Greatest Post Player in the History of Each NBA Franchise

Having a player that can perform well in the post is one of the greatest attributes that a franchise can possess.

Those players usually chip in points at the highest percentage while also rebounding and blocking shots at a higher rate than any other player on the court. They're usually the most reliable players on the court with the highest tendency to score and lead a team. With a great post player, a team usually has a clear and definitive advantage over their opponent.

This is especially the case in the league today with the way Dwight Howard has absolutely dominated just about every opponent just because of his strength and athleticism that no one else can match.

They're also the last line of defense on any team as games usually ride on how well they control the paint on that end of the floor. If they're imposing enough of a figure, teams will usually second guess when taking it near the rim and are then usually forced to taking jumpers.

A strong post threat could do more than any one else on the team and could easily be the face of any franchise as most of the 30 players I'm about to mention have done so for a time. They have brought large amounts of success to their team as they set the tone on defense while also scoring and rebounding at a prolific rate.

Here are those 30 players and how they came to be the face of their franchise.

Atlanta Hawks: Kevin Willis

One of the all-time leaders in games played with over 1,400 over a 22-year career, Kevin Willis saw the best of those years come in his first nine seasons where he started for the Atlanta Hawks.

The 11th pick in the 1984 draft, Willis only needed three seasons before he started averaging a double-double for a season after averaging 16 points and 11 boards per game, four offensive. He would maintain the same numbers for the next few seasons until having a huge season in 1991-'92 when he posted up a career high 18 points to go along with an even more impressive career high of nearly 16 rebounds per with five of them coming by way on the offensive glass.

Willis would maintain averaging a double-double for the next two seasons before being traded to the Miami Heat. He would never come close to posting up the same numbers as his age began to catch up with him along with his health.

Willis was a member of a number of successful Hawks teams with two 57-win seasons and the last two division titles they would win as a franchise. He, Dominique Wilkins and Tree Rollins formed a solid front court that featured a few defensive specialist and one of the most prolific scorers in the game.

He would make the 1992 All-Star game as well as making the All-NBA Third team the same season and would even end up winning a title as a seldom used role player on the San Antonio Spurs bench in 2003.

'Devo' also played until he was 44 years old

Boston Celtics: Bill Russell

In a franchise with the likes of Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dave Cowens and Kevin Garnett all manning the front court at the same time, this was still one of the easier decisions to make on this list.

When either of those players win 11 championships like Bill Russell has, then we can have a serious conversation.

One of the best shot-blockers and rebounders of all time, Russell revolutionized both as well as having more success than any player in NBA history. Only a number of his teammates have nearly as much with Sam Jones coming in a close second with 10 as he missed out on the 1969 season, the last year Russell would win.

Along with Wilt Chamberlain, Russell was one of the most dominant players of the era with the amount of individual and team success he had on a yearly basis. Besides winning 11 championships between 1957 and 1969, Russell also led the league in rebounding five times with a career high of 25 coming in the 1963-'64 season.

He's also notorious for being one of the few players in the league at the time that could actually limit Chamberlain. His size and defensive prowess frustrated Chamberlain at times as he usually became too accustomed to playing against weak defenses that could barely keep him under 50 points on most nights.

Russell won five MVP awards, made it on to 12 All-Star teams, three All-NBA First teams, eight All-NBA Second teams and one All-Defensive First team honor.

Charlotte Bobcats: Emeka Okafor

Spending only five seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats while also being the first draft pick in team history as the second pick in the 2004 draft, Emeka Okafor was the anchor on defense to the early squads that the franchise rolled out.

Okafor averaged at least 1.7 blocks in every season with Charlotte, including a career high of 2.6 in his second season.

The former University of Connecticut product hasn't exactly played above expectations since joining the league, but has been a solid center on the two teams that he has played for in Charlotte and now New Orleans. He's averaged as much as 15 points points per which came in his rookie season and 11 rebounds per which came in the same season he posted the career high in blocks.

Emeka doesn't have much of a scoring prowess aside from a decent mid-range game and an inside game that's usually restricted to close-range shots. Instead, he's utilized mostly for the amount of space he takes up in the paint, his rebounding and his defense, which ranks near the top amongst centers.

Unfortunately for Okafor, he failed to bring the franchise to their first postseason as they would make it the very next season after he was already traded.

Chicago Bulls: Artis Gilmore

Jacksonville University's finest Artis Gilmore emerges as the top post player in Chicago Bulls history just edging out three-time champion Dennis Rodman.

