Is Wilt Chamberlain's 50.4ppg season over-rated?

Question

Take a look at the numbers:

20.0-39.5FG 10.4-17.0FT = 50.4 points per game

JUST LOOK AT HIS SHOT ATTEMPTS!!!

The most impressive stats that season though is...48.5 minutes per game.

If any player had that much stamina to play that many minutes and average that many shots, they too would average 50 points a game.

But let's face it, no player has the stamina to go 48 minutes a game. So let's use another number: shot attempts per minutes played. Wilt, that season took 0.814 shots for each minute he played. He also took 0.351 freethrows per minute.

Let's say 42 minutes per game is realistic, Kobe shooting at that rate would average 44.7 points per game, taking into account his shooting percentages.

Other great scorers averages attempting shots at that rate...

Michael Jordan - 46.8 points per game

Shaquille O'Neal - 47.0 points per game

Kareem Abdul Jabbar - 48.4 points per game

Allen Iverson - 40.1 points per game

So anyway, point is, I almost forgot my point, but If any great player were given Wilt's ridiculous circumstances and green light to shoot, they too could have averaged 50 points for a season or close to it.

The thing is, could any player have the stamina to put up that many shots, at that rate, and getting abused and going to the line that much?

Answer 1

No he is not overrated. He has many shots attempt but he sinks a good %. Plus, theres skill involved creating a shot attempt, not everyone can do it.

If you are a Coach and insist on ben wallace to avg 40 shot attempt a game. He would sink maybe 20%, cause he cant create offense whatsover and he would be shooting bricks.

Players like Wilt, Jordan and Iverson are the ones who can create offense for themselves thus naturally their shot attempts are higher.

Answer 2

No. If Wilt played in today's NBA he may could average 50 points and 30 rebounds a game. How many centers today could guard him. If Bill Russell needed help to guard him I don't think any of the centers of today could stop him. Also there are more teams and many are very weak. Take Atlanta Hawks that played last year without a true center. Then there is the 3 point shot with the best shooters missing 7 out of 10 shots which would mean easy rebounds for Wilt.

Answer 3

noooo Wilt Chamberlain is like one of the best player to ever play

Answer 4

He did have tons of stamina to play for like 50 min a game witch is crazy. But the main reason that he scored that many points is because he was the first player in the nba to be over 7 ft so he had a huge hight advanage on every other player so it wold be pretty easy for him to score so they would always foul him so he can't get an easy basket.  

Answer 5

Jordan needs 23+shots to get his points. Jordan was overrated.

Answer 6

Overrated No But He Would Have Better Competition Now And Probable Would Average A Little Less But With His Endurance Who Knows (Good Question)  

Answer 7

Yes, everything past 10 years ago is overrated in today's sports world. If it happened before ESPN was invented, it doesn't count, right?

Answer 8

You said any player could average fifty points a game, but after all you're calculations, no one did. I'm a bit confused.

But anyway, fifty points a game through eighty-two games is extremely impressive, at any level. NBA-bound high schoolers playing small schools don't usually touch fifty points per game. I bring that up because that is typically compared to Wilt's situation in his era, with him supposedly playing against six foot six white guys every other night.

Answer 9

Nope

Answer 10

Maybe, but probably not.  A player in today's NBA would have to average 38ppg to equal Wilt's 50ppg average.

Answer 11

in yet another attempt at REVISIONIST history (in a year where the Olympics are being held in China)...

Answer 12

thats just the point  

NOONE has his stamina