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There are many on the list. Four are already on the OP list better then Barkley.
I wont post the names but you would then destroy my opinion.
Barkley was not as good as you think he was. He did nothing but push, shove and rebound.
No personal skills, never improved the teams he played on, selfish, big mouth and still is today.
He played in a physical era. *shrug*
Pheonix prior to his joining was a 53ish win team that was on average a 2nd round playoff team.
1st year there (1993) He lead the Pheonix Suns to 62 wins and the finals and averaged 27-13 against a VERY good defender in Horace Grant but Jordan\Pippen was just too much for the likes of KJ, Ainge, Marle....lost in 6 games.
Next two years Houston knocked them out in 7 game series and went on to win the championship.
If I were to use tiers based upon the guys on the list above:
What the what? Rodman played every game like a madman, was the one of only a couple who could defend Shaq, and rebounded like his life depended on it. But a lot of what he got away with was total trash, he couldn't sink freethrows, in fact, he had trouble scoring even the simplest of buckets.
Don't get me wrong, I held onto my McDonald's Rodman cup with the thermal changing hair color for far too long, but Rodman doesn't belong in a GOAT, and I don't even believe that he belongs in the HOF. If he hadn't been on the Bulls, surrounded by the rest of that team, few folks outside of Detroit would remember him (other than players who ran into his elbows) for basketball.
LOL you almost had me with the changing hair color cup. Wilt and Shaq could not sink free throws either. I agree that it is a weakness, but sometimes strength in one or more areas can overwhelm weakness in another. Babe Ruth was known for being a poor runner who took mincing, pigeon-toed stips. Ty Cobb had anger-management issues.
Rodman could guard 5 positions and was the impetus of the Bulls 72 win record-setting season. For that he deserves consideration for GOAT.
Paula Radcliffe was not the most gifted female distance runner ever by a long shot. There were many Kenyans and Ethiopians who had more speed, but she worked harder than everyone else, and set a marathon record that still stands. Should she not be considered as a GOAT? Women's marathon world record considered untouchable — why? - Chicago Tribune
Pheonix prior to his joining was a 53ish win team that was on average a 2nd round playoff team.
1st year there (1993) He lead the Pheonix Suns to 62 wins and the finals and averaged 27-13 against a VERY good defender in Horace Grant but Jordan\Pippen was just too much for the likes of KJ, Ainge, Marle....lost in 6 games.
Next two years Houston knocked them out in 7 game series and went on to win the championship.
If I were to use tiers based upon the guys on the list above:
Bob Pettit....10 all-nba team selections
McHale
DeBusschere (big time defender)
Elvin Hayes (top 10 in pts. and rebounds all-time)
That's 10 guys right there and in good conscience I couldn't put Barkley lower than 8th out of that group.
Clearly you don't like him.
I'd put him somewhere top 4-8
Barkley was lazy. If he did not get the ball he would not play defense.
Elgin Baylor, Hayes, McHale, James Worthy and even Pau Gasol I would have before him. They were winners, they were teammates who played 100% all the time. Add in Wes Unseld, Rodman, even Terry Cummings just off the top of my head. Tom Chambers even comes to mind.
I dont like players who play half a game, shot their mouths off and act like Iverson, which Barkley and Iverson both would not be on any of my all time teams because they were out for themselves and the heck with others.
Barkley was lazy. If he did not get the ball he would not play defense.
Elgin Baylor, Hayes, McHale, James Worthy and even Pau Gasol I would have before him. They were winners, they were teammates who played 100% all the time. Add in Wes Unseld, Rodman, even Terry Cummings just off the top of my head. Tom Chambers even comes to mind.
Baylor and Worthy were Small Forwards, Unseld was a Center and Pau Gasol, well Not even in the top 20 best PF's of all time imo.
Barkley vs. Rodman vs. Chambers vs. Cummings (Playoffs Stats Per Game):
I remember once hearing James Worthy say that Rodman should be in the NBA greatest 50. From 1991 to 1997 Dennis averaged 16.7 rebounds per game. He didn't score much, but on the Bulls less was more because it meant more touches and shots for Jordan and Pippen.
According to Worthy, Rodman had a bag of tricks, little techniques that he would use to gain advantage on defense or in rebounding. He used to do 45 minutes of cardio after the game. Nobody else had his level of fitness, and nobody else had his combination of strength and foot speed, which was why he could guard all five positions.
Break it down any way you want, Barkley was a loud mouth Iverson type player who cried like a baby when he did not get the ball and would not play defense.
He would not be in MY top 10 period.
Many others who overall far better total players then round mound of mouth.
And yet this mouth piece gets paid to say stupid things on my TV.
He accomplished nothing, should not even be mentioned in a group of the best all time.
That is reserve for overall good players, a much hated teammate no one wanted to play with.
I think you have to distinguish between the young Barkley and the older (Phoenix). When he came into the league with Philly, Barkley was unbelievably agile and quick for his size. If you watch this video, he appears to be in excellent shape. After college he buckled down, lost weight, and got himself into great condition to go with his talent.
Later in his career he reverted to being out of shape and became mostly a post up and jump shooter, and his jump shot was never great. He still did always maintain the great upper body strength that let him average 11.7 rebounds/game (!) over his career at 6'4".
Out of shape or no, the Barkley led Suns gave Jordan and the Bulls a run for their money in 1993. I remember watching as the Suns came within a Dan Majerle 3 pt miss of tying the series up 3-3. Who knows what might have happened in game 7.
Back when Baylor, Worthy and many others played we never discussed small or power forwards. Just forwards, center, guards.
Elgin Baylor retired the year I really started to watch and can remember games and the season 1972 Lakers winning streak and championship and I remember the shooting scoring slashing forward Jim McMillian who replaced Baylor was already being separated from the banger Happy Hairston who played down low with the center (Chamberlain) but Worthy was defiantly in the specialist era of the 80s.After all he had Magic Johnson the 6'9" point guard that didn't have the classic body for the position after all. With Baylor's teammates Goodrich and West however I don't remember "point and shooting guards" neither Clyde Frazier and Earl Monroe with the Knicks who had replaced the Celtics as the thorn in our side when I was old enough to enjoy the game. And like the Laker forwards Dave Debusschere and Bill Bradley filled the power and small role.
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Not even in the top 20 best PF's of all time imo.
