Was Patrick Ewing overrated?

[puppa bear]

for a center, he was never efficient. Put up 23.5 points on 51% career shooting. His production declined in the playoffs. He only averaged 22 PPG and shot woefully under 50% in the postseason. This is really bad, even in the finals against hakeem, he laid an egg. He shot 36% from the field. Imagine if he showed up, Knicks would have beaten the Rockets in 7 games.

Ewing was overrated, he seemed like a soft inefficient jumpshooter. A LaMarcus Aldridge on the offensive end. Defensively was he even that good, never made all nba defense 1st team.

Let’s start with the defensive end: Ewing played through the end of Mark Eaton’s career, and prime Olajuwon, Robinson, Mutombo and Mourning. Shaq could only get himself three 2nd team nods, it was a golden era of two-way centers. Mutombo even won a DPoY from 2nd team, it was that competitive in the top-5 of defensive centers!

Now for the offence: go look at the most efficient centers of that era: Olajuwon, Robinson, Shaq. Shaq was phenomenal for a C, and lead the league in FG% many times, but only cracked 60% (in volume seasons) twice. Hakeem was career 51% and only broke 53% once (rookie season). Robinson has 2 seasons at 55%, and another 2 at 53%, but still ended up just below 52% on his career. Ewing did have three straight years above 55%, so he wasn’t a complete slob on that end. It’s just his career numbers are less impressive than his compatriots - who were all first ballot HoFers.

[Najee12]

Teams were scoring 120+ ppg in the late ‘80s when Ewing did all of his best scoring. The defense back then was a complete joke compared to what it is now.

Even the Bad Boys Pistons we’re giving up 110 ppg. LOL

The Detroit Pistons' defense gave up 100.8 points per game (second in the NBA) in 1988-89 and 98.3 points per game (first in the NBA) in 1989-90, the years they won their titles. It would have taken you five seconds to look it up instead of this clown comment.

I have yet to hear under what circumstance is a player who averaged 23 points per game on 50 percent shooting for a career considered "inefficient." The league shooting percentage in 2019-20 is 46 percent; as a rule of thumb, shooting above the league average is efficient. Shooting 50 percent from the field always has been a high benchmark.

Just more drive-by comments made by people who make a silly statement and disappear (like the original poster).

[KGtabake]

Anybody that actually watched him play knew how overrated he was. He wasn’t a true #1 option or a leader and had decent but not great scoring skills. He was a glorified Dwight Howard of his era.

If he played anywhere outside of NY, he’d be considered about equal to Alonzo Mourning.

Bravo. Now tell us what the record of NY is both in RS and playoffs since Ewing left them.
Tell us how many playoff series they've won since then.

[nedleeds]

for a center, he was never efficient. Put up 23.5 points on 51% career shooting. His production declined in the playoffs. He only averaged 22 PPG and shot woefully under 50% in the postseason. This is really bad, even in the finals against hakeem, he laid an egg. He shot 36% from the field. Imagine if he showed up, Knicks would have beaten the Rockets in 7 games.

Ewing was overrated, he seemed like a soft inefficient jumpshooter. A LaMarcus Aldridge on the offensive end. Defensively was he even that good, never made all nba defense 1st team.

I don't think so. Look at these years:



And that's when the pace of the league was super slow.

His per 100 possession stats must be impressive.

Ewing would've won multiple titles if Jordan made good on his threats and left the Bulls for the Knicks in the late 80s or the mid 90s.

Also, not to use the who he played with argument but he never played with any other star. He had some good role-playing teammates, a few fringe all-star types. But no other Hall of Famers, not even close. Starks, Mason, Oakley, Washed LJ and like Gerald Wilkins. This was the era of no zone, Patrick got **** bumrushed when he got the ball as a big. This is actually why he worked so hard on him jumper, because the post ups were immediate triple teams.

[Galloisdaman]

yes. he would have been an almost walt bellamy if not for playing in NYC.
but interesting how this has become a topic over the past few weeks.

