Better longevity: Dwight or Wade?

[Dray n Klay]

Who had better career longevity?



Remember Dwight was able to take his team to the WCF last year while Wade was in the lottery.

[Bosnian Sajo]

I wouldn't say Dwight took his team to the WCF...he was a role player on that team.

[G-train]

Howard is 30.
Wade is 34.
We da bess

[bobopenguin]

I wouldn't say Dwight took his team to the WCF...he was a role player on that team.

He was clearly the man in his magic team...

[Dray n Klay]

Howard is 30.
Wade is 34.
We da bess

Dwight actually played more NBA games played than Wade. 879 vs 853

[G-train]

Dwight actually played more NBA games played than Wade. 879 vs 853

Oh I thought question was longevity not games played.

*checks title*

Actually it was. Wade is 34 and a better player than Howard. Howard is 30. You look up who has played in the NBA longer.

:pimp:

WDB (we da bes)

[Dray n Klay]

Oh I thought question was longevity not games played.

*checks title*

Actually it was. Wade is 34 and a better player than Howard. Howard is 30. You look up who has played in the NBA longer.

:pimp:

WDB (we da bes)

Howard is still going strong 12 seasons in.


Wade in his 10th season was a 15ppg role player (2013 playoffs)


Howard still gets 18/11 with good defense in the playoffs


He's better currently, and in terms of peak play.

[Prime_Shaq]

He was clearly the man in his magic team...
He's talking about the 2015 Rockets

[Nuff Said]

Howard is still going strong 12 seasons in.


Wade in his 10th season was a 15ppg role player (2013 playoffs)


Howard still gets 18/11 with good defense in the playoffs


He's better currently, and in terms of peak play.
Old man Wade will put up better numbers and actually be the focal point of his offense than Dwight will this postseason. But I bet you'll still feel the same way.

[COnDEMnED]

What longevity?

[Bosnian Sajo]

He was clearly the man in his magic team...


Oh thanks bro, I didn't realize Orlando is in the west, my bad! :cheers:



















Dumbass.

[COnDEMnED]

When you're still within the span of a normal NBA career, you can't have longevity. Longevity is playing time PAST the average player expiration date.

Dirk, Duncan, Vince Carter, Kobe, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Karl Malone, Kareem...

These players have/had longevity.

[GrapeApe]

Wade is having one of the better seasons ever for a 34 year old SG. 19/5/4/1/.5 and a 21 PER while leading his team to a potential top 3 seed. He's also only missed 8 games. His longevity is turning out to be solid despite the injuries. I don't care what conference you're in, you can't make 12 all-star appearances without having pretty good longevity.

Howard is too young at this point to talk about his longevity. He's obviously not the elite player he once was, but he could still he an effective player for several more years. Time will tell.

Oh, and Wade has actually played more career games than Howard if we include the playoffs. Wade has played 152 playoff games.

[GOATJono]

Dwight has done nothing in his three years at Houston. Wade so far.

[BasedTom]

Dwight has done nothing in his three years at Houston. Wade so far.
Wasn't exactly taking the league by storm in his stint in Los Angeles either

[GOATJono]

Wasn't exactly taking the league by storm in his stint in Los Angeles either
Totally forgot about that HAHA. That's how irrelevant it was.

[IllegalD]

What longevity?

[GrapeApe]

Another thing to add, some people seem to be confusing injuries with longevity. Injuries can play a role in longevity, but it's possible to deal with injuries and still have good longevity (and be healthy and have poor longevity).

Someone mentioned Wade's 2013 playoffs, but that's not a longevity issue. He was injured. He was actually great that season before the injury (all-star, all-NBA, etc...) Now it's 3 years later and he's still playing at a high level and is still among the top SG's in the league. Howard has dealt with injuries too, but that doesn't mean he won't be a good player well into his 30's.

[Cold soul]

Well neither player as much longevity but Wade here for me.

[Dragonyeuw]

Easily Wade. He was elite from 05-13, and is still playing at a high level among the top shooting guards at 34. Dwight was elite from, what, 08-12? I wouldn't classify him as elite since leaving Orlando. He's almost like a glorified role player right now, and never developed the skillset to counter his injuries. Every other superstar center from the past 20 years was pretty much MVP level and competing for championships at 30 years old.

[aj1987]

When you're still within the span of a normal NBA career, you can't have longevity. Longevity is playing time PAST the average player expiration date.

Dirk, Duncan, Vince Carter, Kobe, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Karl Malone, Kareem...

These players have/had longevity.
The average NBA player lasts like 9 seasons in the league. Wade is in his 13th season and is an All-Star as well.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

Wade even though a huge chunk of his career he was banged up. He played recklessly due to a lack of an elite jumpshot. He still gives it his all. Howard may have played more games but he's taken many nights off defensively and offensively. Did his post game ever really improve much? Howard was oozing with potential while on the magic. I also think wade was dealt with some really bad Heat teams pre big 3 and had a few years of empty stats

[Overdrive]

Well neither player as much longevity but Wade here for me.

