The 75 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)
By Cal Durrett
19. Karl Malone-23.90
Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone is widely considered to be one of the best power forwards in NBA history and for good reason. Malone proved to be not only one of the most durable players in NBA history but also one of the most productive too.
For 17 straight seasons, Malone averaged 20 points per game, the second-longest streak in NBA history. However, unlike LeBron James, Malone only missed nine games in those 17 seasons, allowing him to rack up points like nobody's business. Before LeBron' broke the all-time scoring record, Malone ranked second in total points while also maintaining a terrific 57.7 true shooting percentage.
He accomplished that by finishing off dimes from John Stockton and also living at the free throw line. Add in that he was also a terrific rebounder and his being among the all-time leaders in PER makes a lot of sense.
Of course, his durability and consistency allowed him to surpass arguably better players in counting stats as well as advanced stats such as win shares and even PER. Nevertheless, his coming in at 19 in PER probably isn't that far off from where NBA fans would rate him.