Top 100 NBA Players: #92 - Vince Carter

Vince Carter

Teams

Toronto Raptors - 1998-04

New Jersey Nets - 2004-09

Orlando Magic - 2009-10

Phoenix Suns - 2010-11

Dallas Mavericks - 2011-14

Memphis Grizzlies - 2014-17

Sacramento Kings - 2017-18

Atlanta Hawks - 2018-20

Playoffs

Appearances - 11 (2000,2001,2005,2006,2007,2010,2012,2014,2015,2016,2017)

Conference Finals - 1 (2010)

NBA Finals - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Rookie of the Year - 1999

All-NBA Second Team - 1 (2001)

All-NBA Third Team - 1 (2000)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Three Pointers Made - #6

Total Points - #22

Total Steals - #45

Total Assists - #78

League Leads

Total Points (#2-2000, #4-2007, #5-2001)

Points Per Game (#4-2000, #5-2001)

After leading North Carolina to the Final Four twice in a row, Vince Carter and his teammate Antawn Jamison entered the NBA Draft, where they were selected by Golden State and Toronto before being traded for each other, with Carter landing in Toronto, where he joined his cousin, Tracy McGrady, who had been picked by the Raptors the year before.

The start of Carter's NBA career was a whirlwind, as he averaged 18.3 points per game on his way to the Rookie of the Year award, then followed that up by averaging 25.7 per game in his second season, good for #4 in the league. He made the All-NBA Third Team that year and won one of the most memorable Slam Dunk contests in history as well, then joined the Olympic team and won a gold medal after the season, throwing down the greatest Olympic dunk of all time in the process.

He continued his rise in 2001, scoring a career-high 27.6 points per game, making the All-NBA Second Team, and leading the Raptors to their first-ever playoff series victory. He signed a big contract extension after the season, but knee and hamstring problems caused him to miss large chunks of the next 2 seasons, resulting in early playoff exits or missing the postseason altogether.

The Raptors decided to start rebuilding in 2004, and Carter didn't trust team management to make the right moves to get the team back to the playoffs. He was traded to New Jersey early in that season, where he had many of his best years. He missed only 11 games during 4 full seasons with the Nets, and made 3 straight playoff appearances, including his personal-best 2006 playoff run, when he averaged 29.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists before losing in the second round.

After 4 and a half seasons with the Nets, Carter was traded to the Orlando Magic, who had just lost in the NBA Finals and were hoping Carter would be the piece to push them over the top. At that point, Carter had averaged over 20 points per game in 10 straight seasons, but he would never reach that level again. The Magic, led by Dwight Howard, reached the Conference Finals that season, but it would be the deepest playoff run of Carter's career.

Carter's time as a superstar was over, but he still had a lot of basketball to play. He was a starter for the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks over the next couple of years, then took a bench role for most of the remainder of his career. For a couple of years with the Mavericks he was the first man off the bench, and then he spent time with Memphis, Sacramento, and Atlanta, where he served in more of a mentor role to younger players.

Carter holds the NBA record for seasons played with 22, and is the only player to appear in a game in 4 different decades. During his final season, he had 4 teammates who were not even born when Carter was drafted, and he finished his career with the third most games played of all time. He is also #6 in 3-pointers made and #22 in points scored. 

Carter is one of the few players who was able to make a smooth transition from being a star player to sidekick to role player, which allowed him to have such a lengthy career. He may be best remembered for his thunderous dunks during his time with Toronto, but he became an even better player with New Jersey when he became more of an all-around player, and there is no doubt that he deserves to be mentioned among the greatest players of all time.

Top 100 NBA Players: #93 - Draymond Green

Draymond Green

Teams

Golden State Warriors - 2012-current

Playoffs

Appearances - 7 (2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019)

Conference Finals - 5 (2015,2016,2017,2018,2019)

NBA Finals - 5 (2015,2016,2017,2018,2019)

Championships - 3 (2015,2017,2018)

Awards and Honors

All-NBA Second Team - 1 (2016)

All-NBA Third Team - 1 (2017)

Defensive Player of the Year - 1 (2017)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Assists Per Game - #99

League Leads

Total Steals (#2-2017, #3-2021)

Steals Per Game (#1-2017, #4-2021)

Assists Per Game (#4-2021)

Draymond Green is the first of 16 active players to appear in this countdown, and the only one of those 16 who graduated from college before joining the NBA, earning a degree in communications after being named the Big Ten Player of the Year in his senior season at Michigan State in 2012. He was then selected in the second round of the draft by Golden State at #35 overall.