What's the average NBA career? 4 years, 5, maybe 6? I'd say both have good longevity.

And about '13 Wade in the playoffs. He was decisive in the finals. Don't know how people can forget that, especially Bron stans.

[COnDEMnED]

The average NBA player lasts like 9 seasons in the league. Wade is in his 13th season and is an All-Star as well.The average player declines around their mid 30's. Anything after that is when "longevity" kicks in. It's not how many years in the league you have (although 13 is still small in comparison), it's how many years you continue to play after your body is supposed to start giving out. Compared to the players I listed who retired around 40 with roughly 18 or more years in the league each, 13 seasons isn't longevity....it's showing up to work.

If he's 34 now, people expect players to decline around 35ish, then next year would be the first year of his "longevity".
Dwight's 5 years away from even entering the conversation.
That's my take on it.

[aj1987]

The average player declines around their mid 30's. Anything after that is when "longevity" kicks in. It's not how many years in the league you have (although 13 is still small in comparison), it's how many years you continue to play after your body is supposed to start giving out. Compared to the players I listed who retired around 40 with roughly 18 or more years in the league each, 13 seasons isn't longevity....it's showing up to work.

If he's 34 now, people expect players to decline around 35ish, then next year would be the first year of his "longevity".
Dwight's 5 years away from even entering the conversation.
That's my take on it.
I think you're confusing good longevity with elite longevity. I might be a bit off with my numbers, but the average age when an NBA player comes into the league is ~21. The average career length of an NBA player is 9 years. Most players are completely washed up by the time they're 32-33. Again, I'm not talking about the elite players with elite longevity. I'm talking about the AVERAGE NBA player. Wade, Per36, is still averaging 23/5/6/1/1 at 34 in his 13th season in the league.

You're also ignoring that fact that Wade came into the league 22 and was a starter from the get go. Not too many people in the history of the game came into the league at 22 and were All-Stars in their 13th season. I'm pretty sure that the list would have ~10 players max.

[IllegalD]

Both have sh*t longevity.

Elite bigmen usually peak in their early 30s. Dwight Howard has been on a decline since the 2009 finals and didn't evolve his skills to make his age game gracefully.

Wade looked like a gimpy oldman in the 2014 Finals and hasn't been the same since.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/br-cdn/temp_images/2014/06/13/0bbd78012076a1eee2107e673af6265a.gif?1402689211

http://giant.gfycat.com/AchingFantasticAndeancondor.gif

[Dragonyeuw]

Dwight Howard has been on a decline since the 2009 finals and didn't evolve his skills to make his age game gracefully.



2011 is generally acknowledged as his best year. Basically after he left Orlando coupled with the back surgery in 2012, that was pretty much when it all went downhill.

[aj1987]

2011 is generally acknowledged as his best year. Basically after he left Orlando coupled with the back surgery in 2012, that was pretty much when it all went downhill.
Yeah, well, IllegalD is a dumbass. What'd you expect? :lol

[Quickening]

People have strange definitions foe longevity... Surely it's just playing at a high level for a long time.. If someone comes into the league at 18 and dominates from then until there 35, that's elite longevity, 17 seasons at the top.

People seem to think longevity only starts when you hit 35 and what happens before that isn't relevant.. Wade is older than LeBron for example but lebron already has better longevity as he has had 12 elite seasons.

[GrapeApe]

Both have sh*t longevity.

Elite bigmen usually peak in their early 30s. Dwight Howard has been on a decline since the 2009 finals and didn't evolve his skills to make his age game gracefully.

Wade looked like a gimpy oldman in the 2014 Finals and hasn't been the same since.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/br-cdn/temp_images/2014/06/13/0bbd78012076a1eee2107e673af6265a.gif?1402689211

http://giant.gfycat.com/AchingFantasticAndeancondor.gif

This is patently false. Wade has looked nothing like 2014 finals Wade this season (and last season too when healthy). He's averaged 24/5/5 per-36 the past 2 seasons. He just had a bad finals. He was also too heavy and has since shed some weight. In case you hadn't noticed he's the leading scorer for a number 3 seed (currently) and will play in 74 games. He's obviously bounced back from his poor finals performance and is still an all-star caliber player.

[Lebronxrings]

well im a wade fan but i gotta go dwight here. Was a dominant force in the league, took his team to the finals and was one of the greatest defensive players ever. Had kobe not ruined him, he could have been a top 15 player easily.

[IllegalD]

This is patently false. Wade has looked nothing like 2014 finals Wade this season (and last season too when healthy). He's averaged 24/5/5 per-36 the past 2 seasons. He just had a bad finals. He was also too heavy and has since shed some weight. In case you hadn't noticed he's the leading scorer for a number 3 seed (currently) and will play in 74 games. He's obviously bounced back from his poor finals performance and is still an all-star caliber player.

