75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

[Majingir]

With the next season all but likely starting in 2021, regardless when it happens, it will be the 75th season in NBA history. The original charter was signed in June 6 1946, 75 years to the date we might have regular season games happening.

For the sake of this thread, let's just choose the top 25 since the 96/97 season who aren't already on the list from 96 of top 50 greatest players.

In addition, they had a top 10 coach and team list. I say we add 5 more to each.

Top 25:
Kobe
LeBron
Duncan
Dirk
Garnett
Iverson
Reggie
Payton
Wade
Yao
McGrady
Nash
Kidd
Allen
Mutombo
Durant
Curry
Giannis
Harden
Westbrook
Kawhi
Paul
Pierce
Carmelo
Carter

Top 5 coaches:
Popovich (crazy to think when the first list was made, he hadn't coached a single game yet)
Kerr
Brown
Sloan
Spoelstra

Top 5 teams:
96-97 Bulls
99-00 Lakers
??-?? Spurs (I honestly dont know which should be considered their greatest team, maybe 13-14?)
12-13 Heat
16-17 Warriors

[cima]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

You really put Yao on there over Dwight Howard? The disrespect continues even after his redemption tour is complete.

Yao's peak was too short anyway. Dude might not have even played 6 seasons (I don't remember)

[3304Life]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

Yep. I think Dwight gets in over some of those dudes, even if I don’t think it should be Yao.


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[cima]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

From that list, Dwight is more deserving than:

- Melo
- Vince Carter
- Chris Paul
- Westbrook
- Harden
- Giannis
- McGrady
- Yao

[AlexBrady]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

With the next season all but likely starting in 2021, regardless when it happens, it will be the 75th season in NBA history. The original charter was signed in June 6 1946, 75 years to the date we might have regular season games happening.

For the sake of this thread, let's just choose the top 25 since the 96/97 season who aren't already on the list from 96 of top 50 greatest players.

In addition, they had a top 10 coach and team list. I say we add 5 more to each.

Top 25:
Kobe
LeBron
Duncan
Dirk
Garnett
Iverson
Reggie
Payton
Wade
Yao
McGrady
Nash
Kidd
Allen
Mutombo
Durant
Curry
Giannis
Harden
Westbrook
Kawhi
Paul
Pierce
Carmelo
Carter

Top 5 coaches:
Popovich (crazy to think when the first list was made, he hadn't coached a single game yet)
Kerr
Brown
Sloan
Spoelstra

Top 5 teams:
96-97 Bulls
99-00 Lakers
??-?? Spurs (I honestly dont know which should be considered their greatest team, maybe 13-14?)
12-13 Heat
16-17 Warriors

Non-bigs-

1. LeBron James- His power, all round skills, and big time leadership make him the best.
2. Kobe Bryant- Everything you could want in a wingman.
3. Dwyane Wade- Lacked only shooting range but could do everything else.
4. Kawhi Leonard- Another all around star.
5. Kevin Durant- Could score every way imaginable.
6. Stephen Curry- A nightmare to guard. All out motion combined with wizard-like handle and 30 foot range.
7. Jason Kidd- Had the all round game of MJ with the anticipation skills of Larry Bird.
8. Paul Pierce- The most underrated superstar of his generation.
9. Steve Nash- A mini Larry Bird. Always made his teammates play better than they actually were.
10. Ray Allen- A genius on the court. Clutch shooter supreme.
11. Chauncey Billups- Raised the level of play of his teammates. Versatile and reliable in the clutch.
12. Chris Paul- With the ball in his hands he is an all timer.
13. James Harden- Powerful and skilled warrior on offense.
14. Manu Ginobli- His lefty slants were unstoppable and his courage left us all in awe.
15. Klay Thompson- A rare two way wingman.
16. Tony Parker- A jet-setter who gradually matured into a fine point guard.
17. Giannis Antetokounmpo- Freakishly gifted with some holes in his game. Seems willing to improve weaknesses.
18. Shawn Marion- A jack of all trades. Could defend across multiple positions at the highest level.
19. Brandon Roy- He was brilliant. He could take over a game on offense while rarely forcing a shot or pass.

Bigs-

1. Tim Duncan- In the clutch he could always be counted on to get a score, stop, or rebound.
2. Dirk Nowitzki- His high release jumpers were unstoppable.
3. Pau Gasol- His versatility and smarts were key to two Laker titles.
4. Anthony Davis- Fundamental brilliance.
5. Yao Ming- Highly intelligent and skilled giant.
6. Kevin Garnett- His trademarks were defensive intensity and creative jump shooting.

