Best single season of each top 10 player vs. '83 Moses

[SouBeachTalents]

Probably the most underrated season of all time on this board imo

Moses in '83
Won MVP
All-NBA First Team
All Defensive First Team
Led the NBA in rebounds, PER, and WS
65-17 regular season
12-1 in the playoffs
Outplayed Kareem in the Finals
Won Finals MVP

RS: 25/15/1/1/2 on 50%
PS: 26/16/2/2/2 on 54%
F: 26/18/2/2/2 on 51%

Would you consider '83 Moses' season to be better than the best single season of any of the top 10 (truthfully 11) players of all time? If so, which ones?

[Droid101]

How the hell do you only average 1 assist if you're getting the ball that many times a game?

Insane.

[3ball]

Moses in 1983 is at the top, or near the top of the most dominant postseason runs:

MJ in 1991-1993, 1997, 1998... Shaq from 2000-2002... Hakeem in 1995... Duncan in 2003... Wade in 2006... Dirk in 2011... Lebron in 2012... Magic, Bird and Rick Barry in various years.

It's impossible to say whose run is actually #1 - there are too many variables and semantics - it's a matter of subjective opinion..

I always go with the guy who I know is the best player, with the assumption that the best player can increase his level of play as needed more than anyone else.
.

[warriorfan]

Fo fo fo, Moses Malone was a gangster

[D-Wade316]

Overrated. Stats not reflective of his impact. Higher pace.

Meh.

[Fire Colangelo]

He's great at what he does, but there are parts in this game that are severely lacking.

He's a great scorer and a great rebounder obviously, but he's a unwilling passer. He doesn't make plays for his teammates and the only time he'll pass is when he's doubled, and even when doubled he doesn't pass much.

Despite the all defense selections, he's not exactly a defensive anchor like Hakeem or Duncan. Not to mention he won his only ring after joining a Sixers team that won 58 wins and made the finals in the previous season. Not to mention outplaying a 35 yr old Kareem isn't really saying much.

I don't think he's underrated at all. He's ranked at around 15 for most people and that's where he should be. He has no case for top 10 for the reasons I mentioned above, but he's definitely good. I actually think he's overrated, and would take KG/Dirk over him to start a team, but that's just me and that's an argument for another day.

[ImKobe]

he had two guys averaging ~20 ppg in the regular season alongside him in Dr J and Andrew Toney, and their PG Maurice Cheeks wasn't bad, either.

Dr J averaged 19/9/5 with 1.3 stls 2.8 blks in the Finals on 47% shooting
Andrew Toney 22/2/6 on 42% shooting, Maurice Cheeks 15/2/6/3 on 55% shooting

His stats pale in comparison to prime Shaq, Jordan, Lebron, Kobe, Hakeem, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Duncan, Wilt

[Lakers Fan]

Probably the most underrated season of all time on this board imo

Moses in '83
Won MVP
All-NBA First Team
All Defensive First Team
Led the NBA in rebounds, PER, and WS
65-17 regular season
12-1 in the playoffs
Outplayed Kareem in the Finals
Won Finals MVP

RS: 25/15/1/1/2 on 50%
PS: 26/16/2/2/2 on 54%
F: 26/18/2/2/2 on 51%

Would you consider '83 Moses' season to be better than the best single season of any of the top 10 (truthfully 11) players of all time? If so, which ones?

Don't get me wrong Kareem was still very competitive in his older years, he lead his team in scoring with 24ppg on 56% shooting that series, but you are still comparing a 27 year old Moses in his prime to a 36 year old Kareem. Guys like Shaq, Wilt and Moses were nothing more than really good role players at that age.

[Brunch@Five]

well Moses does have a case for top 10 himself, but I think every other serious candidate has had a similarly great season.

[ArbitraryWater]

Incredibly overrated from a lot of serious shit I've read.

[Iceman#44]

Guys like Shaq, Wilt and Moses were nothing more than really good role players at that age.

Well, agree on Moses and Shaq, but not on Wilt.


Moses Malone (age 36) averaged 15\9, O'Neal 17.8 ppg and 8.4 boards missing the playoffs.

Wilt Chamberlain instead, won the FMVP at age 35 and in his last season, at age 36, set the NBA Record for FG% (72.7%), won the Rebounds Title (18.6 per game) and arrived 4th in the MVP Race for the 1972-1973 season.

[iamgine]

Moses back then was basically Demarcus Cousins.

[Iceman#44]

Moses back then was basically Demarcus Cousins.
:facepalm :facepalm

[LAZERUSS]

Moses was the most dominant and feared player in the league from 78-79 thru 82-83. Plain-and-simple.

And he was just slaughtering his HOF peers in his H2H's in those years, as well.

Of the GOAT centers, only a peak KAJ, Shaq, and Chamberlain were more dominant.

[Lakers Fan]

Well, agree on Moses and Shaq, but not on Wilt.


Moses Malone (age 36) averaged 15\9, O'Neal 17.8 ppg and 8.4 boards missing the playoffs.

Wilt Chamberlain instead, won the FMVP at age 35 and in his last season, at age 36, set the NBA Record for FG% (72.7%), won the Rebounds Title (18.6 per game) and arrived 4th in the MVP Race for the 1972-1973 season.

