Dominique Wilkins vs. Carmelo Anthony: Who's better

[Mr. Friscus]

I looked at the prime careers of two all-time great scorers after a discussion I had the other day. Truth be told, my favorite NBA player of all time is Dominique Wilkins. So, I'll compare him to players and see if I think he's superior, and welcome opinions.

CARMELO ANTHONY
- 19 year career, Prime focus of 14 years
- 10-time all star
- 2- time 2nd team All-NBA
- 4-time 3rd Team All-NBA
- 2012-13 Scoring Champion, was 3rd in MVP voting
- Other MVP vote: 6th, 13th, 14th, 15th x2
- Top 5 Scoring PPG's Season: 28.9, 28.7, 28.2, 27.4, 25.9

PLAYOFFS (In prime)
- Missed Playoffs: 4
- 1st Round losses: 8
- 2nd round losses: 1
- Conf Finals loss: 1

CAREER Player Efficiency Rating: 15.4

DOMINIQUE WILKINS
- 15 year career, Prime focus of 12 years
- 9-time All star
- 1st team All-NBA once
- 4-time 2nd team All-NBA
- 2-time 3rd team All-NBA
- 1985-86 Scoring Champion (30.3ppg), 2nd in MVP
- Other MVP voting: 5th x2, 6th, 8th, 11th, 17th
- Top 5 PPG Seasons: 30.7, 30.3, 29.9, 29.0, 28.1

PLAYOFFS
- Missed Playoffs: 4
- Lost 1st Round: 5
- Lost 2nd Round: 3

Career Play Efficiency Rating: 21.9

I've got my boy Dominique. What do you think.

 

[msgkings322]

Gotta agree, Nique had the better career but not by a whole lot. They are somewhat similar by the numbers. But he scored more and has that 1st team all NBA and higher efficiency rating and such

 

[trojanfan12]

'Nique also won 2 slam dunk contests and went dunk for dunk with MJ in arguably the greatest slam dunk contest of all time.

Yes boy and girls...there was a time when actual star players competed against one another in the slam dunk contest.

 

[tlance]

Tough one.

Not sure who was better. This one is really close.

Both were truly elite scorers who weren’t exactly known as great defenders.

Melo obviously has the better skill set for the modern game with his shooting, but Nique just knew how to score and was such an explosive athlete.

Seems like the stats lean Nique and I have no reason to go the other direction.

 

[Pastafazul]

Neither won an NBA ring so they both suck

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

I looked at the prime careers of two all-time great scorers after a discussion I had the other day. Truth be told, my favorite NBA player of all time is Dominique Wilkins. So, I'll compare him to players and see if I think he's superior, and welcome opinions.

CARMELO ANTHONY
- 19 year career, Prime focus of 14 years
- 10-time all star
- 2- time 2nd team All-NBA
- 4-time 3rd Team All-NBA
- 2012-13 Scoring Champion, was 3rd in MVP voting
- Other MVP vote: 6th, 13th, 14th, 15th x2
- Top 5 Scoring PPG's Season: 28.9, 28.7, 28.2, 27.4, 25.9

PLAYOFFS (In prime)
- Missed Playoffs: 4
- 1st Round losses: 8
- 2nd round losses: 1
- Conf Finals loss: 1

CAREER Player Efficiency Rating: 15.4

DOMINIQUE WILKINS
- 15 year career, Prime focus of 12 years
- 9-time All star
- 1st team All-NBA once
- 4-time 2nd team All-NBA
- 2-time 3rd team All-NBA
- 1985-86 Scoring Champion (30.3ppg), 2nd in MVP
- Other MVP voting: 5th x2, 6th, 8th, 11th, 17th
- Top 5 PPG Seasons: 30.7, 30.3, 29.9, 29.0, 28.1

PLAYOFFS
- Missed Playoffs: 4
- Lost 1st Round: 5
- Lost 2nd Round: 3

Career Play Efficiency Rating: 21.9

I've got my boy Dominique. What do you think.

