[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Here’s my list of worst rebounders ever.  No scrubs on the list, just guys who either started or were rotation guys in the league who just didn’t rebound enough for whatever reason. 

Guards:

Steve Kerr (didn’t rebound at all, not sure he crossed the 3 point line on either side.  a shooting specialist who just shot spot-up jumpers).

Reggie Miller: an all-time great shooter and had great scoring stats, but he didn’t rebound like he should have.  A below-average rebounder at best.  Worse, given his height (6’7) and long arms.

Ben Gordon: a shooter, not a rebounder. one dimensional gunner.

OJ Mayo: if he focused he could get more rebounds, but when he started it seemed like he didn’t rebound enough.

Forwards: 

Bargs: never a rebounder.  more of an outside shooter.  for a seven footer who starts and plays big minutes, getting an average of 5 boards a night is pathetic.

Bruce Bowen: as a supposed hard-nosed, scrappy player I never really took him for a rebounding threat.  Somewhat overrated given that he could not score and his vaunted defense consisted of chop-blocks, arm locks, stepping on people’s feet, and undercutting jump shooters.  His only offense was the patented corner 3 pointer with a patented 35% success rate (currently on loan to Shane Battier). 

Danny Ferry: a famous bust who’s "revival" on the Cavs later on in his career consisted of 8-9 points and 4-5 rebounds as a small forward and power forward.  Basically a stretch four who couldn’t really rebound and couldn’t really shoot 3’s.  Either the most hard-nosed soft player off all time more the softest hard-nosed player of all-time.  Like fellow non-rebounder Reggie Miller he really hated the Knicks and lit them up several times. 

Carl Herrera: a backup on the ’94 Rockets title team and the starting center on the ’95 Rockets team.  Didn’t really rebound much but given how Hakeem scored at will and how those teams were red-hot from 3 then I guess there weren’t a lot of rebounds to go around.  The 1995 Rockets was one of the rarest championship teams ever (made a HUGE trade halfway through the season to get Drexler, only won 47 games, started a below average power forward at best with Carl Herrera, and shot the 3 more than any other championship team I have ever seen).

Centers

Brook Lopez: a bad rebounder who actually rebounded LESS in 2011.  Maybe he is trying to be the next Brad Daugherty.

Luc Longley: grabbed a few a game, but that was it.  Let Rodman grab the rebounds.  Let Scottie and MJ grab the rest. Let MJ, Pippen, and Kukoc score. Let Bill Wennington shoot mid-range jumpers and bring in the fake toughness. Luc was very considerate in that way.  He also didn’t want Steve Kerr to look like a bad rebounder I guess.

Manute Bol: 7’7 with long arms but he only grabbed 3 or 4 rebounds a night.  Basically only a shot blocker who could swat flys in the upper deck while patrolling the paint.  Not really an offensive threat.  All he could do was hit three’s and dunk without jumping.  I have always wondered why teams couldn’t utilize a 7’7 human Star Wars program who could dunk on his tippy-toes and hit the 3.  Those sound like elite skills to me. 

 

Dishonorable mention: Dominique Wilkins and Vince Carter never rebounded enough given there supposed star status. It’s one thing to be a lanky one-dimensional scorer (Reggie Miller, George Gervin), it’s another thing to be a long one-dimensionsal scorer with first ballot Hall of Fame athleticism.

 

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