NBA 75th Anniversary Team

3,384 Views | 32 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by Enzo The Baker
Head Ninja In Charge
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AG


It's the NBA's 75th anniversary and they've commemorated it by giving us an updated list of greatest players of all-time (last one was in '97 with a top 50 list). I'll tell you right now, LOL.

Surprised that they're still/newly on the list:

- Anthony Davis
- Damian Lillard
- Robert Parish
- James Worthy
- Maybe Carmelo Anthony



Surprised that they're not on the list:

- Dwight Howard (three-time DPOY, I hate Dwight Howard but this is a shocking omission)
- Maybe Tracy McGrady
- Maybe Manu Ginobli
- Maybe Kyrie Irving
Enzo The Baker
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I don't think Davis or Lillard should have made it. A little recency bias. I also think Miller on the list is questionable. He's a little overrated IMO, especially when you look at his individual achievements.

To the snubs, I would say that Parker has the stats and individual achievements to be on the list before Manu. I think you can make an argument for Klay and Pau as well.
94chem
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Vince Carter

You shouldn't get on the list just for playing on some great teams. You should have to be an all-time great player. You shouldn't get on the list just for playing great when there were only 8 teams. The picks per era should be proportional to the number of teams in the league.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
Head Ninja In Charge
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Can't believe I forgot Vince Carter. Only 18 players have scored more points than him in league history. Greatest dunker of all-time.
Ulrich
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Apparently Klay Thompson is really bent out of shape about being left off the list and saying so publicly and repeatedly.

Bold move for someone with a whole eight seasons in the league and zero first or second team all-NBA appearances.
Enzo The Baker
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Yea. This is my gripe with Reggie. Peak was 3rd team All NBA (3 times). Plus no championships and one finals appearance. Although his reaction to making it was really great to see.

I think All NBA/All Defense should carry significantly more weight that All-Star appearances. All Star nods are just a popularity contest for 60% of the season.
Iowaggie
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Congrats to Dominique and Bob McAdoo for being added to 75th team after being left of 50th.
94chem
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Head Ninja In Charge said:

Can't believe I forgot Vince Carter. Only 18 players have scored more points than him in league history. Greatest dunker of all-time.


Leaving Vince off this team is like leaving Dominique off the 50th. No explanation. In addition, everything I've ever read about Vince is that he was a great teammate and citizen. I'm a Tar Heel, full disclosure, but sheesh. Guy is a legend.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
TheNotoriousP.I.P.
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Guys who should've dropped out no question:
-Lenny Wilkens
-Billy Cunningham
-Dave Bing

Guys who you can make a good argument should've dropped off
-Earl Monroe
-Pistol Pete
-Dave Debusschere
-James Worthy
-Robert Parish

Questionable Adds
-Damian Lillard
-Paul Pierce
-Reggie Miller
-Anthony Davis
-Carmelo Anthony

Guys I'm glad to see get their due
-Bob McAdoo
-Dennis Rodman

Indefensible snub
-Dwight Howard

Guys that have a good argument over some of the others included on this list imo
-Sidney Moncrief
-Tony Parker
-Pau Gasol
-Dikembe Mutombo
-Alonzo Mourning
-Tracy McGrady
-Manu Ginobili
-Vince Carter
-Alex English
-Dennis Johnson
-Grant Hill
-Joe Dumars
-David Thompson
-Artis Gilmore

Putting Lillard in ahead of Dwight is inexcusable.
Head Ninja In Charge
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At least Reggie was the far and away best player on his team. For years. Klay was never that. He's a top 93 player of all-time.
Enzo The Baker
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Dwight did not have the best reputation with teammates and other players around the league. I'm guessing he got snubbed by a lot of current/former players who voted.
AggieEP
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Full disclosure I'm a huge Reggie Miller fan, but I think he deserves to be on this list not because of his personal stats and achievements, which I agree make him questionable as a member of this list, but rather because he helped revolutionize the game of basketball.

Some of you might not believe me, but if you go look at the stats in the late 80s you'll see I'm right, he took 3 point shooting mainstream in a way that no lead scorer ever had before. During his era, 3 point shooters morphed from one dimensional role players who were only in the NBA for that one skill into multi dimensional stars. I give Reggie a lot of credit for this transition. He made it cool to shoot 3s and showed that it was a legitimate way to go head to head with Jordan's Bulls.

