Welcome back to the "Greatest Ever" series as we continue with the rankings of the biggest mismatches in the NBA History.
The league is full with terrific athletes who are physically gifted, yet additionally possess nice skills and intelligence to compliment that as well. Most of the players you will see on this list are already part of the Hall Of Fame, and some are certainly future first ballot candidates are on their way. In the NBA it's all about using advantages and to beat your opponent. These guys have made it easier for their teams and contributed to their success.
Let the fun begin and without further ado, here are the biggest mismatches in the NBA History!
11.Dirk Nowitzki
We start the list with the big Dirk Nowitzki, who's without any doubt one of the biggest mismatches in the NBA History.
He stands at 7 foot but has a guards mentality who possess an outstanding touch from just about anywhere and is regarded as one of the best shooters of all time. As a proof of that, he did have a 25 point season on at least 50% from field, 40% from the three point line and at least 90% from the charity which is an all time great achievement. So, with the fact that he plays mostly from mid range it lures out big men to stop him and his shot is pretty much hard to block so his capable to get his points.
When the taller defenders get on him, he uses his speed, ability to drive to the rim to score inside, get to the line where he's a career 87% shooter from the line or he spreads the floor which gives an open look to his team mates for the score. When they put a smaller defender on him, he can post him and just shot on top.
So it's pretty obvious that he's a mismatch of his own who's one of the finest scorers as well because of that. He additionally has one of the most toughest fade away shots to contest, has a nice inside game and overall is superb.
10.Oscar Robertson
The most complete player to ever step on a basketball hardwood, Mr Do It All, Oscar Robertson was additionally one of the biggest mismatches of all time.
He was arguably the best offensive player of any time, so he could hurt the opponents in a bunch of ways. He was an excellent shooter who could find the bottom of the net without a problem, had the finest post up game for any guard as he could use his strength and soft touch to get his points while shooting that fade away jumper. Oscar was terrific at driving to the rim. He wasn't called the O-Train for nothing!
Robertson was a remarkable passer, who could always find his team mates and the difficult rules show a good number of assists which isn't true. Had they recorded dimes like today, he'd recorded around 15-16 assists per game in most of his seasons because he was so good at making his team mates better and leading them to easy points. He did lead the league once in scoring and won the assist title seven times.
He did set up a bunch of new records in passing and surpassed many previous set by Cousy. Oscar does rank among the top 10 in both scoring and passing, a proof of his greatness. He was indeed a real mismatch!
9.Allen Iverson
The spectacular, quick and dominant Allen Iverson was one of the biggest mismatches in the NBA History, an honor he definitely deserves.
AI was a remarkable superstar in the league, who's one of the most prolific scorers of all time despite his lack of size. He's second only to Michael Jordan in terms of post season scoring average with well over 29 points for career. He has won the scoring titles four times and is tied with George Gervin. His quickness, speed, driving ability and getting to the line were his strengths as he'd usually past his defender and score inside with a beautiful lay up.
He was indeed the Answer. He posed as a great threat to his defenders, because not only that they couldn't keep up with him, he'd get them lost with his sick crossovers and he was nearly unstoppable on the often floor. Here is another great move against Tyron Lue in the 2001 Finals match up against LA, a team against he dropped 48 points with 8 assists. Then, his most notable move is when he did get Jordan passed thanks to his brilliant crossover.
8.Elgin Baylor
Former Los Angeles Laker legend and one of the most revolutionary players in basketball's history, Elgin Baylor is one of the biggest mismatches in the NBA History.
Before him, the game hadn't seen a 6'5 perimeter player with that much agility, athleticism, leaping ability, strength and skills which all made him a force. Baylor was certainly a guy who was dominating his opponents, as he in the prime of his career before that knee injury that slowed him down, was averaging 40.1 points with nearly 17 rebounds and well over five assists. That's greatness in there for sure.
He was the first one to dunk over big men ever, and he consistently played in the air as he was capable to finish with variety of terrific moves that amazed the crowd. Those moves made him a legend, and he changed basketball for ever with his shots over the rim, jams etc. He had the finest offensive arsenal of them all, who delivered on almost all kinds of shots and he was a danger.
He had one of the greatest performances ever, as he once dominated with 61 points and 22 rebounds with a still standing record for scoring most points in the history of the league's Finals. He could get to the rim, post up and had a bunch of moves. He was a real powerhouse and perhaps the best player ever.
