Charles Barkley vs Dave Cowens
Charles Barkley (1984-1999) and Dave Cowens (1970-1982) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 2 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Charles Barkley was the higher-volume scorer (22.1 points per game to 17.6); adjusted for era they scored at 2.15× and 1.69× their league average respectively; Charles Barkley was the more efficient scorer (61.2% true shooting to 49.5%). Charles Barkley holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP and the #31 all-time ranking to Dave Cowens's #51.
Career averages
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Dave Cowens |
|---|---|---|
| 22.1 | Points / game | 17.6 |
| 11.7 | Rebounds / game | 13.6 |
| 3.9 | Assists / game | 3.8 |
| 1.5 | Steals / game | 0.8 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 0.6 |
| 54.0% | Field goal % | 45.9% |
| 24.5% | 3-point % | 0.7% |
| 73.3% | Free throw % | 78.5% |
| 61.2% | True shooting % | 49.5% |
| 1,073 | Games played | 766 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Dave Cowens |
|---|---|---|
| 2.15× | Points vs era avg | 1.69× |
| 2.81× | Rebounds vs era avg | 2.82× |
| 1.67× | Assists vs era avg | 1.63× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Charles Barkley.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Dave Cowens's era.
Playoff averages
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Dave Cowens |
|---|---|---|
| 23.0 | Points / game | 18.9 |
| 12.9 | Rebounds / game | 14.4 |
| 3.9 | Assists / game | 3.7 |
| 1.6 | Steals / game | 0.9 |
| 0.9 | Blocks / game | 0.6 |
| 51.4% | Field goal % | 45.3% |
| 27.0% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 71.5% | Free throw % | 76.4% |
| 123 | Playoff games | 89 |
Accolades
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Dave Cowens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MVP awards | 1 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 0 | Championships | 2 |
| 9 | All-Star selections | 6 |
| 5 | All-NBA 1st Team | 0 |
| #31 | All-time GOAT rank | #51 |
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