Player Head-to-Head Comparisons: The Heavyweights

The History: Howard was the top pick in the 2004 draft out of high school in Atlanta. He has lived up to his billing, averaging a double-double in each of his first three seasons in the league. Camby, too, was a high draft pick. He went number two overall in the terrific draft class of 1996 – a draft class that produced stars including Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, and Ray Allen. Camby has struggled in his career with injuries, managing to play 70 or more games in a season only twice. Despite his injuries, he is still considered a valuable commodity because of his ability to rebound and block shots.

The Numbers: Howard is leading the entire league in rebounding average and is number four in the league in blocked shots per game. If that is not impressive enough, he also adds a scoring average of better than 21 and a field goal percentage hovering around 60%. It is not all roses when it comes to Howard’s statistics though. He labors at the line, shooting barely 60% from the charity stripe. This predicament is magnified by his league-leading 12 attempts per game. Camby is sitting just behind Howard in the rebound standings, averaging just about 0.6 rebounds fewer than him. When it comes to blocking shots, no one does it better than Camby. He is averaging a ridiculous four blocks a game. However, his offensive game is not a strength. His scoring average is in single digits and his field goal percentage is less than 45%. He does average twice as many assists as Howard, with three a game.

The Current Situation: Howard is the cornerstone of the franchise and the focal point of the Orlando offense. His game is greatly benefited by the strong perimeter offensive play of teammates Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. He is given the freedom on defense to cheat off his man and go for the weak side shot block. Camby is more of a role player on his team, which feels like an odd statement considering his ability and standing in the fantasy community. He is counted upon heavily to clean up the mess of the team’s two stars, Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, both on offense and defense. He currently fifth on his own team in shot attempts per game. Camby will turn 34 before this season is over, so there is not much upside to his game.

The Fantasy Winner: Dwight Howard. A strong case can be made for Camby, especially if you point out the free throw problems of Howard. However, it should be noted that Camby is not Mark Price at the line either. He is a career 68% shooter and is just barely above that mark for this season. The issue is clearly the amount of attempts that Howard takes and the affect that it has on your team’s overall percentage. It boils down to weighing Howard’s problematic free throw shooting and his strong presence in scoring and field goal percentage against Camby’s superior shot blocking and assists. To me, they cancel each other out and a nod is given to the younger and more durable option in Howard.

The History: Paul starred at Wake Forest and was selected number four overall in the 2005 draft. His strong play in his first season earned him the “Rookie of the Year” award. He followed up his rookie season, with a strong, but injury-riddled second season. Nash was not as heralded coming out of Santa Clara. He was plucked by Phoenix the 15^th pick in the 1996 draft. He struggled due to inconsistent minutes and did not improve until he was shipped to Dallas in the trade for Jason Kidd. In Dallas, Nash blossomed into one of the best point guards in the league. Since his return to Phoenix in 2004, Nash has taken home two NBA MVP awards.

The Numbers: Paul has improved his assists average each season in the league, dishing out almost eleven a game this season. The same could be said for his scoring and three point shooting, where he is averaging 20.7 points and 1.1 three pointers a game this season. His most impressive attribute may be the two and a half steals that he offers per game. Paul is also posting impressive percentages this season. He is shooting 48% from the field and 88% from the line. Nash, however, is the standard when it comes to percentages. For the fourth straight season, he is posting a field goal percentage over 50%. His free throw percentage is just as impressive, currently sitting over 90%. Still, when you think of Nash, you think of assists, a category in which he is leading the league for the fourth consecutive season. The only two holes, really one and a half holes, in Nash’s fantasy game is that he get you less than a steal a game and his scoring is down a bit, compared to his previous two seasons.

The Current Situation: Paul is the leading man on a team on the rise in New Orleans. He is counted upon to be the main weapon due to his ability to pass as well as score. Nash is the catalyst on the standard of up-tempo offenses in Phoenix. Nash has won the MVP twice, not only because of the magnificent numbers that he produces, but also because the team is not nearly as successful without him in the lineup.

The Fantasy Winner: Chris Paul. This is not an easy one either. I absolutely love the efficiency of Nash’s game. He is the benchmark in which other point guards are compared to, at least when it comes to fantasy basketball. However, this may be the first year when another point guard actually matches up to him. Paul’s prowess on defense, when it comes to steals, provides him an advantage over Nash’s ability to double up Paul in three point shooting.