Howard is the best rebounder in the past 25 years besides Rodman. He'd still gobble up plenty boards in the 90s no doubt about it. And get some blocked shots since they didnt have rules allowing guards to just waltz into the lane. Can hold back a guard with an armbar long enough for the help D to arrive. Howard's offense would take a hit. Even though he'd have no zone to face, the game was more physical I don't think he'd be able to man up night after night against Hakeem and Shaq and Ewing and Robinson and Mourning and Mutombo and Daugherty and Smits and Seikaly and...even throw Vlade Divac in there. Kevin Willis and Otis Thorpe would be about equal in strength, he wouldnt move those guys out the lane. For real. Shaq WAS Shaq against Hakeem, didnt have a single bad game. Did way better against Hakeem than Robinson. The big difference was Olajuwon taking 30+ shots a game to get his. But the winners write the script
It was the turnovers, Shaq and Penny combined for something stupid like 35 or 36 turnovers, whilst Hakeem and Clyde were like 15 or 16. Hakeem missed more shots, whereas Shaq was losing the ball once every 3 or 4 times he shot (which is ridiculously bad).
Finally someone who isnt biased...Yall on here know damn well he would have put up all -star numbers...Howard would have caused just as much hell on Mourning, Mutombo, etc..as they caused him....
Those aren't really all-star numbers though. I think Howard would put up somewhere around 18/12/3 blocks if he played in that era. That sounds like all-star numbers because that's roughly what he's been putting up in this era. But who is he going to make the all-star team ahead of? Look at the 1992-93 season, Shaq's rookie year. Hakeem put up 26/13/4blks/4assts and David Robinson put up 23/12/4assts/3blks. In the East, Shaq was averaging 23/14/4blks and Ewing 24/12/2blks. Brad Dougherty was the only other all-star center that year and even he averaged 20/10/4assts. Which one of those guys is Howard going to replace?
Well because of his defensive skills ...He undoubtedly would make the All-Star team multiple times...So to answer your question, it would be Ewing (maybe Mourning)and Howard every year...He would be forced to work on his offensive game against those top notch centers...He wouldnt be as robotic as now....Shaq had no footwork until he got to LA...
Only player that would have owned Howard in that era would have been Vlade..Imagine how many offensive foul calls he would get in the 1st quarter alone???..
The reason Hakeem missed more shots than you would expect is he took a boatload of jumpers in the series, more than I had ever seen him take up to that time. We all know why he did.
howard would be at best the #6 or 7 in those eras. people have to understand he still struggles to score vs an 80 year old shaq NOW. he wouldn't be able to score vs those guys at all, unless you're talking about put back dunks
Why do you think he'd score less points in the 90s? Defensive rules were more friendly towards post scorers in that decade, and less friendly towards perimeter players.
I think he would score less in that era because he struggles against legitimate big men. He doesn't play well offensively against more traditional big men, and he gets into foul trouble easily against good offensive centers.
Shaq's mere size + strength would still be Howard. But people forget that Kim Jung Stern didn't implement these policies against physical play in the post during Shaq's prime. Dwight would just do what Shaq was doing, using his strength to bull his way to the basket and throw down ferocious dunks and be even more athletic as the calls against big men weren't so ****ed up as it is today. Hell you let Yao play back in the 90s in his prime he would be even better. Stern put up these ridiculous policies right around the time Yao was peaking 2004 - 2008. What coincidence.
The one big significance is that 95% of Rookie to Prime Shaq's post moves are no longer legal. You think Howard would be liberated offensively if he was allowed to do the things Shaq was doing? Even with the that taken into consideration Shaq was substantially larger than Dwight and would still beat him up in head to head matches.
Exactly...We would be elated to have D-Howard...same way yall were happy to have Ming pre 2010...Howard will be a HOF while Ming will be in the IHOF...BIg difference...But Shaq he is not...Noone could compare to Shaq in his prime...but to say these B-List centers were better is absolutely ridiculous...
What B-list centers: Dream DRob Ewing Mourning were all HOFers...I include Mourning because his liver disease ended his career; otherwise, he was clearly headed to HOF. The point everyone is making is: 1. Shaq's rookie year era had 4 HOFers in their prime. 2. The second tier unit had at least 3 centers better than Bogut (Howard's best b-list competition) 3. Due to 1 and 2, Howard would have a much tougher time then I'll list again, how many of these "B-List centers" in 1993 is Bogut better than Mutombo (DPOY in 1993, 14/13/3.5) Willis 18/15.5 Daugherty 21.5/10 Seikaly 17/12 Divac 14/11/4 apg I think Bogut's numbers would end up like Divac. Now you also have defenders like Eaton (paired with Karl Malone) and incredible defense of the Bulls (including Horace Grant) that would have been tough night for Howard. Plus aging HOF vets like Robert Parish and Moses Malone were still pulling down 9rpg. Really, you think Howard's-era B-listers starting with Bogut are better than Shaq's rookie year?
When did I say Bogut and these other centers were better than the Daugherty's or Seikaly's???....Im comparing Howard to those folks mane...pay attention sometimes.......Howard is better than Ewing defensively, more explosive than Mourning offensively, and more heart than D-Rob.......Dream and Shaq were clearly better than Howard at this point and any point in the future....Dude, Really try and read before you point fingers...The B-listers are the Ewing's and D-Robinson's....Howard would have killed them ...D-Rob may have done him offensively but had no chance defensively as Shaq proved over and over
LOL...okay so two of the top 50 players and what many consider to be in the top 10 centers of all time are b-listers? Howard would be nothing special in the 90s.
So you're referring to an NBA MVP in his prime as a "B-lister". Do you honestly expect people to take you seriously?
He probably was in his diapers and didn't get to see these guys play. Dwight;s offense is quite limited so he'd struggle in the 90's. I'd equate his game to Kevin Willis, a super strong guy but with limited offensive capabilities. Though Dwight's mid-range shot would probably give him the advantage. I think 17Pts 12Rbs would seem as realistic numbers if he was in the 90s.
