I was on the 'Your own "Dream Team"' thread and realized how many good 4's there have been. I find it difficult to decide; none sticks out in my mind as the 'best ever,' so I thought I'd put it up for debate . Here are my nominations, in alphabetical order (if you choose 'Other' please post who and explain why). Remember that the 'Career Year' stat I give is subjective, some were hard to choose. Charles Barkley 6'5" 262 pounds Career Year: 86-87 (3rd Year) 23.0 pts, 14.6 reb, 4.9 ast, 1.53 blk, 1.75 stl, 59.4 FG%, 40.3 min Description: One of the best rebounders ever at only 6'5"... could handle the ball and shoot threes... excellent post-game... bulky yet still extremely fast. No Championships Larry Bird 6'9" 220 pounds Career Year: 84-85 (6th year) 28.7 pts, 10.5 reb, 6.6 ast, 1.23 blk, 1.61 stl, 52.2 FG%, 39.5 min Description: Could shoot from anywhere... one of the best clutch shooters ever... pulled down better than 10 rebounds next to Parish and McHale... passing and ball-handling were guard-like. 3 Championships Elvin Hayes 6'9" 235 pounds Career Year: 68-69 (rookie year) 28.4 pts, 17.1 reb, 1.4 ast, (blk not recorded until 73-74; 2.92 in 73-74), (stl not recorded until 73-74; 1.05 in 73-74), 44.7 FG%, 45.1 min Description: Good outside shooter... could run the floor... excellent endurance... only Abdul-Jabbar has played more minutes... one of the best rebounders ever. 1 Championship Karl Malone 6'9" 256 pounds Career Year: 89-90 (5th year) 31.0 pts, 11.1 reb, 2.8 ast, 0.61 blk, 1.48 stl, 56.2 FG%, 38.1 min Description: Bulky but fast... extremely strong... shooting and free-throws improved every year... good passer... excellent stealing the ball... only Abdul-Jabbar has scored more points... one of the most consistent players ever. No Championships Kevin McHale 6'10" 210 pounds Career Year: 86-87 (7th year) 26.1 pts, 9.9 reb, 2.6 ast, 2.23 blk, 0.49 blk, 60.4 FG%, 39.7 min Description: One of the best post-games ever... long arms and good agility... one of the best one-on-one defenders ever... good shooter. 3 Championships Bob Pettit 6'9" 215 pounds Career Year: 61-62 (8th year) 31.1 pts, 18.7 reb, 3.7 ast, (blk not recorded until 73-74), (stl not recorded until 73-74), 45.0 FG%, 42.1 min Description: Excellent outside shooter... fast... thin, but a crafty rebounder... only Chamberlain and Russell averaged more rebounds... received first MVP award... first to 20,000 points. 1 Championship
If you're going to consider Larry Legend a PF, then you really shouldn't even have the other options.
bird as a pf??? if that's the case, i guess i'd choose him... but if we went more traditional (i thought bird played SF), i would pick malone in a heartbeat (as much as i dislike his style of play!)
parish was a C and mchale was a 6th man for many many years (of course my memory fades with age, but i think that's right!)
About Bird being a PF... as drapg said, McHale played sixth man. He actually won the sixth-man award twice because they were taking him off the bench. They were playing Bird at PF because that was his natural position. I mean, like I said, he got 10 rebounds a game, and that was with Parish and McHale getting theirs' as well. He could play either forward, but to me his rebounding and footspeed make him a PF... he couldn't guard any decently fast SF. Actually, when they were playing a team with an all-star small-forward, like Dr. J, it was inevitably McHale who guarded him, while Bird got the easier assignment. That's why you have to seriously consider McHale... he had great defense, something that Bird never had. How many PF can guard Julius Erving? McHale did it. If you still think Bird is a SF, just vote for someone else. As for Moses Malone... I would have put him up there, but he was a center, and I already had him on my 'Best Center Ever?' vote, which was a while ago. I think Chamberlain won that one .
McHale got a majority of the mintes at PF, but you are right that BIrd did start some of the games at PF. THe Roberts guy played forward for awhile (SF), Maxwell played for awhile as the starter, as did McHale during Bill Walton's tenure. I guess in most cases Bird was a SF when the 3 (Chief, McHale, BIrd) was int he game together but I can understand listing him as a PF. MChale was the one guy who could totally frustrate CB4 in the old Sixer days. Long arms absolutely destroyed him.
As much as I like CB4 and DISLIKE Karl Malone....... I would have to take Malone over Chuck strictly based on work ethic and durability. However, if you take Charles in his prime vs Karla in his prime there's no comparison cause Barkley was so damned good during his early 90's while Malone didn't turn into a force tell the mid 90's.
Yeah, that's the thing, the Flying Safe peaked higher, but Malone was better for longer. Tough to call. One last thing about Bird at PF: if Duncan was drafted by a team that didn't already have David Robinson, don't you think he'd be playing center? Similarly, I think Bird is a 4, but they played him at 3 because of their personel. Anyway, enough of that.
Malone was on the All-NBA Defensive 1st team three years in a row ('97, '98, '99). You might be thinking of Barkley, who was voted the Worst Defensive Player of All-Time in one poll.
Ya honestly...there is no competition for this category. Karl Malone is 100% the best PF of all time. I don't care what your personal feelings are about him (i hate him)...but u can't deny the man's talents. The man is gonna be the all-time leading scorer in NBA history for chrissakes!! Along with MJ (and some others), he is one of the most consistent players of all-time, year to year. Definitely one of top 10 best players of all time.
Charles Barkley could shoot three pointers? Sure, he could shoot them...it was <i>making</i> them that always gave him trouble... I'd also have to disagree on Barkley's career year. He DID win an MVP award, after all... All that aside, and I hate to say this, but Karl Malone is the greatest PF of all time. He played in all 82 games ten times during his career, which is why he has scored so many points
