Top 10 lists: Impact vs Peak vs Longevity vs Accolades

[greymatter]

Between peak, longevity, impact, and accolades, it's basically impossible for even a majority of NBA enthusiasts to agree on the exact order of the top 10 players of all time.

It would be far easier to grade the all time greats based on all the separate criterion. The easiest 2 to judge are longevity and accolades. They are about as cut and dry as can be. I define peak as raw overall talent/ability/skill to dominate on either or both sides of the ball. Think of it as that overall score on NBA 2015K, whatever. Impact I would define in terms of leadership, ability to elevate team play, make clutch plays, to affect the game in other ways that don't necessarily show up on the stat sheet.

Given the above definitions, I'm curious to see where most people stand. Tentatively, here's where I stand:

Longevity (staying injury free and playing at a high level a long time):

1. K. Malone
2. Stockton
3. Kareem
4. Duncan
5. Moses Malone
6. Jordan

Accolades:
1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. Kareem
4. Chamberlain
5. Bird
6. Magic
7. Lebron

Impact:
1. Russell
2. Bird
3. Chamberlain
4. Magic
5. Jordan

Peak:
1. Chamberlain
2. Jordan
3. Olajuwon
4. Kareem
5. Bird
6. Shaq

[SouBeachTalents]

Between peak, longevity, impact, and accolades, it's basically impossible for even a majority of NBA enthusiasts to agree on the exact order of the top 10 players of all time.

It would be far easier to grade the all time greats based on all the separate criterion. The easiest 2 to judge are longevity and accolades. They are about as cut and dry as can be. I define peak as raw overall talent/ability/skill to dominate on either or both sides of the ball. Think of it as that overall score on NBA 2015K, whatever. Impact I would define in terms of leadership, ability to elevate team play, make clutch plays, to affect the game in other ways that don't necessarily show up on the stat sheet.

Given the above definitions, I'm curious to see where most people stand. Tentatively, here's where I stand:

Longevity (staying injury free and playing at a high level a long time):

1. K. Malone
2. Stockton
3. Kareem
4. Duncan
5. Moses Malone
6. Jordan

Accolades:
1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. Kareem
4. Chamberlain
5. Bird
6. Magic
7. Lebron

Impact:
1. Russell
2. Bird
3. Chamberlain
4. Magic
5. Jordan

Peak:
1. Chamberlain
2. Jordan
3. Olajuwon
4. Kareem
5. Bird
6. Shaq

Lol at LeBron not making that list

[greatest-ever]

Between peak, longevity, impact, and accolades, it's basically impossible for even a majority of NBA enthusiasts to agree on the exact order of the top 10 players of all time.

Of said criteria i would rank them in this order from most important to least important:

Prime- more important than peak because it gives you a larger sample of who they are and what they're capable of
Longevity- Seasons that a player isn't a star anymore obviously get less weight but i think any above average season should count for something
Peak- definitely matters but not as much as prime or longevity
Accolades- least important, it matters but not as much as the others. Evidence of this is not having Russell in my top 5.

I left out impact because i don't see it as a category of it's own.

[Beastmode88]

Is this regular season? playoffs? both?

[the mesiah]

For me it's mixture of all these put together in order:
1.I would go with how their overall game would translate in any era , especially the 50's, 60's era players.
2.Accolades/numbers
3.Impact
4.Longevity
5.peak

[3ball]

The GOAT is the person with the most Finals MVP's, whoever that is

That's the player who played the best, on the biggest stage/highest level of competition, the most often.

[ArbitraryWater]

Whats the difference between peak and impact?

Isn't impact their impact/play at their peak? And how is MJ so low? (LeBron not even mentioned)

Moses and Stock are too high on longevity, Kareem should be Nr. 1.

[ShawkFactory]

The GOAT is the person with the most Finals MVP's, whoever that is

That's the player who played the best, on the biggest stage/highest level of competition, the most often.
Woulda been Russell, had the award existed.

As it stands IDK who it is

[T_L_P]

No way Duncan isn't top 7 in accolades. :biggums:

5 championships
3 Finals MVPs
2 Regular Season MVPs
15x All-Star
14x All-NBA (10 1st, 3 2nd, 1 3rd, could be 15 soon)
14x All-Defense (8 1st, 6 2nd, could be 15 soon)

Bird, Wilt and LeBron certainly dont have more accolades.

[the mesiah]

Whats the difference between peak and impact?

Isn't impact their impact/play at their peak? And how is MJ so low? (LeBron not even mentioned)

Moses and Stock are too high on longevity, Kareem should be Nr. 1.
If we are just strictly Talkin top 10 GOAT contenders , Peak i would say is a stretch in his career when he was at the absolute pinnacle of his career to where he could dominate in all facets of the game at will and say he was the best player in the world..Impact imo is more like for example , Magic..lot of people would say he didn't have the all defensive team awards or dominate scoring offensively such as leading the league in scoring or hogging the ball to average 25+ Each year but overallness intangibles,clutch,leadership,generalship of team and game he had the greatest impact ever no matter who was on the floor with him.

[pauk]

Longevity:
1. Kareem
2. K. Malone
3. Stockton
4. R. Miller
5. R. Allen
6. Duncan
7. M. Malone
8. Kobe
9. Jordan
10. K. Garnett

Accolades:
1. Russell
2. Kareem
3. Jordan
4. Duncan
5. Magic
6. Lebron
7. Bird
8. Shaq
9. Kobe
10. Cousy

Impact:
1. Shaq
2. Lebron
3. Jordan
4. Bird
5. Magic
6. Hakeem
7. Chamberlain
8. Magic
9. Russell
10. Kobe

Peak:
1. Oscar
2. Chamberlain
3. Shaq
4. Jordan
5. Lebron
6. Olajuwon
7. Kareem
8. Bird
9. Magic
10. Pettit