#60: Bernard King
Resume
All-NBA 1st Team: 2x (’84, ‘85)
All-NBA 2nd Team: 1x (’82)
All-NBA 3rd Team: 1x (’91)
All-NBA Rookie 1st Team: (’78)
NBA All-Star: 4x (’82, ’84, ’85, ‘91)
NBA PPG Leader (55 G): 1x (’85)
NBA Top 10 Points: 4x (’78, ’81, ’82, ’84)
NBA Top 5 Win Shares: 1x (’84)
NBA Top 2 WS/48: 1x (’84)
NBA Top 10 PER: 2x (’81, ’82)
NBA Career Points: 42nd
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 58th
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 69th
I’ll admit to being a little skeptical overall of King, considering that his resume is quite short. With one (major) exception, it looked like King had one of the unluckiest careers in NBA history regarding injuries and style clashing. Bill Simmons described King as unstoppable from 1983-1985. This seems relevant as that’s part of one of the toughest eras in professional basketball history. This didn’t matter to King, the lone blue chipper for the early 80s Knicks, as he put together two NBA 1st teams and led the Knicks to the playoffs a couple of those years as well. In 1985, while leading the league in scoring he blew out his knee and never was the same. That, combined with King being stuck in Hubie Brown’s slowdown style, limited King to what he could have been.
Of course, King’s career is also hampered by cocaine use early in his career. His drug use limited him just as much as his later injuries would, I mean, isn’t it odd that King took so many years to peak, and when he did he was downright unstoppable in a tough era? Those King years at the top represent the player we wanted Carmelo Anthony to become, only it never quite happened for Melo (and probably isn’t at this point).
And then there’s this. Despite the injuries and such, King came back in 1991 and randomly put up a 28.4 PPG season at age 34. Combine that with his reputation, his long standing record of 60 points at MSG (which Kobe broke when Wilson Chandler couldn’t guard him) and that he was so good that his 55 game 1985 season still got him All-1st Team honors over Michael Jordan, and well I’ll have to push my skepticism to the side.
#59: Elvin Hayes
Resume
All-NBA 1st Team: 3x (’75, ’77, ‘79)
All-NBA 2nd Team: 3x (’73, ’74, ‘76)
All-NBA Defensive 2nd Team: (’73, ’74)
All-NBA Rookie 1st Team: (’69)
NBA All-Star: 12x (’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ‘80)
NBA Points Leader: 1x (’69)
NBA Rebounds Leader: 2x (’70, ’74)
NBA Defensive Rating Leader: 1x (’75)
NBA Defensive Win Shares Leader: 3x (’71, ’74, ’75)
NBA Top 10 Points: 7x (’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’75, ’77, ‘80)
NBA Top 10 Rebounds: 13x (’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ’80, ’81)
NBA Top 10 Blocks: 8x (’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ’80, ’81)
NBA Top 10 Steals: 1x (’75)
NBA Top 10 Win Shares: 3x (’74, ’75, ‘77)
NBA Top 10 Defensive Win Shares: 12x (’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ’80, ’81)
NBA Top 10 WS/48: 1x (’75)
NBA Top 10 PER: 2x (’81, ’82)
NBA Career Points: 9th
NBA Career Rebounds: 4th
NBA Career Blocks: 22nd
Best Player on One NBA Champion: ’78 Bullets
Best Player on Two Runner-Ups: ’75 Bullets, ’79 Bullets
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 51st
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 23rd
Looking at the resume you’re likely to side with Slam’s ranking of Hayes than Simmons. Here are the following quotes about Hayes from various publications and sportswriters at the time:
“During his four years with the Rockets, Hayes was variously considered a ball hog, a rotten apple, a dumbbell and a guaranteed loser.” –Sports Illustrated, 1974
“Individualism overcame Elvin in yet another big contest.”
“Hayes once more disappeared in the moments of crisis.”
“It’s imperative for the Bullets that their only real name player and 10 year All-Star justify his status by not dissolving at the end of the seventh game [of the Finals].” – Curry Kirkpatrick, Sports Illustrated, 1978
“You stay away from that no-good fucking prick.” – Rockets’ Coach Bill Fitch, on what he reportedly told rookie Ralph Sampson when Hayes said he wanted to mentor him.
