WashPost on Ralph Sampson

Webber was supposed to be an all-time great?

 

I would say so. Maybe I inflated Chris Webber a little too much because I've read a lot about the Fab Five. But Webber had talents as a passer and ball-handler that power forwards simply didn't have. I think everyone expected Webber to have the kind of career Kevin Garnett did have.

 

That'd be weird, given that the list is of the past 30 No. 1 draft picks.

 

I'd move Webber down a group. Same with Anthony Davis.

 

You can do that.

People inside basketball were calling Davis a more athletic version of Tim Duncan.

 

It says a lot that Webber had a HOF-level career, but most don't think he lived up to his potential.

The Warriors traded three first-rounders to get him. Safe to say they thought he would be a beast.

Versatile might have had him a little high, but not by that much...

 

I don't remember any of that, but you could be right.

Other than Webber and Davis, it's a good list.

Can't believe you left off Magic, though!

 

That was a joke aimed at 83 Devil.

 

It's a very good list.

I think he has Sampson too low, Oden too high, Davis too high and I'd put Ewing No. 1 overall... but nobody is going to agree with everything about it.

 

Exactly. He can't be in the lower group because then it would mean he attained what everyone expected him to attain. He is viewed as a mild disappointment, a guy who should have been something more special.

 

Is Webber a sure-fire Hall of Famer based on his NBA years?

 

I guess he's not sure-fire based only on his NBA time, but he's pretty close: 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game, five All-Star Games, 10 trips to the playoffs, five All-NBA teams, great efficiency numbers.