** Short History of NBA Centers **
Best NBA Centers of All Time
Copyright (C) 1995 by Don Sibrel
--------------------------------
Professional basketball has never been better. I have
enjoyed watching this sport for more than 40 years - from Mikan
to Shaq. Now with Michael Jordan back and having, I believe,
four of the best centers of all time playing near their primes,
it is great entertainment.
In the 1980s professional basketball was a showcase for
Magic and Larry. Then came Michael Jordan. But today, the game
is dominated by centers. But are the present-day centers
Olajuwon, Shaq, David, and Ewing better than those of the past?
Is Shaq as good as Wilt, is Hakeem better than Russell? Are any
as good as Jabbar? Which centers, in their prime, were the best?
This is what we will try to determine. Of course, no one
really knows, for sure. But we can, by looking at past
statistical records, video tapes, and using our memories, make
pretty good estimates of the quality of play of both present and
past players.
I think two major items need to be keep in mind when
comparing present and past NBA players. One is that over the
years players, on average, have become bigger, stronger, and are
better athletics than in years past. This does not mean that if a
player was plucked out of the 50s and were playing in his prime
today, that he wouldn't be a better player. Better training,
knowledge, equipment, and competition would make the player
better. However, a player from the past generally played against
weaker competition than present day players. This would inflate
their statistics.
A second item is that there is MUCH more physical play at
the center position than in the past. There has always been
fouling after the center receives the ball. But nowadays the
pushing and shoving just in trying to get position is unreal. It
is more sumo wrestling, than basketball - in my opinion. Now
there are almost no offensive fouls called on a center who
charges directly into the defensive center. This is much
different than what existed 20 years ago.
With this is mind, let us start with the first great
center.
GEORGE MIKAN
------------
George Mikan was voted the best basketball player of the
first half of the 20th century. He was a leading scorer and
rebounder at the start of the 1950s. I have seen a number of
short film cuts of his games, but only saw him play on TV one
time. He looked pretty good, even though this was near the end
of his career. In that one game he was a good rebounder, and
ran the court fairly well.
In his prime, he was basketball's best player. He could
shoot hook shots with either hand. The only center that I have
seen that did this with good results.
Could the 6'10" Mikan be a star in today's NBA. I think
it is clear that he couldn't. He just wouldn't have the running
or the athletic abilities to keep up with a Robinson or an
Olajuwon. Could he be a starting center today? I think he could
for the CHicago Bulls. He could rebound with their centers and
would be better offensively.
RUSSELL and CHAMBERLAIN
-----------------------
When Bill Russell entered the NBA in the 1956-7 season,
he made an immediate impact on the league. And basketball has
never been the same. No one before had ever dominated with
defense and rebounding like Bill Russell. He turned the Celtics
from a good team to one of sports greatest dynasties. In his 13
years there, they won 11 world titles.
One of Basketball's smartest players, he was able to
blend his talents with those of his teammates as no one before or
since. When his team needed a rebound, outlet pass, or a blocked
shot, he did it. I don't believe there has even been a player
that did more for any one franchise, in far as bringing home
championships, than what Russell did for the Celtics. I think he
is sports all-time most valuable player - in any sport.
Wilt left college early. Since he couldn't play in the
NBA for a year under the rules at that time, he played a year for
the Harlem Globetrotters. Many sports reporters wondered if Wilt
would be a top player in the NBA. I saw him play one game for
the Trotters. There was no doubt in my mind that he would be a
major force in the NBA when he arrived.
Wilt dominated the NBA from his first season, 1959-60.
He led the league in scoring (37.1 ppg) and in rebounding (27
rpg). Russell was second at 24 rpg and Pettit was third at 17
rpg. Next year it was the same. Then there was the following
season.
In 1961-62 Wilt led in scoring by averaging over 50 ppg.
Second was Walt Bellamy who scored 19 ppg less than Chamberlain.
Wilt again led in rebounding with 26 rpg, Russell second with 24
rpg, then Bellamy with 19 rpg.
It should be noted that in the early 1950s Mikan would be
first or second in the league in scoring and rebounding with
numbers like 26 ppg and 15 rpg. A huge difference. Clearly Bill
and Wilt had raised the level of center play far above that of
George Mikan. They had much more athletic abilities than any
previous centers.
There has never been a player that dominated the NBA like
Wilt. Think about this. For a number of years Wilt would lead
the league in scoring by ten points over the second highest
scorer. He would lead the league in rebounding or be a close
second to Russell. Both of them would get maybe 5 or more rpg
more than the third leading rebounder. Wilt was also be a major
force defensively.
