Crappy Finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame

cardsnbeads

Reggie Miller not a Finalist. Don Nelson not a Finalist. Bernard King not a Finalist. Miller is probably one of the 50 or 60 Greatest Players in NBA History and Bernard King Lead the NBA Scoring Average. He is the eligible Scoring Leader not in the Basketball Hall of Fame.That is such garbage. The complete list of finalists include from the North American Screening Committee: players Maurice Cheeks, Chris Mullin, Dennis Rodman, Ralph Sampson and Jamaal Wilkes; coaches Herb Magee, Dick Motta and Tex Winter; contributor Alvin Attles and referee Hank Nichols. From the Women’s Screening Committee: Teresa Edwards and Tara VanDerveer.

Jamaal Wilkes and Chris Mullin are very good players and probably deserve to be in the Hall someday not ahead Reggie Miller or even Bernard King.
Ralph Sampson, only had a few good seasons in the NBA and was a Great College Player.
Dennis Rodman a great rebounder and pretty much a one dimensional player that became famous for being a freakshow. He was at best the 4 Best Player on those Pistons and Bulls Teams.
Mo Cheeks, a very good player and good coach, but questionable Hall of Famer at best.

Dick Motta a Finalist. He lost more games then he won and only won 1 Championship. Ahead of the NBA Winningest Coach, Don Nelson. Tex Winter is absolutely worty of Hall of Fame. He is 88 years old and helped make Phil Jackson the greatest coach of all time.
The 2 Women are worthy of the Hall of Fame. Herb Magee should also be in the Hall of Fame.

Toro

I was a little surprised about the finalists myself but recalled it's the accomplishments they've made to the game of basketball, not just their pro careers.

wallst32

Right, the basketball hall of fame is just that; it's for all of basketball; it's not the NBA HOF.

I always thought Reggie was a HOF lock without looking up his numbers and comparing him to other players (though I never thought he was anywhere close to top 50-60). But when I heard he wasn't a finalist I decided to do some research. He's just a 5 time all-star and never on the All NBA Team.

Additonally, Basketball Reference gives him almost no chance of making it based on this stats: HOF Probability
The players around him on this list were all decent players but not HOF caliber.

I still think he may have shot for being the face of the Pacers franchise despite no titles.

Toro

I didn't think Reggie Miller was a great player.....he was money behind the arc though. His teams did play tough in the playoffs and he was their premier player. It's likely he will make it down the line.

Ahmanfan

that HOF Monitor is ridiculous. Vince Carter way ahead of Steve Nash? Gimme a break.

GDM67

I would put Cheeks in your same line with Jamaal and Mullin. Rodman is a clear HOFer, to me.

Motta might be the all time loser, but he did win one more title than Nelson. I don't think either belongs.

Ralph Sampson was a hyped college player. Built up as the next Kareem, became instead the next Tom Burleson. His frequent appearances among the finalsts is a rank joke.

I agree that this list is more notable for it's absences. This is Miller's first year and I have little doubt that he'll get in but King's lack of respect is infuriating, as is the absence of Bobby Jones.

sbfinley

<< <i>Right, the basketball hall of fame is just that; it's for all of basketball; it's not the NBA HOF.

I always thought Reggie was a HOF lock without looking up his numbers and comparing him to other players (though I never thought he was anywhere close to top 50-60). But when I heard he wasn't a finalist I decided to do some research. He's just a 5 time all-star and never on the All NBA Team.

Additonally, Basketball Reference gives him almost no chance of making it based on this stats: HOF Probability
The players around him on this list were all decent players but not HOF caliber.

I still think he may have shot for being the face of the Pacers franchise despite no titles. >>



That list and the qualifying equations they used is a stretch (and that's being polite.) King, Motta, and Nelson should be in. Rodman, Mullin, and Magee you could argue. The quote of Sampson as a "hyped college player" is interesting because the Basketball HOF is in itself the NCAA, NBA, International, and Women's Basketball hall of fame. Unlike the other major sports HOF's, it is all encompassing and someone could, should, and has been inducted on college merits alone.

The exclusion of Miller, however, is staggering as he was one of the greatest players of his generation. The guy, with the exception on Michael Jordan, was the must clutch shooter of the 90's. It is difficult to name his supporting cast and the Pacers still pushed the Bulls for several seasons in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Tell you what. That list has Miller at 190. I'll give you
129. Steve Francis
140. Stephon Marbury
134. Glenn Robinson
133. Antione Walker
93. Pau Gasol

I'll give you a 4 point lead, the ball, and put 60 secs on the clock

I'll take
190. Reggie Miller
4 NBA D-League Guys.

I'd take even money.

Tabe

Reggie Miller doesn't belong. He was a second-tier player his entire career.

Don Nelson? Really? He sure looked like a HOF'er when he was with Milwaukee, at least in the regular season. But 20 years after that of mostly "eh" seasons, broken up by a 4-year run in Dallas, doesn't make you a HOF'er. Add in his losing record in the playoffs, and the fact that his teams never even made it a single NBA Finals and, no, he's not a HOF'er.

Ralph Sampson is absolutely a HOF'er. He gets in for his college career.

