Which players are the biggest "if only" of all time?

[Culburn369]

I think you're selling Boston's situation in 1986 a bit short. It would be more like the Spurs winning the 2003 le with Duncan in his absolute prime and then drafting the Kevin Durant of today that summer; not the 19 year-old unpolished version who was too skinny and shot a low percentage that Seattle got in their last season, but the fully grown version that is lighting the league up now.

Then Lewis keeled over, dead as a door nail. Precursor for the ?

tee, hee.

[jdev82]

Grant hill/

[Technique]

Who's that Soviet guy?

[FkLA]

Sabonis is definitely the first name that came to my mind when I read this, he was still an effective player in his Portland days even as a s of his old self. Always loved the way he played especially his passing. Its a shame we never got to see him in his prime. I wasnt around in 86' how good exactly was Bias? What had he done in college? Isaiah Rider was another guy that immediately came to mind.

[jacobdrj]

Sabonis
Petrovic
Grant Hill
Bias
Connie Hawkins
Bill Walton (immagine him NOT wasting his best years in college)

Even McGrady/Yao

Mashburn

[alamo50]

Ben Wilson #25

[Allanon]

Len Bias. I watched a do entary on him on ESPN, that dude played like an NBA veteran.

[mojorizen7]

"If only" Ced Ceballos hadn't gotten injured in the WCF against Seattle.........
we would've beat MJ's Bulls in the '93 Finals.
We coulda used his 13ppg/6rpg and garbage putbacks.

[Darrin]

You know who we have forgotten:


Reggie Lewis. He dropped dead of a heart aritimia. He consulted something like 19 doctors and 18 told him never to play professional basketball again.

Career: 17.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.3 spg for the 306-186 Boston Celtics. He supplanted Larry Bird as the leading scorer for the final 3 years of his career with the Celtics.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Reggie was a great player and an even better leader - he was the heart of those fading-dynasty Celtics teams.

Great thread, and I certainly agree with all the names mentioned, although Len Bias and Michael Ray Richardson were just before I started following the NBA. Grant Hill always struck me as a guy who was incredible before his 6-year hiatus. On pure skill potential never realised, how about:

Sheed
Derrick Coleman

and Penny Hardaway certainly had his career crueled by injury.

[coyotes_geek]

I wouldn't say it's not even close. Arvydas Sabonis is one of the most complete players in the history of the game, who never got to show most of us his best due to politics. You want someone to score on the block? Sabonis was 7'3", had great post moves, and could elevate quickly. You want a bigman who creates shots for others? Sabonis is easily the best-passing bigman of all-time. Even in his Portland days when his knees were gone and his weight had ballooned, there was no one who could touch his passing in the post. You want versatility? Sabonis had three-point range and could get his shot off at will, since he was 7'3". He could literally score from anywhere, and he was a master using the glass. You want someone who can run the floor? Sabonis was outstanding on the break. You want a shotblocker and a rebounder? Sabonis' athleticism and size made him excellent at contesting and rejecting shots. Sabonis was almost like a hybrid of David Robinson, Bill Walton, and Sam Perkins. When you see this guy in his prime, it looks like there's nothing he cannot do on the floor. I think this guy could have won MVPs and les in the NBA in his prime.

Sabonis was a stud. You don't have to sell me on how good he was. It's an absolute shame that he couldn't make it over here until his knees were shot. Even with bad knees and no mobility whatsoever he was still one of the better centers in the league. But still, I can't put him near Bias because of the situation Bias was falling into. No doubt Sabonis would have been great, but he wasn't about to join the 86 celtics. Beyond just how good a player Bias would have been, it was the situation and the impact he could have had on it that gives him the big edge here. I'd put Sabonis as the easy #2 candidate on this list though. JMO.

[Mel_13]

Some really good stuff in this thread.

I'll add Bernard King to the list. IMO, the best player not yet in HOF. Without the ACL injury in his prime, he would be mentioned along with greatest players of the 80's. His 1984 playoff run was incredible, carrying a mediocre Knick team all the way to Game 7 in the ECSF against the Celtics. Even after missing 2 seasons, he adjusted his game and averaged over 28 ppg at age 34 in his last full season in the NBA.

[pauls931]

You know who we have forgotten:


Reggie Lewis. He dropped dead of a heart aritimia. He consulted something like 19 doctors and 18 told him never to play professional basketball again.