Green played sparingly as a rookie, averaging less than 3 points per game, and saw that gradually increase in his second season, but he really started to break through in season #3, when he was named the team's starting power forward and averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, finishing as runner-up for both the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards. In that season's playoffs, he recorded a triple-double in the championship-clinching Game 6, becoming the 6th player ever to do that, joining LeBron, Bird, Magic, Duncan, and James Worthy.

He had his best overall season in 2015-16, the season in which his Warriors set a new record for wins in a season with 73, by averaging 14 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists while shooting 49% from the field, by far his career high. In the playoffs, the Warriors were moments from going up 3-1 in the NBA Finals when Green was called for a flagrant foul that resulted in his suspension for the next game. The game he missed may have swung the momentum of the series, though Green cannot be blamed for the series loss, as he put up 32 points and 15 rebounds in the team's game 7 loss.

The next season Green recorded a very interesting first when he became the first player ever to record a triple-double in a game without scoring at least 10 points. He had 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals in a February game against Memphis to set the mark. He finished the season leading the league in steals per game and won the Defensive Player of the Year award, while also playing a major role in earning the second championship of his career.

The following season saw Green become the Warriors' all-time leader in triple-doubles when he recorded his 21st in January, a total that has since increased to 30, and once again the season ended with Green and Warriors hoisting the championship trophy. In 2018-19, he struggled with injuries during the season, failing to record a triple-double for the first time since 2013, but he had 6 in the playoffs, tying Magic Johnson for the all-time record in a single postseason, though it ended in a loss to Toronto in the team's 5th straight trip to the final round.

Green's numbers look like they have dipped in recent seasons, but if you look a little closer, he's still making major contributions without scoring as much. In fact, last season he averaged 7.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.9 assists, which shows that he does a little bit of everything well. His assist number is particularly interesting, because he finished #4 in the league in that stat, despite being Golden State's starting power forward, a position not generally known for generating big assist totals.

In addition to all that, Green also won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics and is on the team currently competing in the 2021 Olympics. His scoring average is lower than most of the other players on this list, but he has the kind of all-around game that few players in this range of the countdown possess. He's been a big contributor to 5 NBA Finalists and 3 champions, and he still has many years ahead of him to try to climb this list of the greatest players of all time.

Top 100 NBA Players: #94 - Walter Davis

Walter Davis

Teams

Phoenix Suns - 1977-88

Denver Nuggets - 1988-91, 1991-92

Portland Trail Blazers - 1991

Playoffs

Appearances - 10 (1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1989,1990,1991)

Conference Finals - 3 (1979,1984,1991)

NBA Finals - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Rookie of the Year - 1978

All-NBA Second Team - 2 (1978,1979)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Total Points - #56

Free Throw Percentage - #65

Total Steals - #81

Field Goal Percentage - #99

League Leads

Free Throw Percentage (#3-1990, #4-1984)

Walter Davis was a star player from the day he started playing for the University of North Carolina, and he was selected to play on Team USA in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where he was part of the gold medal winning team after his junior year, then went on to be drafted #5 overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1977.

Davis' pro career started out with a bang, as "The Greyhound" averaged 24.2 points and 6 rebounds per game on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year and being named All-NBA Second Team. In his second season he scored 23.6 per game and made the All-NBA Second Team again, and even led Phoenix to the Western Conference Finals, but it turned out that he never reached his rookie numbers again.

Davis suffered through a back injury and a knee injury in the early 1980s, but was still spectacular when he was on the court. In 1983 he set an NBA record that still stands: Most points scored in a game before missing a shot. He scored 34 points on 15 field goals and 4 free throws before missing a shot in the final minute of the game, and nobody has matched that since.

Davis stunned many in 1985 when he admitted to being a cocaine addict and entered a rehab program, which resulted in him missing the majority of the season. That began a streak of 4 straight years of no playoffs, though Davis finally started to look like his old self in 1986 and 1987, averaging over 20 points per game in both seasons, before it came out that he had been using cocaine again. He testified to prosecutors against several teammates in exchange for immunity, then entered rehab once again. When his contract ran out in 1988, the Suns didn't seriously attempt to resign him.

He found a home in Denver, where he played most of the rest of his career, except for a short stay in Portland late in 1991. He was still a solid player in his first stint in Denver, coming off the bench to average at least 15 points per game in 2 seasons. 

Davis is the Suns' all-time leading scorer and led them to the Conference Finals twice, but he also was the face of one of the darkest periods in the franchise's history. The relationship was eventually mended, and Phoenix has retired his number 6 jersey and added him to the team's Ring of Honor.

Davis is the rare wing player who shot over 50% for his career, and was also a very good free throw shooter and a volume scorer. Despite the injury and drug issues, he still managed to have a long and productive career, just one that ended without earning the ultimate prize, but with how well he played for over a decade in Phoenix, he deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.

