Re: RealGM Top 100 List #85

[ceiling raiser]

Vote: Horace Grant

Terrific mobility was a big part of what allowed those first threepeat Bulls to have the success they did. Huge asset to your pressing defense when you have a guy who can rotate and recover (Zander Hollander's guides called him the key to those units a few times). His ability to run was a big part of their transition game offensively.

In Orlando, was instrumental in the 95 win over the Bulls, and while Chicago was better in 96, a healthy Grant would have made the series more competitive (his net on/off those two years was +9.5, +11.3 according to lorak's spreadsheet...we don't have numbers for most of his tenure with the Bulls, but in 94 with Chicago he was +8.2).

[Moonbeam]

Vote: Horace Grant

Very good to great in a lot of areas, and a guy who stepped it up in the playoffs. I feel bad to vote against Webber again (he's definitely a worthy candidate), but that's how it goes sometimes.

Spoiler:

Quotatious covered it well - this guy was the muscle inside for that first Bull 3-peat, and he was great after Jordan retired, too. He was a very good all-around player - decent scorer on usually decent efficiency (peaking with a Score+ of 2.866 in 1992, a couple other seasons well north of 1 and a career average of 0.280), very good rebounder and defender, and as a third wheel, he really seemed to know how to play off the top 2 guys and when to make a more direct impact.

In the playoffs, he upped his game considerably (Score+ of 1.188, and a jaw-dropping O+ of 16.77, even for a "role player"). I think he's well worth a look here.

[penbeast0]

Looks like Grant wins this 5-4 . . . on to 86.

[RSCD3_]

Looks like Grant wins this 5-4 . . . on to 86.

Webber falls again at the end