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Article from Baltimore Sun: Drexler Should Be Replaced in the Top 50

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by Manny Ramirez, Dec 15, 2002.

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  1. Manny Ramirez

    Manny Ramirez The Music Man

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    I don't know for sure if this is the best place for this thread. I guess DoD or keeley or someone else will move it to the Rockets forum if they feel this is the wrong place.

    I was looking at today's Tennessean and I saw this article that originally was published in the Baltimore Sun.



    Five of the 50 greatest now warrant subs
    On the NBA
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Originally published December 15, 2002



    It's been a little over six years since a panel of experts selected the 50 greatest players in NBA history in conjunction with the league's 50th anniversary, and the list remains largely quibble-proof.
    Largely, but not entirely. In particular, five players currently on rosters or who have played in the past 20 years may not be on the league's 75 greatest list at its 75th anniversary. That's not because they aren't good, but rather because their records suggest there are or will be better choices.

    Here are those five, as well as possible replacements.


    Scottie Pippen: It's easy to understand how Pippen was originally named among the 50 greatest. He was the second-best player on a Chicago Bulls team that had won four titles at the time of his naming, with two more coming, and he was named to the first-team All-Defensive team eight straight years. But Pippen has averaged 20 points or better only four times in his 16-year career, and since being named in 1996 to the 50 greatest list, he has averaged just under 13 a game.

    A better choice going forward might be Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who is every bit the defender Pippen is and a much better scorer.


    David Robinson: "The Admiral" has had an admirable career, with a title and a Most Valuable Player trophy, and two Olympic gold medals mixed in for good measure. In fact, when Robinson won the first gold in Barcelona in 1992, there was reason to think that he possibly could join Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell on the Mount Olympus for centers. But, just after Robinson won the second gold in Atlanta, his numbers started an appreciable slide.

    In fairness, Tim Duncan is now dominant in San Antonio. Robinson has had back problems, but his nice-guy personality also seems to be a factor in his slide. Duncan should replace him on the 50 greatest list, though he, too, should develop a more aggressive side.


    James Worthy: This choice is the most difficult, given this writer's belief that the Lakers teams on which he played small forward were the best the NBA has seen. But a cold look at Worthy's record indicates that while he was good, he wasn't good enough to be one of the hallowed 50. Worthy, a seven-time All-Star, never was named to the NBA's first- or second-team All-League squads and made the third team only twice in a 12-year career. He was named NBA Finals MVP only once and was, at best, the third option on those Lakers teams, behind Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

    A better choice was a contemporary of Worthy's, Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins, a brilliant scorer whose career was overshadowed because the Hawks never got to the Finals.


    Clyde Drexler: "The Glide" certainly put up nice numbers during his 15-year run with Portland and Houston, making the All-Star team 10 times and retiring as one of only three players with 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists. But Drexler, unfortunately, was stuck with the moniker of being his era's second-best shooting guard, behind Michael Jordan, and never emerged as a dominant player on his own.

    A better choice is Seattle's Gary Payton. By the time he's done, he will match Drexler's feat and have more than 2,500 steals to boot. Payton, who has gotten better as he has aged, has been named to the league's All-Defensive team nine times and could be the best defensive guard ever to play the game.


    Bill Walton: The big red-headed center's supporters likely would invoke the Sandy Koufax rule, that he was a dominant player in a short period of time, to justify his selection, and that's fair. He was a key cog on two title teams, won MVP and Sixth Man awards and was one of the most gifted passers in NBA history. But injuries curtailed his career and he played in only 468 games, the equivalent of less than six seasons. That's not long enough.

    Down the road, this slot probably will be taken by Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, who has all of Walton's height, speed and litheness to go along with a burgeoning perimeter game.



    We all knew that Quitten shouldn't be on this list, but Clyde??:mad:
     
    #1 Manny Ramirez, Dec 15, 2002
  2. Manny Ramirez

    Manny Ramirez The Music Man

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    Argh! I wish I could edit that thing!

    Here is the original link:

     
    #2 Manny Ramirez, Dec 15, 2002
  3. rezdawg

    rezdawg Contributing Member

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    I dont see whats wrong with Payton beating out Clyde.
     
    #3 rezdawg, Dec 15, 2002
  4. OverRRated

    OverRRated Member

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    Blah.....does any sports fan really give a $h!t?
    50 Greatest this....50 Greatest that...blah...blah...blah

    Just something analysts and journalist can write up because there's really nothing interesting going on in modern day sports and in general fan-base is declining.
     
    #4 OverRRated, Dec 15, 2002
  5. DAROckets

    DAROckets Contributing Member

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    What a crock of ****...that's like being named MVP and later having it taken away..

    The list should stand as it is and 25 names can be added for the 75th but take people off,thats ridiculous.
     
    #5 DAROckets, Dec 15, 2002
  6. Launch Pad

    Launch Pad Contributing Member

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    This logic is simply dumbfounding. He was second best SG of his era after one of the top 3 players to ever play the game and that doesn't qualify him for the top 50? :confused: I suppose we should "sub" out all of the other shooting guards that played in the 90's too, since they will merely be less than or equal to 3rd best of their eras.

