The 75 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)

45.    Bob Lanier-21.69

Detroit Pistons legend Bob Lanier was a dominant big man during the 1970s, putting up monster numbers. Lanier averaged at least 20 points per game over eight straight seasons and 23.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2 blocks in that eight-year span.

That run saw him average a PER of 23.2, which is considered to be all-star level and just below MVP-level, giving fans an idea of just how good he was during his peak years. Lanier would go on to make a total of eight all-star teams in fourteen seasons and make the Hall of Fame.

Though interestingly enough, he was kept off of the NBA's 50th anniversary team as well as the NBA's 75th anniversary team. Obviously, not every Hall of Famer made those teams but Lanier's production compares favorably to other big men that did, though he doesn't have a championship to show for it.

Fortunately, PER shows just how productive he was among the game's all-time greats, with him coming in at 45th. However, since PER tends to skew in favor of big men, it is fair to say that Lanier isn't the 45th greatest player of all-time but he does have a case for being one of the top 75.