Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA: 30 greatest playmakers in NBA history

By Jerran Anderson

(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
16 of 30
Next
Pete Maravich, Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Jazz
Pete Maravich, of the New Orleans Jazz is shown here dribbling the ball in action against the New York Knicks. /

15. Pete Maravich, Atlanta Hawks/New Orleans Jazz

Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Pete Maravich, also known to many as “Pistol Pete”, was one of the greatest playmaking guards in the league with his flashy dribbling, passing and scoring. Many players didn’t like the way he played initially, but things worked out in the end ,as Maravich made the most of his time in the NBA.

Maravich made an impact his first season in the NBA, producing 23.2 points, 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, quickly silencing critics of his style of play. He suffered a bit of a sophomore slump but during his third season in the NBA, he made his first All-Star appearance with the Hawks. He put up 26.1 points, a career-high 6.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game during the 1972-73 season.

He was traded to the then-New Orleans Jazz during the 1974 offseason, but his playmaking ability didn’t waiver. Maravich won the lone scoring title of his career with the Jazz, pouring in a career-high 31.1 points per contest along with 5.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game in 1976-77.

Despite his production and stellar numbers, Maravich’s lone weakness was his inability to show up in the postseason. In three appearances with the Hawks, Maravich never made it out of the first round. He never made an appearance in the playoffs with the Jazz. Mararvich made an appearance with the Boston Celtics during the 1980 NBA Playoffs, but it came in the latter part of his career.