NBA at 50 (Top 50 NBA players ever) 1996 vs. Updated List (Hoops Hype readers)

Thats a pretty good list but I would put the following back on:

Bill Walton
Chris Paul
Paul Pierce


I would remove the following

- Scottie Pippen (sorry but no quitters allowed, besides he is just not good enough)
- Allen Iverson (he is HOF for sure IMO, but not better than Chris Paul or the others)
- Steve Nash (This was a hard one, two time MVP but I just don't think he is as good as Pierce, Paul or Walton)

 

Anyone surprised most players voted off were older school?

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Without looking at the new list, I was thinking....

Pretty sure arguably the greatest perimeter defender (who also had a good offensive game), one of the greatest scorers, and a 2x MVP (who's arguably the greatest shooter) deserve to be Top 50.

But looking now...
You might be more corret than I thought.
So many great players. Not everyone can squeeze into 50.

I still think...
Pierce isn't a Top 50 player.
Walton got injured too early.
Worthy probably isn't Top 50.
Parish is also on the bubble.

 

Pierce over Nash? Sorry but I disagree.

I think it's wrong to vote guys off who were on the original list. It is hard enough as is to compare players of different eras.

They should just add 25 spots and make a top 75 players list including the original 50.

 

Good idea just to add to the list, instead of subtracting. The players who were voted off were the players that the readers had/have no clue about. Its not hard to vote somebody off, if you dont know anything about them. It was a stupid way to poll a new Top 50 IMO.

 

They did a tolerable job. Total disrespect for Sam Jones though. Consummate winner and a groundbreaking skillset for his time. He was no Russell, but he did for the scoring guard what Bob Pettit did for the versatile 4-man. I'd keep him over half of the ones who made it, including Iverson and Maravich.

 

How about...instead of subtracting/adjusting the original 50...why not just add 25 to make it the 75 Greatnest NBA Players? To celebrate the 75th anniversary in 2021 (still a while away of course). Here's my picks, 5 from each position. Feel free to debate.

51. Walt Bellamy (1962-1975)
52. Bob Lanier (1971-1984)
53. Adrian Dantley (1977-1991)
54. Buck Williams (1982-1998)
55. Dominique Wilkins (1983-1999)
56. Reggie Miller (1988-2005)
57. Gary Payton (1991-2007)
58. Dikembe Mutombo (1992-2009)
59. Jason Kidd (1995-2013)
60. Kevin Garnett (1996-Present)
61. Ray Allen (1997-Present)
62. Kobe Bryant (1997-Present)
63. Allen Iverson (1997-2010)
64. Steve Nash (1997-2014)
65. Ben Wallace (1997-2012)
66. Chauncey Billups (1998-2014)
67. Tim Duncan (1998-Present)
68. Dirk Nowitzki (1999-Present)
69. Paul Pierce (1999-Present)
70. Pau Gasol (2002-Present)
71. LeBron James (2003-Present)
72. Dwyane Wade (2003-Present)
73. Dwight Howard (2005-Present)
74. Chris Paul (2006-Present)
75. Kevin Durant (2008-Present)

 

Chris Paul being underrated here.

Pretty much a perfect basketball player.

 

Remove Scottie Pippen. Add James Harden.

 

OP's description is confusing. Take another look at the list of removed players. Paul and Pierce weren't taken off. They were never on. The rest of the list looks like the guys on the original who were removed.

Plus, Pippen and Maravich are both on the old and new list. The graphics are confusing. Be nice for someone to compile the accurate differences, as the OP doesnt.

 

From an analytics standpoint, CP3 is just about the greatest point guard in NBA history. But call it bad luck or just lack of being able to perform under pressure, but his playoff history is what holds him back in terms of his perception among the greatest of all time.

 

Scottie Pippen is among the greatest, if not the absolute greatest wing defender in the history of the NBA. I think he suffers from the same fate that James Worthy does which is that they are overshadowed by GOAT candidate players in MJ and Magic. Both Pippen and Worthy are not just role players and their ring count is legitimately theirs. Bulls and Lakers would not have those championship runs without these two guys.

And just to throw this in, for all the Kobe haters, there's no way the Lakers would have won those first three titles without Kobe. Watch some of the playoff games on Hardcourt Classics on NBA TV. Kobe did not win MVP, but he was certainly a co-MVP for all three title runs. Remember that Shaq was a somewhat of a liability in the 4th quarter due to free throws as well as foul trouble those years and Kobe won several of the key games on his back. A lot of times, MVP goes to the player that happens to average the most points which is not a complete accurate portrayal of who is most valuable. Don't get me wrong, Shaq is among the most dominant players of all time, but it was the combination of him and Kobe that dominated the league those three years and not just him with Kobe riding shotgun.