Russell got most of the press for his defensive
abilities, but Wilt was also great. It was true that Wilt liked
to block a shot by sending it five rows into the seats, while
Bill would often deflect an attempted shot, grab the ball, and
start a fast break with a fine outlet pass. This, I think,
typified a major difference between Russell and Chamberlain.
Russell was the ultimate team player. His basketball
intelligence, pride, will to win, and finding how to win, from my
view point, was only matched by Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird.
Bill could have scored many more points and probably would have,
if he played on another team. But the Celtics had the fire
power. They needed defense and rebounding and that is what
Russell gave them.
Wilt was almost too good to be a team player. He was so
much bigger and stronger that his opponents in the 1960s that he
could do pretty much what he wanted to do. In the 1967-8 season,
Wilt concentrated in "team play", and led the league in assists.
It should be noted that Robertson had more assists per game, but
missed a number of games that year due to injury. Wilt was third
in the league in scoring that year. In fact the previous year
was the last that Wilt was to lead the league in scoring.
Who was better - Wilt or Bill Russell? I watched them
play against each other many times, and it was always great
basketball. Bill played, for the most part, on better teams and
was on the winning side most of the time. Wilt would shoot many
more times and would score far more points. Most people at that
time thought Russell was the better player. As time goes on, and
as more basketball fans look at the historical statistics, and
less have seen them play, more people pick Chamberlain.
I think that Wilt would have helped more teams more than
Bill would have. But if a team had plenty of fire power, like
the Celtics or the Lakers when Wilt played for them, Bill would
fit in better and help them more. I would compare those two
players similar to Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan in their
primes. Which one was the better all round player? If the team
one of them were on had a lot of scoring power I would choose
Magic, if not, Michael. But that is another story.
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR
-------------------
The 1969-70 season was the first season for Kareem Abdul-
Jabbar. He has probably had the best overall career of any
center, if not any player, in NBA history. No one has sustained
such a high level of play for so long a period of time. But, in
his prime, was he better than Russell, Chamberlain, Hakeem, or
Shaq?
He did play four years against Wilt. Kareem did dominate
there individual match ups, but he was eleven years younger. In
his first NBA season, he was 22 and Wilt was 33. Wilt left the
MBA after 1973, but even then he led the league in rebounding.
During these years, Kareem would finish third or fourth in
rebounding. He did not lead the league until the 1975-6 season.
From his first year until the 1976-7 season, Kareem was
either fist, second, or third in league scoring. The 1973-4
season was the first in which the number of blocked shots were
kept. For the next eight years Kareem often led the league in
this statistic or was second. This indicates to me he was
probably the best defensive center during this time period.
The 1974-5 Season - MALONE and WALTON
--------------------------------------
Moses Malone came into professional basketball in 1974
out of high school. Like Jabbar, he has had a very long and
outstanding career. No one has played the center position and
rebounded as hard, as long, and as well as Moses Malone -
particullary on offense. While not a dominating defensive player
- he never was a leader in blocked shots, he was voted the
leagues most valuable player three times. Other centers to
receive this award multiple times: Russell 5 times, Wilt 4 times,
and Jabbar 6 times.
In the 1983 playoffs the Malone Philadelphia team played
the Jabbar LA team in the finals. The 28 year old Malone got the
better of the 36 year old Jabbar - particularly in the second halves
of the four games played. Philadelphia won all four games.
Malone was just too string, too relentless for the much older
Jabbar.
Starting in the 1978-9 season, and for several seasons,
Malone would out score Jabbar by a few ppg, and out rebound him
by about four per game. Jabbar would lead the league in blocked
shots, while Malone would not finish in the top ten. Malone was in
his prime, while Kareem was in his mid-thirties.
In the same year that Malone entered professional
basketball from high school, in came one of college basketball's
all time best centers, Bill Walton. What can one say about
Walton? UCLA coach Wooden has been asked to compare his best two
centers. He thought that Walton was the better all round player -
could do more things better, but that Jabbar was the more
dominant player - on both ends of the court.
How good would Walton have been if he hadn't been plagued
with injuries his whole professional career? Who is to say? In
baseball, how good would Mickey Mantle have been without
injuries? How many games would Satchel Paige have won if he
could have come up with the New York Yankees in 1930, stayed
there for 22 years, and not had any injuries? Maybe there would
not be a Cy Young award today, but a Satchel Paige award.
We can look at several of Walton's seasons. In 1977-8 he
was voted most valuable player while playing in only 58 games.
