http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3754212 Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com Posted: 2 hours ago The biggest of the bigs are (or should be) always in the middle of the action. They are the most dangerous offensive forces simply because defenses are usually most vulnerable in direct proportion to how close the ball is to the basket. Conversely, centers provide the last line of defense for their teams. That's why they are typically the most dominant and important players on their teams. #1 — BILL RUSSELL Bill Russell was so good that he revolutionized the game. Even the most casual NBA fans know that Russell was an outstanding rebounder and shot-blocker. He led the NBA five times in the former category and finished with a lifetime per game average of 22.5 rebounds. Unfortunately, the NBA didn't officially record blocked shots until 1973-74, four seasons after Russell retired. But what first-hand witnesses can testify to, however, is that Russell's timing and quick-lift were so uncanny that he could keep his feet on the court until the ball left the shooter's hand and still deflect the shot. At the same time, Russell had the knack of hitting the ball so that it remained in bounds and could therefore be recovered by the defense. That's how he turned layups into short-jumpers, short-jumpers into mid-range jumpers and mid-range jumpers into long-range jumpers. In half-court sets, he scored with an accurate lefty hook, numerous put-backs and an occasional low-flying, wrist-snapping cross between a jumper and a one-handed set shot. During his 13 seasons with Boston, Russ tallied 15.1 ppg. But Russell was also one of the most fleet-footed centers of his time. Indeed, if his defensive rebounds and accurate outlet passes ignited Boston's famous running game, Russell's speed enabled the Celtics to run a five-man fast break. Accordingly, many of his points came via dunk shots on the trail end of the breaks. He was much stronger than his 6-foot-10, 220-pound frame suggested. He had great hands, an unconquerable will to win, thorough understanding of every nuance (physical and psychological) and a willingness to sublimate his ego for the sake of team goals. Russell's five MVP trophies (1958, 1961-63, 1965) and 11 rings proved for all time that defense wins championships. #2 — KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR Putting the ball through the orange ring was always Kareem's specialty, as evidenced by the fact that he's the NBA's all-time leading scorer — a 20-year total of 38,387 that averages out to 24.6 ppg. He was an active rebounder and shot-blocker when he was young, but defense wasn't really his forte. Despite his being named to five NBA All-Defensive teams, his lateral movement wasn't terrific and he rarely ventured too far from the shadow of the basket. With his dreadnaught sky-hook as his primary weapon, however, Kareem shot a fantastic 55.9 percent over his entire career! He could also spin and bank angle-jumpers, as well as turn offensive rebounds into dunkers. An opponent's only hope was to be physical in defense of Kareem (always making sure to avoid being pronged by his sharp, aggressive elbows), and hope that he'd be weary in the end-game. He was an effective passer, so double-teaming wasn't much of an option, and was, in fact, an illegal tactic until late in Abdul-Jabbar's career. The only other effective strategy was to counter him with a hot-shooting center — which were scarce in those days — and attack Kareem with high screen/rolls. But whatever measures were taken to try to control his high-altitude offense, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was always the "center"-piece of the action. His Hall-of-Fame resume includes a record six MVP awards (1971-'72, '74, '76-'77, 1980) and a like number of NBA championships. He was playing championship basketball at age 42 and could have continued for a few more years — but the league's referees were tired of Kareem and started to whistle him for charging fouls, hacks, traveling and palming violations that they'd been excusing for so long. If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's intense pride bordered on arrogance, his on-court excellence could only inspire admiration and awe. #3 — SHAQUILLE O'NEAL His Bigness (including his mouth, girth, intelligence, sense of humor and accomplishments) is still on the scene. For sure, he's slow off the floor, a limited rebounder, and a mostly stationary defender — but Shaq remains one of the best ever. Aside from Kevin McHale, Shaq has more moves at his disposal in the pivot than anyone else in the record book. Russell was better on defense and infinitely more dominant. Abdul-Jabbar could score more points more efficiently. And, although Shaq has spent many seasons out of shape, struggling with injuries, and/or giving in to his own ennui, he's still more consistently competitive than was Chamberlain. #4 — WILT CHAMBERLAIN The only aspect of his game that prevented Chamberlain from leading the big man parade was his gargantuan ego. Before every season, Wilt would establish his own overriding priority, which was usually to lead the NBA in scoring (which he did from 1959-66), or rebounding (1959-63, '65-'69, '70-'73). One year (1967-68), the Big Dipper decided he'd be the NBA's leading passer. Therefore, instead of simply dunking unopposed offensive rebounds, Chamberlain would pass the ball out to Hal Greer — a reliable sharpshooter. And when all the numbers were tabulated at season's end, Chamberlain had accumulated a league-best 8.6 assists per game. The trouble was that Chamberlain rarely focused on winning championships. He did win with the 1966-67 Philadelphia Warriors, but only after coach Alex Hannum shoved Wilt against a locker and threatened to smash his face if he didn't play the game the right way. Wilt's other title, with the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers, was motivated by coach Bill Sharman's slick psychology. "I'd just keep asking him questions about strategy," says Sharman, "until Wilt came up with the right answer. Then I'd tell him how smart he was and what a great idea he'd