Dell's Pointless List - Greatest NBA Centers

[Onez]

They'd have to miss a lot of shots for Wilt to average about 23 rebounds per game...

[dell71]

I guess your lists don't into account the skill of players in their eras. Wilt would definitely not be number one, that would be either Kareem or Shaq.

Athletes are a constantly evolving species. We can say what Wilt would've or wouldn't have been if he played today (Shaq if he played back then) but we don't have any way of really knowing. All we have to go on is what they actually did. That's the reason I believe very heavily in comparing guys based on what they did against their peers. In that regard, Wilt Chamberlain is the most dominant center to ever play the game. I can't penalize him for being better than everyone he played against.

Wilt played against a bunch of white guys who averaged 6'6" at the center position. If someone had Amare Stoudemire's skill today, they could do what Wilt did back then. Guys like Shaq, Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Ewing dominated the center position when that position was at its best in the history of the NBA.

This is the great mythical argument against Wilt. True, he was bigger than everyone he faced but not by nearly the margin everyone says. During his rookie season, there was no starting center in the NBA under 6'8" and all but 2 went 6'9" or taller. And they weren't all white. When his last season rolled around, the league had doubled in size over the course of his career and most teams ran out a center who stood 6'10" or better and Wilt was no longer the tallest player in the league. That distinction belonged to Kareem. Oh, and they were mostly black. Despite the increasing size and ethnicity of his opponents and his advancing age (36) he still led the league in field goal % at a still unheard of 73% and rebounding at 18.6 per game.

Let's not also forget, at 7'1" and 275 lbs. (in his prime, he was actually around 300 when he retired) Wilt is still bigger than just about every center in the game today. A few guys are taller but only Shaq matches him in height and width (and skill). Wilt was no joke athletically, either. He was no big lumbering hulk. As a track athlete he competed in the high-jump, broad jump, shot put, ran the 440 and 880 and played pro-volleyball AFTER he retired from the NBA. I love Stoudemire and don't doubt he'd be a beast back then but saying Wilt could be no better than that now is insulting.

But, like I said we've no proof of either so I can only go on what he actually did which was dominate the game like no other player ever had.

[Senser81]

I guess your lists don't into account the skill of players in their eras. Wilt would definitely not be number one, that would be either Kareem or Shaq.

Wilt played against a bunch of white guys who averaged 6'6" at the center position. If someone had Amare Stoudemire's skill today, they could do what Wilt did back then. Guys like Shaq, Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Ewing dominated the center position when that position was at its best in the history of the NBA.

Yeah, who wouldn't have Patrick Ewing above Wilt Chamberlain? I mean, when I think of dominant players in NBA history...Patrick Ewing immediately comes to mind. He had a great all-around game....barf!

Ewing was a productive player who had a nice NBA career, but guys like Malone, Walton, Lanier, and Gilmore were more dominant in their heydey. Even Bill Cartwright was more dominant than Ewing before he got hurt. Ewing was never really a dominant player. Robinson had a couple nice seasons, then he became merely 'good', then he became Tim Duncan's caddie. I have no idea how anyone could put Ewing and Robinson in the same paragraph as Wilt Chamberlain.

[dell71]

Yeah, who wouldn't have Patrick Ewing above Wilt Chamberlain? I mean, when I think of dominant players in NBA history...Patrick Ewing immediately comes to mind. He had a great all-around game....barf!

Ewing was a productive player who had a nice NBA career, but guys like Malone, Walton, Lanier, and Gilmore were more dominant in their heydey. Even Bill Cartwright was more dominant than Ewing before he got hurt. Ewing was never really a dominant player. Robinson had a couple nice seasons, then he became merely 'good', then he became Tim Duncan's caddie. I have no idea how anyone could put Ewing and Robinson in the same paragraph as Wilt Chamberlain.

Eeeaaaasssssyyyy....let's not get carried away.

[Senser81]

Eeeaaaasssssyyyy....let's not get carried away.

You must not remember Cartwright playing on the Knicks. He was great at San Francisco, was one of the top picks of the draft, and was dominant in his first two seasons before he got hurt. He was a consistent 20-10 guy who shot 55% from the field and had a great basketball sense. He also shot nearly 80% from the line, which is great for a 7-1 player. Cartwright had a better all-around game than Ewing in his prime.

[dell71]

You must not remember Cartwright playing on the Knicks. He was great at San Francisco, was one of the top picks of the draft, and was dominant in his first two seasons before he got hurt. He was a consistent 20-10 guy who shot 55% from the field and had a great basketball sense. He also shot nearly 80% from the line, which is great for a 7-1 player. Cartwright had a better all-around game than Ewing in his prime.

I remember Cartwright as a Knick very well. He was a solid player but never as dominant as Ewing. Yeah, his shooting percentages were nice but he wasn't nearly the defensive presence. However before he got traded to Chicago, us Knicks fans were definitely hoping we'd have a nice set of twin towers for years to come.

To put it statistically, Pat's career averages are 21, 10 & 2.4 blocks. Throughout his career he was among the 3 best centers in the league and many consider him the best player in the history of the franchise. Only Cartwright's rookie season, maybe first 2 seasons, is comparable. Saying he was a consistent 20-10 is stretching it. Cartwright's five seasons before his knee injury (to the best of my knowledge, he got hurt in '84):

Season        PPG      RPG            BPG
79-80        21.7        8.9         1.2
80-81        20.1        7.5         1.0
81-82        14.4        5.8         0.9
82-83        15.7        7.2         1.5
83-84        17.0        8.4         1.3

Patrick also averaged more assists and steals than Cartwright so I can't translate having a better fg% and ft% into having a better all around game. At his best, Cartwright was a nice player but he was no Patrick Ewing.

[Senser81]

I didn't realize Ewing's stats were so impressive. I just don't remember him having a strong offensive game or really being a team leader. But, he was very productive.

[dell71]

Bumped cuz I'm completing the set.

[Liquidrob]

I read on another thread that Scottie Pippen can play any position, so he should be on the list of greatest centers in NBA history...

[dell71]

I read something a while back that didn't believe WIlt was 7'1, their was skeptical saying that he was 7'3 or 7'4. And not to mention, how used to dunk on his free throws, off of two feet. They had to change the rules because of him, Wilt is clearly number 1.

Yeah, I've heard the stories about him dunking his free throws. I would loved to have seen that. Never heard the 7'3" thing, though.

[dell71]

poor patrick ewing.... smh

Why poor Ewing?

[FirstTimer]

Bumping this in honor of the Shaq retirement