Top 100 NBA Players: #95 - Shawn Kemp

Shawn Kemp

Teams

Seattle SuperSonics - 1989-97

Cleveland Cavaliers - 1997-00

Portland Trail Blazers - 2000-02

Orlando Magic - 2002-03

Playoffs

Appearances - 10 (1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,2002,2003)

Conference Finals - 2 (1993,1996)

NBA Finals - 1 (1996)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-NBA Second Team - 3 (1994,1995,1996)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Total Blocks - #55

Total Rebounds - #64

League Leads

Total Rebounds (#3-1995,1996)

Field Goal Percentage (#5-1994,1996)

Rebounds Per Game (#5-1996)

Shawn Kemp is the first player in this countdown who did not play college basketball. He committed to play for Kentucky, but didn't score high enough on the SAT to be eligible as a freshman, and after an issue with a teammate, he transferred to Trinity Valley Community College, where he didn't play. After what would have been his freshman year, he declared for the NBA Draft, where he was picked #17 by the Seattle SuperSonics.

Kemp was the youngest player in the league as a rookie, and it took him a little time to find his footing, but in his second year he showed huge improvement, jumping up to 15 points and 8.4 rebounds per game after just 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a rookie. It was also that season that Kemp was given one of the coolest nicknames in sports, "Reign Man", by the team's announcer.

Kemp was well-known during his Seattle year for his thunderous dunks, but he was a very solid player who continued to improve every year until 1996, when he and Gary Payton led Seattle to the NBA Finals. They lost that series to the 72-win Chicago Bulls, but they pushed the series to 6 games, which was quite an accomplishment against what may be the greatest team of all time.

Before the next season, Seattle signed Jim McIlvaine, a young center who never panned out, to a huge contract, one that paid him more than Kemp, and Kemp threatened to sit out the season as a result, even though his contracted could not be negotiated until after the next season. He did end up playing the entire season and nearly matched his previous season's career-best output, but with his relationship with the team deteriorating, he was traded to Cleveland following the season.

In Cleveland he continued to put up All-Star numbers, even averaging a career-high 20.5 points per game in 1999, but his efficiency declined significantly. He shot at least 49% in each of his final 7 seasons in Seattle, all while averaging at least 15 points per game, but in his 3 years in Cleveland, he finished below that number each season, dropping as low at .417 from the field in his third season with the Cavaliers.

He was traded to Portland in the summer of 2000, where he was never able to live up to his former glory. He had battled weight problems since leaving Seattle, and his first season in Portland ended early so he could enter drug rehab. After 2 seasons in which he averaged just over 6 points per game, he was waived in 2002. He then played one season with Orlando with similar results before his NBA career ended in 2003.

His career may not have ended up the way it should have, given his quick rise and solid peak, and it ended quite early, when Kemp was only 33, but he was one of the big reasons that Seattle was a perennial playoff team throughout the 1990s and was the best player on an NBA Finals team, so he definitely deserves a spot among the best players of all time.

Top 100 NBA Players: #96 - Andre Miller

Andre Miller

Teams

Cleveland Cavaliers - 1999-02

LA Clippers - 2002-03

Denver Nuggets - 2003-06, 2011-13

Philadelphia 76ers - 2006-09

Portland Trail Blazers - 2009-11

Washington Wizards - 2014-15

Sacramento Kings - 2015

Minnesota Timberwolves - 2015-16

San Antonio Spurs - 2016

Playoffs

Appearances - 11 (2004,2005,2006,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2016)

Conference Finals - 0

NBA Finals - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-NBA Second Team - 0 (2002)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Total Assists - #11

Assists Per Game - #41

Total Steals - #42

League Leads

Total Assists (#1-2002, #3-2006, #4-2007, #5-2001)

Assists Per Game (#1-2002)

Andre Miller was a very good point guard in the NBA for many years, but but he was constantly overlooked throughout his 17 seasons, failing to ever be named to a single All-Star team, and he is the only player ever with at least 16000 points, 8000 assists, and 1500 steals to never be named an All-Star.

Miller played for the University of Utah, where he led the Utes to the national championship game as a junior, upsetting defending champ Arizona along the way, then was named an All-American as a senior, which led to him being drafted #8 overall by Cleveland in 1999. 

Miller improved constantly during his 3 years in Cleveland, with his best overall season coming in 2002, when he led the league in assists while averaging 16.5 points per game. After that season, he was traded to the Clippers, which started the merry-go-round of the rest of his career, in which he played for 9 different teams (and Denver twice) and was traded 5 times, three of those coming in midseason.