One could argue that the defensive intensity Rodman brought to every game, as well as the three championships, should put him over the top, but one has to understand that Gilmore was a defensive standout as well and did not have the benefit of playing alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Gilmore's 7'2" frame overwhelmed anyone who came in the middle as he averaged three blocks per game for his NBA career with his highest in the league coming in his second season with the Bulls when he averaged nearly five per. Gimore's defensive prowess allowed him to make it on to one All-NBA Defensive Second team after making it on to the All-ABA Defensive First team four times.

Chicago was Gilmore's first stint in the NBA and it was also his best with a career high of 13 rebounds per as well as 24 points per coming in the time he spent there. He saw most of his best work come in the post where he would win four consecutive field-goal percentage crowns where he managed to shoot over 62 percent in each season

Two of those occasions came with the San Antonio Spurs, but he shot his career high of 67 percent  from the field with the Bulls.

Gilmore made it on to six NBA All-Star teams.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Brad Daugherty

A promising career that ended tragically abrupt, Brad Daugherty was just beginning to live up to No. 1 pick material after averaging a double-double for four consecutive seasons.

Unfortunately for him and the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, Daugherty would retire from recurring back problems at the age of 28 after posting up another solid 17 points and 10 rebounds per contest.

It's no coincidence either that the Cavaliers saw their most successful seasons come with Daugherty at the helm and producing at a higher rate than ever before. Alongside Mark Price and Larry Nance, the Cavaliers won 57 games two seasons and 54 once with their first trip to the Conference Finals coming in the 1991-'92 season.

That also happened to be the same year where Daugherty was busy averaging 22 points, 10 rebounds and nearly four assists per.

He would have a solid first four seasons averaging no less than 15 points and eight rebounds and would begin to produce at an even more impressive rate in the 1990-'91 season when he upped his points per game five more from the season prior as well as his rebounds which also went up by two more caroms per.

Daugherty would make it on to five All-Star teams and an All-NBA Third team.

Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki

Not like most of the players on this list, Dirk Nowitzki spends the majority of his time scoring from the outside.

It doesn't mean that Nowitzki restricts himself to the perimeter. In fact, Nowitzki is one of the most deadly post players in the game today. His 7'0"stature and back to the basket game reigns supreme as one of the best with his one-legged fade-away jumper being one of the league's most unstoppable moves in the history of the game.

Because of that notorious shot, Nowitzki has earned an NBA MVP and most recently his first NBA championship that came with a Finals MVP. His ability to score at will coupled with the fact that he has a shot that is nearly impossible to defend has turned Nowitzki into a sure Hall of Famer and a possible multi-title winner if he can continue to perform at the level he has been playing at for over a decade.

Today, there are only imitators to Nowitzki. We're looking at you Andrea Bargnani and Danilo Gallinari, there's room for only one European shooting sensation.

Nowtitzki has averaged as much as 27 points per and was actually a surprisingly good rebounder for his time. He came .1 rebounds short on two occasions of averaging a double-double and has averaged over nine rebounds per in five seasons.

Aside from the Finals MVP and the regular season MVP, Nowitzki has plenty of other accolades as well. He's made it on to 10 All-Star teams, four All-NBA First teams, five All-NBA Second teams and one All-NBA Third team.

Denver Nuggets: Dikembe Mutombo

Mutombo spent the first five seasons of his career with the Denver Nuggets helping the franchise achieve a milestone that no team had ever accomplished before.

After finishing 42-40 and earning an eighth seed, Mutombo led the charge against the No. 1 seeded and heavily favored Seattle Supersonics. His defense proved to be too much for Shawn Kemp and the Nuggets would become the first team in the history of the league to beat out a No. 1 despite being an eighth seed.

They would even take the Utah Jazz to seven games in the semifinals.

Mutombo quickly established himself as the defensive leader on the team as well as one of the most prominent defenders in the league. He averaged three blocks per in his rookie season and would end up leading the league in blocks per game for three consecutive seasons as he would average as much as five blocks for a season.

He would average at least three blocks per for the first seven years of his career and would continue to be a feared defender until his eventual retirement after the 2008-'09 season at the age of 42, where he was still averaging at least a block per. There was only one time during Mutombo's career that he averaged less than a block per and that came when he was 39 years old and was barely receiving any more legitimate minutes.

His best years however came with the Denver Nuggets where he posted up most of his career highs including points, field goal percentage, blocks and offensive rebounds per. It seemed that Mutombo put offense in a backseat after his rookie season as he would never come close to averaging the 17 points per he had in his first season.

Mutombo made it on to two All-Star teams while on the Nuggets, while also taking home one of his three Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Detroit Pistons: Bob Lanier

One of the most underrated post players to ever participate at the NBA level, Bob Lanier was a stat hound for the first decade of his career.

After a promising rookie season where he averaged 16 points and eight rebounds per game, Lanier was given legitimate minutes from there on out with the Detroit Pistons and would take great advantage of the situation he was thrown in. He proceeded to average his career high of nearly 26 points per game to go along with 14 rebounds and three assists per.

