NBA Players and College Prospects Bound for the Basketball Hall of Fame

For NBA players, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is something to strive for. A player can receive no greater honor at the end of his career than an enshrinement in this ultimate institution. 

Few receive that honor though. Those that do are remembered for all of history. 

So, which players in today's game will wind up recorded as Hall of Famers in the annals of basketball history?

To answer that question, I created six tiers of players, ranging from the locks for the Hall to the players who haven't even begun their NBA careers yet. 

Read on to find out who wound up in each tier. 

The "Could Retire Now and Make It" Category

The first tier of future Hall of Famers is comprised of players who could literally retire at this very moment, never play another minute in the NBA and still be enshrined. 

As you might expect, it's a pretty exclusive group. There are only eight players in this one. 

Ray Allen

The all-time leader in three-pointers made, Ray Allen is an absolute lock for the Hall of Fame. 

Universally regarded as one of the greatest shooters ever, Allen is averaging 20.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game during his time in the league. 

He's made 10 All-Star Games and won a championship with the Boston Celtics. 

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In fact, he's in the top 10 on most people's lists of the greatest players ever. 

Kobe has the second-highest single-game point total with his 81-point performance. He's won five championships, been named MVP, made 13 All-Star teams and racked up a whole lot of other accolades. 

No. 24 has averaged 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He's as much of a lock for the Hall of Fame as any player who has ever played the game. 

Tim Duncan

The greatest power forward of our generation and arguably all of basketball history, Tim Duncan is going to be a Hall of Famer. There is no doubt in my mind. There shouldn't be any in yours. 

Duncan has career averages of 20.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He's not only one of the greatest offensive players ever, but also one of the greatest defenders. 

He was a crucial part of four championship-winning teams, has won two MVP awards, made 13 All-Star teams and been selected to 13 All-Defensive squads. 

Kevin Garnett

If there was ever a power forward to challenge Tim Duncan for superiority at his position, it was Kevin Garnett. 

Garnett got his elusive title playing with the Boston Celtics and it was the final part of a Hall of Fame resume that included way too many accolades to count. 

KG, with his trademark intensity, was an absolutely incredible player on both ends of the court. The Hall of Fame is a fitting place for him to end his career. 

Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd is the closest thing we've seen to Oscar Robertson during the present day. No modern point guard has been a bigger triple-double threat than Kidd. 

Now that he's won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks, Kidd's Hall of Fame resume is complete. 

The 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA and nine-time All-Defensive player has career averages of 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. 

Steve Nash

Steve Nash is one of the greatest point guards to ever dribble a basketball up and down the court. 

Not many players have ever had better court vision than Nash. That court vision has helped him to rack up career averages of 14.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. 

Even though Nash hasn't been able to take home a title, he has won two MVP awards and been an elite point guard for a decade. 

Dirk Nowitzki

The greatest European player to ever play in the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki guaranteed his spot in this tier by leading his team to a surprising championship win, one that was completed with a victory over the Miami Heat. 

The sweet-shooting owner of the Flamingo Shot (can we please start calling it that everyone?), Nowitzki has career averages of 23.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. 

Paul Pierce

The Truth of the matter is that Paul Pierce is virtually guaranteed a spot in the Hall of Fame at this point in his career. 

Pierce did need two other future Hall of Famers' help to win his title, but it's not like he's had an unsuccessful career at other points. 

The nine-time All-Star has career averages of 22.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. 

The "Getting Close" Category

The players in this tier are getting awfully close to first-ter, guaranteed Hall of Fame status, but they're not there quite yet. 

But, if they play out the rest of their careers in typical fashion, they'll have already put up enough years in their prime to give themselves a shot. 

Some guys are closer than others, but all of these seven players belong in this second tier. 

Vince Carter

Vince Carter is undoubtedly past his prime at this point in his career, but his prime was quite impressive. 

Half Man, Half Amazing was one of the game's best scorers and dunkers when he wanted to be during the first decade of the 21st century. 

Carter has never had much postseason success, but he's an eight-time All-Star and a proud owner of career averages of 22.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. 

Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol is still one of the premier offensive big men in the modern NBA landscape. 

After toiling away and putting up great individual numbers with the Memphis Grizzlies, Gasol was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and immediately helped the team win two titles. 

