Are Gary Payton and Reggie Miller Hall of Famers? I just saw a "Cribs" with Gary Payton's house. One of the nicest houses you can imagine. It even has a frikkin water slide along with a lagoon as a pool. Anyways, watching this made me think...Payton's 34, he probably has 3-4 good years left at most. He hasn't won a ring yet, but has had a hell of a career. 18.1ppg 7.3apg 4.2 rpg 2.13 spg He started off a little slow his first two seasons, so if you take those two seasons out, his stats are even higher. Take that with the fact that he's been All NBA Defensive first team 8 straight years, All NBA first team twice (along with many second and third teams), and a Defensive player of the year award, and I think he should be a no-brainer. Reggie Miller on the other hand, was a lot more one dimensional. But I would think that the most prolific three point shooter of all time and one of the most clutch players of all time belongs in the Hall of Fame. And if it wasn't for MJ's Bulls, he may even have a couple rings. Your opinions?
Gary Payton - Best Point Guard of the 90's, and probably the first complete point guard. Reggie Miller - Best clutch player of all time and certainly one of the best shooters. So to answer you question, yes and yes.
GP is one of the top 5 pg's of his era so he's in. Reggie Miller is one of the best clutch players of all-time so he's in.
Good thread. I'd been trying to debate the Reggie Miller question myself. In my opinion, Reggie Miller's career stats are iffy about being a hall-of-famer as there have been many scorers of his caliber. However his playoff performances are legendary, even as recently as this year, and IMO that should put him over the top.
I was thinking just the opposite: that Miller's case is stronger than Payton's. Payton is probably the better player. But, Miller has got a more significant history tied up into his career that results from his clutch play in the playoffs. I think his greater historic significance makes him the better candidate.
I'd like to add these players to the mix: Shawn Kemp, Alonzo Mourning, Michael Finley, Latrell Sprewell, Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond It may be a bit early to discuss Finley, Sprewell and maybe Mourning, but how do you see their future chances anyways along with Richmond and Kemp? I'd say no way Kemp or Sprewell gets in. Kemp had a 5 year run of being the second best power forward in the west next to Karla Malone, but given his recent futility, is he in? There's no way a player who choked their own coach gets in IMO...I would say Sprewell doesn't even get in w/o that incident on his resume. It's hard to gauge Finley, Mourning, Hardaway, and Richmond. Richmond has passed the 20,000 point barrier, which is big...but I don't know. Mourning, pre-kidney disease, was considered the best defensive center in the game. What about Finley, provided he continues on his same pace for another 5-6 years? Hardaway has impressive scoring numbers his first 5-8 years in the league, is that enough? Oh, and how about Chris Mullin as well, check out his scoring numbers his first 10 or so years in the league...impressive.
Finley is way too early, but i really doubt he ever will unless he becomes an important part of some Dallas championship teams. Richmond has hall of fame numbers, but he's on the bubble for gettting in. If Zo can have a few more good years, he has a good chance. I dont think Shawn Kemp has a good chance since he only had about 6 good years and about 4 or 5 pathetic years in a row.
Shawn Kemp-yes Mourning-definitely...wasn't he part of the Greatest 50? Richmond-yes, just on his total points alone Finley-Can't tell as of yet, he's just an above average SG, it depends on his playoff performances in the next few years I guess
The only one of those players who will seriously have a chance at getting in is Mitch Richmond. He played for his share of good and bad teams, but he was one of the better scorers in the game for many seasons. Kemp's shot at glory has gone far by the wayside over the past 5 seasons. Heck, he's not even that old - 32, I think - and wasn't even the first player to come straight out of the HS/JuCo ranks to make an NBA impact, so he's not a trendsetter by any means. Mourning's shot has been hampered by his injury. If he can come back and produce like he did before his kidneys went bad, then he might have a shot - but for now, no. Finley and Sprewell haven't done anything near worthy of hall-of-fame consideration. They are good players, yes, but not Hall-worthy. Ditto for Tim Hardaway - he may have pioneered the crossover and was a good PG in his day, but I can't see him making the HoF.
True - but neither player won any NBA titles, so while the impact from Miller's clutch play may be measurable, I don't think it provides him with a stronger case than Gary Payton. Payton also led his team into the playoffs and finals during the past decade, albeit with less flare for the dramatic. Coupled with his status as possibly the best PG in the game for the past 8-10 years and one of the best overall in the NBA for the same period of time and I think he makes a pretty strong case for the Hall....slightly better than Reggie's.
What do you think about Mullin's chances mfclark? His stats from his first 10 years in the league are impressive.
Both Payton and Miller deserve and will get into the hall of fame the other guys mentioned i think only Zo will get in. Mullin had great numbers on Gs but so does jamison. i dont think Mullin should get in, it is very easy to have those numbers when u r the only decent player.
payton yes miller yes Kemp no, he didn't do enough or for long enough and he didn't have a college career to help him out like calvin murphy did. Mourning- yes, he is borderline but will make it in with sympathy vote. There are worse guys in the Hall than him. Finley- incomplete. If he never gets any better or wins multiple titles then no, if he does then maybe Hardaway- close call, was one of the best guards in the universe for a short time, but faded fast. Probably no, but he has a chance Richmond- yes, he was always appreciated by writers more than fans (got the "if not for jordan" label) Spreewell- hasn't done enough, and choking will always keep him out even if he did do enough.
I think all those players will get in at some point with the exception of maybe Kemp. He was possibly the best pf in the league for a few years other than Barkley and Malone. Since he's been in Portland, not only has he gained weight but he gets no minutes and no plays called for him. I think if he was still in Cleveland he would be averaging 16 or 17 a game.
He has a better shot than any of the others you mentioned, but it's borderline either way. He was a very good player, but as he went deeper into his career, he became more of a situational shooter.
