# Allen Iverson vs Isaiah Thomas



## Bulls4Life (Nov 13, 2002)

I don't particularly like Isaiah Thomas because of all the bad blood between the pissons & the Bulls, but I honestly think that he was a MUCH better player in his prime than Allen Iverson is now! I think Iverson is slightly overrated because his shooting pct is not that great. And I firmly believe if ANY player in the league took 20-30 shots a game, they would score a lot of points. They say AI is tough, well so was Isaiah who was the leader of a whole team of roughnecks (Mahorn, Laimbeer, Rodman). They took orders from him. Plus, no pg has EVER been as dirty as Isaiah! When it comes to being clutch I'd give the edge to Isaiah. Scoring? Again, Isaiah was UNSTOPPABLE but he played more of a distributors role instead of looking for his shot. He only scored when other players on his team were struggling or if he needed to take over the game at crunch time. I think he averaged 25 or 26 pts/gm in his first couple of years in the league when he didn't have a lot of help. And the clincher for me is Isaiah was the better defender HANDS DOWN! :yes:


I think AI is the closest to Isaiah that the league has seen but is no where near being his equal!



:ttiwwp:


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## Desert Nomad (Jul 15, 2002)

Isiah had better teammates. His mate in the backcourt, Joe Dumars, was very close to being his equal.


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## thrillhouse (Apr 18, 2003)

isiah did have better teamates, and joe dumars was an excellent player, but Isiah wass hands down the best point guard that the nba has seen in along time.


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## TwinkieTowers (Jul 16, 2002)

Iverson is his own player. He's a shooting guard who only distributes because he draws so many defenders when he drives the lane. His speed is unmatched except for Earl Boykins.


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## Bulls4Life (Nov 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>TwinkieTowers</b>!
> Iverson is his own player. He's a shooting guard who only distributes because he draws so many defenders when he drives the lane. His speed is unmatched except for Earl Boykins.



NO WAY HE'S FASTER THAN ISAIAH WAS!



:nonono:


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## Jehuisthere (Jan 12, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Bulls4Life</b>!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yet he is faster imo :yes:


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## MiamiHeat03 (Mar 28, 2003)

magic johnson was much better.


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## MiamiHeat03 (Mar 28, 2003)

I WON


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## Jehuisthere (Jan 12, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>MiamiHeat03</b>!
> I WON


Michael Jordan was better

I WON


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## MiamiHeat03 (Mar 28, 2003)

i won the contest for free lifetime supporting member.


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## tomonia2020 (Apr 10, 2003)

I'll take AI now that he his making better decisions.


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## R-Star (Jun 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>tomonia2020</b>!
> I'll take AI now that he his making better decisions.


AI over Thomas? Hope your kidding.


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## ltrain99 (Apr 27, 2003)

I cant beleive soem1 will take one of the most selfish palyers in the history of the game over some1 who revolutionized it


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## Brian. (Jul 11, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>ltrain99</b>!
> I cant beleive soem1 will take one of the most selfish palyers in the history of the game over some1 who revolutionized it


How was thomas selfish? He is pretty high up there in the all time leader in assist category. Selfish guys don't get 25 assist in two seperate games in the same week or average over 9 assist a game for their whole career.


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## dmilesai (Jul 19, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>ltrain99</b>!
> I cant beleive soem1 will take one of the most selfish palyers in the history of the game over some1 who revolutionized it


I don't know who you're talking about. But Iverson or Thomas aren't the most selfish players in the history of the game. The Sixers offense is built around Allen, which obviously is why he takes so many shots. Isiah is one of the best distributors of all time.


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## DetBNyce (Jul 23, 2002)

I'd take Isiah. He was a better leader, distributed the ball better, and still found room to score. AI plays the defensive lanes better than Zeke IMO, but Zeke did everything else better. What separates the two to me is Isiah's ability to make his teammates better and his ability to help them raise the level in their play.


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## Knicksbiggestfan (Apr 29, 2003)

You forget that thomas never had to play against the zone. One of the main conspiracy theories out there is that they put in the Zone to stop AI because there is nobody he can't take off the dribble at all ever. He is one of the 3 quickest players in the league ever. His handles are much better than thomas's so is his slashing ability and, he is a much more durable player. 


Thomas was a better shooter. Thomas was a much more physical player despite his size. Had excellent teammates and was a superior passer ( we all remember his bounce pass over the guy for the oop). Thomas was a better on the ball defender.

If it's 1v1 Allen iverson all the way.