Gasol is a four-time All-Star with career averages of 18.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. 

If he retired right now, he wouldn't make the Hall. But if the 31-year-old has just a few more decent seasons, he should have accumulated enough numbers to make it. 

Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili brought the Eurostep to the NBA and was a crucial part of not one, not two, but three championship-winning teams with the San Antonio Spurs. 

Because of his European influence and the greatness with which he's played the game, as well as his skill at swatting down bats, Manu is most likely going to become a Hall of Famer when he retires, assuming that he has a couple more good seasons. 

Sure, Manu might flop on occasion (or a lot), but his shiftiness around the basket and his career averages of 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game well help him out a lot. 

LeBron James

Even though he's only 26 years old, LeBron James has put together one hell of a Hall of Fame resume. 

James is a two-time MVP, a scoring champion, a seven-time All-Star, a seven-time member of the All-NBA team and a three-time member of the All-Defensive squad and he was drafted in just 2003. 

All that he's missing is a championship. Even without a championship, LeBron still has a good enough resume to make it into the Hall when he retires well down the road. 

Tracy McGrady

If there's any player in this category that isn't going to make the Hall of Fame, it's Tracy McGrady. 

But if he finishes out his career strongly, this 32-year-old will be enshrined. T-Mac was one of the game's biggest standouts during the early 2000s and was named an All-Star seven times, even winning the scoring title in back-to-back seasons from 2003-2005. 

McGrady has career averages of 20.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. 

Amar'e Stoudemire

It's a good thing that Amar'e Stoudemire put together a stellar start to his career with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, because I can't see his knees lasting too much longer. Once his knees go, so too will Stoudemire's status as an elite offensive force in the NBA. 

Drafted in 2002, Stoudemire has made six All-Star teams and has career averages of 21.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. 

Dwyane Wade

Of all the players in this tier, I personally think that Dwyane Wade is the closest to the Hall of Fame. 

The Miami Heat superstar has career averages of 25.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game ever since he was drafted onto the team back in 2003. 

An underrated defender, Wade has still made three All-Defensive teams to go along with his seven All-Star selections. He's also a former scoring champion and lifted his team to the 2006 title with a Herculean effort in the NBA Finals. 

The "Need More Good Years" Category

This third tier contains the players who have showed quite a bit of promise, but need to maintain their absolute elite level of production in order to have a chance at the Hall of Fame. 

All are established studs, but some have been established for others. A few of these guys are on the fence in between this category and the previous one, while a few barely snuck into this third tier. 

When it's all said and done, this tier is populated by nine players. 

Carmelo Anthony

Just 27 years old, Carmelo Anthony has moved on from his individual glory days with the Denver Nuggets to what will ideally be team-first days with the New York Knicks. 

'Melo has made four All-Star teams in his career and is a perennial threat for the scoring title with career averages of 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists. 

Anthony has work left to do, but he's well on his way. 

Ron Artest

It's hard to believe that a player named Metta World Peace could be enshrined in the Hall of Fame one day, so for the sake of my sanity, I'm going to refer to him as Ron Artest here. 

Even though the Malice at the Palace is going to leave a significant black mark on Artest's chances, he's been one of the greatest defenders in the NBA for quite some time now. Not many people have ever been more capable of shutting down their opposition on the perimeter than this current member of the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Artest is no one-trick pony though. He's got career averages of 14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. The former Defensive Player of the Year needs quite a few more elite years, but he still has a chance. 

Kevin Durant

At this point in his career, it seems guaranteed that Kevin Durant will make the Hall of Fame. It's almost a footnote that he's only 23 years old and has the vast majority of his basketball-playing days left ahead of him. 

Durant is the two-time reigning scoring champion and there appears to be no slowing him on the offensive end of the court. 

As he continues to get even better, the results could be scary. 

Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard is an absolute force in the paint on both ends of the court. He's averaging 18.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.2 blocks per game for his career, which started back in 2004, and he's already a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. 

The only problem is that he's just 25 years old and has a lot of playing left in front of him. 

D12 is still in his prime and will be for quite some time. There's no doubt that if he maintains this level of production, he's a lock for the Hall of Fame. 

Tony Parker

And so begins the deluge of point guards in this tier.

Tony Parker is getting pretty close to moving up into the second tier, but he's still stuck in the third right now. 

