Hall of Fame: Now Where Were We?
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2020 10:21 am
Word count: 2760 words
About a (real life) year and a half ago, I decided that I needed a break being the Hall of Fame coordinator. I was a new dad, work was starting to become busy, and let's be honest: of all the coordinator jobs, this was seen as the most extraneous. No one really cared that much about the Hall of Fame, and the effort it took to nominate a player was clearly too much for us as a league. In addition, only a third of the league was voting by the time I called it quits.
But league legacy has always been important to me. It's why I wanted to start a Hall of Fame in the first place. So with Tani's reflections on the decades of greatness, I figured I would look at the Hall of Fame again - this time not as a coordinator, but merely as an observer, and media article writer.
So, where were we? You can see the Hall of Fame list here but it's incomplete. There were two seasons of HOF that I did not add to this list, and four total members: Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Ricky Rubio. So the 2027 class is when we finally shuttered our Hall of Fame to collect dust.
Luckily, the game has a built-in Hall of Fame, so even as we stopped voting and nominating (SOME OF US NEVER STARTED), the list of excellent players continued to grow. A few years ago I compared the computer's Hall of Fame and ours to see the differences. In my opinion, our GM-controlled Hall of Fame was a little harder to get into than the computer's, so I wouldn't exactly call it gospel. However, if we're done nominating and voting and debating on Hall of Fame players -- and it seems pretty clear that we are -- then the Computer HOF is all we have.
So here's my new plan: every year I will look and see what new players made the Hall of Fame, and I'll analyze their career, talk about their accomplishments, and debate whether they would have made the Hall of Fame if we were still controlling access. I reserve every right to lose interest and not do it, because this is sim league and we break our promises all the time (FAKE SPORTS NEWS COMING SOON!)
Here is the list of players who have made the Hall of Fame since we stopped posting yearly threads:
Before I go into each player, I want to point out two things:
1. Al Horford is in the Hall of Fame, despite 78 never nominating him. So you can stop worrying about that.
2. Blake Griffin, who we decided was not a Hall of Fame player, got in. So again, this Hall of Fame is more generous than us.
Class of 2027 (addendum)
Kevin Love
We did our own Class of 2027, but for some reason Kevin Love was not a part of that. We should be ashamed of ourselves. One of only three players in league history to score 40000 points, and second in career rebounds with 16277, Love is statistically undeniable as one of the best players in the sport's history. Despite playing until he was 39 years old, Love never once averaged less than double digit scoring in a season. He averaged 40 points per game in an incredible four seasons. If Anthony Davis didn't exist, Love would have a real claim to being called the best big man in league history. His career accomplishments are just as incredible. Eleven all star appearances, five All-PBSL First Teams, five Second Teams, and two Third teams. Two League MVPs. Two rings. One Finals MVP. The amount of players who are able to combine that statistical dominance with postseason success is incredibly exclusive.
Would Kevin Love have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? What the Frye do you think?
Class of 2029
DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre Jordan was never a statistical beast. Fun fact: only one person in the computer Hall of Fame, Ben Wallace, has fewer career points. But Wallace is an interesting player to look at when analyzing Jordan's HOF case. Both were multi-time DPOY (Wallace 5, Jordan 3). Both led the league in blocks for multiple seasons (Wallace 2, Jordan an incredible 7). Wallace made 9 total All-Defense teams while Jordan made 8. And they both took home two rings as the establishing defensive presence for their team. We have forever debated what makes a Hall of Fame player: is it stats? Is it winning? We've settled in on the idea that it's somewhere in between. But for Ben Wallace, we voted him into our Hall of Fame without much issue. I think we would end up doing the same for DeAndre.
Would DeAndre Jordan have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Yeah, probably.
