The Hall of Fame is an achievement, and it's a fun exercise, at least for me, to think about players who deserve to be in and those who don't. Among retired players, there are obvious shoo-ins - guys like Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. There's no point talking about those players. Let's talk about some controversial players. We did a little bit of this on Episode 12 of The Crevice. You can check that out right here:
Chris Webber (1993-2008)
Stats: 17,182 PTS; 8,124 REB; 3,526 AST; 1,200 BLK; 1,200 STL
Accolades: ROY, 5x All-Star, 1 All-NBA 1st Team, 3 All-NBA 2nd Team, 1 All-NBA 3rd Team
BasketballReference HOF Probability: 14.6%
Let's do the first simple check - the "who's got these stats" check. There are 12 players in NBA history who have recorded more that 17,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 3,500 assists, 11 of whom are retired. All of those 11 are in the Hall of Fame. Granted, Webber is at the very bottom of that list, but it's a good baseline reference. Webber also missed a hell of a lot of games in his career. Imputing in his career averages for even 30% of the games he missed due to injury, his totals rise up to 20,000 points and 9,000 rebounds, almost assuring a Hall of Fame birth. Just remember, Ralph Sampson's in the Hall.
The Hall of Fame voters also take into account the impact of a player's career on the game itself. It's obvious that Webber's prominence on the Fab Five ushered in a new phase of basketball, paving the way for the likes of Allen Iverson and Isaiah Rider (yes, it's good and bad, but it's an important impact nonetheless). Sure, the lasting impression from his collegiate career is that ill-advised timeout against UNC, but the cultural impact he had on the game is seminal. Now, harken back to the early 2000s when the Kings were arguably one of the best three teams in the league. Webber's post-up passing and command of the high post was the reason that the NBA started transitioning to the motion offenses that today's Warriors have perfected. And the granddaddy of all considerations is Tim Donaghy. What if the Kings won the 2002 Western Conference Finals? I have no doubt that the Kings would have won the title if they made it, beating a particularly bad Nets team. I'm sure Webber would be assured a spot in Springfield if he had a title.
Shawn Marion (2000-2015)
Stats: 17,700 PTS; 10,101 REB; 2,198 AST; 1,233 BLK; 2,198 STL
Accolades: 4x All-Star, 2 All-NBA 3rd Team, 1x NBA Champion
BasketballReference HOF Probability: 75.6%
The eye test, or the "can we remember what he did" test, really fails Shawn Marion. I bet if I went to any NBA arena, other than in Phoenix or Dallas, and asked the average NBA fan if Marion is a HOFer, then less than 5 out of 10 will say yes; hell, I'm sure that 2 or 3 out of 10 of them wouldn't even know who Marion is. It's true that Marion was never better than the third best player on a championship-caliber team, and yes, if he were the best player on your team, you probably wouldn't make the playoffs. But if it weren't for Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Ron Artest, Shawn Marion would be on at least a few All-Defense teams. In retrospect, it's ludicrous that Marion never made an All-Defense team, over the likes of Tayshaun Prince and Larry Hughes.
But Marion was Draymond Green before Draymond Green was even in high school. He could guard all five positions, play in pick-and-roll situations, and despite the awkward shooting release, was a league-average floor spacer. Those mid-2000s Suns were amazing offensive teams, but their defense was kept afloat because of Marion's energy and defensive versatility. To put the cherry on top, he might have been the most important piece is shutting down LeBron in the 2011 NBA Finals. And, if that's not enough, he has one of the coolest nicknames in all of sports history.
Metta World Peace (2000-present)
Stats: 13,017 PTS; 4,435 REB; 2,624 AST; 522 BLK; 1,714 STL
Accolades: 1x DPOY, 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA 3rd Team, 2x All-Defense 1st Team, 2x All-Defense 2nd Team, 1x Champion, 1x Citizenship Award
BasketballReference HOF Probability: 0.4%
This one might be a little indefensible, just because of the counting stats. And I realize that World Peace is still active, but is he really? But for a stretch from 2002 to 2009, Ron Artest was one of the best five defensive players in the league. What Kawhi Leonard is doing to opposing wings in today's league, Artest did back then. His antics, to put them lightly, detract heavily from his total image, but his defense alone should carry him to the Hall of Fame. If offense-only players like Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin can make the Hall, why can't a primarily defensive-minded player make it too?
But on top of his defense, Artest developed into a solid scorer, never the best in the league, but he was easily capable of being the second option on a championship team. In fact, he was the second option on a championship-caliber team in Indiana, behind Jermaine O'Neal. He also needs to be lauded for his acceptance of his role on the Lakers championship team, an essential role in allowing the Lakers to circumvent Kobe's 6 for 24 performance in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals. His 2011 Citizenship Award also shouldn't be taken lightly, especially since the HOF voters take into account off-court performance. After years of inner turmoil, he was able to positively raise awareness of mental illness among athletes, removing a lot of the stigma behind it.