Lanier continued to average a double-double for the next six seasons and would continue to be the crutch of a Detroit Pistons franchise that was centered on him for the majority of the time. He would only make four post seasons in his time with the team and would never advance further than the semifinals. Only three times during Lanier's tenure with the Pistons would he lead the team to a winning record.

The center dominated in the post as he allowed his 6'11", 250-pound frame do most of the work for him. Aside from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the occasional outburst from Bill Walton, Lanier was one of the top centers on both sides of the ball. He was a solid offensive player in the post, averaged as much as 15 boards per and averaged three blocks per in the first year they started accumulating the stat.

Lanier made it on to six All-Star teams with two more appearances coming following his tenure with the Pistons.

Golden State Warriors: Wilt Chamberlain

This one wasn't really close. Even after fifty seasons, Wilt Chamberlain remains, and probably always will be, the best post player in the history of the Golden State Warriors franchise.

That is unless Andris Biedrins or David Lee has something to say about that.

Even then, it's going to be nearly impossible to beat out Chamberlain as the best post player in franchise history since it is very likely that no one will ever come close to posting up the same numbers. After averaging 38 points and 27 rebounds per game in his first two seasons, Chamberlain had his "breakout" season when he averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds per while somehow playing in over 48 minutes a night.

Chamberlain would unfortunately never match those numbers again as he would average a modest 44 points and 24 rebounds the next season and 37 points and 22 rebounds the next before being traded to Philadelphia midway through the 1964-'65 season where he would end up winning his first of two titles in 1967 alongside Hal Greer.

That's right. Chamberlain was averaging 50 points per game and still couldn't win a championship. You can blame that on Bill Russell.

In his time with the Warriors, Chamberlain won five of his scoring crowns and four of his rebounding titles. He also led the league in minutes per for five consecutive seasons and in field-goal percentage twice.

Chamberlain made it to five All-Star games and won one of his four MVPs with the Warriors, and would make it onto four All-NBA First teams as well as an All-NBA Second team.

Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon

Not really much of a competition as to who the best post player in Houston Rockets franchise history is, as they possessed the ideal post player in the NBA.

Equipped with a wide array of post moves as well as possessing some of the greatest footwork in the history of the game, Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the most dominant players who spent the majority of their time in the post. His footwork allowed him to constantly find open looks under the basket as the defenders would usually have to second-guess themselves into wondering which post move Olajuwon would use.

It allowed Olajuwon be considered one of the most offensively gifted centers of the era as he could score from anywhere in the post and from as far out as 10 feet. Olajuwon was with the Rockets for over 15 years and averaged as much as 27 points per and would finish his career averaging 22 points per game with 13 consecutive seasons averaging at least 20.

Olajuwon's offense was only one of the staples of his game as he was also a famed rebounder and a fierce defender leading the league in blocks per for three seasons and making it onto five All-Defensive First teams and four All-Defensive Second teams. His career high in blocks came in the 1989-'90 season when he led the league for the first time with nearly five blocks per.

"The Dream" also won two rebound crowns, averaging as much as 14 per.

Olajuwon was also one of the few players to lead a team to a title in the 1990's after winning two in 1994 and 1995 as well as the Finals MVP in both series. He won his lone MVP award during the first championship season after averaging 27 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Hakeem made it on to 12 All-Star teams, six All-NBA First teams, three All-NBA Second teams and three All-NBA Third teams.

Indiana Pacers: Jermaine O'Neal

A member of some of the most successful Indiana Pacer franchises to date, center Jermaine O'Neal had his best statistical seasons with the Pacers while also bringing about some of the best seasons in franchise history.

O'Neal helped the Pacers win a franchise high 61 games as well as their first Conference Finals visit since the 1999-'00 seasons. He would average 20 points and 10 rebounds per that season and would finish third in MVP voting, the only time he would actually be considered for the award.

All Jermaine needed was a chance after receiving little time in his first four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. O'Neal wouldn't average more than 13 minutes a game and wouldn't even be featured in 70 games until his final season with the team. Convinced that he wasn't going to amount to much, the Blazers gave him away for Dale Davis.

O'Neal was immediately given the starting spot and impressed by averaging 12 points and a little under 10 boards per. Next year would be the first time he would average a double-double and the following season would be the first time he would average over 20 points per game as well as it being the final year he averaged a double-double.

He would however average a career-high 24 points per game the next season and would help the Pacers reach the postseason every year until the 2006-'07 season when his production began to decline.

O'Neal was a quality defender averaging at least two blocks per game in every season he spent with the Pacers and had an even better offensive game if you couldn't already tell from his numbers. He had an array of post moves and was most known for his consistent mid-range game.

