The 50 Greatest Players In NBA History - The Bottom Ten

On June 22nd 2009 I ambitiously set out to revise the 50 greatest players in NBA history list. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and so I wrote an introductory blog explaining why I was doing it and, among other things, why Reggie Miller didn't fit in the group. In fact, I might have started that whole project just to explain why Reggie sucks. Who knows? Anyway, on July 10, 2009 I put in my second installment, entitled "The Last 12 Out." Click the link if you need a refresher course on those twelve, the group that just didn't make my cut.

And then ... I kept blogging about other things. I kept the idea in my mind, but Bill Simmons came out with a book which essential did this very thing in 2010, and my computer with the original list from 2009 began to have issues, so I didn't have easy access to the spreadsheet. Or maybe I just didn't go on with the list because, you know, I really just wanted to rip on Reggie. He does suck, after all.

But never fear, sports fans: I am as strong headed as they come, and I don't hesitate to put out an idea, fail to follow through on it for years, then come back to it at a moments notice. Remember my plans to chronicle all the teams in the NFL, MLB and NBA in a power ranking of my favorite to least favorite? I entitled those three posts "The Ultimate Rankings." And don't you worry, I'm sure I'll finish them sometime too ... although I'll undoubtedly have to reconsider them by the time I do. LeBron will probably be retired by then, and Peyton almost certainly will be. At any rate, I'm coming back to the 50 greatest revisited right now, because my mind can't stare at the COA standards for my practicum a minute more. To keep it fair to the initial intent, this is how I felt in 2009, after the 2008-2009 finals (Kobe's fourth title), and prior to Simmons book. I encourage you to look back at the two previous posts under "50 Greatest" to review my bullet proof logic. And now, on to the bottom ten.

50. Allen Iverson - SG - Philadelphia/Denver/Detroit/Memphis

And ... I just lost my uncle. So now there are two of you reading this. His stated dislike of the N.G.A. aside, I did think long and hard about Iverson's career when originally formulating these rankings. I considered his style of play, which was helped by the emphasis on street ball in the ost Jordan (the second time) era. I considered his lack of a championship, and his lack of an average shooting percentage (.425 for his career, a point which I drove home in a Sophomore year of high school speech entitled "Why Michael Jordan is better at 39 in a Wizards Uniform Than any Player in the NBA Period ... and if you don't agree then you SUCK" repeatedly). I considered his general demeanor and his video clips (yes ... click for the "Practice" link ... and for fun, count how many times he says the word).

But here's what I kept coming back to: was there every a player with his stature who was able to put his body through what he did, night in and night out? In the history of the game I can't think of one. His final numbers reflect that of a cold and calculated scorer (26.7ppg, 3.7rpg, 6.2apg), but he also played an insane 41.1 minutes per game over his career. Iverson actually played in over 40 minutes per game 12 straight years, only missing 14 straight because he only averaged 39.4 his second year in the league. That is an insane amount of work for a player of his size. And the final tie breaker, for me, was the one team he carried to the finals to lose to Shaq's Lakers. That team was awful, and that might not be a strong enough word. Matt Geiger. Eric Snow. Aaron Mckie. Outside of an aging Mutombo in the middle, there was nobody worth anything. And Iverson carried them to the finals, and then WON A GAME against Shaq and Kobe. He wasn't a player I'd want on my team, but he was inside the top 50 all time ... I just can't put him any higher than this. And, oh by the way, in the year he took the 76ers to the finals he averaged 46.2 minutes per game over 22 games.

49. Paul Pierce - SF - Boston Celtics

Pierce has done nothing but make this ranking look solid since 2009. He has put in two more quality years as the best player on a good Boston team. While his scoring has decreased slightly, he has now made it twelve straight years scoring at least 18 points per game. His career averages indicate a swing man you could build a winner around (22.1ppg, 6.1rpg, 3.8apg, 1.5spg). Pierce has never been a shut down defender, but he has worked his way into the category of good team defender. He works hard, and he combined with Ray Allen (#58) and Kevin Garnett to bring basketball back to Boston in a meaningful way. He has been a nine time all-star, won the finals MVP in 2008, and made three All-NBA 3rd teams and one All-NBA 2nd team. The biggest argument against him is that he never finished higher than 7th in MVP voting, and only once finished in the top ten. But Pierce is one of the toughest players of his generation, and when I drew up this rankings I assumed he'd win a second title in Boston. While that looks unlikely to happen, he continues to be a top player in the NBA, so I'm okay with leaving him here.

