Dwight Howard vs. Alonzo Mourning... Who was better at their peak? [bigmen]

[Im Still Ballin]

Title.

[warriorfan]

Dwight is a considerably better rebounder. That gives him the edge for me. Dwight.

[PP34Deuce]

Dwight is considerably better. Better rebounder, more athletic, more durable. Zo struggled with durability. only thing he has is he was a slightly better free throw shooter and was just as good shot blocker.

[Turbo Slayer]

Dwight Howard.

[tpols]

Dwight is a considerably better rebounder. That gives him the edge for me. Dwight.

dwight was pretty broken on offense before he hurt his back. He used to require shaq like double teams or it was a two handed dunk.

[PP34Deuce]

The fact that prime Dwight gave you 77+ games a season with similar offensive production but bigger defensive help impact and shot blocking.

[Phoenix]

Dwight is better in a vacuum but if he was in the 90s, he's gonna be in the same tier of center with Zo and Mutumbo, below Dream, Shaq, Admiral and Ewing. I remember Yao used to get the better of him so I can picture him going against someone like Smits and being bothered by his size. And before you scoff at Smits, peak Shaq is on record as saying he couldnt stop him.

[Whoah10115]

Hmmm.

Alonzo didn't really improve his offensive game after his first season in Miami. He even regressed.

But Alonzo had big impact in a tough era. Howard is sometimes hard to judge, whereas Alonzo was a great player for 8 seasons, then some good play after. The heart set him apart.

I think he's a better shot-blocker than Howard, but Howard really took on the responsibility of his team's defense, almost all on his own. He was pretty incredible.

[Jay-B]

You guys must of never seen Alonzo play, give me prime Alonzo over Dwight any day.

[Lebron23]

Dwight Howard. Mourning under achieved in the playoffs. His team was eliminated by the knicks in the 1999 nba playoffs. Dwight improved his scoring averaged, and averaged in double double in his first 10 seasons. Mourning was the better shot blocker.

[Roundball_Rock]

Comparable players but Dwight's durability breaks the tie for peaks. Career wise, of course, it is easily Dwight.


Dwight is better in a vacuum but if he was in the 90s, he's gonna be in the same tier of center with Zo and Mutumbo, below Dream, Shaq, Admiral and Ewing

Agreed. Dwight was the best center if his era but in a weaker era for C's. If Dwight played in the 90's he would basically be Mourning with more durability and longevity.

[oldtimer28]

Title.

Surprised at others picking Howard. Cannot recall stats but the eye test and impression was that Mourning was much more of a winner that fit in a team game better.

Dwight had more potential but never reached his whilst it seemed Mourning overachieved and had a MVP - calibre year in Miami before getting sick (kidney issues?)

The big key for me is that Mourning was DOMINANT defensively. So I would put him on any team.

[light]

I dont know but LeBron is as big as both of them.

That's crazy, right?

[Reggie43]

I prefer Mourning but its hard to argue against dwight leading his own team to the Finals.

[Smoke117]

It's pretty much a wash.

[DJMcDonald]

It's pretty much a wash.

Nah, Dwight is better.

[Duncan21formvp]

Alonzo was much better.

[DJMcDonald]

Alonzo was much better.

This.

[Phoenix]

The late 00s was pretty much the only time period where Dwight would be considered the best center( and Yao when healthy had a case as well). Just about every other era prior when the center position was prominent and not neutered like today, he's at best a second tier center after the top 4-5 in each era.

Zo in 2010 would have been a top 3 center. So I'm not even sure how much better Dwight was, as much as his peak coincided in an era that made him more prominent than he would have been 10 to 20 years earlier. I imagine them mostly cancelling each other out head to head.

[NBAGOAT]

Dwight slightly just for his rebounding. Yes Alonzo is a superior post player but Dwight mostly makes up for that with superior athleticism. Defense is washy both dpoy type rim protectors

[Back In Shape]

Both great defender
Zo was a better leader and had much better ball IQ.
Zo was slightly stronger
But the athleticism of Dwight is insane. He's more athletic now as a broken, older player than Zo was at his peak.

I'd have to go with Dwight

[Smoke117]

Both great defender
Zo was a better leader and had much better ball IQ.
Zo was slightly stronger
But the athleticism of Dwight is insane. He's more athletic now as a broken, older player than Zo was at his peak.

I'd have to go with Dwight

lol Zo was an idiot hot head who was easy to take out of his game, so I dunno where this is coming from unless you are talking post kidney ailment when he was half the player he was before.

[TAZORAC]

Howard was better on defense...Mourning was better on offense...their equal

[Round Mound]

Howard was better on defense...Mourning was better on offense...their equal

This

[tanibanana]

Howard was better by a considerable margin. 2/3 of Dwight’s career happened during the time small ball was starting to gain traction. Dwight will be a force of nature during Alonzo’s timeline, while Mourning will be an Al Horford in Dwight’s timeline. No disrespect to Zo, just telling what is it is really.

[Mr. Woke]

Obviously it was Dwight.

[pandiani17]

Zo. Had a more skilled offensive game, and defensively he was also a beast, similar to Dwight. Surprised by so many people thinking otherwise, I wonder if they saw 90s Zo play or if they are just thinking about 2000s Mourning.

[Xiao Yao You]

I'd want Zo

[Axe]

Baguette biyombo

[Lebron23]

Dwight was the better playoffs performer.

[RogueBorg]

Title.

Zo was a better shot blocker and cry baby. Man he would cry about not getting calls or calls that went against him. If Dwight had Zo's intensity there's no telling how great Dwight could have been.

[Baller789]

I'd take Zo.

He was a much better offensive player than Howard. Without that much difference on defense.

Howard played in a weak Center era. He constantly had problems guarding old Shaq and Yao. He wouldn't even be a sure top 5 C in the 90's.

[HoopsNY]

It could go either way. One thing that stands out for Zo was that he did what he did in a very slow era and against elite bigs. Howard was a better offensive player and more athletic, so I give him that. I don't prefer one over the other.

[kawhileonard2]

Alonzo was better overall. Surprised Lebron lost to Dwight with HCA.