The 50 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by win shares
By Cal Durrett
Greatest NBA Player #30: Dolph Schayes-142.40
NBA legend Dolph Schayes is likely the least known player to appear in the top 30 in win shares since he started his career in the late 1940s in the National Basketball League. After the NBL became the NBA, Schayes emerged as one of the best players of his generation. While he was undersized by modern standards as a 6’7 power forward and center, he still put up big numbers in unconventional ways.
He was known to shoot from outside without actually jumping and had a high-arching shot that was difficult to contest. Though he only shot .388 from the field over his career, he retired as the NBA’s second-leading scorer, behind Bob Pettit. In addition to being a scorer, Schayes was an above-average rebounder and passer. His career average was an impressive 12.1 rebounds per game, which factors heavily into win shares, as do his 3.1 career assists per game.
Being above average in all three factors made him a statistical standout in the early NBA, but it’s hard to compare him to modern players. That is what win shares tries to do, and he comes in at 30th all-time as a result.