Originally Posted by
jimsumner
Maravich? I realize, I'm in a minority here and some people get really upset with my views. The most gifted offensive player ever and perhaps the most exciting player ever. But all too often--enabled by his father--it was the look-at-Pete-Maravich-show. He shot too much, he didn't play a lick of defense, and most importantly, he didn't make his teammates better.
His father made some half-hearted attempts to recruit top-tier talent to play with his son but they all were afraid they'd never see the ball. But Elgin Baylor led Seattle to the 1958 title game, Larry Bird led Indiana State to the 1979 title game, Danny Manning led Kansas to the 1988 title, Pete Maravich led LSU to a single NIT appearance in three seasons and they didn't even make the title game in that.
I'd probably put Maravich in my top ten just on sheer individual brilliance. But it would be at end of the top ten. Basketball is a team game and for someone to be considered as the best in a team game, that person's team needs to have been a lot more successful than any of Maravich's teams.
LSU played UCLA in 1970 and lost 133-84. Wooden was asked about Maravich's ball-handling wizardry. His response "Imagine if he had spent all that time learning to play defense." I agree with Wooden.