
Nearing the end of the countdown, here is the second to the last batch of the 5-part series.
I won’t say much but the entries in the list is always arguable. A couple of rankings back, Shawn Marion was part of the list ahead of many other players but a caliber like Reggie Miller or a Chris Mullin were snubbed. Here I factored the fact that Marion was a better all-around player. Sure Miller and Mullin are shooters, but their stats are too low. Pistol Pete Maravich, George Gervin, Ray Allen, and Sam Jones are players of the same gameplay (the scoring SG/SF) but because they had other intangibles, their legacies were padded better. From the earlier entries, you’ll spot that the players entered were specialty players. These are the guys that did well on offense, defense, rebounding, passing… but somewhere down the line, these guys are barely all-around players.
Some of the players you’ll see in this installment are complementary players that could fare well if they were to lead a team.
The previous installment? Click here!
http://sydrified.blogspot.com/2009/09/100-best-careers-in-nba-part-3-of-5.html
Game starts now!
40 GEORGE GERVIN (San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls)
STATS: 791g – 26.2ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.8apg, 1.2spg, 0.8bpg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (7), NBA All-Star (9), All-Star MVP (1), Hall of Famer
HITS: Called “The Iceman” for his cool demeanor on the court, his shooting is basically his specialty of the house. He is a four-time NBA scoring champion and he was the master of the “finger roll”. He started his career playing for the Virginia Squires in the
MISSES: Gervin knows that his main job was to score. And most of the time his onslaughts would translate into wins. But title-hunting Spurs of now were not like the Gervin-led Spurs of yesterday. This team barely fights for a division title. In his 13 pro years, Gervin never reached a championship series. This is one of the Iceman’s low points. The other one? It seems that Gervin is the guy that usually stands in the outside just waiting for the ball to reach his hands so he can create scoring opportunities. Despite the fact that Gervin is second all-time in blocks made by any guard, the Iceman is not known for his defense.
39
STATS: 1335g – 16.3ppg, 3.9rpg, 6.7apg, 1.8spg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (9), NBA All-Star (9), Defensive Player of the Year (1), NBA Champion (1)
HITS: This two-time Olympic gold medal winner was once dubbed by Gail Goodrich as “probably as complete a guard as there ever was”. Dubbed “The Glove” for his ability to shut out an opposing player, he limited Michael Jordan to 27.3ppg which is the lowest Finals average His Airness has ever had. Aside from being the only point guard to Defensive Player of the Year honors, he is great scorer. Actually he is one of the best offense-defense combos to man that spot. He was part of the “Sonic Boom” combo where he tagged with Shawn Kemp. He has an outstanding ability to dish out the assists and people needs to check him when he plays defense. But perhaps the most distinguishing feature of his career is that he is one of the best trash-talkers of all time! His trademark open-mouth, head-bobbing style is one of the most irritating things you can see if Payton is in your face. Jason Kidd admits that Payton is his mentor growing up but Payton doesn’t give a shit and still gets a dose of his wicked mind games.
MISSES: Throughout his career, Payton has been in search to find a city that would give him a ring. He spent his greatest years in
38 CHRIS WEBBER (
STATS: 831g – 20.7ppg, 9.8rpg, 4.2apg, 1.4spg, 1.4bpg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (5), NBA All-Star (5), Rookie of the Year (1994)
HITS: Before switching teams with Mitch Richmond in 1998, this former All-American was a great player playing for a poor squad. Webber is a post player in a wingman’s body, as he is equipped with an awesome array of ball handling and passing skills. Webber did not like
MISSES: Webber could have been a NBA champ had not for their arch-rivals, the Lakers. He also had health issues in the course of his career. But one thing that somewhat destroyed his career’s sheen was his legal trouble. He had numerous counts of Marijuana possession and resisting arrest. But the biggest damper in his legacy is the forfeiture of anything Webber as far as the
EXTRA POINTS: Webber was picked first in the 1993 NBA Draft by
37 JERRY LUCAS (
STATS: 829g – 17.0ppg, 15.6rpg, 3.3apg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (5), NBA All-Star (7), All-Star MVP (1), Rookie of the Year (1964), NBA Champion (1), Hall of Famer
HITS: Have you seen David Copperfield play ball? Lucas is said to be a very intelligent man that does mind and card tricks when he just wants to chill. He has great leaping ability and could calculate shooting and rebounding accuracy. One of the most decorated college players of his team (leading
MISSES: On court he was hot, but he was more interested in the off-court lifestyle. It seems that he never wanted to play pro ball. He chose to play for the ABL’s Cleveland Pipers in 1962 because it had fewer games and it gave him a chance to have team stocks and a chance to complete his doctorate in Business Marketing. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals and was pissed at his actions. When the Pipers bankrupted, he moved to the Royals where he also became part-owner. With his array of wheeling and dealing he became one of just three millionaire players in the NBA. Off court he was getting money but the Royals are struggling. New coach Bob Cousy traded Lucas to