Despite the constantly changing scenery, Miller was a very steady player. He averaged between 13 and 17 points per game every year from 2000 to 2010, and averaged at least 5 assists per game for the first 14 years of his career. He was also a player who rarely missed time, with only 3 games missed due to injury in his career, though he had quite a few DNP games in the last few seasons of his career when he was available.

One knock on him is that he never even reached the Conference Finals in his career, despite 11 playoff appearances overall, making him one of only 4 players on this list in that club, and none of the others are ranked higher than 70. After his first 4 seasons, he only missed the playoffs twice, so he was always able to make his team good, but wasn't enough of a star to lead them to a deep playoff run himself.

Looking at how well he played for all those years despite the constant changing surroundings makes me wonder how great he could have been if he had been allowed some stability. Unfortunately, we will never know the answer to that, but he still deserves recognition as one of the best players in the history of the game.

Top 100 NBA Players: #97 - Mel Daniels

Mel Daniels

Teams

Minnesota Muskies (ABA) - 1967-68

Indiana Pacers (ABA) - 1968-74

Memphis Sounds (ABA) - 1974-75

New York Nets - 1976

Playoffs

Appearances - 8 (1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975)

Conference Finals - 7 (1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974)

ABA Finals - 4 (1969,1970,1972,1973)

ABA Championships - 3 (1970,1972,1973)

Awards and Honors

ABA Rookie of the Year - 1968

All-ABA First Team - 4 (1968,1969,1970,1971)

All-ABA Second Team - 1 (1972,1973)

ABA MVP - 2 (1969,1971)

Finals MVP - 0 (1972)

Hall of Fame - 2012

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Rebounds Per Game - #6

Total Rebounds - #51

League Leads

Rebounds Per Game (#1-1968,1969,1971, #2-1970,1972,1973, #5-1974)

Total Rebounds (#1-1968,1969,1971, #2-1970,1973, #3-1972)

Total Points (#4-1969, #5-1968)

Points Per Game - (#4-1969)

Total Blocks - (#4-1973)

Field Goal Percentage (#2-1971)

Mel Daniels made this list despite playing on 11 games in the NBA, but he was one of the greatest players in the history of the ABA, where he played 8 full seasons. Daniels was an All-American center at New Mexico, where he averaged over 20 points per game, then was drafted #9 by the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA, who featured Oscar Robertson, but he was also drafted by the Minnesota Muskies of the ABA, which was just starting up that year, and he took the ABA offer that came with more money.

He was named the Rookie of the Year in the ABA after averaging 22.2 points and 15.6 rebounds, and he was also named to the All-ABA First Team. Unfortunately, the Muskies couldn't afford his contract, so they traded him to the Indiana Pacers after the season for cash, then moved the team to Miami.

In his first season with Indiana, Daniels was named the league MVP with averages of 24.0 points and 16.5 rebounds, which was the second straight time he had led the league in rebounding, and he led the Pacers to the Finals, where they lost to Rick Barry and the Oakland Oaks.

The next season, he took a backseat to Roger Brown as the star of the team, and the two of them together led the Pacers the their first championship, with Brown winning the Finals MVP. In 1971, they again reversed roles, with Daniels leading the team and winning the league MVP, but this time they fell short in the playoffs.

The following season, the team added another superstar in George McGinnis, and the trio led the Pacers to another championship, with Freddie Lewis winning the Finals MVP, though I feel that Daniels should have won this one, with averages of 15.3 points and 15.1 rebounds in the playoffs.

The Pacers won their third title in 4 years in 1973, this time with McGinnis dominating the playoffs, but Daniels still pulling in a strong double-double average. He played one more year for the Pacers, in which his numbers dipped significantly, before he was traded to Memphis.

In Memphis, Daniels suffered a back injury that cost him a lot of time, then continued to linger even after he returned, and he was never able to fully recover his old level of play. The team moved to Baltimore after that year, but folded before they even played a game, and nobody picked up the injured Daniels in the dispersal draft. He made a brief comeback with the New York Nets after the leagues merged in 1976, but was waived after averaging only 3.5 points in 11 games.

There are only 2 players in this countdown who have shorter careers than Daniels, who played 8 full seasons and appeared briefly in a 9th, and one of those players is still active. Even though his career was short, Daniels packed in a lot of accomplishments. He won 2 MVPs, 3 championships, and is the ABA's all-time leader in rebounds, falling just outside the top 50 of the NBA/ABA combined list. He is largely forgotten today, but he was so good during the ABA's run that he deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest players of all time.

