62. Steve Nash - PG - Phoenix/Dallas 1996 - Present
The easy thing to do would be to present an argument for Nash not being anywhere near this class of player. His career numbers are serviceable, but not out of this world: 14.4 PPG, 8.0 APG, 3.0 RPG. He only averages .79 steals per game, and his is among the worst defensive point guards I've seen; he has a knack for making journeymen look awesome, and All-Stars look legendary. So the easy thing to do would be to look at his numbers and his defensive issues and dismiss him. Even his similarity scores assist in dismissing Nash: the four most similar players are Damon Stoudamire, Nick Van Exel, Mike Bibby and David Wesley. Let's just say none of those four even crossed my mind while working on this list.
So why can't I just dismiss him? Simply put, I just can't dismiss a player who won two MVP awards and has had so much praise heaped on him lately. Just look at the list of NBA MVPs: Every player on that list either is or is likely going to be a Hall of Fame player. Bob McAdoo, the MVP of the 1974-1975 season, is probably the weakest MVP in the league's history and even he's in the Hall of Fame with an impressive stat line (22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, three scoring championships, ROY, and a late career transition into solid role player on a championship team). Now look at this list of players who have won multiple MVPs:
Multiple Winners
6 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar5 - Michael Jordan
5 - Bill Russell
4 - Wilt Chamberlain
3 - Larry Bird
3 - Magic Johnson
3 - Moses Malone
2 - Tim Duncan
2 - Karl Malone
2 - Steve Nash
2 - Bob Pettit
Let's just say that one of these ones is not like the other ones, and that one probably doesn't belong: Steve Nash. The lesson is quite simple: only Hall of Fame caliber players win MVPs, and only legendary players win multiple MVPs. The reality is that there are a number of players who I could have placed in this spot and felt better about it: McAdoo, Bob Lanier, Tommy Heinsohn, Dan Issel, George McGinnis, Gail Goodrich, Joe Dumars, Connie Hawkins and David Thompson all come to mind. But, of the aforementioned players, only one of them was acknowledged as the league's Most Valuable Player even once, and none of them twice. Think about that: Steve Nash has twice as many MVPs as the nine Hall of Fame players I listed above COMBINED. This leaves only two possibilities: either Nash winning two MVPs is one of the greatest screw ups in the history of the NBA, or I just don't get it and I'm missing what makes him an all time great. I strongly feel that it is the former, but either way a two time "MVP" should be in the running for the 50 greatest.
61. Dominique Wilkins - SF - Atlanta/Los Angeles Clippers/Boston/San Antonio/Orlando
As I mentioned before, Wilkins was the player who I was shocked was not on the list back in 1996. Wilkins was an eight time All Star, and an icon of the NBA throughout the 1980s. His duel with Larry Bird was certainly iconic; his dunk contests with Michael Jordan did as much to bring
the NBA into the mainstream as anything. His career numbers show that he was, admittedly, a bit one dimensional: 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG. He did average over a steal a game, but he was never known as a defensive stopper (although, just based on his pure athletic ability he wasn't the defensive liability that Nash is). Still, as someone who did one thing well he did it extremely well. his career average of 24.8 points per game is good for 12th all time, and it would have been higher if not for his late career comeback with San Antonio and Orlando. In an eleven year period starting in 1983 and ending in 1994 Wilkins averaged at least 21 PPG; take away 1983 and you have a ten year period in which he averaged at least 26 PPG every year except one (1990-1991, when he averaged only 25.9 PPG). Wilkins was a prolific scorer, and was a huge part of the NBA's growth in popularity during the 1980s. That he is never mentioned with Larry, Magic and MJ is largely because he was always playing second fiddle to them, and never even made it to the NBA finals. Exciting as he was, the "Human Highlight Film" can't climb any higher than this because he has no MVPs and no Championships. His place in the Hall of Fame, however, was well deserved.60. James Worthy - SF - Los Angeles Lakers
Worthy is the first member of the NBA's original 50 greatest list we've come to who is not on my list*. He won three NBA championships, and lived up to his nickname ("Big Game" James) with great consistency. His career averages (17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 3 APG) were good, but his scoring in the playoffs (21.1 PPG) is even more impressive. Worthy was a key cog in the 1980s Lakers dynasty, and was a seven time All Star. He was great, an easy Hall of Fame choice, but this is all the higher I can place him.
59. Jerry Lucas - PF - Cincinnati/San Francisco/New York
Lucas was a tough defender, and an incredible rebounder. His career numbers (17 PPG and 15.6 RPG) illustrate this, as does his seven All Star appearances and three selections to the All-NBA First Team. He is fourth on the all-time list of rebounds per game, won a championship (1973), and was selected as one of the NBA's 50 greatest. Lucas, however, was never the go to guy on a championship team, and was never an MVP.
58. Ray Allen - SG - Milwaukee/Seattle/Boston
Allen is one of the greatest pure shooters in NBA history, and his play in the past two years for Boston has firmly placed him in the level above other great shooters (such as Reggie Miller). His career numbers, 20.9 - 4.4 - 3.8, are solid. He is an eight time All-Star. He has hit 2,299 three point shots in his career, while maintaining a 3pt shooting percentage of .398. He was a key cog on an NBA championship team, and may yet win another title or two before the window closes. His performance in the playoffs this past year continued to establish how much of a clutch shooter he is, and he is an underrated defender.
