August 23, 201610 yr 1. LeBron 2. Bird 3. Dr. J 4. Worthy 5. Dominque 6. Kevin Durant 7. Pippen (maybe) That's without looking at the list to make sure I didn't exclude any SF's....
August 23, 201610 yr As far as other guys to remove....How about Rick Barry, Dolph Schayes, Sam Jones, Dave DeBusschere, Billy Cunningham, and Bill Sharman? No clue who Jones, DeBusschere, Cunningham, and Sharman are.
August 23, 201610 yr I respect your opinion BigV and you may be right but I don't think so. Phil Jackson may have been the one coach who could have made MJ and Wilkins work. We will never know but I think he would have. Do you think the Hawks with Pippen win any championships?? Possibly...Jackson was a genius at melding players and personalities. BUT, even if he could have done that, in my mind Wilkins is still less effective and not the same player he was in Atlanta simply because the system wouldn't have allowed him to be, PLUS...not going to say he would have been a defensive liability, but he certainly would not have had near the same defensive presence as Pippen. This would have been , in my opinion, a team whose sum of it's parts would have been lessor than the individual pieces with Wilkins. I just don't think it would have worked under any long term condition. Pippen in Atlanta? I think Pippen could have been a 25 ppg guy there at his peak, with 35-40 point games here and there, while also bringing his defense. I don't know that it would have been enough to win Atlanta a title.
August 23, 201610 yr As far as other guys to remove....How about Rick Barry, Dolph Schayes, Sam Jones, Dave DeBusschere, Billy Cunningham, and Bill Sharman? No clue who Jones, DeBusschere, Cunningham, and Sharman are. No way on Sam Jones. 10 time champion and one of the all time clutch playoff performers.
August 23, 201610 yr 1. LeBron 2. Bird 3. Dr. J 4. Worthy 5. Dominque 6. Kevin Durant 7. Pippen (maybe) That's without looking at the list to make sure I didn't exclude any SF's.... It pains me to say this...absolutely pains me being a Carolina guy. Heck, I even modeled my dunking style in practice/warmups in high school after the guy and he's one of my all time favorite players. With that said...Pippen is an overall better player that Worthy. There I said it. Now I have to go throw up.
August 23, 201610 yr Author Possibly...Jackson was a genius at melding players and personalities. BUT, even if he could have done that, in my mind Wilkins is still less effective and not the same player he was in Atlanta simply because the system wouldn't have allowed him to be, PLUS...not going to say he would have been a defensive liability, but he certainly would not have had near the same defensive presence as Pippen. This would have been , in my opinion, a team whose sum of it's parts would have been lessor than the individual pieces with Wilkins. I just don't think it would have worked under any long term condition. Pippen in Atlanta? I think Pippen could have been a 25 ppg guy there at his peak, with 35-40 point games here and there, while also bringing his defense. I don't know that it would have been enough to win Atlanta a title. I just can't envision Pippen ever being that dynamic of an offensive threat. His two highest scoring seasons came in Jordan's absence obviously, and it is not as if he went scorched earth on the league.
August 23, 201610 yr I just can't envision Pippen ever being that dynamic of an offensive threat. His two highest scoring seasons came in Jordan's absence obviously, and it is not as if he went scorched earth on the league. No, but her had multiple seasons of 20+ scoring average in Chicago. He had more of a chance becoming a higher scorer under different circumstances than Wilkins did of becoming the defensive presence that Pippen was. Again, all speculative of course.
August 23, 201610 yr 20 years ago the NBA came out with their list of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. It was a huge deal at the time and that list is still referenced. In those 20 years, who has come about in the NBA that should now be on the 50 greatest NBA players list. And whomever you add, you have to remove someone. LeBron, Kobe, and Duncan are obvious folks that find their way onto the list. Anyone else? But at who's expense? Below is the list: NBA at 50 celebrates legends of league | NBA.com The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History [TABLE=class: cnnTM] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Kareem Abdul-Jabbar[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Nate Archibald[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Paul Arizin[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Charles Barkley[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Rick Barry[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Elgin Baylor[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Dave Bing[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Larry Bird[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Wilt Chamberlain[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Bob Cousy[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Dave Cowens[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Billy Cunningham[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Dave DeBusschere[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Clyde Drexler[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Julius Erving[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Patrick Ewing[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Walt Frazier[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]George Gervin[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Hal Greer[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]John Havlicek[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Elvin Hayes[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Magic Johnson[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Sam Jones[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Michael Jordan[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Jerry Lucas[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Karl Malone[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Moses Malone[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Pete Maravich[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Kevin McHale[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]George Mikan[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Earl Monroe[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Hakeem Olajuwon[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Shaquille O'Neal[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Robert Parish[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Bob Pettit[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Scottie Pippen[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Willis Reed[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Oscar Robertson[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]David Robinson[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Bill Russell[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Dolph Schayes[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Bill Sharman[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]John Stockton[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Isiah Thomas[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Nate Thurmond[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Wes Unseld[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: cnnIERowAltBG] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Bill Walton[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtR, align: left]Jerry West[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]Lenny Wilkens[/TD] [TD=class: cnnIEColTxtL, align: left]James Worthy[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] These are all debatable in my eyes: Nate Archibald Nate Thurmmond Dolph Shayes Bill Sharmin Bill Walton Robert Parrish Possibly: Dave Bing, Lenny Wilkins, Sam Jones
August 23, 201610 yr Also, does Clyde the Glide really deserve to be there? Yes, he took the Blazers to the Finals 2xs and won it w/ the Rockets to go along with his #s . If you were in that era and played for the Dream Team, it is tough to push you out of the Top 50 unless you are Laettner.
August 23, 201610 yr No, but her had multiple seasons of 20+ scoring average in Chicago. He had more of a chance becoming a higher scorer under different circumstances than Wilkins did of becoming the defensive presence that Pippen was. Again, all speculative of course. For comparison sake Pippen gave up 102 points per 100 possessions while Wilkins gave up 108...not as big of a difference as some would have assumed from an "All-Time Lock Down Defender" and a guy that most say "Couldn't play a lick of Defense" Jordan by comparison gave up 103 points per 100 possessions.
August 23, 201610 yr For comparison sake Pippen gave up 102 points per 100 possessions while Wilkins gave up 108...not as big of a difference as some would have assumed from an "All-Time Lock Down Defender" and a guy that most say "Couldn't play a lick of Defense" Jordan by comparison gave up 103 points per 100 possessions. Pippen, without a doubt, had the tougher defensive draw night in and night out between he and Wilkins. That stat is VERY relative.
August 23, 201610 yr Pippen, without a doubt, had the tougher defensive draw night in and night out between he and Wilkins. That stat is VERY relative. Pippen was a great defender but he wasn't the great wall of China and he is NOT a top 50 all time player, IMO.
August 23, 201610 yr Pippen was a great defender but he wasn't the great wall of China and he is NOT a top 50 all time player, IMO. If he's not then Wilkins comes off the list too.
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