Duncan > Howard, hands down

Interesting flame war I have going on another message board. After USA won gold, some posters were saying Howard is the best big man in the league and even went as far as to say "would dominate Duncan."

Knowing this is an obviously bias place to solicit opinions on the matter, what's your take?

Here was the beginning of my case for Timmy:

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...As far as dominating Duncan, either head-to-head or what they bring to their team, you aren't watching much NBA basketball. If we're talking a team game, for the season Howard has slight edges on TD in your "glory stats" ppg and rpg. Tim is edged out since he doesn't have to be burdened with putting up the huge numbers every night for his team to win. The most telling stats if you're trying to compare the two in the team game are turnovers and wins.

Which leads me to one-on-one. Most of Howard's turnovers come from him not being able to dribble the basketball. He can't create anything on his own, without someone throwing him a lob he is nonexistent inside. Especially when Duncan is an 11 straight time first team all nba defensive player. Howard isn't going to just back Tim down and shoot off the block all day. Duncan can dribble and can shoot at a relatively high percentage anywhere inside the three point line.

There is no comparison here until Dwight's game matures and he can do more than just dunk.

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Please discuss. :)

I like both players and I'm a big fan of both.

Howard is more gifted in terms of physical abilities and I'm sure he can posterize Duncan with his thunderous dunks but Duncan has something that Howard doesnt have at the moment.

Duncan's basketball IQ is above Howard's. He has also lead the Spurs to 4 championship rings with his leadership and heart. And IMO, these are the intangible things that a player must possess in order to truly "Dominate" an opponent.

Net, Duncan > Howard ... well except if we are talking about slam dunk competition here.

:toast

This should end all of those Dwight Howard is the best whatever. Look at his legs, they are sightly thicker then toothpicks. Thats why Dwight cant back anyone down, or shove his way around. Like KG, until Dwight develops that fade away jump shot, he's as overrated as they come at his position. Dwight<Amare....Duncan still>Amare. Its that simple.

I think we should bring in Dwight Howard so he can learn from Duncan and win us some championship...wishful thinking here

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Originally Posted by DarkMaverick

I think we should bring in Dwight Howard so he can learn from Duncan and win us some championship...wishful thinking here

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And then we could have Gillete shaving cream commercials, with Duncan yelling at Dwight 'no the Daisy's are out of bounds not the gnomes!'

I was never really sold on Dwight. Insane athleticism but very poor basketball IQ. Zero offensive game.

Duncan is much better than Howard. There shouldn't even be a debate about this.

dwight's a better dunker

one on one you not gonna see Howard dunking over Duncan. Howard has no jump shot. Tim has this battle hands down.

Dwight can look cool in a Superman outfit, Duncan in a Superman suit would get thrown out of the building.

Duncan is clearly a better player than Howard.
you always take the Bball fundamentals over pure talent when talking about bigs.

Can't compare...clearly because Duncan is a PF and Dwight is a C. :D

Just ask any of them, with the game on the line, who do they want to have the ball in his hands.


If any of them say Dwight Howard, they are morons and should be eliminated being taken seriously.

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Originally Posted by Dramon

Can't compare...clearly because Duncan is a PF and Dwight is a C. :D

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+1

Didn't Duncan get two blocks on Dwight in the Allstar game?

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Originally Posted by Manufan909

Didn't Duncan get two blocks on Dwight in the Allstar game?

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Didn't Iverson/Darko block Shaq once?

With their hands down, I'm going to have to say Howard is better. He is taller and a better jumper than Duncan, so he would have better odds of blocking shots with his face or putting a header in off an ally oop.

Imagine Duncan with Howard's body.

He'd make Amare look like 3rd string all-star.

This isn't even a debate. Only young dumb kids would try to pit Howard over Duncan.

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Originally Posted by tlongII

Duncan is much better than Howard. There shouldn't even be a debate about this.

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+ 1000

when Howard stops getting blocked by small chinese guys, maybe we can ask this question.

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Originally Posted by hater

when Howard stops getting blocked by small chinese guys, maybe we can ask this question.

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Aren't Turiaf and Sun about the same height?

Howard is a diffirent player and younger and stronger and quicker but Duncan is a better player overall...:D

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Originally Posted by spurs_fan_in_exile

With their hands down, I'm going to have to say Howard is better. He is taller and a better jumper than Duncan, so he would have better odds of blocking shots with his face or putting a header in off an ally oop.