The 29-year-old French point guard seems like he's been around forever, but he's still got a good number of years left in the tank. 

Parker has been a key part of three championship-winning teams in San Antonio but the number will probably stay at three since the Spurs' championship window appears to be firmly closed after their most recent playoff exit. 

The three-time All-Star has career averages of 16.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. 

Chris Paul

Chris Paul isn't just the best point guard in the NBA right now (sorry Derrick Rose fans), but he's one of the greatest floor generals in NBA history. 

CP3 has an unparalleled combination of management skills and scoring abilities, one that has allowed him to average 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals and a ridiculous 9.9 assists per game thus far in his career. 

Health issues may plague him for the rest of his career, but just imagine what will happen if Paul gets to play for a team other than the New Orleans Hornets for at least part of his career. 

Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo was the closest member of this tier to being downgraded to the next one, but he does belong thanks to his incredible knack for keeping teammates and happy while feeding assist after assist to them. 

It will be interesting to see just how much his lack of scoring ability will come back to bite him once Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are no longer there to carry the offensive load, but I don't think he should be downgraded too much for playing with three members of my first tier. 

Rondo is after all the top defensive guard in the game right now and he's coming off a season in which he averaged a jaw-dropping 11.2 assists per game. 

Derrick Rose

Our reigning MVP is a long, long way from the Hall of Fame, but he's undoubtedly on the right track. If you have any doubts about that, read the first clause once more. 

Derrick Rose is a scorer trapped in the body of a point guard but he manages to balance both roles remarkably well. 

In just his third year after declaring for the NBA draft out of the University of Memphis, Rose exploded for 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game while leading the Chicago Bulls to the best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference. 

Deron Williams

Just like Derrick Rose and Chris Paul, Deron Williams absolutely belongs in the conversation when it comes to the best point guards in the NBA right now. 

It will be interesting to see how Williams completes the transition from the Utah Jazz to the New Jersey Nets, but complete it he will. 

With his incredible combination of size and skill, Williams has already made two All-Star teams in six seasons and he's coming of a season in which he averaged 20.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game. 

The "Way Too Early To Tell but Could Be on the Way" Category

Now that we've made it to the fourth tier of Hall of Fame candidates, it's time to look at the guys who have gotten their careers off to promising starts but are still very much at the beginning of them. 

Even though we think we know that they're going to remain stars, one crippling injury could completely derail a Hall of Fame campaign for these guys. They simply don't have enough to count on already. 

In this tier, we have eight players. 

LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge really should have been an All-Star last season, but instead he was the year's biggest snub in that regard. 

Aldridge, a product of the University of Texas, averaged 21.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game during his fifth season in the NBA. It was his first season with that kind of production. 

It appears that he's here to stay, but Aldridge has a lot of work left to do. 

DeMarcus Cousins

It's a shame that DeMarcus Cousins had to be in the same rookie class as Blake Griffin and John Wall. Because of those two, his stellar first campaign at the professional level was tremendously overshadowed. 

Fresh out of the University of Kentucky, the big man for the Sacramento Kings averaged 14.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, showing off a well-polished all-around game. 

There's no doubt in my mind that he'll be great. The only question is how great. 

Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay is as close as a player from this tier can get to the previous one. 

Gay has had four consecutive standout seasons for the Memphis Grizzlies, but until he makes his first All-Star squad, it's hard for me to consider him for the same tier as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and the rest of the other players in that section. 

For his five-year career, Gay has averaged 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He just needs to make a jump to the next level now. 

Eric Gordon

After playing with the United States National Team at the FIBA World Championships, Eric Gordon took a huge leap forward in his development. 

After averaging 16.1 points and 16.9 points during his first two seasons in the NBA, Gordon put up 22.3 per night during his third year. His rebounding and assist numbers took similar paths and rose to 2.9 and 4.4 per game, respectively. 

Playing alongside Blake Griffin, Gordon is going to make an All-Star team sooner rather than later. If he can keep up this pace, we'll have no choice but to move him up the tiers quickly. 

Blake Griffin

ESPN already thinks he's a current top-10 player, but Blake Griffin still has to stay in this tier simply because he's only played one season. 

That Rookie of the Year-winning campaign, though, was absolutely incredible. 