Top five coaches-

1. Greg Popovich- Focused on defense. His in game adjustments were likely worth five points every game.
2. Steve Kerr- Put motion into Golden State's offense and deftly managed egos.
3. Rick Carlisle- Ideal bench side demeanor.
4. Erick Spoelstra- Another great Xs and Os guy and has shown he can manage the big egos.
5. Jerry Sloan- Highly competitive and very stubborn. Teams were always very disciplined.

Top five teams:

1. 96-97 Bulls- Among the best defensive teams ever. Hard team to run on due to elite transition defense. The triangle was run to near perfection and MJ was there to save them if it failed to generate a good look.

2. 97-98 Bulls- Still a great team for the above reasons. Rodman was slightly less effective on defense and the boards though.

3. 00-01 Lakers- Had the two best players in the league. The role players were reliable and the triangle maximized everyone's skills.

4. 99-00 Lakers- I rate them slightly behind the 01 team because Kobe was a bit more untamed here. Glen Rice jammed up the triangle too much and couldn't guard anyone. This team did not have Horace Grant's positive play on it.

5. 02-03 Spurs- They played precision defense and shared the ball on offense. Duncan and Malik Rose were a powerful inside duo and Bruce Bowen locked up the wing scorers.

[cima]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

Non-bigs-

1. LeBron James- His power, all round skills, and big time leadership make him the best.
2. Kobe Bryant- Everything you could want in a wingman.
3. Dwyane Wade- Lacked only shooting range but could do everything else.
4. Kawhi Leonard- Another all around star.
5. Kevin Durant- Could score every way imaginable.
6. Stephen Curry- A nightmare to guard. All out motion combined with wizard-like handle and 30 foot range.
7. Jason Kidd- Had the all round game of MJ with the anticipation skills of Larry Bird.
8. Paul Pierce- The most underrated superstar of his generation.
9. Steve Nash- A mini Larry Bird. Always made his teammates play better than they actually were.
10. Ray Allen- A genius on the court. Clutch shooter supreme.
11. Chauncey Billups- Raised the level of play of his teammates. Versatile and reliable in the clutch.
12. Chris Paul- With the ball in his hands he is an all timer.
13. James Harden- Powerful and skilled warrior on offense.
14. Manu Ginobli- His lefty slants were unstoppable and his courage left us all in awe.
15. Klay Thompson- A rare two way wingman.
16. Tony Parker- A jet-setter who gradually matured into a fine point guard.
17. Giannis Antetokounmpo- Freakishly gifted with some holes in his game. Seems willing to improve weaknesses.
18. Shawn Marion- A jack of all trades. Could defend across multiple positions at the highest level.
19. Brandon Roy- He was brilliant. He could take over a game on offense while rarely forcing a shot or pass.

Bigs-

1. Tim Duncan- In the clutch he could always be counted on to get a score, stop, or rebound.
2. Dirk Nowitzki- His high release jumpers were unstoppable.
3. Pau Gasol- His versatility and smarts were key to two Laker titles.
4. Anthony Davis- Fundamental brilliance.
5. Yao Ming- Highly intelligent and skilled giant.
6. Kevin Garnett- His trademarks were defensive intensity and creative jump shooting.

Top five coaches-

1. Greg Popovich- Focused on defense. His in game adjustments were likely worth five points every game.
2. Steve Kerr- Put motion into Golden State's offense and deftly managed egos.
3. Rick Carlisle- Ideal bench side demeanor.
4. Erick Spoelstra- Another great Xs and Os guy and has shown he can manage the big egos.
5. Jerry Sloan- Highly competitive and very stubborn. Teams were always very disciplined.

Top five teams:

1. 96-97 Bulls- Among the best defensive teams ever. Hard team to run on due to elite transition defense. The triangle was run to near perfection and MJ was there to save them if it failed to generate a good look.

2. 97-98 Bulls- Still a great team for the above reasons. Rodman was slightly less effective on defense and the boards though.

3. 00-01 Lakers- Had the two best players in the league. The role players were reliable and the triangle maximized everyone's skills.

4. 99-00 Lakers- I rate them slightly behind the 01 team because Kobe was a bit more untamed here. Glen Rice jammed up the triangle too much and couldn't guard anyone. This team did not have Horace Grant's positive play on it.

5. 02-03 Spurs- They played precision defense and shared the ball on offense. Duncan and Malik Rose were a powerful inside duo and Bruce Bowen locked up the wing scorers.

Really interested to hear why you don't have the 16-17 Warriors in your top 5 when they're arguably the best postseason team ever?


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[AlexBrady]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

Really interested to hear why you don't have the 16-17 Warriors in your top 5 when they're arguably the best postseason team ever?