Top 100 NBA Players: #98 - LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge

Teams

Portland Trail Blazers - 2006-15

San Antonio Spurs - 2015-21

Brooklyn Nets - 2021

Playoffs

Appearances - 9 (2009,2010,2011,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019)

Conference Finals - 1 (2017)

NBA Finals - 0

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

All-NBA Second Team - 2 (2015,2018)

All-NBA Third Team - 3 (2011,2014,2015,2016,2018)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Total Points - #52

Total Rebounds - #71

Total Blocks - #71

Points Per Game - #83

League Leads

None

LaMarcus Aldridge was a high school All-American who originally entered the NBA Draft in 2004, but then changed his mind and decided to attend the University of Texas, where he spent 2 years improving his game, which helped him become the #2 pick in the 2006 Draft by Chicago, who immediately traded him to Portland.

Aldridge had a decent rookie year in Portland, averaging 9 points per game, but after having trouble breathing in a game late in the season, he was taken to the hospital where it was discovered that he had an irregular heartbeat, and he would miss the remainder of the season.

He came back strong in his second season, averaging 17.8 points per game, the first of 13 seasons in a row where he would score at least 17 per game. He also improved his numbers in nearly every other statistical category, and as a result he came in third place in voting the the league's Most Improved Player award.

A few years later, he lifted his level of play again, reaching 21.8 points per game in 2011, and he ended up as the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award, one of the few players in history to be seriously considered for the award more than once. After 5 straight season averaging over 20 points per game for the Blazers, Aldridge left Portland as a free agent in the summer of 2015 to sign with San Antonio.

In his first two seasons in San Antonio, Aldridge's overall numbers dropped, but in 2017, he was able to reach the Conference Finals for the first and only time in his career, but the season ended in a sweep against the Golden State Warriors. Over the next 2 seasons he raised his level of play back up near where it was before he left Portland, but the playoff success didn't follow.

Aldridge missed the bubble portion of the 2020 season following shoulder surgery, then struggled with multiple injuries early in the 2020-21 season, and finally he and the Spurs agreed to part ways, with Aldridge being released shortly after the All-Star break. He signed on with the Brooklyn Nets, hoping to finally reach the NBA Finals and win a title, but he abruptly retired after experiencing an irregular heartbeat once again during a game.

Aldridge is one of the few players on this list to never appear in the top 5 in any major statistical category during a season in his career, and he is also one of only 16 to never reach the NBA Finals, but he played so consistently at a high level for 12 straight seasons, and was well on the way to 13 before surgery shortened his penultimate season, that he needs to be recognized as one of the greatest players of all time.

Top 100 NBA Players: #99 - Bill Sharman

Bill Sharman

Teams

Washington Capitols - 1950-51

Boston Celtics - 1951-61

Playoffs

Appearances - 10 (1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961)

Conference Finals - 8 (1953,1954,1955,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961)

NBA Finals - 5 (1957,1958,1959,1960,1961)

Championships - 4 (1957,1959,1960,1961)

Awards and Honors

All-NBA First Team - 4 (1956,1957,1958,1959)

All-NBA Second Team - 3 (1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960)

Hall of Fame - 1976

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Free Throw Percentage - #14

League Leads

Free Throw Percentage (#1-1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1959,1961, #2-1958, #3-1952, #4-1960)

Field Goal Percentage (#2-1954, #4-1953, #5-1956)

Points Per Game (#5-1958)

Bill Sharman was a multi-sport star at USC, starting at First Base on the College World Series champions, while also being named an All-American in basketball. After college, he played both sports professionally, spending 6 seasons as a minor league baseball player in the Dodgers' system before focusing full-time on basketball.

He was drafted by the Washington Capitols, and was a decent player in limited playing time before the team folded midway through the season. He was drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons in the dispersal draft, who then immediately traded him to the Boston Celtics, which was the best thing that could have happened to him.

During his 10 seasons in Boston, he played alongside some of the all-time greats, including Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, and Sam Jones. He led the Celtics in scoring 4 times, and did it with his incredible efficiency. In that era, it was extremely rare for a guard to shoot over 40% from the field, but Sharman did it in 9 straight seasons, and even finished in the top 5 of the league 3 times, despite standing only 6'1".

He was also the first great free throw shooter in history, leading the league 7 times, a record he shares with Rick Barry (including Barry's time in the ABA). In 1959 he set the record with a .932 free throw rate, and that record stood for nearly 20 years before it was finally broken. Even after all these years, his career percentage is still #14 of all time.

Once Bill Russell arrived in Boston in 1956, the Celtics finally started winning championships, with Sharman playing an important role on each title team, though he was never the best player on any of those teams, thanks to the presence of Cousy and Russell.

After his retirement as a player, Sharman went on to become a great coach, including leading the Lakers team that won a record 33 games in a row and a championship in 1972, after having coached the Utah Stars to the ABA title the season before. He is one of only 5 men to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, joining John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens, and former teammates Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn.

