Who is the most underrated NBA player in history? My 2 submissions.

[Mr. Friscus]

In no particular order

1. Moses Malone
3 time NBA MVP
13 Time All star
4 time all NBA first team
6 time rebounding leader
1 NBA championship
1 NBA Finals MVP
11th all time scoring leader
Top Scoring Averages: 31.1, 27.8, 25.8, 24.8
Top Rebounding Averages: 15.3, 14.8, 14.7, 14.5
Career Playoff Average: 22.1ppg, 13.8rpg


2. Elgin Baylor
All NBA First team 10 times
Rookie of the year in 1958-59
11 time all star
Finished 2nd in MVP one year, 3rd in MVP 3 times

This guy doesn't have the "leads the league" stats (he played in the era of Wilt), but is a total beast. Look at his first 5 years in the league
1958-59: 24.9 ppg, 15 rpg, 4.3 apg
1959-60: 29.6 ppg, 16.4 rpg, 3.5 apg
1960-61: 34.8 ppg, 19.8 rpg, 5.1 apg
1961-62: 38.3 ppg, 18.6 rpg, 4.6 apg
1962-63: 34.0 ppg, 14.3 rpg, 4.6 apg

Throughout the 60's afterwards he had points per game scores of: 25.4, 27.1, 16.6, 26.6, 26.0, 24.8, and 24.0
Rebounds of: 12.0, 12.8, 9.6, 12.8, 12.2, 10.6, 10.4

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

In no particular order

1. Moses Malone
3 time NBA MVP
13 Time All star
4 time all NBA first team
6 time rebounding leader
1 NBA championship
1 NBA Finals MVP
11th all time scoring leader
Top Scoring Averages: 31.1, 27.8, 25.8, 24.8
Top Rebounding Averages: 15.3, 14.8, 14.7, 14.5
Career Playoff Average: 22.1ppg, 13.8rpg


2. Elgin Baylor
All NBA First team 10 times
Rookie of the year in 1958-59
11 time all star
Finished 2nd in MVP one year, 3rd in MVP 3 times

This guy doesn't have the "leads the league" stats (he played in the era of Wilt), but is a total beast. Look at his first 5 years in the league
1958-59: 24.9 ppg, 15 rpg, 4.3 apg
1959-60: 29.6 ppg, 16.4 rpg, 3.5 apg
1960-61: 34.8 ppg, 19.8 rpg, 5.1 apg
1961-62: 38.3 ppg, 18.6 rpg, 4.6 apg
1962-63: 34.0 ppg, 14.3 rpg, 4.6 apg

Throughout the 60's afterwards he had points per game scores of: 25.4, 27.1, 16.6, 26.6, 26.0, 24.8, and 24.0
Rebounds of: 12.0, 12.8, 9.6, 12.8, 12.2, 10.6, 10.4

If not Baylor, then Oscar Robertson.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

If not Baylor, then Oscar Robertson.

Oscar Robertson, "The Big O"...
1 time MVP
7 time top 5 MVP
1960-61 Rookie of the Year
9-time all NBA first team
12 time All star
Led the League in Assists 7 times

Look at this 10 year, year-by-year stat line
1st year: 30.5ppg, 9.7 apg, 10.1 rpg
2. 30.8 ppg, 11.4 apg, 12.5 rpg
3. 28.3 ppg, 9.5 apg, 10.4 rpg
4. 31.4 ppg, 11 apg, 9.9 rpg
5. 30.4 ppg, 11.5 apg, 9.0 rpg
6. 31.3 ppg, 11.1 apg, 7.7 rpg
7. 30.5 ppg, 10.7 apg, 6.2 rpg
8. 29.2 ppg, 9.7 apg, 6.0 rpg
9. 24.2 ppg, 9.8 apg, 6.4 rpg
10. 25.3 ppg, 8.1 apg, 6.1 rpg

Talk about an "all around" player. The guy was a walking triple-double

 

[the other mike]

Bill Russell
( Always overshadowed by Wilt and Kareem but won more championships than both combined )

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Russell played for better in-depth teams.

 

[Winco]

Malone
Baylor
Robertson....... One Season He AVERAGED a Triple-Double.
Robertson is the definition of a Triple-Double.
I Saw him Play LIVE once, against the SuperSonics.

All Great Players and All Under-rated.

 

[Orangecat]

Meadowlark Lemon.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Robertson was an even better swing player than Elgin Baylor

 

[DGS49]

When I was growing up, Elgin Baylor's name was spoken in the same breath with the very best of the era. In what sense would be be underrated?

 

[Couchpotato]

When I was growing up, Elgin Baylor's name was spoken in the same breath with the very best of the era. In what sense would be be underrated?

I was wondering this myself

 

[Mr. Friscus]

When I was growing up, Elgin Baylor's name was spoken in the same breath with the very best of the era. In what sense would be be underrated?

By todays widespread NBA rhetoric he’s rarely even mentioned when talking about some of the greatest to do it, the same with Moses Malone

There’s always players from every generation that get left behind or aren’t mentioned as much as they should be based on their accolades and numbers

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

The three great centers with Robertson and Baylor mentioned next were the standard, then the next group began with Jerry West. Then we would have the amazing aerialists like Julius Erving and Adrian Dantley.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

The three great centers with Robertson and Baylor mentioned next were the standard, then the next group began with Jerry West. Then we would have the amazing aerialists like Julius Erving and Adrian Dantley.

You have to dig to find a Dantley reference today

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

You have to dig to find a Dantley reference today

You are right. That guy could score on everybody including Saint Ding. He lived in rafters, feasting on pigeons and rats.

 

[Couchpotato]

By todays widespread NBA rhetoric he’s rarely even mentioned when talking about some of the greatest to do it, the same with Moses Malone

There’s always players from every generation that get left behind or aren’t mentioned as much as they should be based on their accolades and numbers

Do you think he’s a top 10 of all time guy?

“They” don’t talk about many if any of the players in that era really. NBA “history” generally starts with Magic and Bird.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

NBA “history” generally starts with Magic and Bird.

That’s the problem.

 

[Couchpotato]

That’s the problem.

Why? While those players were good for their era I think most people understand that they weren't good across eras. It's no different than people not giving a shit how "good" players were pre SB era in the NFL. Really pre 70's few players are recognized as in the conversation of best ever or talked about at this point. Honestly I don't hear many sports talking heads talk about anyone outside of Magic, Bird, Jordan, Kareem maybe a few others currently, because unless they are an all time great which the guys you listed arent, why would anyone currently watching the game care about them really? How much time do you think should be dedicated to players who aren't considered great across era's? Because the players you listed arent.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Dantley, Erving, Robertson, West, Baylor (?) would do amazingly well against today's greats, yes.

 

[Couchpotato]

Dantley, Erving, Robertson, West, Baylor (?) would do amazingly well against today's greats, yes.

No they wouldn't. They were too small, too slow and too weak. They would get run off the court. It's truly amazing how nostalgia clouds people's perspective.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

Why? While those players were good for their era I think most people understand that they weren't good across eras. It's no different than people not giving a shit how "good" players were pre SB era in the NFL. Really pre 70's few players are recognized as in the conversation of best ever or talked about at this point. Honestly I don't hear many sports talking heads talk about anyone outside of Magic, Bird, Jordan, Kareem maybe a few others currently, because unless they are an all time great which the guys you listed arent, why would anyone currently watching the game care about them really? How much time do you think should be dedicated to players who aren't considered great across era's? Because the players you listed arent.

I don’t think I’m demanding them to be installed, I’m simply pointing out players who have been filtered out of mention in NBA history who really don’t deserve to be if you look at their accolades.