Career: 17.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.3 spg for the 306-186 Boston Celtics. He supplanted Larry Bird as the leading scorer for the final 3 years of his career with the Celtics.

That hurt, Boston was setback many years. I was still following the Celts at that point and he was good!

[coyotes_geek]

Some really good stuff in this thread.

I'll add Bernard King to the list. IMO, the best player not yet in HOF. Without the ACL injury in his prime, he would be mentioned along with greatest players of the 80's. His 1984 playoff run was incredible, carrying a mediocre Knick team all the way to Game 7 in the ECSF against the Celtics. Even after missing 2 seasons, he adjusted his game and averaged over 28 ppg at age 34 in his last full season in the NBA.

Another good addition.

Bill Walton is another name I'd toss out there. His ankles certainly caused a lot of his potential to go unfulfilled.

[Darthkiller]

len bias. larry bird would have been considered the Goat if Bias had lived. celts would have won at least 3-4 more chips. Imagine 03 spurs team won the le, then draft lebron the following year. bias was considered better than Michael Jordan at the time he was drafted.

[ambchang]

Sabonis is definitely the first name that came to my mind when I read this, he was still an effective player in his Portland days even as a s of his old self. Always loved the way he played especially his passing. Its a shame we never got to see him in his prime. I wasnt around in 86' how good exactly was Bias? What had he done in college? Isaiah Rider was another guy that immediately came to mind.

Bias was compared to Jordan during his college days, and sometimes favourably. He was extremely athletic, and can drive to the basket at will and finish over everyone else, pretty much a slightly bigger version of Jordan.

People were just shocked back then he didn't get drafted #1, and people were laughing at Cleveland for taking Brad Daughtery.

[whottt]

Here's Drob VS Len bias in an NCAA dunkfest:

[baseline bum]

Sabonis was a stud. You don't have to sell me on how good he was. It's an absolute shame that he couldn't make it over here until his knees were shot. Even with bad knees and no mobility whatsoever he was still one of the better centers in the league. But still, I can't put him near Bias because of the situation Bias was falling into. No doubt Sabonis would have been great, but he wasn't about to join the 86 celtics. Beyond just how good a player Bias would have been, it was the situation and the impact he could have had on it that gives him the big edge here. I'd put Sabonis as the easy #2 candidate on this list though. JMO.

Fair enough. That '86 Celtics team was easily a top 5 team all-time, and Bird was even better in '87, so I can definitely see where you're coming from there (too bad McHale's nagging injuries that year derailed their repeat bid). I still think Detroit gets at least one le even with Bias in the mix though.

[whottt]

favourably.

British much?




Sorry, spelling smack is weak but I couldn't resist that one.

[Culburn369]

Sometimes you eat the bear: Henderson for Bias.

&

Sometimes that bear just gets up all over ya: Bias face ass down in a pile of white powder.

F'k him. I don't feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for those poor f'ks in Ft. Hood when President Hussein's buddy flew a plane into the base.

[baseline bum]

Sometimes you eat the bear: Henderson for Bias.

&

Sometimes that bear just gets up all over ya: Bias face ass down in a pile of white powder.

F'k him. I don't feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for those poor f'ks in Ft. Hood when President Hussein's buddy flew a plane into the base.

[gaKNOW!blee]

[The Gemini Method]

I would say Len Bias would be the first person I would consider the biggest "if only" of all-time. The guy was a beast and had the talent to take Boston into further ringdom. If anyone hasn't had the opportunity to watch the 30 for 30 episode on his life/death, I suggest they do so. It was one of the best episodes in that series along with the Jimmy the Greek one.

Second I'd have to say Hank Gathers...A more athletic version of say, Robert Horry who would've been someone's Scottie Pippen or even his own alpha dog. I was barely old enough to remember watching him play, but I did go with my pops to see him and Kimble run up and down the courts at Loyola Marymount Univ.

[endrity]

Sabonis, he would have been league MVP and championship winner if he came over in his prime.

He absolutely destroyed DRob in the 86 Olympics, in a way that only Hakeem did in 95. Bias might have been really good, but this is still a big man's league.

[eyeh8u]

1. if he didnt get injured
2. if his grandmother didn't coddle him and turn him into a
3. if shaq wasnt a punk ass and left

the only team that ever beat a post 1990 Micheal Jordan equipped bulls team in the playoffs was the magic, yea i know it was the year jordan wore 45 but still.