Now, being a jerk and being hated by the sports media doesn’t mean you’re a bad player (although, it’s a good sign that you’re a terrible teammate and a potential locker room cancer), so let’s go with a couple of game related stories.
Hayes may be the worst “best player on a title team ever”, and it’s debated about whether or not he really was the best player on that 1978 title team (Unseld). The defining story? After scoring a total of 19 fourth quarter points in six Finals games in 1978, and calls for him to step up in Game 7, Hayes fouled out with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter of that Game 7. The Bullets, on the road, managed to win the title without him as Unseld won Finals MVP. Not exactly MJ against Utah. Speaking of Utah, in terms of clutchness Hayes is regarded as the poor man’s Karl Malone. That’s not a compliment. All of this combined with that he peaked during a weak era of pro basketball, the 1970s, and his lowish ranking starts to make some sense.
#58: Paul Arizin
Resume
All-NBA 1st Team: 3x (’52, ’56, ‘57)
All-NBA 2nd Team: 1x (’59)
NBA All-Star: 10x (’51, ’52, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60, ’61, ‘62)
NBA Points Leader: 2x (’52, ’57)
NBA Win Share Leader: 1x (’52)
NBA Offensive Win Share Leader: 1x (’52)
NBA Top 10 Points: 9x (’51, ’52,’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60, ’61)
NBA Top 10 Rebounds: 2x (’51, ’52)
NBA Top 10 PER: 4x (’52, ’56, ’57, ’59)
NBA Top 10 Win Shares: 8x: (’51, ’52, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’59, ’60, ’61)
NBA Top 10 WS/48: (’52, ’56, ’57, ’59)
First Player to average 20+PPG for Nine Straight Seasons
Best Player on One NBA Champion: ’56 Warriors
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 56th
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 71st
The first player to ever use a jump shot, which seems important from a historical point of view. Arizin was the best player on the last pre-Russell NBA Champs, the ’56 Warriors. He had a killer post-season that year (29-8, .262 WS/48). Would have probably had more All-Stars, but in ’53 and ’54 he was forced into military duty and didn’t play. He ended his career on a high note, averaging a 23-7 for the Sixers as they almost beat the ’62 Celtics. Arizin is one of the top examples that Wilt Chamberlain in fact had great players as teammates too.
#57: Dolph Schayes
Resume
All-NBA 1st Team: 6x (’52, ’53, ’54, ’55, ’57, ’58)
All-NBA 2nd Team: 6x (’50, ’51, ’56, ’59, ’60, ’61)
NBA All-Star: 12x (’51, ’52, ’53, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60, ’61, ‘62)
NBA Rebounds Leader: 1x (’51)
NBA FT% Leader: 3x (’58, ’60, 62)
NBA Win Share Leader: 1x (’58)
NBA WS/48 Leader: 1x (’54)
NBA Defensive Win Share Leader: 1x (’55)
NBA Top 10 Points: 11x (’51, ’53, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60, ’61, ‘62)
NBA Top 10 Rebounds: 12x (’51, ’52, ’53, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60, ’61, ‘62)
NBA Top 10 Assists: 3x (’50, ’51, ’57)
NBA Top 3 FT%: 10x: (’53, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60, ’61, ‘62)
NBA Top 10 PER: 10x: (’53, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60, ’61, ‘62)
NBA Top 10 Win Shares: 11x: (’50, ’51, ’52, ’53, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57, ’58, ’59, ’60)
NBA Career Rebounds: 26th
Best Player on One NBA Champion: ’55 Nationals
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 52nd
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 35th
Like Hayes, an outstanding resume that merits Schayes being ranked higher. Schayes issue is the era he played in: the 1950s. Before Bill Russell showed up Schayes was one of the best players in the early NBA along with George Mikan (who we’ll get to). After Russell (and others), Schayes stopped winning in the playoffs. That’s fine. The total weight of his resume gives him a decent amount of credit, and I put him above Hayes as Schayes defining story (playing a full season with a broken arm and just switching his main hand) is a lot better than Hayes.