In the previous year, while playing in 65 regular season games,
he led the league in rebounds per game, and blocked shots per
game. Walton led the Trail Blazers to the NBA championship that
season. He was 25 years old, while Jabbar was 30 and Malone was
22.
In the 1982-3 season, while playing 33 games, he was
second in the league in blocked shots per game. In 1985-6 he was
voted sixth man of the year award while playing in 80 games.
This was the only season he was able to play in more than 67
regular season games.
My observation of watching Walton play in the NBA was that
he was the best passing center I have ever seen. Of the games I
have seen played between Jabbar and Walton, Jabbar dominated.
Coach Wooden called it right as far as I can see. The center that
Walton most resembles that is playing today is David Robinson.
PRESENT DAY CENTERS
-------------------
The 1994-5 season was unique in the fact that four of the
best centers of all time played against each other when they were
all near there primes. The oldest Ewing, at age 33, finished
the last part of the season statistically strong, after playing
the early part of the season subpar due to injuries. He was not
as quick as he once was, but was still a force.
Olajuwon had maybe his best season, even though he was
32 years old. His all round play against the best competition in
the league may have been the best center play of all time in the
playoffs.
David Robinson was voted the leagues most valuable
player. I personally would have picked Hakeem, but either one
would have been a good choice. Hakeem outplayed David in the
playoffs, but so what? Olajuwon was on fire and could have
outplayed an eight foot Michael Jordan.
Shaq played in his third season and had his best year.
In 1994-5 I would rate Hakeen better than Shaq, but not by much.
If the NBA keeps allowing the high level of pushing and shoving
that has been going on in the last few years, and not calling
offensive fouls in the low post, I think that Shaq type centers
are the wave of the future.
Now Shaq is a great athlete. Anyone that is that big
and strong and can run the court like he can, can become a great,
great force in the NBA. His offensive moves are getting better.
But compare his skills with Hakeem. Hakeem is much quicker, a
better defensive player, a much better shooter, with much better
moves, and a much better foul shooter. Now O'Neal has a high
shooting percentage because of the large number of dunks and
close in baskets brought about by his superior size and strength.
The NBA practice of not calling obvious fouls in
the post, gives a player like Shaq the opportunity of being as
valuable to his team as the more skillful Hakeem is to his team.
I think that if these sumo wrestling tactics were not allowed,
Shaq would become a better basketball player. His now fair to good
offensive moves would become better out of necessity. We will
look at proposed rule changes later.
WHO ARE THE BEST CENTERS?
-------------------------
OK, so now who are the best centers of all time? Are
present day centers better than Russell, Wilt, and Jabbar?
Probably, the present day center that most resembles Bill Russell
would be David Robinson. David is bigger, more muscular,
quicker, has better offensive moves, and a better shooter. But
is David a better rebounder and defensive player? Since he is
bigger and quicker, I have to believe that he would be at least
as good as defensive player as Russell. Now how about
rebounding? Russell had many more rebounds per game playing
against slower, smaller, and less athletic players. I have to go
with the bigger, quicker player.
The present day center most like Wilt is Shaq. Both were
the most physically imposing players of their time. Statistically
there is no comparison. Wilt had much better statistics against
inferior opposition. Both are poor foul shooters, which takes
them down a peg compared with other players.
Shaq appears to be quicker offensively. I think there
are two reasons for this. One is, he is quicker! The other is
the lack of offensive foul calls in today's game. One can make a
quicker move to the basket, if there is little threat of getting
a foul called against you.
Chamberlain had a good fall away jump shot that he banked
in from the same position on the court on a consistent basis.
Other than that one shot, most of his baskets came from dunks and
finger rolls from close in. Now he did have good moves in close
to get position for these shots. But Shaq is developing better
offensive moves - a jump hook and a spin move away from the
basket. Wilt had none of these moves.
Shaq is becoming a pretty good passer. He seems to pick
the passing situations better than Wilt did. Wilt seemed to make
up his mind before he got the ball, whether he was going to pass
or shoot. Maybe if Wilt played against today's better ball
players, he would become better himself. Who can really say? All
one can do is evaluate what one did, not what one might have
done. Overall I would rate Shaq better than Wilt based on his
quicker moves and better team play.
The present day center most like Jabbar would be
Olajuwon. Jabbar had what is probably the single best ever
offensive tool of any center - his sky hook. Unstopable. When
he received the ball in double coverage, he was an excellent
passer in finding the open man. This is compared against the
many moves and excellent shooting of Olajuwon. Hakeem has by far
the best moves of any center I have ever seen. I used to think
that Kevin McHale had the all-time best post-up moves. But
Hakeen has just as good as moves and is quicker.