Sharman was the league first great shooting guard, even though he was never a true superstar player. He was never the reason a team won a title, but he was an important contributor on 4 championships within a 5-year period, which is why he deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest players of all time.

Top 100 NBA Players: #100 - Adrian Dantley

Adrian Dantley

Teams

Buffalo Braves - 1976-77

Indiana Pacers - 1977

LA Lakers - 1977-79

Utah Jazz - 1979-86

Detroit Pistons - 1986-89

Dallas Mavericks - 1989-90

Milwaukee Bucks - 1991

Playoffs

Appearances - 7 (1978,1979,1984,1985,1987,1988,1991)

Conference Finals - 2 (1987,1988)

NBA Finals - 1 (1988)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Rookie of the Year - 1977

All-NBA First Team - 0 (1984)

All-NBA 2nd Team - 2 (1981,1982,1984,1986)

Hall of Fame - 2008

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Points Per Game - #19

Total Points - #34

Field Goal Percentage - #35

League Leads

Total Points (#1-1981,1984, #3-1982,1986)

Points Per Game (#1-1981,1984, #2-1986, #3-1980,1982)

Field Goal Percentage (#4-1980)

Free Throw Percentage (#5-1983)

After an impressive college career at Notre Dame that included ending UCLA's 88-game winning streak, Adrian Dantley was drafted #6 overall by Buffalo in 1976. He led all rookies in scoring that year, putting up 20.3 points per game, and was give the Rookie of the Year award after the season, but in what would become a pattern throughout his career, he was traded after the season, becoming the first ever Rookie of the Year to be traded after his first season.

He started off strong with his new team in Indiana, averaging over 26 points per game over the first couple months of the season, but the Pacers needed a center, so they sent Dantley with Dave Robisch to the LA Lakers, where he played alongside superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After being slowed by injuries in his second season in LA, he was again traded away, this time to the Utah Jazz.

Dantley would spend 7 seasons in Utah, nearly half of his career, and while he was there he led the league in scoring twice and surpassed 30 points per game 4 times, falling just short of that mark in 1986. He was an All-Star 6 times with Utah, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team twice, both times when he was the league's leading scorer. Despite his huge scoring numbers in Utah, his teams only reached the playoffs twice, losing in the second round both times.

After his relationship with his coach deteriorated beyond repair, he was again traded in 1986, this time moving to Detroit, where he was still a 20 point per game scorer, but as one of many stars on a team with Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer. It was there that he saw his deepest playoff runs, reaching the conference Finals twice and the NBA Finals once before he was traded away again midway through the 1988-89 season, which ended in his former team winning their first of two straight championships.

He played just over a season for Dallas after the trade, with his scoring average dropping to the lowest of his career to that point, just 14.7 per game before he broke his leg with 2 months left in the season. After rehabbing, he made a brief comeback with Milwaukee, where he played 10 games late in 1991, averaging just 5.7 points per game before retiring from the NBA for good. 

Dantley was a great scorer, and despite being only 6'5", he was known for his post-up game. In fact, when he retired, he had the highest career field goal percentage by a non-center, and he also led the league in free throws made 5 times. He never won a championship and never made a deep playoff run as a team's best player, but his immense scoring and shooting numbers can't be ignored, which is why he is one of the greatest players of all time.

Top 100 NBA Players of All Time - Intro

Over the years, I have spent a lot of time trying to create the perfect statistical ranking of NBA players throughout history, and I have shared my overall all-time rankings twice before on this blog. There have always been some issues with players ranked higher or lower than the general consensus believes, and I am always trying to find ways to improve my algorithm to make the final product feel closer to the reality we see with our eyes. I am not going to claim that this list is perfect, because there are still some that I don't completely agree with, but there are very few that I feel are not very close to where they belong. On a side note, there always seems to be some uproar over who is in or out of the top 10, and this is understandable, but there are really about 19 players who deserve consideration to be in the top 10, so barely half of them can make it at this point, so some who feel like top 10 players just aren't going to be there.

In my latest update, I have made several tweaks that I believe have had a very positive impact on the overall rankings. In previous versions, players were compared to the average starter during a particular season, but now I have included all data from all players, and players are now compared to the league average in each statistical category in each season. Also, rather than punishing players for being below average in certain categories, I've decided to stick to just rewarding them for categories where they are above average. Just as before, players who are above average across the board still have the advantage, but it prevents point guards for being punished for poor rebounding, and allows players who are extraordinary at one thing to still have a chance to make this list, and there are at least a couple of examples of that this time.

