That's the only explanation I can come up with. If you missed it, SI just put up a "Ultimate Fantasy Draft" wherein their staff conducts a ... well, I guess it's obvious what they conduct.
Anyhow, Gary Payton went 50th overall, which seems nice on the surface, but then you see who got picked ahead of him:
-Steve Nash
-Sidney Moncrief
-Dennis Rodman
-Bill Walton
-Joe Dumars
-Reggie Miller
Payton finished his career with 145.5 win shares and was All-NBA (1st, 2nd or 3rd) nine times. I know, WS are not the be-all, but they are a measuring stick. Here's how those six gentlemen ranked:
-Nash: 119.5, 7 times
-Moncrief: 90.3, 5 times
- Rodman: 89.8, twice
- Walton: 39.3, twice
- Dumars: 86.2, twice
- Miller: 174.4, 3 times
I'll give you Walton, just because writers have a hard-on for him and he was good that one time in Portland. I'll give you Nash, because his career isn't over ... and, no, screw that. I won't give you Nash, or Rodman, or Miller, or Sidney Freaking Moncrief or are you flipping kidding me, Joe Dumars? Do you seriously expect me to lie down and take the fact that you think Joe Dumars is better than Gary Payton?
In what aspect? Defense? Really, Joe Dumars was a better defender than Gary Payton? Joe Dumars had 900 steals in his career, Payton had MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND.
Fine, let's say they're even. Is Dumars even in the same universe as Payton as an offensive player? Payton routinely grabbed twice as many rebounds, dished out twice as many assists, and scored much more often. And not just one season. EVERY SEASON.
Fine, Dumars was a better three-point shooter. So was Dana Barros. I DON'T CARE.
I know this stuff is meaningless, and it's not worth getting upset about. But Gary Payton doesn't have a fanbase anymore. He doesn't have a hometown team, because his team doesn't exist. Gary Payton's got us. If we don't stick up for him, GP becomes some loud-mouthed guy that used to play for that team that doesn't exist.
Well, that's crap. Gary Payton is one of the best point guards in basketball history, a doberman on defense and a offensive genius on the other end. He could score, rebound, pass, and defend as well if not better than just about anyone not named Magic in NBA history. And the people at SI ought to know it.
3 comments:
WORD. I would also factor in some good old-fashioned East Coast bias as well. Perhaps Dumars edged out GP in that critical "7-foot Euro Stiffs Taken 2nd Overall" category.
Walton, Nash, and Rodman are defensible. I don't agree, and would take GP over any of them without thinking about it. But there is at least an argument.
But you're 100% right: only an idiot would take Miller, Dumars or (?!) Sidney f-ing Moncrief over Glove. Have these guys ever watched basketball.
Keep up the good work.
I think all you have to ask is: in the prime of their respective careers, would I trade Gary Payton for Player X?
Walton? Yes
Miller? No
Rodman? No
Nash? No
Moncrief? No
Dumars? No
Fine, maybe some people would take Nash over Payton because ... I don't know, maybe they like spunky white guys or something. But no one would ever trade Payton straight up for Rodman, it's just inconcievable. Rodman is a one-dimensional player and while he's fantastic at that aspect of his game, he offers you a complete zero on offense.
It's just bizarre. Like they forgot about GP until the fifth round and then said, oh, wait, remember that guy who was perennially on all-NBA teams? What was his name again? You know, the guy who lived on all-defensive teams for an entire decade? Went to OSU? Gary something ... ?
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