EXCLUDING HAKEEM, who was the next best bigman?

Moses
Big E
Yao
Thorpe
Sampson
Barkley

 

Hakeem's shadow.

 

Oops...sorry, forgot it's the GARM, being switching back and forth between Dish and here. Hehe. :grin:

 

Yeah and in the late 80's and 90's, when Kareem was past his prime?

 

Oh, sure. Jabbar was awful in 1986. He only helped lead the Lakers to a title the season before, and another title the season after. Over the hill. The guy clearly sucked, big time. I can't imagine why the Lakers kept him around and didn't trade his ass for a bag of Doritos and some bean dip.

 

Kareem didn't play in the 90's. And yes, he got his ass kicked, in his prime.

 

I don't know why so many people put Hayes over Yao. Yao was an all-around bigger threat offensively than Hayes and neither were "elite" defenders. I put Yao #3 after Moses.

Hayes TS% - .491
Yao TS% - .596

^I think that says a lot.

 

I think the Big E was obviously better than Sampson, I think this is pretty apt list (with the exception of Hayes). People tend to underrate Sampson. Moses is miles ahead, but I think Sampson was the next great big we had after Hayes (and obviously Yao was great in his own right), but I think Sampson did more for the rockets than Yao did when he was here.

Moses - Big E - Sampson - Yao - Rudy T (but I think he should more appreciated as a coach for the rockets than his playing day, although he was very good).

Twin towers, baby.[/QUOTE]

Sorry for the double post, but I didn't realise the omission of Hayes the first time reading, and I can't edit posts.

 

When do you think are their respective prime years?

To me, they each represents the center of a decade: Kareem, 1970's; Moses, 1980's; and Hakeem, 1990's.

 

Hakeem, is the best NBA center ever.

If we are talking NBA, then Kareem is 2nd.

If we are talking Rockets, gotta be Moses Malone, Elvin Hates then a tie between Sampson and Yao.

 

Oh, and Shaquille, 2000's.

Hope Howard will be remembered as the center of 2010's.

 

Dwight Howard 2nd best rocket big.

 

Moses 2 MVP's in Houston (78/79 season and 80/81 season) sandwiched Kareems 79/80 season MVP. It's a tired argument so take it for what it's worth. Kareem was admittedly at the back end of his prime though.

Moses was the single most dominate big man in the league from 1978 to 1985. By 1986 Hakeem was the most dominate big man in the league, period although it took awhile for the some people to realize it. The East Coast Bias Media tried like hell to convince the public that Patrick Ewing was the best. It's just that Patrick could never prove it on the court.

 

I think without Magic Kareem's career would have flamed out sooner. As for Moses and Ewing, their fates were so much tied with their teams' fates and the emergence of the great MJ. Actually the 1990's should just be called the Airness decade.

 

Probably Orlando T-Mac in his prime duh.

 

Moses Malone was a force. He would be next to Hakeem. Elvin Hayes should also be in the conversation along with Ralph Sampson. And then Yao.