I have also decided to include ABA data in this latest update, which was helpful especially for Rick Barry, George Gervin, Julius Erving, and Dan Issel, but also helped out some other forgotten stars. In the first season or two of the ABA, it may not have had the same talent level as the NBA, but it caught up quickly, and the players above are just a few examples of great ABA players who continued to be stars when they joined the NBA. In accordance with that, when I talk about all-time statistical ranks, I will be referring to combined NBA/ABA statistical leaders.

The ultimate goal in sports is to win a championship, so playoff data is also included, and players' points were adjusted for series that were won without going the full possible length, to avoid punishing players for something that should be a positive. Players on the championship team are also given a bonus equal to an extra series, because otherwise there would be no difference between winning and losing in the NBA Finals. And while I am on the subject of titles, a player's record in the NBA Finals is not a valid statistic. The goal in every season is to win a championship, so only counting seasons in which a player reached the Finals is incorrect. Michael Jordan did not go 6-0, he went 6-9, and Bill Russell did not go 11-1, he went 11-2. Obviously, the more championships the better, and the better the performance and the deeper the run in the playoffs the better as well.

Now, on to a few random statistics about the players on this list. Out of the 100 players, 45 are guards and 55 are frontcourt players. 16 out of the 100 are active in the league right now, which is a higher percentage than my baseball rankings but lower than my NFL QB rankings. The college with the most players in these rankings is Kentucky, with 6, followed by North Carolina and Georgetown with 4 each.

96 of the 100 players have played in the Conference Finals at least once in their career, 84 have played in the NBA Finals, including 49 of the top 50, and 66 have won at least one championship. 68 of the 83 total MVP winners from both leagues are included, and 48 of the 62 Finals MVP's, along with 32 of the 88 Rookies of the Year. There are also 20 former #1 picks represented, counting those who were territorial picks like Wilt Chamberlain in the early days of the league, and also 3 players who were not drafted into the NBA.

Here is the breakdown by primary franchise, with with total who every played for that franchise in parentheses:

Celtics - 11 (21)

Lakers - 8 (19)

Spurs - 6 (17)

76ers/Nationals - 5 (13)

Pistons - 5 (10)

Thunder/Sonics - 5 (10)

Trail Blazers - 5 (10)

Warriors - 5 (9)

Nuggets - 4 (11)

Hawks - 4 (11)

Suns - 4 (10)

Pacers - 4 (7)

Jazz - 4 (5)

Rockets - 3 (18)

Wizards/Bullets - 3 (14)

Bucks - 3 (11)

Nets - 2 (17)

Clippers/Braves - 2 (12)

Knicks - 2 (12)

Heat - 2 (10)

Bulls - 2 (10)

Cavaliers - 2 (10)

Magic - 2 (9)

Kings/Royals - 2 (5)

Colonels (ABA) - 2 (3)

Mavericks - 1 (12)

Timberwolves - 1 (6)

Pelicans - 1 (3)

Raptors - 0 (7)

Hornets - 0 (4)

Grizzlies - 0 (3)

As I announce each of the 100 countdown-style over the next several months, I will add them to the bottom of this post with a link to their post and their position, main team, and main decade.

