Cross-era · careers 11 years apart

Dwight Howard vs Isiah Thomas

Dwight Howard 2004-2021 · Center-Forward Isiah Thomas 1981-1993 · Guard

Dwight Howard (2004-2021) and Isiah Thomas (1981-1993) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 11 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Isiah Thomas was the higher-volume scorer (19.2 points per game to 15.7); adjusted for era they scored at 1.61× and 1.85× their league average respectively; Dwight Howard was the more efficient scorer (60.3% true shooting to 51.6%). Isiah Thomas holds the edge on accolades — 2 championships, 1 Finals MVP and the #36 all-time ranking to Dwight Howard's #48.

Career averages

Dwight HowardStatIsiah Thomas
15.7 Points / game 19.2
11.8 Rebounds / game 3.6
1.3 Assists / game 9.3
0.9 Steals / game 1.9
1.8 Blocks / game 0.3
59.3% Field goal % 45.2%
15.8% 3-point % 29.0%
57.0% Free throw % 75.9%
60.3% True shooting % 51.6%
1,242 Games played 979

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Dwight HowardStatIsiah Thomas
1.61× Points vs era avg 1.85×
2.85× Rebounds vs era avg 0.86×
0.64× Assists vs era avg 3.80×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Isiah Thomas's era.

Dwight HowardStatIsiah Thomas
107.3 Offensive rating —
106.8 Defensive rating —
0.5 Net rating —
0.2% Usage % —
0.1% Assist % —
0.2% Rebound % —

Playoff averages

Dwight HowardStatIsiah Thomas
15.3 Points / game 20.4
11.8 Rebounds / game 4.7
1.2 Assists / game 8.9
0.8 Steals / game 2.1
2.0 Blocks / game 0.3
59.3% Field goal % 43.8%
7.2% 3-point % 32.3%
54.8% Free throw % 77.0%
125 Playoff games 111

Accolades

Dwight HowardStatIsiah Thomas
0 MVP awards 0
0 Finals MVP 1
1 Championships 2
8 All-Star selections 11
5 All-NBA 1st Team 3
#48 All-time GOAT rank #36

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