[Correct Poll] Battier or MadMax as the best wing defender in Rockets history?

People complaining that Mad Max would foul out due to the difference in eras... come on, man. Y'all seriously dumb enough to think Mad Max wouldn't adapt if he was playing in today's game? He might not have been the smartest, but he wasn't dumb either. Bev carries himself in a very similar manner of aggressive physical defense and has only fouled out a handful of times. Mad Max would feast on today's weak players.

 

I was a kid during those two Rockets' championships, so my experience with Maxwell is really limited. But I remember him as (and his reputation supports it) kind of a loose canon and not the smartest team player, whereas Battier always played excellent team defense and made the right play to help his team in any given moment.

Defensive stats are usually pretty tough to completely take at face value, so take this with a grain of salt, but the data certainly supports Battier over Maxwell:
Battier's career: 35.3 DWS (high of 4.6), 1.9 DBPM, 105 DRtg, two All-Defensive 2nd teams
Maxwell's career: 20.2 DWS (high of 3.5), -1.4 DBPM, 109 DRtg, zero All-Defensive teams

 

Just in case anyone is curious:

Jordan lifetime head-to-head vs Maxwell:
30.6 pts/gm 49.8 FG% 42.6 3pt% 4.6 ast/gm 2.5 TOV/gm

Kobe lifetime head-to-head vs Battier
28.6 pts/gm 43.3 FG% 32.9 3pt% 5.0 ast/gm 3.2 TOV/gm

 

AK was a better player. Shane wasn’t the one guarding Boozer, who killed us. That team was basically a walking wall of skilled bigs. Shane and Max would both have trouble - they’re perimeter defenders, not post defenders. In that situation I would still take Shane

 

I'ma Mad Max fan. I did watch him play plenty. Though Max was definitely hit & miss, Battier more consistent.
Then versatility, Maxwell could guard Jordan & Paxson/Armstrong. Battier could guard Jordan and Pippen. Thats in Battier's favor, and he coulda used his hands more then. In today's game Maxwell could keep up with the speedy pg's. Russell Westbrook is considered the intense gamer today, Maxwell would think thats pick-up ball intensity. I wont discredit Maxwell adapting to today's game, even though he was a handsy physical player, cuz he had the athleticism & tenacity to do it.

Max's best trait was you knew he had no fear of the best players that everyone else feared. I think Battier was just more dependable. And Battier underrated in the "stocks" stat, steals + blocks together. He actually did have a "tangible" stat there. So I go Battier by a hair.

 

Now Now we need to exclude the numbers on Mike and Max when Max was with the Sixers and San Antonio lol

 

Kobe only had 2 good games out of 7 that series. The rest were mediocre to ok, taking 30 shots for 30 points kinda nights. He had the 7th worst "true shooting"% of the Lakers rotation players, if you're into that stat. There's a reason Rockets even went 7 games with no Yao & Mutombo (& McGrady)

 

Sorry, I don't keep track of who said what. Don't give a f*ck what Battier did for the Heat. I only care which former Rockets had the most impact to my team. Accept it and move on.

 

They played different types of defense.....and the type of defense that Max played essentially isn't allowed in the NBA anymore, or even when Battier played so that's why I give the nod to Shane....but the style of defense Max played was much more fun to watch.

 

Congrats on the L

 

What a numbnut lmao

 

This. Mad Max was good, but this board is starting to approach the senile, good ol days were better no matter what age.

 

Ariza >>> all those losers.