Most Balanced Player In NBA History?

[Hondo]

Larry Bird
-amazing offensive player
-great passer
-one of the best shooters ever
-one of the best rebounders in the league year in, year out
-average man defender
-excellent in team defense
-one of the top hustle players

If he was faster laterally he would be the goat.

Everyone seems to have a hole in their game that makes them unbalanced. Jordan couldn't shoot from the perimeter, and wasn't as good defensively as what people make him out to be.
Pippen couldn't shoot consistently.
Magic, not much of a defender or a shooter (until later in his career).
LeBron is a choker, and is a terrible shooter

Actually, prime Kobe would probably be my pick. NO real weakness in his game at all. I liked a focused Kobe on defense more than a focused MJ.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Jordan couldn't shoot from the perimeter, and wasn't as good defensively as what people make him out to be.

Actually, prime Kobe would probably be my pick. NO real weakness in his game at all. I liked a focused Kobe on defense more than a focused MJ.

This entire post is bullshit. lmao @ "couldn't shoot from the perimeter" and "I liked Kobe better than MJ on defense." Yeah, no agenda whatsoever.

[pauk]

Larry Bird
-amazing offensive player
-great passer
-one of the best shooters ever
-one of the best rebounders in the league year in, year out
-average man defender
-excellent in team defense
-one of the top hustle players

If he was faster laterally he would be the goat.

Everyone seems to have a hole in their game that makes them unbalanced. Jordan couldn't shoot from the perimeter, and wasn't as good defensively as what people make him out to be.
Pippen couldn't shoot consistently.
Magic, not much of a defender or a shooter (until later in his career).
LeBron is a choker, and is a terrible shooter

Actually, prime Kobe would probably be my pick. NO real weakness in his game at all. I liked a focused Kobe on defense more than a focused MJ.

bird was my favorite player of all time.....

but you need to drop dead... u are biased and blinded like hell...

lebron & pippen were much more balanced than bird...... magic is debatable tho... both of them were terrible defensively compared to pippen & lebron.... that "team defense" excuse needs to go...... pippen & lebron were both runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year... and are 1st team all-nba defenders....

not only that... but pippen & lebron were easily the most versatile defenders in NBA history aswell... alongside rodman.... what that means is they could efficientely defend up to 4 positions... even some centers...

[bizil]

PG: Payton (Clyde is so right there though)
SG: Jordan
SF: Pip (Hondo is right there and Bron could be the guy eventually)
PF: KG
C: Dream

Honorable mentions:

Kobe
Duncan
West
Wade
Dennis Johnson
Joe Dumars
Big O
Kareem
David Robinson
Ewing
Chris Paul
Isiah

[Jacks3]

Everyone seems to have a hole in their game that makes them unbalanced. Jordan couldn't shoot from the perimeter, and wasn't as good defensively as what people make him out to be.
Pippen couldn't shoot consistently.
Magic, not much of a defender or a shooter (until later in his career).
LeBron is a choker, and is a terrible shooter

Actually, prime Kobe would probably be my pick. NO real weakness in his game at all. I liked a focused Kobe on defense more than a focused MJ.

Great post. It's true that Jordan was a very mediocre shooter outside 18 feet and obviously he was terrible from three. Not to mention his mediocre handles.

I'd definitely say prime Kobe. In terms of technical proficiency, he was pretty much perfect.

[97 bulls]

Id say jordan, jabaar, olajuwan. Wilt, duncan, and shaq fts take them out of this. Magics defense hurts him. Birds athleticism hurts him. I could gon on and on

[jlauber]

Id say jordan, jabaar, olajuwan. Wilt, duncan, and shaq fts take them out of this. Magics defense hurts him. Birds athleticism hurts him. I could gon on and on

Chamberlain (and Shaq) MADE FTs. Wilt MADE over 600 more FTs in four less years than Hakeem. He also averaged 432 MADE per season, to Kareem's 335. Chamberlain was perhaps the game's greatest shot blocker, too. More and more evidence points to him averaging about 7 per game in his 71-72, and about six per game in his LAST season. And, of course, Pollack had him with over 10+ bpg in some SEASONS in the 60's.

[Hondo]

This entire post is bullshit. lmao @ "couldn't shoot from the perimeter" and "I liked Kobe better than MJ on defense." Yeah, no agenda whatsoever.

