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OT: 25 Greatest centers of all time
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JesseDark
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8/31/2014  4:05 PM
This came across my feed on FB. The top 3 being Wilt,Jabbar, and Russell is hard to argue, but some of the other choices I don't know. I don't know about Reed at 6 while patrick is number 11.

http://uk.complex.com/sports/2014/03/25-greatest-centers-in-nba-history/bill-russell

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Nalod
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8/31/2014  8:19 PM
im good with that list. Reed was 9th.

Dudes with rings get the higher rating. It was a big mans game and thats the badge of greatness. Ewing didn't get one. Sucks, but history is what it is. Cowens was not a better player, but he won.

WaltLongmire
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9/1/2014  11:21 AM
JesseDark wrote:This came across my feed on FB. The top 3 being Wilt,Jabbar, and Russell is hard to argue, but some of the other choices I don't know. I don't know about Reed at 6 while patrick is number 11.

http://uk.complex.com/sports/2014/03/25-greatest-centers-in-nba-history/bill-russell

Reed would have been higher without his injuries, and the Knicks would have won at least 2 more titles.

Reed knew he was a center, and had a tough inside offensive game. I loved Ewing, but he came to think of himself as a small forward, or a "stretch 4," before the term was even coined. Ralph Sampson had the same issue. After all these years it is still amazing to me that Alcindor/Jabbar did not have a greater impact on how centers play the game, especially during the years during and shortly after Jabbar played.

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gunsnewing
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9/1/2014  11:53 AM    LAST EDITED: 9/1/2014  3:19 PM
You realize how hard Ewing worked to be able to consistently his that 15-20 footer? Turn around fadeaways from 18ft & post moves? He came into the league with the expectations of being the next Bill Russell defensively with no offensive game. He worked on his game as much if not more than anyone ever in the league's history. He did it because all he wanted was to bring NY their first championship since the 70s. That is why he will always be the ultimate warrior. Willis a warrior in his own right. Ewing did it for 15yrs
yellowboy90
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9/1/2014  12:02 PM
In before mrEinman goes on a tangent about shaq
Nalod
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9/1/2014  12:31 PM
WaltLongmire wrote:
JesseDark wrote:This came across my feed on FB. The top 3 being Wilt,Jabbar, and Russell is hard to argue, but some of the other choices I don't know. I don't know about Reed at 6 while patrick is number 11.

http://uk.complex.com/sports/2014/03/25-greatest-centers-in-nba-history/bill-russell

Reed would have been higher without his injuries, and the Knicks would have won at least 2 more titles.

Reed knew he was a center, and had a tough inside offensive game. I loved Ewing, but he came to think of himself as a small forward, or a "stretch 4," before the term was even coined. Ralph Sampson had the same issue. After all these years it is still amazing to me that Alcindor/Jabbar did not have a greater impact on how centers play the game, especially during the years during and shortly after Jabbar played.

Reed as a 4 in his first few years was a beast!!!

Ralph sampson should have been groomed in college to be Kevin Durant. Instead they tried to take that small frame and make him into a center. Sampson could have been a god if they just followed his natural position. Ewing knew how to get paid. Im ok with him at 11. bottom line was Walton was top 5 of all time if not for injuries.

Jabbar played a finesse game and few wanted to be known as that. Shaq would never consider the underhanded free throw, same for Wilt. Not macho. He played until he was 42!!!!!!

The sky hook was indefensible!!!!!!

Russell is rated on his heart, 11 chips in 13 years than on his offensive game.

JesseDark
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9/1/2014  2:22 PM    LAST EDITED: 9/1/2014  7:21 PM
WaltLongmire wrote:
JesseDark wrote:This came across my feed on FB. The top 3 being Wilt,Jabbar, and Russell is hard to argue, but some of the other choices I don't know. I don't know about Reed at 6 while patrick is number 11.

http://uk.complex.com/sports/2014/03/25-greatest-centers-in-nba-history/bill-russell

Reed would have been higher without his injuries, and the Knicks would have won at least 2 more titles.

Reed knew he was a center, and had a tough inside offensive game. I loved Ewing, but he came to think of himself as a small forward, or a "stretch 4," before the term was even coined. Ralph Sampson had the same issue. After all these years it is still amazing to me that Alcindor/Jabbar did not have a greater impact on how centers play the game, especially during the years during and shortly after Jabbar played.

Jabbar being the leading scorer in league history speaks for impact. Having a shot this is
Still indefsible speaks for his impact

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93BUICK
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9/1/2014  3:06 PM
gunsnewing wrote:You realize how hard Ewing worked to be able to consistently his that 15-20 footer? Turn around fadeaways from 18ft & post moves? He came into the league with the expectations of being the next Bill Russell defensively with no offensive game. He worked on his game as much if not more than anyone ever in the league's history. He did it because all he wanted was to bring NY their first championship since the 70s. That is by he will always be the ultimate warrior

That's right!!!