In addition to providing highlight after highlight, Griffin averaged 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. If any player from this tier appears poised to eventually be enshrined, it's this one. 

Kevin Love

Kevin Love has been improving remarkably in each of his three seasons in the league. 

During his rookie season, the power forward averaged 11.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then he improved to 14.0 points and 11.0 boards per game during his sophomore campaign. 

Last year though, he was absolutely sensational, averaging 20.2 points and a league-leading 15.2 rebounds per contest. 

Just imagine if the trend continues. 

John Wall

It's not often that you see a rookie point guard put up the kind of numbers that John Wall did last season. 

During his first year out of the one-and-done machine at the University of Kentucky, Wall averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game for the Washington Wizards. Those numbers are going to be terrifyingly good once Wall gets more experience and his teammates improve.

In five years, I think Wall will be the best point guard in all of basketball. It's bold, I know.  

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook has more than his fair share of detractors thanks to his unwillingness to pass the ball to Kevin Durant and instead attempt to shoulder the scoring load on his own. 

But if Westbrook hasn't already been playing at a Hall of Fame level, he certainly will be once his mental game catches up to his physical skills. Much like Kevin Love, Westbrook has been steadily improving each and every year. 

During his rookie season, the point guard from UCLA averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. During his sophomore season, Westbrook put up 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. This past year, the All-Star averaged 21.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per contest. 

He's yet another stellar point guard in a league full of them. 

The "What the Hell Is This Guy Thinking?" Category

This is one of the most fun categories in the slideshow, as well as the penultimate one. 

The players that populate this tier might not be established stars yet. In fact, they might not even have a single good season to their names yet. 

But they're in the NBA and I think they might break out quickly enough to still have a shot at the Hall. That said, some of them might inspire you to scratch your head and say to yourself, "What the hell is this guy thinking?"

There are six players in this tier. 

Stephen Curry

In addition to being a historically great free-throw shooter through his first two seasons in the NBA, Stephen Curry has seen his game translate extraordinarily well from Davidson to the Association.

Of all the players in this tier, Curry has been by far the best.

Through his first two years, the point guard for the Golden State Warriors is averaging 18.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.

If Monta Ellis leaves the team, Curry is going to see his numbers go up even more than they normally would during the course of his development.  

Ed Davis

As if the rest of the players in this tier weren't big enough stretches, Ed Davis certainly qualifies as one. 

Out of UNC, the rookie averaged 7.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game during his first campaign with the Toronto Raptors. That said, he only played in 65 games, starting just 17.

With great size, defensive ability and quickness for a power forward, Davis has potential that can best be described as "through the roof." 

He just...hasn't shown that yet. Give him time. 

DeMar DeRozan

At this point, who hasn't called DeMar DeRozan a sleeper? 

Truthfully, so many people have referred to this member of the Toronto Raptors as a sleeper that he's lost that status. He's really just a player with enormous potential and ready to break out that anyone and everyone knows about. 

On a side note: Raise your hand if you expected to find back-to-back Raptors at any point during this slideshow. 

In his second season out of USC, DeRozan kind of broke out, averaging 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

James Harden

Even if James Harden doesn't make the Hall of Fame, his beard definitely should. 

The athletic lefty shooting guard certainly has the offensive game necessary to make some noise. Whenever he got into the game during the 2011 NBA Playoffs for the Oklahoma City Thunder, good things tended to happen on that end of the court. 

In just his second season out of Arizona State, Harden put up 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. But keep in mind that he received only 26.7 minutes per game. 

Serge Ibaka

After our back-to-back Toronto Raptors, now we get back-to-back members of the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Serge Ibaka has all the potential in the world on the defensive end of the court. In just his second season in the NBA, the young center actually led the NBA in total blocks with 198. Going along with his average of 2.4 blocks per game, Ibaka put up 9.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. 

As his offensive game catches up to his defense, Ibaka will be a force to be reckoned with in the paint. 

Wesley Matthews

After a standout career at Marquette, Wesley Matthews went undrafted in 2009 before the Utah Jazz signed him and ended up playing him in all 82 games. 

After his rookie season, the Portland Trail Blazers signed him to a five-year, $34-million contract, demonstrating great knowledge of his potential before everyone else picked up on it. 

In his first and so far only season with the Blazers, Matthews averaged 15.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. 

