Top 10 players of all time and their weaknesses

[ambchang]

When we rank the top 10 players, we often times talk about how dominant he is, but rarely talk about the weaknesses.

Here is my attempt to rank, and then talk about the weakness of their games:

1) Jordan – generally known as the GOAT, Jordan is the first and only truly dominant perimeter player. He can take over the game on both offense and defense. On the other hand, he was ball-dominant, was a general ballhog, did not trust his teammate until Jackson came along.
2) Kareem – He was almost flawless during his prime. People forgot how dominant he was. Too bad it came during the coke-dominated 70s. He later became soft, played horrible defense, but that was way past his prime. One thing you could nitpick was that he wasn’t the best passer.
3) Magic Johnson – Generally poor man to man defense, gambles a lot on passing lanes when he was younger. But on offense, Magic was pure money. Arguably the best offensive player the league has seen, he just know how to utilize his teammates better than anybody can.
4) Bird – Similar to Magic, but I felt Bird was the better team defender.
5) Hakeem – People forgot how selfish Hakeem was during the late 80s early 90s. He didn’t trust any of his teammates, and was labelled a team killer. To his defense, there wasn’t too many people he could have trusted. During his two years of domination, Hakeem did not have any flaws.
6) Duncan – Never a dominant scorer, although he could if he had to. Duncan had some trouble with athletic big men like the Wallace brothers and Stoudemire. He was also TO prone early on in his career, but generally, Duncan is one of the most team oriented player on this list on both O and D
7) Shaq – Great scorer, great passer out of double/triple teams. His major weakness, other than the obvious FT shooting, is his inability to defend the pick and roll. Shaq simply refused to defend it because he clearly has the mobility to do so despite his girth.
8) Chamberlain – Obviously his FT%, but he was also a choker. I rarely say a player is a choker, because that is usually a figment of imagination, but Chamberlain became a lot more shot-shy during big games. Sure he was covered by the entire opposition, but hey, you are bigger and faster than everybody else, use it.
9) Big O – Moody as hell, difficult teammate to be with. Also ball-dominant. A little overrated due to his insane statistics.
10) Russell – Took old, didn’t really see him at his prime, and couldn’t get my hands on his tape. But from what I gathered, he is not the best scorer.

[William Hung]

Russell and Chamberlain too low on the list imo

[lefty]

Russell was a glorified Ben Wallace

TBH

IMO


FWIW


YMMV

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I'd add conditioning to Shaq's list. He'd probably be a spot or two higher on that list if he had kept his body in better shape. As it was when his weight started creeping up the injuries started piling up. He probably lost a full season's worth of play at his "most dominant" level because of that. Certainly exacerbated the aforementioned P & O issue.

[russellgoat]

Russell was a glorified Ben Wallace

TBH

IMO


FWIW


YMMV

russell 11

tired old shitbag duncan 4

[DMC]

OP

I see what you did there.

[Deuce Bigalow]

Kobe Bryant's ranking compared to the top 25 players of all-time

Championships (5) - 3rd, tied with Johnson
Finals MVPs (2) - 5th, tied with Abdul-Jabbar, Bird, Olajuwon, Reed
MVPs (1) - 11th, tied with O'Neal, Robertson, Olajuwon, Erving, Barkley, Robinson, Cousy
All-NBA Teams (13) - 4th, tied with Duncan
All-Defensive Teams (11) - 2nd tied with Abdul-Jabbar, Garnett
All-Star Teams (13) - 3rd, tied with Jordan, Garnett, Malone, West
All-NBA First Teams (9) - 8th, tied with Duncan
Scoring Titles (2) - 3rd, tied with Abdul-Jabbar, O'Neal
Points (29,306) - 5th
Playoff Points (5,280) - 3rd

Top 25 players of all-time list by SLAM http://www.interbasket.net/news/7683/2011/04/top-500-nba-players-of-all-time-slam/

[Ashy Larry]

Bruce Bowen at 247 ahead of Thunder Dan and Nick Van Exel is reason enough to not use SLAM as a reference ........

[LeBald Crabs]

When we rank the top 10 players, we often times talk about how dominant he is, but rarely talk about the weaknesses.

