Cross-era · careers 5 years apart

Isiah Thomas vs Nate Thurmond

Isiah Thomas (1981-1993) and Nate Thurmond (1963-1976) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 5 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 15.0); adjusted for era they scored at 1.85× and 1.36× their league average respectively; Isiah Thomas was the more efficient scorer (51.6% true shooting to 47.0%). Isiah Thomas holds the edge on accolades — 2 championships, 1 Finals MVP and the #36 all-time ranking to Nate Thurmond's #75.

Career averages

Isiah ThomasStatNate Thurmond
19.2 Points / game 15.0
3.6 Rebounds / game 15.0
9.3 Assists / game 2.7
1.9 Steals / game 0.1
0.3 Blocks / game 0.6
45.2% Field goal % 42.1%
29.0% 3-point % 0.0%
75.9% Free throw % 66.7%
51.6% True shooting % 47.0%
979 Games played 964

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Isiah ThomasStatNate Thurmond
1.85× Points vs era avg 1.36×
0.86× Rebounds vs era avg 2.76×
3.80× Assists vs era avg 1.22×

Advanced metrics

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

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Nate Thurmond's era.

Playoff averages

Isiah ThomasStatNate Thurmond
20.4 Points / game 11.9
4.7 Rebounds / game 13.6
8.9 Assists / game 2.8
2.1 Steals / game 0.1
0.3 Blocks / game 0.6
43.8% Field goal % 41.2%
32.3% 3-point % 0.0%
77.0% Free throw % 59.7%
111 Playoff games 81

Accolades

Isiah ThomasStatNate Thurmond
0 MVP awards 0
1 Finals MVP 0
2 Championships 0
11 All-Star selections 5
3 All-NBA 1st Team 0
#36 All-time GOAT rank #75

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