If you are still following the team and reading sites like this, there is nothing, short of your own demise, that is going to throw you off this train.
JoeyBagadonuts
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9/1/2014  6:03 PM
I only caught the tail end of Bill Russell's career, so admittedly missed his prime, but I do remember him as a player, and I've seen just about all of the great centers, and.......I've always thought Bill Russell was waay overrated. There, I said it.
Not that he wasn't an ALL TIME GREAT PLAYER, just not THE greatest as he is invariably ranked among centers and even players in general by some. Bill Simmons for example, but others from time to time too. I suggested as much in a FB discussion once, and apparently committed some form of heinous blasphemy, judging by the scorn which rained down on me for so much as questioning the consensus opinion on Russell's place among NBA bigs. I'd put at least Kareem, Wilt, Hakeem and Shaq above him in any ranking of centers and I probably wouldn't even stop with those four if I really thought about it.
IronWillGiroud
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9/1/2014  8:34 PM
Ewing should be on that list
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dk7th
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9/1/2014  10:10 PM
JoeyBagadonuts wrote:I only caught the tail end of Bill Russell's career, so admittedly missed his prime, but I do remember him as a player, and I've seen just about all of the great centers, and.......I've always thought Bill Russell was waay overrated. There, I said it.
Not that he wasn't an ALL TIME GREAT PLAYER, just not THE greatest as he is invariably ranked among centers and even players in general by some. Bill Simmons for example, but others from time to time too. I suggested as much in a FB discussion once, and apparently committed some form of heinous blasphemy, judging by the scorn which rained down on me for so much as questioning the consensus opinion on Russell's place among NBA bigs. I'd put at least Kareem, Wilt, Hakeem and Shaq above him in any ranking of centers and I probably wouldn't even stop with those four if I really thought about it.

the only way you can make that claim stick is with the hypothesis that it is impossible to fairly judge players from different generations. but then again... one look at his assists per game and rebounds tells a huge story.

free throws horrible, fg% well below average. yes this is true, undeniable.

but then being an all-time greatest defender pretty much negates the negatives-- that and the fact that he won at every level of the game.

who do you rank ahead of russell?

knicks win 38-43 games in 16-17. rose MUST shoot no more than 14 shots per game, defer to kp6 + melo, and have a usage rate of less than 25%
Nalod
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9/1/2014  11:21 PM
IronWillGiroud wrote:Ewing should be on that list

He is........11th.

Joey, I alluded that his offensive talent was not that great and he was not called upon.

your talking about a dude that won an olympic gold (back when it was cool). two NCAA titles and 11chips in 13 seasons with Boston. Of course you win that much your surrounded by talent but he is the "Center" in an era that the position dominated the game.

While his offensive numbers were not gaudy as others and perhaps not all defensive stats of the era were tabulated one thing does: Bill Russell is the greatest winning player. If one says Jordan and his 6 rings make him the greatest, then Russ just blows that away.

He averaged over 22 rebounds a game in his career.

gunsnewing
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9/2/2014  12:05 AM    LAST EDITED: 9/2/2014  12:06 AM
Different era. They had to change the rules to Wilt couldn't dunk from the free throw line while "shooting" a free throw. Russell in the 80s/90s would've played PF or extremely undersized C

For his time he was a great winner and leader. Greatest defensive big of all time. I wi leave it at that

EnySpree
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9/2/2014  8:08 AM    LAST EDITED: 9/2/2014  8:10 AM
Gotta respect the eras but I don't think championships are enough to put one guy ahead if another. Basketball is a team sport. A lot of these champions had hall of famers on their team. Some of the guys on the list won their championships together. So to say Willis is better than Ewing because of championships for example, is flawed. Willis played with clyde, debushere, pearl, bill bradley, dick barnett, lucas...Ewing played with far less talent
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dk7th
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9/2/2014  8:24 AM
EnySpree wrote:Gotta respect the eras but I don't think championships are enough to put one guy ahead if another. Basketball is a team sport. A lot of these champions had hall of famers on their team. Some of the guys on the list won their championships together. So to say Willis is better than Ewing because of championships for example, is flawed. Willis played with clyde, debushere, pearl, bill bradley, dick barnett, lucas...Ewing played with far less talent

and team sports require leadership. they won in large part because reed was the leader. the way he handled to cazzie situation was instrumental. you don't win without leadership. much the same can be said about russell. by the same measure both jabbar and chamberlain fell short because they weren't leaders.