Fair enough, but he was only the 3rd best scorer on his team, including the finals series, averaging only 14.8 points for the season(13.2 the next season). I think Kareem lead his team in scoring until he was 40. But your right though, Wilt does have that FMVP so I admit he was more than a role player.

[LAZERUSS]

Fair enough, but he was only the 3rd best scorer on his team, including the finals series, averaging only 14.8 points for the season(13.2 the next season). I think Kareem lead his team in scoring until he was 40. But your right though, Wilt does have that FMVP so I admit he was more than a role player.

In Wilt's LAST NBA game, at age 36... 23 points, on 9-16 shooting, with 21 rebounds.

[SHAQisGOAT]

Peak Moses was a beast... I think he gets underrated nowadays, overall.




Moses in '83
Won MVP
All-NBA First Team
All Defensive First Team
Led the NBA in rebounds, PER, and WS
65-17 regular season
12-1 in the playoffs
Outplayed Kareem in the Finals
Won Finals MVP

RS: 25/15/1/1/2 on 50%
PS: 26/16/2/2/2 on 54%
F: 26/18/2/2/2 on 51%


Also led in TRB% and WS/48, was 3rd in DRtg, 3rd in OWS, 2nd in DWS, was 5th in PPG, 10th in BPG...

He had some great teammates around him and he was a bad and unwilling passer but that's certainly one of the greatest years ever, nough said...
Plus, he had already won MVP before, had already unexpectedly led his team to the Finals, and Philly couldn't win it all before he got there, straight up dominating the competition with him then.

Shame that he considerably drop his production the following year.

Imo, Moses had a top15 GOAT peak and that's saying a lot...
Considering everything he sits at about #12 on my all-time list.

[branslowski]

Washed up non defensive era/

[LAZERUSS]

An old Moses was outrebounding a peak rebounding Hakeem in their seasonal H2H's.

One of the great "what-if" match-ups would have been a peak Wilt vs a peak Moses.

On paper, Chamberlain would have had a huge edge. Significantly taller, bigger, longer, faster, and more athletic. Of course, Moses was routinely pounding players that were all of the above, as well.

[dankok8]

Moses in 1981-1982 and 1982-1983 was just a wrecking ball and tore apart everybody including Kareem. I mean in the summer of 1983 people were probably looking at this 27 year old guy and thinking he may end up being maybe even a GOAT candidate. He was that dominant!

And then he just declined... I think he lost motivation to be honest. I mean when facing top tier centers like Hakeem and Ewing in the late 90's he always brought his best game. Just not consistently.

[SHAQisGOAT]

Moses in 1981-1982 and 1982-1983 was just a wrecking ball and tore apart everybody including Kareem. I mean in the summer of 1983 people were probably looking at this 27 year old guy and thinking he may end up being maybe even a GOAT candidate. He was that dominant!

And then he just declined... I think he lost motivation to be honest. I mean when facing top tier centers like Hakeem and Ewing in the late 90's he always brought his best game. Just not consistently.

I think so too, that's most likely it. Nobody ever talked about a major injury, he was still young, he still showed more than just flashes of his former self... Most likely he just lost his motto because he already had it made, had already won the title, MVP's, FMVP, was getting paid...

[Odinn]

Washed up non defensive era/
Sad...

[TheMarkMadsen]

the OG stat padder

[SexSymbol]

Moses is somewhere in the top 11-13 along with bron and dr j

[1987_Lakers]

I have him as a top 15-20 player of all time. One of the greatest rebounders this game has ever seen & he could also score with the best of them, but honestly I'm not a big fan of his game.

For a center he never really was a defensive anchor, being a defensive force is something I look at if you are a dominant center. On offense he was a huge black hole, didn't really pass the ball alot and he was turnover prone.

I'd take someone like '77 B. Walton over '83 M. Malone without even thinking twice. Still doesn't change the fact that Moses was still an MVP type caliber player & a rebounding force, I just have him a notch below the other all-time great centers which is nothing to be ashamed of.

[SouBeachTalents]

Lol, good discussion in the thread, didn't really answer my question though. Would anybody put this season over the best season of each top 10-11 player

'62 Russell
'67 Wilt
'71 Kareem
'86 Bird
'87 Magic
'91 Jordan
'94 Hakeem
'00 Shaq
'03 Duncan
'09 Kobe
'12 LeBron

Or obviously replace any year with what you'd consider that players true peak season

[Rocketswin2013]

Lol, good discussion in the thread, didn't really answer my question though. Would anybody put this season over the best season of each top 10-11 player

'62 Russell
'67 Wilt
'71 Kareem
'86 Bird
'87 Magic
'91 Jordan
'94 Hakeem
'00 Shaq
'03 Duncan
'09 Kobe
'12 LeBron

Or obviously replace any year with what you'd consider that players true peak season
Maybe Kobe's, Bird's, and Magic's.

[ShawkFactory]

Maybe Kobe's, Bird's, and Magic's.
Nah not Bird.

Kobe unfortunately never had that one season like the rest of these guys. Had he had a good squad in 06 or 07 he would undoubtedly be up there.

[SouBeachTalents]

Bumping this in honor of a legend :applause:

Arguably had a top 10 single season of all time

[72-10]

I guess it is largely dependent upon how important team success is in a player's season.