Most Dominant Centers in History - Updated Rankings

JayZ,

I like your thinking and pretty much agree with your list. If Shaq wins another ring or two, I think hell be placed slightly ahead of Hakeem.

Russell might be too low. I agree with the arguement that he played with alot of talent and was not a beast offensively. However, I don't think you can penalize him too much for that.

1) Wilt
2) Kareem
3) Hakeem/Russell (tie)
5) Shaq
6) Robinson
7) Ewing

Nate thurmond heads up the next tier IMO.

 

6. Mantu Bol Changed the game forever.

 

Mikan, Wilt and Shaq are the three MDCs of all time. Only Wilt with Russell had 'a peer'. That is why those three stand HEAD and SHOULDERS above all the rest.

Hakeem was GREAT, but always had Kareem or David or Patrick to help balance the scales.

The best ever could have been Walton, 'if' 'if' 'if' the Big Deadhead had normal feet. He was something else.

 

How is it that Moses Malone won three League MVP's and a finals MVP all during Kareem's prime and also outplayed Kareem in the play-offs when he was with Houston and Philly yet he gets no love on a Rockets fan board?

Wilt - most dominat from the late 50's and all through the 60's

Kareem - most dominate from the early to mid 70's

Moses - most dominate from the late 70's to the early 80's

Hakeem - most dominate from mid 80's to mid 90's

Shaq - most dominate from the mid 90's to the present

Those are my top five in chronological order. A sixth would be George Mikan because he is the only other center that can ever say he was the most dominant during his era or any time during his career.

 

my list

1. wilt
2. kareem
3. olajuwon
4. russell
5. shaq
6. moses

man, i really miss watching hakeem play. how many of us on here grew up watching him?

basketball just isnt as exciting since he stop being his dominant self (1999).

 

Here is my order

1) Shaq (no one dominated like Shaq in the history of the game although some feel it's the ref's interpretation of the dislodging rule)
2) Wilt (statistics speak for themselves and simply his height at the time was just a mismatch)
3) Kareem (simply graceful but relied more on talent not as much on brute force and didn't dominate in the likes of Shaq and Wilt)
4) Russel (To many championships to deny even though he was on a team loaded with talent, plus he could defend wilt)
5) Hakeem (Out played Shaq when Hakeem was in his prime which means a lot)

 

There were other long, tall fellas in Wilt's day, as there are today. None could compete with him except 'shrimp' Russell.
Nate Thurmond, his former backup, gave Wilt a lot of trouble. Bellamy didn't.

 

That's pretty good. I'd be tempted to flip flop Wilt and Kareem, just because Kareem won more. I may also be tempted to flip flop Russell and Shaq for similiar reasons. I guess I am biased against Shaq's game. To me, his game is all brute strength. I've always liked the big guys with those great skills like Hakeem and Kareem that didn't just knock everybody over but used their feet and sweet moves in the post to shake free for unstoppable shots. I've just seen too much of Shaq putting his head down, laying the shoulder into the defender's chest, and hooking the defender around the kidneys, followed by the thunderous jam. To me, that is not pure basketball. The other guys represent a more highly skilled big man. Shaq is great, I'm not against him. I just don't think he quite compares with players like Wilt, Kareem, and Hakeem.

And Bill Russell was the all time winner. Dude just knew how to win. He's gotta be on the list.

My list would have Moses and Shaq dueling for the 5th spot.

 

1. Wilt - most dominant ever, has to be #1 by default i think

2. kareem - don't really ever get to see tape of anything he did pre-Showtime. i figure having 6 mvp's means he must've been a badass along with having the scoring and blocked shots records when he retired. only won one ring though sans Magic (right?) so that kind of hurts him.

3. hakeem - best defensive player ever (or tied with russell at worst) and an offensive master in his prime. dominated on O with athleticism early and then with agility the likes of which no one has ever seen in a 7 footer, and probably never will. put it all together along with single-handedly winning a title and he's #3. if he had command of the english language and got to play in LA/NY (and with the likes of penny and kobe), he would be worshipped and praised like shaq is, but alas, it worked out for the best for all of us.

4. shaq - since wilt never played as physically as shaq, shaq is the most dominating player ever in terms of style of play. the lack of offensive foul and 3 second calls have made him even more dominating (as all the calls helped jordan look better than he was). unstoppable on offense and relentless as well, but has never really put the effort into D and been the force he could have been (he was still a force) with his amazing agility for a man his size. has 3 rings, but needed another top 5 player to do it. hakeem takes the edge and puts shaq 4th.

5. russell - i guess. dude shot 44% (43?) for his career. that's pathetic for a center, much less a center who played when he did. he didn't ever have to carry a team offensively which is huge. he was an amazing defensive player and rebounder and for sure was the centerpiece of the celtics amazing run, but shooting 44% and not having to carry a team on offense can't be overcome no matter how many titles you win with other great players.

 

It's going to happen sooner or later.
Yo Ming - 2004 to 2015 =P

 

Check out Hakeem and make the case.

#7 in scoring,#11 in rebs,#6in steals and #1 in blks. How can he not be the greatest of all time or at least top 3 or 4?

 

My question:

Does having good peers help or hurt a dominating player's status?

 

Dream, for three reasons:

1. Take any of the other top centers in their prime and prime Dream can guard them by himself... no double teams needed, even with Shaq or Wilt.

1a. Steals
1b. Blocked shots

2. Take prime Dream and he demands a double team regardless of who is guarding him.

3. Prime Dream beats every one of these guys down the court in transition.

Rebounding is skewed towards Wilt and Russell because of the period, but does anyone doubt that if Dream played in their era he wouldn't have averaged 20-25?

 

David Robinson, of course

sincerely,
go_spurs_goooooooo

 

Not when they dominate them on national TV the way Dream dominated Robinson. IMO having other great centers in a players era only helps their status when they consistantly out play them the way Dream did.

 

Solid defensive player? Do you realize that half the time Jabbar never even crossed half court to play defense?

Russell played 7 LESS seasons than Jabbar, yet Russell had 4,000 more Rebounds

Russell and Wilt are 1 and 2, Jabbar, Moses and Hakeem are 3,4 and 5.

If Shaq is so dominating why has he won only 1 MVP award?

 

Well...the most dominant center in 2006 will be Yao Ming.

 

Ben Wallace?

Uh, what about a players mind? Does that count?

 

1) Wilt
2) Kareem
3) Shaq
4) Russell
5) Hakeem
6) Ewing
7) Robinson