Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 5:02 am Post subject: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
Quote:
When making out a list of the Greatest 75 players in NBA history, there are bound to be some selections that might seem like a head scratcher.
Of course, players like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Oscar Robertson, Kobe Bryant, Kawhi Leonard, George Mikan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be on any list of the Top 75 great players. The trick is where they appear on any given list.
Jordan was No. 3 on one list. LeBron didn't make everyone's Top 5. Kobe was No. 14 on one list, No. 15 on another. Recent Hall of Fame inductee Chris Bosh showed up on fewer lists (2) than Ben Wallace (4). Even Jack Sikma, a seven-time All-Star, and Robert Horry, a seven-time NBA champion, got a vote.
Dwight Howard on this list is a complete joke. Willis Reed should be ranked above half the players ranked ahead of him. Kobe and Tim should be ranked above O’Neal. There are quite a few questionable placements but I digress.
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 6:42 am Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
Black20Ice wrote:
Dwight Howard on this list is a complete joke. Willis Reed should be ranked above half the players ranked ahead of him. Kobe and Tim should be ranked above O’Neal. There are quite a few questionable placements but I digress.
How is it a joke? Dwight is an 8 time all star, 8 time all NBA, 3 time DPOY (the only player in history to win 3 consecutively) He's knocking on the door of top 10 total career rebounds. In his prime he was arguably amongst the most athletic players in league history and was a player that'd give you 20/10 and 2/3 blocks a game.
Dwight in undoubtedly in the top 75 players to ever play the game. Put it another way lets say you make a top ten of every position all time. Are you really gonna tell me there are ten centers better than Dwight?
Do you just not like him or something? I don't get how anybody can look at his body of work and not think that.
Dwight played in the era of the "soft" bigman. He can intimidate Jokic and others, but any of the historical top 5 centers that come to my mind would each destroy Dwight. When he tried to carry the mantle for the Lakers he failed horribly; he was only able to find success as a role player off the bench. _________________ Lakers. Built different.
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 9:08 am Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
Black20Ice wrote:
Quote:
When making out a list of the Greatest 75 players in NBA history, there are bound to be some selections that might seem like a head scratcher.
Of course, players like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Oscar Robertson, Kobe Bryant, Kawhi Leonard, George Mikan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be on any list of the Top 75 great players. The trick is where they appear on any given list.
Jordan was No. 3 on one list. LeBron didn't make everyone's Top 5. Kobe was No. 14 on one list, No. 15 on another. Recent Hall of Fame inductee Chris Bosh showed up on fewer lists (2) than Ben Wallace (4). Even Jack Sikma, a seven-time All-Star, and Robert Horry, a seven-time NBA champion, got a vote.
Dwight Howard on this list is a complete joke. Willis Reed should be ranked above half the players ranked ahead of him. Kobe and Tim should be ranked above O’Neal. There are quite a few questionable placements but I digress.
People will always agree with some choices on these lists; that's the fun of it.
I wouldn't put Dwight in my 75 but I don't find him a ridiculous choice.
For me, Shaq's, Duncan's and Kobe's careers were more or less equivalent. Anyway anyone orders the three of them is fine with me.
Reed is a tough guy to rank. He had a great career, but it was pretty short because of injuries. He made his first all-star team at 22 and his last all-star team at 28.
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 11:46 am Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
El Seano wrote:
Dwight in undoubtedly in the top 75 players to ever play the game. Put it another way lets say you make a top ten of every position all time. Are you really gonna tell me there are ten centers better than Dwight?
That's a problematic way to look at it, because historically the center position is loaded. Mikan, Russell, Chamberlain, Unseld, Jabbar, Walton, Malone, Gilmore, Olajuwon, Ewing, Robinson, Shaq -- I probably left off a couple. Cowens. Reed. You may rank Howard over some of those guys, and that's defensible. But I doubt that Howard will make a lot of top 10 lists.
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 11:47 am Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
C M B wrote:
>George Mikan in someone's top 5
That is some rolling stone (bleep).
