Dream and DRob are no doubt better, but Ewing was awesome too. Post game, jump shot, FTs, rebounding, defense, shot blocking... everything. Peak season stat-wise ('89-'90) 28.6pts/10.9rebs/2.2ast/4.0blks/55.1%FG/77.5%FTs F***** beast!!! This season was slightly before my time and didn't realize Ewing scored that much or at that percentage. These stats would easily win MVP nowadays and were done against much better centers. Rules are different, but the attention Ewing would bring would only leave 3-point shooters more open. Ewing was capable passer. The weaker competition would nullify whatever current rules disadvantage might be. I don't think they matters anyway... centers just suck. Imagine if Dwight shot 75%FTs or could hit 15' jumpers. He'd be the league's best offensive player and best defender. Ewing was much better Dwight, not to knock DH or anything.. happy to have him. Bad timing Patrick.
it'd be harder for him nowadays since he wasn't that good in illegal defense era to begin with, now when you can double, play zone etc. it's much easier to stop post players. Kevin Love is putting up much better numbers on slighty worse team than 89-90' Knicks and he isn't even in discussion.
DPOY would probably be a lock (with those peak stats), but you have guys like Anthony Davis and Kevin Love who put up great numbers (Brow with not as many points and Love with not as much defense), who aren't even close to being considered MVP contenders. Voted 0, but Ewing would be in contention with the LeBrons and the Durants, for sure.
Competing against Lebron and Durant? Easily zero. Dwight Howard is more athletic and a better defender than all the centers out there right now, and look at the run he gets. Patrick had less athleticism and a better jumper than Dwight, that's all.
He could probably steal one like Rose did, but with LeBron in the league I doubt he could get any more than that.
Love is a far worse defender than Ewing. Far worse. Ewing made All-Defense 3x in a league that featured Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Mutombo, Mourning and David Robinson. A Love-Ewing defensive comparison is silly. Davis is a 2nd year player on a bad team. Can't expect him to be in MVP talks. Offense is Dwight's issue. Patrick is light years ahead... 75%FT, 17' jumper, better go-to moves and did it against better centers as well. Ewing is light years better offensively.
Comparing Ewing to the elite big men nowadays is an insult to him. The guy was a DOMINANT 2-way player.
On the other hand, Ewing had a bad case of tunnel vision so there were limitations to his offense. I wonder how much it would hurt today, with good defensive teams consistently clogging the paint and probably giving him a choice - pass, take that midrange jumper or go inside for a so-so look. Also, refs just have quicker whistles in the paint today. For an ultra physical center like Ewing, I imagine that wouldn't be good. And vice versa, Dwight is a very physical center and I think the 90s refs would be good for him offensively. He'd be allowed to do more. Anyway, Dwight was up there in the MVP contention in his best years. In 2009-11, he finished 2nd-4th in the voting every year. I suspect Ewing would do similarly. Would he win one, maybe, I don't know. It would heavily depend on his teams talent too. MVPs go to players from ~60 wins teams, so you have to have some talent around you.
Maybe a DPOY...... because Gasol is so awesome. Wonder how awesome he'd be in Robinson's hood. Ewing's '89-90' stats are comparable to any of LeBron or KD's seasons.. against much better centers, and a better defensive value than The King. Ewing's stats would get better today too. Fair post. Physicality could be an issue for both players. Three certain things regarding '90's Dwight are 1) he'd still be a jump shot liability 2) ditto FT and 3) he'd have to do everything against better players. Logic says Ewing wouldn't have to get as physical because players are weaker and sorrier. Or, maybe opponents would have to get more physical with him because he's better. Either way, 16' jumper still going down. Patrick's tunnel vision, maybe. Seriously though, I watch all these games and see how teams defend Dwight, and, well, it looks the exact same as Olajuwon in the 90's. Current rules (def 3 sec) still don't allow camping in the paint unless your opponent is close enough. I don't understand how people truly believe the lane is more clogged now. It's not. Zone really only hurt Yao because he wasn't athletic enough nor coordinated enough to consistently catch lobs. Teams REALLY cheated against Yao. I've never seen a team do that against Howard. If they have, it's not often. Zone aint ish. It's a figment of your imagination post-wise. Things just "appear" worse because post players got worse. Dwight's my dude, but he's back end of the top 10 in Ewing's day. Ewing balls extra hard today. Multiple MVP and DPOY winner.
He would easily become the best big man in the league which is still dominated guards or swingmen. So I would say 0-1.
In terms of physical readiness, I think current players are pretty fantastic. Nikola Pekovic would be physically terrifying in any era. Cousins, Dwight, Drummond. These are running jumping baobabs. By the way, re Ewing having to do everything vs. better players. There were plenty of teams with crappy centers in the 90s. Who were the top centers in the East 89-90, the season you quoted (besides Ewing)? Brad Daugherty, Bill Lambeer, Parish in his late 30s, Rik Smits. It's not bad, and I'm likely forgetting someone, but it's not like prime Ewing had to battle Hakeem 20 times a year. Even a few years later when Alonzo and Shaq joined the East, trully elite centers were still only a small part of the overall schedule. Re clamping the paint, you are allowed to help much more.
Marc Gasol won a DPOY. Dwight won 3. Ben Wallace won a ton. Hibbert is about to win one. I'm sure Patrick would win at least 5 if he played in this current era. It's pretty sickening how bad the big men are that we are talking about Joakim Noah like he's a godsend. Big men are irrelevant to me nowadays.
You guys are nuts, he'd definitely be in the discussion. Prime wise anyway. No prime Ewing led team would be hovering around .500 or missing the playoffs like Kevin Love's teams do. Ewing was that good.
I like how the young ones nowadays claim that the legendary big men of past decades would struggle in todays game because of the help defense etc etc... and then Roy Hibbert goes out and terrorizes the Heat defense. ROY HIBBERRT ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!!!! Ewing in his prime would dominate any front-line in the NBA today. If you think otherwise you have not been watching basketball long enough.