He's nowhere near maxing out on his potential. 

The "Hasn't Played a Game Yet" Category

The last tier is the most ridiculous one. 

It's pretty crazy to try to call that a player will make the Hall of Fame before he's even played a single second at the NBA level, or in some cases before he's even played in college. 

But what the hell, let's give it a shot. 

If you forced me to bet on seven players that haven't played yet getting enshrined at the end of their careers, I would pick these seven. 

Harrison Barnes

It's been quite some time since I've been more impressed by a college prospect than I am by Harrison Barnes. 

Barnes started off slowly during his freshman season at North Carolina before absolutely exploding during the ACC tournament and March Madness. The 6'8" small forward with a seven-foot wingspan ended up averaging 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. 

His season was highlighted though by a breathtaking 40-point performance at the end of the year against Clemson. 

Barnes undoubtedly has the size, potential, intangibles and all-around game to excel at the next level. 

Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond is drawing comparisons to quite a few historically great big men, thanks to his dominant play for St. Thomas More. Now committed to Connecticut, Drummond will most likely go one-and-done before becoming the first player drafted in the 2012 NBA draft. 

His athleticism is absolutely off the charts. At this point in his career, he reminds me of a mix between Amar'e Stoudemire and Dwight Howard. 

As high as that praise is, it might not be high enough, especially if Drummond winds up having another growth spurt and breaking the seven-foot barrier.

The only thing that could possibly slow this kid is buying into his own hype too much.  

Jimmer Fredette

I don't actually think that Jimmer Fredette will become a Hall of Famer. To be perfectly honest, I doubt his ability to be anything more than a scoring threat off the bench during the prime of his career. 

So, you may ask, what is he doing here? 

Well, Jimmer is one of the few people from this most recent draft class that has the potential to become a star. His shooting ability is simply ridiculous. The former BYU star could very well become the greatest long-distance shooter to ever play in the NBA. 

It's definitely a long shot, but Jimmer could become an absolute stud. There aren't too many players that have one skill quite as elite as Jimmer's one skill. 

John Jenkins

Granted, this is a section reserved for bold picks. But even when considering the fact that this tier is for players who haven't yet played in the NBA, John Jenkins is a ridiculously bold pick as a future Hall of Famer. 

I stand by it though. 

I've watched quite a few of Jenkins' games at Vanderbilt, and I can't help but think of him as a carbon copy of Ray Allen. 

Jenkins has a ridiculous long-range shot (48.3 percent and 40.8 percent from downtown with 4.8 and 7.7 attempts per game in his freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively). But the most impressive part of his game is his ability to use screens and off-ball movements to get open for a pass and quick shot. 

A clutch scorer last year who averaged 19.5 points per contest, Jenkins is going to be even better as a junior for the Commodores.

Then it's watch out NBA. 

Shabazz Muhammad

First of all, his name is Shabazz Muhammad. That absolutely has to count for something. 

Secondly, this kid is special. He's still a high school senior and hasn't even decided yet where he's going to play in college, but he's most likely going to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft. 

You know you're good when NBADraft.net compares you to Kobe Bryant and gives you a 100 overall grade before you've declared to a certain school. 

Austin Rivers

Duke fans are incredibly excited for Austin Rivers to join Mike Krzyzewski's squad in Durham, and for good reason. 

Rivers is a special player. 

The 6'4" guard is a terrific scorer who can put up points from anywhere on the court at any time. He's a threat to beat his defender off the dribble, pull up to knock down a jump shot or score in a variety of other ways. The only knock on his offensive game is his tendency to try to take over a game too much. 

Rivers needs to bulk up a bit and work on his defense, but his offensive talent is too ridiculous to even think about for a freshman in college. 

Kemba Walker

If you've read my previous articles, you probably know that I'm as big a Kemba Walker fan as there is (with the exception of his family members and people with a UConn affiliation). 

I made the mistake of betting against Kemba during the Big East tournament. I then decided to go against him once more during March Madness. Obviously, neither of those two decisions worked out well for me. 

Now, I'll never bet against the diminutive scorer again.

Kemba possess the heart of a champion as well as elite quickness and scoring ability. I have no doubt that he'll be able to make the transition from the college game to the pros with ease. 

Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on  Twitter.

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