O'Neal made it on to six All-Star teams, one All-NBA Second team and two All-NBA Third teams.

Los Angeles Clippers: Elton Brand

By far the best post player to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, and one of the best overall, Elton Brand had his best seasons on the West coast and also brought them more success than they had seen in decades.

Brand was with the Clippers from 2001 and 2007 before injuries began taking their toll and he eventually signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for a deal worth $80 million.

He featured terrific awareness near the basket on the offensive end as he could score around the rim, post up and hit the mid-range jumper. Brand was one of the NBA's best post players for the majority of the 2000's with the 2005'06 season being his best by far. In the same year the Clippers made the postseason for the first time in almost a decade. Brand also averaged a career high 25 points and 10 boards per.

Brand averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists during the Clippers' postseason run as he also led the team to their first semifinals since the 1975-'76 season, when they were known as the Buffalo Braves and Bob McAdoo was still one of the league's most prolific scorers.

Elton hasn't seen as much success since then as he has been attempting to overcome serious knee injuries since his final year with the Clippers.

Brand made his only two All-Star games with the Clippers and made it onto the All-NBA Second team in the same year he led the team to their lone postseason appearance of the decade.

Los Angeles Lakers: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

One of the most prolific scorers in the paint, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn't see his best statistical seasons with the Los Angeles, but did see five of his six championships come out West.

Those six championships with the Lakers certainly outweigh the 35 points per game he averaged one time with the Milwaukee Bucks as well as the two consecutive scoring championships. The Bucks should be thankful for Abdul-Jabbar and the short time he spent with the Bucks since the franchise hasn't won an NBA Finals since he won it for them in 1971.

Abdul-Jabbar spent the final 14 seasons of his outstanding career with the Lakers and saw most of his team success come during that period. He played a huge part in the Lakers five championship runs with a Finals MVP to show for during the teams 1985 Finals win.

He built up his scoring total with the Lakers as he averaged at least 21 points per game in all but the last three seasons of his career where he was still putting up at least 10 points per night at his worst. He led the league in field-goal percentage once when he shot 58 percent and would shoot better than 50 percent in all but the final season of his career.

Abdul-Jabbar was such a prolific scorer because of his famed sky hook, which was a hook shot usually from within 10 feet of the rim. At 7'2" and with quality footwork, shutting down Abdul-Jabbar was about the closest thing next to impossible in the NBA. His point of release was too high and his range was nearly unlimited as far as hook shots go.

His defense and rebounding were also quality aspects of his game as he led the league in blocks four times overall (three times with the Lakers), with his career high being a bit over four per. He was also a terrific rebounder leading the league once when he averaged 17 per as his length and height were too much for most centers at the time to compete against.

Abdul-Jabbar made it to 13 All-Star teams with the Lakers to go along with five All-NBA First teams.

Memphis Grizzlies: Pau Gasol

Before becoming a dominant sidekick to Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol was formerly known as a dominant first option who commanded the post with his length and ability to hit shots with his back to the basket.

Even today, Gasol reigns as one of the NBA's elite post players after helping lead the Lakers to two championships while averaging consecutive double-doubles for the first time in his career.

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team with little success since becoming a franchise in 1995 and the little success they did see came when Gasol was leading the way. After failing to win more than 28 games for their first eight years as a franchise, the Grizzlies would suddenly win 50 games in the 2003-'04 season and would make it to their first postseason.

They would then make it the next two seasons, but wouldn't win a single game in either performance.

Gasol played a huge part on all three of those teams as well as the squads that the Grizzlies marched out with from 2001 until the mid-point of the 2007-'08 campaign. He never averaged less than 17 points and seven rebounds in the six years he spent there and also posted up his career high in points with nearly 21 per in his last full season.

He's not too strong of a defender, but he's a terrific presence in the post when it comes to offense. Gasol is equipped with a dominant back to the basket game and a great awareness of how to finish around the basket. His inside presence has led to two titles for the Lakers and for the little success that the Grizzlies had seen up until this years past postseason.

Gasol made it to one All-Star game with Memphis.

Miami Heat: Alonzo Mourning

A toss-up between Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O'Neal, we had to go with the true ironman and the player who stuck with the Miami Heat through thick and thin.

O'Neal played a key part in the Heat's 2006 title run, but Mourning was still one of the team's defensive leaders during his second tenure as he capped off the team's championship win with a six-block performance in Game 6.

Mourning joined the Heat in 1995 after spending the first three years of his career with the Charlotte Hornets, where he would clash with Larry Johnson and would eventually force a trade out of the now defunct franchise. The Heat would find immediate success with Mourning joining the team as they would win a franchise-high 61 games along with obtaining their first division title. They would also make it to their first Conference Finals, which would be the last time they would reach that point until 2005.

