Top 10 Centers of all-time

[Eric15]

I think this list looks pretty good. I actually may put Shaq ahead of Bill Russell at 3rd. Bill Walton getting MAJOR benefit of the doubt based on his injuries.

 

[skurey]

Boston fans gonna be MAD

 

[MikeSU02]

I think this list looks pretty good. I actually may put Shaq ahead of Bill Russell at 3rd. Bill Walton getting MAJOR benefit of the doubt based on his injuries.

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I'd flip Russell and Wilt and Hakeem and Shaq.

No idea about Mikan.

I love Bill Walton. He gets a LOT of credit for a very short peak in the NBA. Not saying he shouldn't, just saying he gets a lot of benefit. With that said, I love his old highlights.

 

[Eric15]

I'd flip Russell and Wilt

I consider you one of the best NBA minds on the board, but I personally disagree.

Career PER Wilt is 6th and Russell is 114th. Win shares Wilt 2nd Russell 18th. Offensive win shares Wilt 2nd and Russell isn't in the Top 250 all-time. Defensive win shares Russell is 1st all time and Wilt is 5th.

They're both historically great defenders (Russell slightly better), but Wilt's offensive game is just light years ahead of Russell, which is why I could never put Bill ahead of Wilt.

 

[RF2044]

I'd flip Russell and Wilt and Hakeem and Shaq.

No idea about Mikan.

I love Bill Walton. He gets a LOT of credit for a very short peak in the NBA. Not saying he shouldn't, just saying he gets a lot of benefit. With that said, I love his old highlights.

I get Mikan because of historical significance, but I can't envision him holding a torch athletically or game wise to the other all-time greats on that list.

 

[MikeSU02]

I consider you one of the best NBA minds on the board, but I personally disagree.

Career PER Wilt is 6th and Russell is 114th. Win shares Wilt 2nd Russell 18th. Offensive win shares Wilt 2nd and Russell isn't in the Top 250 all-time. Defensive win shares Russell is 1st all time and Wilt is 5th.

They're both historically great defenders (Russell slightly better), but Wilt's offensive game is just light years ahead of Russell, which is why I could never put Bill ahead of Wilt.

totally fair argument.

 

[Eric15]

I get Mikan because of historical significance, but I can't envision him holding a torch athletically or game wise to the other all-time greats on that list.

Honestly I wonder if Mikan could even start in the ACC in today’s game. But I always interpret lists like this as greatness relative to ones era. Like Bob Cousy will be a legend until the end of time even though I can’t imagine him making an NBA roster today.

 

[dasher]

I consider you one of the best NBA minds on the board, but I personally disagree.

Career PER Wilt is 6th and Russell is 114th. Win shares Wilt 2nd Russell 18th. Offensive win shares Wilt 2nd and Russell isn't in the Top 250 all-time. Defensive win shares Russell is 1st all time and Wilt is 5th.

They're both historically great defenders (Russell slightly better), but Wilt's offensive game is just light years ahead of Russell, which is why I could never put Bill ahead of Wilt.

How about what they play for...Rings? How does Bill do there? Wilt kept himself out of the 7th game of the championship series because he had 5 fould and didn't want to foul out. Something he never had done. Russell put his team first. Both great players but in a game like basketball where a top player can rule, wins matter. At least to me.

 

[Orangezoo]

I get Mikan because of historical significance, but I can't envision him holding a torch athletically or game wise to the other all-time greats on that list.

Yeah I mean if not for the Mikan drill no one would have a clue who he was these days

 

[Eric15]

How about what they play for...Rings? How does Bill do there?

Here are their respective stats when playing head-to-head in the Finals. I know Russell won way more, but Wilt clearly was the superior player.

 

[dasher]

Here are their respective stats when playing head-to-head in the Finals. I know Russell won way more, but Wilt clearly was the superior player.

View attachment 204867

I watched the games. Russell wasn't interested in his stats. Just winning. And not for nothing, but Wilt also played on great teams. Did you ever watch either guy play a game? That is the era that I grew up in. Russell also won both years at San Fran. Wilt's Kansas teams also came up short. But I bet he scored a lot of points.

