Who Was Better: John Stockton Or Isiah Thomas?

John Stockton and Isiah Thomas were two of the greatest point guards in NBA history, combining for mind-numbing numbers and hours of highlights. While the two didn’t get to face each other that often on the court, considering they played in opposing conferences, their primes overlapped the same time period and were even involved in controversy surrounding the original Dream Team.

When Isiah Thomas was held out of the ’92 Olympics in Barcelona, many argued he should’ve been there over Stockton. He had the rings and the gaudy individual offensive numbers. In the end, one had a longer, more consistent career… the other probably had a higher peak. We had the argument over two years ago at DimeMag.com, and today, we’re asking again who was better: John Stockton or Isiah Thomas? We argue. You decide.

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JOHN STOCKTON
John Stockton is a hard sell for the droves of NBA fans that didn’t see him play. Taking a quick glance at the former Utah Jazz point guard, he looks more like an accountant than the former leader of a perennial playoff team. Even in the midst of his peak as a player, he was quiet and unassuming compared to peers, like the self-promoting Charles Barkley and marketing wunderkind Michael Jordan.

His greatness, though, should never be in question.

Consistency was the hallmark of his game, which was a big part of the Jazz’s reign of success during his career. Along with the gruffness of Jerry Sloan and the imposing physique of Karl Malone, Stockton’s mop-top haircut and short shorts were among the league’s most familiar sights in the ’80s and ’90s. In 17 of of his 19 NBA seasons, Stockton played in every game for Utah, and didn’t miss the playoffs once before he called it quits.

That reliability helped him set several prolific records that still stand today. Lacking the plus-level athleticism of many contemporaries, Stockton used crafty defense to repeatedly strip his opponents and get out on the fast break. His 3,265 steals outclass well-respected thieves like Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan, and are indicative of his lightning-quick hands.

Of course, the point guard’s primary duty is to set up his teammates, and he outclasses Thomas in this department without breaking a sweat. Doling out 15,806 assists over the course of his career, Stockton has the most in NBA history by a wide margin, outclassing his closest competition by over 3,000 dimes. He ranks second all-time in assists per contest with 10.51, the only player other than Magic Johnson to average double-digits in assists. Thomas, a great setup man in his own right, lags almost a full assist behind him with just 9.26.

Many point to Stockton’s partnership with Karl Malone as the basis for his gaudy totals, but this seems like a gripe by those who wish to discredit his legacy. After all, do we knock Magic Johnson for being able to throw the ball into Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the paint? Stockton was a master of probing defenses who wouldn’t settle for a tough look. If he had to reset the offense rather than forcing a pass or taking an ill-advised shot, he would do it.

Being methodical is what allowed him to continue to be great in the latter stages of his career. While Thomas’ efficiency slipped as his athleticism faded away – his Player Efficiency Rating fell from 22.2 at its highest point to 15.2 in his final year – Stockton maintained his greatness well beyond his peak. In fact, Stockton had more seasons with a PER of 21 or higher than Thomas played total seasons, including a rating of 21.0 in his final season at age 40.

He was also far superior to Thomas as a two-way player, which is captured by their offensive and defensive ratings. Stockton’s almost impossible 121 ORTG paired nicely with a 104 DRTG, giving him a plus-17 net for his career. Thomas, despite playing for a team infamous for their bruising defense, ended his career with a negative net rating.

Thomas advocates will point to his superior scoring numbers to make his case, but Stockton was ruthlessly efficient in contrast to Isiah, who needed almost twice as many attempts as Stockton to average just six more points per game. Utah’s floor general was superior at shooting three-pointers (38.4 percent vs. 29 percent), free throws (82.6 percent vs. 75.9), and from the field overall (51.5 percent vs. 45.2 percent).

The other major tally for Thomas is his supposed status as the best player on two championship teams, while many feel Stockton was the the second-best player for a perpetual bridesmaid. Although this may be true, Thomas was blessed with a talented cast of his own, and in fact saw backcourt mate Joe Dumars capture the NBA Finals MVP over him in 1989. Stockton and Malone were the definition of a two-man team, while the Bad Boys Pistons were a deep unit, fortunate enough to bring a future Hall of Famer in Dennis Rodman off the bench.

When you go beyond basic information like points and rings, the numbers tilt heavily in favor of Stockton, whether you’re discussing average production or the totals built up over time. Because Stockton lacks the flash and the championship clout of Thomas, he’s often written off as a very good, but not great player. That’s simply not accurate.

Even Stockton’s most iconic moment, this shot that sent his team to the NBA Finals, is subdued in comparison to Thomas’ legendary busted ankle game in the Finals.

