The case for Bill Laimbeer in the Hall of Fame

[JJisFutureHOF]

Bill Laimbeer should be in the Hall of Fame. I know there are a variety of opinions about Bill Laimbeer, but let's look at the advanced metrics.

By Win Shares (Basketball Reference), he was the best player on the Pistons championships teams in 1989 and 1990.

Here are the Pistons Win Shares leaders for the regular season and playoffs combined:
1988-89 Bill Laimbeer: 10.6 Dennis Rodman: 9.4 Joe Dumars: 9.1 Isiah Thomas: 8.8
1989-90 Bill Laimbeer: 12.7 Joe Dumars: 10.8 Dennis Rodman: 10.7 Isiah Thomas: 9.8

Nate Silver of 538 also recently concluded that Laimbeer was the best player on the '89 and '90 Pistons teams by looking at Consensus Plus-Minus.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/do-the-celtics-have-enough-star-power-to-win-a-title-not-yet/

He made 4 All Star teams and earned one rebounding title.

He did not make any All-NBA teams, but he finished in the top 15 in Win Shares for 4 straight years from 1983-87. One could argue that he should have at least been on the All-NBA 3rd team during those 4 years, but the league only awarded All-NBA 1st and 2nd team during that time (the 3rd team started in 1989).

As has been mentioned in previous posts, he was one of the original "stretch 5's" and was also an excellent defensive player. His personality and style of play may have been polarizing, but he was a clear difference-maker on the court.

[Strawder]

I'm too lazy to look this up, but I believe every player in NBA history who had more career rebounds than Laimbeer is currently in the Hall of Fame. He made a LOT of enemies in his playing days and probably has many enemies among the Hall voters, too. If he had played for the Knicks or Celtics, I guarantee he'd have been voted in years ago, too.

[Pharaoh]

I'm too lazy to look this up, but I believe every player in NBA history who had more career rebounds than Laimbeer is currently in the Hall of Fame. He made a LOT of enemies in his playing days and probably has many enemies among the Hall voters, too. If he had played for the Knicks or Celtics, I guarantee he'd have been voted in years ago, too.

Due to making so many enemies I doubt it would matter who he played for!

Dude deserves it but we don't always get what we deserve

[Billl]

eh - the basketball hall of fame is weird. If this were any other sport we wouldn't even have a conversation about this.

[fleet40]

Bill will get in as WNBA coach for the shock. 100% - the question is will his playing resume be mentioned on his plaque.

He deserves to be an NBA player HOF - But he rubbed many the wrong way. In a twisted alternate dimension had Laimbeer played for the Bird Celtics/Magic Lakers he would have been in already with his same stats. YET, his stats and his (arguably #2 importance)contribution in turning the bottom of the barrel Pistons into a household name, and multi champion has not been enough. Weak Sauce NBA.

[ElectricMayhem]

Great name, OP. I think most of us here recognize that, yes, Jonas Jerebko is a future hall of famer.

[bstein14]

It seems like Ben Wallace being a 4X DPOY should get the nod over Bill. Bill had a great career and he deserve his # retired by the Pistons for sure but I'm not sold on him being the most deserving Piston great not yet in the hall of fame.

[Uncle Mxy]

He was robbed of an All-Star appearance in '86, most likely because of his rep as the Prince of Darkness.

[Warspite]

No player in the 1980s had more defensive rebounds. He doesn't have more rebound titles simply because of his lack of off rebs from playing outside the paint on offense.

[ImHeisenberg]

Why not? They let T-Mac into the hall of fame based solely of highlight reels and personal stats, despite never leading a team to win a first round series.