Alonzo average a career high 23 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per in his first season with the Heat. The team would continue seeing success as Zo and Tim Hardaway formed one of the more formidable duos in the league at the time. The team was championship caliber, but they faced constant failures against the New York Knicks for three consecutive seasons as they would make early exits each postseason.

Zo would retire after a rare kidney ailment, but would return in 2005 after a short stint with the New Jersey Nets. He would back up O'Neal and would help form one of the NBA's best one-two punches as far as defense went in the front court.

Mourning was a notoriously fierce and emotional defender as he would win consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards as well as leading the league in blocks per game twice.

Alonzo made it onto six All-Star teams, an All-NBA First team, an All-NBA Second team and two All-Defensive First teams.

Milwaukee Bucks: Lew Alcindor

Fun fact: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's official name isn't Lew Alcindor at all. His official name is actually Ferdinad Lewis Alcindor, Jr.

Kareem was a stretch, but I just don't see this guy with the look of a Ferdinand.

Call him either of those three names, it doesn't matter. He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks and they were statistically his best year as he won his two scoring titles as well as averaging his career-high in points per game with 35 in his third season and 32 in his second.

Those lucrative numbers came after he averaged 29 in his rookie season. His famed sky hook was lethal from the start of his career as it seemed that not one center could limit Abdul-Jabbar when he got within 10 feet of the rim. His hook had too much arc and too much range and it made the lives of front court defenders very difficult whenever they had to play him.

Besides being a prolific scorer, he was an outstanding defender and rebounder. He averaged 16 or more rebounds for three of the first four years of his career and ended up on two All-Defensive First teams and two All-Defensive Second teams in the short time he spent with the Bucks.

There was just too much length to Abdul-Jabbar as he made the paint an extremely intimidating place to go to whenever his presence was felt nearby.

He and Oscar Robertson also led the Bucks to their first and only championship in franchise history in 1971. He won Finals MVP after averaging 27 points and 17 rebounds during the team's postseason run.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett

After so much team success with the Boston Celtics, we tend to forget that Kevin Garnett was just as fierce a player with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Garnett spent the first 12 seasons of his career with Minnesota as he developed his game on a team that offered him little support as far as a supporting cast went. Aside from Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, Garnett was greatly limited when looking for a support system and role players that would actually assist him reaching greater heights.

He made it as far as the Western Conference Finals and didn't get out of the first round any other time during his time with the Wolves. It only took him one season in Boston to take home his first and only title.

Garnett was an unbelievable athlete that could do it all on both sides of the court. He could score from anywhere within 20 feet, post up and score with his back to the basket, rebound, pass, block shots and defend individually better than any other power forward in the league.

It's not to say that he still can. He still has the same mindset just in the body of a 34 year old that's a few years away from retirement. Don't let the age fool you however as he can still lead a team through sheer emotion and leadership as well as playing better defense than most big men in the game today.

Garnett averaged as much as 24 points per with the Wolves and won four consecutive rebounding titles with a high of 14 coming in the 2003-'04 season, the same year he took home his only MVP award.

He made it on to nine All-Star teams, six All-Defensive First teams, two All-Defensive Second teams, three All-NBA First teams, three All-NBA Second teams and two All-NBA Third teams.

New Jersey Nets: Buck Williams

Spending the first eight seasons of his career with the New Jersey Nets, Buck WIlliams probably should have just remained with the franchise since his production only went south once he started playing for other teams.

Williams was a solid post player for his time in the 1980's while bringing minimal success to the franchise with five postseason appearances and a 49-win season to show for it. It was an impressive start for a team that had just finished up its stint in the ABA, although the team wouldn't see that type of success again until 2002.

Williams was a consistent threat when it came to scoring in the low post, rebounding and playing defense making it on to two All-Defensive First teams and two All-Defensive Second teams after leaving the Nets.

He averaged a double-double for the first seven years of his career with his highs being 18 points and a little under 13 boards per.

The standout post threat made it on to three All-Star teams and an All-NBA Second team.

New Orleans Hornets: David West

Despite playing with Chris Paul and helping lead the New Orleans Hornets to their most successful season in franchise history, David West is still one of the more underrated players in the game today as well as one of its most consistent.

West spends the majority of offensive possessions working from the mid-range where he can knock down 15-20 foot jumpers better than any power forward in the game today aside from Kevin Garnett. The Hornet power forward still does some damage in the post as he can use his strength to post up as well as using his speed to drive against slower players that attempt to defend him.

