ESPN with a dumb ass article up Isaiah better than Isiah

[kingofnyc]

He only really became a good, effective defender in the back half of his career. His defensive rep is exaggerated playing on those BB Pistons squads.

i assume u never watched zeke play ???

 

[Bledswole]

i assume u never watched zeke play ???

Cant take Gil serious man

 

[Tha Gawd Amen]

The main problem with this board is folk have a hard time comprehending that when a current player is being compared to a player of the past, it's usually in the context of what level they're currently playing at during a specific season or period, and not comparing their respecitive careers. [best season] is a different story l5q .

The thread stewed for a day with the full article posted that ends with this statement

"For now, Isiah Thomas remains the Isiah Thomas, even in terms of best single season."

and people are still using career achievements to shoot down an assertion that was never made. This board really can't understand the concept, player A is playing at a similar statistical level as legend A without jumping to the conclusion that someone is trying to say player A is better than legend A.

 

[mastermind]

Overall I'm just sick of all the Isiah slander from the advanced analytics crowd when Isiah brought so much more to the table outside of just stats.

i agree. This is what irks me the most about these convos.

I love advanced metrics but they are disingenuous.

 

[badboys11]

Incredible irony isaiah thomas plays for the celtics

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

i assume u never watched zeke play ???

Cant take Gil serious man

Both of you don't know what you're talking about. Ask any oldhead Pistons fan (that knows what they're talking about) on this board and they'll tell you the same thing. Zeke was not a great defender all throughout his career.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Ridiculous premise. All the article discusses is basically Isaiah's being a better scoring. The title of the article should be is he having a better scoring season. If you don't factor in assists, running an offense and steals then it's a bullshyt premise. Overall I'm just sick of all the Isiah slander from the advanced analytics crowd when Isiah brought so much more to the table outside of just stats.

Did you even bother to read the entire article breh, specifically the the last part?

The verdict: Isaiah has more work to catch Isiah


At the career level, it's indisputably true that Isaiah has a long ways to make Isiah the other Thomas. Isaiah is having a great season; Isiah had a great (if overrated) career.

As far as a season-to-season comparison, I think a similar conclusion is true. Isaiah's on pace to catch Isiah's best season (1984-85, when he was chosen for the All-NBA First Team for the second consecutive season on his way to three in a row) but still has a third of the season to go.

Besides the advantages I already elucidated, Isiah's more subtle edge is that he averaged 38.1 minutes per game in 1984-85, playing 81 games. As a result, Isaiah, who is playing fewer minutes and has already missed five games because of injury, will have to substantially outperform him on a per-minute basis. So far, I don't think that is quite the case.

If Isaiah plays Boston's remaining games, he's on pace for 18.4 wins above replacement player (WARP) by my metric. Isiah posted 18.5 WARP in 1984-85, which put him just ahead of Magic Johnson and behind Michael Jordan and MVP Larry Bird.

And that's without considering postseason play. Isiah's most memorable moments came in the Pistons' back-to-back championships, as well as their heartbreaking loss to the L.A. Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals, which went the distance because of Thomas' Game 6 heroics on a sprained ankle. Isaiah has yet to star on the playoff stage, though his fourth-quarter performance this season suggests better results ahead.

If Isaiah can keep up his hyperefficient performance from the last month-plus through the rest of the regular season and through a deep playoff run, we can revisit the question. For now, Isiah Thomas remains the Isiah Thomas, even in terms of best single season.

 

[ALonelyDad]

if one of the biggest homers is saying its trash, its trash

 

[Edub]

He is not

Fixed.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

False.

How can you say this is false when not only if you watched him play you would've seen this, that he didn't become a good defender until later on in his career - Zeke even admitted this himself?

 

[Bledswole]

Both of you don't know what you're talking about. Ask any oldhead Pistons fan (that knows what they're talking about) on this board and they'll tell you the same thing. Zeke was not a great defender all throughout his career.

Where did I ever say Zeke was a good defender?

bytch get out yo feelings,I never agreed with that statement anywhere,I just agreed with the fact that Celtics Zeke isn't better than Pistons Zeke

Negging nikkas you a clown

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Where did I ever say Zeke was a good defender?

bytch get out yo feelings,I never agreed with that statement anywhere,I just agreed with the fact that Celtics Zeke isn't better than Pistons Zeke

Negging nikkas you a clown

Look at the post which he quoted and you cosigned AGAIN -

He only really became a good, effective defender in the back half of his career. His defensive rep is exaggerated playing on those BB Pistons squads.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Bob Ryan called Zeke a 'defensive sieve' early on in his career, Zeke even admitted HIMSELF that he didn't give complete effort on the defensive end during the first half of his career. Revisonism and the complete lack of knowledge on this board is hilarious.

SMH.

 

[threattonature]

Did you even bother to read the entire article breh, specifically the the last part?

Yeah I read the article, majority of it was focused on shooting percentages and efficiency numbers and the like with a little throwaway paragraph about defense and playmaking. They are two completely different players. Isiah is an all-time great and it's just ridiculous IMO to be comparing them outside of having similar names. The writer took his shots at Isiah calling him overrated based on advanced analytics and to me this article was just more of an excuse to talk down Isiah.

 

[threattonature]

Bob Ryan called Zeke a 'defensive sieve' early on in his career, Zeke even admitted HIMSELF that he didn't give complete effort on the defensive end during the first half of his career. Revisonism and the complete lack of knowledge on this board is hilarious.

SMH.

Was this after Isiah's cosign in regards to Rodman's comment about Larry Bird being just another player if black? I don't see Bob Ryan being an unbiased source. Where'd you see the quotes in regards to Isiah saying he was a bad defender.