Willis Reed vs Isiah Thomas
Willis Reed (1964-1973) and Isiah Thomas (1981-1993) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 8 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 18.7); adjusted for era they scored at 1.65× and 1.85× their league average respectively; Willis Reed was the more efficient scorer (52.3% true shooting to 51.6%). Willis Reed holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 2 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #29 all-time ranking to Isiah Thomas's #36.
Career averages
| Willis Reed | Stat | Isiah Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| 18.7 | Points / game | 19.2 |
| 12.9 | Rebounds / game | 3.6 |
| 1.8 | Assists / game | 9.3 |
| 0.0 | Steals / game | 1.9 |
| 0.0 | Blocks / game | 0.3 |
| 47.6% | Field goal % | 45.2% |
| 0.0% | 3-point % | 29.0% |
| 74.8% | Free throw % | 75.9% |
| 52.3% | True shooting % | 51.6% |
| 650 | Games played | 979 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Willis Reed | Stat | Isiah Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| 1.65× | Points vs era avg | 1.85× |
| 2.28× | Rebounds vs era avg | 0.86× |
| 0.83× | Assists vs era avg | 3.80× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Willis Reed's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Isiah Thomas's era.
Playoff averages
| Willis Reed | Stat | Isiah Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| 17.4 | Points / game | 20.4 |
| 10.3 | Rebounds / game | 4.7 |
| 1.9 | Assists / game | 8.9 |
| 0.0 | Steals / game | 2.1 |
| 0.0 | Blocks / game | 0.3 |
| 46.1% | Field goal % | 43.8% |
| 0.0% | 3-point % | 32.3% |
| 75.1% | Free throw % | 77.0% |
| 78 | Playoff games | 111 |
Accolades
| Willis Reed | Stat | Isiah Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 2 | Finals MVP | 1 |
| 2 | Championships | 2 |
| 7 | All-Star selections | 11 |
| 1 | All-NBA 1st Team | 3 |
| #29 | All-time GOAT rank | #36 |
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