Since being given a legitimate starting job in the 2005-'06 season, two years after he was drafted, West has been a solid complement to All-Star point guard Chris Paul. He knows how to play with him and he's very well aware of his tendencies and how to get open whenever they're on the floor together. It's what has enabled West to become one of the best power forwards in the league on the offensive end of the floor.

CP3 didn't teach West how to play defense or rebound at a consistent rate though. Both those attributes are solely on West and how talented and athletic of a player he is and has become. He's a career seven rebound per game player and has averaged as much as nine.

On offense, West has averaged as much as 21 points per game and handles most of his business from the mid-range and in the paint where he is lethal at both aspects.

West has recently been rewarded for his impressive work on both ends of the floor with two All-Star nominations.

New York Knicks: Patrick Ewing

One of the best centers over the past two decades, Patrick Ewing was one of the most well-rounded players to ever play the position.

He could score from as far out as 10 feet, rebound at a high rate, post up, drive, block shots and defend. Ewing could do it all and there wasn't much you or any other center in the league could do about it as he usually got his way.

If not for Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Tim Duncan standing in his way, Ewing probably would have obtained the title that had eluded him for over 15 years. He led the New York Knicks to two title games in the 1990's, but came up short in both instances with a loss to the Houston Rockets in 1994 and to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999.

Could you ask for a better matchup in the 1994 Finals between Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing? If only I wasn't four years old and could actually comprehend the modern day clash of the titans.

Ewing was a prolific offensive producer averaging 21 points per for his career and as much as 29 points during the 1989-'90 season. He shot 55 percent that year as he brought success to the team that they hadn't seen since the early-1970's when they won two titles. Ewing turned a team that had won 24 games the year before they had drafted him into a perennial championship contender as they wound up winning 52 games only four years after he was drafted with the No. 1 pick.

Aside from making his presence felt on offense, he was a prolific player on the boards and on defense as well averaging as much as 12 boards and four blocks per.

Ewing made it to 11 All-Star teams, one All-NBA First team, six All-NBA Second teams and three All-Defensive Second teams. He also finished in the top five in MVP voting for six seasons.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Shawn Kemp

Basically Kevin Garnett without a mid-range game and a better driving skill set, Shawn Kemp was one of the last players in the league that you wanted to see coming at you with a full head of steam during his days as a member of the Seattle Supersonics.

Kemp was an unbelievable athlete and slasher for a player of his size at 6'10", 230 pounds, as he used his high flying acrobatics as a key tactic in his game. He would use intimidation to deter opposing players on both sides of the ball as his power dunks were one of the most feared aspects a player possessed during his time in the 1990's.

He did the majority of his work in the post and averaged as much as 20 points and 11 rebounds per game during his time with the Sonics. Kemp averaged a double-double for six consecutive seasons and was also considered one of the league's top offensive rebounders as he consistently averaged around four for most of his tenure with Seattle.

Paired with All-Star point guard Gary Payton, Kemp brought the Sonics consistent success in the post season aside from taking home a title. They were constantly considered title favorites, winning over 50 games for five consecutive seasons and 60 games twice during the time he spent with the team. They would even make it to the 1996 Finals where they would actually take two games from the eventual champion Chicago Bulls.

It might not mean much when you first hear it, but remember that the Bulls had only lost 10 games the entire regular season and only once during that year's postseason run before running into Seattle.

Kemp made four All-Star teams and three All-NBA Second teams during his tenure with the Sonics.

Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard

Easily the most dominant player in the post and overall today, Dwight Howard has used his freakish size, strength and athleticism to emerge as the league's most unstoppable force in the paint.

Howard is basically considered unstoppable because of just how big he is. He has the shoulders to back any defender down in the post and has the all-around strength to finish without ever worrying about getting blocked. There isn't one individual defender in the game today that could consistently guard him in the post and the only way to limit him is through double teams.

He's only needed seven seasons to emerge as the most dominant player and is coming off of the best statistical season of his career after averaging a high of 23 points to go along with 14 boards and two blocks per. He came up a rebound short of winning his fourth consecutive rebounding crown and only a few percentage points short of leading the league in blocks per.

He did however take home his third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.

With no one in the league that could match him on either side of the ball in the post, Howard dominates by default as it seems that no one could possibly deter him. He's not the best scorer the post has seen, but he could out-rebound anyone in the game today as well as impose the best defense that any other post player could provide.

Howard has made the Orlando Magic into a legitimate championship contender over the past few seasons with a 2009 appearance to show for it.

He's made it onto five All-Star teams, four All-NBA First teams, one All-NBA Third team, three All-Defensive First teams and one All-Defensive Second team.

Philadelphia 76ers: Moses Malone

Only spending four seasons as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Moses Malone at least made sure to bring the team more success than they had ever seen with their first championship since 1967.