If Reggie played in this current era with no hand checking he'd average 25 to 30 a game and shoot 10 3s a game like Steph does and this wouldn't be an argument.
Enzo The Baker
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AG
Top 75 player putting non-Top 75 player in their place.
MookieBlaylock
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AG
Enzo The Baker said:

Top 75 player putting non-Top 75 player in their place.



Doris with the amazing commentary
TXAG 05
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AG
Ulrich said:

Apparently Klay Thompson is really bent out of shape about being left off the list and saying so publicly and repeatedly.

Bold move for someone with a whole eight seasons in the league and zero first or second team all-NBA appearances.


Can't stand that guy.
Iowaggie
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AG
Ulrich said:

Apparently Klay Thompson is really bent out of shape about being left off the list and saying so publicly and repeatedly.

Bold move for someone with a whole eight seasons in the league and zero first or second team all-NBA appearances.


So apparently, someone (Steph?) got Klay an honorary #77 jersey to mockingly honor him, and Klay played along.

https://instagr.am/p/CVbDzzMM2_p
Kellso
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Ulrich said:

Apparently Klay Thompson is really bent out of shape about being left off the list and saying so publicly and repeatedly.

Bold move for someone with a whole eight seasons in the league and zero first or second team all-NBA appearances.
Klay Thompson is a BAD MOFO, and probably one of the top 5 (definitely top 10) shooters of all time.
He's also an above average to elite perimeter defender.

If Thompson had played the last two years I think he would have made this list easily.
Ulrich
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I don't want to reduce it to counting stats, but Klay Thompson is somewhere outside the top 250 scorers in NBA history. That's as far as the list on basket reference goes so I'm not sure exactly where he lands.

110 players have a first team all-NBA selection. 98 additional guys have a second team selection. Klay is not on either list.

Thompson is a really good player, but there have been a LOT of really good players in the history of the NBA. I think there's some recency/availability bias at work to put Thompson in the top 75 over so many other guys. Those stats imply that he's in the 200s which seems too low, probably more like 100-125.
Ulrich
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Also, my comment was at least as much noting that it's not a very graceful move to publicly rant about being left off of a ranking list. Especially when it's not like he's a historically great player like a Magic or Hakeem, has a fairly weak resume on paper, and a few years left to play anyway.
Iowaggie
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I agree about Klay not being on.

Guys I'd have before him: Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Mutumbo, McGrady, Penny, Yao, and Tony Parker. I'm not saying those guys should be on, but there's a few guys in front of him. Honestly, even older players like Joe Fulks or Tommy Heinsohn or 8-10 older players are ahead of Klay
Kellso
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Ulrich said:

I don't want to reduce it to counting stats, but Klay Thompson is somewhere outside the top 250 scorers in NBA history. That's as far as the list on basket reference goes so I'm not sure exactly where he lands.

110 players have a first team all-NBA selection. 98 additional guys have a second team selection. Klay is not on either list.

Thompson is a really good player, but there have been a LOT of really good players in the history of the NBA. I think there's some recency/availability bias at work to put Thompson in the top 75 over so many other guys. Those stats imply that he's in the 200s which seems too low, probably more like 100-125.
Well...you are.
Defense also counts.

Klay Thompson has sacrificed his stats into being one of the key cogs on a dynastic basketball team.
He's also a great defensive player in addition to being an incredible shooter.

He once scored 37 points in a single quarter. There is no doubt in my mind he could average 25-30 each night if he wanted to....but I don't think the Warriors would be anywhere as good.
Ulrich
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Kellso said:

Ulrich said:

I don't want to reduce it to counting stats, but Klay Thompson is somewhere outside the top 250 scorers in NBA history. That's as far as the list on basket reference goes so I'm not sure exactly where he lands.

110 players have a first team all-NBA selection. 98 additional guys have a second team selection. Klay is not on either list.

Thompson is a really good player, but there have been a LOT of really good players in the history of the NBA. I think there's some recency/availability bias at work to put Thompson in the top 75 over so many other guys. Those stats imply that he's in the 200s which seems too low, probably more like 100-125.
Well...you are.
Defense also counts.

