Jazz showdown: Deron vs. Stockton

[YB85]

Every year in training camp, Stockton would ask his new teammates where they liked the ball, as in where did they like to catch the ball so they most naturally catch and shoot. I remember hearing Donyell Marshall say he had to stop and think about it, but once he told him, John would pass him the ball in the same position and at the same level every time. That's how brilliant he was.

So Donyell's answer must have been "under the basket with nowhere to go" because that seemed to be where he received many passes.

 

[carolinajazz]

Better than Magic Johnson?

I think not, as much as I love Stockton.

BTW, why is Magic not a 'pure point guard?' (This is often the fall back position when challenged on the 'Stockton is the best point guard ever'--'well, he was the best PURE point guard.)

Is there some kind of point guard's guidebook out there that differentiates between pure and non-pure point guards? Magic was by no means a combo guard. True he played center when Jabbar was injured, but aside from being a little taller than the run of the mill PG, Johnson was, nonetheless, a P.G, was he not?

...Magic Johnson was 6 ft 9! That's not a "pure" point guard! He played the point, but could play all 5 positions if called upon to do so. Say what you want, but Stockton has Magic beat big time in career assists and career steals....2 crucial stats for "pure" point guards!

 

[carolinajazz]

There are some things that Deron can do that Stockton just couldn't. I think it is pretty close.

....only dunking, my man...only dunking! But here are 3 things that Stock could do better than Deron: Pass, shoot, make steals...and frustrate the heck out of hoppers!

 

[fatalfame]

....only dunking, my man...only dunking! But here are 3 things that Stock could do better than Deron: Pass, shoot, make steals...and frustrate the heck out of hoppers!

i think deron has a better crossover/first step and has a better ability to create his own shot

 

[Scorpjazz]

So Donyell's answer must have been "under the basket with nowhere to go" because that seemed to be where he received many passes.

LMAO..true

 

[fatalfame]

Since I'm not really interested in carrying on this conversation in a decade, let's compare stats for the first 5 years of Stock's career vs. Deron.

Deron:
FG% - .467
3pt% - .361
FT% - .799
Asst - 9
PTS - 16.7
Rebs - 3.1
Steals - 1

Stockton:
FG% - .514
3pt% - .219
FT% - .812
Asst - 9.62
PTS - 10.6
Rebs - 1.1
Steals - 2.3


Based on this point in their careers, Deron's the man.

 

[Siro]

Since I'm not really interested in carrying on this conversation in a decade, let's compare stats for the first 5 years of Stock's career vs. Deron.

Deron:
FG% - .467
3pt% - .361
FT% - .799
Asst - 9
PTS - 16.7
Rebs - 3.1

Stockton:
FG% - .514
3pt% - .219
FT% - .812
Asst - 9.62
PTS - 10.6
Rebs - 1.1


Based on this point in their careers, Deron's the man.

I learned two things from the post. First, stats are all that matter. How each player shapes the game, through defensive technique, setting screen, pick and roll, and countless other things are irrelevant. Second, steals are not an important enough for a point guard, even if one is the all-time steals leader.

 

[Hopper]

I learned two things from the post. First, stats are all that matter. How each player shapes the game, through defensive technique, setting screen, pick and roll, and countless other things are irrelevant. Second, steals are not an important enough for a point guard, even if one is the all-time steals leader.

Without question, Stockton is DA MAN. We all know that now, and base our conclusions on years of Stock's productivity. We especially remember Stock at his best, in his prime, when him and Karl had been playin together for many years. We talk about him bein the all-time career steals and assists leaders, and for good reason.

But all that said, who here bases their assessment of him on his first 5 years alone? How many here even watched him play back then? It's impossible to do now, but if we could all look at Stockton exactly as he was (or would have been) perceived after his first 5 years, the choice between him and Deron would be much less obvious, I spect. Back then, or at least part of those times, he was kinda like Eric Maynor--a very promising back-up point guard. Initial opinions of, and expectations for, him were so low that he was booed when the Jazz picked him in the draft, ya know?

 

[carolinajazz]

Since I'm not really interested in carrying on this conversation in a decade, let's compare stats for the first 5 years of Stock's career vs. Deron.

Deron:
FG% - .467
3pt% - .361
FT% - .799
Asst - 9
PTS - 16.7
Rebs - 3.1
Steals - 1

Stockton:
FG% - .514
3pt% - .219
FT% - .812
Asst - 9.62
PTS - 10.6
Rebs - 1.1
Steals - 2.3


Based on this point in their careers, Deron's the man.

...the ONLY reason, and I mean the ONLY reason Stockton didn't score more or as much as Deron is scoring is simply because he had Malone and didn't HAVE to! Same with the rebounds!

 

[Hopper]

I think I can settle this. One question: Who has better tats? Nuff said, eh?

 

[Revolution 9]

Deron can dunk. + 1 for Deron

 

[jimmy eat jazz]

...Magic Johnson was 6 ft 9! That's not a "pure" point guard! He played the point, but could play all 5 positions if called upon to do so. Say what you want, but Stockton has Magic beat big time in career assists and career steals....2 crucial stats for "pure" point guards!

So why is 6'9" not a pure point guard? What's the cutoff, then, for someone to be a pure point guard: 6'4", 6'5", 6'6", etc?

Stockton could have played the 2-guard if called upon to do so. Does that not, by your argument, qualify him as non-pure.

Sorry, but that's an asinine argument.

Yep, Stockton had better careers assists and steels, but Magic directed the show (and was the heart) of 5 championship teams.

Being the field general for championship teams is no less an important stat for point guards, pure or otherwise.