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LOL

Duncan>Howard

Only an idiot would think otherwise.

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Originally Posted by TheMadHatter

I was never really sold on Dwight. Insane athleticism but very poor basketball IQ. Zero offensive game.

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???

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Originally Posted by Manufan909

Didn't Duncan get two blocks on Dwight in the Allstar game?

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:lol you sound like DazedandConfused talking about Gasol being the Duncan stopper..

"He blocked him TWICE in a regular season game"

I didn't know Howard deserved to be discussed already along the likes of Duncan in terms of Basketball greatness??

the more i see of howard, the less i understand the hype. yes, he still has A LOT of potential, but he is basically dennis rodman right now (and thats actually unfair to rodman, who wasnt blessed with that physique). nothing but rebounds and putbacks.

in the olympics it seemed to me his rebounding wasnt miles above everyone else like it is in the NBA, then i remembered the magic-pistons games i saw in the PO, and i remembered thinking their offense was chuck a 3, hope it goes in, if not, hope howard puts it back.

he has no D, no post moves, no handle, no passing game, and IMO, no class... the people comparing him to duncan or a young David robinson are only looking at boxscores and swooning over howard's muscles.

magic fan here, no hes not better.. until he wins a couple rings i dont think you can debate it.. now this year or the next if duncan starts declining badlyand dwight keeps on improving then yes.. but not as far as career obviously until its all said and done and has the rings to match him

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Originally Posted by diego

he has no D, no post moves, no handle, no passing game, and IMO, no class... the people comparing him to duncan or a young David robinson are only looking at boxscores and swooning over howard's muscles.

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lol? no D? I guess the reason the Magic were 6th defensively was because of Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson..

and wheres this no class thing come from? i never knew he was melo

he had stone hands in the olympics. chris bosh deserved more PT.

pff...
Duncan at 21 >>>>> Howard at whatever age.

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Originally Posted by DarkMaverick

I think we should bring in Dwight Howard so he can learn from Duncan and win us some championship...wishful thinking here

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:lol :lol :lol :toast :toast :toast

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Originally Posted by diego

he has no D, no post moves, no handle, no passing game, and IMO, no class... the people comparing him to duncan or a young David robinson are only looking at boxscores and swooning over howard's muscles.

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No Class??????? Dwight is as great a citizen as we can hope for. He may not reach David Robinson "class" yet, but he is no Melo.

Dwight Howard isn't even close to Duncan, it's not even close.

Duncan > Yao > Howard

And if you stretch it out to "big men", Dirk > Howard too.

Howard has great charisma, super hops, pretty damn solid, and is a "fun" player but let's not get carried away. Hell, even Olympic Pau was better than Howard.

I think Oden & Bynum will supplant DHo as the best "young big men" but DHo will still be the best dunking big man.

Oden= future Tim, Dwight= insert insanely athletic big over age 31 here
Idk about Bynum, it helps when the MVP is on you team, and they have to focus on you. Not taking anything from Bynum, though, I think he's great.

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Originally Posted by tlongII

Duncan is much better than Howard. There shouldn't even be a debate about this.

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:toast

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Originally Posted by lakaluva

With the exception of power Dunking the ball and freethrows, Duncan is far better than Howard. I would take Duncans skills as a rookie over what Howard has right now.

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lol Duncan is the better FT shooter as well...

Anybody with an understanding of basketball would take Duncan over Howard, but at the same time, people are being way too harsh on Dwight for his "subpar" Olympics (he wasn't as bad as people say, but whatever). Never, ever judge a player like Dwight on small sample sizes in a type of game that doesn't fit his. I guess his play in a few games in the Olympics overrides everything he's done in the NBA so far.

Despite his alleged lack of "skill", he still put up 20 and 14 on a 52 win team at age 22 and single handedly carried his team to the playoffs last season. He's a damn good player, and arguing otherwise is simply ignorant.

The thing that Duncan has that Howard hasn't discovered is "adaptability", meaning that Tim knows how to adapt his game to his opponents depending on match-ups. Also, he knows when he isn't having a good offensive night, to find the player that is. Howard only plays in one style all game and while his athleticism has helped him, eventually when put in a pressure situation, he will fold because he only knows one way to play. Until Howard learns this key element, he will never be a superior player to TD.