Round 1- Bracket: Who is the Greatest Player in NBA History?

With that in mind I put together a 64 player bracket spanning all era’s in NBA history. After much consternation of the best way to build each region or portion of the bracket, I decided to have four regions based on position rather than era. (Results bracket after the jump, scroll to bottom).

The Four Regions are as follows:

Floor Generals:
This region includes the best point guards in NBA history.

Sensational Scorers:
This bracket is full of the best shooting guards in NBA history

All-Around Athletes:
This bracket includes the best small forwards of all-time

Men in the Middle:
This highly competitive bracket features the best centers and power forwards in NBA history

This is part one or round one of the the six-part series of the greatest players in NBA history and the action is already heating up as we have some pretty incredible match-ups in round one including Shaq vs Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett vs Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd vs. Chris Paul.

Floor General Region:

(1) Magic vs. (16) Westbrook
Without question the toughest, peskiest and most nightmarish 16-seed matchup ever for a 1-seed. Magic would not be pleased with the committee. When you consider Magic’s five championships, three finals MVP’s, three regular season MVP’s and partial savior of the NBA, even triple-double machine Russell Westbrook can’t overcome that.

(8) Steve Nash vs. Gary Payton (9)
This one is extremely tough and a virtual toss-up. Payton is the far superior defender and got his team to the NBA Finals which is something Nash could never do, but when you consider Nash’s back-to-back MVP awards and beautiful mastery of the point guard position and making his teammates better, I give Nash the nod here.

(5) Bob Cousy vs. (12) Pete Maravich
This is an interesting matchup of two era-defining, revolutionary ball-handlers at the point guard position whose games were full of flash and flare. Although Cousy won numerous championships as a cog in earlier part of the Celtics dynasty of the 50s and 60s, “Pistol” Pete was the evolution of Bob Cousy and his incredible ability to dazzle and score the basketball give him our first patented 12 over 5 upset.

(4) John Stockton vs. (13) Earl Monroe
Monroe was another maestro with the basketball and a legend of street basketball, but John Stockton’s longevity and production are unmatched when it comes to the point guard position and Stockton may be the best pure point guard of all time, he gets by easily here.

(6) Walt Frazier vs. (11) Kevin Johnson
It’s been said by some in NBA circles that Kevin Johnson had the most dangerous first step ever for a point guard and is one of the most underrated point guards of all time. Walt Frazier won two NBA championships and had maybe the greatest game seven performance of all-time with 36 points, 19 assists and 7 rebounds in game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, so he advances.

(3) Isiah Thomas vs. (14) Tony Parker
This is a great first round matchup of two very accomplished point guards, each of which boasting a Finals MVP award. Although Parker has four rings to Thomas’s two, Isiah was the heart and soul and alpha for a Pistons team that won back to back titles in the NBA’ s most competitive era, while Parker was the 2nd or third best player of a well-cogged machine for the Spurs titles.

(7) Jason Kidd vs. (10) Chris Paul
This is a ridiculous first round matchup and the toughest one to pick in this bracket. Kidd in his prime was an elite distributor, rebounder for his position and a great defender who also developed a reliable three-point shot over his career. With all of that said though, Chris Paul is the best all-around player and leader at the point guard position maybe since Stockton and Thomas and his added ability to score the basketball gives him the very slight nod.

(2) Oscar Robertson vs. (15) Tiny Archibald
Archibald led the NBA in scoring and assists in 1972 and became a great bench player for a championship Celtics team later in his career, but the “Big O” averaged a triple-double for an entire season and was the best perimeter player in the first 30 years of the NBA’s history.

Men in the Middle:

(1) Bill Russell vs. (16) Patrick Ewing
Coming out of Georgetown in 1985, Ewing was seen as the most intimidating defensive force to enter the NBA since Bill Russell and although he never quite lived up to that billing and became more of a finesse offensive force in the post, he is still one of the greatest big man in NBA history though. The obvious reason Russell wins this match-up, championships: Russell 11, Ewing 0.

(8) Karl Malone vs. (9) Moses Malone
This ultimate matchup of the two most accomplished Malone’s in human history (sorry Sam Malone, Cheers reference) may be the toughest one to pick in the first round. Both had incredible longevity and although Karl averaged 25 and 10 over a 19-year career with two MVP awards, Moses won three MVP awards and Finals MVP in 1983 as part of the 76ers.