7.Magic Johnson
When you think of point guards, you guess it's a small man who's leading the team and being the floor general however that was not the case with Earvin Johnson. He was the tallest point guard ever and is regarded as the finest player of his position, who also can be argued as the greatest player in the NBA History. So, it's pretty natural you'd find him on the list that features the biggest mismatches ever.
First of all, he had few advantages. He was bigger than any other guard that guarded him, so he could see the court in a way no one has ever seen and he dished the rock well because of that. He was very unselfish and simply excelled at making all around him better. He was the best passer of all time, who was the leader of Showtime Lakers. His accurate yet fancy and spectacular passing was a key to his teams success.
He was also the only player that could play all five positions on A+ level, as he's the most versatile player to step on a basketball hardwood. He often played the forward positions as well and even switched at center for injured Kareem to record 42 points, 12 assists, 7 assists en route to a Finals MVP plus championship in his rookie season! I mean, he recognized match ups all over, used that wisely and did all of that domination while smiling.
6.LeBron James
Arguably the most talented and athletic player to ever step on a basketball hardwood who at the end of his career will be argued as the best of all time, LeBron James is certainly one of the biggest mismatches ever.
He's a mix of a bunch of players all in one. He's a mix of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson all in one which makes him superb force on the court who can get to the rim in a way that few have had, is terrific passer, great on the boards, defense and is complete as they come. He additionally is being guarded by a bunch of players, and as of recently, he has started to go more in the post because he's got the tools to succeed in there too.
His stats prove how good he is and they aren't weak or something. He's averaging well over 27 points, seven assists and seven rebounds which are phenomenal statistics for sure. With a new post up game, he's becoming even bigger threat because he can dominate his opponents inside as well. He can make tough shots, get to the rim and simply be a threat from outside as he dropped once 51 points against the Magic illustrating his greatness. When he gets hot, just forget about it.
He's also good at involving his team mates and leading them to easy looks. Overall, he's a beast.
5.Kareem Abdul Jabbar
The powerful, skilled, athletic Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the man who succeed in every level of basketball is certainly one of the biggest mismatches in the NBA History. A large reason for that is because he possessed the best signature and most recognizable move ever, the sky hook.
He mastered the toughest shot ever, to be a dominant force in the low block. The real reason why he was so nearly unstoppable in doing it, was the fact that Kareem was a 7'2 guy with a pair of long arms, soft touch and his ability to get a clean look at the basket made it hard to block. He'd often get the ball, put his body in the middle of the defender and just lift up to get that most deadliest offensive weapon ever through the net for the easy two points.
He could get in from just about anywhere, and he did it so good. Rarely people could stop it, and it made him a great scorer. It's perhaps the real reason why that move made Kareem arguably the best basketball player ever.
4.Hakeem Olajuwon
A force in the paint for neatly 18 years who was physically gifted yet was so known for his finesse, he was the Dream for the fans and the Nightmare for the opponents. The guy who did get the best of his opponents, Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the biggest mismatches ever.
Hakeem was a remarkable big man who was an one of the most athletic players ever, who possessed incredible strength, had nice length and was so quick. On top of that, he had fantastic mobility for a 6'11 center and he could get high to reject shots. He had those long arms too and was explosive. He had a pair of moves in the post, which were quick, agile fakes in the post that are known as the 'Dream Shake' with all counter moves and that's a good arsenal in there.
That made him dominant. He additionally had a soft touch, as he could hit those contested shots and hit 18 footers like it's nothing. His skills were excellent, he isn't regarded as one of the most skilled players of any time for nothing. He was a terrific defensive stopper that shut down his opponents and established as a presence in the paint. He was great at playing the passing lanes, as he often had seasons over few steals.
He's ranked ninth on the all time list for steals, it's really an amazing accomplishment. He may be the greatest player in the history of basketball.
3.Michael Jordan
Widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to ever step foot on a hardwood, Michael Jordan is to be found on many lists and there's no surprise at all that he was one of the biggest mismatches of all time.
He may be the most completed offensive/defensive player ever, as he was a prolific scorer, capable playmaker, great on the boards, a lock down stopper and a guy who excelled in off ball defense. A major reason for Jordan's success is his superb athleticism who was an athletic freak of his own and translated that on the court pretty well. He had terrific leaping ability as he could get up high in the air, was skilled as i already said and a fearless competitor who wanted to win and dominate.
