Stopping at 50, Taking Stock

When you reach 50 guys for 36 spots, it is a good idea to stop and say, "Hey, let's do a reality check and see if what I have left is similar to what someone else has."  If all 50 are the same, you are probably cheating/plagiarizing.  If 30 of 50 are the same, whatever source you are using is wildly wrong...or you are.

For my reality check, I used ESPN's last Top 74 list.  We have 43 the same.  7 different.  Now, what I am evaluating (best performance, best career) is slightly different from what ESPN said its folks were evaluating (you get one guy at his absolute best, who do you take).  But I don't really think that is what ESPN was doing.  You take ABA MVP Doc or 1983 MVP Moses and they are not top 5?  You take Shaq the one year he got in shape and he isn't a top 5 player?  I think they sort of used the "best at his peak" stuff as a tiebreaker for tough calls.

Anyway, the 7 different folks:

ESPN has and I do not

Wes Unseld

Reggie Miller

Bill Walton

Nique

Westbrook

McHale

Isiah Thomas

I Have and They Do Not

Gary Payton

Clyde Drexler

Willis Reed

Neil Johnston

Artis Gilmore

Dwight Howard

Dolph Schayes

I am perfectly happy with my guys as opposed to their guys.  They have 3 MVPs, I have 2.  They have 9 First-Team All-League awards, I have 24(!).   They have 8 titles and I have 8 titles.  I am more than happy with my 7 versus their 7.

So, I am happy with my 50 to pick from.  Now we have to find a way to sort.  Well, I am not dropping any of my top 26 guys from April 2018 down by more than 10 spots.  There haven't been that many great new players in 3 years, and I am not going to admit I was that far off in 2018.  Harden and Curry have had 3 good years and have cemented their spots (probably moving up), so they go into the safe pile.  That gives me as "safe" pile of 28 guys:

 James Harden Steph Curry John Stockton Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor Dirk Nowitzki Kevin Durant Kevin Garnett
Charles Barkley Julius Erving Moses Malone Hakeem Olajuwon
Bob Pettit David Robinson George Mikan Karl Malone
Kobe Bryant Oscar Robertson Jerry West Larry Bird
Shaquille O'Neal Bill Russell Magic Johnson Tim Duncan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Wilt Chamberlain LeBron James Michael Jordan

The "At Risk" Pile Has 22 Guys fighting for 8 spots:

Steve Nash Gary Payton Patrick Ewing Dwyane Wade
Bob Cousy  Scottie Pippen John Havlicek Chris Paul

Giannis Antetokounmpo Anthony Davis Clyde Drexler Walt Frazier

George Gervin Artis Gilmore Elvin Hayes Dwight Howard

Allen Iverson Neil Johnston  Jason Kidd  Kawhi Leonard

Willis Reed  Dolph Schayes