Klay Thompson has sacrificed his stats into being one of the key cogs on a dynastic basketball team.
He's also a great defensive player in addition to being an incredible shooter.

He once scored 37 points in a single quarter. There is no doubt in my mind he could average 25-30 each night if he wanted to....but I don't think the Warriors would be anywhere as good.

By the time his career is over, he will probably have earned a spot on the 100 players / 100 years list. That's very impressive for someone who, nearing the end of his physical peak, has never been considered a top ten all-around player by the panel.
NoahAg
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It would have been more interesting had they just done another top 50 ranking.
Let's go, Brandon!
Kellso
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Ulrich said:

Kellso said:

Ulrich said:

I don't want to reduce it to counting stats, but Klay Thompson is somewhere outside the top 250 scorers in NBA history. That's as far as the list on basket reference goes so I'm not sure exactly where he lands.

110 players have a first team all-NBA selection. 98 additional guys have a second team selection. Klay is not on either list.

Thompson is a really good player, but there have been a LOT of really good players in the history of the NBA. I think there's some recency/availability bias at work to put Thompson in the top 75 over so many other guys. Those stats imply that he's in the 200s which seems too low, probably more like 100-125.
Well...you are.
Defense also counts.

Klay Thompson has sacrificed his stats into being one of the key cogs on a dynastic basketball team.
He's also a great defensive player in addition to being an incredible shooter.

He once scored 37 points in a single quarter. There is no doubt in my mind he could average 25-30 each night if he wanted to....but I don't think the Warriors would be anywhere as good.

By the time his career is over, he will probably have earned a spot on the 100 players / 100 years list. That's very impressive for someone who, nearing the end of his physical peak, has never been considered a top ten all-around player by the panel.
I'll admit. Im a fan of Klay Thompson.

He is the most badass shooter I've ever seen in person. That ball comes out his hand like a missile and the ball goes through the net with force.

I compare Thompson to Troy Aikman. Troy had the arm talent to put up fantastic numbers (like a Dan Marino, or Brett Favre) but he sacrificed his stats because the 1990's Cowboys offense was based off of being a dominant rushing team which led to 3 Super Bowls.

We are at a point now (20 years later) where you have people looking back and seeing Aikman's less than stellar stats and trying to state that he was overrated, or that any above average quarterback would have accomplished the same thing.
The stats don't take into account Aikman decision making, or other intangibles.

The main criticism I see of Klay Thompson is that he is just a spot up shooter with average regular season offensive stats.
Its my opinion that Klay could easily show more offensive variety and average 25-30/night if he was not tasked with also being the Warriors main perimeter defender.

This comes from watching Klay once score 37 in a quarter, and having another game where he scored 60 in 3 quarters. The highlights of each of those games (along with Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals when he hit 11 threes) are UNBELIEVABLE.

There are a minuscule amount of players in the history of the NBA that could ever do something like that
Unlike Steph Curry....Klay is elite on both sides of the floor.
Iowaggie
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AG
Klay maybe has sacrificed stats, but he also has been blessed to play next to one of the greatest shooters of all time.

Ultimately though, he has zero first team All-NBA, 0 second-team All-NBA, and 2 third team All-NBA. Maybe if he had been on another team he could have had a career like Bernard King, an incredible scorer considered one of the great scorers on not the best of teams until injuries killed his career.
Kellso
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Iowaggie said:

Klay maybe has sacrificed stats, but he also has been blessed to play next to one of the greatest shooters of all time.

Ultimately though, he has zero first team All-NBA, 0 second-team All-NBA, and 2 third team All-NBA. Maybe if he had been on another team he could have had a career like Bernard King, an incredible scorer considered one of the great scorers on not the best of teams until injuries killed his career.
You could also state that Steph Curry has been blessed to play with one of the greatest shooters of all time, that is also a great perimeter defender.

Golden St/Curry hasn't done too much the last two years without Klay Thompson.
Iowaggie
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AG
Kellso said:

Iowaggie said:

Klay maybe has sacrificed stats, but he also has been blessed to play next to one of the greatest shooters of all time.