Here is my attempt to rank, and then talk about the weakness of their games:

1) Jordan – generally known as the GOAT, Jordan is the first and only truly dominant perimeter player. He can take over the game on both offense and defense. On the other hand, he was ball-dominant, was a general ballhog, did not trust his teammate until Jackson came along.
2) Kareem – He was almost flawless during his prime. People forgot how dominant he was. Too bad it came during the coke-dominated 70s. He later became soft, played horrible defense, but that was way past his prime. One thing you could nitpick was that he wasn’t the best passer.
3) Magic Johnson – Good looking men. Mediocre shooter, relying too much on his penetrating talent.
4) Bird – Similar to Magic, but I felt Bird was the better team defender.
5) Hakeem – People forgot how selfish Hakeem was during the late 80s early 90s. He didn’t trust any of his teammates, and was labelled a team killer. To his defense, there wasn’t too many people he could have trusted. During his two years of domination, Hakeem did not have any flaws.
6) Duncan – Never a dominant scorer, although he could if he had to. Duncan had some trouble with athletic big men like the Wallace brothers and Stoudemire. He was also TO prone early on in his career, but generally, Duncan is one of the most team oriented player on this list on both O and D
7) Shaq – Great scorer, great passer out of double/triple teams. His major weakness, other than the obvious FT shooting, is his inability to defend the pick and roll. Shaq simply refused to defend it because he clearly has the mobility to do so despite his girth.
8) Chamberlain – Obviously his FT%, but he was also a choker. I rarely say a player is a choker, because that is usually a figment of imagination, but Chamberlain became a lot more shot-shy during big games. Sure he was covered by the entire opposition, but hey, you are bigger and faster than everybody else, use it.
9) Big O – Moody as hell, difficult teammate to be with. Also ball-dominant. A little overrated due to his insane statistics.
10) Russell – Took old, didn’t really see him at his prime, and couldn’t get my hands on his tape. But from what I gathered, he is not the best scorer.

[baseline bum]

Here's my top 10 and their weaknesses:

1. Jordan - gambling debts got pops killed
2. Magic - love for the buttsex derailed a promising career
3. Bird - deadbeat dad
4. Wilt - dead
5. Abdul-Jabbar - huge asshole
6. O'Neal - too fat
7. Olajuwon - terrorist (like Obama)
8. Duncan - tramp stamp
9. Bryant - sex criminal
10. Barkley - see 6

[Deuce Bigalow]

Here's my top 10 and their weaknesses:

1. Jordan - gambling debts got pops killed
2. Magic - love for the buttsex derailed a promising career
3. Bird - deadbeat dad
4. Wilt - dead
5. Abdul-Jabbar - huge asshole
6. O'Neal - too fat
7. Olajuwon - terrorist (like Obama)
8. Duncan - tramp stamp
9. Bryant - sex criminal
10. Barkley - see 6
whatd he do?

[DMC]

Here's my top 10 and their weaknesses:

1. Jordan - gambling debts got pops killed
2. Magic - love for the buttsex derailed a promising career
3. Bird - deadbeat dad
4. Wilt - dead
5. Abdul-Jabbar - huge asshole
6. O'Neal - too fat
7. Olajuwon - terrorist (like Obama)
8. Duncan - tramp stamp
9. Bryant - sex criminal
10. Barkley - see 6

Sounds like 2 was fucking 5.

[Spursfan092120]

5. Abdul-Jabbar - huge asshole


Met Kareem and Bill Walton at a Spurs/Lakers playoff game in '03. They both were just hanging out with people...seperately, and chatting. Bill Walton especially was a GREAT guy...Kareem was really cool too. Laughed, chatted, talked to everyone. They even both signed my Go Spurs Go sign. Spurs won that night. Why do you think he's an asshole?

[Koolaid_Man]

When we rank the top 10 players, we often times talk about how dominant he is, but rarely talk about the weaknesses.

Here is my attempt to rank, and then talk about the weakness of their games:

