Isiah Thomas/Clyde Drexler vs. Terry Porter/Joe Dumars in today's NBA

Ol Roy · Post #1 » by **Ol Roy** » Sun Sep 7, 2025 10:40 pm

Two of the best backcourt duos of the 80s and 90s (and ever) are the Blazers duo of Terry Porter and Clyde Drexler, and the Pistons duo of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars.

But let's say they were to swap partners, how well would they do in 2025?

The question I'm getting at, is the increased relevance of 3P shooting (which Porter and Dumars excelled at) enough to overcome the superstar status of Drexler and Thomas?

Interested in what folks think!

balrog27 · Post #2 » by **balrog27** » Sun Sep 7, 2025 11:10 pm

On paper Thomas/Drexler is much better, but I'm gonna go contrarian and say they would struggle more because of their horrendous 3 point shooting in 2025. Porter/Dumars would do well today.

Anderson Hunt · Post #3 » by **Anderson Hunt** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 12:45 am

Drexler might play power forward in this era.

ryan in Maine · Post #4 » by **ryan in Maine** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 1:38 am

The team with Drexler

jojo4341 · Post #5 » by **jojo4341** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 1:52 am

If you were building from the ground up, you still have to go with the better overall talent and that's Thomas and Drexler. Either they adapt or you fill in 3&D wings or bigs. If you were, however, creating a compimentary backcourt to build around a Giannis or Joker or (healthy) Embiid, the versatility of Porter and Dumars is hard to beat.

JinKaz69 · Post #6 » by **JinKaz69** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 9:27 am

I love Terry Porter but he is more an old school type point guard.

MavsDirk41 · Post #7 » by **MavsDirk41** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 1:36 pm

The team with Drexler. Doesnt matter what era. He would be a small forward in todays nba. PJ Washington is a 3/4 and he isnt much bigger than Drexler.

SlimD235 · Post #8 » by **SlimD235** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 1:45 pm

Anderson Hunt wrote:Drexler might play power forward in this era.

I agree. He'd be a 3/4 in today's game and crush the mid-range game.

Sure Dumars and Porter can stretch the floor as role players, but ITs ball handling and playmaking plus Drexlers talent would still fair better than Dumars/Porter

balrog27 · Post #9 » by **balrog27** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 5:22 pm

SlimD235 wrote:
Anderson Hunt wrote:Drexler might play power forward in this era.

I agree. He'd be a 3/4 in today's game and crush the mid-range game.

Sure Dumars and Porter can stretch the floor as role players, but ITs ball handling and playmaking plus Drexlers talent would still fair better than Dumars/Porter

do you think a westbrook x rondo backcourt would work in today's NBA?

dhsilv2 · Post #10 » by **dhsilv2** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 5:32 pm

Drexler is the clear best guy....but Thomas imo is also the clear worst for this era. I don't love Dumars either to be fair. Gun to head, defense wins so Porter and Dumars but that's tough.

Anderson Hunt · Post #11 » by **Anderson Hunt** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 6:16 pm

balrog27 wrote:
SlimD235 wrote:
Anderson Hunt wrote:Drexler might play power forward in this era.

I agree. He'd be a 3/4 in today's game and crush the mid-range game.

Sure Dumars and Porter can stretch the floor as role players, but ITs ball handling and playmaking plus Drexlers talent would still fair better than Dumars/Porter

do you think a westbrook x rondo backcourt would work in today's NBA?

Absolutely not. Westbrook and Rondo wouldn't work in any era unless one of them was a year or two away from retirement and the other was in his prime.

JinKaz69 · Post #12 » by **JinKaz69** » Mon Sep 8, 2025 11:05 pm

dhsilv2 wrote:Drexler is the clear best guy....but Thomas imo is also the clear worst for this era. I don't love Dumars either to be fair. Gun to head, defense wins so Porter and Dumars but that's tough.

Why do you think that ?

dhsilv2 · Post #13 » by **dhsilv2** » Tue Sep 9, 2025 1:35 pm

JinKaz69 wrote:
dhsilv2 wrote:Drexler is the clear best guy....but Thomas imo is also the clear worst for this era. I don't love Dumars either to be fair. Gun to head, defense wins so Porter and Dumars but that's tough.

Why do you think that ?

never been a fan of his game. Average to poor defender. inefficient scorer. Doesn't have a strong deep shot which would be more a problem today.