48. Dave Bing - G - Detroit/Washington/Boston

Back to old(er) school players with a Piston who the fans have ranked #126. I'll give Bing the benefit of the doubt for a few reasons. One, he played on some bad Detroit teams, yet found a way to keep the teams competitive. His career averages (20.3ppg, 3.8rpg, 6.0apg) are not mind blowing, but I'm giving Bing credit for his peak (27.1ppg, 4.7rpg, 6.4apg) and for being an Iverson-like player in an era where that player was not likely to be as successful. I'm very happy to admit I was probably way off on this ranking, as looking at peripheral recognition (7 All-Star nods, 3 starts, 3 top ten finishes for MVP but none higher than 3rd) would indicate. But Bing at his apex was enough for me to put him here.

47. Nate Thurmond - C - San Francisco (Golden State)/Chicago/Cleveland

Okay, time for a confession: I've always had a soft spot for Nate Thurmond. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I know that doesn't make any sense given that Nate retired when I was nine years away from being born. But as I began my dive into sports fandom, I became fascinated with Nate, the center who was overshadowed by Wilt, later Kareem. It always seemed (in hindsight) that he was forced to play second or third fiddle, when in most other eras he would have been more appreciated. And maybe that's true. Or maybe it's not, and in that case it is simply possible that as an elementary school child I became fascinated with the concept that this guy was a hell of a center, but not quite good enough to get recognized as an All-Time Great. He finished his career with 15.0ppg, 15.0rpg, and 2.7apg, and was known as a good defender and shot blocker in an era before they counted blocks. He made 7 All-Star teams, played in 5 and started in two. He made five all-defensive teams, and finished in the top ten of MVP voting 3 times (second once!). But, in light of Bing being at 48, I'm starting to think I was off base when I drew up these ratings.

46. Robert Parish - C - Golden State/Boston/Charlotte/Chicago

The other day I was driving home and on the sports radio they were talking about Parish ... I don't know why. I also don't know why, but I imagined I was asked "what teams did he play for" and I knew that if I got that question on who wants to be a millionaire I'd nail it. I loved basketball cards in the early 1990s. At any rate, Parish is a little lower here than most people would have him, but he played in Bird and McHale's shadow. He was a great center though, finishing with career averages of 14.5ppg and 9.1rpg, numbers which were brought down because of his longevity. He played til he was 43 and picked up one last ring with Jordan's Bulls. He made 9 All-Star teams, two All-NBA teams, had two years in the top ten of MVP voting, and was a Hall of Fame center on a Celtics dynasty team. Good enough for me.

45. Kevin McHale - F - Boston

McHale, Simmons has pointed out, had a wider and more effective repertoire of post moves than just about anyone. At his apex he was momentarily on a level near Bird (26.1ppg, 9.9rpg), and he made seven All-Star teams, won the sixth man of the year award twice, and was a six time all-defensive team member (once all-NBA). Besides that, he was a winner, and I give credence to that.

44. Nate Archibald - G - Cincinnati (Kansas City)/New York/Boston/Milwaulkee

"Tiny" was a point guard who led the league in assists and points per game ... in the same year. He was like Iverson on crack: more dynamic scoring, much better passing. His career also petered out quickly due to injuries, age, and ineffectiveness. He made six All-Star teams, had five top ten finishes in the MVP voting, made five All-NBA teams (three first, two second), and was a role player on a Celtics championship team.

43. Jason Kidd - G - Dallas/Phoenix/New Jersey/Dallas

Career averages of 13.2ppg, 6.5rpg, 9.1apg and 2.0spg speak volumes about his versatility, but his ability to reinvent himself as a three point assassin late in his career, his devotion to quality defense, and his ability to run a team transcend those numbers. It's sad to see him now, as washed up as he is, but the poor guy is 38. That also makes me feel old, as I remember when he was drafted. At least he outlasted Mashburn and Jackson. He'll always have that.

