ISH All-time Top 25 Guards Project: #12 - Steve Nash vs. Clyde Drexler

[SuperPippen]

[QUOTE=Fatal9]Nash is better but something for Clyde because he'll get overlooked...

Offensively he helped his teams in every way imaginable. Very good scorer, top 5 passer ever from the SG positions and by the numbers THE best offensive rebounding guard ever (most people don't realize this). No other guard has gotten over 3.5/game and he is the only one to average more than 3/game multiple times (he was good for putbacks couple of times a game). So dude scored 20-25 a game efficiently and in a way that fit well with the team (never pounded the ball, made his moves quickly), got putbacks and offensive rebounds for you at the rate of a center and passed/made plays at an elite level. On top of that he was a very active defender who was great at converting his defense ( or missed shots) into an easy fast break opportunity for his team. The only thing he lacked was handles that didn't really allow him to break down the defense like an MJ, Kobe or Wade, so if his jumper was off, you weren't gonna get great one on one scoring from him.

His teams were really talented, but imo his impact gets underrated because of that, especially offensively. Overall in his prime (

[WillC]

I want to vote for Nash (since he's one of my all-time favourite players), but was he better than Drexler? No. Did he have a better career than Drexler? No.

Clyde Drexler took his Blazers to the Finals and, in 1991, they were one of the all-time best teams not to win a championship (which shows how good Jordan's Bulls were). Read 'The NBA From Top To Bottom' for more information.

Drexler could do it all, he was a phenomenal athlete, he could score at ease, good defender, got a nice amount of rebounds and assists.

[PTB Fan]

I don't know. It's a tough comparison for me

[necya]

Drexler cant even dribble without looking at the ball...how is this a debate?

this site is amazing seriously...Payton, now Drexler ?
i bet you guessed my vote

[bizil]

I think for me I gotta roll with the Glide. Awesome scorer and all around player. MJ gets the props for redefining the SG spot, but Glide was right there doing it to. Both brought Dr.J size and athletic ability to the SG spot. Something that was never seen before. But MJ and Clyde had tremendous all around games. MJ could play PG, SG, and SF at awesome levels. Even though Clyde catches heat for dribbling with his head down, he was an all time great passer from the SG. Which leads me to believe that he could run PG in additon to SG and SF. I know he has run PG some back in the day, but MJ was so fundamentally sound that it put him on another level. MJ and Clyde have been known to get 8 boards and 8 assists in a season. That's awesome production to go with there scoring.

Nash is a legend and all that. But it's get hard comparing a 6'3 PG to a 6'7 SG who's a freak athlete, Batman player, and awesome all around player. And I'm just talking in terms of a peak value-better player list. GOAT wise, I feel Clyde still has the edge on Nash. Clyde has been to three finals and has a ring. And Clyde was great for a long ass time just like Nash has been. But believe it or not, Nash has major run left in him. He just needs to link up with the right squad to get that ring.

[RobertdeMeijer]

This is close:
I have Nash as the lowest guy on my "great guards" tier and Drexler as the highest guy as "almost great" tier.

To me, Drexler is underrrated: led to two finals appearances (in heavy league) and then won a championship as the second best player. Toss in his all-round skills, and you can't get any closer to greatness. But the history is: he was always a tier-2 guy.
Drexler was always something of an afterthought. Before him were Jordan, Magic, Stockton, Isiah. Neither was he very special in our eyes: He was a poor man's Dr. J until Jordan eclipsed him. In 1992 he finally made the first All-NBA team, and he got seriously owned by Jordan. He even underachieved in the dunk contests. This high on the greatness list, a player can't afford to be so un-special.

If Steve Nash stayed in Dallas and even won a title, I think Drexler would win. But Nash has so much going for him history-wise, thanks to his Phoenix years, it puts him on another tier.

[iamgine]

Clyde Drexler

[nycelt84]

Steve Nash

[SteveNashMVPcro]

Steve Nash

[L.Kizzle]

Haven't posted in these in 2 rounds. Anyways, Clyde is geting seriously underrated. Dude took his team to the Finals 2 times in the late 80s and early 90s. Nash has 2 MVP titles in the mid 2000s. Which was harder to accomplish? They both played in a tough era for guards, who's era was tougher?

[iamgine]

Haven't posted in these in 2 rounds. Anyways, Clyde is geting seriously underrated. Dude took his team to the Finals 2 times in the late 80s and early 90s. Nash has 2 MVP titles in the mid 2000s. Which was harder to accomplish? They both played in a tough era for guards, who's era was tougher?

Actually Clyde would have an MVP if not for Michael Jordan.

[Niquesports]

This is close:
I have Nash as the lowest guy on my "great guards" tier and Drexler as the highest guy as "almost great" tier.

To me, Drexler is underrrated: led to two finals appearances (in heavy league) and then won a championship as the second best player. Toss in his all-round skills, and you can't get any closer to greatness. But the history is: he was always a tier-2 guy.
Drexler was always something of an afterthought. Before him were Jordan, Magic, Stockton, Isiah. Neither was he very special in our eyes: He was a poor man's Dr. J until Jordan eclipsed him. In 1992 he finally made the first All-NBA team, and he got seriously owned by Jordan. He even underachieved in the dunk contests. This high on the greatness list, a player can't afford to be so un-special.

If Steve Nash stayed in Dallas and even won a title, I think Drexler would win. But Nash has so much going for him history-wise, thanks to his Phoenix years, it puts him on another tier.

I have to take CLYDE

Here is why Impact Clyde has lead a College and NBA team to mutiple finals. Nash never has. How much of an impact player are you if you can't make one finals. I would say the talent around each was equal if not slighty infavor of nash .

Scorer
Clyde was the better all around scorer. Sure Nash had the better jumper but the bottom line is who could score and Clyde was cledarly the better scorer.

Then go Match up.
Clyde would do better defending Nash than Nash would do defending Clyde.This here is the selling point to me.

[iamgine]

I have to take CLYDE

Here is why Impact Clyde has lead a College and NBA team to mutiple finals. Nash never has. How much of an impact player are you if you can't make one finals. I would say the talent around each was equal if not slighty infavor of nash .

Scorer
Clyde was the better all around scorer. Sure Nash had the better jumper but the bottom line is who could score and Clyde was cledarly the better scorer.

Then go Match up.
Clyde would do better defending Nash than Nash would do defending Clyde.This here is the selling point to me.

That part isn't so clear. Nash can score a lot more than his number suggest but his responsibility is a PG.

[L.Kizzle]

That part isn't so clear. Nash can score a lot more than his number suggest but his responsibility is a PG.

Clyde is a slightly better scorer. He could score in more ways than Nash could.

[iamgine]

Clyde is a slightly better scorer. He could score in more ways than Nash could.

That's called more versatile, not better scorer.