It’s always going to be tough to rank the 1950s guys. They will always take a hit (half of Dolph’s career was even before the shot clock existed) ranking wise. Dolph’s resume was too good to drop outside the Top 60.
#56: Dominique Wilkins
Resume
All-NBA 1st Team: 1x (‘86)
All-NBA 2nd Team: 4x (’87, ’88, ’91, ’93)
All-NBA 3rd Team: 2x (’89, ’94)
NBA All-Star: 9x (’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’94)
NBA PPG Leader: 1x (’86)
NBA Top 10 Points: 9x (’85, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’93, ’94)
NBA Top 10 Win Shares: 2x: (’86, ‘87)
NBA Top 10 WS/48: (’87, ’93)
NBA Career Points: 12th
NBA Career Steals: 56th
NBA Career Offensive Rebounds: 31st
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 55th
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 43rd
If you’re siding with Dominique to be 15-20 spots higher, you’re rewarding individual and arguably selfish play over team ball. You can look at the fact that ‘Nique never got past round 2 in two ways: he clashed against the Bad Boy Pistons, Bird’s Celtics and Jordan’s Bulls…or you can come to the conclusion that a self-absorbed all O and no D scorer who did nothing to make his teammates better couldn’t will his teams to the finish line.
It doesn’t mean that Dominique wasn’t a great player. His Hawks teams routinely made the playoffs and even won 50+ games from ’86-’89 (peaking at 57 in 1987) and he didn’t have that much of a supporting cast (Kevin Willis and Doc Rivers were his best teammates). So he has to get credit for that. He had one chance to get to the Conference Finals, but his 47 wasn’t enough (Bird scored 20 in the 4th and Boston won by 2). But again, his defense was a problem for the Hawks in that game as well. How far can a no defense guy get in the playoffs without a strong defensive unit around him or a top shot blocking center? Not far enough it seems.
#55: Chris Paul
Resume
NBA Rookie of the Year: ‘06
All-NBA 1st Team: 4x (’08, ’12, ’13, ‘14)
All-NBA 2nd Team: 2x (’09, ‘15)
All-NBA 3rd Team: 1x (‘11)
All-NBA Defensive 1st Team: 5x (’09, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15)
All-NBA Defensive 2nd Team: 1x (’08)
All-NBA Rookie 1st Team: ‘06
NBA All-Star Game MVP: 1x (’13)
NBA All-Star: 8x (’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ‘15)
NBA Assists Leader: 3x (’08, ’09, ’15)
NBA Steals Leader: 5x (’06, ’08, ’09, ’11, ’12)
NBA Win Shares Leader: 1x (’08)
NBA Offensive Win Shares Leader: 3x (’08, ’12, ’15)
NBA WS/48 Leader: 1x (’08)
NBA Top 10 Points: 2x (’09, ‘15)
NBA Top 10 Assists: 10x (’06, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15)
NBA Top 3 Steals: 8x (’06, ’08, ’09, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15)
NBA Top 10 Win Shares: 7x (’08, ’09, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15)
NBA Top 10 WS/48: 8x (’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15)
NBA Top 10 PER: 8x (’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15)
NBA Top 10 Offensive Rating: 8x (’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15)
NBA Career Assists: 16th
NBA Career Steals: 26th
NBA Career APG: 3rd
NBA Career SPG: 4th
NBA Career Offensive Rating: 1st
NBA Career Win Shares: 32nd
NBA Career WS/48: 3rd
NBA Career PER: 6th
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 90th
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 107th
On paper, CP3 is already one of the greatest basketball players ever. He either holds or is on pace to hold many different records (both traditional and advanced). He would hold a spot on the starting five best two way players in the NBA right now, and would even have a chance at an all-time version. He was absolutely robbed of the MVP in 2008 (sorry Kobe fans) where he put up 21.1 PPG, 11.6 APG, 4 RPG and 2.7 SPG while only having 2.5 turnovers a game for a 56 win Hornets team. Only players in NBA history to put up 20 PPG, 11 APG and 2 SPG in a season are CP3 and Isiah…although CP3 did it with less turnovers and shot a higher percentage.
