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NBA: 50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame

By Maxwell Ogden

AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Piston celebrates with the fans after the Pistons defeated the Lakers 100-87 to win the 2004 NBA championship final, in Auburn Hills, MI, 15 June 2004. The Pistons won the best-of-seven NBA championship series 5-1 and Billups was the series MVP. AFP PHOTO / Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) /
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NBA great Andrew Toney
MILWAUKEE, WI – CIRCA 1981: Andrew Toney #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers slam dunks the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during an NBA basketball game circa 1981 at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Toney played for the 76ers from 1980-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame: 33. Andrew Toney

The Philadelphia 76ers of the 1980s are one of the best teams that contemporary discussions seem to omit. In addition to winning a championship smack dab in the middle of the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson years, the 76ers routinely competed for titles with Julius Erving in the starring role.

Although Erving and later the likes of Moses Malone and Charles Barkley stole headlines, it was “The Boston Strangler” Andrew Toney who gave the 76ers’ top rival absolute fits.

Toney only played eight NBA seasons due to injury, but his short peak was a sight to behold. He was one of the most dependable clutch players of his generation, combining fearless scoring ability with the necessary skill level to create offense for the players around him.

That earned Toney selections to the All-Star Game in both 1982-83 and 1983-84, which just so happened to coincide with the 76ers’ championship season during the former.

After being somewhat quiet in the 1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Toney erupted during the final two rounds of that historic postseason run. He scored a game-high 30 points during the 76ers’ series-ending win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Overall, he averaged a series-leading 22.2 points per contest.

One series later, Toney gave Michael Cooper and the Lakers all they could handle in the NBA Finals. He set the tone with 25 points in Game 1 and poured in 23 points and nine assists in the decisive game of that battle.

Injuries prevented us from finding out just how far Toney could take his success, but a championship and multiple All-Star seasons offer a fair illustration of what makes him an all-time great, “What if?” player.

As for that famous nickname, look no further than the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals. Toney dropped 30 points in Game 2, 39 in Game 4, and 34 in Game 7 as the 76ers overcame Bird and the Celtics.

As clutch as they come.