Best Two-Way Player of All Time

[sisibilio]

Its fairly close unless you separate impact stats from those. But I guess you can't really.

The vast majority of people will choose who they think is the best player ever. If Steph, Magic, Bird, or a number of guys who are considered in most people’s top 15 were better on defense they would get more votes for best two way player/GOAT. But these guys as good as they are aren’t known for defense. I voted Jordan but my son who would vote Bron says Jordan stas or accolades are probably inflated and Brons are undervalued has a legitimate argument. And if an even older head than me voted Bill, Kareem, etc, voted one of those guys I would get it. It’s an impossible choice to make. I just know I would take Jordan. But if someone else votes another way…ok. I get it.

It’s a team sport and an impossible metric that can never be tested. So it’s all just an opinion. If I didn’t vote Jordan it would probably be Bron or Hakeem. But I didn’t see Russell, Kareem, and many of the other greats play and with crap ass video of those guys it would be weird for a young cat to come in and vote one of those guys.

I’d love to see a poll of the scouts, GM’s, and players who are old enough to have watched all the way from the start of the NBA to now. Talking
guys in the 80’s at minimum at this point.

Before his back issues Bird was one of the best defenders in the league in his era. I think he he went like eight years strait with top five defensive ws and made all defensive second team a handful of times. His instincts and hands were amazing.

Bird was a great rebounder and very good reading passing lanes but he was never a good on ball defender.

[JinKaz69]

Big men have more impact than perimeter players on defense.
So Hakeem.

[70sFan]

The thing with Wilt is, when he peaked on defense you could say his offense took a dip.

Wilt arguably peaked in 1964 on defense, so I wouldn't say his offense took a dip at all.

And I don't think Duncan quite had the offense to win this poll.

If you have Hakeem in your top 3, then I see no reason to exclude Duncan because of offense.

[Anderson Hunt]

Hakeem Olajuwon

[CobraCommander]

The only question is who is second best - Hakeem, prime LeBron for a year, Kobe, prime Giannis (or young Giannis defense WITH old Giannis offense) - Kawhi healthy for 5 playoff games?

But it’s MJ then someone else

[JRoy]

Wilt

[Daddy 801]

The vast majority of people will choose who they think is the best player ever. If Steph, Magic, Bird, or a number of guys who are considered in most people’s top 15 were better on defense they would get more votes for best two way player/GOAT. But these guys as good as they are aren’t known for defense. I voted Jordan but my son who would vote Bron says Jordan stas or accolades are probably inflated and Brons are undervalued has a legitimate argument. And if an even older head than me voted Bill, Kareem, etc, voted one of those guys I would get it. It’s an impossible choice to make. I just know I would take Jordan. But if someone else votes another way…ok. I get it.

It’s a team sport and an impossible metric that can never be tested. So it’s all just an opinion. If I didn’t vote Jordan it would probably be Bron or Hakeem. But I didn’t see Russell, Kareem, and many of the other greats play and with crap ass video of those guys it would be weird for a young cat to come in and vote one of those guys.

I’d love to see a poll of the scouts, GM’s, and players who are old enough to have watched all the way from the start of the NBA to now. Talking
guys in the 80’s at minimum at this point.

Before his back issues Bird was one of the best defenders in the league in his era. I think he he went like eight years strait with top five defensive ws and made all defensive second team a handful of times. His instincts and hands were amazing.

Bird was a great rebounder and very good reading passing lanes but he was never a good on ball defender.

That’s how I kind of remember it. I’m a bit too young to have really witnessed his greatness. But he seemed like he played defense more like a Stockton type. Getting in passing lanes and disrupting the flow more than locking down a guy. Which makes sense. It was his brain that got him as far as it did, not his freak athleticism. But also….i think all of us as basketball fans sometimes discount that type of playing. It’s not as glamorous, but it easily is just as impactful. I see people discount Stockton all the time the same way people probably discount Bird at times.

[CodeBreaker]

Before his back issues Bird was one of the best defenders in the league in his era. I think he he went like eight years strait with top five defensive ws and made all defensive second team a handful of times. His instincts and hands were amazing.

Bird was a great rebounder and very good reading passing lanes but he was never a good on ball defender.

That’s how I kind of remember it. I’m a bit too young to have really witnessed his greatness. But he seemed like he played defense more like a Stockton type. Getting in passing lanes and disrupting the flow more than locking down a guy. Which makes sense. It was his brain that got him as far as it did, not his freak athleticism. But also….i think all of us as basketball fans sometimes discount that type of playing. It’s not as glamorous, but it easily is just as impactful. I see people discount Stockton all the time the same way people probably discount Bird at times.

Something like how Jokic' plays defense. He's not blocking shots or locking down big men. He's intercepting passing lanes with this elite bball instinct

[Top10alltime]

Giannis is as good of a 2 way player as Nikola Jokic and Magic Johnson