come up with. Thinking that every important strategy was his, Wilt played championship ball." #5 — GEORGE MIKAN The Babe Ruth of the NBA, Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers were the league's first dynasty, winning titles in 1949, '50 and '52-54 (plus two previous championships in the NBL). Big George was bigger, stronger, smarter, meaner and more fundamentally sound than his peers. He scored with right- and left-handed hooks and pivot shots (an extinct art form that was midway between an authentic hook and a jump hook), step-back one-handed flips and put-backs. From 1946-54, Mikan was scoring in the mid- to upper 20s at a time when a player's scoring 15 points was deemed to be a heroic effort. Mikan was his league-of-the-moment's leading point-maker in six of his nine pro seasons. The NBA revised its rules on several occasions to hinder Mikan — including widening the lane, raising the basket to 12 feet, granting defensive players both inside lane spots on free throws and outlawing offensive goal tending. It was the 24-second shot clock (mandated for the 1954-56 season) that finally terminated Mikan's effectiveness and his career (except for a part-time comeback to play with his brother Ed in 1955-56). During his short-lived hey day, Mikan was as dominant in his own fashion as were Russell and Abdul-Jabbar. #6 — HAKEEM OLAJUWON Hakeem Olajuwon was easily the most athletic of the top-ranked centers. In truth, he was a power forward successfully masquerading as a center. When he first came into the league in 1984, Olajuwon relied mostly on a super-swift drop-step to generate his scoring opportunities. Then he learned to fake the drop-step and make a counter move — the turnaround jumper. From there, his offensive repertoire expanded in quantum leaps — face-up jumpers, drives and spins, jump hooks. Eventually, he became a virtually unstoppable scorer who concluded 19 seasons averaging 21.8 ppg. And his defense was even better. Hakeem was incredibly quick to the ball. He led the NBA three times in blocked shots with a high of 4.59 per game in 1989-90, and is the NBA's career leader in that area. With his long arms and explosive hops, Olajuwon was also a dynamic rebounder — twice leading the league. But it was his incredible speed and single-minded desire to get a piece of every shot taken in his vicinity that also got him into chronic foul trouble. What couldn't he do? Make accurate passes on a regular basis and dribble the ball in traffic. Hakeem paced the Houston Rockets to back-to-back championships from 1994-95. Through it all, Olajuwon never cut a corner, never gave less than his best and was always a responsible citizen on and off the court. #7 — NATE THURMOND This guy was simply a monster on defense. At 6-foot-11, 245 pounds, he was big, strong, active and intense. He could also score — mostly on offensive rebounds, jump hooks and backboard-rattling bank shots from 10 feet and in. But forget about the several seasons where Thurmond averaged 20-plus points a game (1967-72), his focus was on shutting down his opponents' numbers. His battles with Chamberlain were legendary. Thurmond was the only defender who could get his hands on and totally negate Chamberlain's trademark finger-roll. Thurmond was just as determined to snare every missed shot. He finished his injury-wracked 14-year career averaging 15.0 rebounds per contest — and twice he averaged more than 20 caroms. Thurmond played in an almost forgotten age where giants roamed the paint. Not only did he hold his own against the likes of Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Lanier, he made them sweat for every shot and dispensed a bruise for every score. #8 — BILL WALTON The redhead was fully healthy for only 2 3/4 seasons: In 1976-77, when he keyed the Trail Blazers to a championship, and in '86, when he contributed valuable sixth-man-minutes to Boston's title run. In 1977-78, Walton played in only 58 games but was still honored as the league's MVP. During his entire career (1974-88), Walton missed four complete seasons with foot and ankle injuries. When his wheels were sound, Walton could run, rebound and block shots (he led the league in both categories in 1976-77). He was totally committed to a team concept and, although he could score on jump hooks, bank shots and a variety of sudden drives and twisting moves, he scored only when he had to. In his best offensive season (1978-79), Walton scored 18.9 ppg, and finished his career with an impressive field goal accuracy of 52.1 percent. He was a talented, and an unselfish ball distributor. Moreover, his defense was routinely outstanding whether throwing a bag over his individual opponent or rotating to help-spots in Jack Ramsay's crafty schemes. Walton's career was blighted, however, when he signed a free-agent contract with the San Diego Clippers in 1979. At the time, the Clips were strictly an individualistic ball club, so Walton was forced to show his new teammates what he could do in one-on-one situations. This just wasn't enough to either make a difference or find his own comfort zone. Despite the fact that Walton is the NBA's all-time leader in foot-and-ankle surgeries, his heart, talent and understanding of the game were always in tip-top condition. Slightly off-center # David Robinson — too soft and too clutchless to succeed without being carried by Tim Duncan. # Moses Malone — a tireless rebounder who was disinclined to pass, play defense or let any teammate take more shots than he did. # Bob Lanier — no defense to speak of. # Neil Johnston — the real deal as long as he lasted. # Wes Unseld and Willis Reed — courage and toughness personified. # Jerry Lucas — great hands, shooting range and perhaps the most intelligent practitioner of the art and science of playing the five-spot. Charley Rosen, former CBA coach, author of 12 books about hoops, the current one being A pivotal season — How the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers changed the NBA, is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well... he got the best center ever right... The rest? Meh... I wouldn't put Shaq ahead of Wilt, Dream, or maybe even Moses Malone.
