Hoops Habit
Fansided

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 51
Next
Horace Grant
Horace Grant (Photo credit should read DOUG COLLIER/AFP/Getty Images) /

50 greatest players who aren’t in the Basketball Hall of Fame: 45. Horace Grant

Being the third-best player on a team that won three consecutive championships is generally going to be enough to secure Hall of Fame consideration. That’s exactly what Horace Grant was for the Chicago Bulls, as evidenced by the fact that he ranked third on the team in minutes by a considerable margin during each of those championship seasons.

In fact: Grant was the only player other than Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to play more than 30 minutes per game in 1990-91, and the only player other than Jordan and Pippen to eclipse 35 minutes per contest in 1991-92 and 1992-93.

That’s a fairly clear sign of how important Grant was to the Bulls’ three-peat.

Grant played a crucial role in the triangle offense, due in large part to his unselfishness. His passing from the high post enabled Jordan and Pippen to operate more freely within the scheme.

His commitment on the defensive end of the floor helped two of the greatest on-ball defenders of all time take more chances in the passing lanes.

Grant was also undeniably clutch in key moments for those championship teams. For instance, he put forth 20-point performances in Game 2 and Game 3 of the 1991 NBA Finals after Chicago dropped Game 1.

When Jordan retired in 1993, Grant immediately proved that he could handle the weight of a brighter spotlight. He made his lone All-Star Game appearance that season and received one of his four All-Defensive Second Team selections.

Perhaps even more importantly: He helped Chicago win a playoff series and push the eventual Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks to the limit.

The following season, he helped the Orlando Magic reach the 1995 NBA Finals as the team’s veteran leader. He then won a fourth championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000-01 while starting all 16 of the games he played that postseason.

The analytical fact that pieces his place on the list together: Grant has the fourth-most Win Shares of any eligible player who isn’t in the Hall of Fame behind Shawn Marion, Chauncey Billups,  and Buck Williams.