 

[Briancuse]

Can't really argue that much I'd flip hakeem and Shaq and flip.Ewing and Robinson. Robinson was helped by Duncan.

 

[Eric15]

Can't really argue that much I'd flip hakeem and Shaq and flip.Ewing and Robinson. Robinson was helped by Duncan.

The Admiral won an MVP and had four other Top 3 MVP finishes before Duncan even entered the league.

 

[Briancuse]

The Admiral won an MVP and had four other Top 3 MVP finishes before Duncan even entered the league.

Ya but The best player Ewing ever played with was Starks. I'd give a slight nod to Ewing esp on defense.

 

[RoysRunts]

The Eagle with a beard made Wilt wilt in the BIG GAMES

 

[Toga]

I'd flip Russell and Wilt and Hakeem and Shaq.

No idea about Mikan.

I love Bill Walton. He gets a LOT of credit for a very short peak in the NBA. Not saying he shouldn't, just saying he gets a lot of benefit. With that said, I love his old highlights.

A reasonably healthy Walton is Top 5.

 

[br801]

A reasonably healthy Walton is Top 5.

But he wasn't, unfortunately. He probably doesn't even belong on this list, ahead of guys like Gilmore, Unseld, Thurmond, Lanier and Cowens (just to name a few), all of whom had more substantial pro careers.

 

[721Comstock]

But he wasn't, unfortunately. He probably doesn't even belong on this list, ahead of guys like Gilmore, Unseld, Thurmond, Lanier and Cowens (just to name a few), all of whom had more substantial pro careers.

Exactly.

If healthy, Walton could have been an all-time great.

Be he wasn’t. So he wasn’t.

 

[br801]

Exactly.

If healthy, Walton could have been an all-time great.

Be he wasn’t. So he wasn’t.

I don't mean to diminish his career and legacy at all; he was a transcendent talent at the college level and then as a young pro, but injury took that away by the time he was 25 or 26, much as it did for Gale Sayers and Bo Jackson on the football field. They were all brilliant shooting stars.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I'd flip Russell and Wilt and Hakeem and Shaq.

No idea about Mikan.

I love Bill Walton. He gets a LOT of credit for a very short peak in the NBA. Not saying he shouldn't, just saying he gets a lot of benefit. With that said, I love his old highlights.

So unfortunate he was derailed by the injuries. It’s not really debatable how talented he was when he was healthy and playing. I also love highlights. Just an incredibly smart, team oriented player who just understood the game and had the individual stats that backed it.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Here are their respective stats when playing head-to-head in the Finals. I know Russell won way more, but Wilt clearly was the superior player.

View attachment 204867

They played 49 finals games against eachother?

 

[GreekFreak]

I don't mean to diminish his career and legacy at all; he was a transcendent talent at the college level and then as a young pro, but injury took that away by the time he was 25 or 26, much as it did for Gale Sayers and Bo Jackson on the football field. They were all brilliant shooting stars.

This is an excellent analogy and characterization of Walton's talent.

 

[MikeSU02]

So unfortunate he was derailed by the injuries. It’s not really debatable how talented he was when he was healthy and playing. I also love highlights. Just an incredibly smart, team oriented player who just understood the game and had the individual stats that backed it.

One of my favorite books is Breaks of the Game. Really, really great book by Halberstam. For anyone that hasn't read it and loves the NBA, can't recommend it highly enough. A lot of stuff with Walton and his injuries in it.

 

[Newhouser]

How about what they play for...Rings? How does Bill do there? Wilt kept himself out of the 7th game of the championship series because he had 5 fould and didn't want to foul out. Something he never had done. Russell put his team first. Both great players but in a game like basketball where a top player can rule, wins matter. At least to me.

If you swap Wilt and Russ how many rings do you think Boston gets?

 

[Newhouser]

One of my favorite books is Breaks of the Game. Really, really great book by Halberstam. For anyone that hasn't read it and loves the NBA, can't recommend it highly enough. A lot of stuff with Walton and his injuries in it.

May be the best sports book ever written. His "Playing for Keeps" is also excellent.