When the NBA Top 75 was decided I checked out the names on the list immediately. I had already written a book (Basketball G.O.A.T) that gave a detailed breakdown of the Top 30 players of every position, so I wanted to see if we were in agreement. For the record, EVERY player on the NBA Top 75 list is in Basketball G.O.A.T , so I initially remained silent and validated.
As time went on I began to see the names of players that had been ommitted. These discrepancies were found primarily in online comments from irate fans who's favorite players were left off the list. Soon three names began to surface over and over (Klay Thompson - Dwight Howard - Tracy McGrady) which made me pause. I had each highly ranked in their position, and their ommissions seemed more like a blatant injustice, so I rechecked.
When creating Basketball G.O.A.T I used the Player Valuation Numeric because it was both accurate and objective. Meaning this, it utilized only the actual player production, and specific accomplishments like championships, and areas of excellence to calculate each individual player's score. Awards and selections like MVP, All-star, and/or "All-whatever" are not used because they are "subjective", or decided by group votes. These votes are no more than opinions, and basically USELESS when making an unbiased decision.
Therefore, using the Player Valuation Numeric for this "recheck" was a no- brainer. I will give a brief breakdown of each player, along with their PVN score, and hopefully you will see, as clearly as I do, that these three have been publically disrespected.
1) Klay Thompson
When the Top 75 list was decided Klay Thompson was in the middle of a two year rehab. The numbers in Basketball G.O.A.T were apropo because they were the same. On the merit, Klay Thompson is the number eight (8) shooting guard of All-time with a Player Valuation Numeric score of 32.0. For those that do not have the book, this put Klay Thompson behind George "Iceman" Gervin, and ahead of "Pistol Pete" Maravich. Both are on the Top 75 list.
Furthermore, Klay Thompson has since come back from his two year hiatus, and his scoring, rebounding, and assist were all greater than his career numbers. On top of that his team won another NBA championship which means that Thompson's PVN score goes up another point, but not past the Iceman.
2) Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard was a dominant force in the NBA for several years. Howard is a 5-time rebound champion, 2-time shot block leader, a 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, and he shoots an incredible percentage from the field for his career (58.7%) which is 6th All-time. Granted, the DPOY award is subjective, but in that three year span there was no other true competitor for the award, so this accollade deserved mentioning.
When the NBA became three point crazy the powers that be devalued Howard's skill set. Over the last few years he has been moving around the league but he still produces, the teams have made the playoffs, and he even won his first NBA championship.
Dwight Howard's Player Valuation Numeric score of of 32.4 makes him the number 23 center of All-time. In fact, this PVN score could also rise because of the championship. Be advised, Howard's numbers would adjust slightly because of his decreased production. Only slightly though, because he has been playing 17 years, and a couple years of limited playing time will not change his stats too much.
3) Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady was the reason that this post actually came to life. I was watching highlights of the game that McGrady dropped 62 points on Washington while with the Orlando Magic. Someone mentioned that T-Mac did not make the Top 75 cut which had me baffled. Yracu McGrady is a Hall of Famer, 7-time All-star, and he led the league in scoring two times. I had to check out why he was left off.
For the record, I have McGrady as the number 11 shooting guard with a solid PVN score of 29.3. Ironically, this places T-Mac behind Ray Allen, but directly in front of James Harden. Both made the Top 75 team.
In conclusion, Klay Thompson, Dwight Howard, and Tracy McGrady should have RIGHTFULLY been named to the NBA Top 75 team - PERIOD. From a strictly objective point of view they clearly earned the honor. Unfortunately, "expert" voters are biased. Thankfully numbers and common sense do not lie. Thousands of fans are starting to realize this, and agree.
* The Top 30 players of each position are contained within the pages of Basketball G.O.A.T. In addition, the Player Valuation Numeric formula and explanation are available for everyone to review. Click the link below for more information.
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