The List of Greatness - 1979

I'll be honest with you guys, I've kind of been slogging through the List of Greatness for most of the 70's here. Without particularly enjoying it. I mean, let's face it, 1972-1979 was kind of a rough patch as far as the NBA was concerned. During that eight year stretch, we had only six Hall of Famers enter the league. (They were Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton, Adrian Dantley, Alex English, Dennis Johnson, and Robert Parish.) And four of those guys (the last four listed) were from the draft of 1976. That's not exactly hitting for power or average there. Basically, we've been watching the old guard fade away with no one to really replace them, and by about 1979, the NBA is really hurting for superstars.

For example, the 1979 NBA All-Star rosters were:
East
Doug Collins
Bob Dandridge
Julius Erving
George Gervin
Elvin Hayes
Larry Kenon
Bob Lanier
Moses Malone
Pete Maravich
Calvin Murphy
Campy Russell
Rudy Tomjanovich


West
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Otis Birdsong
Walter Davis
Artis Gilmore
Dennis Johnson
Marques Johnson
Maurice Lucas
George McGinnis
Jack Sikma
David Thompson
Paul Westphal


Now, there's some solid names there, but those rosters are filled more with supporting role players than they are superstars. And those represent the 12 best players in each conference. Ouch.


Now, I know the key thing you're probably thinking is that a lot of Hall of Famers probably played there rookie seasons in the ABA during this time. That's fair, a few did, but not as many as you might think. In that time span, 5 Hall of Famers played their rookie years in the ABA (Julius Erving, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Moses Malone, and David Thompson)


In the eight years prior to 1972-1979, (1964-1971) 19 Hall of Famers entered the league. In the eight years after (1980-1987), 16 Hall of Famers entered the league.


So, even if we include all the ABA guys with it we end up with stretches of 21 Hall of Famers (2 more played rookie seasons prior to 1972 in the ABA) from 1964-1971, 11 Hall of Famers from 1972-1979, and 16 Hall of Famers from 1980-1987. So what's with that weird mid-seventies drop in talent? I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet. But I sure am glad to be moving on to new territory with some new superstars moving up through the ranks of the List of Greatness. Anyway, here's our last gasp of the 70's before the 80's take hold in full force.


1. Wes Unseld - 207.8
Position: Center-Forward
Height: 6'7"
College: Louisville
Draft: 1968 - 2nd pick
Teams: Baltimore Bullets - 1969-1973 (#41), Capital Bullets - 1974 (#41), Washington Bullets - 1975-1979 (#41)
96.3 Win Shares, 0.640 MVP Award Shares (1 MVP - 1969), 1 All-NBA 1st Team Selection, 0 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 5 All-Star Selections, 1 Championship (1978 Bullets), 2.0 Championship Win Shares, 3 Finals Losses (1971 Bullets, 1975 Bullets, 1979 Bullets), 7.1 Finals Win Shares, 0 Conference Finals Losses, 0.0 Conference Finals Win Shares


And the rest of the top ten:
2. Chet Walker - 190.4
Position: Forward-Guard
Height: 6'6"
Draft: 1962 - 12th pick
Experience: 13 years (retired 4 years)
Teams: Syracuse Nationals - 1963 (#25), Philadelphia 76ers - 1964-1969 (#25), Chicago Bulls - 1970-1975 (#25)
117.5 Win Shares, 0.005 MVP Award Shares, 0 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 0 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 7 All-Star Selections, 1 Championship (1967 76ers), 2.3 Championship Win Shares, 0 Finals Losses, 0.0 Finals Win Shares, 5 Conference Finals Losses (1965 76ers, 1966 76ers, 1968 76ers, 1974 Bulls, 1975 Bulls), 5.9 Conference Finals Win Shares


3. Cliff Hagan - 183.3
Position: Forward-Guard
Height: 6'4"
College: Kentucky
Draft: 1953 - 24th pick
Experience: 10 years/3 ABA years (retired 11 years/7 years from ABA)
Teams: St. Louis Hawks - 1957-1966 (#6 - 1957, #17 - 1957, #16 - 1958-1966), Dallas Chaparrals - 1968-1970 (#16)
75.1 Win Shares, 0.043 MVP Award Shares, 0 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 2 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 5 All-Star Selections, 1 Championship (1958 Hawks), 2.7 Championship Win Shares, 3 Finals Losses (1957 Hawks, 1960 Hawks, 1961 Hawks), 3.9 Finals Win Shares, 4 Conference Finals Losses (1959 Hawks, 1963 Hawks, 1964 Hawks, 1966 Hawks)
10.2 ABA Win Shares, 1 ABA All-Star Selection