42. Dave DeBusschere - G/F - Detroit/New York

Career numbers of 16.1ppg and 11.0rpg for this defensive maniac from the 60s and 70s. 8 All-star appearances, 6 all-defensive teams, and two championships for the Knicks.

41. Walt Frazier - G - New York/Cleveland

It always amuses me to see the teams that some of these legends ended up on. Who really could remember that "Clyde" finished up with parts of three seasons in Cleveland? His career numbers (18.9ppg, 5.9rpg 6.1apg) demonstrate how well rounded he was. Seven All-Star nods (all starts), six all-NBA and seven all-defensive teams show how well regarded he was.

Until 2014 ... Unless the Mayans were right.

The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History Revisted - The Last Twelve Out

Alright, we're back again for another round of examining the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Last time I looked at five players who could make the list some day, jinxed Yao Ming's career, made my argument against Reggie Miller being considered an all time great, and acknowledged Big Shot Bob's prowess for winning NBA championships. With that out of the way, this post was going to look at the last eleven players out, but I decided to up it two twelve to make it the same size as an active roster in the NBA. And because, as much as I wish I could, I guess I can't ignore the player who is in the number 62 spot. Why can't I? Because he was stupidly given two NBA MVPs. Again, thanks to basketballreference for stats, even if there should be a much more efficient site for NBA statistics. On to the last twelve out:


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-Jabbar
5 - 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.

The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History Revisted - Who's on the verge, and why Reggie doesn't fit

** All statistics in this post are courtesy of Basketballreference.com **

I have often wondered about the NBA's list of the 50 greatest players. It was released in October of 1996, and included Shaquille O'Neal (the having played four seasons in the NBA), but didn't include Dominique Wilkins, among the most prolific scorers of my young life. Wilkins and Shaq at that point had the same number of NBA titles: zero. Wilkins was an 8 time All-Star, Shaq was a 4 time All-Star. Shaq was unquestionably on his way to a great career, but Wilkins had already had a great career.

In hindsight, the NBA got it right: Shaq is now a 14 time All-Star, a four time NBA champion, a 3 time NBA Finals MVP, and earned a league MVP for his 1999-2000 season. Wilkins was out of the league during the 1995-1996 season, but came back to play a forgettable year for the Spurs in 1996-1997, and an even more forgettable one for the Magic the following year. Still, the fact that Wilkins wasn't on the list bothered me, and still does to this day: how could a man who averaged 25 points per game, who was as iconic as any secondary star of the era, not be on this list?

And so today I will being to break down my list of the 50 greatest as they stand today. I am going to count down from the honorable mentions, then 50 through to number one in my opinion. Yes this means I will be ranking them. I will use statistics in some instances, but also opinion and gut feelings as well. And I will, hopefully once and for all, put to rest the myth that Reggie Miller is an all time great worthy of enshrinement in the NBA's Hall of Fame. So, without further ado, here is the first installment of my new 50 greatest list.

Five who might crack the list someday:

5. Yao Ming - Yao is something the league has rarely, perhaps never seen. At 7'5" he is a giant even by basketball standards (he is listed at 7'6" in some places). He has a soft shooting touch, shooting 83% from the free throw line for his career. He was the number one pick in the draft in 2002, and since then he has made all seven NBA All-Star teams (even if it was in part to the foreign vote). His career numbers thus far even place him on par with some of the NBA's greatest centers of all time: 19.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.9 BPG. If he were to continue this level of production for another five to eight years he would undoubtedly be on par with a Ewing, Schayes or Thurmond. The question, however, is if he will remain healthy enough. Since playing at least 80 games in each of his first three seasons Yao has been injury prone. He played between 48 and 57 games in years four through six, and while he played in 77 games last year, he suffered a severe foot injury in the playoffs. Health seems to be the biggest obstacle (along with the Chinese national team) in the way of Yao ascending this list.

4. Carmelo Anthony - The number 3 pick in the 2003 NBA draft, 'Melo will forever be tied to two people: LeBron and Darko. He has been a bit on the immature side since leaving Syracuse after only one year, but in college he won a national title, and in the pros he has shown some ability to become a team player and a deadly scorer. Through six years he is averaging 24.2 PPG, 6.1 RPB, 3.1 APG, as well as a little over 1 SPG. If Carmelo continues to improve as a teammate, and if he continues to have talent around him in Denver, he may be able to ascend to the top of the Western Conference as Duncan and Bryant age. He certainly has the skill set to make this list in the future.