36 CLYDE DREXLER (Portland Trail Blazers,
STATS: 1086g – 20.4ppg, 6.1rpg, 5.6apg, 2.0spg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (5), NBA All-Star (10), NBA Champion (1), Hall of Famer
HITS: Phi Slama Jama boasts
MISSES: The Glide reunited with collegiate buddy Olajuwon where he clinched his first NBA crown. He played a second star role when he was reaching this feat. The Blazers had two chances to win gold but
EXTRA POINTS: He had two chances to gain a rare quadruple-double. On January 10, 1986 he scored 26 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, and 10 steals in
35 JASON KIDD (
STATS: 1107g – 13.8ppg, 6.7rpg, 9.2apg, 2.0spg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (6), NBA All-Star (9), Rookie of the Year (1995)
HITS: Kidd is the first player to make people realize that you don’t need to score just to become explosive. Whenever he gets the ball, you HAVE to expect some random player zooming to the basket for a fiery finish. He has passed Magic Johnson at number three in the all-time assists list and is the only player in history to score 15,000 points, 10,000 assists and 7,000 rebounds. Kidd is also number three in the all-time triple-double leader list. He ranks second in career playoff triple-doubles and he has started all 115 of his playoff games. He has an awesome career. Now wonder he always blow kisses in the air when at the free throw line!
MISSES: Kidd’s career is somewhat the same with Oscar Robertson. Both are great passers as well as excellent rebounding guards. What Kidd lacks though is a steady offensive game. Also he had two trips to the NBA Finals but blew both because his teammates have become too dependent on him that once the Spurs and the Lakers neutralized Kidd, then the rest of the Nets are easy pickings. He was also in marital squabbles. It was reported that he was cruelly abused by his wife, which prompted Kidd’s wife to counterattack.
EXTRA POINTS: In his professional career, he has never lost an international game. He is 56-0 all-time with gold medals from the 2000 Sydney and 2008 Beijing Olympics, and from the 1999, 2003 and 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.
34 SCOTTIE PIPPEN (
STATS: 1178g – 16.1ppg, 6.4rpg, 5.2apg, 2.0spg, 0.8bpg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (7), NBA All-Star (7), All-Star MVP (1), NBA Champion (6)
HITS: Nobody knows playing behind a legend like Pips. He is perhaps the best sidekick in NBA History. During Michael Jordan’s
MISSES: He started his rookie campaign playing backup for Brad Sellers. Who is Brad Sellers? He was the starting forward for the then-hapless Bulls. Anyway, while he is a great complement for His Airness, it seems like he made it a career to make other players look good… even if they weren’t like that. While I understand that he has to play that role when he played alongside Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley in Houston (where he and Sir Charles clashed) for one season, he could have asked to be traded when the powerhouse Portland experiment failed to trounce the Lakers (and the Kings for that matter also). His career began to stagnate as for four season with the Blazers his scoring average never got higher than 12.5. This was the same fate also suffered by Damon Stoudamire, Detlef Schrempf, Jermaine O’Neal among others to Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells and Steve Smith. As backup to
EXTRA POINTS: Jerry Krause never liked Pippen’s antics (although the rest of the Bulls hated Krause as much) and offered
33 DIRK NOWITZKI (
STATS: 1107g – 22.7ppg, 8.6rpg, 2.7apg, 0.9spg, 1.0bpg
ACHIEVEMENTS: NBA MVP (1), All-NBA Team (9), NBA All-Star (8)
HITS: If Larry Bird went to
MISSES: One thing that separates Bird from Dirk is that Bird is consummate defender. Bird could also read moves and attack them with such while Dirk has some kinks. For one, Dirk will eat a low-post defender that would block his shot but wilts to pressure if that player uses his speed rather than power. Dirk has learned to defend better but he’ll rather waste his energy to score. He was a key figure in the infamous four straight losses that made the Miami Heat NBA Champions.
EXTRA POINTS: During the 1998 Draft, then Boston Coach Rick Pitino wanted Dirk to play for
32 DOLPH SCHAYES (
STATS: 996g – 18.5ppg, 11.3rpg, 3.1apg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (12), NBA All-Star (12), NBA Champion (1), Hall of Famer
HITS: Considered a big player then, Dolph Schayes was one of the most important ballers in the 50’s. While he manned the inside, he is a great set shooter, which was one of the norms then. Before shooting required jumping, his deadly high-arcing set shots wow crowds. It was said that during his early career, Schayes broke his right arm and played the season with a cast. This made him learn to shoot with his left, making an unstoppable set shot. He was the last great superstar to shoot baskets with his feet planted on the floor. He was also the first player to achieve 30,000 PRA’s (points, rebounds, and assists). He played from 1948 to 1964.
