prime charlie ward or prime derek Harper

[Fresh Kid]

who you rather have on your team?

[Droid101]

Harper was a way smarter player.

[LAClipsFan33]

Harper. No doubt

[senelcoolidge]

This is a silly question. Charlie Ward was a decent back up point guard. Derek Harper was a quality starting point guard.

[sportjames23]

Yup, what everybody else said. Harper over Ward easily.

[imdaman99]

Harper. He wasn't in his prime with the Knicks in the 90s tho.

I always wondered why Chris Childs benched himself for Ward to start. I liked Childs so much more, he was a great defender and clutch player. I guess cuz he felt Ward was more a pass-first PG than he was, and that is what Ewing needed? Childs should have been so much better.

[NewYorkNoPicks]

Ward was such garbage, decent defender and thats it.

Everytime i watched a Knicks game I prayed for a real point guard. I asked...why? Why did we trade Mark Jackson?

[Kblaze8855]

Harper was better on the Knicks than Ward ever was too. One of the best in the league far as taking advantage of the defensive rules of the time.

[To4]

Ward was such garbage, decent defender and thats it.

Everytime i watched a Knicks game I prayed for a real point guard. I asked...why? Why did we trade Mark Jackson?


i always wondered why mark jackson is traded for so many teams...:hammerhead:

[Meticode]

Harper as a player. Ward for punching Kobe in the neck.

[andgar923]

Harper as a player. Ward for punching Kobe in the neck.

That was Childs my dude.

[sportjames23]

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwvmunNzox1qjkukyo1_500.gif

[bdreason]

Easily Charlie Ward...
























if we're talking about Football.

[SamuraiSWISH]

Derek Harper was actually pretty good. Charlie Ward was solid, a better college quarterback though. And it was Chris Child's who lit up Kobe's throat with jabs fellas. And I don't know why people act like Kobe got his ass kicked. He hits Kobe, it doesn't phase him ... and then he pulls a Melo and runs. Now, if you mentioned when Reggie Miller body slammed Kobe onto the scores table, you'd have a point.

[Lebron23]

That was Childs my dude.


He kinda look like Charlie Ward. Prime Harper was a superior player than Ward.

[jstern]

Charlie Ward, because Jesus Christ was on his side.

Just kidding. Derek Harper

[G-train]

Ward and Childs, what a combo.

[Rake2204]

When I was younger I thought it was so crazy that a Heisman Trophy winner was going to the NBA. Then I kind of accepted that it happened. Now, looking back, it's kind of crazy to think about again.

[SmackOrH.A.K]

This is like choosing between prime Chauncey Billups or Derek Fisher....

[Lebron23]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wgu5ZFr2ww

Harper was still a solid player for the Knicks.

[chocolatethunder]

Harper was so much better that this is like asking prime Bernard King or prime Ledell Eackles.

[chocolatethunder]

When I was younger I thought it was so crazy that a Heisman Trophy winner was going to the NBA. Then I kind of accepted that it happened. Now, looking back, it's kind of crazy to think about again.
Historically, lots of Heisman winners aren't good quarterbacks (in the NFL) especially in Ward's era. In addition, football careers are the shortest out there and the money isn't guaranteed, so that makes it an easy decision. Ward had no shot to be a good starting quarterback in the NFL.

[Rake2204]

I think you guys can thank Harp for doing his part to help create the softer NBA we see today. The first rule of NBA Fight Club: probably don't body slam JoJo English 10 feet in front of the commissioner's face. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUti7sertHE

[Knicksfever2010]

Ward was such garbage, decent defender and thats it.

Everytime i watched a Knicks game I prayed for a real point guard. I asked...why? Why did we trade Mark Jackson?

http://cdn.tss.uproxx.com/TSS/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/charles-smith-bulls.jpg

[OldSchoolBBall]

Harper was a completely different level of player than Ward. Harper was a borderline all-star, Ward was at best a solid starter. Harper was a much better defender, too.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Harper was so much better that this is like asking prime Bernard King or prime Ledell Eackles.

Seriously. :oldlol: Not sure where this comparison came from.

[sportjames23]

http://cdn.tss.uproxx.com/TSS/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/charles-smith-bulls.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/14-seconds-of-awesomeness-charles-smith-and-the-93-bulls/#

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/smithgrant.gif

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/smithjordan.gif

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/smithpippen.gif

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/finalsmith.gif

[D-FENS]

Derek Harper is a far better player, but it depends on the team make-up. On a team like the Heat you'd probably prefer Ward for floor spacing.