Very good find for comparisons. Gotta go with Wilkins due to sheer efficiency.

 

[Janus]

I went with Dominique because his name is harder to spell

 

[Wamu]

Tough one.

Not sure who was better. This one is really close.

Both were truly elite scorers who weren’t exactly known as great defenders.

Melo obviously has the better skill set for the modern game with his shooting, but Nique just knew how to score and was such an explosive athlete.

Seems like the stats lean Nique and I have no reason to go the other direction.

I went with Nique.

I'd also take Melo off the 75 anniversary team and replace him with Alex English.

 

[BigFin]

Toss-up, but Nique was more fun to watch.

 

[Albuquerque Rams]

I went with Nique.

I'd also take Melo off the 75 anniversary team and replace him with Alex English.

More total points than anyone in the 1980s. Don't know how he was overlooked.

 

[Wamu]

More total points than anyone in the 1980s. Don't know how he was overlooked.

My guess is it's because he played in a small market, Denver.

 

[Shanemansj13]

It's close but I will take Nique slightly

 

[jontaejones]

Pretty good comparison in terms of what value each player contributed to winning and overall rank in that sense against their rivals.

But they are just far, far, far different players. Carmelo is just far superior in terms of skill. Even if you handicap for eras.

I think a better comparison for Dominique Wilkins would be Blake Griffin.

 

[BigFin]

One’s better near the basket, and the other away from the basket. Maybe leaning Nique for his dunk contest work.

 

[VikingFan2k2]

Dominique played in an era dominated by the Celtics and Pistons. The East was absolutely brutal in the 80s. Had he played in a different era, he may have had more playoff success. I don't think I can same about Carmelo in any era.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

More total points than anyone in the 1980s. Don't know how he was overlooked.

Generally he's been overlooked, but as a homer here (as I said, he's my fav player)... I won't say he deserves Bird, Magic, etc. treatment.

He was a semi-Lebron before Lebron... explosive and (in the 80's) muscular with broad shoulders and could fight his way to the rim. He was a rim-rocker, had a solid 10-15ft game, and was an average to below average "shooter" from distance.

He took an average-above average Hawks team multiple times to playoff runs but lost to greater teams like the Celtics, Bulls, 76ers. His second options were Doc Rivers, Kevin Willis, Spud Webb.. he could have had far more success if he had more around him, but you could say that about a lot of players.

I'll say this... Mid Nique kind of treated early MJ as an underling. Of course, MJ surpassed him, but there was a large mutual respect between the 2, and Nique would drop big numbers on MJ's bulls.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

Pretty good comparison in terms of what value each player contributed to winning and overall rank in that sense against their rivals.

But they are just far, far, far different players. Carmelo is just far superior in terms of skill. Even if you handicap for eras.

I think a better comparison for Dominique Wilkins would be Blake Griffin.

They can have different skill sets, but who is better? While Nique was never the ultimate distributer, he was not the "black hole" (as Carmelo was known as), in that when you give him the ball it ain't coming back.

 

[Albuquerque Rams]

Generally he's been overlooked, but as a homer here (as I said, he's my fav player)... I won't say he deserves Bird, Magic, etc. treatment.

He was a semi-Lebron before Lebron... explosive and (in the 80's) muscular with broad shoulders and could fight his way to the rim. He was a rim-rocker, had a solid 10-15ft game, and was an average to below average "shooter" from distance.

He took an average-above average Hawks team multiple times to playoff runs but lost to greater teams like the Celtics, Bulls, 76ers. His second options were Doc Rivers, Kevin Willis, Spud Webb.. he could have had far more success if he had more around him, but you could say that about a lot of players.

I'll say this... Mid Nique kind of treated early MJ as an underling. Of course, MJ surpassed him, but there was a large mutual respect between the 2, and Nique would drop big numbers on MJ's bulls.

My post was referring to Alex English.