Joseph Kight
Hey, look, our first fake player! The timing of this makes sense: 2015 was the first year that we had computer generated players with silly names, and so 2029 was enough time for those players to make an impact on the league. I always thought, when we were still doing this manually, that these players would probably face harsher times getting voted into the Hall of Fame. They aren't as tangible to us as the players who had real life counterparts, even the ones who we renamed. I believe it takes more obvious dominance for these players. They had to have won MVP, or won multiple rings, or scored so many points and made so many All Star teams that they can't be denied. Thus when looking at a case like Joseph Kight, I believe he fails dramatically in that regard. He had 6 all star appearances, 22000 career points, and was only voted as a top 5 player one year. Additionally, he didn't win any championships. I think his career is nice, but definitely not nice enough to be considered one of the best players we've ever had.
Would Joseph Kight have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? No, and I don't think it's close.
Buddy Pedraza
Before I looked at his final index page, I thought Buddy would be different than Kight. But they're more similar than I could've imagined. 22k points. 6 All Star appearances. No All-PBSL first team appearances. Sorry to Ed, who championed him as the first fake star, but I don't think he has a very strong case here.
Would Buddy Pedraza have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Not unless Ed made a bunch of fake forum accounts.
Class of 2031
Markelle Fultz
Does Fultz, another fake player with a real life rename, have anything more than the last two created-player brethren? Very little. He has 7 All Star appearances, less career points, and no team success to speak of. Scoring 19850 points puts him at about the 70th best all time. And for a guy whose scoring was his best asset, is 70th best worth a Hall of Fame bid? Not remotely.
Would Markelle Fultz have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? No.
Otto Porter, Jr
Back to real life players. Porter had a long career, and was the first player of the ones I've covered so far to retire as a free agent. The Nuggets were the last team to cut him; very sad, as he brought that team two championships. Speaking of championships, that is Otto's biggest case for the Hall of Fame. He has four of them, which is incredibly impressive. However, he was never the best player on any of the teams, though you could argue he was most important on one or two. Overall those four rings ring a little hollow when added up to his two all star appearances.
Would Otto Porter have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? I think he may have had a shot, but I would've voted no.
Class of 2032
Nikola Jokic
Jokic is another real player with a long career who ended up retiring as a free agent. As you look at his resume, it looks a little better than the ones we've waded through for the past couple of induction years. Jokic made the All Star game 8 times, which arbitrarily feels better than 6 or 7. I have a reason for it: most players' careers are anywhere from 14 to 16 years. Getting 8 all stars means you were one of the top players for half your career, which feels significant. Of course, Jokic played 18, so there goes that idea. Helping him, however, are his two championships, one of which he won Finals MVP. We like rings in the Hall of Fame, and we especially like when you're the best player on a team for them. So I think he'd have a nice case.
Would Nikola Jokic have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Yeah, I think so.
Jeffrey Duren
Finally, a created player whose resume is inarguable! Yes, he only has 7 All Stars, which to me is a cusp Hall of Famer. Yes, his scoring didn't break the top 50. But he's got three rings, and all three times he was voted the best player on that championship team. I don't think you could find a GM who didn't think Duren was an impact player. Well, you could find one, but he'd be bitter about it. LOVE YOU TANI.
Would Jeff have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Three FMVP are hard to ignore, so yes.
Harland Ellinger
You know what I like in terms of Hall of Fame candidacy? Sustained greatness. Someone who gets multiple All-PBSL First Teams is someone who was considered a top five player for a number of years. It means they were seen as one of the best players in the league, which means a Hall of Fame case makes a lot sense. Anyway, that doesn't apply to Ellinger, he only had two first teams. But you know, whatever.
Would Harland Ellinger have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Nope.
Ben Simmons
I was surprised looking at Simmons' resume. Just like Pedraza, I expected great things from him because he was hyped so hard. But overall, the numbers are lacking. Overall about 28th in scoring, 7 All Stars, and only one All-PBSL first team. Seems like Simmons' candidacy, much like his time in Minnesota, is pretty disappointing.
Would Ben Simmons have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Sorry, Scott, but no.
