These players are in their last few seasons or are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame. There are some other players who are being debated, but most are in their late 20s or early 30s and still have plenty of time to make their case.
____________________
1. LaMarcus Aldridge
Aldridge is currently in his 14th season and will turn 35 in July. He could sign with a contender next summer, so his resume isn’t completely finished.
Nonetheless, his resume is very decorated despite the lack of a championship as he is a 7-time All-Star and a 5-time All-NBA member. He has performed at a high level for almost his entire career and played on some competitive teams.
2. Marc Gasol
Gasol does have a solid resume with a meaningful championship. His defense is still top-notch at 35 and has made a couple of All-Star games and All-NBA teams along with a DPOY Award.
Gasol will always be remembered for the “grit ‘n grind” Grizzlies, but I don’t believe he has enough accolades to make the Hall of Fame.
3. Manu Ginobili
Manu will always be considered as one of the best sixth men of all time. His accolades are lacking with the exception of championships, where he has 4.
He was an amazing defender and his advanced stats show how effective he was. Despite the lack of All-Star games and All-NBA selections, I believe those 4 championships will propel him into the Hall.
4. Andre Iguodala
Iguodala has a similar resume to Ginobili: Little besides championships.
Though his career has gone downhill quickly, he does have that Finals MVP which will improve his resume. He is similar to Cedric Maxwell, but is a bit better.
However, the majority of his career is forgettable due to his lack of scoring and playing on mediocre 76ers teams. Therefore he will not make it.
5. Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson is one of the most forgotten players despite being a great scorer. He has 7 All-Star selection but only one All-NBA. He also does not have a championship nor even made it to the Finals and his teams never made it that far.
He is also remembered for having terrible defense and was really not that efficient. His stats aren’t empty and he made the playoffs a lot of times, but I don’t believe he has enough winning and accolades outside of All-Stars to make the Hall of Fame.
6. Zach Randolph
Randolph has some great stats and had multiple seasons where he scored over 20 PPG. His defense was solid and was another integral piece of the “grit ‘n grind” Grizzlies.
He has few accolades and only made the Conference Finals once. He was never the best player on a competitive team, but would give 16-20 points and 8-10 boards a night while being efficient and always playing good defense.
I think he’ll make the Hall of Fame eventually.
___________
In recent years, the NBA has inducted some players from the 70s and 80s who have decent resumes so it is possible for even some of the players who I don’t think will get in eventually. And it is the BASKETBALL Hall of Fame so players who performed well in overseas or in college can still make it.
Photo: Heat Nation