Rasheed Wallace (1996-2013)
Wallace deserves to be in Hall just for popularizing "ball don't lie." He doesn't even need any else on his résumé.
Chris Webber (1993-2008)
Stats: 17,182 PTS; 8,124 REB; 3,526 AST; 1,200 BLK; 1,200 STL
Accolades: ROY, 5x All-Star, 1 All-NBA 1st Team, 3 All-NBA 2nd Team, 1 All-NBA 3rd Team
BasketballReference HOF Probability: 14.6%
Let's do the first simple check - the "who's got these stats" check. There are 12 players in NBA history who have recorded more that 17,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 3,500 assists, 11 of whom are retired. All of those 11 are in the Hall of Fame. Granted, Webber is at the very bottom of that list, but it's a good baseline reference. Webber also missed a hell of a lot of games in his career. Imputing in his career averages for even 30% of the games he missed due to injury, his totals rise up to 20,000 points and 9,000 rebounds, almost assuring a Hall of Fame birth. Just remember, Ralph Sampson's in the Hall.
The Hall of Fame voters also take into account the impact of a player's career on the game itself. It's obvious that Webber's prominence on the Fab Five ushered in a new phase of basketball, paving the way for the likes of Allen Iverson and Isaiah Rider (yes, it's good and bad, but it's an important impact nonetheless). Sure, the lasting impression from his collegiate career is that ill-advised timeout against UNC, but the cultural impact he had on the game is seminal. Now, harken back to the early 2000s when the Kings were arguably one of the best three teams in the league. Webber's post-up passing and command of the high post was the reason that the NBA started transitioning to the motion offenses that today's Warriors have perfected. And the granddaddy of all considerations is Tim Donaghy. What if the Kings won the 2002 Western Conference Finals? I have no doubt that the Kings would have won the title if they made it, beating a particularly bad Nets team. I'm sure Webber would be assured a spot in Springfield if he had a title.
Shawn Marion (2000-2015)
Stats: 17,700 PTS; 10,101 REB; 2,198 AST; 1,233 BLK; 2,198 STL
Accolades: 4x All-Star, 2 All-NBA 3rd Team, 1x NBA Champion
BasketballReference HOF Probability: 75.6%
The eye test, or the "can we remember what he did" test, really fails Shawn Marion. I bet if I went to any NBA arena, other than in Phoenix or Dallas, and asked the average NBA fan if Marion is a HOFer, then less than 5 out of 10 will say yes; hell, I'm sure that 2 or 3 out of 10 of them wouldn't even know who Marion is. It's true that Marion was never better than the third best player on a championship-caliber team, and yes, if he were the best player on your team, you probably wouldn't make the playoffs. But if it weren't for Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Ron Artest, Shawn Marion would be on at least a few All-Defense teams. In retrospect, it's ludicrous that Marion never made an All-Defense team, over the likes of Tayshaun Prince and Larry Hughes.
But Marion was Draymond Green before Draymond Green was even in high school. He could guard all five positions, play in pick-and-roll situations, and despite the awkward shooting release, was a league-average floor spacer. Those mid-2000s Suns were amazing offensive teams, but their defense was kept afloat because of Marion's energy and defensive versatility. To put the cherry on top, he might have been the most important piece is shutting down LeBron in the 2011 NBA Finals. And, if that's not enough, he has one of the coolest nicknames in all of sports history.
Metta World Peace (2000-present)
Stats: 13,017 PTS; 4,435 REB; 2,624 AST; 522 BLK; 1,714 STL
Accolades: 1x DPOY, 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA 3rd Team, 2x All-Defense 1st Team, 2x All-Defense 2nd Team, 1x Champion, 1x Citizenship Award
BasketballReference HOF Probability: 0.4%
This one might be a little indefensible, just because of the counting stats. And I realize that World Peace is still active, but is he really? But for a stretch from 2002 to 2009, Ron Artest was one of the best five defensive players in the league. What Kawhi Leonard is doing to opposing wings in today's league, Artest did back then. His antics, to put them lightly, detract heavily from his total image, but his defense alone should carry him to the Hall of Fame. If offense-only players like Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin can make the Hall, why can't a primarily defensive-minded player make it too?
But on top of his defense, Artest developed into a solid scorer, never the best in the league, but he was easily capable of being the second option on a championship team. In fact, he was the second option on a championship-caliber team in Indiana, behind Jermaine O'Neal. He also needs to be lauded for his acceptance of his role on the Lakers championship team, an essential role in allowing the Lakers to circumvent Kobe's 6 for 24 performance in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals. His 2011 Citizenship Award also shouldn't be taken lightly, especially since the HOF voters take into account off-court performance. After years of inner turmoil, he was able to positively raise awareness of mental illness among athletes, removing a lot of the stigma behind it.
Rasheed Wallace (1996-2013)
Wallace deserves to be in Hall just for popularizing "ball don't lie." He doesn't even need any else on his résumé.
Comments
Post a Comment