Jazz showdown: Deron vs. Stockton

[silesian]

...exactly! In Stockton your talking about a guy who has 2 prominent statistical records that will NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER be broken! Total assists and steals!!! Stockton's winning percentage both in the regular season and playoffs is very high as well! Right now, Deron is not even in the discussion....probably never will be.

NEVER EVER EVER is a VERY long time. Conventional wisdom that the 4 minute mile would NEVER EVER EVER be broken. And no one would EVER break Babe Ruth's home run record

Look at the game of basketball 40 years ago, not very much like it is today. Who knows about 40 years from now? What sort of training and conditioning could extend athlete's durability and career? How might the game rules be changed to become more "assist friendly"?

How far forward does your crystal ball accurately predict?

[Jazzman]

As a long time Jazz fan and I'm talking before they went to Utah I had to register and respond to this. I have seen Stockton play right from the begining and he is better than DWill however DWill has a lot left and could prove to be considered one of the greatest PG's of his era . I just don't see him ever having the label as greastest PG ever. Stockton is the best PG ever. Magic Johnson has even said it himself that John was the best pure PG ever. Magic no doubt was a better player who played the position but pure PG ever...Stockton for now.
Also I watched Thomas and he was a great player no doubt but no way is he a better PG than Stockton, who ever says this simply has never watched the 2 actually play. Rings does'nt mean he was better he obvioulsy had a better supporting cast. It's like another poster said earlier by the logic of more rings you must think Derek Fisher is a better PG than Stockton. Wrong Answer! In 10 years from now who knows where DWill will rank I hope it's near the top because that bodes well for the Jazz future. BTW I still think Paul is a better PG than DWill JMO

[gomretat]

Stock is my favorite player of all time and likely always will be. Never liked Magic and never will. But can we stop the madness of using a completely undefinable term like "pure" point guard. For his career, Magic averaged over 11 assists per game. That sounds pretty "pure" to me. Stock is not the best PG of all time. Magic was better. So was Oscar. Cousy and Nash have to been included in the debate as well. Arguing that John was the best of all time simply demonstrates kool-aid drinking. Top 5, absolutely. Best - nope.

[Jazzman]

/////

[carolinajazz]

Stock is my favorite player of all time and likely always will be. Never liked Magic and never will. But can we stop the madness of using a completely undefinable term like "pure" point guard. For his career, Magic averaged over 11 assists per game. That sounds pretty "pure" to me. Stock is not the best PG of all time. Magic was better. So was Oscar. Cousy and Nash have to been included in the debate as well. Arguing that John was the best of all time simply demonstrates kool-aid drinking. Top 5, absolutely. Best - nope.

....so with Stockton 5,000 assists better than Magic....and 3,000 steals better than him, too....he's not the better "pure" point guard? We beg to differ! Magic was the better scorer and rebounder...but those are not "pure" point guard stats!