2022 Update

2023 Update

2024 Update

101-150. Honorable Mention

100. Adrian Dantley - SF - UTA - 1980s

99. Bill Sharman - SG - BOS - 1950s

98. LaMarcus Aldridge - PF - POR - 2010s

97. Mel Daniels - C - IND - 1970s

96. Andre Miller - PG - DEN - 2000s

95. Shawn Kemp - PF - SEA - 1990s

94. Walter Davis - SG - PHX - 1980s

93. Draymond Green - PF - GSW - 2010s

92. Vince Carter - SG - NJN - 2000s

91. Bob Lanier - C - DET - 1970s

90. Amar'e Stoudemire - PF - PHX - 2000s

89. Wes Unseld - C - WAS - 1970s

88. John Wall - PG - WAS - 2010s

87. Gus Williams - PG - SEA - 1980s

86. Dennis Rodman - PF - DET - 1990s

85. Tom Heinsohn - PF - BOS - 1960s

84. Rod Strickland - PG - POR - 1990s

83. Cliff Hagan - SF - STL - 1960s

82. Walt Frazier - PG - NYK - 1970s

81. Ray Allen - SG - MIL - 2000s

80. Kyrie Irving - PG - CLE - 2010s

79. Alonzo Mourning - C - MIA - 1990s

78. Terry Porter - PG - POR - 1990s

77. Dikembe Mutombo - C - ATL - 1990s

76. Anthony Davis - PF - NOP - 2010s

75. Louie Dampier - PG - KEN - 1970s

74. Tracy McGrady - SG - ORL - 2000s

73. Tim Hardaway - PG - GSW - 1990s

72. Chris Webber - PF - SAC - 2000s

71. Sam Cassell - PG - MIL - 2000s

70. Dominique Wilkins - SF - ATL - 1980s

69. Carmelo Anthony - SF - DEN - 2010s

68. Alex English - SF - DEN - 1980s

67. Kawhi Leonard - SF - SAS - 2010s

66. Maurice Cheeks - PG - PHI - 1980s

65. Deron Williams - PG - UTA - 2000s

64. Ben Wallace - C - DET - 2000s

63. Damian Lillard - PG - POR - 2010s

62. Bob McAdoo - C - BUF - 1970s

61. Sam Jones - SG - BOS - 1960s

60. Manu Ginobili - SG - SAS - 2000s

59. Reggie Miller - SG - IND - 1990s

58. Kevin McHale - PF - BOS - 1980s

57. George McGinnis - PF - IND - 1970s

56. Paul Pierce - SF - BOS - 2000s

55. Chauncey Billups - PG - DET - 2000s

54. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL - 2020s

53. George Gervin - SG - SAS - 1970s

52. Pau Gasol - C - LAL - 2010s

51. Scottie Pippen - SF - CHI - 1990s

50. Clyde Drexler - SG - POR - 1990s

49. Mark Jackson - PG - IND - 1990s

48. Rajon Rondo - PG - BOS - 2010s

47. Kevin Johnson - PG - PHX - 1990s

46. Elvin Hayes - PF - WAS - 1970s

45. Dolph Schayes - PF - SYR - 1950s

44. Gary Payton - PG - SEA - 1990s

43. Dan Issel - C - DEN - 1970s

42. Robert Parish - C - BOS - 1980s

41. Dwight Howard - C - ORL - 2010s

40. John Havlicek - SF - BOS - 1970s

39. Bob Pettit - PF - STL - 1960s

38. Allen Iverson - SG - PHI - 2000s

37. Artis Gilmore - C - KEN - 1970s

36. Rick Barry - SF - GSW - 1970s

35. Isiah Thomas - PG - DET - 1980s

34. Patrick Ewing - C - NYK - 1990s

33. Charles Barkley - PF - PHI - 1990s

32. Elgin Baylor - SF - LAL - 1960s

31. David Robinson - C - SAS - 1990s

30. George Mikan - C - MNL - 1950s

29. Tony Parker - PG - SAS - 2010s

28. Kevin Garnett - PF - MIN - 2000s

27. James Harden - SG - HOU - 2010s

26. Dirk Nowitzki - PF - DAL - 2000s

25. Stephen Curry - PG - GSW - 2010s

24. Moses Malone - C - HOU - 1980s

23. Steve Nash - PG - PHX - 2000s

22. Dwyane Wade - SG - MIA - 2010s

21. Jason Kidd - PG - NJN - 2000s

20. Chris Paul - PG - LAC - 2010s

19. Oscar Robertson - PG - CIN - 1960s

18. Larry Bird - SF - BOS - 1980s

17. Russell Westbrook - PG - OKC - 2010s

16. Kevin Durant - SF - OKC - 2010s

15. Bob Cousy - PG - BOS - 1950s

14. Julius Erving - SF - PHI - 1970s

13. Karl Malone - PF - UTA - 1990s

12. John Stockton - PG - UTA - 1990s

11. Jerry West - PG - LAL - 1960s

10. Hakeem Olajuwon - C - HOU - 1990s

9. Kobe Bryant - SG - LAL - 2000s

8. Bill Russell - C - BOS - 1960s

7. Tim Duncan - PF - SAS - 2000s

6. Magic Johnson - PG - LAL - 1980s

5. Shaquille O'Neal - C - LAL - 2000s

4. Wilt Chamberlain - C - PHW - 1960s

3. Michael Jordan - SG - CHI - 1990s

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - C - LAL - 1970s

1. LeBron James - SF - CLE - 2010s

A Few Bonus Lists:

Top 25 Regular Seasons

Top 25 Seasons - Playoffs Included

Top 25 3-Year Peaks

Top 25 5-Year Peaks

Top 25 10-Year Runs

NBA Finals Odds and Prediction

The NBA Finals start tonight, with Phoenix making their first appearance in 28 years aiming for their first title ever, while Milwaukee is making their first appearance in 47 years and aiming for their first title in 50 years. The current odds have Phoenix as the favorite, 58.3% to 41.7%, with the most likely outcome being Phoenix in 7 games, with Phoenix in 6 and Phoenix in 5 the next most likely outcomes. 

Taking the overall odds into account, then factoring in the regular season matchups, both 1-point Suns wins, which is basically a wash, and the potential for Giannis Antetokounmpo to miss multiple games, my official pick for this series is:

Phoenix in 6