Best What if Player?

[CitySushi]

Who do you think would have had the best career of the following guys who's careers were derailed by injuries? Feel free to rank them or even add your own to the list.

Grant Hill
Anfernee Hardaway
Bill Walton
Brandon Roy
Derrick Rose
Yao Ming

 

[tlance]

Who do you think would have had the best career of the following guys who's careers were derailed by injuries? Feel free to rank them or even add your own to the list.

Grant Hill
Anfernee Hardaway
Bill Walton
Brandon Roy
Derrick Rose
Yao Ming

Bill Walton and Grant Hill are tops for me.

But, have to add the ultimate "what if" players. Len Bias and Earl the Goat Manigault.

 

[Cyder]

Who do you think would have had the best career of the following guys who's careers were derailed by injuries? Feel free to rank them or even add your own to the list.

Grant Hill
Anfernee Hardaway
Bill Walton
Brandon Roy
Derrick Rose
Yao Ming

I'm going off the board with Bernard King. From this list I'll go with Walton and Hill

 

[Scapegoat]

Bill Walton and Grant Hill are tops for me.

But, have to add the ultimate "what if" players. Len Bias and Earl the Goat Manigault.

Best college player I ever saw. Followed by Chris Jackson.

 

[CitySushi]

Best college player I ever saw. Followed by Chris Jackson.

Chris Jackson would be such a beast in today's NBA game.

 

[tducey]

Walton
Hill
Ming
Rose
Hardaway
Roy

 

[Scapegoat]

Chris Jackson would be such a beast in today's NBA game.

He would put up video game numbers in GS or Houston.

 

[CitySushi]

I really feel like Yao was underrated during his time because of Shaq's dominance. But Yao was incredibly talented. Feel like if he was able to put together a 12-14 year career, without major injury, he's up there in secondary tier of all time great Centers.

 

[Mecca]

Hill, Walton, Brandon Roy.

Roy was on his way.

I hated the way he went out.

 

[Mecca]

Best college player I ever saw. Followed by Chris Jackson.

Abdul-Rauf?

BEAST.

 

[Scapegoat]

Abdul-Rauf?

BEAST.

Same guy.

 

[thunderc]

Of the guys on the list it’s easy for me and it’s not really close. Penny Hardaway took the league by stormhis rookie year and only injuries stopped him. I’ll pick 2 not on the list for discussion too. Pete Maravich had nowhere close to the career his talent should have dictated. The last one is a bit of a surprise because he truly is one of the greatest of all time but how much greater was Larry Bird without all the back stuff? Pretty much unfathomable that he could have done more but he could have.

 

[logic]

Also Sabonis should be on the list if he had been able to come earlier to the NBA, or still had a healthy body when he got here.

 

[wildturkey]

I feel like its Hill. He was the first player that really was worth the "is he the next Jordan?" talk from players in the 90s and 00s. And his game was great. He could do it all. Score, pass, rebound, defend. He was a little like Lebron but in a smaller body. He was well on his way to being a lock all-star/all NBA player ever single year. If he didn't get hurt, the Magic and the East looks dramatically different.

Another great one is Len Bias. His death essentially prevented A) Jordan from having a rival and B) Stopped the Celtics dynasty from extending into the late 80s and into the 90s.

 

[Sparhawk]

Joel Embiid.
What? Too soon?????

 

[tlance]

Joel Embiid.
What? Too soon?????

Dang. Don't jinx yourself.

Another is Greg Oden. He was drafted ahead of KD for a reason and the one semi-healthy season he played was extremely promising. He could have been great.

Imagine Oden and Roy healthy. That could have been Shaq/Kobe lite.

 

[Sparhawk]

Dang. Don't jinx yourself.

When death looks you in the face, spit in its eye...

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Dang. Don't jinx yourself.

Another is Greg Oden. He was drafted ahead of KD for a reason and the one semi-healthy season he played was extremely promising. He could have been great.

Imagine Oden and Roy healthy. That could have been Shaq/Kobe lite.

Just beat me to Oden.

Roy gets double points because he also saved children from a drive-by.

 

[The Q]

Oden and Andrew Bynum were both guys who were cut way too short.

 

[Mebert]

Chris Webber should be up there. He still had a pretty great career, but I think he would be an all time great if he had stayed healthy.