Allen Iverson - pound for pound/inch for inch the greatest scorer of all time?

[fish7718]

http://www.allen-iverson.org/images/allen-iverson-tattoos.jpg

 

4 scoring titles, averaged 26.7 ppg in 13 NBA season, despite being 6'0 165 pounds. That being said is AI the most talented scorer to ever play basketball? If he was 6'5 do you think he would have a shot at the title of greatest to ever play the game?

 

[Hawks Fly High]

At 6'5'' maybe he could have, but he never had the mindset even if he had the skillset. His defense would have improved but he wouldnt have gave effort. He could have improved his effiencey but I doubt he would have taken less bad shots. He just never could put his ego aside.

[Clutch]

i love allen, but he was a volume shooter, and not the most efficient scorer, but he is definitely still the 2nd best scorer behind kobe that we've seen (lookin over the past decade) since jordan retired

[Real Deal]

At his size, he was the greatest scorer of all-time.

 

I'm not ready to call him the greatest scorer ever, though, because he didn't really have an offensive arsenal most would expect just by looking at his numbers. In all of my years of watching basketball, Iverson was at the rim more than any other point guard I've ever seen...maybe even more than any other two-guard and small forward (yes, including LeBron).

 

The most amazing part about Iverson, though, wasn't that he could score the ball at 30 a game...it was that he could absorb all of that contact throughout his career. Shaq laid him OUT in one game, when O'Neal was with the Lakers...and I really didn't think AI would get up. I was wrong...dude popped right up, grimaced a bit, and went to the line for his free throws. This is a guy that was under 6 feet tall (yeah, they added an inch) and just 160 pounds, getting hit (maybe trucked is the better word) by a seven-footer that was around 355 at the time. If it wasn't for his body control, he would've landed like TJ Ford.

 

Pretty crazy what he did in the pros.

[Oliver P]

No I don't think so. Being taller wouldn't have made necessarily made him a better scorer... He was smaller but at the same time faster than more players, even one of the faster players ever, had he been taller he wouldn't have been that fast and would have had a different game.

 

Besides I don't consider him as the best little man scorer of All Time, for me it was Jerry West. Let's compare the two players best scoring seasons :

 

Iverson :

 

2000-01: 31 PPG - 42 FG% - 81 FT% - 32 3PT%

2004-05: 30 PPG - 42 FG% - 83 FT% - 30 3PT%

2005-06: 33 PPG - 44.7 FG% - 81 FT% - 32 3PT%

2007-08: 26 PPG - 46 FG% - 81 FT% - 34 3PT%

 

West :

 

1964-65 : 31 PPG - 49.7 FG% - 82.1 FT%

1965-66 : 31.3 PPG - 47.3 FG% - 86 FT%

1966-67 : 28.7 PPG - 46.4 FG% - 87.8 FT%

1969-70 : 31.2 PPG - 49.7 FG% - 82.4 FT%

 

Both players' stats are impressive but the main difference is obviously the FG%. West was definitely a better shooter than Iverson, this cannot even be argued. And this definitely help West's case.

 

Not only that but West is also the player that had the best scoring series in the playoffs ever. With 46.3 FG%. He's also the only player to ever score at least 40 pts in 6 games in a row in the playoffs.

 

In the Finals he has the fourth best performance of All Time with 53 pts in a game. And he scored at least 40 pts in two games in a row, the only one to ever do better was Jordan, 4 games in a row.

 

So I honestly don't see how a case can made against Jerry West, he is definitely the best little man scorer of All Time IMO.

 

However I definitely pick Iverson as second, just ahead of Tiny.

 

 

As for the most talented scorer of the history of the game for me it's definitely Jordan because his most impressive scoring records happened when it mattered the most, in the playoffs.

 

Here are Jordan's most impressive records in the playoffs and Finals :

 

Jordan averaged 41 PPG against Phoenix in 93. Best scoring average ever in a finals series. He scored 55 points in one game in the 93 finals again, it's the second best ever performance in a finals game. He scored at least 20 points in 35 consecutive finals games, another record (second is West with 25). He also scored at least 30 points in 9 finals games, second best ever (Baylor was number one). He scored at least 40 points in 4 finals games in a row, NBA record. He scored 35 points in one half of a finals game, NBA record once again.

Important fact, the players who were the closest to Jordan for each of these records all played in another era. Jordan did all this in our era which is even more impressive.

