Isiah Thomas vs Rick Barry
Isiah Thomas (1981-1993) and Rick Barry (1965-1979) 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, Rick Barry was the higher-volume scorer (23.1 points per game to 19.2); adjusted for era they scored at 1.85× and 2.19× their league average respectively; Isiah Thomas was the more efficient scorer (51.6% true shooting to 51.0%). Rick Barry holds the edge on accolades — 2 championships, 1 Finals MVP and the #28 all-time ranking to Isiah Thomas's #36.
Career averages
| Isiah Thomas | Stat | Rick Barry |
|---|---|---|
| 19.2 | Points / game | 23.1 |
| 3.6 | Rebounds / game | 6.5 |
| 9.3 | Assists / game | 5.1 |
| 1.9 | Steals / game | 1.4 |
| 0.3 | Blocks / game | 0.3 |
| 45.2% | Field goal % | 44.7% |
| 29.0% | 3-point % | 3.0% |
| 75.9% | Free throw % | 90.9% |
| 51.6% | True shooting % | 51.0% |
| 979 | Games played | 794 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Isiah Thomas | Stat | Rick Barry |
|---|---|---|
| 1.85× | Points vs era avg | 2.19× |
| 0.86× | Rebounds vs era avg | 1.28× |
| 3.80× | Assists vs era avg | 2.20× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Isiah Thomas's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Rick Barry's era.
Playoff averages
| Isiah Thomas | Stat | Rick Barry |
|---|---|---|
| 20.4 | Points / game | 24.8 |
| 4.7 | Rebounds / game | 5.6 |
| 8.9 | Assists / game | 4.6 |
| 2.1 | Steals / game | 1.4 |
| 0.3 | Blocks / game | 0.5 |
| 43.8% | Field goal % | 42.0% |
| 32.3% | 3-point % | 2.0% |
| 77.0% | Free throw % | 89.5% |
| 111 | Playoff games | 74 |
Accolades
| Isiah Thomas | Stat | Rick Barry |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 1 | Finals MVP | 1 |
| 2 | Championships | 2 |
| 11 | All-Star selections | 7 |
| 3 | All-NBA 1st Team | 9 |
| #36 | All-time GOAT rank | #28 |
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