Author Topic: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?  (Read 5354 times)

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Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« on: December 31, 2008, 04:30:31 PM »

Offline EarthBall

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I think most of us can agree that the top 5 centers of all-time are (in no particular order):

Bill Russell
Wilt Chamberlain
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Shaquille O'Neal
Hakeem Olajuwon

Who is the best center not in this list?

David Robinson?
Patrick Ewing?
George Mikan?
Robert Parish?
Dwight Howard?
Yao Ming?
Moses Malone? (though he was a PF-C)
Shawn Bradley? (yes, this is a joke)

« Last Edit: December 31, 2008, 05:49:52 PM by EarthBall »

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2008, 04:46:34 PM »

Offline celticmaestro

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I'd like to move Shaq up to third behind Russell and Kareem (maybe even closing in on Kareem). Don't care much for Wilt, he was very overrated; one of the most in NBA history.

As for 6th, it's close between Parish and Ewing in my opinion, Bradley (I can't believe I'm about to say this) belongs nowhere near that list. Neither do Howard and Yao.

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2008, 04:59:27 PM »

Offline RebusRankin

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Wilt was overrated?

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2008, 05:17:37 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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I really hope the Shawn Bradley mention was a joke.

I know his career was severly shortened due to injuries but my sixth would be Bill Walton. He and Wilt were pretty easily the two best passing centers ever. In his prime he could do it all, score, pass, rebound, block shots, and defend as good as there ever has been. If he had played now with the advent of medical technology to rebuild his knees he would have put up huge career numbers instead of basically being all done after 1980.

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2008, 05:31:50 PM »

Offline footey

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Moses Malone. None of the other choices come close to matching his rebounding acumen and overall intensity. I loved Chief, but he benefited greatly by playing with Larry and Kevin. Malone took two teams on his backs to the finals, the '81 Rocket team, and the '83 Sixer team.  Yes, the Sixer team had other great players, but Malone was their MVP, and that team was dominant in the play-offs ("Fo Fo Fo").

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2008, 05:58:23 PM »

Offline SShorefan 3.0

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I flat out love this question!!!

Let's all meet up -- get a few pitchers of beers and some apps and discuss this one til closing time.  My guess is, we will not come up with an answer.

TP!!

I am going with Parish or Malone.  Parish was the Hank Aaron of centers; solid and consistent. -- His numbers the last 2 seasons at Golden State are very solid for a 3rd/4th year center and dispel the arguement that he was only great due to McHale & Bird.  Malone was a machine and dominated his era.
I love my kids - Call me a sap, but it's true.

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2008, 06:01:23 PM »

Offline dark_lord

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bob lanier should be considered as well

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2008, 06:02:05 PM »

Offline housecall

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Wes Unseld was pretty darn good for a 6'7" C/F, in the Hall of Fame,

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2008, 06:03:00 PM »

Offline ManUp

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Tim Duncan the Center masquerading as a Power Forward.

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2008, 06:07:45 PM »

Offline Mean Gerald Green

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Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2008, 06:35:58 PM »

Offline tenn_smoothie

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how can you possibly leave dave cowens out of this discussion ?????

cowens was league mvp in 1973 and to my mind was the best center in the league during the mid-70's. he outplayed kareem during that time, which was jabbar's youthful prime. i would put dave cowens at the top of that second group any day of the week with moses and duncan right behind him.

also ....... i look at the celtics championship groups in four eras - russell's celtics, cowen's celtics & bird's celtics and now, garnett's celtics (though i know in many ways this group belongs to pierce since he has always been in boston). to me, havlicek & pierce are the two main lieutenants of celtic championship runs.
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Russell - Cowens - Bird - Garnett

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Cousy - Havlicek - McHale - Pierce

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2008, 06:45:13 PM »

Offline Brickowski

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6. Moses Malone 
7. Kevin McHale
8. George Mikan
9. Bob Lanier
10.Dave Cowens/Robert Parish (tie)


Bill Walton would be on the top 10 list had he stayed healthy.

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #12 on: January 01, 2009, 08:48:49 PM »

Offline 2short

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Wow no Cowens mentioned?
Also wilt is overrated  :-\ 
Ming & Howard are nowhere near list. 
Tim Duncan if a c gets the nod over Cowens, Pat Ewing, Bob Lanier then Moses
(in that order)
Where is the love for Dave Cowens??

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #13 on: January 01, 2009, 09:20:35 PM »

Offline tb727

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Since Duncan I guess won't count as a center, I'll say David Robinson is 6th, Ewing 7th and Parish 8th.

Also without looking I don't think Lanier made the 50 greatest players list back in 1997 while Parish did.
Jay Wingspan Bilas

Re: Who is the 6th best center of all-time?
« Reply #14 on: January 01, 2009, 11:12:00 PM »

Offline TerreHaute

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I never saw him play, but Mikan dominated the league as much as the ones in the top five. I know times were very different. I am not saying he belongs as the 6th person in the group. However, if we are basing things on winning and dominating the competition, he is a pretty easy choice.

If not Mikan, I would pick Malone with Ewing close behind.