Top 10 power forwards/centers in the paint

[barkleynash]

Offensively, defensively, rebounding, blocking shots. Who you have as the best bigs in terms of their total impact on the game in the paint.
Let's go from Kareem Era.
Here is a list of players. In no particular order. Definitely missing some.
How would you rank them?
Shaq
Duncan
Kareem
Duncan
Barkley
Karl Malone
Ewing
McHale
Howard
Robinson
Parish
Hakeem
Moses Malone

[Fudge]

1. Hakeem
2. Duncan
3. Kareem
4. Robinson
5. Shaq
6. Howard
7. Ewing
8. Barkley
9. McHale
10. Parish
11. Malone

[RedBlackAttack]

So, this is looking at all these guys in their respective primes or when they were still sort of close to playing against one another? You're spanning some generations here. The KAJ that played against the likes of Ewing and even Robinson was still good, but a pretty long way from his prime.

If you're talking about all of these guys at their respective peaks, I'd go...

1. KAJ
2. Shaq
3. Hakeem
4. Duncan
5. Ewing
6. Robinson
7. Malone
8. McHale
9. Barkley
10. Howard
11. Parish

Now, if this is taking into account longevity and the greater body of work, not necessarily peak play, the list would look differently. Patrick Ewing is very underrated, btw. He and Hakeem used to really battle... evenly a lot of times.

I actually saw them play against one another live at MSG in '95. Hakeem got ejected from the game for throwing a punch, as I remember it.

[barkleynash]

Top 5 year Peak. How bout that. Forgot Moses Malone on first list.

[barkleynash]

Ewing was tough. He was actually a better paint player than Robinson.

Remember Barkley and Shaq were pretty average defenders against the pick and roll, but as defenders in the key, shotblockers and rebounders they were pretty dominant.

[barkleynash]

1. Hakeem
2. Duncan
3. Kareem
4. Shaq
5. Moses
6. Barkley
7Robinson

8 Howard
9 Ewing
10. karl Malone
11 McHale
12. KG
13 Parish
HM. Bill Laimbeer, Ben Wallace, Buck Williams, Deandre Jordan (climbin the list)

KG played more outside, but he would still probably rank ahead of Parish.

This type of player is a dying breed in the nba right now. I think shaq obviously was the most physically dominant, put teams in huge foul trouble, I think I'd move him up the list. Robinson was a great shot blocker for sure. I just can't get the vision out of my head of hakeem embarrassing him in the playoffs to move him any higher. He would have struggled against a McHale type as well, fell for too many fakes. He was more of a faceup player and drive with his quickness. KG as well.

I'm not sure about one-dimensional shot blocker rebounders/defenders. Two guys that fit this category would be Mutombo and Dennis Rodman when he played the four spot. Great post defender, rebounder and amazing offensive rebounder. Both probably deserve consideration.

[ISHGoat]

Shaq and Gasol are 1a/1b for me, idk about the rest though. Duncan probably #2

[barkleynash]

Forgot about Pau and Marc Gasol. I don't think Bogut makes my top 15. Pau was a killer on the offensive boards. Marc is more of a force defensively.

[Fallen Angel]

Mavericks Brandon Wright

[barkleynash]

New updated imo after others' input.
1. Shaq
2. Hakeem
3. Duncan
4. Kareem
5. Moses
6. Barkley
7Robinson
8 Howard
9 Ewing
10. karl Malone
11 McHale
12. KG
13 Pau Gasol
14 Parish
15 marc Gasol
16. Dennis Rodman
17 Ben Wallace
18 Deandre Jordan
19 Andrew Bogut
20 Bill Laimbeer I know he was a thug, but he did wreak havoc in the paint
HM. Buck Williams

[ClipperRevival]

Robinson was pretty darn special. It's a shame most people remember him for getting schooled by Hakeem in the playoffs. But he had everything you could ever want from a center. He had the prototypical size, length, touch, coordination, and amazing athleticism. The guy sometimes gets underrated. He is still one of the best centers to ever lace them up. There aren't too many guys I would take over him. But he did have clutch issues in the playoffs like a lot of other players. That's where great players can really separate themselves from other greats, like Hakeem did.