So what holds CP3 back from a higher ranking? For some reason or another he also can’t get past round 2 of the playoffs. Twice he’s gotten to Game 7 of the 2nd round and once to a super close Game 6, and each time he fell short. In 2008 a 22 year old Paul has been dominating the playoffs and had a 3-2 lead on the Spurs…but the Spurs shocked the Hornets in Game 7 as Paul was “held” to a 18-14-8-5. He was masterful for the most part in the six game loss to the Thunder in 2014, averaging 22-12-4 and 2 and a half steals for the series, but Durant and Westbrook were too good and the Thunder prevailed. Both of those losses though could be justified. What wasn’t justified was the Clippers blowing their series against Houston last year. Putting that together with the up 3-2 against the Spurs and the Thunder series (famously lost Game 5 despite being up 7 with 50 seconds to go) one has to wonder why Chris Paul teams keep blowing huge games (even in round 1 last year against the Spurs, a series that the Clippers won and Paul was masterful in Game 7 in, there were several blunders along the way, especially in Game 2, which made you question the toughness of the Clippers). Until he can rectify this, I don’t know if he’ll ever crack the top 40.
But I think he’ll do it eventually. He’s 30 years old now and should still have 3-4 elite years left. The talent is there. The coaching is there. They have beaten great teams (like the Spurs last year). Is Chris Paul the leader we all think he is? Or is there a little bit of Oscar Robinson in him…someone who’s teammates play in fear of him and as a result screw up in the clutch? We’ll find out.
#54: Billy Cunningham
Resume
ABA MVP: 1x (’73)
All-NBA 1st Team: 3x (’69, ’70, ‘71)
All-NBA 2nd Team: 1x (’72)
All-ABA 1st Team: 1x (’73)
All-NBA Rookie 1st Team: ‘66
ABA Steals Leader: 1x (’73)
NBA All-Star: 4x (’69, ’70, ’71, ’72)
ABA All-Star: 1x (’73)
ABA Steals Leader: 1x (’73)
NBA Top 10 Points: 3x (’69, ’70, ’71)
ABA Top 5 Points: 1x (’73)
NBA Top 10 Assists: 1x (’75)
ABA Top 3 Assists: 1x (’73)
NBA Top 10 Rebounds: 2x (’69, ’70)
ABA Top 5 Rebounds: 1x (’73)
NBA Top 10 Win Shares: 1x (’70)
ABA Top 3 Win Shares: 1x (’73)
Sixth Man For One Champion: ’67 Sixers
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 49th
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 41st
At first it doesn’t feel like he has the resume, although both Simmons and Slam rank him quite highly. His ABA MVP year is nothing to sneeze at: 24-12-6 with 2 and a half steals per game. Ranked in the top 5 in points, top 3 in assists and top 5 in rebounds while leading the ABA in steals during his MVP year. Simmons thought he was good enough to be the 1969 MVP (22-11-3). He’s regarded as the best small forward for a five year stretch. He’s another example that Wilt played with great players during his career, and Cunningham was a solid 6th man (15 PPG) for that ’67 Sixers team that won the title (in regards to his playstyle, he’s compared to Manu).
#53: Hal Greer
Resume
All-NBA 2nd Team: 7x (’63, ’64, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ‘69)
NBA All-Star Game MVP: 1x (’68)
NBA All-Star: 10x (’61, ’62, ’63, ’64, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’69, ‘70)
NBA Top 10 Points: 6x (’63, ’64, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68)
NBA Top 10 Assists: 4x (’64, ’65, ’66, ’68)
NBA Top 10 Win Shares: 3x (’63, ’66, 68)
2nd Best Player on One Championship Team: ’67 Sixers
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 48th
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 59th
Another not quite impressive resume…but Greer gets ranked this high for being Wilt’s 2nd banana (scoring 27.7 PPG in the ’67 playoffs where the Sixers won the title) as well as for his consistency year in and year out. There’s not much else to say about Greer. Players from his era respected his work ethic and thought he had a beautiful jump shot. He also shot free throws with his jumper. Nonetheless, season after season of 20 PPG as primarily a 2nd banana with a Championship is nothing to sneeze at. More proof Wilt played with great players.
