James Worthy vs. Dominique Wilkins: Who Was Better?

[Im Still Ballin]

Title.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzLiZZW6wg

[RogueBorg]

It's hard to say what Big Game James would have been like as some other team's number 1 option. I'm going to say Wilkins because he was The Man in Atlanta while Worthy never was in LA. It's close.

[colts19]

It's hard to say what Big Game James would have been like as some other team's number 1 option. I'm going to say Wilkins because he was The Man in Atlanta while Worthy never was in LA. It's close.

I agree, its like saying who was better McHale or Wilkins? You just can't say for sure since Kevin was never the team's number 1 option.

[getting_old]

Nique the better player, Worthy was a great player who adapted to a role with a Dynasty

couldn't see James joining a bad team, as the #1 option and getting 50 wins from it.

[Im Still Ballin]

That's the point fellas. A discussion, based upon opinions. Analyzing each players' skillset and impact, with regard to role, circumstance, and context. It's what makes this a fascinating topic, just as McHale vs. Malone was.

Hopefully, we get some insightful posts in here as we did in that thread.

[getting_old]

and it was sweet of the Championship Lakers to get Worthy at the #1 pick, the MVP of the Tarheels title run to fit right in....

replace great Jamaal WIlkes with no loss at all....

[Charlie Sheen]

To really maximize Worthy, you must have a competent point guard. He was elite working in the post and finishing at the rim. Nique was far superior at creating his own offense.

I would take Worthy because I can visualize how to build a team around him.

[Im Still Ballin]

To really maximize Worthy, you must have a competent point guard. He was elite working in the post and finishing at the rim. Nique was far superior at creating his own offense.

I would take Worthy because I can visualize how to build a team around him.

I like your point. I think I agree to an extent. A number one option on offense doesn't need to dominate the ball to score and create in a heliocentric fashion. In fact, I think the ideal offensive system is one that is equal opportunity; like the triangle was in Chicago with MJ.

Floor raising is an admirable quality, but in the end, it's about winning championships, not simply making the playoffs. Russell Westbrook might be able to elevate a garbage roster to an 8th seed level, but I'd rather have an Anthony Davis. You can fit him better with other talent.

[bizil]

I'm rolling with the HHF! Nique proved he could will those Hawks teams in the 80s to multiple 50 win seasons. The best players Nique played with on the Hawks were a past prime Moses, past prime Theus, Doc Rivers, Kevin Willis, and Mookie. NONE of those guys were superstar level players. Took Boston to Game 7 back in the day when the Hawks had NO RIGHT to be in the situation on paper! But Nique was so great he willed them to that level.

Nique wasn't given enough credit on the wide scale. Being left out the 50 greatest, not being a 1st ballot HOF guy, etc. are clear indications of that. YET the NBA marketed him as one of the top 6-7 stars. Along with MJ, Magic, Bird, Chuck,and Zeke. So he was a great asset HELPING grow the game in that Golden Era. So that should have been EVEN MORE AMMO for him to be top 50 and 1st ballot HOF. Hella happy he mad the top 75 though!

Plus when Kareem was outta his prime and started slipping significantly, Pat Riley URGED MAGIC to up the ante scoring. So much so to where Magic NEEDED to lead the Lakers in scoring for the season more often than not. Riley DIDN'T ask Worthy to do that. With Nique there, Riley would have WENT TO Nique for that role. He wouldn't have had to go to Magic. Plus Worthy was outta the league at 32. While Nique was still in his prime averaging around 30 PPG!

Worthy was a great one no doubt. But Nique was more in the league of a Bird and King when it came to feared scorers at the SF spot. Bird himself said himself, Jordan, Nique, and King were the best scorers in the league at one point. AT LEAST among the perimeter guys anyway.

[L.Kizzle]

Nique. Worthy is Hella underrated tho.
Has a Finals MVP.

[houston]

Ninque had more superstar responsibility for his team to succeed. This similar like comparing Carmelo Anthony vs Shawn Marion.

[Phoenix]

I'm imagining Nique on the break instead of Worthy receiving Magic's passes. Jesus H. Christ.

[bizil]

Nique IN PLACE of Worthy on the Lakers likely has Nique as a top 4-5 GOAT SF. WITHOUT a ring he's a top 10 GOAT SF. With 3 rings, he vaults up several spots. He was such a dominant force that he would have been getting at least 25 PPG on those Lakers teams at some point. In particular when Kareem is outta his prime. Once again Worthy was a beast for sure. It's just that Nique took the mantle from Doc as that generational freak athletic type of SF who dominates games scoring the rock on an epic level. Nique's style of game was MADE for Hollywood and Showtime! He was already one of the league's marquee names. But with Magic in LA, it's CRAZY to imagine how his marquee value goes to another level! While winning all those rings on top of it!

[Thenameless]

Worthy fit so well with Magic and the Lakers, and the results were about as good as you could get. Not everyone can be the team's star and each must know his role. Worthy drove an Oldsmobile in his prime while making tons of money; there's something to that kind of mentality.

I do wonder sometimes though what it would have looked like if Magic was feeding those fast break alley-oops to Wilkins. Would have been even more Showtime than Showtime.

[3ba11]

Worthy was a goat quick-iso player just like his North Carolina teammate MJ

Nique was less fundamentally-sound and invented a lot of moves that only he did

Worthy was the go-to leading scorer for the 87' & 88' champion Lakers, including 30 on 62% in the 87' WCF (24 on 55% in playoffs overall)

I'd take Nique on a bad team and Worthy on a good one, but Worthy could've averaged 30 on a bad team easily - he was #1 option over Kareem and Magic on B2B title teams