Also even if he's never been considered as a poor 3ts shooter (which is justified), let's not forget that he hit 6 three pointers in one game, it's the third best NBA Finals record. I have to precise that before the last Finals and Ray Allen's performance (8 three pointers), the record was 7 held by Smith and Pip who BOTH made that record when the three points line was closer to the rim (well it's 8 now since the game 2 of those 2010 NBA Finals). Very important to take that in consideration. And Jordan also scored six 3 pointers in one half. Second best NBA Finals record (behind Ray's 7 last year so), tied with Kenny Smith who did it once again when the three points line was closer.

 

Jordan always scored more points in the playoffs than he did in the regular season (at the exception of one season). Jordan's scoring average in playoffs in career is amazing : 33.4 PPG.

 

Jordan scored 63 points in a playoffs game. NBA record. He's also the third in that same stats with 56 points in one game. He scored more than 20 points in a playoffs game 60 times in a row. NBA record. He has the second and third best scoring average for a playoffs series with 45.2 PPG and 45 PPG. The first once again is an Old School player, it's Jerry West.

 

 

But Iverson is definitely among the very best scorers ever though, there is no doubt about that. He's always been among my favorite players, and I'm still a big fan of this fantastic 2001 Sixers team. What Iverson and the Sixers did that year was just unbelievable.

[AllenIverson#1fan]

Iverson. Is definitely the best scorer of his size. If he was a couple inches taller, could shoot the ball better behind the arc, and didn't have a ego. ( I have to admit) He would have been the Great Player of all time. Without a doubt. He's been through injuries played through them, worst injuries than Kobe. He played GREAT basketball when he came back to the Sixers. Simply great, he was a guy who would make about 6 assists a game when he came to the Sixers. I wish he stayed in the NBA with a Robinson or Crawford role on another team though.

[JYD]

At 6'5'' maybe he could have, but he never had the mindset even if he had the skillset. His defense would have improved but he wouldnt have gave effort. He could have improved his effiencey but I doubt he would have taken less bad shots. He just never could put his ego aside.

Nah. Ego wasn't the issue with Iverson. He was a good team player, I think that's actually the biggest myth on him - that he was some type of Terrell Owens [expletive]. Iverson was ultra competitve and a LEADER. Iverson was one of the greatest players I've ever seen. He revolutionized the cross over. He took a BEATING night in and night out going to the hook against 7 footers.

 

And lets not forget...he played in an era where people play defense. He'd average 30 ppg for his career if he played in today's NBA.

 

At his size, he was the greatest scorer of all-time.

 

I'm not ready to call him the greatest scorer ever, though, because he didn't really have an offensive arsenal most would expect just by looking at his numbers. In all of my years of watching basketball, Iverson was at the rim more than any other point guard I've ever seen...maybe even more than any other two-guard and small forward (yes, including LeBron).

 

The most amazing part about Iverson, though, wasn't that he could score the ball at 30 a game...it was that he could absorb all of that contact throughout his career. Shaq laid him OUT in one game, when O'Neal was with the Lakers...and I really didn't think AI would get up. I was wrong...dude popped right up, grimaced a bit, and went to the line for his free throws. This is a guy that was under 6 feet tall (yeah, they added an inch) and just 160 pounds, getting hit (maybe trucked is the better word) by a seven-footer that was around 355 at the time. If it wasn't for his body control, he would've landed like TJ Ford.

 

Pretty crazy what he did in the pros.

Exactly. Iverson night in and night out took a beating, got back up, played through pain. Guy was a true leader and warrior. The year he took the 6ers to the finals was incredible.

 

Iverson. Is definitely the best scorer of his size. If he was a couple inches taller, could shoot the ball better behind the arc, and didn't have a ego. ( I have to admit) He would have been the Great Player of all time. Without a doubt. He's been through injuries played through them, worst injuries than Kobe. He played GREAT basketball when he came back to the Sixers. Simply great, he was a guy who would make about 6 assists a game when he came to the Sixers. I wish he stayed in the NBA with a Robinson or Crawford role on another team though.

That's like saying if Jordan was 6'10" he'd have been even better. If Iverson was 6'4" he would've been a completely different player. He definitely wasn't the greatest player of all time. He's one of the best...but to be fair, no one's really compared to Jordan.