57. Bill Sharman - G - Washington/Boston
Sharman won four NBA championships during his time in Boston, was an eight time All-Star, a four time selection to the All-NBA 1st team, and a member of the NBA's 50 greatest player team. His career averages (17.8 - 3.9 - 3.0) are impressive, particularly when considering that he played on the loaded Celtics teams of the late fifties/early sixties. He was one of the great shooters of his era, and, of course, did all of his scoring without the benefit of a 3 point shot. Yet another Hall of Fame player from the Celtics' dynasties. Look at this picture of the 1960 Championship team, a team with Sharman...
56. Sam Jones - G - Boston
... As well as Sam Jones. Ten NBA championship rings, second only to Bill Russell. Just think about that. Sam Jones played twelve seasons in the NBA, putting up a stat line of 17.7 - 4.9 - 2.5, was a five time All-Star, and in his twelve seasons he ended the year as an NBA championship ten times. Jones shot an impressive 45.6% from the field, and grew into a prolific scorer for the Celtics (his career high, in the 1964-65 season, was 25.9 PPG). As with Sharman, he was selected as a member of the NBA's 50 greatest, and did it all without the 3 ball. Jones was one of the greatest winners in the history of sports, period.
55. Dennis Rodman - PF - Detroit/San Antonio/Chicago/Los Angeles Lakers/Dallas
Rodman was many things: saying he is eccentric might be the nice way of saying he was insane. But,
outrageous as he might have been, Rodman was also the single best defender of his generation. He was a two time selection as the NBA's defensive player of the year, and he would have likely won a few more times had he not been viewed as such a cancer. He was voted to the All-Defensive 1st team seven times. He played on five NBA champions. When the Bulls needed to guard Shaq in 1996 they put Rodman on him, despite the fact that he was giving up at least six inches and 125 LBS. Rodman averaged 13.1 rebounds per game for his career, and was a two time All-Star. He was troubled, but he was very good. If he doesn't make the Hall of Fame it will be a joke, but in my mind he was certainly talented enough to be on this list.54. Wes Unseld - C - Baltimore/Capitol/Washington
Unseld came into the league as an undersized 6'7" center, and promptly won the MVP award. Unseld was one of the great rebounders of his generation, and was a gifted passer. His averages (10.8-14-3.9) show a player who gave his all for the team, and Unseld did. He was a rock in the middle, a player who succeeded by doing the little things, leading his team to four NBA finals appearances, including a win in 1978. Unseld was selected to the 50 Greatest Player team in 1996, and was a five time All-Star and one time selection to the All-NBA 1st team. Unseld, simply put, was the kind of player you'd want on your team.
53. Earl Monroe - G - Baltimore/New York
Monroe, known as Earl "The Pearl," was four time All-Star and flashy guard. He was capable of blowing by people, and his ball handling was spectacular. A member of the 50 Greatest list, Monroe is in the Hall of Fame, won the Rookie of the Year award, and played on the 1973 NBA Championship Knicks team. He averaged 18.8-3-3.9 for his career, and another good shooter (46%) who did not have the 3 point shot to help his scoring.
52. Lenny Wilkens - G - St. Louis/Seattle/Cleveland/Portland
Lenny was a great guard; a nine time All-Star who could score (16.5 PPG), pass (6.7 APG) and even rebound (4.7 RPG) incredibly well for his size (6'1"). Wilkens began coaching while he was still playing, and would later become a Hall of Fame coach. He was also a Hall of Fame player, as well as being chosen one of the NBA's 50 Greatest in 1996.
51. Alonzo Mourning - C - Charlotte/Miami/New Jersey
Mourning was another center who was a bit undersized (6'10" and 240 lbs), but played a huge game. A seven time All-Star and one time All-NBA 1st team selection, Mourning was also a two
time Defensive Player of the Year winner, and one of the great shot blockers in NBA history. Mourning was a dominate, go-to player for the first eight years of his career, and he then transitioned into being more of a role player, eventually winning an NBA championship while backing up Shaq in his second go around with Miami. Mourning averaged 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, as well as 2.8 blocks per game. Beyond all of that, without 'Zo we wouldn't have been able to see how small Jeff Van Gundy really is when compared with an NBA player.So those are my last twelve out: twelve players who were great in their own right, who all could lay claim to being one of the fifty greatest players in NBA history. Seven of these twelve were original members of the 50 Greatest list; added in with Bill Walton, there are eight open slots as we head toward the top fifty.
* It should be noted that Worthy is not the lowest ranked member of the original fifty: I didn't place Bill Walton on the list at all. I've never understood the Walton love in NBA circles. He was an amazing college player who had one great year in the pros. He as only a two time All-Star, a one time MVP, and he had career averages (13.3 PPG and 10.5 RPG with over 2 BPG) that were good, but certainly not great. His list of similar players doesn't have one Hall of Famer, and while I understand his place in the Hall of Fame due to it being a "basketball Hall of Fame" rather than an "NBA Hall of Fame" I can't condone his place on a list like this.
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