I think Jabbar was the better passer, but Olajuwon is
quicker and maybe can run the court better. But Jabbar was
bigger. Overall, I can't rate one better than the other.
The present day player most like Moses Malone in his prime
is Patrick Ewing. Both had good jump shots. Ewing had better
moves to the basket and was a better defensive player, but Malone
the better rebounder. They both are very hard workers. I can't
pick one over the other.
OK, WHO ARE THE BEST CENTERS OF ALL TIME?
-----------------------------------------
The following are my picks as the best NBA centers of
all time:
1-2 Kareem & Hakeem
3 Shaq
4-7 David, Wilt, Moses, Ewing
8-9 Bill Russell, Bill Walton
10 Magic Johnson (based on 1980 championship series)
:-)
LET'S HAVE SOME RULE CHANGES
____________________________
The NBA is great entertainment - superb athletics
displaying their skills in a team sport. But I think a few rule
changes could make it even better. In general, the rules of
basketball should facilitate the continuation of a fast paced
sport with minimum interruptions, and should reward the team with
the best athletics playing team basketball.
Change I: The most obvious rule that needs to be changed
is the rule that allows a player that is in the process of losing
the ball or being tied up or not being able to inbound the ball,
to call time out. A time out should only be allowed when the
team has the ball out of bounds and a referee has control of the
ball. That is, only call time outs when there is no action.
Don't stop action for a time out.
Change II: Why should a team call time out under their
opponents basket and get the ball at half court? If this makes
sense, why not call another time out and get the ball moved from
center court to under your own basket?
Change III: Let's eliminate intentional fouls near the
end of a game. The following is an actual example of teeth
grinding delays caused by intentional fouls. It was a recent
114-110 game between Phoenix and Houston. Now this was a great,
great game that was only decided in the last few seconds. With
1:41 (one minute, 41 seconds) to play, Barkley was intentionally
fouled in attempting a layup. This was the first of 13 stoppages
of action to occur in the remainder of the game - six time outs
and seven called fouls(six of which were intentional).
It took 20 minutes to play 101 seconds of basketball.
This I don't like. I don't like intentional fouls and I don't like
free throws. A free throw is an uncontested shot at the basket.
Now if there were just five or six a game, that would be one
thing. But if there are sixty in a game? Boring, boring,
boring. What one can do to increase ones enjoyment in a close
game on TV is to tape the last part of the game. Then play the
tape and fast-forward through the brakes in the action. In fact,
that's what I had done in this game. But it is a poor substitute
for good, exciting, live, fast-paced basketball.
In soccer, if there is a penalty shot, there is an
opposing player. In basketball, if the player that is fouled was
given the ball at the top of the key with an opposing player at
the foul line, and given 5 seconds to get a shot off - that would
be interesting. But not an uncontested shot.
There are just too many fouls and too many stoppages of
action. How about doing this. If a player is fouled attempting a
shot, just give him the points of a made shot. If a player is
not shooting the ball and is fouled, give his team one point and
the ball out of bounds. This should dramatically reduce fouling
and the stoppage of play. Also limit the number of timeouts in
the last two minutes of a game to ZERO.
Many times a team's best player sits on the bench for
extended periods of time because of foul trouble. This is not
good for the team nor the fans. These rule changes should reduce
the number of fouls dramatically, and keep the key players in the
game.
I think this would work and make professional basketball
an even better sport than it already is. Players keep getting
bigger, stronger, quicker, and better athletes all the time. I
would just like to see them play without so many interruptions
near the end of the games.
Change IV: Let's eliminate brutal fouls in the paint.
Now days there is too much physical shoving and banging in the
paint. It is more sumo wrestling than basketball. On a typical
play the opposing centers foul each other(hard fouls now) about
five times each before the referee blows his whistle. Who should
he call the foul on? In reality, it doesn't make much difference
as long as the fouls are evened out over the course of the game.
To me this is not basketball. I would like to see the outcome
of more games determined by quickness, agility, and teamwork
rather than by size, strength, and brutality. Often times these
types of fouls lead to confrontations, fights, disqualifications,
and fines which are not good for basketball.
I also wish that greedy agents and a few millionaire
superstars thought more of the game of basketball and the fans,
and less of lining their over-stuffed pockets.
DWS
don.sibrel@nashville.com
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