NBA: Hall of Fame Probability
1. Blake Griffin (Detroit Pistons, 81.8%): Yes. He essentially has the same credentials as Amar'e Stoudemire (we'll get to him in a second), but his career is far from over. Factor in all of the awards that he won during his career at Oklahoma, and he will and should get in whenever he's done. Griffin was the 2009 National and Big 12 Player of the Year, 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year, a five-time All-NBA selection, and six-time All-Star. He's a guarantee to us.
2. Amar'e Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns, 72.7%): Let's do a blind test. Player A is considered a Hall of Famer. However, he never made an All-NBA 1st team. He also only made the All-NBA 2nd team once. Player B made the All-NBA 1st team once and made the All-NBA 2nd team four other times. Their primes were during the same time period. Player B played in the more difficult conference. The only real major difference in their careers is that Player A won a title.
Player A: 1x champion, 1x Finals MVP, 10x All-Star, 4x All-NBA
Player B: 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA
As you may or may not have realized, Player A is Paul Pierce. Player B is Amar'e Stoudemire. Amar'e deserves to be in and our voters agree. He was elite during his peak, averaging 26.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks while playing 80 games during the 2004-05 campaign. He was also Florida Mr. Basketball in 2002 and NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003. Plus, he even won a title in Israel during his post-NBA career. That gets him in under my standards.
3. Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons, 72.7%): Billups would be probably be a no if he hadn't won an NBA title in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons. However, that title, and the Finals MVP that came with it, will and should grant him inclusion. For his career, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game. Billups was also a five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection. He was also Mr. Colorado Basketball in three straight years.
4. Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors, 54.5%): Yes. He is a three-time NBA champion, and will likely add at least one more with the Warriors. Iguodala is also a two-time gold medalist with the United States as he helped them take home the top honor in the 2010 World Championship and 2012 Olympic Games. Not to mention that he was the Finals MVP in 2015 and earned an All-Star nod in 2012. Iggy isn't a sure-fire pick, but he should be in.
5. Shawn Marion (Dallas Mavericks, 45.5%): The title that he won in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks greatly helps his case, but as much as it pains me, I'll have to go with no. He truly was a jack-of-all-trades, but he was never elite and it shows in his lack of individual accomplishments. Team accomplishments don't quite make up for it. In the end, Marion compiled four All-Star appearances and averaged 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
6. Derrick Rose (Minnesota Timberwolves, 36.3%): Injuries obviously cut Rose's prime short. With that being said, he doesn't have anywhere near enough team or individual accomplishments to warrant inclusion for his career to be honored in that manner unless something drastically changes before he retires. Rose was an All-Star from 2010-2012 and Rookie of the Year in 2009, before his NBA MVP in 2011. He's averaged 18.8 points for his career.
7. Rajon Rondo (Los Angeles Lakers, 27.3%): This one could go either way. Rondo has two All-Defense 1st Team selections which certainly helps his case. Obviously, the biggest boon to his case would be the NBA title that he won in 2008 as the starting point guard with the Boston Celtics. However, only four All-Star appearances and one All-NBA selection hinders his case. I'll say no here, but it'd help if he were to add another ring to his trophy case.
8. Stephon Marbury (Beijing Ducks, 27.3%): Yes, although it won't be for his NBA career. Marbury is one of the greatest Chinese Basketball Association players ever. He was a six-time CBA All-Star and the 2013 CBA Foreign MVP. He is also a three-time CBA champion with an All-Star Game MVP and a CBA Finals MVP. It is the Basketball Hall of Fame, which means that non-NBA accomplishments factor in as well. Marbury gets the nod here.
9. Al Horford (Boston Celtics, 18.2%): No, although it's very close. He's an incredibly underrated basketball player with a very diverse and important skill set, but he doesn't have enough major team accomplishments to make up for his relative lack of individual accomplishments. His two college national championships certainly help, but he falls just short of my criteria. An Olympic team medal with the Dominican Republic might get him in, though.
10. Joe Johnson (Brooklyn Nets, 9.1%): No. His peak wasn't good enough to be in the Hall of Fame. He doesn't really have major team accomplishments at any level. Additionally, he only made one All-NBA team, and it was a 3rd team. Solid career, but solid doesn't make the Hall of Fame. He was a seven-time All-Star, including six straight showings from 2007-2012, but that's about it. Johnson averaged 16.0 points on 44.1% shooting over 18 seasons.
Photo Credit: AFRO-American Newspapers.
