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LeBron should be on anyone's 1st team list.
Chose three teams (and an honorable mention team if you would like) of 2 guards, 2 forwards, and a center who are perhaps the best scorers the game has ever seen. Consider all aspects of scoring, whether shooting mid-range jump shots, long-range jump shots, finishing at the hoop, unusual but unguardable shots, scoring off the ball, creating your own shot, scoring off the dribble, scoring with footwork and moves... everything that has to do with scoring. I want guys who were capable of finding a way to score at any given time, in virtually any given situation.
Stats of course play an important part in this, but the ability/skill-set to score is equal, if not greater. For instance, Shaq has better scoring stats than many centers, but is he truly an elite scorer, or an elite physical presence? He had better career scoring stats than Hakeem, but is he a better scorer? Lebron may have better scoring stats than Carmello, but is he really a better pure scorer?
Also, if a player was interchangable between G/F or F/C, but them in whichever you feel. Such as Tim Duncan and Kevin McHale could be considered either a PF or a C, as both players frequently played time at both positions, and both played either style of position very well on the offensive end.
1st team
G - Michael Jordan
G - Kobe Bryant
F - Carmello Anthony
F - Larry Bird
C - Hakeem Olajuwon
2nd team
G - Allen Iverson
G - Jerry West
F - Charles Barkley
F - Dirk Nowitzki
C - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3rd team
G - Oscar Robertson
G - Tracy McGrady
F - Kevin Durant
F - Mark Aguirre
C - Kevin McHale
Honorable Mention
G - Vince Carter
G - Dwayne Wade
F - Lebron James
F - Paul Pierce
C - Yao Ming
In my list, I hated doing so, and I know some will complain (especially Spurs fans) but I had to give certain guys the shaft such as George Gervin, Alex English, Karl Malone and Bernard King, who were AMAZING scorers, and put up great scoring stats, but weren't quite as complete of scorers as others. Some guys I left off the list had bigger holes in their game than the ones I included, whether it was ball-handling, shooting ability, ability to create their own shot, legitimate moves/footwork, or others. Remember, that this isn't a matter of who is a better basketball player. Just who the best pure scorers are.
Last edited by stretch; 01-24-2013 at 03:25 PM. Reason: a few adjustments to my list
LeBron should be on anyone's 1st team list.
Why?
I'm about as big of a Lebron fan as any, but he absolutely is not a better pure scorer than Bird or Carmello. At least not yet. I put him a little more in the "Shaq" category of things, as he is just too dominant physically for people to stop him, but when he is asked to break defenders down with a series of moves or a difficult jumpshot, I don't think he could consistently do that as well as other forwards.
G-Michael Jordan (Too many scoring les)
G-George Gervin (See above)
F-Durant (Can shoot inside/out)
F-Lebron (Too big to stop)
C-Wilt (100pts in a game and see Lebron)
If you are purely talking about scoring and the most unstoppable at scoring.
I said three teams, and to take into consideration scoring ability as well. Then again, I shouldn't expect your ty UTSA education to be able to comprehend that, got.
I will shove my diploma up your dads ass. you. You dont even understand basketball, getting cut from the freshman team lil .
lol utsa
Tell me how my diploma taste
Karl Malone?
IMO, idk if he could consistently create his own shot, particularly when faced with very tough defenders or a strong team defense geared to take his strengths away. I think he relied too much on Stockton and the PnR. But I understand if someone were to include him on their own list, or to take issue with mine.
Too lazy to make 3 teams tbh. I pretty much agree with your first team, stretch, outside of Melo, but I don't think him being there is as ridiculous as GNSFs will say. I'd put Durant over him regardless of how he's only played a few years, especially now that Durant has improved his efficiency even more and is a 40% three point shooter.
It was really hard to not put Durant up there. But in every postseason run, he had periods where he really struggled to create his own shot, which is why I bumped him down. But I have no doubt in my mind, that when his career is over, he will be one of the three greatest scorers to ever play.
IMO, Melo's biggest issue is mental, whether his mind wanders, or he resorts for too many bad shots. But in terms of scoring, I think an argument can be made that when he is focused, he might be the most difficult scorer to stop, because I seriously cannot think of manner in which he cannot score.
I agree. He's got the most diverse scoring arsenal in the game right now when he's focused.
I'm not the biggest fan of LeBron but I call a spade a spade. He's absolutely a much better scorer than Anthony or Bird. Remeber this is a guy who loves to make everyone better. He can average 35 points in a playoff series and still dish out 8 assists per contest.
Lebron's last 2 season has been spectacular. He was hitting his jumpers with confidence (which was his achilles heel). There's no other player in the league right now that can score the way he does. I remember Kobe in 2006-2008, you watch the guy and know everytime he holds the ball on top of the key for a good 2-3 seconds, reads the defense and attacks the basket, he will score 90% of the time. It was just automatic. Ofensively, LeBron is having those type of moments now. Its disrespectful.
To each their own. I just don't think he is as versatile of a scorer as others... yet. He might be every bit as lethal or impossible to guard, but that is due to his athletic ability more so than his pure scoring ability.
Durant is not a better scorer than Lebron at this point. Without the huge amount of ref protection he gets nowadays, he'll be a 23-24ppg scorer. Not even that impressive.
I agree he gets ref protected, but dude has incredible skills. He can shoot basically any kind of jumpshot (with almost limitless range) and do so exceedingly well. He can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim and finish tough layups, has a nice floater for when team defenses crowd his drives, and has a couple different moves (perimeter and post) he can use to get space and create his own shot when going one-on-one.
Agreed. I don't think LeBron is a good enough pure shooter to really consider him a "scorer" nor does he have the post moves. Actually, I'd put Bernard King ahead of LeBron as a pure scorer, although LeBron is obviously a better overall player.
I would have Pistol Pete on the second team. He's one of best pure scorers the world has ever seen.
Definitely thought of him as well.
Awful percentages though. Too much of an argument can be made that he was more of a volume and rhythm scorer, than a pure scorer.
I agree 100% better player and of course he can score more if he wanted to but that is not his natural mentality and his game is shaq like (though better skilled) in that it relies on his amazing size/speed ratio. The shaq comparison is apt Lebron is like a smaller, faster and better skilled (handles, passing) Shaq. And there really is no one else (singular) to compare him to. I guess the Magic/Karl Malone/Piippen hybrid comes closest ...
My list: (guys I have seen play at least part of their prime only)
1. MJ
2. Kobe
3. Durant
4. Nique
5. Kareem
Funny thing is Durant who is a bit of a gunner is probably the most unselfish along with Kareem of this 5 ...
1. Isiah
2. TMAC
3. Bird
4. Karl
5. Hakeem
I snuck in Isiah because I hate to list two teams with no PG, but AI, Wade and Pre knee injury Tim Hardaway could of been there as well ...
If pure scorers:
Iverson
Jordan
Durant
James
Chamberlain
If skills and chemistry factors in:
West
Jordan
Bird
Durant
Abdul-Jabbar
One more note. Though Durant is very unique I remember when Kobe used to be able to do what Durant did tothe Clips last night. Not saying Kobe cant still score but what Durant did last night from a pure scorer stand-point ...Kobe probably hasnt done in that two seasons AT LEAST ...
Pretty much my list, subs uting Dirk for .463.
I don't think Isiah belongs on the 1st team. Id put Mitch Richmond on anyones list before Isiah. And Melo's ability to score is vastly overrated. Gilbert Arenas deserves some mention too.
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