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re: Olajuwon most underrated player of all time?

Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:46 pm to
Posted by sms151t
Polos, Porsches, Ponies..PROBATION
Member since Aug 2009
139860 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:46 pm to
Actually you can argue with his accomplishments stat wise and team wise Jabbar is the most underrated. Which is why I mentioned him.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 9:47 pm
Posted by mattz1122
Member since Oct 2007
52871 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:48 pm to
Kewl. Make a Jabbar thread, you Houston-thread derailer.
Posted by genro
Member since Nov 2011
61788 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:49 pm to
FWIW Bill Simmons has him 11th all time, just behind Big O and ahead of Shaq. (This is from 2010, so update LeBron into the top 10, and Hakeem is 12th)

LINK
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 9:50 pm
Posted by sms151t
Polos, Porsches, Ponies..PROBATION
Member since Aug 2009
139860 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 9:50 pm to
I didn't derail anything I provided an alternative.

You're just pissy that I didn't call the best player in SWC history the most underrated.
Posted by tiderider
Member since Nov 2012
7703 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:01 pm to
spree is the most underrated of all time ... none of those guys every played for danny punkainge or pj carlito ...
Posted by jefforize
Member since Feb 2008
44121 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:05 pm to
The Dream Shake was dirty
Posted by TigerNavyDoc
Camp Lejeune, NC
Member since Oct 2009
959 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:11 pm to
Underrated? Yes. Most underrated of all time? No. People within this thread seem to want to diminish Bill Russell, and suggest Olajuwon > Russell. All time, there's no way you can put Olajuwon before Russell. Russell was/is the benchmark for that position. Olajuwon was great for his time, no one can argue that, but I'd personally put Russell ahead of him. If anyone doubts how great Russell was, I'd suggest going back to YouTube and watching some of his highlights. That being said, Olajuwon is probably one of the best modern centers to play the game. The guy had incredible skill and I loved watching him play. Sad that players of his mold have disappeared in the current NBA.
Posted by PrimeTime Money
Houston, Texas, USA
Member since Nov 2012
27324 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:22 pm to
Russell played at a time when there were only 8 teams in the league. He was also on a team where all of the starters and even the 6th man is in the hall of fame.

He also only averaged 15.1 ppg for his career in an average of 42 minutes per game.. and that was on only 44% shooting. That's bad for a big man.

Per 36 he only averaged 12.8 points per game. His TS% was .471... that's god-awful.

I don't care how good he was on defense, his offensive game was not good.

That might be fine for an all-star... but we're talking about all-time greats. He doesn't cut it.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 10:24 pm
Posted by mizzoubuckeyeiowa
Member since Nov 2015
35610 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:30 pm to
quote:

If anyone doubts how great Russell was, I'd suggest going back to YouTube and watching some of his highlights.


he gets the love for titles and for supposedly dominating the Goliath.

And of course, he deserves all the credit for all those championships because he was so clutch. But Russell had the best team in the game for a decade before FA.

As for dominating Wilt...Chamberlain averaged 28 points and 28 rebounds a game vs. Russell. In fact, for being so much bigger than everyone else...Russell's offensive numbers are paltry per game...like a reserve guard.

Russell's stats pale in comparison to Wilts for career-wise...points per game, rebounds, etc.

And as for dominating. Sure Russell won those titles over the Lakers but it was something like 5 titles decided by 9 points total. What a twist of events for history if a few buckets go the other way?

If Wilt wins those 5 game 7s, he's the GOAT...because not only was he considered the better player by far back then, but now he has the titles to back it up for succeeding generations.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 10:32 pm
Posted by mattz1122
Member since Oct 2007
52871 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:30 pm to
How does he compare offensively to other greats in his time?
Posted by MikeD
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2004
7274 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:30 pm to
quote:

Russell played at a time when there were only 8 teams in the league. He was also on a team where all of the starters and even the 6th man is in the hall of fame. He also only averaged 15.1 ppg for his career in an average of 42 minutes per game.. and that was on only 44% shooting. That's bad for a big man. Per 36 he only averaged 12.8 points per game. His TS% was .471... that's god-awful. I don't care how good he was on defense, his offensive game was not good. That might be fine for an all-star... but we're talking about all-time greats. He doesn't cut it.


So who is the better track star? Jesse Owens and his 4 golds in the 100 m, 200 m, long jump and, 4X100 m relay or Carl Lewis and his 4 holds in the 100 m, 200 m, long jump and 4X100 m relay?
Posted by BamaHater
Houston
Member since Sep 2003
13536 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:39 pm to
Straight dirty!!!
Posted by ReauxlTide222
St. Petersburg
Member since Nov 2010
83546 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 10:59 pm to
I think he's overrated. But I know so little about him that I can't even hold a halfway decent conversation about him. He's underrated to me because I know he's better than I can give him credit for.

ETA: underrated. I'm an idiot.
This post was edited on 6/24/16 at 11:11 pm
Posted by shel311
McKinney, Texas
Member since Aug 2004
111107 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 11:09 pm to
quote:

He is a great player, but, there have been a lot better players

Definite not "a lot"
Posted by ReauxlTide222
St. Petersburg
Member since Nov 2010
83546 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 11:12 pm to
MJ was great. BUT, there have been lots of them things, so meh.
Posted by CelticDog
Member since Apr 2015
42867 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 11:12 pm to
quote:

He was an incredible player, but, would you put him before Jordan, Russell, Robertson, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabar, Johnson, Duncan, Oneal, Bird, Petit, James?

Not taking anything away from the Dream, but, he is not a top 5 NBA player of all time


half the posters never saw Oscar, Wilt, Russell, Petit. the announcers used to drool about Petit's touch on offense when he would get a tip in.
Two time MVP.
Posted by TigerNavyDoc
Camp Lejeune, NC
Member since Oct 2009
959 posts
Posted on 6/24/16 at 11:21 pm to
Lmao....since you brought Wilt into the picture. How did Wilt fare against Russell? LINK

Irregardless, Olajuwan deserves to be respected as one of the premiere centers of the modern era.
Posted by mizzoubuckeyeiowa
Member since Nov 2015
35610 posts
Posted on 6/25/16 at 3:14 am to
Regardless
Posted by LSU alum wannabe
Katy, TX
Member since Jan 2004
27017 posts
Posted on 6/25/16 at 8:18 am to
This skills make him tough to pigeon hole. Therefore tough to rate.

He's high for me. A small center who played and shot like a forward. Started with a real center and the twin towers had Sampson and a cagey Moses Malone.

Posted by sms151t
Polos, Porsches, Ponies..PROBATION
Member since Aug 2009
139860 posts
Posted on 6/25/16 at 10:07 am to
Moses was already in Philly
Olajuwon was the C Sampson was the 4
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