I named 5, the 5th being Zo. You are correct. An argument could be made to put Mutumbo ahead, but it's close enough to not matter. He was a top 5 center for that decade.
Your logic is unraveling in front of your eyes. Stop trying to tip toe around it.
Malone/Stockton are two great players who played TOGETHER they still couldn't win, why? This team called the Chicago Bulls.
And you don't think those Knicks teams were good with Ewing, Houston, Johnson? They were as good as a team as the Heat, and got the better of us in close out games of extremely close series.
Wouldn't you say Ewing cancels out Zo? And it's not like the Heat weren't competitve against the Knicks, but yes they did beat us more. The year we beat the Knicks we ran into the Bulls in the EFC. A team which would have beaten the Heat any year anyway.
And for the 3rd time now I didn't claim Zo was a HoFer. As for what qualifies as being 'great' that's a matter of opinion. I'd speculate most basketball fans would agree that you don't have to be a hall of famer to be considered a great player but maybe i'm wrong.
Some players don't win because of circumstance, not lack of individual talent, in all sports. Learn to accept that fact.
Mutombo is clearly ahead of him b/c he was a great defensive player.
DM all D team 1st team 3 times, Zo twice
DM all D 2nd team 3 times, Zo NONE
DM all NBA 3 times, Zo twice
DM DPOY 4 times, ZO twice
DM 8 AS games, Zo 7
DM 1st in total rebs 4 times, Zo NONE
both 1st in blocks twice
These 2 aren't close.
Unraveling?:lol2: You have brought nothing to support your claim.
Stockton and malone made the West Finals multiple times before making 2 Finals apps
Those Knick teams were good but far from great and the '99 version wasn't as good as the '99 Heat yet they beat them as an 8 seed.
The year you beat the Knicks half the Knick team was suspended! you wouldn't have made the conf finals that year had it nto been for that brawl.
I agree Zo isn't a HOFre but he also wasn't great.
I agree somewaht w/ your last line but why did Zo always have circumstances preventing him? He had great college talent and never even made an elite 8, he had good teams around him in the NBA and made 1 conf final(again b/c of suspensions). Zo was not a big time player, he was a complimentary player thrust into a stars role which he couldn't handle.