George Mikan was dominant back in the day because he was almost 7' tall. But today? Think Vitaly Potapenko.
Strange. I loved this guys small forwards list. I thought there were a few holes in his power forwards list. And now this... this is terrible. Wilt all the way down at #4? George Mikan ahead of Hakeem? Please.
The only problem I have with this list is that he puts Shaq in front of Dream. Dream at least cancelled out Shaq during the 94 finals. If put Dream in his prime against Shaq in his prime the results will probably be the same, and Dream is better on defensive end. When one considers all-time list, one should consider how much a player impact the game in HIS era. Mikan is the FIRST dominant big man and the league changed a couple of rules because of him, so he deserves to be in the top five list.
This little bit of the article is telling: "Aside from Kevin McHale, Shaq has more moves at his disposal in the pivot than anyone else in the record book." So Shaq had move moves than Dream? Did Rosen sleep through the 90's?
There were more rule changes resulting from Wilt than anyone else in history. It's not even close. If you consider rule changes important criteria, I'm wondering how you're okay with Wilt being #4. No kidding, man. That's straight up blasphemous.
Again, Shaq is ahead of Hakeem!! What a joke! You guys already mentioned some of the reasons why Hakeem was clearly better, but the fact that he could beat you multiple ways on offense (power, finess, quickness), a very underestimated clutch player, dominant defensive player including being in top 10 career steals, and could change or control a game or playoff series by himself are why he stand alone above Mr. Fat Diesel. I don't mind as much about Mikan being that high for the simple fact he was the first great big man and star of the league.
Putting Walton ahead of Moses and David Robinson is crazy. Walton wasn't great for that many years and at his peak he wasn't close to Moses and Robinson at their peak. Walton did a lot of things very well but I have a hard time calling him great. Moses and Robinson were dominant in every sense of the word in their prime but Walton never dominated. I would compare Walton to Brad Daugherty. Both injury prone, both very fundamental, neither was very physical but nearly every night their teams had the advantage in the middle. I don't hold anything against ole Bill. Nobody was more excited than I was when they beat the 76ers in the Finals in 1976. Excluding the Rockets Finals appearances, no other NBA Finals got me more excited. That Blazers team was very similar to the Pistons last year because no player was dominant but their 7 player rotation was a well oiled machine.
What I find really funny about this is that... if you read the author's own descriptions of Shaq and Hakeem, you'd think their rankings were reversed. He didn't slight Dream at all in his description (aside from not mentioning the incredible steals stats) -- just in the ranking. Shaq: he's slow off the floor, a limited rebounder, and a mostly stationary defender... has spent many seasons out of shape, struggling with injuries, and/or giving in to his own ennui Dream: he became a virtually unstoppable scorer ...and his defense was even better... never cut a corner, never gave less than his best and was always a responsible citizen on and off the court
It's how Rosen operates. And debatably, it's not a bad way to go about it. Isn't winning championships what it's all about? Dream shouldn't have been so low, but I was impressed to see how snide-comment-free his summary was. Shaq was too high, between the serious holes in his game (no shot beyond 6 ft, a liability at the line, poor conditioning, and half the defensive presence he should be at his size) and that he needed Kobe for his rings. Dream destroyed people in the playoffs all on his own. Evan
It would help his writing if he gave certain criteria for the rankings, such as overall competition, team strength, competition within his position, and championships. I think he used some of those qualities to rank Mikan lower.
Shaq has more moves at his disposal in the pivot than anyone else in the record book. the only move i recall of shaq is banging people with his force and then dunking. thats his only move!
I always felt that once Shaq moves to LA.....he didnt put in as much effort as he could have. I dont take any notice of these lists the media come out with. Basketball writers are probably the worst sports jounro's for getting "stars in the eyes" and throwing aside objectivity because they are under the spell of certain players.
The only player on this list in the right spot is Kareem. Wilt should be 1st, Russ 3rd or lower, Mikan is way too high, Walton should be honorable mention at best, and Malone is way too low.
at this point it's enough for me that someone remembers dream at all, since people seem to overlook him so much. i'm bored of fighting it. if you look at his total game, offense and defense, there is no possible way he is only the 6th best center of all time. this guy is also clearly a lakers' homer.