Need To Argue wrote:Wow, there's a lot of guys I wouldn't put in my top 300, let alone 100. I don't think I'll use a write-in, but I think we're missing the boat on guys like Reed, Pistol, Tiny, Bing, Greer, Lenny Wilkens, Pearl, Moncrief, Haywood, Dumars, King, Thompson, Hawkins, Fulks, Pollard, Gus Johnson, Gallatin, Goodrich, Pollard and it keeps going. There are guys on the choice list who wouldn't make the team with all these other guys I just mentioned. The Boozer's, Marion's, Odom's, Kirilenko's, Baron Davis's of the world seem more ordinary to me. I have Herb Williams at #348 and he would probably be in the middle of those guys.
There is some mention of defensive players like Rodman and Ben Wallace who were both strong defenders, but when it is a center who is a great defender with limited offensive skills we don't consider them great. Think of Tree Rollins and Mark Eaton. Neither is considered a great center (yes you haven't added a few truly great ones), but their teams could freelance a lot because of them. Dominique was average to below defensively, but Rollins made it easy for him. Eaton was the key to those Utah teams and covered for a lot of his teammates. Point being Rodman and Wallace belong with these two and guys like Silas and Oakley which are all still better than Boozer, Marion, Odom, Davis and Kirilenko (as are a hundred or more other guys).
So how about great defensive players who also had some solid offensive skills like Moncrief and Dumars?
Not sure why there is a lack of support for the 50's, 60's and 70's guys, but Moncrief is someone I'd take over guys already in like Payton, Miller, Drexler, Wade (probably).
Know what make Moncrief my write-in.
Well it's done on careers so you're going to have to pick your battles with the older players.
Reed is hurt by the fact he had only five really good years (note Frazier has now long been in, in significant part because he played well for longer, its not just an era thing).
Pistol, Bing, Pearl, Thompson and Goodrich. How many lived up to their potential. I won't break them down one by one but either they
a) missed too many shots
b) turned the ball over too often
c) didn't maintain their peak performance or stay particularly close to it for various reasons (including injuries, coke etc)
d) were never
that good anyway (thinking maybe Goodrich here)
e) weren't noted stoppers
Didn't Paul Westphal (a less glamorous name) have a better career than all of them?
How long was Haywood a notably good player in the NBA? Five years? He was hardly special in New York. His percentages in his prime are very poor for a big man (though perhaps not too much more so than Elvin Hayes, who I feel got in too early). I could keep going. Not that these guys weren't good or won't be coming up. But there's a reason that nobody's writing them in yet.
Of those you mentioned Wilkens (2nd best pg of 60s), Tiny (2nd best pg 70s), Moncrief (best primarily 80s SG, better advanced metrics than most of your 70s SGs, more efficient and also a way better defender) are among the stronger canidates to be in soon. King and Thompson's peaks might be strong enough for them to garner some support now. Dumars' D (awesome for an SG) might be good enough that people will overlook his pedestrain numbers too. You could target Fulks (and he might stand a chance, being a better "name" than Davies, Feerick et al) but I've mentioned the problems for older era players. Fulks might be a poor early era target from a strictly metrics POV. In his last three years they suggest he was sub-replacement level (PER) or even costing his team games (WS/48). That said his peak looks strong though the limited metrics available (WS) prefer Feerick. Gallatin looks strong by the metrics but could suffer from playing in the shadow of Schayes and Pettit (as such he and Mikkelsen are fighting for 3rd best 50s PF) and the perception that it was a weak era.
I would say the players available does skew somewhat modern. But ...
1) This seems to be a shortlisting phase so there should be a fair amount of flexibility yet
and
2) It's only a suggested board. Some of those you don't think belong haven't been racking up votes and will be on the board for a while.
IMO Davis won't get votes for a while yet. Too inefficient (not unlike the the above 70s SGs). Odom was probably too unexceptional to get consideration for votes yet too.