(5) Hakeem Olajuwon vs. (12) Bob Petit
Bob Petit’s career averages of 26 and 16 are ridiculous and he won two MVP’s and one championship with the St.Louis Hawks in 1958, but “Hakeem the Dream” had the best post moves in NBA history, is the all-time leading shot blocker, and was the best player for a Rockets team that won back-to-back championships in 94’ and 95’. He wins this easily.

(4) Tim Duncan vs. (13) David Robinson
How fitting (this must not have been done on purpose) the twin towers, the student and the teacher and former teammates face off against one another in this 4-13 matchup. This one is easy though, “The Admiral” didn’t sniff any hardware until “The Big Fundamental” came around and Duncan has become the best player in the NBA from an accomplishment standpoint since Michael Jordan. Duncan eliminates his good friend and mentor in the most polite matchup of the whole hypothetical tournament.

(6) Shaquille O’Neal vs. (11) Charles Barkley
Ah yes these two constantly bicker on Inside the NBA on TNT and literally fought on the court later in Barkley’s career, so it’s only fitting they square off in this tournament. As amazing and unique of a force on and off the court as Barkley was, and the fact that it is totally unfair he is eliminated in round one, Shaq was for a time the most dominant force in the NBA possibly ever in the post and his four titles are too much for Barkley to overcome.

(3) Wilt Chamberlain vs. (14) Willis Reed
Willis Reed won as many titles as Chamberlain and gave us one of the greatest moments in NBA history when he came out of the locker room to play in game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, but he is no match for Chamberlain. Here’s a few mind numbing Chamberlain facts:
• Averaged 50 and 25 for a season
• Led the league in assists after saying he didn’t pass enough
• Scored 100 points in a game
• Never fouled out of a game
• Claimed to have slept with 20,000 women (highly unlikely if you do the math, regardless highly impressive)

(7) Dirk Nowitzki vs. (10) Kevin Garnett
Another amazing first round matchup of two of the greatest power forwards in NBA history with differing styles. Dirk’s incredible footwork, shooting and mismatch ability are what make him one of the 20-25 best players in NBA history (hint: this region is by far the toughest) while Garnett’s passion, status as the defensive anchor and heart and soul of a team, along with his all-around ability while in Minnesota make him of the same exact caliber. After much deliberation, Garnetts two-way dominance give him the slight nod.

(2) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. (15) Kevin McHale
McHale could teach a course on scoring in the post and was a huge part of the Celtics 80s dynasty, but he absolutely no match for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer who also won six championships and five MVP awards.

Sensational Scorers:

(1) Michael Jordan vs. (16) Vince Carter
This is an extremely fun matchup between two Tar Heel greats and the two greatest dunkers of all-time (I put VC at #1) but as great and ridiculously entertaining as Mr. “Half-Man Half-Amazing” was in his prime, Jordan wins this by a landslide of course. I’ll save the breakdowns of his accomplishments for later rounds.

(8) George Gervin vs. (9) Sam Jones
Jones was an extremely dependable and accomplishment member of the Celtics 1960s dynasty but the silky smooth “Ice Man” George Gervin and his incredible ability to light up the scoreboard affords him the advancement here.

(5) Clyde Drexler vs. (12) Reggie Miller
Miller was the far superior trash talker and provided NBA fans with some memorable playoff moments in the 1990s, but Drexler was the superior all-around player and athlete would have been the best shooting guard in the NBA for about a five-year stretch if it wasn’t for the one guy who played in Chicago. As tempting as it is to pick the underdog Miller here, you have to go with Drexler.

(4) Dwayne Wade vs. (13) David Thompson
This is a matchup of two incredibly athletic 6’4” two-guards who played in different eras. Although Thompson was an athletic freak with a vertical in the mid-40s and once scored 70 points in a game to win the scoring title, Wade is a winner of three titles and has a Finals MVP to his name. “Flash” wins this one.

