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

8.    Bob Pettit-25.45

Hall of Fame big man Bob Pettit was arguably the best player of his era in the 1950s and early 1960s and he was certainly productive during that time. Over his 11-year career, he won two league MVPs and an NBA title as a member of the Milwaukee and St. Louis Hawks.

Not only that but he averaged an outstanding 26.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 3 assists per game for his career, resulting in him ranking 8th in PER all-time. This is despite him playing in an era that didn't count steals and blocks and didn't have a 3-point line. 

Had those stats been kept and had he played with a 3-point line, he would have put up even better numbers. Petit played in a fast-paced era that resulted in players shooting far worse than they do now. His career 51.1 true shooting percentage is admittedly terrible and had he been closer to 55%, he might have been far higher in terms of PER.