Malone led the Sixers to 65 wins in the 1982-'83 season while taking home MVP honors after averaging 25 points and a league leading 15 boards per. He led a dominant Sixers team into the postseason that no other team could even come close to beating in a seven-game series. In fact, only once during the team's three series would they even lose a game.

They managed to sweep a Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led Los Angeles Lakers team to take home the trophy at the end of the season while also taking home the Finals MVP.

Malone would lead the Sixers to three more seasons of 50-plus wins, but would help them advance only as far as the Conference Finals before departing for Washington.

He was an absolute unstoppable force during his years with the Sixers as he could score and rebound at will thanks to his size, strength and athleticism. His rebounding was his greatest attribute, especially on the offensive glass where he grabbed as many as seven a night during his prime days.

He saw the majority of his work come in the post as he could score around the basket while pulling down rebounds at a higher rate than any other player in the league in the late-1970's and early-1980's.

Malone would win three of his six rebounding crowns while with the Sixers.

He made it to an All-Star game every season he played with Philly with two nominations to the All-NBA First team, one to the All-Defensive First team and one to the All-NBA Second team.

Phoenix Suns: Charles Barkley

Listed at 6'6", 252 pounds, Charles Barkley wasn't your average power forward. He didn't look athletic at all, he wasn't tall, he looked stocky if anything and was the height of your average shooting guard with an extra 30 pounds tacked on.

All of that added up to Barkley being considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time today. That wide frame coupled with a surprising vertical leap allowed Barkley to command the paint by using his lower body to grab more rebounds per than anyone else in the league at the time.

He was an absolute force in the paint on both sides of the ball averaging as much as 26 points and 12 boards per game in his time with the Phoenix Suns. He had averaged 28 points and 15 rebounds in different seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Barkley only played four seasons with the Suns, but he made them worthwhile with consistent rebounding and scoring totals and the closest he would ever get to a championship.

Barkley was a key member of the 1992-'93 Suns team that won 62 games and made it all the way to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1976. He and the Suns nearly pulled off the upset of beating the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls before they prevailed in six games.

They would win at least 56 games in the first three seasons he spent there.

He made it on the All-Star team every year with the Suns, won his only MVP during the championship run, a nomination to the All-NBA First team, two to the All-NBA Second team and one to the All-NBA Third team.

Portland Trail Blazers: Kevin Duckworth

One of the most feared post defenders of his time, Kevin Duckworth was one of the games most legitimate enforcers during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers from 1987 to 1993.

He was also a member of some of the most successful Blazer teams as he helped the team advance to two NBA Finals for the first time since 1977. Unfortunately for Duckworth and the rest of the players on those squads, they failed to win in either appearance.

The most productive time of his career came as a member of the Portland Blazers as it would be the only time he'd average at least 10 points per and the last time he'd ever be utilized as a significant part of a rotation. He averaged as much as 18 points per with the Blazers and averaged over 10 for five consecutive years, all with Portland.

He also averaged a career-high eight rebounds.

At 7'0" 275 pounds, Duckworth was one of the most intimidating post defenders of his time. He was tall, wide and wasn't afraid to get in an opposing player's face when anybody thought they could possibly enter the paint while he was defending it. His presence in the middle played a key role in the number of successful seasons the Blazers had during his time there as he set the tone on the defensive end.

He made it onto two All-Star teams.

Sacramento Kings: Chris Webber

A key member of those early-2000 Sacramento King teams that were considered championship contenders for a time, Chris Webber was the last player in the NBA to make the Kings look like a relevant franchise.

That's no easy task either as the Kings had become accustomed to losing and hadn't won the championship since 1951. With Webber on the team though, the Kings were one of the most successful teams in the league winning at least 50 games for five consecutive seasons with a 61-win season being the most impressive.

That year also happened to be the same season that they'd advance to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1981.

Webber was the key offensive and defensive leader of those teams as he used his size and athleticism to emerge as one of the better post players in the league at the time. He was only with the Kings momentarily, but they were by far his best statistical seasons as he averaged as much as 27 points and won the rebounding crown at 13 per.

He averaged a double-double for five consecutive seasons, the only time he would do so came with the Kings.

Webber made it to four All-Star teams with the Kings while making his lone All-NBA First team appearance as well. He also had three trips to the All-NBA Second team and one to the All-NBA Third team.

San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan

"The Big Fundamental" as he's now become known as, Tim Duncan has based his entire career on playing basketball the right way at a methodical pace that wears opponents down and eventually leads to winning seasons.

And Tim Duncan is a guy that knows a lot about winning. He's the reason why the San Antonio Spurs have been one of the most successful franchises over the past 15 seasons with four championships and three Finals MVP's to show for it.