Class of 2033
Stephen Keitt
Ah, Stephen Keitt. Also known as Anthony Davis's running mate. Also known as the guy I wanted to trade for forever, but he was always untouchable. Also known as the guy who I look at now and wonder why I was so interested in the first place. Maybe you can chalk it up to GM inactivity, but Keitt never really panned out as a superstar. He made the All Team five times, but never made an ALL-PBSL team and had no team success to speak of. Easy no.
Would Stephen Keitt have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Not remotely.
Ronald Small
I think Ronald Small's biggest accomplishment is signing a 2 year, 17m deal with the Heat before retiring as an o/o player. What finesse! But seriously, he has a decent resume for the Hall of Fame. He won a ring as the biggest bench contributor for the Bucks while winning 6MOY that season, and he made 7 All Star teams as well as 5 All-Defensive First Teams. I think he's a fringe case, and I personally would vote no, but I wouldn't be completely surprised if he got in on his third or fourth attempt.
Would Ronald Small have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? No, but he'd be very very close.
Alvin Briseno
Like a lot of the other guys we've seen on this list, there isn't that much there for Briseno. Seven All Star appearances, which at this point is looking pretty standard. Five total All-PBSL teams, only one of which was First. And only 61 total playoff games in his career. You can probably blame a lot of that on which GMs had him, but I don't think you can make any excuse that would make him Hall of Fame worthy.
Would Alvin Briseno have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Nope.
Class of 2034
Anthony Davis
I'm not even going to pull up his player page. Most points ever. Seventeen all stars. Thirteen First Teams. (Fine, I looked at his player page.) FIFTEEN All Defense First Teams. A DECADE WORTH OF DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Eight MVPs. He only had one ring, but he could have had no rings and he'd still be the most decorated player in league history. He's the best. Hands down. Wombat and xbhitterx deserve all the wrath in the world for only getting him one ring.
Would Anthony Davis have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? DUH.
Class of 2035
James Gebhart
Juicy James! Another player that benefited from off-court hype and a great nickname. Because other than that, his career was just fine. He did win a title in 2026 with the Spurs as a prime contributor, but other than that he made five all star teams, only one PBSL First team, and a third team. The ring puts him above others on this list, but it doesn't quite put him in the Hall.
Would James Gebhart have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Very small chance, but no.
J.R. Johnson
Another player that I only know because Gary hyped him up. He ended up in the Top 10 for assists, which is nice, but there's nothing else about his resume that speaks to me. Two All Stars and a third team isn't going to cut it. Easiest no we've seen so far.
Would J.R. Johnson have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? No.
Dennis Smith, Jr.
What did I say about easiest no just now? I think Dennis Smith takes that spot. In my head he was way more impactful, probably because I remember wanting to trade for him. But overall he made one all star, made no all-pbsl teams, and won a ring as a starter, but not near the most impactful contributor on the team. Sorry Dennis.
Would Dennis Smith have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Nope.
Class of 2036
Tyler Ulis
This one is fun to me. Ulis ended up top 5 (or around there, dumb lists not being updated) all time in scoring, which is insane to me. He was literally put on this earth to score buckets and not do much else. But that got him pretty far, and I think it makes him an intriguing case. He made 11 All Star appearances, which is bordering on undeniable to me. Couple that with 5 All-PBSL first teams, and you've got a player who was seen as best of the best. Triple that with one league MVP, one of the most improbable MVPs we've ever heard of, and I don't think you can keep Ulis out of the Hall of Fame. I could see a few GMs who would ding him for being with an inactive GM almost his entire career, but it wouldn't be me.
Would Tyler Ulis have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Absolutely.
So overall, that was eighteen players who have been inducted in the Computer Hall of Fame since I gave up my coordinatorship. Of the eighteen, I feel that six are Hall of Fame locks, and two others had a decent shot but probably would've missed it. So what did we learn here? We learned that the Computer is way too generous with its accomplishments. We learned we (I) are way better at determining who the best players in the league were. And we determined that it's way better for me to do it this way than being a coordinator every year.
Do you guys agree or disagree with my verdicts? Let me know in the comments section!
