The Basketball Non-Hall of Fame-Hall of Fame

Did you know that only 5 players have ever accomplished an average of 17 points, 8 assists and 1.5 steals per per career? 2 of those are already HoFers (Magic Johnson and Isaiah Thomas) and two other very possible hall of famers (Chris Paul and Kevin Johnson). The last is the original "Mr. Big Shot", Tim Hardaway. The PG played for 13 seasons and played for several seasons. He accumulated over 7,000 career assists and is ranked 14th overall in assists ever. He posted amazing stats and did over the span of a whole career. He was no fluke and made his way to 5 All Star games. This guy was legit. Unfurtunately though, he is no HoF.

Many, like Tim Hardaway, may never become HoFers. Most of these players got lots of recognition over their times in their careers. There are always going to be bubble players. Should players like T-Mac be in the HoF even though he never won a title nor an MVP? He was great though.

This Blog is a bode to those men who served diligently (and maybe a couple who weren't so diligent), but that were great players. Many won Defensive Players of the Year or even Slam Dunk contests, but did they ever reach their true potential?

I will also go over a couple teams as a whole. Many of these teams I am very biased about because, to be frank, they are my favorite teams of all time. Teams that worked together like the Detroit Pistons of 2004. Will any of those players make the HoF? Probably not, ridiculous right?

Others are duos of great players. Everybody knows about Stockton to Malone, but how many people have already forgotten about Nash to Stoudemire? Those two were CRAZY together. Many will say that Nash never got a title. Neither did Stockton or Malone (Which hurts, as I am a Utah native and a Jazz fan in the deepest parts of my soul. Don't take this either as a bash on those two. They are great. Two of the best).

Along with all of those examples there are many more. Feel free to comment on any players you would like to receive their moment.

Coming in to the 2003-2004 season Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, D-Wade and many more people had just been drafted. We also can't forget that before Melo, D-Wade and everyone else, at the number two pick the Detroit Pistons selected Darko Milicic. Now thinking back to that selection you would want to ring the necks of the front office in Detroit. They passed up on a LOT of talent.

Luckily for them the Basketball Gods opened up the heavens and decided to shower them with some blessings. Even though they had a reputation of being a bit more gritty on the court they would end up proving themselves throughout the season. They ended the year with the third best record in the Eastern Conference and one player (Ben Wallace) named to the All-Nba Second team and the All-Defense First team.

Guy was a beast.

Seriously,

that was his nickname...

"the Beast".

The guy is a FOUR TIME DEFENSIVE PLAYER of the Year. HOLY COW! His highlights of ridiculous blocks are just crazy. The guy was only 6'9" and blocked like an animal. He was the only All-Star from that years piston team. If you watched the game during that time, then you knew him from his giant afro. The guy was an athletic phenom.

Rounding out the starting line up was Chauncey Billups, Richard "Rip" Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and the tech foul machine Rasheed Wallace. These guys knew how to hold a reputation and even though they were a bunch of odd balls they were amazing together. Everyone knew Rip for his face mask that he wore every game.

After beating the Bucks, the Nets, and the Pacers, they found themselves in the NBA finals going against the heavily favored Los Angelos Lakers. In 5 games the Bad Boy Pistons won the NBA Championship upsetting Kobe Bryant. This was one of only two times that a team has one without an MVP on their team.

They go through all of that trouble and do so much and yet people say now that it was a fluke. That team was good. Loads of talents and yet out of that team there is likely no one going to the HoF. Let me repeat FOUR TIME DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

The Beast.

We all knew that Jason Richardson could jam. The man could fly and won two slam dunk contests, but honestly, does that matter that much in an actual basketball game? After the whole period without a dunk contest in the 90's the dunk contest was a little bit of a joke (Except for Vincanity of course. That rocked everyone's socks).

In recent years those who have won haven't proven to do much as far as taking people far into the playoffs. K, there is Dwight Howard, but that guy is a freak. Blake Griffin hasn't shown up yet with the clippers for anything in the playoffs.

The Warriors in 2006 had just made huge over haul and gotten some new players. The main course of the whole dish was definitely the baron of bad news (as I always referred to him), Baron Davis and J-Rich along with their barrage of three point shooters.

The team introduced the play 4 gaurds, and maybe a small forward, plus one power forward. All who started could light it up. Baron Davis was super clutch and averaged over 20 points per game. J-Rich was always great also. The team was full of snipers. Even their power forward, Al Harrington, was a stretch 4 who could shoot the three ball. Talk about stretching the floor and running the other team to death.

The team as a whole in the end didn't do so hot in the season, until the last 21 games when they went 16-5. They barely squeezed into the playoffs in the 8 seed. Going to pair against the Dallas Mavericks who had been in the finals just the year before.

The series was one of the most intense I have ever seen. The Warriors lit up the stage and ended up beating the Mavericks in 6 games. It was crazy! The Baron of Bad news struck. They were great. There have only been 3 other teams to do the 8 seed upset and this was the best of them all.

In the next series they lost to Utah (That was a mixed feelings game for me. I loved the Warriors, but Utah is my home) 4-2. The Cinderella run had stopped.

None of those players will become HoFers unfortunately. Although exciting and great at the game, none ever one a championship. Mikeal Pietrus, I believe is one of the best Role Players to play the game. He helped bring the Orlando Magic to the finals a couple years later.