    And exactly, how wasn't he dominant in his prime? I miss the days when you used to actually had to watch basketball to be considered an analyst. :rolleyes:
     
    #6 Launch Pad, Dec 15, 2002
  7. ZRB

    ZRB Contributing Member

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    Kevin Garnett? Kevin Garnett?

    What has he EVER accomplished? He is a stat machine, but not a winner.
     
    #7 ZRB, Dec 15, 2002
  8. KeepKenny

    KeepKenny Contributing Member

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    i like the part where he says Worthy only won ONE nba finals MVP! Ha! i guess we should eliminate everyone from that list who doesnt have at least 2 finals mvp's. What a jerk.
     
    #8 KeepKenny, Dec 15, 2002
  9. LAfadeaway33

    LAfadeaway33 Member

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    If Dominique can make the 50 greatest, Clyde definitely can.
     
    #9 LAfadeaway33, Dec 15, 2002
  10. TheFreak

    TheFreak Contributing Member

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    This guy is a freaking moron.

    Clyde Drexler: "The Glide" certainly put up nice numbers during his 15-year run with Portland and Houston, making the All-Star team 10 times and retiring as one of only three players with 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists. But Drexler, unfortunately, was stuck with the moniker of being his era's second-best shooting guard, behind Michael Jordan, and never emerged as a dominant player on his own.

    How is leading two teams to the Finals NOT being dominant? You may as well say Barkley wasn't dominant. And if being 'dominant' is the criteria, you should go ahead and get rid of every guy who wasn't the best player on his team, most notably Parish and McHale.
     
    #10 TheFreak, Dec 15, 2002
  11. StupidMoniker

    StupidMoniker I lost a bet

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    I guess they are not counting one of Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, or Kareem Abdul Jabbar, all of whom beat all of those numbers by at least a thousand in each category. If you are going to write an article about stats, at least look up the stats you are talking about.
     
    #11 StupidMoniker, Dec 15, 2002
  12. StupidMoniker

    StupidMoniker I lost a bet

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    I forgot that Karl Malone should also be on that list.
     
    #12 StupidMoniker, Dec 15, 2002
  13. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    They got the quote from NBA.com. It should probably be 6000 assists as opposed to 3000.

    "He ended his illustrious NBA career as one of only three players in NBA history to top 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists."

    http://www.nba.com/history/players/drexler_bio.html
     
    #13 bobrek, Dec 15, 2002
  14. Drexlerfan22

    Drexlerfan22 Contributing Member

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    Damn that's stupid. You can't give someone an honor like that and then take it away. You can add to the list...

    And as others have pointed out, how is it that Clyde "wasn't dominant?" Uh sure. :rolleyes:
     
    #14 Drexlerfan22, Dec 15, 2002
  15. DieHard Rocket

    DieHard Rocket Contributing Member

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    You wouldn't happen to be a bit biased or anything, would you? ;)

    Just kidding of course, Clyde deserves to be on that list.
     
    #15 DieHard Rocket, Dec 15, 2002
  16. pasox2

    pasox2 Contributing Member
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    Clyde carried both teams, kicking and screaming, into the finals.
    One choked, the other got hot and lucky. The writer must have missed that. Dominique? Are you kidding me? What a moron.
     
    #16 pasox2, Dec 15, 2002
  17. Drexlerfan22

    Drexlerfan22 Contributing Member

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    I was just waiting for someone to point that out. ;)

    But yeah, seriously, Clyde deserves it.
     
    #17 Drexlerfan22, Dec 16, 2002
  18. JamesC

    JamesC Member

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    You make it sound like Dominique wasn't a good player. I remember that playoff game back in the 80's when he and Larry Bird traded baskets for almost a whole quarter. That was one of the most incredible performances by two players I've ever seen
     
    #18 JamesC, Dec 16, 2002
  19. DreamMachine34

    DreamMachine34 Member

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    It's just a fact of life, I guess... Gary Payton should be one there, but at the expense of Clyde is pretty ridiculous. Then again, everyone seems to be putting Shaq over Hakeem these days (which I'm sure Ming will avenge that for us) which doesn't mean Dream wasn't a great center. He's just number five of all time. But I agree, it's only a bunch of journalists with nothing better to say than to start flame wars. I like Tim Duncan, but he's not close to the level of David at his prime. Let's see how he fares when he has to handle the main role by himself as the focal offensive and defensive force.
     
    #19 DreamMachine34, Dec 16, 2002
  20. Desert Scar

    Desert Scar Contributing Member

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    Guys it is a list of the 50 greatest NBA players, it isn't the hall of fame where once you are in you are in. If there are 50 greater players than Clyde or any of the others that made the list a few years ago, but no longer do some time in the future, they getted bumped off.

    Saying that list should forever be the 50 greatest player is like saying there can't be a greater basketball player than Wilt or Jordan. What sense does that make when history is still being made. The top 50 is the top 50, who knows, in a few centuries Hakeem may get bumped also.
     
    #20 Desert Scar, Dec 16, 2002
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