ESPN's Top 74 NBA players of all-time | Page 2 | Syracusefan.com

ESPN's Top 74 NBA players of all-time

There are so many things wrong with this list it's absurd. Who is Kevin Durart( nice editing). CP3 and Harden are way too high and Paul is arguable even to be included. The Greek Freak is still young, let's see him play out his potential and earn that spot. Again so many other guys that are too high or questionable. Whatever Methodology this list is using, it should result in Melo being on here without question. That said it doesn't matter because ESPN is turning into a bad joke the past 5 or so years. Overall quality in on air and journalist talent is thinning quickly.
 
Orangezoo said:
and Paul is arguable even to be included.
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What makes you say that? 10x all-star, 8x All-NBA including 4x all-first team. 9x all-defensive team. Led the league in assists 4 times and steals 6 times. Will be Top 3 in assists and steals probably all-time when he's done. Top 10 in the history of the league in PER and VORP. Lock for the Hall of Fame. He's had a fantastic career and is easily in the Top 74.
 
Anyway I don’t really pay much attention to lists ESPN puts out because I think they do things intentionally to drive clicks and/or controversy. I don’t see any real reason why Dominque Wilkins should be on this list but not Melo.

But I guess it’s better than another “will there be football?” Debate so that’s something.
 
Eric15 said:
What makes you say that? 10x all-star, 8x All-NBA including 4x all-first team. 9x all-defensive team. Led the league in assists 4 times and steals 6 times. Will be Top 3 in assists and steals probably all-time when he's done. Top 10 in the history of the league in PER and VORP. Lock for the Hall of Fame. He's had a fantastic career and is easily in the Top 74.
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I should have been more specific. My point was based on whatever logic is being used here. If you are not going to include Melo , then Paul has no business either. If you are going to include him then same applies on the other side of that perspective.

I'm not saying Paul wasn't good. I mean if Mcgrady is in there along with Vince Carter something is amiss. Both those guys have a solid reputation but their impacts on the league don't compare to Melo or Paul .They do have maybe a stronger image/more media hype. Paul has been more heralded than Melo too in that regard. In terms of actual impact though? No way. Mcgrady and Carter had shorter spans as stars
 
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I took a look at some of the write-ups for these rankings and there saw clown show Nick Friedell and some other guys I’ve never heard of, so It’s not surprising that this list looks like SU in last season’s opener against Virginia. On first glance, five guys who need to be moved way down or dropped off:

Tony Parker
Dikembe
Westbrook
Isiah Thomas
Wilt the Stilt

5 guys who need to be added or moved way up
Melo
Big Shot Bob
Manu
Rick Barry
CP3
 
Eric15 said:
What makes you say that? 10x all-star, 8x All-NBA including 4x all-first team. 9x all-defensive team. Led the league in assists 4 times and steals 6 times. Will be Top 3 in assists and steals probably all-time when he's done. Top 10 in the history of the league in PER and VORP. Lock for the Hall of Fame. He's had a fantastic career and is easily in the Top 74.
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I hate lists and I think CP3 is generally overrated but that said, he absolutely belongs on any list of top 74.
 
Orangezoo said:
There are so many things wrong with this list it's absurd. Who is Kevin Durart( nice editing). CP3 and Harden are way too high and Paul is arguable even to be included. The Greek Freak is still young, let's see him play out his potential and earn that spot. Again so many other guys that are too high or questionable. Whatever Methodology this list is using, it should result in Melo being on here without question. That said it doesn't matter because ESPN is turning into a bad joke the past 5 or so years. Overall quality in on air and journalist talent is thinning quickly.
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Paul is absolutely a top 74 player. Probably top 50, but definitely top 74.
 
BlackSquirrels said:
I took a look at some of the write-ups for these rankings and there saw clown show Nick Friedell and some other guys I’ve never heard of, so It’s not surprising that this list looks like SU in last season’s opener against Virginia. On first glance, five guys who need to be moved way down or dropped off:

Tony Parker
Dikembe
Westbrook
Isiah Thomas
Wilt the Stilt

5 guys who need to be added or moved way up
Melo
Big Shot Bob
Manu
Rick Barry
CP3
Expand...

GybEJVj.gif
 
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sufandu said:
Typical ESPN lack of historical perspective. They include good but not great players that were fortunate enough to play on championship teams with all time greats and omit/place to low great players that weren't fortunate enough to have enough around them to win or were unlucky enough to have to play in an era against the GOAT.
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well at least Robert Horry isn't on this list.
 
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alphaorange said:
That is exactly the problem. If you are projecting, you are guessing. This is supposed to be a list based on what the players have done, not what they might have done, correct. If you talk about projecting, you could have put some players on it before they ever played a game in the NBA. IMO, that should be a different list listing players by what might have been. That would be an interesting exercise., but a different one.
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Agreed. Projections on alternate universes should not come into play. What might have happened if Jordan didn't do take two years off to play baseball? Are we then talking about 8 championship Bulls? Then Jordan would have been SUPER GOAT and Hakeem Olajuwon would not be wearing two rings?
 
BlackSquirrels said:
I took a look at some of the write-ups for these rankings and there saw clown show Nick Friedell and some other guys I’ve never heard of, so It’s not surprising that this list looks like SU in last season’s opener against Virginia. On first glance, five guys who need to be moved way down or dropped off:

Tony Parker
Dikembe
Westbrook
Isiah Thomas
Wilt the Stilt

5 guys who need to be added or moved way up
Melo
Big Shot Bob
Manu
Rick Barry
CP3
Expand...

Isiah and Wilt should be lower? Yeah, I don’t agree with that.

Robert Horry? What??
 
miamicuse said:
Agreed. Projections on alternate universes should not come into play. What might have happened if Jordan didn't do take two years off to play baseball? Are we then talking about 8 championship Bulls? Then Jordan would have been SUPER GOAT and Hakeem Olajuwon would not be wearing two rings?
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I think the Last Dance doc makes it pretty clear that wouldn’t have happened. Mike was mentally cooked after 93. There’s no way they maintain all that for 8 straight years, IMO.
 
Let's all do a little mental exercise.

Imagine a player that does a lot of gritty things that don't show up in a box score. To put a name to this player, let's call him Trevor Cooney.

Now imagine Trevor Cooney with shot selection that's a little less ambitious.

Now imagine Trevor Cooney about seven inches taller, with athleticism to be a monster finisher, post skills to toss in baby hooks when smaller defenders switch on to him, the quickness to be a very good perimeter defender as a young player, and gradually building up strength to become an adequate post defender as he becomes older.

Now watch the following video, and imagine a world where instead of launching air balls and bricks, Trevor Cooney buried all of these shots in the later rounds of the NCAA Tournament.



Just imagine, how legendary would Trevor Cooney be?

On the NBA level, we do not have to imagine. We can all worship at the altar of the Clutch God Big Shot Bob. Seven titles.
 

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