knicks win 38-43 games in 16-17. rose MUST shoot no more than 14 shots per game, defer to kp6 + melo, and have a usage rate of less than 25%
jrodmc
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9/2/2014  8:24 AM
JoeyBagadonuts wrote:I only caught the tail end of Bill Russell's career, so admittedly missed his prime, but I do remember him as a player, and I've seen just about all of the great centers, and.......I've always thought Bill Russell was waay overrated. There, I said it.
Not that he wasn't an ALL TIME GREAT PLAYER, just not THE greatest as he is invariably ranked among centers and even players in general by some. Bill Simmons for example, but others from time to time too. I suggested as much in a FB discussion once, and apparently committed some form of heinous blasphemy, judging by the scorn which rained down on me for so much as questioning the consensus opinion on Russell's place among NBA bigs. I'd put at least Kareem, Wilt, Hakeem and Shaq above him in any ranking of centers and I probably wouldn't even stop with those four if I really thought about it.

Yes indeedy, 11 rings in 13 years, Olympic Gold, won 15 bazillion college games in a row, and peed regularly on your boy Wilt worse than anything Hibbert ever did to Tyson.

And never, ever lost a game 7. Never. I'm sure that was all due to the tail end of Cousy's career, and Tommy Heinsohn's great basketball IQ.

Do us a favor. Stop thinking.

JoeyBagadonuts
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9/2/2014  10:38 AM
jrodmc wrote:
JoeyBagadonuts wrote:I only caught the tail end of Bill Russell's career, so admittedly missed his prime, but I do remember him as a player, and I've seen just about all of the great centers, and.......I've always thought Bill Russell was waay overrated. There, I said it.
Not that he wasn't an ALL TIME GREAT PLAYER, just not THE greatest as he is invariably ranked among centers and even players in general by some. Bill Simmons for example, but others from time to time too. I suggested as much in a FB discussion once, and apparently committed some form of heinous blasphemy, judging by the scorn which rained down on me for so much as questioning the consensus opinion on Russell's place among NBA bigs. I'd put at least Kareem, Wilt, Hakeem and Shaq above him in any ranking of centers and I probably wouldn't even stop with those four if I really thought about it.

Yes indeedy, 11 rings in 13 years, Olympic Gold, won 15 bazillion college games in a row, and peed regularly on your boy Wilt worse than anything Hibbert ever did to Tyson.

And never, ever lost a game 7. Never. I'm sure that was all due to the tail end of Cousy's career, and Tommy Heinsohn's great basketball IQ.

Do us a favor. Stop thinking.

If that's the way you want to be, do yourself a favor and go eff yourself. Wanker.

gunsnewing
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9/2/2014  11:13 AM
^Nice lol
gunsnewing
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9/2/2014  11:17 AM
EnySpree wrote:Gotta respect the eras but I don't think championships are enough to put one guy ahead if another. Basketball is a team sport. A lot of these champions had hall of famers on their team. Some of the guys on the list won their championships together. So to say Willis is better than Ewing because of championships for example, is flawed. Willis played with clyde, debushere, pearl, bill bradley, dick barnett, lucas...Ewing played with far less talent

I agree especially about Willis vs Ewing. I'm not going to put Ewing ahead of Russel obviously but I think Ewing is getting unfair treatment. Probably from the same people who wanted to trade him throughout his career and prolong our laughing stock years

jrodmc
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9/2/2014  11:32 AM
JoeyBagadonuts wrote:
jrodmc wrote:
JoeyBagadonuts wrote:I only caught the tail end of Bill Russell's career, so admittedly missed his prime, but I do remember him as a player, and I've seen just about all of the great centers, and.......I've always thought Bill Russell was waay overrated. There, I said it.
Not that he wasn't an ALL TIME GREAT PLAYER, just not THE greatest as he is invariably ranked among centers and even players in general by some. Bill Simmons for example, but others from time to time too. I suggested as much in a FB discussion once, and apparently committed some form of heinous blasphemy, judging by the scorn which rained down on me for so much as questioning the consensus opinion on Russell's place among NBA bigs. I'd put at least Kareem, Wilt, Hakeem and Shaq above him in any ranking of centers and I probably wouldn't even stop with those four if I really thought about it.

Yes indeedy, 11 rings in 13 years, Olympic Gold, won 15 bazillion college games in a row, and peed regularly on your boy Wilt worse than anything Hibbert ever did to Tyson.

And never, ever lost a game 7. Never. I'm sure that was all due to the tail end of Cousy's career, and Tommy Heinsohn's great basketball IQ.

Do us a favor. Stop thinking.

If that's the way you want to be, do yourself a favor and go eff yourself. Wanker.

Much more brilliance in your retort than your original post. Good work.

OT: 25 Greatest centers of all time

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