Today I embark on my mission to rank the top five players at every position in the game of basketball starting from the Point guards and ending with the Centers. I got one of my buddies, Brian aka 2up3down.blogspot.com/thebriantrust.tumblr.com, to do these rankings with me. Make sure you check out his list after mine.
Before I listed the players and gave my reasons for my list I felt it was important to give each player a grade so that readers would have a bit of an idea of what the players’ strengths and weakness were. However, I decided that each player is too diverse and complicated to give one grade so I thought it would be best to grade each part of their game. Thus, I created a grading system that consisted of 5 categories; each category would receive a letter grade. The categories are offense ability (O), one on one defender (D), Teamwork (TW), winning (W), and character (C). When I was explaining this grading system to my friend Paul he seemed skeptical about “character” being a category for two reasons. One, he did not know if a fan could know enough about a player’s personality without really knowing the player personally. Two, he did not know how much that mattered. Great points! Counterarguments: First, I have done extensive research and studied on the game of basketball and the players who have played it for the entirety of my life. As a result, I do not know anyone personally who knows more about the game than me. I have read every basketball book and watched every basketball tape I could get my hands on since I was nine. So let’s be honest folks, would I really be writing all of this unless I really cared about people forming correct opinions about basketball’s greatest players? In other words, you are going to have to trust me![i] Secondly, we all have heard a high school coach say that famous cliché (usually when his team is fed up with the school’s superstar basketball player), “You don’t gotta like the guy, you just gotta play with him!![ii]” See, the thing about clichés is that they are almost never true. Kind of like my favorite cliché, “You can do anything if you set your mind to it.” It sounds right; you want it to be right, but in reality it does not work that way. My entire life I have wanted to play in the NBA. For about eight years I set my mind to it, and then I turned seventeen. I was 5”10’ (and still am to this day), 135-140 lbs (I’m about 150 lbs now), and might have had a 22 inch vertical leap at my apex (don’t ask)[iii]. In short it was not going to happen; my brain simply was not “athletic” enough to carry me to the NBA. Likewise, players that cannot find common ground cannot win and if they do it will not last long. This is proven by Ricky Barry and the warriors, also by Wilt and every single team he played on! Shaq and Kobe gave up 2 or 3 guaranteed titles just so they did not have to play with one another[iv]. In theory you do not have to like your teammates, but in reality, unequivocally, you do. Now, time to get to the business end of this article. I will to try my best not to be biased and give fair rankings[v], promise. Here we go!
5. John Stockton: (Back-to-back Finals appearances & All-Time leader in assists)
O D TW W C
A C A+ B+ A-
4. Bob Cousy: (1957 NBA MVP & 6 rings)
O D TW W C
A B A+ A+ A
The fifth and fourth point guards on my list are a bit more similar than people seem to believe. Both guards were small in stature (6”2’ give or take an inch), both had a good shot (with an edge to Stockton), both were great passer(s), both were clutch and quiet leaders. Also, both players played second fiddle to hall of fame big men, who were the true alpha of their teams. Not to mention their career averages weren’t that far off as well (Stockton’s career stats: 13.1 pts and 10.5 ast) (Cousy’s stat line: 18.4 pts and 7.5 ast). Their differences are few. Stockton was a pass first point, because he had Karl Malone to do most of the team’s scoring. Cousy was more of a shoot first guard because his best teammate, Bill Russel, was more of a defensive minded player. Stockton was a far more efficient scorer (52% FG) than Cousy (38% FG), but that is because Cousy took more shots. Cousy is seen as a better defender but that is because he never had to guard the likes of Isaiah Thomas, Tim Hardaway, Kevin Johnson and all the other super athletic point guards that torched Stockton. So are you asking yourself how did I come to the conclusion to pick Cousy over Stockton, yet? There are two reasons. The first being Cousy’s innovation at the point guard position. Cousy created the template that most points have and will follow from now on. He was firs to use his ball handling skills to create offense for his team[vi] and threw difficult “unsafe[vii]” passes that no one else attempted. The second, and most important, is winning. Although Stockton was helped carry a Jazz team to two back-to-back title appearances in the late ‘90s, they fell short both times. Bob Cousy won six titles in his time with the Celtics, and in the end that was the only stat that ever really mattered.