4. Billy Cunningham - 176.3
Position: Forward-Center
Height: 6'6"
College: North Carolina
Draft: 1965 - 5th pick
Experience 9 years/2 ABA years (retired 3 years)
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers - 1966-1972 (#32), Carolina Cougars - 1973-1974 (#32), Philadelphia 76ers - 1975-1976 (#32)
63.2 Win Shares, 0.288 MVP Award Shares, 3 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team Selection, 4 All-Star Selections, 1 Championship (1967 76ers), 0.4 Championship Win Shares, 0 Finals Losses, 0.0 Finals Win Shares, 2 Conference Finals Losses (1966 76ers, 1968 76ers), 0.4 Conference Finals Win Shares
15.4 ABA Win Shares, 1 ABA MVP (1973), 1 All-ABA 1st Team Selection, 1 ABA All-Star Selection, 1 ABA Conference Finals Loss (1973 Cougars), 1.7 ABA Conference Finals Win Shares


5. Bob Dandridge - 174.1
Position: Forward-Guard
Height: 6'6"
College: Norfolk State
Draft: 1969 - 45th pick
Experience: 10 years
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks - 1970-1977 (#10), Washington Bullets - 1978-1979 (#10)
78.0 Win Shares, 0.034 MVP Award Shares, 0 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 4 All-Star Selections, 2 Championships (1971 Bucks, 1978 Bullets), 3.7 Championship Win Shares, 2 Finals Losses (1974 Bucks, 1979 Bullets), 4.4 Finals Win Shares, 2 Conference Finals Losses (1970 Bucks, 1972 Bucks), 2.5 Conference Finals Win Shares


I think it's interesting that Bob Dandridge busts on to the scene here at #5 after his tenth season. A highly underrated player, all around.


6. Bob McAdoo - 162.9
Position: Center-Forward
Height: 6'9"
College: North Carolina
Draft: 1972 - 2nd pick
Experience: 7 years
Teams: Buffalo Braves - 1973-1977 (#11), New York Knicks - 1977-1979 (#11), Boston Celtics - 1979 (#11)
75.5 Win Shares, 1.494 MVP Award Shares (1 MVP - 1975), 1 All-NBA 1st Team Selection, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team Selection, 5 All-Star Selections, 0 Championships, 0.0 Championship Win Shares, 0 Finals Losses, 0.0 Finals Win Shares, 0 Conference Finals Losses, 0.0 Conference Finals Losses


7. Larry Foust - 160.1
Position: Center-Forward
College: La Salle
Draft: 1950 - 7th pick
Experience: 12 years (retired 17 years)
Teams: Fort Wayne Pistons - 1951-1957 (#16), Minneapolis Lakers - 1958-1960 (#14), St. Louis Hawks - 1960-1962 (#13 - 1960-1961, #14 - 1962)
69.8 Win Shares, 0.000 MVP Award Shares, 1 All-NBA 1st Team Selection, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team Selection, 8 All-Star Selections, 0 Championships, 0.0 Championship Win Shares, 5 Finals Losses (1955 Pistons, 1956 Pistons, 1959 lakers, 1960 Hawks, 1961 Hawks), 3.6 Finals Win Shares, 1 Conference Finals Loss (1953 Pistons), 1.1 Conference Finals Win Shares


8. Lenny Wilkens - 158.8
Position: Guard
Height: 6'1"
College: Providence
Draft: 1960 - 6th pick
Experience: 15 years (retired 4 years)
Teams: St. Louis Hawks - 1961-1968 (#32 - 1961, #15 - 1962, #32 - 1963, #14 - 1964 - 1964-1968), Seattle SuperSonics - 1969-1972 (#19), Cleveland Cavaliers - 1973-1974 (#19), Portland Trail Blazers - 1975 (#17)
95.5 Win Shares, 0.323 MVP Award Shares, 0 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 0 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 9 All-Star Selections, 0 Championships, 0.0 Championship Win Shares, 1 Finals Loss (1961 Hawks), 0.5 Finals Win Shares, 4 Conference Finals Losses (1963 Hawks, 1964 Hawks, 1966 Hawks, 1967 Hawks), 3.1 Conference Finals Win Shares