Air Mike attacked the rim like few who had, as he often got the whistle a lot and finished with a highlight real play over the top of his defenders. He was explosive finisher, as he'd blew his guardian and then finish with a powerful play. He did finish in a variety of ways around the rim, not just dunks and had a sweet offensive arsenal that made him an unstoppable force out there. As he grew older, he relied more on his shooting which improved and had a great post up game for a guard.
He finished with career stats of 30 points, around six rebounds and six assists that show greatness. Even when he was switched at point guard, he did average a near triple double with 30 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds which illustrate his completeness on the court. He was a consistent mismatch, and there were even special defenses created for him in order to stop him and even they didn't work.
He was just a dominant force!
2.Shaquille O'Neal
Arguably the most dominant force in basketball history who was perhaps physically more gifted than anyone else, Shaquille O'Neal is one of the biggest mismatches and could be argued as the best player in the NBA History.
His strength was barely matched and topped anyone else's. He's also the finest at making positive impact on the court and has drew more fouls than others had. His physical tools have made him a mountain of a man. Aside of his strength, he's been notable for his superb athleticism, vertical jump, power, mobility, quickness for a man of that huge, size and his skill set fit pretty well too. Overall, he's also one of the biggest athletic freaks as well.
He basically crushed rims, such as shown here. Again, he did it a few times which is a thing no one else has ever done. He has been an unstoppable force in the paint, who when gets his place down there, he either scores and gets the and1 call, gets a trip to the line or simply just scores. To illustrated why he was the most unstoppable player to ever step foot on a NBA hardwood, he averaged well over 36 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and three assists who's also ranked first in offensive and defensive rebounds, plus blocks in playoffs history. He's also first in boards overall since the modern age of basketball.
Simply said, he's an all time great!
1.Wilt Chamberlain
The legendary big man who was simply remarkable thanks to his advantages, the most dominant player in the league's history who rewrote the record books, Wilt Chamberlain is the biggest mismatch and arguably the most elite mismatch in basketball history!
He was an athletic freak who's regarded as the most athletic player of any time. He loved the field, a place where he set many records and was a track star as well who was notable for his jumping ability as he was a ten time world champion in highest jump. He was also notable for his strength, who lifted huge numbers on the bench and was probably the strongest man off the court. He was well built. He had a high vertical jump which was probably around 40 inches.
He could dunk over anyone, but he was a highly skilled player who's underrated in that department. His skill set is among the best ever for sure. He was a threat in every way, as he did get a lot of points inside thanks to his physicality and often finished with powerful jams, lay ups and moves. He had the finger role, fade away bank shot, a great mid range jumper and a pair of quick fakes. Chamberlain was a superb passer, and to prove that i will point out the fact that he's the only non guard to ever lead the league in assists.
He was a presence on the glass who led the NBA record 11 times in rebounding, holds the all time records and is probably the best rebounder of all time. The Stilt was notable for his so great defensive skills, as he's one of the most elite stoppers ever and one of the very finest shot blockers with a good case of being the top shot swatter to step on a hardwood. He did stop his opponents, hold them to miserable percents and established himself as a presence. He translated his athleticism, jump into that aspect pretty well.
His domination changed a bunch of rules, he set the standard for the individual dominant player and he was without a doubt a mismatch in every way you look it. Only the Celtics and Warriors with their respectable defensive greats in Bill Russell and Nate Thurmond played him without a double team. All of the rest needed the double, triple teams even before he got the ball. The physical play was incredibly rough on him, and yet he dominated them easily. Wilt was indeed a mismatch!
For more on the NBA History
-Most Revolutionary Players In The NBA History
-Greatest NBA Stars From The 70's
-The A-Train Is Finally In The Hall Of Fame!
-Magic Johnson and The Best Passers Of All Time!
-Greatest NBA Stars From The 60's
-Greatest Offensive Players In The NBA History!
-Hardwoods' Most Underrated NBA Players Ever
-The Greatest Defenders In The NBA History
-Isiah Thomas, Nate Archibald and the Greatest Little Men Ever!
-Greatest NBA Stars From The 80's
By Darko Mihajlovski