If I am building a team it depends on who I have to support. If I have a bunch of nobody's then I take Allen. If I have a decent supporting cast I take Isiah


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## kflo (Jun 28, 2002)

it's a close call imo. i'd go with isiah simply because he was explosive offensively, and proved he can play within a team system and win championships. iverson's more explosive offensively, isiah a much better distributer.

iverson doesn't have a better handle than isiah had, btw.


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## Bball_Doctor (Dec 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>thrillhouse</b>!
> isiah did have better teamates, and joe dumars was an excellent player, but Isiah wass hands down the best point guard that the nba has seen in along time.


How bout Magic???? 

Magic was much better in my opinion but Isiah was like I have said in other posts the best competitor I have EVER seen. This guy is intense...breaks his leg and still scores 25 points or something in the quarter???? Intense. A lot of people compare AI to Thomas. Personally I don't the same player in both of them. They are both lightning quick but that is where their similarities in their game stop. Thomas was a playmaker and a damn good scorer for a PG in his early days. But during those championship runs Thomas became more of a playmaker and scored less. AI is just pure scorer. AI is also more athletic but Thomas was...yes this is true...quicker. But AI was just as fast. Thomas is one of the quickest players I have ever seen off the dribble. The one thing I see between AI and Thomas that are identical is DESIRE and INTENSITY. Both players would die on the court to help their team win. Both players play with injuries and couldn't give a... AI is the player I have most respect for in the league right now. Isiah has the most respect for any player I have seen becuz for someone that small to play the way he did was unbelivable. No player has ever proved me so wrong. I take Isiah over AI in a heartbeat...he was more of a leader than AI is.


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## QBF (Jul 22, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Bball_Doctor</b>!
> 
> 
> How bout Magic????
> ...


This is so true. Isaiah was ferocious. It was his unmatched passion for the game and drive to win at all costs that allowed Detroit to win those two titles and wedge themselves in the annals of NBA history between the Lakers/Celtics rivalry and the Bulls dynasty. The Bulls were already a better, more athletic, more talented team than Detroit in 1989-90 and should have won their first title a year earlier than they did, but Isaiah and his team were willing to punch Chicago in the face to win, and Chicago couldn't handle it. He was willing to do to Boston, LA and Chicago what no one has been willing to do to the Lakers since Phil Jackson came to town.


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## Bulls4Life (Nov 13, 2002)

Isaiah was DIRTY! That's why I don't like him! I don't see AI as a dirty player, so IT would have the advantage in a 1 on 1 because he would do something to hurt AI!


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## Knicksbiggestfan (Apr 29, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>kflo</b>!
> it's a close call imo. i'd go with isiah simply because he was explosive offensively, and proved he can play within a team system and win championships. iverson's more explosive offensively, isiah a much better distributer.
> 
> iverson doesn't have a better handle than isiah had, btw.



Wrong. Remeber when Iverson use to trick camermen into going the wrong way? Iverson has better handles - end of story.


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## kflo (Jun 28, 2002)

he may have a better crossover (since it became more accepted with tim hardaway), but don't confuse that with being a better ballhandler.


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## Knicksbiggestfan (Apr 29, 2003)

I'm not. Tale of the Tape on this one. Iverson may have popularized the crossover, but he has way more moves than that. To put in perspecitve for you Jason Williams of the Grizz has better handles than both. Review some tape on Winmx before you get all upset over this comment.


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## kflo (Jun 28, 2002)

i'm not getting upset, just trying to explain to you that isiah was one of the best ballhandlers the league has ever seen. 

and like i said, hardaway popularized the crossover, not iverson.


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## Knicksbiggestfan (Apr 29, 2003)

The plays I am talking about where he tricks the camermen ( there are more than one) aren't crossovers.


Hardaway did have the "killer crossover" , but I think AI's breaking the ankles of his defender on one rocketed it to popularity.


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## ltrain99 (Apr 27, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Brian</b>!
> 
> 
> How was thomas selfish? He is pretty high up there in the all time leader in assist category. Selfish guys don't get 25 assist in two seperate games in the same week or average over 9 assist a game for their whole career.


lol u got waht i siad reversed brian


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## Bball_Doctor (Dec 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>kflo</b>!
> i'm not getting upset, just trying to explain to you that isiah was one of the best ballhandlers the league has ever seen.
> 
> and like i said, hardaway popularized the crossover, not iverson.


This is TRUTH. Isiah is the best ballhandler I have ever seen in the NBA. Maravich is probably the greatest but I have never seen him.


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## Bulls4Life (Nov 13, 2002)

And don't forget, in his first few seasons Isaiah had to carry the Pistons the same way AI has to carry the Sixers now! Isaiah had to tone down his scoring for the betterment of the team.


So scoring they were equal, defensively Isaiah was better, speed equal and Isaiah was DIRTY! 

Edge to Isaiah!


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