ISH All-time Top 25 Guards Project: #14 - Allen Iverson vs. Gary Payton

[KGMN]

Gary Payton

[LBJFTW]

Payton, and it's not even close. [COLOR="White"]J/K, Payton by a hair.[/COLOR]

[Clippersfan86]

Iverson was an amazing scorer and for his size just amazing PERIOD. That being said Payton had such a dominant impact on BOTH ends of the floor. Not to mention he was a better passer and equal rebounder. His post game was excellent and he was more efficient.

[Kblaze8855]

Im not sure payton was a better passer than ai. Just averaged more assists. They are not at all the same. Anyway...id say iverson

[Lebowsky]

Gary Payton

[sipitri]

Allen Iverson. He's criminally underrated over here.

[Kblaze8855]

That was among the most predictable responses ever. The only reason i didnt point it out to begin with is to see if someone actually would say it. And you throw in the emoticon too? You have been around too long to be on some rookie shit like that.

[NugzHeat3]

First of all, I'd just like to say it's a travesty Iverson got in over Gervin.

GP should win this comparison fairly easily although I'm sure some people with delusions of grandeur will/have already vote(d) for AI.

I disagree that Payton wasn't a better passer. I've always differentiated between passing and playmaking. Iverson was probably a better playmaker just by the virtue of the pressure he put on defense. I don't think any perimeter player in the early 00s put more pressure on defenses than AI.

Due to that, he was able to draw defenders towards him kick out to the open man and his teammates got a few offensive boards after his missed shot since he'd get surrounded when he got into the lane.

But Payton was a much better facilitator. He didn't need to dominate the ball to the same extent Iverson did; made good, smart plays and effective and precise passes. He was also much better at feeding the post which Iverson could never do since he couldn't see over the defense. GP actually combined his scoring and distributing very well. Fairly equal I would say. It's one of the reasons the Sonics remained a great offensive team after being broken apart in the late 90s.

Iverson would get a lot of bailout assists where he'd dribble into nowhere and pass to someone with the clock running out. That's not really an efficient play.

Defense is a blowout. GP could guard various positions because he had the size and was strong as a bull. He is probably an overrated defender because he was never DPoY worthy but I could say the same thing about AI's MVP. Iverson was often a liability at that end unless paired up with a PG who had the ability to guard SGs.

I can't see a situation where I'd take Iverson unless I'm on a team like the 2001 Sixers that heavily relied on Iverson's scoring and playmaking ability. But a team like the 2001 Sixers was never going to realistically contend. They were lucky as hell Zo and Hill got injured.

They were roughly the same team in 1999 and 2000 and got their ass handed to them by the Pacers. The only difference was the Mutombo trade and I'm pretty sure they had a better record before the trade than they did with him.

[Story Up]

Kblaze is an agenda poster, if you carefully analyze what he says: he essentially tries to suck off Jordan as much as possible.

The crap he writes about Kobe, Pippen, Miller, Ewing, Payton etc. over the years just seems like he tries to promote Jordan by belittling any player that stole his spotlight at one point. This same guy claimed Kobe wouldn't be top five player in 91'. I hate how he tries to make his opinion a universal fact; he's the most humbled poster with the greatest amount of arrogance all in one.

[NugzHeat3]

Kblaze is an agenda poster, if you carefully analyze what he says: he essentially tries to suck off Jordan as much as possible.

The crap he writes about Kobe, Pippen, Miller, Ewing, Payton etc. over the years just seems like he tries to promote Jordan by belittling any player that stole his spotlight at one point. This same guy claimed Kobe wouldn't be top five player in 91'. I hate how he tries to make his opinion a universal fact; he's the most humbled poster with the greatest amount of arrogance all in one.

Eh, you're reaching a bit. I haven't seen him post a lot but I don't see any type of agenda he's promoting.

Out of curiosity, what Kobe were you talking about? Prime or current. Current wouldn't be top 5 but prime definitely would.

[crosso√er]

Eh, you're reaching a bit. I haven't seen him post a lot but I don't see any type of agenda he's promoting.

Out of curiosity, what Kobe were you talking about? Prime or current. Current wouldn't be top 5 but prime definitely would.

Current Kobe isn't top five today...

[ThaSwagg3r]

Kblaze is an agenda poster, if you carefully analyze what he says: he essentially tries to suck off Jordan as much as possible.

The crap he writes about Kobe, Pippen, Miller, Ewing, Payton etc. over the years just seems like he tries to promote Jordan by belittling any player that stole his spotlight at one point. This same guy claimed Kobe wouldn't be top five player in 91'. I hate how he tries to make his opinion a universal fact; he's the most humbled poster with the greatest amount of arrogance all in one.

I don't think his goal is to promote Jordan. If anything I am pretty sure he likes LeBron more than Jordan. I do think that most of his posts are very biased and one-sided though. He never really gives both sides of the argument.....just one and it is his own.



Anyways I will be voting for Payton for a while. Payton should be over Kidd and Stockton as well. I think Payton will win this round.....as he should.

[colorz]

Allen Iverson

[Boston C's]

Ill vote payton here but its very close

[G.O.A.T]

^remember to BOLD your votes please