Category Archives: Basketball

H2H 120: Elton Brand vs. Zach Randolph – Who was Better?

Due to the focus on multi-positional players, small-ball lineups, and three-point shooting in the modern NBA game, the traditional back-to-the-basket power forward has become a bit of an anachronism.  However, if you turn back the clock by a decade or two, traditional power forwards who could average a double-double were still considered a valuable commodity – at the position, Elton Brand and Zach Randolph were two of the most consistently productive players in the game, nightly 20-and-10 players who were cornerstone pieces for their respective teams.  For those who look back upon this more rugged era of basketball with nostalgia, let us reminisce on bygone days and ask:

Who was better – Elton Brand or Zach Randolph?

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Countdown 89: Top 10 Chicago Bulls of All Time

Who are the top Chicago Bulls of all time?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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Countdown 86: Top 10 NBA Players of the 1950s

Who are the top NBA players of the 1950s?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 115: Toni Kukoc vs. Detlef Schrempf – Who was Better?

Note: Updated for Toni Kukoc’s 2021 Hall of Fame selection.

The modern NBA is a verifiable United Nations of players, with many of its brightest stars hailing from overseas: Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece, Luka Doncic from Slovenia, Joel Embiid from Cameroon, Rudy Gobert from France, just to name a few.  However, their paths to basketball stardom were paved by the pioneering foreign players of the 1980s and early 1990s, such as Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis (whose son Domantas is now an NBA star in his own right), Drazen Petrovic, Vlade Divac, etc.  Notably, during the 1990s, Toni Kukoc from Croatia and German-born Detlef Schrempf were key components of championship-caliber teams for the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics, respectively, and early prototypes for today’s long and versatile European players.  As basketball becomes more and more of a global game, let us look back on the 1990s and ask:

Who was better – Toni Kukoc or Detlef Schrempf?

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Countdown 82: Top 10 NBA Players of the 1960s

Who are the top NBA players of the 1960s?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 111: Penny Hardaway vs. Brandon Roy – Who was Better?

A basketball player comes into the NBA, takes the league by storm, and quickly becomes a superstar, only to be derailed by injuries and never again return to that form – what could have been?  This career arc has played out in the Association countless times during the league’s history, with recent notable examples including Penny Hardaway and Brandon Roy – both were versatile, all-around players who quickly rose to All-Star/All-NBA status in their early to mid-20s, but were never the same explosive player after a series of knee injuries.  Looking back on these big “what if” players, let us compare the pair and ask:

Who was better – Penny Hardaway or Brandon Roy?

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H2H 106: Tiny Archibald vs. Walt Frazier – Who was Better?

Though the NBA in the 1970s may not have had the transcendent superstar power and great rivalries of the decades directly before and afterwards (Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell in the 1960s, Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson in the 1980s), and faced a legitimate competitive threat in the upstart American Basketball Association (ABA), it was nevertheless a high-flying era with no shortage of legendary players.  At the point guard position, two flashy floor generals who stood out during this time were Nate “Tiny” Archibald and Walt “Clyde” Frazier – one was a dynamic playmaker and explosive scoring threat in his prime, while the other was an early prototype “big” point guard who was as colorful off the court as on it.  Both Hall of Famers, let us reminisce on this pair of brilliant 1970s point guards and pose the question:

Who was better – Tiny Archibald or Walt Frazier?

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Countdown 75: Top 10 San Antonio Spurs of All Time

Who are the top San Antonio Spurs of all time?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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Countdown 71: Top 10 NBA Players of the 1970s

Who are the top NBA players of the 1970s?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

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H2H 101: Patrick Ewing vs. Alonzo Mourning – Who was Better?

After John Thompson Jr. took over as the head coach of the Georgetown men’s basketball team in 1972, he helped turn the program into a powerhouse, in the process producing numerous future NBA stars.  While the Hoyas have certainly sent a number of elite guards to the NBA (e.g. Allen Iverson and Sleepy Flood), they are perhaps best known for their outstanding big men.  In particular, two giants (literally) who stood out at both the college and later professional level were centers Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning; both were All-Americans at Georgetown, top NBA draft picks, and yearly All-Star/All-NBA performers – given their close Georgetown ties and later rivalry in the NBA, it is an inevitable comparison and question:

Who was better – Patrick Ewing or Alonzo Mourning?

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