Right from the start Duncan made his impact felt. The Spurs were able to obtain the No. 1 pick to draft him after finishing the 1996-'97 season with a 20-62 record, their worst record in franchise history. After Duncan averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per in his rookie season, the Spurs did a complete 180 by finishing the season 56-26 and a return back to the postseason. 

It only got more peachy from there as the Spurs would actually go on to win their first title in franchise history behind the efforts of Duncan and David Robinson. Duncan would go on to lead the Spurs to three more titles over the next 10 years with the team winning at least 50 games every year since he had been drafted.

Chances were high that he would've gotten the team to 50 wins during the lockout year since they finished 37-13.

It was only this past season that Duncan failed to average a double-double for the first time in his career. He played the least amount of minutes he had ever played and came up a rebound short of finishing the season off with a double-double (the first time in 13 seasons).

Duncan is supported by a solid mid-range game and a bank shot that no one has been able to limit since he was drafted. He's a quality rebounder, averaging as much as 13, as well as a quality defender with eight nominations to the NBA All-Defensive First team.

Toronto Raptors: Chris Bosh

He might not have left on the best terms, but it shouldn't diminish how much of a role Chris Bosh played in the Toronto Raptors franchise.

Bosh was criticized for the passive effort he gave on both sides of the ball with the Miami Heat. What most people don't recognize is that it's difficult to be aggressive when you're on a team with two other players that clog up the lane with their own deal of slashing and driving while also taking up the majority of the possessions.

It probably explains as to why Bosh seemed so much more aggressive while with the Raptors.

Drafted in the memorable 2003 NBA draft, Bosh needed a couple seasons before he finally got his act together on offense. By his third season, he was already averaging 20-plus points per while also emerging as the team leader when it came to scoring. The team was a Chris Bosh-centered universe with the power forward taking most of the shots on a Raptors team that had its fair share of scoring threats.

Bosh could spend too much shooting from the mid-range, but he's at his best when driving into the lane. He has speed and length that most defenders can't keep up with and it leads to Bosh getting easy scores around the rim. When he has confidence and takes an aggressive approach to the game, Bosh is one of the more lethal power forwards in the league as he can utilize his speed to beat out any other power forward.

He averaged as much as 24 points and 11 boards per game in his time with the Raptors. Bosh was also responsible for leading the Raptors to their first division championship in franchise history after going 47-35 following the 2006-'07 campaign.

Bosh made it onto five All-Star teams and one All-NBA Second team.

Utah Jazz: Karl Malone

Curse Michael Jordan and his incredible tendency to keep rings off the fingers of deserving Hall of Famers.

Jordan did a two for one deal when it came to the Utah Jazz as he kept championships off the resumes of John Stockton and Karl Malone.

Malone was one-half of the equation that made the Jazz franchise click between 1985 and 2003 as he led the team through its greatest stretch of success in the history of its franchise. The team never had a losing season and they never missed a postseason with Malone leading the team as they would constantly rack up 50 and 60-win seasons while usually emerging as a championship contender.

Malone would be a member of the two Jazz teams that made it to the Finals in 1997 and 1998, but couldn't capitalize on either opportunity as the team lost in six games in both occurrences.

He was one of the best post players for his time as he used his strength and athleticism to will his way into easy scores around the basket. It explains why he shot 51 percent for his career as well as averaging 25 points per game with a career high of 31 coming in the 1989-'90 season.

There was actually an 11-year stretch where Malone averaged at least 25 points per game. Only the purest of pure scorers could match a feat like that as he would only average below 20 points per game on two occasions: his rookie season and his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Malone won two MVP awards while also making it onto 14 All-Star teams, 11 All-NBA First teams, two All-NBA Second teams, an All-NBA Third team, two All-Defensive First teams and one All-Defensive Third team.

Washington Wizards: Elvin Hayes

Look at all of those empty seats. I didn't realize the Florida Marlins played on a basketball court during the late-1970's.

Whether they were playing at Sun Life Stadium or back in the friendly (?) confines of Washington, D.C., the combination of Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld knew how to put on a show. While Unseld did the majority of the rebounding and defending, Hayes contributed on the boards and was mostly utilized as the leading scorer.

Hayes played on the Washington Bullets from 1972 through 1981, helping the team win the 1978 NBA championship in the process.

He was a terrific slasher that could also post up as it added up to plenty of production on the offensive end. He averaged as much as 24 points and 18 rebounds per during his tenure with the Bullets as he and Unseld brought the biggest amount of glory that the Washington franchise had ever seen.

Hayes made it on to nine All-Star teams while with the Bullets as well as three trips to the All-NBA First team, three to the All-NBA Second team and two trips to the All-Defensive Second teams.