50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame: 9. Marques Johnson
The term, “Point forward,” has been utilized at nauseam as the copycat league that is the NBA attempts to emulate the success of Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill, and LeBron James. Most would argue that this process began with a legendary player whose last name was Johnson, and they would be right.
The only point of contention would be that it wasn’t Magic Johnson, but Marques Johnson who popularized the point forward trend.
Johnson was one of the stars of a Milwaukee Bucks team that was one of the underrated contenders of the 1980s. His all-around contributions fueled the team’s success throughout.
Johnson has a list of accolades that puts him on the cusp of the Hall of Fame, including three All-NBAs and five All-Star Game appearances. The necessary context is that the All-NBA Third Team wasn’t introduced until 1988-89, which poses the question of how many more All-NBA nods Johnson would have if the Third Team were available to him.
Nevertheless, Johnson made the All-NBA First Team alongside four Hall of Fame inductees in 1978-79: George Gervin, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, and Paul Westphal.
Beyond the regular-season success, Johnson appeared in 54 playoff games as a star for the Bucks. He helped Milwaukee upset the No. 3 seed Phoenix Suns in 1978, averaging 28.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per game during the series.
He was also one of the best players on the 1983 Bucks team that actually swept Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. For proof of just how good he was, Johnson poured in 33 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and two blocks during the closeout game.
Career postseason averages of 21.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 48.9 percent shooting from the field further establish just how well-rounded Johnson’s game was.
A neck injury prevented Johnson from further solidifying his Hall of Fame case, but he’s one of the 50 best players without a championship and one of the 50 greatest players who are not currently in the Hall of Fame.
Marion also has the most Win Shares of any eligible player who isn’t in the Hall of Fame.
Ridiculous production plus winning? Shawn Marion easily finds his place on this list.