New Orleans Pelicans: Ranking the Top 40 No. 1 Picks of All-Time
New Orleans Pelicans: Top 10 NBA number one draft picks of all-time
#9- Patrick Ewing- New York Knicks (1985)
On the list of the best players to never win a title, Patrick Ewing was a dominant center in the golden era of centers. He played 17 seasons in the NBA, making 11 All-Star teams, averaging 21 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game for his career. Those numbers dip because of a few injury-riddled seasons where Ewing’s knee braces were bigger than a small child. Ewing’s best season of 28.6 points, 10.9 rebound, four blocks, two assists and a steal per game can be put up against just about anyone. Dude was unstoppable in the paint and defended the rim as well as any center.
#8: Shaquille O’Neal- Orlando Magic (1992)
Arguably the most physically dominant player to ever play in the NBA, Shaq was nothing short of a force of nature. Shaq averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 boards and 2.3 blocks per game for his career and was the best center in the league for much of it. Shaq played forever, but his last few seasons he was as big as a house and moved even slower. His run from 1992-2007 is as impressive as it gets and many people would probably put him higher on this list.
#7: Tim Duncan- San Antonio Spurs (1997)
Few players have had the run of individual and team success that Tim Duncan had in his 1,392 games as a member of the Spurs. The Big Fundamental is arguably the best power forward of all-time and his combination of passing, defense and shooting is unparalleled for a big man. Duncan made 15 All-Star teams and averaged 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, three assists and 2.3 blocks per game for his career. While not as dominant as Shaq, Duncan was the consummate team player and led his team to five titles without the help of Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade.
#6: Elgin Baylor- Minneapolis Lakers (1958)
The next two entries are a bit controversial. Though they are both considered all-time greats, they played in an era where no one in the NBA played defense. But still, these numbers simply can’t be overlooked, regardless of era. Baylor had a season where he averaged 38.3 points, 18.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists and arguably wasn’t even the best player on his own team. Baylor is largely overlooked because of Wilt Chamberlain, who kept Baylor from winning multiple MVPs.
#5: Oscar Robertson- Cincinnati Royals (1960)
If you like numbers, Robertson is your guy, as he nearly averaged a triple-double for his career. The Big O was a scoring champion, made 12 straight All-Star teams and averaged 25.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.5 rebounds per game for his career. His numbers would be more impressive if there were more of them, as the NBA didn’t keep stats like steals and blocks back then. Robertson is the prototype for many of the top-five on this list and deserves recognition for being a pioneer as well as an all-time great.