http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3398836
Straight Shooting: Malone majorly overrated
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Going strictly by the numbers, Karl Malone appears to be the best power forward (and one of the best overall players) ever. But go ask your accountant just how misleading numbers can be.
Despite his robust career total of 36,928 points, and his points averaged per game (24.7), Malone routinely came up empty at crunch time (especially at the free throw line) in important ball games. Also, he was infamous around the league for making atrocious decisions whenever a game was on the line. This translated into bad shot selection usually jumpers turning to his left as well as trying to force pinpoint passes into heavy traffic.
Forget about the accolades currently being delivered by the NBA's coaches even when Malone was in his prime, his inability to perform in prime time was universally acknowledged by them. For example, when Utah played Chicago in the championship series of 1997 and 1998, the Bulls disdained the idea of double-teaming Malone. The Bulls coaching staff believed there was no way that Malone could sufficiently dominate Dennis Rodman as to threaten Chicago's championship aspirations. Indeed, during the 12 games played (with the Bulls winning eight), Malone had only two break-out games that led the Jazz to victory (in Game 3 in 1997, wherein Malone scored 37, and Game 5 the following year, when he tallied 39). Coaches know that bona fide superstars are supposed to be heroes more often than one out of every six championship games.
In addition, Malone was consistently selfish even in the most unlikely circumstances: He was the only player on the original Dream Team (in the 1992 Olympics) who refused to buy into the team consciousness so earnestly promoted by the coaching staff. Several of his teammates privately complained that no matter what the score, Malone was only interested in filling up his own stat line.
On the other end of the court, several of the NBA's most veteran coaches laugh at Malone's being voted by their peers to three All-Defensive teams (1997-99). In his later years, Malone became adept at playing stolid straight-ahead defense in the pivot but any kind of face-up, spin or duck-under moves would confound him. He was much too concerned with avoiding foul trouble (after all, how many points could he score from the bench?) to play adequate fundamental defense. His trick was to always go for the strip, a tactic that resulted in the ball being knocked out of bounds, or a steal, or (most often) Malone's opponent being given an easy shot. Except for his ability to push an opponent off the block, Malone's celebrated defensive prowess was more hype than reality.
While he justly received credit for being a good guy in the eye of the season-long media hurricane that assaulted the Lakers last year, Malone was deemed by his teammates in Utah to be a back-biting, inordinately self-protective presence in the locker room. And no one who ever played with Malone, and was aware of his numerous extra-curricular entertainments, was even slightly surprised by his alleged flirtatious manner with Vanessa Bryant.
Here are a pair of stories that reveal what kind of a guy Malone really is:
Malone was a member of a USA team that was playing Panama as part of the qualifying procedure for the 1992 Olympic Games. International protocol calls for the two competing teams to meet on-court prior to the game to exchange symbolic gifts. After the USA routed Panama by 60 points, Malone voiced his displeasure: "We gave them nice T-shirts and they only gave us tiny little pins." This, even though Malone's annual salary was three times Panama's GNP.
One day a few years back, Malone charged into the office of his agent, tore open his shirt to show his chest, and said, "Look at me. I've got a better physique than Michael Jordan. I'm more handsome than Michael Jordan. And I'm a better player than Michael Jordan. So why isn't my picture on a box of cereal?" Then he pounded his fist on his agent's desk and stormed off.
Okay, if Karl Malone wasn't the best at his position, then who was?
Here are some legitimate candidates: Dave DeBusschere (my personal favorite), Kevin McHale, Jerry Lucas, Bob Pettit, and Tim Duncan. In addition, the following centers also spent considerable time at power forward: Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Nate Thurmond and Jack Sikma.
Karl Malone, with his bloated reputation, is 10th on my list.
