Dr J is the most underrated player on this forum

[warriorfan]

In Mr. Jabbar's mature top 10 list discussion I saw there was no Dr.J on anyone's top 10.

In 1976 when Dr. J was only 25 years old he had one of the most impressive playoff runs in basketball history. Some of the most dominant two way play ever.

Dr J 1976 Playoff Stats

35/12/5/2/2 on FG of 53%, TS of 61%

[keep-itreal]

the only thing I remember is Larry Bird owning his ass and he got so mad he started punching him

[CavaliersFTW]

the only thing I remember is Larry Bird owning his ass and he got so mad he started punching him
Christian Thompson

Wind Defenders

[Spurs5Rings2014]

Agreed. He's easily > Bird/LeBron when you look at his NBA and ABA accomplishments. This is a guy that everyone thought was the best in the league in the early 80's right along with Bird before revisionists came along and rewrote history into this Bird/Magic rivalry that didn't happen until later. Everyone thought Bird was better than Magic until '87, after Bird was broken down due to injuries. Dr. J. and Kareem were the best players from the 70's by far, but only Kareem gets the credit for racking up MVP's and dominating that era. A reoccurring theme of hypocrisy that perpetuates and poisons the rest of the top 10 rankings to this day.

[SouBeachTalents]

But Dr. J is 1/4 in the Finals, including 0/3 as the man. For all the shit LeBron gets for 2/6, that must make Dr. J the most unclutch loser in NBA history

[dubeta]

But Dr. J is 1/4 in the Finals, including 0/3 as the man. For all the shit LeBron gets for 2/6, that must make Dr. J the most unclutch loser in NBA history


2 Wade sabotages away from 4/6 :bowdown:

[SouBeachTalents]

2 Wade sabotages away from 4/6 :bowdown:

1 Allen miss away from 1/6 :bowdown:

[dubeta]

1 Allen miss away from 1/6 :bowdown:

1 good (above average) teammate from 6/6 :bowdown:

[warriorfan]

But Dr. J is 1/4 in the Finals, including 0/3 as the man. For all the shit LeBron gets for 2/6, that must make Dr. J the most unclutch loser in NBA history

He lost to KAJ/Magic Johnson and the Legend of Bill Walton. Both were historically great teams with historically great players. Dr J was past his physical prime at that point and more detrimental was his knee that was completely shredded. Even so if you look at his numbers he still dominated but he just wasn't the same as he was in his younger years pre-injury.

[LAZERUSS]

Dr. J was probably the best player in the '76-77 Finals (sorry Walton), as well.

And his peak years came in the ABA, where he was, by far, the greatest player in the history of that league.

If you include his ABA resume, where he won three straight MVPs, and two titles, with his NBA resume of another MVP and another title, and it stacks up with both Bird and Lebron's.

IMHO, Erving has a case for anywhere between 8-14 all-time.

[Spurs5Rings2014]

Dr. J was probably the best player in the '76-77 Finals (sorry Walton), as well.

And his peak years came in the ABA, where he was, by far, the greatest player in the history of that league.

If you include his ABA resume, where he won three straight MVPs, and two titles, with his NBA resume of another MVP and another title, and it stacks up with both Bird and Lebron's.

IMHO, Erving has a case for anywhere between 8-14 all-time.

:applause:

[Rocketswin2013]

His production dropped off drastically as soon as he entered the NBA at ages 26 , 27 and 28. Even with great defense. That doesn't help his legacy at all. For whatever reason(I haven't learned about him pre-1981) it happened. Obviously, he had great years later on but that definitely didn't help.

[jlip]

His production dropped off drastically as soon as he entered the NBA at ages 26 , 27 and 28. Even with great defense. That doesn't help his legacy at all. For whatever reason(I haven't learned about him pre-1981) it happened. Obviously, he had great years later on but that definitely didn't help.


He sacrificed his stats, especially scoring, because the team asked him to. They originally preferred to have a team with multiple 20 ppg scorers than an offense that featured one 25+ppg scorer. The team finally realized they needed him to score more a few years later. That is why his scoring increased his 4th season in the league.


Here is an old thread on him. PHILA really had some great info on Dr. J.


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206306

[JohnnySic]

In Mr. Jabbar's mature top 10 list discussion I saw there was no Dr.J on anyone's top 10.

In 1976 when Dr. J was only 25 years old he had one of the most impressive playoff runs in basketball history. Some of the most dominant two way play ever.

Dr J 1976 Playoff Stats

35/12/5/2/2 on FG of 53%, TS of 61%
He isn't top 10. More like 14-20 or thereabouts.

[jlip]

He lost to KAJ/Magic Johnson and the Legend of Bill Walton. Both were historically great teams with historically great players. Dr J was past his physical prime at that point and more detrimental was his knee that was completely shredded. Even so if you look at his numbers he still dominated but he just wasn't the same as he was in his younger years pre-injury.


While prime Walton was a historically great player I do not know of anyone who would call the '77 Blazers a "historically great" team.

[Leroy Jetson]

1 good (above average) teammate from 6/6 :bowdown:
Well he picked his team and teammates (twice), so what does that say about him?

[ImKobe]

But Dr. J is 1/4 in the Finals, including 0/3 as the man. For all the shit LeBron gets for 2/6, that must make Dr. J the most unclutch loser in NBA history


bwahahahaha

and that guy is supposed to be considered even top 20?

dude came into the league during one of the weakest eras (if not the weakest era) and he has 1 title to show for it.

[LAZERUSS]

bwahahahaha

and that guy is supposed to be considered even top 20?

dude came into the league during one of the weakest eras (if not the weakest era) and he has 1 title to show for it.

A peak Erving won two titles in the ABA.

[ImKobe]

A peak Erving won two titles in the ABA.

Thanks for reminding me, still doesn't put him close to GOAT status. Top 15 if we're being generous, realistically somewhere around top 20.

He's not underrated, it's just that there are a lot of guys that had more memorable careers and success against better competition, nothing against Erving but he's basically only remembered for his acrobatic skills around the hoop, not for leading teams to titles or showing up in big moments.

You wouldn't put him above Jerry West or Elgin Baylor, would you?

[Bankaii]

You wouldn't put him above Jerry West or Elgin Baylor, would you?
There's nothing wrong with have Dr. J above them. So you only use the Finals losses(Jerry West) and ring count(Baylor) narrative when it fits your agenda?

[LAZERUSS]

Thanks for reminding me, still doesn't put him close to GOAT status. Top 15 if we're being generous, realistically somewhere around top 20.

He's not underrated, it's just that there are a lot of guys that had more memorable careers and success against better competition, nothing against Erving but he's basically only remembered for his acrobatic skills around the hoop, not for leading teams to titles or showing up in big moments.

You wouldn't put him above Jerry West or Elgin Baylor, would you?

In Erving's first year in the NBA, took Philly to the Finals, where they would lose to Walton's Blazers, 4-2.

However, the Sixers came within two points of pushing that series to a seventh game. And in the 109-107 loss, all Dr. J did was score 40 points, on 17-29 and 6-7, with 6 rebounds, and 8 assists.

For the series...

30.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 5.0 apg, .543 from the floor, and .857 from the line.

Yep...the Dr. J that didn't show up in big moments.