3. Isaiah Thomas: (‘90s Finals MVP & 2 rings)
O D TW W C
A B+ A+ A+ A
The original bad boy was simply one of the best. He averaged just about 20 points and 9 assists for his career (regular season and playoffs). He was the leader of one of the toughest, most physical, and most intimidating teams that the NBA has ever seen[viii]. Zeke won two back-to-back titles with the Piston (’89 and ’90[ix]) and was the 1990 Finals MVP. He was a good defender and excellent scorer but also a skilled willing passer. He led his Pistons team into war every game and his teammates loved him for it[x]. However what I feel is most impressive of Isaiah was his understanding of the game as a player. In The Book of Basketball, Bill Simmons writes of a time where Isaiah explained to him “the secret of basketball.” Zeke told Simmons that basketball really isn’t about the game itself but about five men working together to accomplish a similar goal. Truly beautiful, don’t you think? But now are you questioning why Zeke isn’t higher on my list? The reason stems from his one flaw that really isn’t a flaw at all. Isaiah was not a transcendent player. In fact, when I first sat down to come up with this list I completely forgot about Isaiah altogether! To be fair part of the reason I forgot him was I wasn’t born when he was in his prime, but I did think of Bob Cousy and no one reading this article was born in his prime! He was a great player, no one can argue that, but what you can argue is that he was simply a more athletic combination of the fourth and fifth point guard of this list. He was score first point (like Cousy) that made all the right passes at the right times (like Stockton). Although it may seem like I am down playing his game, it’s the truth. Also, his time in NBA front offices (mostly all train wrecks) have hurt his legacy unfairly[xi]. But still to be third on this list is saying a lot, and I am sure Isaiah knows that as well.
2. Oscar Robertson: (Only player to average triple double, 1964 NBA MVP & one ring)
O D TW W C
A+ B+ B A C+
The Big O was light-years ahead of his time. He was a 6’5” 220 pound point guard at a time when that was the greater than some of the power forwards in the league. Oscar was the first true stat stuffer; he was good at just about everything[xii]. Oscar is most known for his years in Cincinnati when he won the 1964 NBA MVP and averaged a triple double (30.8 pts, 11.4 ast, 12.5 reb, FG 49%, FT 80 %) in the 1961-62 season. (Nasty!) For his career he averaged 25.7 points, 9.5 assists, 7.5 rebounds. He led forgettable Royals teams to conference and NBA finals and eventually won his only ring with Milwaukee. In his prime, Oscar was too big, too strong, and too athletic for opposing point guards to handle. Although that may seem like a crowning achieve for most resumes, it actually serves as the best agreement to make Oscar second on this list instead of first. Yes, Oscar was too big, strong, and athletic for his opposition but that has just as much to do with the league as it did him. In the 1960s, for the most part, was still a smaller man’s league and was played below the rim. Today 6’4” 6’5” are average height for point guards. Back then, he was straight out of a folk tale. In other words, he sort of had an unfair advantage on the competition. If you dropped Oscar in the 80s, 90s, or today he would not have come close to the numbers he did in the 1960s. Another argument against Oscar is that he could not be the best player on his team to win a championship. Despite being a man amongst boys, he only won one ring and that was with a young Kareem Abdul-Jabar leading the way. Although I did state earlier that his supporting cast was never worth remembering, he still led them into the spring. And he might have one a ring in Cincinnati if it were not for his fatal flaw and the biggest difference between him and the guy ahead of him on this list. Oscar’s fatal flaw was his bitterness. Oscar was a great black athlete during a time when African Americans were not treated as equals. After Oscar had reached his breaking point, he escaped (mentally and emotionally) to a lonely place and never came back out. He played the game to win, and took out anyone who got in his way (including teammates). If Oscar might have been a bit more supportive or encouraging instead of forceful and demanding his teammates may have played a little harder for him. Maybe they want to see him win instead of take cheer in his/their defeat. Maybe they love him instead of despising him. I can’t say for sure, but for what it’s worth Oscar was great he just wasn’t the best.