Walt Bellamy was more like Dwight Howard -- a talented big man whom people thought was not dedicated to playing, hence bouncing to seven teams.

Patrick Ewing was the opposite of Bellamy and Howard -- a relentless, intimidating player who played through injuries and shortfalls while making bold predictions that galvanized the Knicks fan base.

i'm talking about where in the hierarchy of centers. bellamy was behind wilt, russell, and nate at least.
as was pat ewing no matter which decade you choose, but everyone talks about ewing like was heads and shoulders above which is all because he played in new york. you deny the nyc media had anything to do with this?

and he made a bold post-messier prediction that he FAILED on, like a lot of other in-game flubs that pock-marked his career

1. Ewing was huge coming out of college. Everyone knew who Patrick Ewing was so the idea that the NY media made Patrick is ridiculous.

2. The NY media treated Patrick horribly. They did not give him favorable coverage.

3. If anything Patrick was underrated. He was the Knicks. He did not have any all time greats like Pippen or Durant playing with him. How many other stars took Jordan 7 games in one of Jordans ring winning years?

[Najee12]

If he was as good of a player as some make him out to have been then he would have won more during the years Starks was beastin'.

Patrick Ewing played with John STARKS, not John HAVLICEK.

[Galloisdaman]

Anybody that actually watched him play knew how overrated he was. He wasn’t a true #1 option or a leader and had decent but not great scoring skills. He was a glorified Dwight Howard of his era.

If he played anywhere outside of NY, he’d be considered about equal to Alonzo Mourning.

Please explain to me how the Knicks beat Bird, Mchale, Parrish 3 straight playoff games including game 5 in Boston with an overrated Ewing. How did those Knicks beat the 92 Pistons? How did they take Jordan 7 games? If Ewing was so overrated who was the star player carrying those Knicks teams?

[Galloisdaman]

If he was as good of a player as some make him out to have been then he would have won more during the years Starks was beastin'.

John Starks was my favorite player at that time but are you serious? John only scored over 15ppg 3 times. He shot under 40% some years. Actually if Patrick did not mess up Starks leg in training camp he would have been cut by the Knicks. He was previously cut by GS and the Spurs.

[Najee12]

These things are decided within smallest margins. People act like basketball is played 1v1 and there were no other contributing factors. ...

In 1988 Finals, there was a phantom foul on Kareem and had Kareem not made those fts, Magic and Kareem would've never repeated. Also fans raided the court when the Pistons still had 2 seconds to shoot a three. The Pistons would be the first threepeat champions since Russell era Celtics, and before MJ's Bulls and Shaq's Lakers. Imagine having the Bad Boys next to those Bulls teams and that Lakers team. ...

The turning point in the 1988 Finals was when Isiah Thomas sprained his wrist and ankle in Game 6. Even with those injuries, Thomas scored an incredible 25 points in the fourth quarter. The Lakers somehow survived Thomas' onslaught by winning 103-102, and it felt like the momentum swung to the Lakers. James Worthy getting his first career triple-double in Game 7 did not help.

[Jables]

Ewing was cursed to play for the Knicks. The Knicks losses, the media put it all on him. Not saying he'd likely have won a ring elsewhere but consider Robinson who is held in higher regard, forget Duncan he never even had a Drexler, Starks went 2-20 in a finals game 7 in a game they lost by 6 points. Tell me with a straight face Ewing gets remembered no differently if Starks hadn't shat himself, even if Hakeem did outplay him.

[Jeff Van Gully]

oh, so you trying to get cut, OP?

[rasta_marley]

If he was as good of a player as some make him out to have been then he would have won more during the years Starks was beastin'.

Everyone is taking u seriously but I see what u did there. Nice one lol thanks for the laugh.

[HMFFL]

Watching Ewing play never excited me. To his credit, I always thought he needed more help, but the Knicks never provided him with any.


Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[Najee12]

Ewing was cursed to play for the Knicks. The Knicks losses, the media put it all on him. Not saying he'd likely have won a ring elsewhere but consider Robinson who is held in higher regard, forget Duncan he never even had a Drexler, Starks went 2-20 in a finals game 7 in a game they lost by 6 points. Tell me with a straight face Ewing gets remembered no differently if Starks hadn't shat himself, even if Hakeem did outplay him.

Yeah, people are forgetting or not remembering how critics called David Robinson a choke artist in the playoffs before Tim Duncan's arrival in San Antonio. If Hakeem Olajuwon outplayed Patrick Ewing in the 1994 Finals, then Olajuwon flat-out embarrassed Robinson in the 1995 Western Conference finals. While Olajuwon's undressing of Robinson was the most memorable image of pre-Tim Duncan Robinson, there was also Utah pushing around a passive Robinson in the 1994 Western Conference first round and Charles Barkley hitting big shots over Robinson in the 1993 Western Conference semifinals.

The fact that Ewing nearly won a title with JOHN STARKS as his best offensive teammate should be a testament to how good of a player Ewing was. If the Knicks had typical Starks (42 percent shooting) instead of 2-for-18 Starks in Game 7 of the 1994 Finals, the Knicks would have won that game and the title.

Put Mitch Richmond in Starks' place, and the Knicks not only would have won the 1994 title but may have defeated Chicago in the 1993 Eastern Conference finals. After the Knicks went up 2-0 on the Bulls, Stark was pretty bad three of the next four games. As aggressive and consistent as Richmond was, Ewing would have a scoring teammate who could share the load easily, if not take over games when needed.

[The_Hater]

Considering that Ewing played in New York, was one of the most hyped college players ever and was a #1 overall pick, I would say that shockingly enough he wasn’t overrated as an NBA player.

He was very good and deserved to be mentioned alongside Hakeem and DRob as they top Centers in the league and ultimately most people decided that he had the 3rd best career of the 3.

[Johnny Bball]

If you aren't old enough to have watched, then why compare him to a player in the game today. And I don't get why anyone would cherry pick numbers that don't translate well over the eras. It's a completely different game and he was not like Aldridge in any way.

Ewing was never considered one of the greatest of all time or anything and he's not overrated.

[rzzzzz]

i will not deny ewing in his place in g'town history. he did win ONE. of course he got upset the next year when he put up a 14/5 and 1 blk versus 'nova

should have won that first game, against NC (and Michael) except Freddy Brown pulled a historic boner at the end of the game, passing the ball straight to...James Worthy?! (yeah, he missed those two foul shots. don't know why Sleepy didn't get the last shot to salvage the game.) i think Villanova was the greatest upset of all time. those kids played so far over their heads. (Did Jensen miss a single shot that 2nd half?) sports doesn't get any better than that.

[djsunyc]

for a center, he was never efficient. Put up 23.5 points on 51% career shooting. His production declined in the playoffs. He only averaged 22 PPG and shot woefully under 50% in the postseason. This is really bad, even in the finals against hakeem, he laid an egg. He shot 36% from the field. Imagine if he showed up, Knicks would have beaten the Rockets in 7 games.

Ewing was overrated, he seemed like a soft inefficient jumpshooter. A LaMarcus Aldridge on the offensive end. Defensively was he even that good, never made all nba defense 1st team.

i disagree with this take 150% times two.

who is the best player he ever played with? he only had one offs all stars for the most part. then injuries curtailed his career. but this guy's development into a well rounded offensive center while performing under the bright lights on nyc is something to be lauded not criticized. using lamarcus aldridge sounds like you only remember him from 1998 on.

[MaxZaslofskyJr]

Often compared to Olajuwon and/or The Admiral who came along at about the same time.

If you mention him in the same breath as those two (or Ed Pinckney ) then he was over-rated.

[nedleeds]

If he was as good of a player as some make him out to have been then he would have won more during the years Starks was beastin'.

Patrick Ewing played with John STARKS, not John HAVLICEK.

Starks actually is a player who is vastly overrated by Knicks fans. John is an amazing story, amazing example of hard work and determination, but hardly an amazing player.