About a (real life) year and a half ago, I decided that I needed a break being the Hall of Fame coordinator. I was a new dad, work was starting to become busy, and let's be honest: of all the coordinator jobs, this was seen as the most extraneous. No one really cared that much about the Hall of Fame, and the effort it took to nominate a player was clearly too much for us as a league. In addition, only a third of the league was voting by the time I called it quits.
But league legacy has always been important to me. It's why I wanted to start a Hall of Fame in the first place. So with Tani's reflections on the decades of greatness, I figured I would look at the Hall of Fame again - this time not as a coordinator, but merely as an observer, and media article writer.
So, where were we? You can see the Hall of Fame list here but it's incomplete. There were two seasons of HOF that I did not add to this list, and four total members: Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Ricky Rubio. So the 2027 class is when we finally shuttered our Hall of Fame to collect dust.
Luckily, the game has a built-in Hall of Fame, so even as we stopped voting and nominating (SOME OF US NEVER STARTED), the list of excellent players continued to grow. A few years ago I compared the computer's Hall of Fame and ours to see the differences. In my opinion, our GM-controlled Hall of Fame was a little harder to get into than the computer's, so I wouldn't exactly call it gospel. However, if we're done nominating and voting and debating on Hall of Fame players -- and it seems pretty clear that we are -- then the Computer HOF is all we have.
So here's my new plan: every year I will look and see what new players made the Hall of Fame, and I'll analyze their career, talk about their accomplishments, and debate whether they would have made the Hall of Fame if we were still controlling access. I reserve every right to lose interest and not do it, because this is sim league and we break our promises all the time (FAKE SPORTS NEWS COMING SOON!)
Here is the list of players who have made the Hall of Fame since we stopped posting yearly threads:
Before I go into each player, I want to point out two things:
1. Al Horford is in the Hall of Fame, despite 78 never nominating him. So you can stop worrying about that.
2. Blake Griffin, who we decided was not a Hall of Fame player, got in. So again, this Hall of Fame is more generous than us.
Class of 2027 (addendum)
Kevin Love
We did our own Class of 2027, but for some reason Kevin Love was not a part of that. We should be ashamed of ourselves. One of only three players in league history to score 40000 points, and second in career rebounds with 16277, Love is statistically undeniable as one of the best players in the sport's history. Despite playing until he was 39 years old, Love never once averaged less than double digit scoring in a season. He averaged 40 points per game in an incredible four seasons. If Anthony Davis didn't exist, Love would have a real claim to being called the best big man in league history. His career accomplishments are just as incredible. Eleven all star appearances, five All-PBSL First Teams, five Second Teams, and two Third teams. Two League MVPs. Two rings. One Finals MVP. The amount of players who are able to combine that statistical dominance with postseason success is incredibly exclusive.
Would Kevin Love have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? What the Frye do you think?
Class of 2029
DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre Jordan was never a statistical beast. Fun fact: only one person in the computer Hall of Fame, Ben Wallace, has fewer career points. But Wallace is an interesting player to look at when analyzing Jordan's HOF case. Both were multi-time DPOY (Wallace 5, Jordan 3). Both led the league in blocks for multiple seasons (Wallace 2, Jordan an incredible 7). Wallace made 9 total All-Defense teams while Jordan made 8. And they both took home two rings as the establishing defensive presence for their team. We have forever debated what makes a Hall of Fame player: is it stats? Is it winning? We've settled in on the idea that it's somewhere in between. But for Ben Wallace, we voted him into our Hall of Fame without much issue. I think we would end up doing the same for DeAndre.
Would DeAndre Jordan have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Yeah, probably.
