NY Knicks: Should Patrick Ewing really have been 1985’s 1st Overall Pick?
By Max Hoover
How does Patrick Ewing stack up against Karl Malone?
I could write like Melville here, but sometimes a good, old-fashioned list of the pertinent data points is just the more effective way to go.
Career PPG: 25.0
Career RPG: 10.1
Career APG: 3.6
Career SPG: 1.4
Career BPG: 0.8
Career PER: 23.9
Win Shares: 234.6
Career Achievements: Hall of Fame, 14-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, 4-time All-Defensive Team, All-Rookie Team, 2-time All-Star Game MVP, 2-time NBA MVP, Three Finals Appearances, Currently Second on the all-time Scoring List
Career PPG: 21.0
Career RPG: 9.8
Career APG: 1.9
Career SPG: 1.0
Career BPG: 2.4
Career PER: 21.0
Win Shares: 126.4
Career Achievements: Hall of Fame, 11-time All-Star, 7-time All-NBA, 3-time All-Defensive Team, All-Rookie Team, Rookie of the Year, One Finals Appearance
Even the most strident Patrick Ewing supporter would have to acknowledge that, from a pure data perspective, Malone probably has the edge. The only spot where Ewing put up better career numbers was blocks per game.
And yes, Ewing won Rookie of the Year over Malone, but Malone’s two MVPs easily win there.