I think most people would still pick Artest simply because Caron is underrated in general. Really, though, I think a better debate would be Caron or TMac? I'd pick Tracy but I think there is a smaller gap. Caron is good.
Code: pts ast rebs steals caron 20.3 4.9 6.7 2.2 tracy 21.6 5.9 5.1 1.0 artest 20.5 3.5 5.8 2.3 Are you sure? These stats are from last year. Sure there are lots of other factors going on, but stats exist for a reason, ya know?
There sure are lots of other factors going on (that are actually more important than the assist, rebound, and steal stats), and you've pretty much missed all of them.
Quoted for the truth. Seriously... watch them play. Just watch them. Butler is very underrated, but he is not that underrated.
Ron can shoot the 3 unlike Caron and is a better defender as well. Caron is nice but Ron is a better player.
Artest Better defensive player Better rebounder Better finisher Better at creating he's shot in the low post Better at getting steals Butler Better handles Better scorer Better offensive awarness. Better free throw shooter Very even between those two. i would take artest because he's the best defensive player on the planet.
Underrated by whom? Like the article said, he was an all-star in the past 2 years. He also has had a fair share amount of love from the medai. I don't think he's underrated at all. It just doesn't help when he plays in a so called "big 3" team that never makes too much noise even in the Eastern conference.
Wow at the T-Mac/Caron comparison. I wonder how Caron would do on this team if Yao went out. We most certainly would not win 55 games. We would not win 40! Caron gets NOWHERE NEAR the attention Tracy demands. Stats aren't everything.
Ok, I would have expected you to list some factors after such a statement, but I don't see any. Another stat I left out, probably the most important, is that last year Caron shot 46% and Tracy 41%. Blame that on whatever you want, but again, stats exist for a reason. Again I reiterate, (because it seems like some of you are misunderstanding), Tracy is the better all-around player.
It's easy to list down stats and claim that because two players have similar averages, then they have the same impact on their teams. Take note that the offense runs through Tracy in Houston. Caron is the third option on the Wizards (2nd when Arenas went down). He doesn't deal with the kind of defenses that T-Mac sees nightly. You said that Tracy is better by a small margin, but I disagree with you there. There is no way that Caron Butler would have been able to carry a team like T-Mac did the past two years when Yao went down. Absolutely no way. Not even in the Eastern conference. I'd compare Arenas and Jamison to T-Mac before even thinking about Butler.
So you honestly think if Butler replaced McGrady, we would have similar if not better results? If the margin between both players were so small, the wizards should be getting 50 wins easy in the eastern conference. Honestly, I think Butler is a terrific player, but I doubt he could achieve similar results in the west........
He might be unrated but Ron is definitely unrated. NBA 2k8 gave Caron Butler a 88 overall rating but gave Ron a 86. Tell me that he isn't unrated and he is unpaided too. Ron is a way better defender and a better scorer in my opinion. He can shoot the THREE and score in the post. He is even better at getting steals. The only thing I would say the Caron has over Ron is his athletisism.
So what made artest better is while he is a great defensive player at least as good or better than Battier, he still can achieve those stats! Remarkable for me