3. Dwayne Wade - What a draft 2003 was: LeBron, Carmelo, and Wade. To this point Wade has the only NBA championship of the three, and his stat line is on par with the greatest of all time: 25.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 6.7 ASP, 1.8 SPG and just under 1 BPG. He shoots an impressive 48% from the field, and has the ability to create his own shot better than almost anyone in the league. As with Yao, however, he has had injury issues, and his style of play will do nothing but continue those concerns. If Wade can stay healthy, as he did last year whey he played in a career high 79 games while putting up a stat line of 30 - 5 - 7.5, then he will easily make this list in five to ten years.

2. Chris Paul - CP3 is less accomplished than Wade, but he is a rarer commodity: a small guard who can dominate the game by himself. The only thing we've seen close to him is Isiah Thomas, and it's because of that he is number two on this list. Four years into his career Paul makes triple doubles at six feet tall, he drops 30 points, he's capable of 20 assists, and he plays defense that makes him a total nightmare. With a statline of 19.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 9.9 APG and 2.4 SPG he is on his way, but what makes it even more impressive is how rapidly he is improving. His three point shooting and selection are rapidly improving, and along with that last year Paul hit over 50% from the field, all while averaging a stat line of 22.8 - 5.5 - 11 - 2.77. If he keeps his production near that level for another five years he will shoot up this list.

1. Dirk Nowitzki - Dirk's statline and unique skill set has him on the absolute verge of this list. He doesn't crack the top 61 because he doesn't have a ring, and he's not quite to the iconic level necessary to carry a spot without a ring. He has eight All-Star appearances, an MVP and a finals appearance to his credit. His stat line (22.7 - 8.6 - 2.7) is good, and he averages around 1 block/ 1 steal per game. His defense will never be the best, but it's very rare to have a seven footer knock down threes with 38% accuracy. If Dirk gets his ring or plays at this level for another four years he'll be hard to keep out.

4 who won't crack the list - why Reggie doesn't fit:

Reggie Miller ... is he even a Hall of Famer? He certainly doesn't crack the list of the 50 greatest, but here I'd like to make a broader point about his HoF candidacy: he doesn't belong. Look at the following six stat lines:

Player A) 20.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.21 SPG, 9 All-Star appearances
Player B) 21 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.24 SPG, 6 All-Star appearances
Player C) 18.2 PPG, 3 RPG, 3 APG, 1.08 SPG, 5 All-Star appearances
Player D) 16.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, .89 SPG, 6 All-Star appearances
Player E) 17.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.53 SPG, 1 All-Star appearance
Player F) 18.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.1 APG, .96 SPG, 3 All-Star appearances

Now, these six stat lines look pretty similar, but they begin to come into more focus if we add the following numbers:

Player A) 1 NBA championship as a "star"
Player B) 1 NBA championship as a "role player"
Player C) 0 NBA championships
Player D) 2 NBA championships as a "star" and in the HoF
Player E) 0 NBA championships, in the HoF
Player F) 1 NBA championship as a "role player"

So who are the elite six here? In order: Ray Allen, Mitch Richmond, Reggie Miller, Joe Dumars, Calvin Murphy and Glen Rice.

Allen and Dumars had big roles in championship teams, and Allen's numbers are far and away better than Reggie's. The player who Miller most closely aligns with statistically is player B, Mitch Richmond, who actually had better numbers than Miller. Richmond isn't a HoF caliber player. Neither is Miller. Players B through F aren't on this list; we'll discuss Ray Allen later.

1 player who defies logic:

Robert Horry ... what gives with this man? His stat line (7 - 4.8 - 2.1) is that of a role player, which he was. He also was solid on the defensive end, averaging close to one steal and block per game. But, outside of MJ, who in the past twenty years has hit more big shots that Horry? Horry also has an astounding SEVEN (!) NBA championship rings. Statistically there is no way that Horry makes this list, but I would be shocked if he didn't make the HoF. He kept finding a way to be a huge part, a crunch time player, on team after team that won the title.

Next time I'll look at numbers 61-51: those who just missed the cut.