Joseph Kight
Hey, look, our first fake player! The timing of this makes sense: 2015 was the first year that we had computer generated players with silly names, and so 2029 was enough time for those players to make an impact on the league. I always thought, when we were still doing this manually, that these players would probably face harsher times getting voted into the Hall of Fame. They aren't as tangible to us as the players who had real life counterparts, even the ones who we renamed. I believe it takes more obvious dominance for these players. They had to have won MVP, or won multiple rings, or scored so many points and made so many All Star teams that they can't be denied. Thus when looking at a case like Joseph Kight, I believe he fails dramatically in that regard. He had 6 all star appearances, 22000 career points, and was only voted as a top 5 player one year. Additionally, he didn't win any championships. I think his career is nice, but definitely not nice enough to be considered one of the best players we've ever had.
Would Joseph Kight have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? No, and I don't think it's close.
Buddy Pedraza
Before I looked at his final index page, I thought Buddy would be different than Kight. But they're more similar than I could've imagined. 22k points. 6 All Star appearances. No All-PBSL first team appearances. Sorry to Ed, who championed him as the first fake star, but I don't think he has a very strong case here.
Would Buddy Pedraza have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Not unless Ed made a bunch of fake forum accounts.
Class of 2031
Markelle Fultz
Does Fultz, another fake player with a real life rename, have anything more than the last two created-player brethren? Very little. He has 7 All Star appearances, less career points, and no team success to speak of. Scoring 19850 points puts him at about the 70th best all time. And for a guy whose scoring was his best asset, is 70th best worth a Hall of Fame bid? Not remotely.
Would Markelle Fultz have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? No.
Otto Porter, Jr
Back to real life players. Porter had a long career, and was the first player of the ones I've covered so far to retire as a free agent. The Nuggets were the last team to cut him; very sad, as he brought that team two championships. Speaking of championships, that is Otto's biggest case for the Hall of Fame. He has four of them, which is incredibly impressive. However, he was never the best player on any of the teams, though you could argue he was most important on one or two. Overall those four rings ring a little hollow when added up to his two all star appearances.
Would Otto Porter have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? I think he may have had a shot, but I would've voted no.
Class of 2032
Nikola Jokic
Jokic is another real player with a long career who ended up retiring as a free agent. As you look at his resume, it looks a little better than the ones we've waded through for the past couple of induction years. Jokic made the All Star game 8 times, which arbitrarily feels better than 6 or 7. I have a reason for it: most players' careers are anywhere from 14 to 16 years. Getting 8 all stars means you were one of the top players for half your career, which feels significant. Of course, Jokic played 18, so there goes that idea. Helping him, however, are his two championships, one of which he won Finals MVP. We like rings in the Hall of Fame, and we especially like when you're the best player on a team for them. So I think he'd have a nice case.
Would Nikola Jokic have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Yeah, I think so.
Jeffrey Duren
Finally, a created player whose resume is inarguable! Yes, he only has 7 All Stars, which to me is a cusp Hall of Famer. Yes, his scoring didn't break the top 50. But he's got three rings, and all three times he was voted the best player on that championship team. I don't think you could find a GM who didn't think Duren was an impact player. Well, you could find one, but he'd be bitter about it. LOVE YOU TANI.
Would Jeff have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Three FMVP are hard to ignore, so yes.
Harland Ellinger
You know what I like in terms of Hall of Fame candidacy? Sustained greatness. Someone who gets multiple All-PBSL First Teams is someone who was considered a top five player for a number of years. It means they were seen as one of the best players in the league, which means a Hall of Fame case makes a lot sense. Anyway, that doesn't apply to Ellinger, he only had two first teams. But you know, whatever.
Would Harland Ellinger have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Nope.
Ben Simmons
I was surprised looking at Simmons' resume. Just like Pedraza, I expected great things from him because he was hyped so hard. But overall, the numbers are lacking. Overall about 28th in scoring, 7 All Stars, and only one All-PBSL first team. Seems like Simmons' candidacy, much like his time in Minnesota, is pretty disappointing.
Would Ben Simmons have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Sorry, Scott, but no.
