So, in light of the stalled labor talks and not much to discuss here, I've decided to copy NickFaldo's idea of a Sports Villain Survivor game and adapt it to something we all like to debate - who gets into the HOF. Here are the rules (I've tweaked them slightly for my own preferences).
Copy and paste the most current vote tally. Then add a total of 8 pts to four people and subtract a total of 8 pts from four others. You can add or subtract extra points to individual players, but you must add + subtract from 4 players each (meaning the maximum you can add or subtract from a given player is 5). Do not vote twice in a row (although you can vote multiple times over the course of the thread).
The goal is to select who we collectively deserves entry into the Basketball HOF as a player from this pool of current and recently retired players, based on their current "resume" (if they never played again). If you think someone does not deserve to get in, subtract points from their total. Conversely, if you think someone should make the HOF, add points to their current total.
When a player reaches 0 points, they will be dropped from the list and become permanently ineligible for the HOF (not really but it's fun to pretend). Also, remember that this is the Basketball HOF, not the NBA - college, Olympic, and foreign play counts. So, here's the initial list:
Vince Carter (20)
Pau Gasol (20)
Manu Ginobili (20)
Grant Hill (20)
Dwight Howard (20)
Allen Iverson (20)
Mark Jackson (20)
LeBron James (20)
Tracy McGrady (20)
Reggie Miller (20)
Yao Ming (20)
Dikembe Mutombo (20)
Steve Nash (20)
Dirk Nowitzki (20)
Amar'e Stoudemire (20)
Dwyane Wade (20)
I've left off obvious picks like Tim Duncan, Shaq, Kobe, and our Big 3. I wanted to focus more on borderline current players and recent retirees.
So, I'll start the voting. Please bold the players you've added points to, and bold+red the players you've subtracted points from. You can also give a short rationale for your choice.
Vince Carter (17)
Pau Gasol (20)
Manu Ginobili (20)
Grant Hill (20)
Dwight Howard (20)
Allen Iverson (21)
Mark Jackson (19)
LeBron James (20)
Tracy McGrady (18)
Reggie Miller (20)
Yao Ming (20)
Dikembe Mutombo (21)
Steve Nash (23)
Dirk Nowitzki (23)
Amar'e Stoudemire (18)
Dwyane Wade (20)
I've added 3 points to Nash and Dirk, and 1 point to Mutombo and Iverson. I've also subtracted 3 points from Vince Carter, 2 points from McGrady and Stoudemire, and 1 point from Mark Jackson.
Remember - this is for HOF induction as a player assuming they never played another game. College, Olympics and foreign experience should all be considered. If you can think of a player you'd like added to the list, let me know ASAP and we'll see if they can be included. Thanks again to NickFaldo for the idea. Happy voting!