Vlade Divac or Dwight Howard

[Living Being]

Who would you rather have on your team, all factors considered:

Prime Divac or Prime Howard?

I'll take Divac because while he's not as great defensively as Howard, he is still good. He's also a 100x better passer. He's also not an idiot. I would prefer to have him as a role model to younger players instead of Dwight. Divac played with Kukoc, Radja, and Petrovic on the Yugoslavian team in '88 Olympics where they won silver.

[1987_Lakers]

Only a moron would take Divac.

[Cold soul]

Dwight Howard during his prime he was flat out beast defensively on most phases he even won defense player of year reward and carried Magic team 09 to Finals is way more than Divac ever dreamed of doing.

[Living Being]

If Divac played in this weak center era, he would dominate.

[Rose'sACL]

If Divac played in this weak center era, he would dominate.
This. Any player whose prime was in 80s or 90s was better than players from 2000s and beyond. Reggie miller would be as good as curry if he played in today's watered down league.

[Living Being]

This. Any player whose prime was in 80s or 90s was better than players from 2000s and beyond. Reggie miller would be as good as curry if he played in today's watered down league.

Centers of the 90's:
Olajuwon
Shaq
D. Robinson
Ewing
Mourning
Mutombo
Smits
Daugherty

[plowking]

Centers of the 90's:
Olajuwon
Shaq
D. Robinson
Ewing
Mourning
Mutombo
Smits
Daugherty

Clearly all of them would average 35/15 because today's players are just dumber, less talented, not as strong, and simply can't adapt. Humans in general just can't adapt today, so how do we expect NBA players with even less talent before to do it?

[Prime_Shaq]

:rolleyes:

[Fallen Angel]

Has Divac ever brought fear into a team? No? Okay.

[Living Being]

Clearly all of them would average 35/15 because today's players are just dumber, less talented, not as strong, and simply can't adapt. Humans in general just can't adapt today, so how do we expect NBA players with even less talent before to do it?
Are you saying the 90's wasn't an era of great centers?

[Lebron23]

Give me a healthy Dwight Howard. Divac was a decent center, but prime Noah is better than him.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Give me a healthy Dwight Howard. Divac was a decent center, but prime Noah is better than him.

:applause: Agreed completely with this. Noah was a better defender than Divac. Divac may have more offensive prowess that's about it.

[Jameerthefear]

Are you saying the 90's wasn't an era of great centers?
it was but there are still a lot of great and skilled bigs in the league today
griffin
davis
cousins
vooch
duncan
and then guys who are going to be entering into the L who might once become great like embiid and towns

[plowking]

Are you saying the 90's wasn't an era of great centers?

It was. And they'd be even better today. 35/15 in this weak era. Who is stopping them? Every single player on that list would be the best player in the league today.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

it was but there are still a lot of great and skilled bigs in the league today
griffin
davis
cousins
vooch
duncan
and then guys who are going to be entering into the L who might once become great like embiid and towns

Hard to take a young kid seriously. Did you even see at least any late 90s basketball in person? :biggums:

[Living Being]

Has Divac ever brought fear into a team? No? Okay.
This is not just about talent and stats. That is why I said "all things considered." I think Divac is a better teammate. He is a better passer and much more solid mentally.

Howard is not there mentally.

[Living Being]

It was. And they'd be even better today. 35/15 in this weak era. Who is stopping them? Every single player on that list would be the best player in the league today.
You all ready contributed nothing. Now you sound like you're going to cry, and for no reason.

[plowking]

You all ready contributed nothing. Now you sound like you're going to cry, and for no reason.

Stop projecting. I'm just out here talking basketball.

[Jameerthefear]

Hard to take a young kid seriously. Did you even see at least any late 90s basketball in person? :biggums:
only top 4 in that list is all time great talent
Mourning
Mutombo
Smits
Daugherty
these guys could be worse players than every player i just listed. they're young though. dunno how good they'll become

[ClipperRevival]

only top 4 in that list is all time great talent
Mourning
Mutombo
Smits
Daugherty
these guys could be worse players than every player i just listed. they're young though. dunno how good they'll become

Mutombo is one of the best rim protector ever. 4 time DPOy. The guy was 7'2" and long as hell. His first 10 years in the league, he averaged 12.4 rebounds and 3.5 bpg.

Mourning was smaller but he could still protect the paint and rebound to go along with giving you 20+ ppg in his prime.

Both were truly great C.

[ClipperRevival]

Didn't realize Mourning also has 2 DPOY.

[Living Being]

Stop projecting. I'm just out here talking basketball.
Do you do think Smits would be the best player in the league today? :eek:

[Droid101]

Better flopper, which is important in this day of fines for flopping.

[Living Being]

Better flopper, which is important in this day of fines for flopping.
But he also teaches other players how to flop. Look at DFish. Hard to put a price tag on that.

[ClipperRevival]

Better flopper, which is important in this day of fines for flopping.

I swear he is the first routine, conscious flopper in the NBA. Before him, I don't think there was anyone who played with a conscious effort to flop as a strategy.

[SouBeachTalents]

I swear he is the first routine, conscious flopper in the NBA. Before him, I don't think there was anyone who played with a conscious effort to flop as a strategy.