Ultimately though, he has zero first team All-NBA, 0 second-team All-NBA, and 2 third team All-NBA. Maybe if he had been on another team he could have had a career like Bernard King, an incredible scorer considered one of the great scorers on not the best of teams until injuries killed his career.
You could also state that Steph Curry has been blessed to play with one of the greatest shooters of all time, that is also a great perimeter defender.

Golden St/Curry hasn't done too much the last two years without Klay Thompson.

Of course Golden State is better when both are healthy, but to say Curry hasn't done much the last two years without Klay is a big reach.

Steph played only 5 games in 19-20.
And last year, I guess Steph didn't do much except get 3rd in MVP voting and 1st team All-NBA trailing only Giannis and Jokic in voting

And now with a healthier roster, the team is on pace to win 70 games this season. Steph only trails KD in ppg, leads league in 3 pointers made while 14th in APG. Of course, this is not even 20% of the way through the season and nobody expects the team to maintain a 70 win pace, but I think it is worth noting what Steph and the team has done so far this year.
Kellso
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Iowaggie said:

Kellso said:

Iowaggie said:

Klay maybe has sacrificed stats, but he also has been blessed to play next to one of the greatest shooters of all time.

Ultimately though, he has zero first team All-NBA, 0 second-team All-NBA, and 2 third team All-NBA. Maybe if he had been on another team he could have had a career like Bernard King, an incredible scorer considered one of the great scorers on not the best of teams until injuries killed his career.
You could also state that Steph Curry has been blessed to play with one of the greatest shooters of all time, that is also a great perimeter defender.

Golden St/Curry hasn't done too much the last two years without Klay Thompson.

Of course Golden State is better when both are healthy, but to say Curry hasn't done much the last two years without Klay is a big reach.

Steph played only 5 games in 19-20.
And last year, I guess Steph didn't do much except get 3rd in MVP voting and 1st team All-NBA trailing only Giannis and Jokic in voting


And now with a healthier roster, the team is on pace to win 70 games this season. Steph only trails KD in ppg, leads league in 3 pointers made while 14th in APG. Of course, this is not even 20% of the way through the season and nobody expects the team to maintain a 70 win pace, but I think it is worth noting what Steph and the team has done so far this year.



There is no doubt in my mind that Klay Thomson could do what Curry did last year....which is score a lot of points on a team that is not very good. He once scored 60 points in just 3 quarters.

How did Steph Curry do in the post season last year without Klay?

Oh snap...they didn't make the playoffs.
The Warriors have not made the playoffs without Klay Thompson.

Step Curry hasn't experienced any team success without Klay Thompson and vice versa. You seem to be glossing over Thompson's superior defensive abilities. Its not just his shooting ability that makes him an amazing player.

Golden St having all these players that could play on each side of the floor is what made them so great.
Its Klay Thompson that is typically tasked with guard the opposing teams best perimeter offensive player because of his 6-7 size and athleticism.

Steph Curry does not have to expend that level of energy on defense.
How many playoff series has Steph Curry won without Klay Thompson?

Both of them have been a boon for each others career.....not just Klay Thompson.
Head Ninja In Charge
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AG
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33297498/the-nba-75th-anniversary-team-ranked-where-76-basketball-legends-check-our-list

ESPN actually created a rank order. Shaq and Hakeem are outside of the top ten. LOL.
BMX Bandit
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Head Ninja In Charge said:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33297498/the-nba-75th-anniversary-team-ranked-where-76-basketball-legends-check-our-list

ESPN actually created a rank order. Shaq and Hakeem are outside of the top ten. LOL.


Which two you taking out?
NoahAg
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BMX Bandit said:

Head Ninja In Charge said:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33297498/the-nba-75th-anniversary-team-ranked-where-76-basketball-legends-check-our-list

ESPN actually created a rank order. Shaq and Hakeem are outside of the top ten. LOL.


Which two you taking out?

Tim Duncan
Let's go, Brandon!
BMX Bandit
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That's 1. Still leaves one of them out of top 10
Enzo The Baker
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AG
NoahAg said:

BMX Bandit said:

Head Ninja In Charge said:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33297498/the-nba-75th-anniversary-team-ranked-where-76-basketball-legends-check-our-list

ESPN actually created a rank order. Shaq and Hakeem are outside of the top ten. LOL.


Which two you taking out?

Tim Duncan
LOLz The Spurs hate is real.
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