9 out of 10 times I'm taking Harper though

[D-FENS]

When I was younger I thought it was so crazy that a Heisman Trophy winner was going to the NBA. Then I kind of accepted that it happened. Now, looking back, it's kind of crazy to think about again.

Agreed. Ward probably would have been mediocre in the NFL and made less money, but I would have liked to see him try

[Dro]

This is not a fair comparision. Harper was an excellent defender(as was Ward) but he was much better at running a team and he improved his jumpshot over the course of his career....

Ward is a good shooter and an excellent defender, just not as consistent as Harper over his career...Harper played on different teams with different styles and was successful on all of them...

[Xiao Yao You]

Harper was probably better but never liked his game. I'd take Ward.

[chocolatethunder]

Harper was probably better but never liked his game. I'd take Ward.
Did you see Harper when he played for the Mavs?

Harper had 7 years in a row averaging at least 16pts with a high of 19. He also had five years in a row of 7 assists. Ward never averaged more that 7 points or more than 5 assists. There's no way you could have seen Harper play in his prime.

[chocolatethunder]

Derek Harper is a far better player, but it depends on the team make-up. On a team like the Heat you'd probably prefer Ward for floor spacing.

9 out of 10 times I'm taking Harper though
Harper was a better shooter than Ward. And from 3 it's about even. Ward at 36 and Harper at 35. There is no comparison. Harper was better at almost everything most certainly scoring and running a team. Ward played good D and that was it.

[ProfessorMurder]

Harper was better on the Knicks than Ward ever was too. One of the best in the league far as taking advantage of the defensive rules of the time.

Shocker that I have to ask Kblaze this, but can you elaborate on that a bit?

[redhonda76]

Prime Derek Harper was better in all area of the game than Ward. Prime Harper would be the second best player for most teams whereas Prime Ward would be at fifth best. Derek Harper was the master of handchecking defense and he took full advantage of that when it was allowed in the NBA.

[LAClipsFan33]

Shocker that I have to ask Kblaze this, but can you elaborate on that a bit?

I assume he was alluding to Harper having a mean hand check

[ProfessorMurder]

I assume he was alluding to Harper having a mean hand check

That's what I figure, but I'd like to hear more. I never saw him on the Mavs, just when he was older on the Knicks... But I still don't remember much.

[Kblaze8855]

Yea mostly his total disregard for hand check and reaching rules. He was a bit like Bowen in that he broke the rules so often you either had to foul him out in the first quarter or let them all go. And they just started letting it go.

Id say him, Payton, Nate Mcmillian, Jordan, Dumars, and John Starks all mastered it. And given the physical defenders in the lane they could just terrorize you. Guide you where they wanted then turn you loose to be banged on the drive.

Harper forced so many people to their off hand while also setting them up to slam their foreheads into Ewing, Oakley, or Masons chest....

It was kinda low....but it worked.

[wang4three]

I know the answer is Harper, but I loved Charlie Ward. He was crazy clutch. Underrated!

[magic chiongson]

better question:

derek harper vs ron harper (both primes)

[bizil]

BY FAR Derek Harper! He was one of the most complete PG's of his era and peaked out at basically 20 points and 7 assists with the Mavs. Probably one the best PG's to never make an All-Star team.

[bizil]

better question:

derek harper vs ron harper (both primes)

Gotta go Ron Harper! Only MJ and Drexler combined freak athletic ability and great all around ability better than him in that era at the SG spot. Then of course in that next era u got Sprewell and then later u got Kobe, Wade, and T-Mac. Harp at his best was getting u 23 points, 5 boards, and 5 dimes a night along with great defense. His last year before joining the Bulls, he put up 20 points, 4.6 assists, and 6.1 rebounds. So he sacrificed putting up All Star kind of numbers for rings. I think Harp, MJ, and Pippen could very well have been the most WELL ROUNDED (not saying the best) starting perimeter group in league history. All three could play OR defend PG, SG, and SF. MJ was of course the ultimate alpha dog while Pip and Harp could average 20-22 points if they needed too.

[secund2nun]

Ward made such a good decision picking the NBA over the NFL.