MISSES: No question, he is a legend. The only problem in his 16-year career was he didn’t get a lot of championships. The George Mikan-led Minneapolis Lakers owned the early 50’s and it was Bill Russell’s
31 PATRICK EWING (
STATS: 1183g – 21.0ppg, 9.8rpg, 1.9apg, 1.0spg, 2.4bpg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (7), NBA All-Star (11), Rookie of the Year (1986), Hall of Famer
HITS: The NBA was forced to institute the draft lottery to discourage teams from losing their matches. Controversy struck when the NBA office granted
MISSES: No, I won’t even say his reading problem. Nearing the end of his career, two trading paths tarnished his career of dominance. It all started with the trading of his two most equipped allies in Charles Oakley and John Starks. This started
30 JOHN STOCKTON (
STATS: 1504g – 13.1ppg, 2.7rpg, 10.5apg, 2.2spg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (11), NBA All-Star (10), All-Star MVP (1), Hall of Famer
HITS: The guy looks like a kid. In Filipino terms he looks like a “salingkit” whenever he steps on the hardcourt. But beware of this guy. As far as basketball insiders are concerned,
MISSES: The
29 DAVE COWENS (
STATS: 766g – 17.6ppg, 13.6rpg, 3.8apg, 0.8spg
ACHIEVEMENTS: NBA MVP (1), All-NBA Team (3), NBA All-Star (7), All-Star MVP (1), Rookie of the Year (1971), NBA Champion (2), Hall of Famer
HITS: Cowens had the hard task of becoming the team’s “Next Bill Russell”. Unlike in the 50’s and the 60’s, 6’9 players will have a hard time manning the center post. However he did and he did it with gusto. Celtic faithful lauded the fact that they could still win the crown without Russ and Company. In fact his intensity on both sides makes him a vital cog in their two championships. Cowens is the first of only four players to lead his team in the five main stats categories for a season (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks). Only Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James have duplicated this feat.
MISSES: While Cowens was a mere tool to complement John Havlicek, who was Boston’s heart and soul of the 70’s and the only remaining link from the 60’s, Cowens was a super special player for Boston. Problem is… his actions are often uncharacteristic for a NBA player. While he slept at a park bench when
28 ELVIN HAYES (San Diego/Houston Rockets, Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets)
STATS: 1303g – 21.0ppg, 12.5rpg, 1.8apg, 1.4bpg
ACHIEVEMENTS: All-NBA Team (6), NBA All-Star (12), NBA Champion (1)
HITS: “Big E” was the top pick in the 1968 Draft. In his rookie year, he scored 28.4ppg making him the last rookie to lead the league in scoring. However, he lost the top rookie plum to Wes Unseld, who became the last player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in one season. A couple of years later, he will join Unseld in
MISSES: It is hard to say awful things about Big E since in the course of his career, he was nothing but solid. However, when he returned to
27 WILLIS REED (
STATS: 650g – 18.7ppg, 12.9rpg, 1.8apg
ACHIEVEMENTS: NBA MVP (1), Finals MVP (2), All-NBA Team (5), NBA All-Star (7), All-Star MVP (1), Rookie of the Year (1965), NBA Champion (2), Hall of Famer
HITS: The guy is a leader and a winner. During his tenure as a Knick,
MISSES: While inspirational, the victory he got from the 1970 Finals would mark the downfall of his career. After that he had a couple of injuries that forced him out of action for months. This could probably be due to the wear and tear he suffered as a banger and a bruiser. When he retired, the Knicks were dismantled. His career and the Knicks organization could have been better if he didn’t end his tenure after ten short seasons.
26 RICK BARRY (San Francisco/Golden State Warriors,
STATS: 794g – 23.2ppg, 6.5rpg, 5.1apg, 1.4spg
ACHIEVEMENTS: Finals MVP (1), All-NBA Team (6), NBA All-Star (8), All-Star MVP (1), Rookie of the Year (1966), NBA Champion (1), Hall of Famer
HITS: What is the “granny shot”? For younger generations, this is how Slam Dunk’s Hanamichi Sakuragi shoots the free throw. The softball pitch best describes his style which is leaps and bounds less pretty than the more popular baseball throw. While it looks odd, it is freaking devastatingly accurate! In fact, he ranks amongst the best all-time! He is arguably the best pure small forward in the history of the league due to his tenaciousness, uncanny court vision, defense, demanding will to win, and superb outside scoring! He is also one of those players that can successfully alter their game styles to fit the needs of his team. He’ll do the things asked to get a win, even if he is paired with low-quality and problematic teammates.