(6) Allen Iverson vs. (11) Ray Allen
One is known for his incredible shooting ability and meticulous preparation, while the other was as tough as they came and was one of the most supremely talented players to ever play the game. Both are Hall of Fame guards from the classic 1996 draft class. Although you can make an argument for Ray Allen here with his better longevity and two championships, there will never be another Iverson, a 5’10” 160 guard who could get to the hoop at will and averaged nearly 30 points per game for his career. I give Iverson the nod here.

(3) Jerry West vs. (14) Hal Greer
Greer is maybe the most forgotten great of all-time as he averaged 19-5-4 for a decade for the 76ers including being a champion in 1967. He has no chance against “The Logo” though as West was always viewed as the clearly superior guard and rightly so.

(7) Rick Barry vs. (10) Joe Dumars
I would love to just watch Dumars defend Rick Barry. Dumars was the consummate professional and a great second banana to Isiah Thomas with the Bad Boy Pistons as an all-time great perimeter defender, not to mention a far superior teammate than Barry, but Barry led his team to a title in 1975 as the clear alpha dog and averaged an impressive 23-6-5 for his career. He begrudgingly gets the win here.

(2) Kobe Bryant vs. (15) Manu Ginobili
These two have squared off against one another over the past decade as part of the Spurs-Lakers rivalry. Ginobili has been a huge part of the Spurs dynasty, but Kobe Bryant is an all-time talent, a top 10 player in NBA history and wins this matchup easily.

All-Around Stars:

(1) Larry Bird vs. (16) Bernard King
This is a matchup of two great scoring forwards who could drop 40 on any given night. There was a stretch in the early 80s before knee injuries derailed his career, that Bernard King was the most potent scoring threat in the league for the Knicks including an especially memorable 60 point game on Christmas Day in 1984. Bird was the far superior all-around player though and had three championships and three straight MVP awards from 1984-1986.

(8) James Worthy vs. (9) Paul Pierce
This is a really interesting matchups of the greatest players for the NBA two most storied franchises. They both have a Finals MVP and were never the alpha dog for a title team so this is a toss-up. I give the edge to Pierce.

(5) Elgin Baylor vs. (12) Kevin Durant
Baylor averaged an incredible 27-13-4 during his 13-year career and was 1st-Team All NBA throughout the 60s, but he never was considered the best player in the league and never won an MVP or a title. Durant already has an MVP to his name and is clearly an evolutionary player who would have obliterated the league in Baylor’s era. Durant is a smooth 6’11” scorer with the quickness and ball handling ability of someone 7” shorter, while Baylor was a 6’5” forward. Durant gets the upset here.

(4) John Havlicek vs. (13) Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo is bigger, stronger and more gifted than Havlicek, but Havlicek was an incredibly hardworking and durable player and a proven winner with 8 titles and one Finals MVP. He wins this matchup too.

(6) Scottie Pippen vs. (11) Grant Hill
These were the two best small forwards of the 1990s in my opinion and both had an incredibly valued skillset. Some forget that pre-injuries Grant Hill was a LeBron like all-around star and distributor in Detroit who may have dominated for years. Pippen has the much better resume though including six championships and he moves on.

(3) Julius Erving vs (14) Tracy McGrady
McGrady, much like Hill, is another case of what could have been as he was a 6’8” athletic freak and scoring machine who was as good as any player in the league in his early to mid-twenties (ironically these two were teammates). Many viewed McGrady as his generation’s version of Dr. J. Julius Erving was one of the first players to truly play above the rim, a true innovator. He was also an MVP and a championship, the doctor has to move on here.

(7) Dominique Wilkins vs. (10) Alex English
Little known fact: Alex English scored more points than anybody else in the 1980s. He was the ring leader for an entertaining, fast paced Nuggets team in the 80s. He was never the force figuratively or literally that Dominique was. If Wilkins played on better Hawks teams or didn’t have to deal with Bird, Jordan and Isiah in his conference he would be more viewed as the true talent he was.

(2) LeBron James vs. (15) Chris Mullin
Mullin was the leading scorer as part of a really fun, fast-paced early 90s Warriors team and regularly averaged 25 or more a game. He was never the all-around master of the game that LeBron is and is no match for LeBron’s growing resume. “King James” moves on.

Here are the winner’s thus far (click to enlarge):