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

The 75 greatest NBA players of all-time, ranked by PER
Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant
Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant / Harry How/GettyImages
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41. Andre Drummond-21.87

Having Andre Drummond appear in the top-50 in PER might seem random but it's actually not surprising. Big men tend to rate highly in PER with scoring, rebounding, shooting efficiency, and blocks, and Drummond is among the greatest rebounders in recent NBA history.

He grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds in six consecutive seasons as a member of the Detroit Pistons, an easy way for a big man to enhance their PER, though he is clearly a dominant rebounder. Even though he is now in his 12th season in the NBA and is only 29 years old, he is no longer a full-time starter, which shouldn't affect his career PER.

After all, PER takes into account minutes or lack thereof, so as long as he's productive when he's on the floor, he will probably remain in the top-50 in this category. His being rated that high in and of itself presents a problem for PER, with backup big men such as Drummond being able to score eight points, seven rebounds, block a shot or two and garner a sky-high PER. That is not to say that guards can't but it is definitely easier for the likes of Drummond and he is dramatically overrated as a result.