I say no. Here is a link to an article that claims Ewing is a top 10 center but I have a list of 12 centers I would rather have than Ewing. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/columns/20020918/throwinelbowsdontjudgeew.html Here is my list of 12 which includes 3 others that would have been better, 2 that others that were just as good and another that will be better Here is my list: Centers better than Ewing: George Miken Wilt Chamberlain Bill Russell Willis Reed Elvin Hayes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Nate Thurmand Moses Malone Hakeem Olajuwan Bill Walton Shaquil O’Neal Wes Unseld - he should have been on my un edited list but he was just an over sight. Dan Issell - HOFer with great numbers that I had to add Jack Sikma - Unlike Ewing he actually out played a HOF center to win an NBA championship. Great career numbers. Others if: Ralph Sampson if he had stayed healthy Brad Daugherty if he had stayed healthy Tim Duncan if he ever plays his true position of center Just as good Ewing: Alonzo Mourning David Robinson Bill Laimbeer - Upon further review (thanks to HP) I had to drop him down. Will be better: Yao Ming Ewing is overrated.
You're cool for barely mentioning Robinson, but I hate you for rating Bill Lamebeer so high. Cowens Sikma Issel Divac were/are all better than Lamebeer
Crash I agree wih your list, except Laimbeer. Laimbeer (IMO) was a role player on a very good team. He was effective and had a decent shot but he was not nearly the player as Ewing. Also I'm still not sold On Walton. I know he was a great college player and good before his injuries but I think I still would have taken Ewing over him.
I hate also myself for mentioning Laimbeer but he was better than all except maybe Cowens on your list IMO. Sikma had some great years but but did he ever avg. 22 pts and 13 boards in one year or lead the league in rebounding? I will have to check it out. I know he had an awesome series against Big E in the finals though. Issel? I just don't see it. Divac? No way. Let it be known that I hate Laimbeer but you can't deny the impact he had on both ends of the floor. Will Yao Ming be the first center to have a better outside shot than Bill Laimbeer?
Laimbeer avg. 20 and 10 for his career. Led the NBA in rebounding one year. He dominated some games (play-offs) when games were on the line. I forgot what team he distroyed with his three point shooting in overtime one year. Best outside shot of any 7 footer to play the game.
man crash, I don't know what Bill Laimbeer you are talking about, be he never scored 20ppg in even one season, much less his career. His career was 12.9 and 9.7 He wasn't even the best 2 or 3 players at Notre Dame. All he was was a brute rebounder and spot up shooter. There was nothing special about him like Sikma and Issel. Divac runs the King's offense, pretty much.
Further, Lamebeer is not in the HOF. Issel is And he is the one who average 20/10 for his career. He ranked 4th in scoring on the combined ABA/NBA scoring list, later being passed by 3 more to be 7th now. The only argument against him is he played some PF as well. Sikma was 15.6 and 9.8 for his career and in the end he starting shooting 3s as well as Lamebeer. He had a 38% year on 200+ attempts.
sorry crash, but I obviously hate lamebeer more than you. You also left another HOFer off in Wes Unseld. He didn't score like Lamebeer, but he was one of only two players to be ROY and MVP in the same season, plus he was also a Finals MVP in 1978. He made the hall because he was a GREAT rebounder,,,and only 6'7. He averages 14.0 rpg for his career.
He did lead the league in 85-86 (I think) with 13 per. However, in the two championship years his scoring went down from 13 & about 12.5 to 10 both years.
He was a great spot up shooter that defenses had to account for all the way back past the three point line. He definitely opened up the middle for Thomas. The point total is my mistake. The website I found his stats on was: http://www.basketzone.com/html/joueurs/l/laimbeer_bill.html They have the last stat listed as eval (what the hell is that) and I thought it was points. It is not even an American site but it was the first one I could find looking for his stats. Laimbeer was a very good rebounder and a physical defender ( yeah I thought he was dirty). The only time I ever watched the guy play was against the Rockets and in the play-offs and he was the best shooting big man I ever saw. Surely you saw him win play-off games with his outside shot. Maybe I just remember the play-off games where he seemed to drop three pointers like crazy or hit the open j from the free throw line. I hated Laimbeer but looking back I think he was very underrated. I just forgot about Wes Unseld. I knew Sikma had some great years in Seattle in the late 70’s and early 80’s but I did not know his career numbers were that good. O.K. so I’ll give you Sikma, Unseld and Issel but not Divac.
Uh, Ewing always worked hard... as a matter of fact, I consider him to be one of the top 3 sweating centers of all time. Maybe number one. Can anyone think of a center who sweat more? (I wish I had one of those little rockHEAD things with Ewing flinging sweat in all directions!)
Alonzo Mourning and Shaq are two recent centers that sweat quite a bit. Although Shaq's perspiration may be more of a result from carrying around all that weight...