No bias at all. Jordan couldn't shoot from the perimeter, he was sooo streaky.
.173 (52 attempts)
.167 (18)
.182 (66)
.132 (53)
.276 (98)
.376 (245) - What happened in this season? Anomaly much?
.312 (93)
.270 (100)
.352 (230) - Again, another season with a higher percent and more attempts?
.500 (1994-95, shortened line distance and only 19 games played)
.427 (1995-96, shortened line)
.374 (1996-97, shortened line)
.238 (126)
.189 (53) Wizards
.291 (55) Wizards

You call that good 3 point shooting? 2 good seasons from the regular distance and 3 good seasons with a shortened line. Color me impressed.

And what is wrong with me saying I think Kobe on top of his game was a better defender? In my opinion he was, but he takes too many plays off. Jordan was by far more consistent, but I think a motivated Kobe is a better defender. Yeah yeah, I know Jordan has more defensive win shares etc (though Kobe has a higher defensive rating) - but from an subjective stand point, I watched both, and a locked in and focused Kobe is more of a shut down defender. He was a real terror. A game changer when focused. Jordan was a great defender, and overall I would consider him to be the better defender, he just didn't have that high level that Kobe could reach

[bizil]

I think two guys that could have been on this list eventually were G Hill and Penny Hardaway. It seem some guys get better on D as they age, kinda like Wade and Bron. I think Penny and Hill would have done the same, even though both were very good defenders to begin with.

[qrich]

Boris Diaw

[Odinn]

Id say jordan, jabaar, olajuwan. Wilt, duncan, and shaq fts take them out of this. Magics defense hurts him. Birds athleticism hurts him. I could gon on and on

Regular season; 0.688 ft%
Playoffs; 0.678 ft%

Not bad for a big man.

[gtfomyface]

bird was my favorite player of all time.....

but you need to drop dead... u are biased and blinded like hell...

lebron & pippen were much more balanced than bird...... magic is debatable tho... both of them were terrible defensively compared to pippen & lebron.... that "team defense" excuse needs to go...... pippen & lebron were both runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year... and are 1st team all-nba defenders....

not only that... but pippen & lebron were easily the most versatile defenders in NBA history aswell... alongside rodman.... what that means is they could efficientely defend up to 4 positions... even some centers...

sounds familiar

[OldSchoolBBall]

No bias at all. Jordan couldn't shoot from the perimeter, he was sooo streaky.
.173 (52 attempts)
.167 (18)
.182 (66)
.132 (53)
.276 (98)
.376 (245) - What happened in this season? Anomaly much?
.312 (93)
.270 (100)
.352 (230) - Again, another season with a higher percent and more attempts?
.500 (1994-95, shortened line distance and only 19 games played)
.427 (1995-96, shortened line)
.374 (1996-97, shortened line)
.238 (126)
.189 (53) Wizards
.291 (55) Wizards

You call that good 3 point shooting? 2 good seasons from the regular distance and 3 good seasons with a shortened line. Color me impressed.

Any time Jordan took more than a miniscule number of threes (1990, 1993, 1996, 1997; the latter two obviously with the shortened line) he shot a good percentage - your numbers above bear this out. He also shot 38.5+% from deep in the '91-'93 playoffs (including nearly 40% on 4 attempts per game in the '93 postseason). This suggests that Jordan was a rhythm three point shooter. Had he taken more threes on a consistent basis, he'd be in the 33.5-36.5+% range annually without question. he didn't do so because he felt it detracted from his definition of his own game (and he has said so).

And what is wrong with me saying I think Kobe on top of his game was a better defender? In my opinion he was, but he takes too many plays off. Jordan was by far more consistent, but I think a motivated Kobe is a better defender. Yeah yeah, I know Jordan has more defensive win shares etc (though Kobe has a higher defensive rating) - but from an subjective stand point, I watched both, and a locked in and focused Kobe is more of a shut down defender. He was a real terror. A game changer when focused. Jordan was a great defender, and overall I would consider him to be the better defender, he just didn't have that high level that Kobe could reach

lol This entire argument is farcical and doesn't deserve to be addressed. Kobe isn't as good as (much less better than) Jordan in any defensive area, be it one-on-one defense, team/help defense, or disruptive defense. The area they are the closest is one-on-one D, but Jordan is still better there (and more consistent to boot). lmao @ calling Kobe a "game changer" on defense when he never, in any season, even APPROACHED Jordan's defensive impact on games from '88-'92.

[Sarcastic]

Jordan, Lebron, & Chamberlain.

[tpols]

at Jordan making the list here.

Great defender.
Legendary offensive player.

The scales clearly tip in favor of his offensive game.

The only players that should be on this list are big men because their defensive impact can actually match their offensive impact.

Duncan
Hakeem
Wilt
Garnett
DRob
etc.