1) Jordan – generally known as the GOAT, Jordan is the first and only truly dominant perimeter player. He can take over the game on both offense and defense. On the other hand, he was ball-dominant, was a general ballhog, did not trust his teammate until Jackson came along.
2) Kareem – He was almost flawless during his prime. People forgot how dominant he was. Too bad it came during the coke-dominated 70s. He later became soft, played horrible defense, but that was way past his prime. One thing you could nitpick was that he wasn’t the best passer.
3) Magic Johnson – Generally poor man to man defense, gambles a lot on passing lanes when he was younger. But on offense, Magic was pure money. Arguably the best offensive player the league has seen, he just know how to utilize his teammates better than anybody can.
4) Bird – Similar to Magic, but I felt Bird was the better team defender.
5) Hakeem – People forgot how selfish Hakeem was during the late 80s early 90s. He didn’t trust any of his teammates, and was labelled a team killer. To his defense, there wasn’t too many people he could have trusted. During his two years of domination, Hakeem did not have any flaws.
6) Duncan – Never a dominant scorer, although he could if he had to. Duncan had some trouble with athletic big men like the Wallace brothers and Stoudemire. He was also TO prone early on in his career, but generally, Duncan is one of the most team oriented player on this list on both O and D. He's also the only player in NBA history to get a tongue ring and double down with a tramp stamp...
7) Shaq – Great scorer, great passer out of double/triple teams. His major weakness, other than the obvious FT shooting, is his inability to defend the pick and roll. Shaq simply refused to defend it because he clearly has the mobility to do so despite his girth.
8) Chamberlain – Obviously his FT%, but he was also a choker. I rarely say a player is a choker, because that is usually a figment of imagination, but Chamberlain became a lot more shot-shy during big games. Sure he was covered by the entire opposition, but hey, you are bigger and faster than everybody else, use it.
9) Big O – Moody as hell, difficult teammate to be with. Also ball-dominant. A little overrated due to his insane statistics.
10) Russell – Took old, didn’t really see him at his prime, and couldn’t get my hands on his tape. But from what I gathered, he is not the best scorer.

I added a line for you

[DMC]

I added a line for you
At least he doesn't have a tattoo of a woman who took half his shit, his kids and his dignity and kicked his ass to the curb.

:lol branded by Vanessa
:lol Guys who tattoo chicks' names on their bodies


But wait, Kobe isn't on that list.


Oh well. :lmao

[baseline bum]

EDIT: Crap, now I don't want that story out there now that I have found out the auto of his I got from the Lakers org may have been real

[Koolaid_Man]

At least he doesn't have a tattoo of a woman who took half his shit, his kids and his dignity and kicked his ass to the curb.

:lol branded by Vanessa
:lol Guys who tattoo chicks' names on their bodies


But wait, Kobe isn't on that list.


Oh well. :lmao

Tongue Rings



Kobe 0
Duncan 1


Tramp Stamps



Kobe 0
Duncan 1

I had say Kobe can't fuck with Yimmy

[Spursfan092120]

I met him before when I was a kid (I was actually going to talk to Magic) and he gave me a dirty look and waved me off. I saw him again years later walking down Westwood Blvd with a friend and he gave that same angry look to my friend (saying nothing) when he gave him a friendly "Hey Kareem". He's famous for being pretty unlikeable, and the times I have ran into him jive with that. I could sort of understand being a prick in San Antonio after the baseline bums made fun of his house burning down, but to his fans in LA near his alma mater? Maybe huge asshole is an exaggeration; really unfriendly might be better.

Hmm...that's a little strange. Can't blame you for feeling that way, then. He was really cool outside the AT&T Center. Oh well.

[baseline bum]

Met Kareem and Bill Walton at a Spurs/Lakers playoff game in '03. They both were just hanging out with people...seperately, and chatting. Bill Walton especially was a GREAT guy...Kareem was really cool too. Laughed, chatted, talked to everyone. They even both signed my Go Spurs Go sign. Spurs won that night. Why do you think he's an asshole?

Maybe I caught him on two bad days. I have never known the guy to sign an autograph, and I tried for years when I was a kid. All the other Lakers from those 80s teams loved signing though.

[Spursfan092120]

Maybe I caught him on two bad days. I have never known the guy to sign an autograph, and I tried for years when I was a kid. All the other Lakers from those 80s teams loved signing though.

Shit...he signed EVERYONE'S that day. Probably talked to people and signed for like 2 hours before the game. Same thing with Walton. Saw him go up to some people. They wanted to take a picture with him. Also wanted an autograph. He asked if they had a pen and they didn't. He went into the Fan Shop to borrow a pen to sign for them. He was a really nice guy.

[lefty]

russell 11

tired old shitbag duncan 4

:cry

My Celtics :cry

[baseline bum]

Wow, I feel bad about saying I couldn't get him to sign now. It's true that I could never get him to autograph at games, and I tried 3-4 times and always hours before the game back when they'd let you in the arena whenever. I sent my card to the Lakers and for 20+ years thought the auto was fake when I got it back, as it looked completely different from the autograph on the official posters sold at the games in the 80s. E.g., my card had a rounded script A while the 1980s NBA posters had his autograph with a pointed A. I just googled his autograph a few minutes ago, and apparently the one on the poster might have been the fake (night and day difference, no way they were both signed by the same people). I just looked at the card and it's pretty close to the autos I have seen for sale. If it's not real then whoever in the Laker organisation signed it tried to make it look like his sig. Damn, my bad.