If this bullsh*t were true you would use his actual stats instead of having to rely on per-36. :roll:

[GrapeApe]

If this bullsh*t were true you would use his actual stats instead of having to rely on per-36. :roll:

Fine. 21/6/4 in 2015 and 19/5/4 this season. Top 3 PER among SG's both seasons. His raw numbers were't even my main point, which you clearly missed. The point was that he has been a very productive player since the 2014 finals.

There's also nothing wrong with using per-36 numbers for older players who play fewer minutes. It's a good measure of on-court production. Again though, that wasn't my point.

[Meticode]

Wade's decline was going to come sooner than it was originally when he had his MCLs removed. Faster fix, but it shortens youre career. Honestly at 34 I'm surprised he's still playing as good as he is. But a lot of his game doesn't have to do with athleticism, and more so with footwork and getting his defender off balanced.

[GrapeApe]

Wade's decline was going to come sooner than it was originally when he had his MCLs removed. Faster fix, but it shortens youre career. Honestly at 34 I'm surprised he's still playing as good as he is. But a lot of his game doesn't have to do with athleticism, and more so with footwork and getting his defender off balanced.

Excellent post, and a lot of people don't realize that Wade's knee problems date back to college. There's also been a misconception that he relies on athleticism. He is highly skilled. He's crafty, he has great balance and body control, court vision, instincts, timing, footwork, and he has an outstanding acumen for the game. His skill has always been highly underrated.

His high level of play this season is almost entirely from skill and veteran savvy. Occasionally he'll turn back the clock and have a vintage moment, but his "old man game" is now his bread and butter. The old man game is why I think he can still be an all-star caliber player for a few more seasons.

[COnDEMnED]

People have strange definitions foe longevity... Surely it's just playing at a high level for a long time.. If someone comes into the league at 18 and dominates from then until there 35, that's elite longevity, 17 seasons at the top.

People seem to think longevity only starts when you hit 35 and what happens before that isn't relevant.. Wade is older than LeBron for example but lebron already has better longevity as he has had 12 elite seasons.
I think our different point of views are just a matter of semantics and circumstances. I see where you and AJ are coming from, I just think if you haven't reached that "decline phase", which is up for interpretation in and of itself, we're not discussing longevity.....we're discussing careers.
Enter NBA--Career--Decline Phase--Longevity--Retire--Overall Career

[Jacks3]

Wade's "longevity" is total crap. Guy left his prime at 29 and only had five true superstar seasons. I have no idea why his stans are so impressed by his current season. 19/5/4/1 with one of the highest usage rates in the league (32%) and crappy efficiency (52% TS, 103 ORTG). And he's one of the worst shooters in basketball (34% from 10-16 feet, 38% from 16-23 feet, 19% from three).

Very unimpressive.

[GrapeApe]

Wade's "longevity" is total crap. Guy left his prime at 29 and only had five true superstar seasons. I have no idea why his stans are so impressed by his current season. 19/5/4/1 with one of the highest usage rates in the league (32%) and crappy efficiency (52% TS, 103 ORTG). And he's one of the worst shooters in basketball (34% from 10-16 feet, 38% from 16-23 feet, 19% from three).

Very unimpressive.

It's called perspective. He has the 3rd highest PER ever for a 34 year old SG. Only Jordan and Kobe have been better at the same age. Nobody is saying he's still a superstar, but he's having an excellent season for a SG his age and he's the lesding scorer for a 50-ish win team. He's also been statistically one of the most clutch players in the league this year and he's been very solid defensively.

Wade may have had a relatively short prime due to the injuries, but through 13 seasons he has career averages of 24/6/5/2/1 on 49% and a 25 PER. Very few guards in history have those kind of numbers. Also, his prime actually didn't end until he was 31 (bone bruise injury late in 2013 season). At 30 years old he had the 3rd best PER in the league (26.3). At 31 he had the 8th best (24.0). Those are both late prime seasons.

[Jacks3]

It's called perspective. He has the 3rd highest PER ever for a 34 year old SG. Only Jordan and Kobe have been better at the same age. Nobody is saying he's still a superstar, but he's having an excellent season for a SG his age and he's the lesding scorer for a 50-ish win team. He's also been statistically one of the most clutch players in the league this year and he's been very solid defensively.

Wade may have had a relatively short prime due to the injuries, but through 13 seasons he has career averages of 24/6/5/2/1 on 49% and a 25 PER. Very few guards in history have those kind of numbers. Also, his prime actually didn't end until he was 31 (bone bruise injury late in 2013 season). At 30 years old he had the 3rd best PER in the league (26.3). At 31 he had the 8th best (24.0). Those are both late prime seasons.

He's a good player, but nothing more. Nowhere near as impressive as Kobe or Jordan.

[SouBeachTalents]

He's a good player, but nothing more. Nowhere near as impressive as Kobe or Jordan.

Peak Wade was a great player