He was the greatest player of his era. If we're going to start discounting for era differences, that is a slippery slope. I wouldn't put him in the top 5, but I would put him in the top 20. _________________ Internet Argument Resolved
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 12:02 pm Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
Aeneas Hunter wrote:
C M B wrote:
>George Mikan in someone's top 5
That is some rolling stone (bleep).
He was the greatest player of his era. If we're going to start discounting for era differences, that is a slippery slope. I wouldn't put him in the top 5, but I would put him in the top 20.
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 12:17 pm Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
focus wrote:
Aeneas Hunter wrote:
C M B wrote:
>George Mikan in someone's top 5
That is some rolling stone (bleep).
He was the greatest player of his era. If we're going to start discounting for era differences, that is a slippery slope. I wouldn't put him in the top 5, but I would put him in the top 20.
And Bob Cousy?
I'd probably put Cousy somewhere around the middle of the top 75. He was a great player by the standards of his time. He won an MVP. But he wasn't dominant at the level of Mikan. _________________ Internet Argument Resolved
Dwight is an EASY Top 75 player. How on Earth is that controversial? _________________ If Brandon Knight were to come out, I would take him number 1 in the draft. - Magic Johnson Mar 27, 2011
For all of you out there questioning Jimmer Fredette of BYU, he is the real deal. - Magic Johnson Mar 20, 2011
Nancy Armour's list at that link is really strange. There's all sorts things I disagree with but how is Kobe behind Pippen and Curry and Dr J? And Mikan so high ahead of LeBron and Kobe and Wilt and Shaq? Curry ahead of Wilt? That's crazy.
Michael Jordan
Bill Russell
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
George Mikan
LeBron James
Larry Bird
Oscar Robertson
Stephen Curry
Wilt Chamberlain
Julius Erving
Scottie Pippen
Shaquille O’Neal
Kobe Bryant
--------------------------------------------------------
LARRY STARKS has Kareem 8th? Oscar Robertson ahead of Magic? Damn.
Michael Jordan
Oscar Robertson
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Magic Johnson
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Last edited by ducasse on Sat Oct 09, 2021 3:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 3:31 pm Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
activeverb wrote:
For me, Shaq's, Duncan's and Kobe's careers were more or less equivalent. Anyway anyone orders the three of them is fine with me.
I agree their career accomplishments were pretty equivalent but Kobe and Shaq were more dynamic and could make plays Duncan could not due to their athleticism. That slightly separates them for me.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35809 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 11:05 pm Post subject:
BynumForThree wrote:
Dwight is an EASY Top 75 player. How on Earth is that controversial?
There was a point in his career where Dwight was considered close to the same level as LeBron and Chris Paul. I think the issue with Dwight is that he had a relatively short peak— 07-08 to 2010-2011. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
What’s weird Is that Dominique Wilkins did not make the top 50 original greatest players list yet, everybody has him in their top 40. So, I guess he got better without even playing?
Kobe is the greatest Laker ever so he should be in front of Magic in that regard. Kareem should be 1st. That list is bunk, one with Scottie over Kobe or one with Kareem barely in the top 10 is bunk. I'd have Kareem, Michael, Kobe(Magic was here, but Kobe surpassed him as greatest Laker ever), Magic and then the rest of the list can come after that. _________________ How NBA 2K18 failed the All-Time Lakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxMBYm3wwxk
Kobe is the greatest Laker ever so he should be in front of Magic in that regard. Kareem should be 1st. That list is bunk, one with Scottie over Kobe or one with Kareem barely in the top 10 is bunk. I'd have Kareem, Michael, Kobe(Magic was here, but Kobe surpassed him as greatest Laker ever), Magic and then the rest of the list can come after that.
The various rankings in recent years show that the "Kobe was the greatest Laker" narrative hasn't taken hold. It's a defensible position, but it seems pretty clear that the consensus view is still that Magic was the greatest Laker player. _________________ Internet Argument Resolved
Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 9:12 am Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
ducasse wrote:
activeverb wrote:
For me, Shaq's, Duncan's and Kobe's careers were more or less equivalent. Anyway anyone orders the three of them is fine with me.