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I just can't see them beating any of the top five teams I listed four times in a seven game series. The Bulls would control the pace of the game and their long and elite defenders would contain Curry, Durant, and Thompson. Rodman would turn the backboards into a free for all. Against the Lakers Shaq would simply obliterate Golden State in the paint and they would have no answer. In a matchup with the Spurs Duncan and Malik Rose would play volleyball on the boards and Bruce Bowen could contain Durant's offense.

[VDusen04]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

This is me being dense (it's early on a Saturday) but if NBA at 50 was celebrated during the 1996-97 season, wouldn't NBA at 75 be celebrated during the 2021-22 season (25 seasons after NBA at 50)?

Anyway, I wonder what happens with a guy like Dominique Wilkins, who was argued to have been snubbed from the original 50. With how many great players who've made their mark since 1997, could Wilkins still get the short end of the stick?

[ehh]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

Is that AB post the first time he's ever had universal praise for contemporary players?

[AlexBrady]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

This is me being dense (it's early on a Saturday) but if NBA at 50 was celebrated during the 1996-97 season, wouldn't NBA at 75 be celebrated during the 2021-22 season (25 seasons after NBA at 50)?

Anyway, I wonder what happens with a guy like Dominique Wilkins, who was argued to have been snubbed from the original 50. With how many great players who've made their mark since 1997, could Wilkins still get the short end of the stick?

Wilkins was too one dimensional to make an all time greatest list. For pure entertainment though he is an all timer but a guy like Klay Thompson is a better player.

[ojandpizza]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

The original top 10 teams didn’t include the same dynasty multiple times and IMO it doesn’t make sense to do it now. No reason to pick multiple Bulls and Lakers teams that are basically the same with so many other great teams since then.

2018 Warriors, 2017 Warriors, 2015 Warriors, 2014 Spurs, 2013 Heat, 2008 Celtics, are all good enough teams to not essentially pick the same team twice +/- a role player.

Personally I’m a sucker for teams like the ‘14 Spurs, ‘11 Mavs, ‘04 Pistons, all of which maybe lack that dominant figure or loaded with “stars” but they were all playing their brand of basketball to perfection.


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[ojandpizza]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

Also if Yao cracks the list given his short lived career, applies to T-Mac to a slight degree too, then Grant Hill is absolutely making my list.


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[ojandpizza]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

Cutting some guys off this list is so hard.. Numbering just to keep count, not to place them in order.

1.) Kobe Bryant
2.) Tim Duncan
3.) Kevin Garnett
4.) LeBron James
5.) Kevin Durant
6.) Steve Nash
7.) Jason Kidd
8.) Stephen Curry
9.) Chris Paul
10.) Dwyane Wade
11.) Dirk Nowitzki
12.) Dwight Howard
13.) Kawhi Leonard
14.) Paul Pierce
15.) Ray Allen
16.) Carmelo Anthony
17.) Tracy McGrady
18.) Pau Gasol
19.) Anthony Davis
20.) James Harden
21.) Klay Thompson
22.) Tony Parker
23.) Russell Westbrook
24.) Nikola Jokic
25.) Giannis Antetokounmpo

Narrow Missed- Manu Ginobili, Chris Webber, Shawn Marion, Reggie Miller, Chauncey Billups, Gary Payton, Allen Iverson, Jimmy Butler.

Only missed because of injuries- Grant Hill, Brandon Roy, Yao Ming, most likely Derrick Rose.

Hardest decision was to include Joker and Giannis. I let Giannis make the list for the way Shaq was voted on to the original list, realistically I think he still needs a couple more years of play to qualify for something like this but he's a two-time MVP.. For Joker I couldn't allow Giannis to qualify and not give the same to someone else if they were deserving. I feel like for two playoff runs now Joker has been a top 3-5 guy in post season play.

Grant Hill and Brandon Roy IMO were better than a chunk of guys listed, they just didn't do it for quite long enough. Yao could make a case himself. Hardest guy to leave off was Manu, I had him and Billups both on the list but removed them for Klay and Westbrook who were on my narrow misses list. Russ has his flaws, but despite those his talent level is in a tiny room of players, I couldn't leave him off.


Coaches:
1.) Pop
2.) Sloan
3.) Carlisle
4.) Brown
5.) Kerr

[AlexBrady]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

Also if Yao cracks the list given his short lived career, applies to T-Mac to a slight degree too, then Grant Hill is absolutely making my list.


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My feeling is that Yao’s size, skills, and versatility presented more problems for the opposition than Hill and McGrady did.

[phenom1990]

Re: 75 Greatest NBA Players (NBA 75th season celebration?)

If I added 5 teams it would be and I’m using the same dynasty rule as others.

1. 97 Bulls
2. 01 Lakers
3. 17 Warriors
4. 14 Spurs
5. 99 Spurs

If Garnett never got hurt in 09, I feel pretty confident that team would be on this list. They were absolutely clicking prior to the injury.