MISSES: His talents could do so much. Most of his years, he was Mister-Do-It-All because seasons of lackluster rosters are destroying his Hall of Fame reputation. This is also the reason why he left the San Francisco Warriors for the
EXTRA POINTS: From his “Barry” spawned former NBA players like Jon, Brent, and Drew. Coincidentally Rick and Brent became the second father and son combo to have NBA rings. Rick in 1975 with the
25 LEBRON JAMES (
STATS: 472g – 27.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 6.7apg, 1.8spg, 0.9bpg
ACHIEVEMENTS: NBA MVP (1), All-NBA Team (5), NBA All-Star (5), All-Star MVP (2), Rookie of the Year (2004)
HITS: He is the second coming of Magic Johnson in terms of pre-NBA attention. During his time high school games are getting nationwide attention (although they didn’t care about the games per se and were merely looking out for James). Picked first in the 2003 Draft, James found out that it was hard to survive the NBA… if he had weak-ass backup. Slowly, his team was formed to his liking and it was safe to say that LBJ has the goods to blaze the league. James combines power with quickness and athleticism. He has the power of Oscar Robertson with the scoring abilities of Julius Erving and the unselfishness of Grant Hill. He is a regular 25-5-5 player and he is ready to man clutch moments.
MISSES: There is a double-edged sword that surrounds a high-ranking placing in their early career and this is where
24 JULIUS ERVING (
STATS: 836g – 22.0ppg, 6.7rpg, 3.9apg, 1.8spg, 1.5bpg
ACHIEVEMENTS: Finals MVP (1), All-NBA Team (7), NBA All-Star (11), All-Star MVP (2), NBA Champion (1)
HITS: The old school basketball game was flushed out with his entry. All of a sudden, basketball became exciting. When he entered the NBA in 1976, he was the most popular player of the
MISSES: No question, he is a legendary fixture in the history of basketball. However, Erving’s best years were played outside
23 ISIAH THOMAS (
STATS: 979g – 19.2ppg, 3.6rpg, 9.3apg, 1.9spg
ACHIEVEMENTS: Finals MVP (1), All-NBA Team (5), NBA All-Star (12), All-Star MVP (2), NBA Champion (2)
HITS: When late
MISSES: Critics peg him as a gracious winner and a lousy loser. His eagerness to win is both his strength and weakness. Remember how he “froze” Michael Jordan because his hometown idolizing a newbie that was taken the spotlight out of the vets in the 1985 All-Star Game? What about his “feud” with Larry Bird? Professionally, injuries in the 90 are factors that led to his retirement. Looking back, his ego bolstered failed bids to further cement his legacy: 1) Many team owners blamed his mismanagement for the eventual downfall of the CBA (the NBDL came and destroyed the semi-pro league), 2) Coaching and management woes in Toronto, Indiana, and New York, and 3) A sexual harassment case that cost Madison Square Garden 11.6 US Dollars! This perhaps also led to the alleged drug overdose he had in mid-2008.
EXTRA POINTS: Thomas missed out three potential
22 JOHN HAVLICEK (
STATS: 1270g – 20.8ppg, 6.3rpg, 4.8apg
ACHIEVEMENTS: Finals MVP (1), All-NBA Team (11), NBA All-Star (13), NBA Champion (8), Hall of Famer
HITS: Named from a John Wayne flick, Hondo is considered as one of the best players of the league. Currently it is him and not Russell, Bird, Cowens, and Pierce as the Celtics’ all-time leading scorer! While he was merely a backup for Jerry Lucas in his college years, Havlicek was a key contributor for Red Auerbach in the 60’s. He started as
MISSES: In his 16 year career, Havlicek never scored lower than 14.3 points (this was during his rookie year). There is hardly any downside in his career but if I would count on something, it could be the fact that people thought of him as a mere role player in his early career. Even when he was scoring in consistent double digits people try to factor in that had not for Russell and company, he’d be scoring less. Hell, even Bob Cousy thought of him as a mere defensive specialist when he first saw Hondo.
21 ALLEN IVERSON (
STATS: 886g – 27.1ppg, 3.7rpg, 6.2apg, 2.2spg
ACHIEVEMENTS: NBA MVP (1), All-NBA Team (7), NBA All-Star (10), All-Star MVP (2), Rookie of the Year (1997)
HITS: When we say
MISSES: Larry Brown was the only coach that actually got Iverson’s respect… and yeah, that was rocky at best. Iverson is a coach’s nightmare. He is said to be a ball hog and this is one of the reasons why he can’t win a plum. He was sent away from Philly after Iverson’s over-outbursts. He was brought to
The cream of the crop will take centerstage in the final installment!
Yes, Michael Jordan would be there! Yes Shaquille O’Neal would be there! Yes Kobe Bryant… ugh… well… he could be there!
Until the next installment…
GAME OVER!
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