[Spursfan092120]

Wow, I feel bad about saying I couldn't get him to sign now. It's true that I could never get him to autograph at games, and I tried 3-4 times and always hours before the game back when they'd let you in the arena whenever. I sent my card to the Lakers and for 20+ years thought the auto was fake when I got it back, as it looked completely different from the autograph on the official posters sold at the games in the 80s. E.g., my card had a rounded script A while the 1980s NBA posters had his autograph with a pointed A. I just googled his autograph a few minutes ago, and apparently the one on the poster might have been the fake (night and day difference, no way they were both signed by the same people). I just looked at the card and it's pretty close to the autos I have seen for sale. If it's not real then whoever in the Laker organisation signed it tried to make it look like his sig. Damn, my bad.
It's all good. We've all been there. I was kinda shocked when you said he was an ass...was a real good guy when I met him.

[lefty]

It's all good. We've all been there. I was kinda shocked when you said he was an ass...was a real good guy when I met him.

Kareem is introverted to begin with.

Plus I believe his son was ill a few years ago so he probably wasnt in the mood to chat with fans or sign autographs, so maybe some people who met him thought he was an ass.

[ElNono]

In the "could've been" department

Len Bias - cocaine is a hell of a drug

[lefty]

In the "could've been" department

Len Bias - cocaine is a hell of a drug

Shit

Imagine the 87 Celtics with Len Bias
Dude would have been a superstar SG

Lakers wouldnt have won in 87 and 88

[Giuseppe]

Shit

Imagine the 87 Celtics with Len Bias
Dude would have been a superstar SG

Lakers wouldnt have won in 87 and 88

Tougheth lucketh.

[HarlemHeat37]

I'll go with their flaws, career-wise..

1- Jordan..played in one of the weakest and most watered down eras in NBA history..an overrated defender, he had Pippen to cover more difficult defensive assignments..

2- Kareem..a sidekick during the 2nd part of his career..the 1st part of his career was in the worst era of NBA basketball, the 70s..

3- Wilt..questionable competition, this has been argued to death, I won't elaborate..

4- Magic..arguably the most stacked teams of all-time, questionable defender..fucking and sucking penises shortened his career..

5- Bird..same as Magic + never repeated + injuries shortened his career..

6- Hakeem..only 1 MVP award and his MVP voting finishes are lacking, in comparison to the other greats..

7- Shaq..only 1 MVP..injuries and conditioning led to many missed games..sidekick with the Heat..

8- Duncan..constant injuries that hurt his game..never repeated..

9- Russell..same as Wilt + terrible scorer..

10- Kobe..overrated as a defender and rarely defended the tougher assignment..sidekick for 3 titles..only player on this list that doesn't have an MVP and Finals MVP in the same season..only 1 MVP award..only player on the list to miss the playoffs as the best player on his team..

[100%duncan]

Tongue Rings



Kobe 0
Duncan 1


Tramp Stamps



Kobe 0
Duncan 1

I had say Kobe can't fuck with Yimmy

Sup

[FkLA]

10- Kobe..overrated as a defender and rarely defended the tougher assignment..sidekick for 3 titles..only player on this list that doesn't have an MVP and Finals MVP in the same season..only 1 MVP award..only player on the list to miss the playoffs as the best player on his team..

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/937034/NoahFingaGunz.gif

[DAF86]

I haven't seen most of these guys play in their primes but going by stats Kobe isn't a top 10 player of all-time, imho.

[Venti Quattro]

Kareem is a well-known asshole off the court, avoids people, interviews, etc :lol

[GoodOdor]

I haven't seen most of these guys play in their primes but going by stats Kobe isn't a top 10 player of all-time, imho.

Tbh you never let stats stop you from arguing manu>dirk.

[ambchang]

Not sure why laker fans are suddenly talking off topic and kept yapping about Kobe. This thread is about the top 10 players of all-time. If you guys can't stop thinking about Kobe, focus on the other thing you can't stop thinking about, Duncan's tramp stamp and tongue ring. There is a sticky about Kobe, use that one, don't troll my thread.

Back to topic folks.

[ambchang]

Not sure why laker fans are suddenly talking off topic and kept yapping about Kobe. This thread is about the top 10 players of all-time. If you guys can't stop thinking about Kobe, focus on the other thing you can't stop thinking about, Duncan's tramp stamp and tongue ring. There is a sticky about Kobe, use that one, don't troll my thread.

Back to topic folks.

[namlook]

Duncan over Wilt! LMAO!

[ezau]

We are talking about the Top 10 players to play the game and that means we should never mention inferior players like Kobrick in this conversation. Thank you.