#52: Nate Thurmond
Resume
All-NBA Defensive 1st Team: 2x (’69, ’71)
All-NBA Defensive 2nd Team: (’72, ’73, ’74)
All-NBA Rookie 1st Team: ‘64
NBA All-Star: 7x (’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’70, ’73, ‘74)
NBA Top 10 Rebounds: 8x (’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’71, ’72, ‘73)
NBA Top 10 Blocks: 2x (’74, ‘75)
NBA Top 5 Defensive Rating: 1x (’75)
NBA Top 10 Defensive Win Shares: 8x (’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’72, ’73, ’75)
NBA Career Rebounds: 10th
2nd Best Player on One Runner-Up: (’67 Warriors)
Starter on One Runner-Up: (’64 Warriors)
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 45th
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 34th
Probably in the starting lineup for the all-time underrated team. He mad no All-NBA teams but for a very good reason: his career coincided with Wilt, Russell, Kareem and Reed (and there was no Third Team back then). Regarded as the 2nd best defensive center in the league after Russell. Recorded 2.9 BPG when he was washed up in ’74…it was the first year the NBA recorded blocks. Had the first recorded quadruple double (22 PTS, 14 REB, 13 AST, 12 BLK) in 1974.
His lack of championship success was because of two things. One, he was ridiculously unlucky as Rick Barry bolted the Warriors for the ABA. Had he stayed, some of those early 70s titles probably go to the Warriors. When Barry came back the Warriors traded him to Chicago to save money…and Thurmond almost made them pay as the Bulls took the Warriors to 7 games in the Western Finals.
The second part was what kept him off of all those All-NBA teams. He wasn’t getting past Russell, Wilt or Kareem. Kareem and Wilt both said Thurmond was their toughest defender in the early 70s. Just think of the rich man’s Dikembe Mutombo here.
#51: Wes Unseld
Resume
NBA MVP: 1x (’69)
NBA Finals MVP: 1x (’78)
NBA All-1st Team: 1x (’69)
All-NBA Rookie 1st Team: ‘69
NBA All-Star: 5x (’69, ’71, ’72, ’73, ‘75)
NBA Top 10 Rebounds: 10x (’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’80)
NBA Top 3 Offensive Rating: 1x (’79)
NBA Top 10 Defensive Rating: 2x (’75, ’76)
NBA Top 10 Win Shares: 5x (’69, ’70, ’73, ’75, ’76)
NBA Top 10 WS/48: 2x (’69, ’75)
NBA Top 10 Defensive Win Shares: 8x (’69, ’70, ’71, ’73, ’75, ’76, ’77, ‘78)
NBA Career Rebounds: 12th
2nd Best Player on One NBA Champion: ’78 Bullets
2nd Best Player on Three Runner-Ups: ’71 Bullets, ’74 Bullets, ’79 Bullets
Simmons Pyramid Ranking (2010): 42nd
Slam Magazine 500 Ranking (2011): 33rd
A strange resume that you’ll have to ignore statistics to appreciate. Defensively, Unseld wasn’t a shot blocker…yet put up some really good defensive rating and defensive win shares numbers. He wasn’t a scorer, yet was really efficient offensively. He was arguably the best player (I know we said Hayes, but ugh) on that ’78 Bullets team for doing all the dirty work (screens, rebounding) and for being the greatest outlet passer in NBA history (Red Auerbach said that perhaps only Russell was better). So it’s just going to be impossible to capture the impact Unseld had through awards and statistics.
Here’s the thing. Back in the 60s and early 70s…the players voted on the league MVP. Sure they got carried away with it and Unseld wasn’t the correct choice…but it’s something that he did win MVP, no? His opponents thought he was that difficult to deal with playing against him. And Unseld showed it was at least somewhat of a worthy accolade as he’d win the ’78 Finals MVP. So there’s more evidence that he’s a great player than not. What a tough player to rank.