talking about him in the same breath as guys like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Michael Jordan.  Instead, he is a relative unknown which is pretty shocking.  Imagine taking the X-Man’s athleticism and dunking and multiplying that by 10.  That was ‘Nique.  I watched him as a boy growing up and I remember so many sick dunks.  Vince Carter has nothing on ‘Nique.  What a freak.

 

   

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Dude, you’re letting childhood memories cloud judgement and common sense. Wilkins ONLY went right, struggled off the dribble, did the same handful of dunks OVER AND OVER…. He was a great scorer who raided the baselines, attacked the offensive glass and had a nice spin move, but saying Vince Carter had nothing on him is absolutely insane. Carter had dunks in traffic that were MUCH better than anything Wilkins ever did in contests, and that’s just the facts.

[Ahkasi ClayParticipant]

 Nique was fun to watch. But I am taking Clyde. (Clyde was fun to watch also)

[cabbycabParticipant]

 Nique was the 80 – 90’s version of Carmelo.  Great scorer, decent rebounder, never made teammates better and did not get close to winning the title.  Fun as heck to watch.  First player to do windmill dunks routinely in games ( sometimes in traffic ! ) .  

Clyde was surrounded by better talent.  He had nice stats but he rarely made the big shots at the end of the game.  That was Terry Porter’s job.  The ’92 finals put an end to any conversation that he was on Jordan’s level.  Team actually played better with Danny Ainge in the line up during that finals.  

 

This is a wash for me.  Clyde has a title, but he played with better talent.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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