Dennis Rodman was a world-class defender and probably the greatest rebounder of all-time. He had a four year stretch where he averaged 17.83 rebounds per game. In 1992-93, he led the league in total rebounds while NOT QUALIFYING FOR THE LEAGUE REBOUNDING TITLE (not enough games played). Think about that. And this was in the mid-90s when teams were slowing the game to a crawl not the Wilt era where teams were putting up 100 shots a game (each). He also won a bunch of NBA titles. Now, all that said, don't think he's a HOF'er. If he'd made ANY attempt to maintain the offense he showed in college, or as a young Piston (11.6 pts/game in 1987/88), I'd say he's a no-brainer. Instead, he intentionally avoided having the basketball so he could rebound. There's also the allegation he intentionally missed shots so he could get more rebounds.

I won't make a case one way or the other for the rest.

Tabe

Big27

The people who don't think Reggie is a HOFer are the same people who thought the Pacers should have taken Steve Alford over him back in 1987.

Maybe Reggie gets into the Hall of Fame because the narrative is too great to ignore.

Is it arguable he was Indiana's go-to-guy for years and years?

vladguerrero

Rodman is a hands down HOF, Reggie not even making the voting ballot isn't as big of a scandal as Rodman NOT being even considered on the nomination ballot last year.

frankhardy

Of everybody that has been mentioned, Reggie Miller is a no brainer and Dennis Rodman is a lock. Where do they get that Mo Cheeks is Hall of Famer before those two? Chris Mullen - eh - maybe.

raiderscott

I'm prettyy biased that Ralph is a HOF as I'm was born/raised/and still live in Charlottesville. I can still remember watching him as a 8 year-old playing and winning the HS State Championship for Harrisonburg that was held at U-Hall- with the crowd chanting "We want Ralph". I was fortunate to be able to watch a vast majority of his home games the next 4 years. They had some great wins- torching Herb Williams and Ohio State on Super Bowl Sunday, dominating Ewing and Georgetown, beating Kevin McHale and Minnesota for NIT crown- back when the NIT actually carried some weight, hitting a last second game winner in his last home game versus Maryland. But being a Virginia fan there was plenty of signature losses as well. Losing to Chaminade (very dubious officiating down the stretch), losing to NC State in '83 for the ACC title as well as the Elite Eight, losing to Notre Dame in his sophmore season when they were 20+-0, losing to UNC and Al Wood's 40+ in the Final Four in Philly, having Carlisle get picked by Jordan for a signature dunk in the waning moments at Carmichael, losing to Gene Bartow and UAB on their home floor in Sweet 16, and the game that forced the ACC to change some rules the next year losing 47-45 to Carolina in the '82 ACC title game. Dean ran the ole 4 corners and slowed the game way down- the following year the ACC went to a shot clock and 3pt line.

I'm not that surprised that Mullin is a finalist over Miller. I'd say that had equal pro careers- even though Miller did make the finals, but Mullin was huge in college- which carries almost equal weight.

GDM67

My point was not that Sampson was a pro bust after being a great college player. My point is that his college career was largely hype over performance.

It's hard for people to remember (although Scott clearly does) but Sampson was made out to be Kareem and Walton rolled into one. He got far, far more attention, hype and praise than either Patrick Ewing or (especially) Hakeem Olajuwon. He had a very good college career but nowhere near what he was expected to have. I can clearly remember serious and sober predictions that UVA was going to win at least three and more likely four NCAA titles while he was there.

redlegs

I have always wondered why Artis Gilmore continues to get passed over by the hall of fame. A monster rebounder and a very good scorer.

VitoCo1972

<< <i>I have always wondered why Artis Gilmore continues to get passed over by the hall of fame. A monster rebounder and a very good scorer. >>



His ABA numbers were way better than NBA and he was playing on a Kentucky Colonels team that averaged crazy numbers so even those ABA numbers seem inflated. I like Artis too but he doesn't have eye-popping stats.

GDM67

The NBA's churlish decision to not adopt the ABA stats at the time of the merger is a black mark on their ledger. The NFL handled it far better by incorporating the full history of the AFL into it's record books after the merger. I know that it's not a direct comparison because the NFL absorbed the whole AFL and not just four refugee teams but the principle stands.

To name just one example, Julius Erving's place in the official NBA stats doesn't really reveal the full measure of his greatness.

And Artis Gilmore is a no doubter, to me.

NickM

If Ralph Sampson gets in for his college career, then there are dozens more guys who should get in for their college careers. Glen Rice for the HOF, anyone?

Reggie Miller was no slouch in college either. There's no shame in finishing your career second on your school's all-time scoring list when Kareem is #1.

I hope Rodman makes it, because it strengthens the case for Dikembe Mutombo.

Nick

Stadium1978

<< <i>Glen Rice for the HOF, anyone? >>



I'm OK with that, but I'm from Flint and graduated from the University of Michigan so I may be a little biased.

Also, add me to the list of people shocked for Reggie Miller to be cut off the list. There was never any doubt any my mind that he would be a first timer for the HoF.

goraiders

I hope Rodman makes it, because it strengthens the case for Dikembe Mutombo.


I Can't believe Mutumbo even needs help,should be a Hofer,regardless if Rodman makes it,
they both are very worthy players.

Tabe

<< <i>If Ralph Sampson gets in for his college career, then there are dozens more guys who should get in for their college careers. Glen Rice for the HOF, anyone? >>


Rice had a great college career. He's Michigan's all-time leading scorer and had probably the best NCAA tournament of all-time in 1989. His numbers don't quite pop like some other guys but that's only because Michigan's late 1980s teams were LOADED. Heck, the team that won the title in '89 probably wasn't as good as the one from the year before.

But that doesn't mean I think Rice should be a HOF'er

Tabe