Class of 2033
Stephen Keitt
Ah, Stephen Keitt. Also known as Anthony Davis's running mate. Also known as the guy I wanted to trade for forever, but he was always untouchable. Also known as the guy who I look at now and wonder why I was so interested in the first place. Maybe you can chalk it up to GM inactivity, but Keitt never really panned out as a superstar. He made the All Team five times, but never made an ALL-PBSL team and had no team success to speak of. Easy no.
Would Stephen Keitt have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Not remotely.
Ronald Small
I think Ronald Small's biggest accomplishment is signing a 2 year, 17m deal with the Heat before retiring as an o/o player. What finesse! But seriously, he has a decent resume for the Hall of Fame. He won a ring as the biggest bench contributor for the Bucks while winning 6MOY that season, and he made 7 All Star teams as well as 5 All-Defensive First Teams. I think he's a fringe case, and I personally would vote no, but I wouldn't be completely surprised if he got in on his third or fourth attempt.
Would Ronald Small have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? No, but he'd be very very close.
Alvin Briseno
Like a lot of the other guys we've seen on this list, there isn't that much there for Briseno. Seven All Star appearances, which at this point is looking pretty standard. Five total All-PBSL teams, only one of which was First. And only 61 total playoff games in his career. You can probably blame a lot of that on which GMs had him, but I don't think you can make any excuse that would make him Hall of Fame worthy.
Would Alvin Briseno have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Nope.
Class of 2034
Anthony Davis
I'm not even going to pull up his player page. Most points ever. Seventeen all stars. Thirteen First Teams. (Fine, I looked at his player page.) FIFTEEN All Defense First Teams. A DECADE WORTH OF DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Eight MVPs. He only had one ring, but he could have had no rings and he'd still be the most decorated player in league history. He's the best. Hands down. Wombat and xbhitterx deserve all the wrath in the world for only getting him one ring.
Would Anthony Davis have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? DUH.
Class of 2035
James Gebhart
Juicy James! Another player that benefited from off-court hype and a great nickname. Because other than that, his career was just fine. He did win a title in 2026 with the Spurs as a prime contributor, but other than that he made five all star teams, only one PBSL First team, and a third team. The ring puts him above others on this list, but it doesn't quite put him in the Hall.
Would James Gebhart have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Very small chance, but no.
J.R. Johnson
Another player that I only know because Gary hyped him up. He ended up in the Top 10 for assists, which is nice, but there's nothing else about his resume that speaks to me. Two All Stars and a third team isn't going to cut it. Easiest no we've seen so far.
Would J.R. Johnson have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? No.
Dennis Smith, Jr.
What did I say about easiest no just now? I think Dennis Smith takes that spot. In my head he was way more impactful, probably because I remember wanting to trade for him. But overall he made one all star, made no all-pbsl teams, and won a ring as a starter, but not near the most impactful contributor on the team. Sorry Dennis.
Would Dennis Smith have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Nope.
Class of 2036
Tyler Ulis
This one is fun to me. Ulis ended up top 5 (or around there, dumb lists not being updated) all time in scoring, which is insane to me. He was literally put on this earth to score buckets and not do much else. But that got him pretty far, and I think it makes him an intriguing case. He made 11 All Star appearances, which is bordering on undeniable to me. Couple that with 5 All-PBSL first teams, and you've got a player who was seen as best of the best. Triple that with one league MVP, one of the most improbable MVPs we've ever heard of, and I don't think you can keep Ulis out of the Hall of Fame. I could see a few GMs who would ding him for being with an inactive GM almost his entire career, but it wouldn't be me.
Would Tyler Ulis have made the Hall of Fame if we were still running it? Absolutely.
So overall, that was eighteen players who have been inducted in the Computer Hall of Fame since I gave up my coordinatorship. Of the eighteen, I feel that six are Hall of Fame locks, and two others had a decent shot but probably would've missed it. So what did we learn here? We learned that the Computer is way too generous with its accomplishments. We learned we (I) are way better at determining who the best players in the league were. And we determined that it's way better for me to do it this way than being a coordinator every year.
Do you guys agree or disagree with my verdicts? Let me know in the comments section!