1st vote: Ben WallacePros*The single-greatest defensive center (defensive
player) left on the table, and perhaps by a handy margin. In his prime he could come up with 4-5+ blocks/100 possessions (and not just at the rim, but was willing to come out and contest mid-range shooters) while still often being top 1-2 in the league in rebounds and DREB%. Was also one of the better pnr defenders, solid on post-D (despite being a little undersized for center), and OK on a switch. Just an utter monster on the defensive end.
**Arguably the best player on one ensemble title cast.
***In his large-sample years cumulative RAPM's (as shown in #77 [and previous] thread(s)), he's competitive in year-after-year impact with other recent inductees,
despite his offensive weaknesses.
Cons*On the short-list for worst offensive players ever.
**Longevity not quite as good as the length of his career indicates. 16 seasons, though <1,100 rs games, and really only a 7-year prime ('01-'07).
Still, at this point on the list, his defensive acumen and proven consistent impact year-over-year, as well as some of his accomplishments and accolades, make him competitive for this spot.
2nd vote: Dan IsselBasically a 180 from Big Ben. Wallace a giant on defense and an embarrassment on offense. Issel was a
near-giant on offense, and at least a slight embarrassment on defense. But piggy-backing on posts by scabbarista in this thread, his production and efficiency over a long career cannot be denied. He scored over 27,400 points in his career, above league average efficiency in 14 of his 15 seasons. Many of those years he did so without the benefit of an elite play-maker.
Nice mid-range shot, simple but effective post moves, and an often under-appreciated tendency which he shared with Larry Bird: quick decisiveness with the ball. From what I've watched, he NEVER held the ball unnecessarily. He either made his move (immediately) or he passed off (immediately); but he always kept the ball moving. He seemed to inherently understand the benefit of not allowing the defense (both the man guarding you, as well as the team defense) a chance to get set.
He was a fair/OK rebounder; somewhat less than you'd like from a center, perhaps, but certainly adequate for a PF (which was really probably more his natural position, he was simply played out of position for majority of his career). Avg 11.6 reb/100 possessions with a 13.2 TREB% over his
15-year career (in which he averaged 34.3 mpg for). Excluding his final two seasons, it was closer to 11.8 reb/100 with a TREB% of 13.8 (in nearly 36 mpg). By way of comparison, Draymond Green in '17-present has a 13.3 TREB% and avg of 11.6 reb/100 possessions while averaging 32.3 mpg.
Was a decent passing big man (though he quite simply liked to shoot it more
).
And overall had an outstanding turnover economy relative to his offensive production. The only big men I've so far found with a lower mTOV% are LaMarcus Aldridge, Horace Grant, Dirk Nowitzki, and Al Horford (barely).
Defensively, I won't deny he leaves something to be desired. But we're long past the point of flawless candidates here (see my first vote).
Issel's longevity/durability/consistency is remarkable. Again: 15 seasons, never missed more than 6 games in any single season, and in fact prior to his final two seasons had never missed more than 3 games in a year (missed 8 total in his first TEN seasons combined; just 13 total in his first 13 seasons). And as scabbarista pointed out,
you could argue his prime lasted 13 years. He was pretty much an ironman.
With all his virtues and flaws, I ultimately view him very similar to Amar'e Stoudemire: fantastic scorer, weak defender, fair rebounder......except Issel soundly trumps him in longevity.
"Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." -George Carlin
"The fact that a proposition is absurd has never hindered those who wish to believe it." -Edward Rutherfurd
