Dwight Howard or DeMarcus Cousins?

[Andrew]

Saw the question posed on Twitter. Who would you rather have on your team in their prime: Dwight Howard or DeMarcus Cousins?

[Kenny]

I'd take Howard purely from a defensive standpoint. I think having a rim protector is important and in his prime, he was one of the elite rim protectors in the league.

[mp3]

Not really sure which one has bitched more in there prime? Both will get T'ed up alot both will get the coach fired and even tho iam not a huge fan of his I think id take Dwight Howard in his prime too.

[Moz]

Dwight only became the bitch the he is now when he learned that million numbers don't end with 9 so I'll go with Howard. Cousins is a brat eversince...

[air gordon]

does Cousins even have a prime? Lakers fans wished they got Dwight in his prime

[Andrew]

Probably fair to say Cousins is in his prime now. Suppose we could rephrase it to say Cousins now (and however good he may be in the future), or Howard at his best.

[Sauru]

i take howard for sure

[Andrew]

I'd have to go with Howard as well. He's got his faults, but I think they cause people to overlook what he could do when he was healthy and in his prime. As it stands, his numbers right now aren't too shabby either, terrible free throw shooting aside. Per 36, they're right up there with some of his best seasons, and he's still shooting 60% from the field. I don't think he's truly a franchise player so much as a really valuable second star on a team where someone else can be the leader out on the floor and in the locker room, but the Magic did have some very good seasons with him as the centrepiece.

Cousins is probably going to end up posting better numbers (in some respects, anyway) and still has time to grow into a player a team can truly build around, but that's still ifs and maybes right now. For all his talent, he's also a hot-tempered knucklehead at times, a bit too mercurial. I think he's going to have to go through some kind of Zach Randolph-like epiphany, where he can learn to reign it in and mature enough not to get in the way of the team (or himself, for that matter), before he can be trusted as a true franchise guy. As it stands, I'd take Howard; even if he's not going to pan out as The Man, you can probably pair him up with another star and find success, in the right situation. I'm not sure Cousins is ever going to "get it".

[Patr1ck]

Everybody is saying Howard because he was quite praised in his prime before the media turned on him. Howard was traded from Orlando, then the Lakers did not want to re-sign him.

Cousins has not burned his bridges. He has been on an unsuccessful team for his career and has stuck with it. He's like a rookie on the 76ers with no mentor for guidance. I'll take Cousins, because I would surround him with some proven veterans and players with solid work ethic and a coaching and training staff that would help him with his drive and discipline.

[Andrew]

Do you think he'll ever truly "get it", though? Some players just don't, no matter how much guidance and veteran leadership they have.

[Jackal]

Howard was traded from Orlando, then the Lakers did not want to re-sign him.

LA wanted him back, he signed with Houston because he had a better chance of winning with Harden. Remember those atrocious "Stay D12" billboards.

It worked out for LA though so it's not too bad.

I'd go with Howard too, he was a beast in his Orlando days.

[Patr1ck]

Do you think he'll ever truly "get it", though? Some players just don't, no matter how much guidance and veteran leadership they have.

I don't see him going out like Allen Iverson, if that's what you mean.

[air gordon]

I'd take Howard purely from a defensive standpoint. I think having a rim protector is important and in his prime, he was one of the elite rim protectors in the league.

Thumbs up

[Andrew]

Do you think he'll ever truly "get it", though? Some players just don't, no matter how much guidance and veteran leadership they have.

I don't see him going out like Allen Iverson, if that's what you mean.

AI still led a team to the Finals in 2001, and took a game from a seemingly unstoppable Lakers team. I wouldn't put the two in the same category in terms of their attitude, either.