1: Magic Johnson: (3 time NBA MVP, 3 time Finals MVP & 5 rings)
O D TW W C
A C+ A+ A+ A+
Magic Johnson was, in one word, magical. At 6’9” he towered over opposing point guards and was quicker than every forward in the league, no one could guard him. He commanded the game with such precision. He averaged 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, and 7.3 rebounds for his career. He could run a half court offense to perfection and ran the fast break better than everyone before and after. He was the key component in the creation of the “Showtime” Lakers in the 1980s. He took the no-look pass from an occasional sight and made it into his deadliest weapon. I mean, how do you defend a pass without having an idea of which way it’s going? You can’t, and that’s what made him so good. The only part about his game that over-shadowed his command of the offense was his versatility. Magic could rebound, pass, and score with the best of them. He also had the size and strength to play any position his team needed him too[xiii]. The two flaws in Magic’s game were his inconsistent jump shot and his one on one defense. However, he made up for his flaws with his valiant leadership and infectious charisma. Everyone loved Magic, partly for his charm but also for his unmistakable love for playing and winning. (He even made a stiff like Kareem fall in love with basketball and winning again). Basketball fans finally had a star that was easy to connect to. However, it may have been that charm that may have lead to his downfall[xiv]. Magic’s career was cut short due to his acquisition of HIV in 1991.[xv]. Nevertheless, he left basketball fans with great memories and hurtful defeats (Celtic fans). He forever changed the point guard position and the fast break offense. He (along with Bird) made America fall back in love with basketball, and is true ambassador for the game. Yet, the most amazing part of Magic is that he is an even greater man than he was a player. And we will always love him for that.
There’s my list; I know I will reassure some and infuriate others. Agree with it, critique it, but please comment on it! Honorable mentions: Gary Payton, Jason kidd, Steve nash, Mark Jackson, Denis Johnson, nate archibald, Tim Hardaway, and of course, Allen Iverson[xvi].
[ii] In my case we had two guys that weren’t always easy to like, Jared D. and Ramon G. Ramon ended up getting kicked off the team, moved to Florida, get his act together and plays Divison one basketball at South Carolina University. Jared (who the coaches choose to keep over Ramon) was 19 in the tenth grade with a son, and wasn’t eligible after his second year at my high school because of his age. He was supposed to get his GED and play for Texas A&M the following fall. It seemed like all was going to go well for him too; until the following fall, on my way home from school, I saw him on the subway. Well at least one made it, I guess.
[iii] Although I wasn’t the greatest leaper, I was extremely fast. I was supposed to run track and field; I would’ve been great at it. The only problem is I hate running just to run. When I did show up at the track I ran well because I can’t stand losing. However, doing that every day? It just wasn’t for me.
[iv] This was also true for my high school team. After Monnie was kicked off the team we were still able to reach the Philly high school final four and state championship tournament in ’07 and ’08. However both times we fell short of a championship because he didn’t have enough team chemistry.
[v] I am a Philly Guy and I love my city and our athletes’ waaay too much. Still, I am an even greater basketball fan than a Philadelphia fan, I think.
[vi] Up to that point the NBA was a boring “pass the ball a buzzillion times before someone takes a shot” league.
[vii] I put unsafe in quotations because the passes that were deemed unsafe and foolish in the ‘50s and ‘60s are passes that youngsters are learning to use today. Behind the back, no look, jumping in the air passes were all new then but fairly standard now
[viii] His ’89 Piston team was one of the greatest ever. They dethroned a Magic Lakers team and stop Jordan on the way to the Finals.
[ix] It probably would’ve been three if Isaiah wouldn’t have hurt his ankle in the ’88 Finals against the Lakers.
[x] Ironically Isaiah burned every bridge he had with guys who weren’t his teammates. Two most famous: Losing a Magic as a best-friend for questioning Magic’s sexuality, and Jordan hating him so much he forced Chuck Daily (Isaiah’s Piston coach) to keep Thomas off the Dream Team!
[xi] After his playing days, Zeke ruined the CBA and destroyed countless NBA rosters. His most famous incident was setting the Knicks back for about four years. Kind of makes you question how he could have ever been a great player. I like to call this the Mark Jackson syndrome.
[xii] His only skill flaw being an consistent long range jumper.
[xiii] In Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, Kareem was out with an injury; Magic started at center (and was recorded to have played ever other position as well). Magic finished the game with 42 pts, 15 reb, and 7 ast.
[xiv] And by this I mean getting to little toooo lucky with the ladies.
[xv] He made a short comeback in 1996 but only played a few months before retiring again.
[xvi] So what I’m biased? Sue me!