But perhaps that’s how it was meant to be. At the end of the day, give me the guy who was great at his job for more seasons than the other played in the league. Just tell him he needs to find a longer pair of shorts first.
-KYLE NEUBECK

Hit page 2 to read Isiah’s argument…

ISIAH THOMAS
A two-time NBA champion, an NBA Finals MVP, a 12-time NBA All-Star, a two-time NBA All-Star MVP, a three-time All-NBA First Team selectee, a two-time All-NBA Second Team selectee, an Olympic gold medalist, one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. These are the major titles that Isiah Lord Thomas III rightfully earned in his legendary career as a professional basketball player.

Hailing from Chicago, Isiah “Zeke” Thomas is still regarded as pound-for-pound one of the best point guards, if not the best, to ever step foot on the hardwood. There are passing point guards, scoring point guards, defensive points guards, and all-around point guards that grace the court. The 6-1, 182-pound Thomas was definitely an all-around point man with a stellar handle, who could easily take over a game in a plethora of ways.

The soft spoken, smiley Thomas was arguably the grittiest and most competitive point guard in NBA history. After being drafted second in 1981 by Detroit, Zeke was mainly responsible for turning the hapless Pistons into back-to-back champions in the late 1980s. Zeke was part of the “Bad Boys” that ushered in a new style of basketball. Zeke and the boys in Detroit played with a chip on their shoulder. They were fearless and determined.

The Bad Boys Pistons–headlined by Zeke, Bill Laimbeer, Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman–were an underrated dynasty at that time and still are. They competed during a time that Magic Johnson and his Lakers and Larry Bird and his Celtics ruled the basketball world. Zeke’s prime also occurred when Michael Jordan was on the verge of taking flight to change the game forever in the 1990s. Yet Zeke held his own against Magic and Bird, and keep a young Jordan at arm’s length in the mid to late 1980s.

Now, let’s turn to Thomas’ numbers and how the Chicago-native stacked up against John Stockton specifically.

During Isiah Thomas’ 12-year career in the NBA, he averaged 19.2 points, 9.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Zeke shot 45.2 percent from the field in his career, and was not a three-point threat as he only averaged 1.4 three-point attempts per game in his 12 seasons with Detroit and only scored in 29 percent of those attempts. Zeke has a career 37.4 assist percentage and a career 2.5 steal percentage, per Basketball-Reference.

However, Thomas’ will and determination to win are the intangibles that separate him from Stockton the most. This is said without taking anything away from Stockton, but if you have ever seen footage, heard stories, or were fortunate enough to watch Zeke play in real-time, you understand that his will and determination for the game were off the charts.

Zeke’s Game 6 performance during the 1988 NBA Finals against the Showtime Lakers is the best example of his greatest intangibles in action. His Game 6 41-point, eight-assist, three-rebound and six-steal night has been documented as one of the best Finals performance by an individual player ever. In fact, ESPN ranked Thomas’ Game 6 showcase as the seventh-best Finals performance in NBA history. It has also been dubbed as the best Finals performance by a player in a losing effort. Why?

Zeke’s 25-point shooting rampage in the third quarter alone is embedded in the minds of anyone who watched the game. His third quarter performance is still regarded as one of the best offensive efforts in history, regardless of it being the Finals (as it should be). I failed to mention that he did this on a sprained ankle! Midway through the third quarter, Zeke came down of Michael Cooper‘s foot, but willed himself to play through the pain. For the last 16 minutes, Thomas was essentially playing on one leg, as he hopped around the court finding every way to be effective.

Armed with insane craftiness, shooting skills, a killer crossover, amazing hops, and jaw-dropping passing skills, Thomas could impact a game in more areas than Stockton had the ability to do. This is where Zeke’s legendary all-around game gave him the advantage just about every night. Stockton may hold the record for all-time assists (15,806), which will likely be unbreakable for decades, but you need to keep in mind that Stock played for an incredible 19 seasons in the NBA.

Meanwhile, Zeke has the seventh-best record for all-time assists (9,061), but did so in 12 NBA seasons! Additionally, Thomas piled up 1,861 steals â€“ which is 14th on the all-time list â€“ in 525 less games than Stockton â€“ leads with 3,265 career steals. But as stated before, Zeke excelled as an all-around point guard. Therefore, if you look at the points per game average differential–19.2 for Zeke and 13.1 for Stock–you can understand the versatility that Isiah Thomas provided on the court every night.

There is no denying that John Stockton is a top-five point guard of all time. His tenure with the Utah Jazz–the longest NBA career with one team, which will eventually be tied by Kobe Bryant in 2016–and his two-man game with another legend, Karl Malone, is simply phenomenal. However, Isiah Thomas is the better player when compared to Stockton.

If Detroit needed scoring, then Zeke had it covered. If Detroit needed passing/playmaking, then Zeke had it covered. If Detroit needed lock-down defense, then Zeke had it covered. Thomas covered each of these needs collectively, in every game. And he did so with the utmost determination, grit, will and passion. Thomas was dominant, brash and focused, which was the perfect mix to lead the Bad Boys of Detroit to the highest peak and cement one of the greatest dynasties on hardwood and one of the greatest individual careers in the history books.
-ELIZABETH BENSON