9. Walt Bellamy - 156.1
Position: Center
Height: 6'11"
College: Indiana
Draft: 1961 - 1st pick
Experience: 14 years (retired 4 years)
Teams: Chicago Packers - 1962 (#8), Chicago Zephyrs - 1963 (#8), Baltimore Bullets - 1964-1966 (#8), New York Knicks - 1966-1969 (#8), Detroit Pistons - 1969-1970 (#8), Atlanta Hawks - 1970-1974 (#8), New Orleans Jazz - 1975 (#8)
130.0 Win Shares, 0.002 MVP Award Shares, 0 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 0 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 4 All-Star Selections, 0 Championships, 0.0 Championship Win Shares, 0 Finals Losses, 0.0 Finals Win Shares, 2 Conference Finals Losses (1965 Bullets, 1970 Hawks), 2.4 Conference Finals Win Shares


Bellamy joins the list as an Honorary Member this year for making his tenth Top 10 appearance. (Or ninth Top 9 appearance, take your pick.)


10. Spencer Haywood - 154.7
Position: Forward-Center
Height: 6'8"
College: Detroit
Draft: 1971 - 30th pick (entered ABA before eligible to be drafted in the NBA)
Experience: 9 years/1 ABA year
Teams: Denver Rockets - 1970 (#24), Seattle SuperSonics - 1971-1975 (#24), New York Knicks - 1976-1979 (#42), New Orleans Jazz - 1979 (#24)
54.4 Win Shares, 0.114 MVP Award Shares, 2 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 2 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 4 All-Star Selections, 0 Championships, 0.0 Championship Win Shares, 0 Finals Losses, 0.0 Finals Win Shares, 0 Conference Finals Losses, 0.0 Conference Finals Win Shares
17.1 ABA Win Shares, 1 ABA MVP (1970), 1 All-ABA 1st Team Selection, 1 ABA All-Star Selection, 1 ABA Conference Finals Loss, 2.6 ABA Conference Finals Win Shares


And the 33 Greatest Players Ever after 33 seasons:
(Inducted List of Greatness members in bold; Honorary Members in bold italics)
1. Bill Russell - 739.6
2. Wilt Chamberlain - 712.6
3. Jerry West - 584.6
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 526.5
5. Oscar Robertson - 511.2
6. John Havlicek - 479.1
7. Bob Pettit - 468.2
8. Dolph Schayes - 431.8
9. Elgin Baylor - 416.2
10. Bob Cousy - 406.2
11. George Mikan - 380.0
12. Rick Barry - 325.9
13. Walt Frazier - 321.8
14. Elvin Hayes - 298.1
15. Sam Jones - 283.0
16. Bill Sharman - 278.7
17. Paul Arizin - 258.2
18. Hal Greer - 251.9
19. Willis Reed - 234.5
20. Dave Cowens - 231.8
21. Vern Mikkelsen - 225.8
22. Jerry Lucas - 221.6
23. Tom Heinsohn - 217.8
24. Julius Erving - 217.1
25. Neil Johnston - 209.8
26. Wes Unseld - 207.8
27. Ed Macauley - 204.7
28. Bailey Howell - 200.7
29. Chet Walker - 190.4
30. Cliff Hagan - 183.3
31. Slater Martin - 178.9
32. Billy Cunningham - 176.3
33. Bob Dandridge - 174.1


And the next tier:
34. Bob McAdoo - 162.9
35. Larry Foust - 160.1
36. Harry Gallatin - 159.0
37. Lenny Wilkens - 158.8
38. Walt Bellamy - 156.1
39. Spencer Haywood - 154.7
40. Jim Pollard - 154.2
41. Dave Bing - 153.5
42. Gail Goodrich - 151.8
43. Artis Gilmore - 151.6
44. Bobby Wanzer - 151.4
45. Bob Davies - 150.7
46. Jo Jo White - 148.4
47. George Yardley - 145.1
48. George McGinnis - 145.0
49. Earl Monroe - 143.9
50. Nate Thurmond - 141.8
51. Dave DeBusschere - 141.4
52. Tiny Archibald - 138.4
53. Richie Guerin - 138.0
54. Connie Hawkins - 135.1
55. Bob Lanier - 134.9
56. Max Zaslofsky - 134.9
57. George Gervin - 134.0
58. Zelmo Beaty - 133.7
59. Jack Twyman - 131.7
60. Dan Issel - 128.9
61. Lou Hudson - 127.5
62. Joe Fulks - 126.7
63. Paul Westphal - 124.0
64. Pete Maravich - 123.2
65. Arnie Risen - 120.0
66. Clyde Lovellette - 119.2