Prime Time: Melo vs PG13

[Galloisdaman]

Your stats are also using Melo’s stats when he’s way past his prime while Paul George is still in his prime. When Melo was in his prime, Paul George couldn’t guard him.


This is what Prime Melo did to him.


Paul George’s 19 PPG isn’t even close.


Paul George always had a better supporting cast than Melo as well. So using team wins is pointless.

PG barely played as a rookie in 2011. He was not a starter so I doubt many of those points came against PG.

PG started coming in to his game by his 3rd year (2013) but even that was not his prime.

Please post the 14 box scores and explain how they are relevant since this thread says in their prime. PG was not in his prime.

You were posting stats that had Melo way past his prime and thought they were relevant

Paul George’s defense was at his peak in 2013 and 2014 where he was named to an all NBA defensive teams in back to back seasons but yet he couldn’t guard prime Melo. So.. yeah. So much for his defense.

So much for PG's defense? What about Melo's defense? You realize the game is won on both ends of the court right?

[DroseReturnChi]

give me hoodie melo over playoff pee. pg was only great during indiana vs lebron.

[DroseReturnChi]

Melo was unguardable in his prime. Could never say the same for play off P.

yep you dont use the word unguardable with playoff p you dont know him well. hes just a great athlete with a smooth jumpshot. thats it. melo was truly special although his defense was garbage. his offense was lebron's level.

[Tor_Raps]

Melo was unguardable in his prime. Could never say the same for play off P.

Melo was the better scorer for sure but PG13 has Melo beat is almost everything else (defense, playmaking, 3 point shooting). It's very close but I'd give the slight edge to PG13.

[Goner]

Melo was unguardable in his prime. Could never say the same for play off P.

yep you dont use the word unguardable with playoff p you dont know him well. hes just a great athlete with a smooth jumpshot. thats it. melo was truly special although his defense was garbage. his offense was lebron's level.

The problem is that the question "which of these players is better (was better in their prime)?" does not reduce to "who would win in a 1v1 match." That's kid logic. It kind of reminds me of "I'm right because my dad could beat up your dad;" both are non-sequiturs.

[turnaroundJ]

idk man i've watched melo a lot and never thought his game was that conducive to winning. i don't get how people can say it's not close. he was never a real superstar to me, they're more or less in the same tier. sure he's a great iso scorer, one of the best scoring skillsets ever. just this last playoffs, for example, PG played a few games that were as good or even better than melo's best in the playoffs. without even factoring in defense.

like those nuggets teams...that wasn't really because of melo. they were good because of they were a solid, cohesive unit on offense and defense thanks to chauncey (not that melo wasn't a major piece). a true superstar like kobe - someone you could really describe with "not even close" - made melo look like a very average star in comparison.

[camby23]

Melo was unguardable in his prime. Could never say the same for play off P.

He was very guardable in play offs. It's funny how pepole in this thread are bashing PG when Melo was playing on very bad efficiency in play offs for almost whole career.

[camby23]

Melo was unguardable in his prime. Could never say the same for play off P.

yep you dont use the word unguardable with playoff p you dont know him well. hes just a great athlete with a smooth jumpshot. thats it. melo was truly special although his defense was garbage. his offense was lebron's level.

You are joking right?

eFG% in play offs

2004 - 34%
2006 - 33%
2007 - 52%
2008 - 37%
2009 - 49%
2010 - 48%
2011 - 41%
2012 -43%
2013 - 43%
2018- 41%

This is LeBron's level offense?

[Goner]

Melo was unguardable in his prime. Could never say the same for play off P.

yep you dont use the word unguardable with playoff p you dont know him well. hes just a great athlete with a smooth jumpshot. thats it. melo was truly special although his defense was garbage. his offense was lebron's level.

You are joking right?

eFG% in play offs

2004 - 34%
2006 - 33%
2007 - 52%
2008 - 37%
2009 - 49%
2010 - 48%
2011 - 41%
2012 -43%
2013 - 43%
2018- 41%

This is LeBron's level offense?

Yes, in addition to these numbers, the claim also ignores LeBron's HoF level playmaking- which Melo undoubtedly lacks.

[realball]

You all know that PG and the 3rd seed Pacers beat Melo's 2nd seed Knicks in 2013, right?

Not to say that PG outplayed Melo in that series, but let's not act like Melo was some wunderkind held back by teammates. I think it's obvious that PG's big year in OKC was better than Melo's best season. You can't compare a guy who can give you 5 assists and All-NBA defense versus one who can't, especially when their peak scoring was so similar.

[CIN-C-STAR]

Melo in a 1v1 game.
PG13 in a real basketball game.

[pillwenney]

Melo was unguardable in his prime. Could never say the same for play off P.

Well Melo definitely took more shots. PG made a higher percentage of his shots and played both sides of the court.

Who would I chose? It is a interesting question. I'd take whichever was hot but overall I'd lean to the guy that played both sides of the court.

Paul George couldn’t even guard him in his prime. Melo torched him every time. It’s a no brainer for me.

You realize they...wouldn't only be playing each other, right?

[Mujahydeen]

They score about the same with PG being a little more efficient and able to play more within an offense. PG is a better playoff performer, much better facilitator and light years better defender. Also better as a potential fit with a legit superstar.

I would say it's pretty clearly PG.

[clippertown]

I’m a huge PG fan, but even I accept that Melo in his prime was a better player hands down. Melo was unguardable for a period and absolutely the alpha on his team. George is a top 3 #2 option in the NBA, but he was never really an alpha in the way that Melo was. A better comparison would be a prime Melo vs a prime Kawhi. Even though Kawhi has a ring, I would still give it to Melo.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

It's a bit of a wash. It would depend on the players around them.

If the team had threes, I'd go Melo. No threes, PG13.

[GSWFan1994]

I voted for George.

The difference on the defensive side of the ball is just too huge for me to ignore.

[Galloisdaman]

I’m a huge PG fan, but even I accept that Melo in his prime was a better player hands down. Melo was unguardable for a period and absolutely the alpha on his team. George is a top 3 #2 option in the NBA, but he was never really an alpha in the way that Melo was. A better comparison would be a prime Melo vs a prime Kawhi. Even though Kawhi has a ring, I would still give it to Melo.

Prime Melo better than Prime Kawhi? Wow. I totally disagree.

Not only is Kawhi a way more efficient shooter but Kwahi was a two time defensive player of the year and 7 All NBA defensive teams. In their primes how many things did Melo do better? How many things did KL do better? Defense is not everything but being able to defend is an important part of winning in the playoffs.

P.S. BTW Kawhi actually has 2 rings not 1 but I do not even factor that in to the comparison.

[Ambrose]

What's the argument for Melo? He was a better isolation scorer, and had a more diverse scoring arsenal? That doesn't change the fact he's still only a marginally better scorer than PG, and worse at everything else.

[jokeboy86]

Melo was a legit top 5 player in the NBA at some point in his career. PG never. Easily Melo for me.

Wait he was? I'm trying to determine when that would be. The closest I could think of is 12-13 but even then I don't know if he was top 5. And you're right about George the closest he came was probably 2019. The reason why both guys have probably never been top 5 is because at their own position(SF) there's usually always been 2 guys ahead of them.

[SUPERVILLAIN]

George is a terrific player but this seems disrespectful to Melo.

59 votes in and prime Melo is trailing in the poll.

So actually you're disrespectful to prime PG13.