I agree their career accomplishments were pretty equivalent but Kobe and Shaq were more dynamic and could make plays Duncan could not due to their athleticism. That slightly separates them for me.
That's reasonable. A Duncan advocate would probably justify him first based on defense and effectiveness -- he wasn't as flashy as Kobe and Shaq, but I'm not sure they were anymore impactful. Hard to make a strong case on this one that isn't just in the eye of the beholder.
What’s weird Is that Dominique Wilkins did not make the top 50 original greatest players list yet, everybody has him in their top 40. So, I guess he got better without even playing?
He's all over the place in the voting on this one. Five of the 15 voters had him over 50. He ranged from 35 to 71 on different people's ballots.
Voters for the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (player), Marv Albert (media), Al Attles (team), Red Auerbach (team), Elgin Baylor (team), Dave Bing (player), Larry Bird (team), Marty Blake (team), Fran Blinebury (media), Bill Bradley (player), Hubie Brown (team), Wilt Chamberlain (player), Mitch Chortkoff (media), Bob Cousy (player), Billy Cunningham (team), Chuck Daly (team), David DuPree (media), Wayne Embry (team), Julius Erving (player), Joe Gilmartin (media), Sam Goldaper (media), Alex Hannum (team), Lester Harrison (team), John Havlicek (player), Chick Hearn (media), Red Holzman (team), Phil Jasner (media), Earvin Johnson (player), John Kerr (player), Leonard Koppet (media), Bob Lanier (player), Frank Layden (team), Leonard Lewin (media), Jack McCallum (media), Dick McGuire (team), George Mikan (player), Bob Pettit (player), Harvey Pollack (team), Jack Ramsay (team), Willis Reed (team), Oscar Robertson (player), Bill Russell (player), Bob Ryan (media), Dolph Schayes (player), Bill Sharman (player), Gene Shue (team), Isiah Thomas (team), Wes Unseld (team), Peter Vecsey (media), Jerry West (team)
Anyway, it's not surprising that Wilkins gets rated higher by a younger generation than he did by the old schoolers. _________________ Internet Argument Resolved
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35809 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 11:33 am Post subject:
activeverb wrote:
Harlemlakerfan wrote:
What’s weird Is that Dominique Wilkins did not make the top 50 original greatest players list yet, everybody has him in their top 40. So, I guess he got better without even playing?
He's all over the place in the voting on this one. Five of the 15 voters had him over 50. He ranged from 35 to 71 on different people's ballots.
Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 1:31 pm Post subject: Re: USA Today NBA's Greatest 75 players
ducasse wrote:
activeverb wrote:
For me, Shaq's, Duncan's and Kobe's careers were more or less equivalent. Anyway anyone orders the three of them is fine with me.
I agree their career accomplishments were pretty equivalent but Kobe and Shaq were more dynamic and could make plays Duncan could not due to their athleticism. That slightly separates them for me.
Duncan was a pretty good athlete in his younger years. He wasn’t the athlete that Shaq was, but no other player in NBA history aside from Lebron was either. Duncan being one of the five best defenders of all time (I have him as 1A along with Hakeem) gives him the edge over Shaq and Kobe IMO. _________________ If Brandon Knight were to come out, I would take him number 1 in the draft. - Magic Johnson Mar 27, 2011
For all of you out there questioning Jimmer Fredette of BYU, he is the real deal. - Magic Johnson Mar 20, 2011
Nancy Armour's list at that link is really strange. There's all sorts things I disagree with but how is Kobe behind Pippen and Curry and Dr J? And Mikan so high ahead of LeBron and Kobe and Wilt and Shaq? Curry ahead of Wilt? That's crazy.
Michael Jordan
Bill Russell
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
George Mikan
LeBron James
Larry Bird
Oscar Robertson
Stephen Curry
Wilt Chamberlain
Julius Erving
Scottie Pippen
Shaquille O’Neal
Kobe Bryant
--------------------------------------------------------
LARRY STARKS has Kareem 8th? Oscar Robertson ahead of Magic? Damn.
Michael Jordan
Oscar Robertson
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Magic Johnson
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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