Check out the first entry in ClutchPoints' 100 greatest NBA players of all time series based on Josh Eberley's E-Rank.
A question for you the reader: Does being a role player on an NBA championship team mean a ton to your legacy at this level? Did winning a second ring as a role player in Boston change how you saw Bill Walton? Did Gary Payton winning with Miami in 2006 alter how you viewed him significantly? How much credit does a Chris Bosh or a Dennis Rodman get for winning as a third star relative to LeBron James or Michael Jordan, respectively?
E-Rank Insight: Points were awarded to every player who won a championship any year. However, those points were not awarded evenly and attempted to reward players relative to the weight they carried during the title run. For example, Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic, though both champions with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, scored differently due to their differing contributions.
This group had some interesting results. Jimmy Butler scoring ahead of Carmelo Anthony will surely ruffle some feathers, but consider the depth of the playoff runs and you will arrive at why the formula prefers Jimmy Buckets. Walton remains one of the greatest what-ifs of all time, and many appreciators of the NBA's rich history will believe he should be higher, without a doubt.
Check out the gallery for players 90-81 on the list.
90. Chris Bosh 303.7
Never forget, Chris Bosh could’ve and would’ve had a Hall of Fame career on any team. He gave up All-NBA designations and flashy numbers, and completely changed his role, because he wanted to win. He, too, had to leave the game too early because of blood clots.
89. Dennis Rodman 304.2 (75th Anniversary Team)
Dennis Rodman is No. 89 on this list but perhaps top-10 in polarity. A player with essentially zero skill at putting the orange ball in the red hoop and yet, a five-time champion. What a fascinating human being and career to ponder on.
88. Carmelo Anthony 306.95 (75th Anniversary Team)
Carmelo Anthony is one of the most popular players in the modern era. A gifted scorer with a blessed long and productive career and, yet, so many roads not taken. What if the Detroit Pistons selected Melo over Darko Millicic at No. 2 in the 2003 NBA Draft? What if Manu Ginobili signed in Denver? What if Anthony waited for free agency to join the Knicks? What if Anthony left New York behind to team up with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler in 2015?
87. Bill Walton 313.35 (75th Anniversary Team)
A champion, an MVP, and a Finals MVP in just four years for Bill Walton before injuries took a toll on his career. It’s staggering when you consider how many players never had an opportunity at any of the three greatest achievements in the sport.
86. Sidney Moncrief 319.95
Despite being a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Sidney Moncrief is still so regularly forgotten in these conversations. The best player on a team that won 50-plus games year-after-year.
85. Alonzo Mourning 323.35
Alonzo Mourning was an incredible player. The aforementioned question about Gary Payton applies here too, but he was an absolute two-way force regardless. From the NCAA, to the draft, and eventually on the Miami Heat, existing in the shadow of Shaquille O’Neal left a mark. Many would argue Mourning should’ve won the 1999 MVP award. (He was only eight votes away from winning.) Had history gone that way he’d have jumped up on this list.
84. Hal Greer 325.15 (75th Anniversary Team)
Hal Greer won a championship alongside Wilt Chamberlain and averaged more points than Chamberlain in the playoff run. That alone feels like it should be worth extra points. Fun fact: only 47 players have made the All-Star Game on 10 or more occasions, and Greer is one of them.
83. Dave Cowens 331.15 (75th Anniversary Team)
The highs were almost as high as those of Bill Walton, but Dave Cowens was blessed with more years of health at the elite level. Cowens, like Alonzo Mourning, is often wrongly forgotten in conversations about the best bigs to play the game.
82. Adrian Dantley 331.9
Adrian Dantley’s career in the social media era would’ve been fascinating to follow. One of the greatest scorers of all time with five seasons at 30 PPG, but rumors of chemistry issues and his teams often reaching new heights after his departure paint a complicated picture. The debates would’ve raged.
81. Jimmy Butler 333.2
Playoff Jimmy has had a roller-coaster ride of showings and uniforms. A gutsy competitor with a no-prisoners approach still chasing that elusive title. Bested by Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokic in years where it felt very much in reach. The story of many a star stuck locking horns with a legend.