Just wait until Pauk's Jordan flop compilation, then you'll see who was the first to truly master flopping

[TripleA]

Dude you do know dwight howard was 2nd in MVP voting and the best defender in the NBA for 4 years straight. His only all-star appearance was when he averaged 12 and 8 in 2001 so the great centers in 90s argument does not work. The type of idiots that make threads like this.:facepalm

[Lebron23]

Howard is getting disrespected in this forum. In His prime he was a top 2-3 player in the NBA.

[ClipperRevival]

Just wait until Pauk's Jordan flop compilation, then you'll see who was the first to truly master flopping

Flopping didn't exist in MJ's days. MJ was a straight killer and killers don't flop, they attack. He must shrug his head when he sees the flopping today, just like I do.

[TripleA]

Howard is getting disrespected in this forum. In His prime he was a top 2-3 player in the NBA.
So True.:applause:

A better argument would be Alonzo Mourning not Divac.
Divac was worse than Al Horford.

[Timmy D for MVP]

Dwight Howard by a whole lot.

I love Divac and I think he had superstar talent. But Prime Dwight took the Orlando Magic to the Finals. He was an absolute beast.

[dreamwarrior]

During his playing career Divac was sort of a joke. But in hindsight, he was pretty damn good and would be the most valuable center in today's game.

[unknowns8]

I'll just leave this here then...


http://watch.nba.com/nba/video/channels/nba_tv/2014/12/24/20141223-gt-vlade-divac-halfcourt.nba

[Lakers Legend#32]

At least Divac gave a damn.

[3ball]

If Divac played in this weak center era, he would dominate.
This is true..

Now for a few years there, pre-injury Dwight was actually one of the best rebounders ever statistically.

Post injury Dwight - 100% it's Divac over Dwight..

Pre-injury Dwight, well, it's not like you have to choose - Divac had handle, moves, footwork and passing, so he could play PF or SF easily alongside Dwight.. He could play SG if he had to - that's how good his moves/handle was.

[Fallen Angel]

I like how people try to claim Dwight Howard never tries because he loves to smile.

He took his team to the Finals.
He's a multi time All-Star.
He played an entire season with an injured back (even played more games than Kobe).
He came from missing a lot of the 2014 Regular Season to playing like the best center in the 2014 Postseason.
He's a multiple time winner of Defensive Player of the Year.
He had a strong MVP case in 2011.
He's led the league in rebounds and blocks multiple times.

It's hard to name 10 (maybe even 5) players with a better overall career than Dwight that have never even won a ring.

[CarlosBoozer]

Prime Dwight

Elite defender, elite rebounding, shot blocking beast and decent offense.

[TripleA]

This is true..

Now for a few years there, pre-injury Dwight was actually one of the best rebounders ever statistically.

Post injury Dwight - 100% it's Divac over Dwight..

Pre-injury Dwight, well, it's not like you have to choose - Divac had handle, moves, footwork and passing, so he could play PF or SF easily alongside Dwight.. He could play SG if he had to - that's how good his moves/handle was.

That garbage why would divac dominate if he did not even dominate in early 2000s the a bad center era and only had one all-star averaging twelve points.
Call me when divac was ever a top 5 player.

[AboutBuckets]

It's hard to name 10 (maybe even 5) players with a better overall career than Dwight that have never even won a ring.

I have Iverson, Nash, Baylor, Wilkins, Stockton, Malone, Chuck, and Ewing off the top of my head (people can make a strong argument for Dwight's career over Ewing's but I still have Pat ahead of him). After that, you're right it starts getting iffy with the Reggie Millers and such

[Jasper]

most of you probably never even saw Divac play bball... :D

Any case Howard was to be a replacement for Shaq as the next great center.
Divac was traded to acquire Shaq.... :D

Bottom line Divac in his prime as well as his career was better than Howard= he was a team player and did whatever it took !

[Vancouver-Grizz]

wasn't Divac one of the pioneers in FLOPPING? hahahaha

[Legends66NBA7]

I have Iverson, Nash, Baylor, Wilkins, Stockton, Malone, Chuck, and Ewing off the top of my head (people can make a strong argument for Dwight's career over Ewing's but I still have Pat ahead of him). After that, you're right it starts getting iffy with the Reggie Millers and such

You have to add Durant too. Miller doesn't have a better career, nor was he close to Dwight prime vs prime.

[Jameerthefear]

I like how people try to claim Dwight Howard never tries because he loves to smile.

He took his team to the Finals.
He's a multi time All-Star.
He played an entire season with an injured back (even played more games than Kobe).
He came from missing a lot of the 2014 Regular Season to playing like the best center in the 2014 Postseason.
He's a multiple time winner of Defensive Player of the Year.
He had a strong MVP case in 2011.
He's led the league in rebounds and blocks multiple times.

It's hard to name 10 (maybe even 5) players with a better overall career than Dwight that have never even won a ring.
wow never thought about it this way... you're kinda right.

[DMV2]

Only Laker fans would pick Divac over Dwight. Which is funny because Divac is a bigger rivalry to the Lakers than Dwight was. All Dwight did was dump their frachise. lol

It kinda sucks how Dwight's career turned into after his back injury. He's clearly not a #1/#1B option guy anymore.

[DMV2]

wasn't Divac one of the pioneers in FLOPPING? hahahaha
One of the first guys who made it popular or rather infamous. lol

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Divac looked pretty clueless when trying to stop MJ getting to the lane in the 1991 finals. He became a more versatile player in his later years with the Hornets and Kings.

[Smook A.]

Only a dumbass would start a topic like this. It's like saying "Monta Ellis or Dwyane Wade"

Monta don't have it all