10 Biggest "What If?" Questions In NBA History
8. What If... Bill Walton Hadn't Succumbed To Injury?
Many big men experience foot injuries in their careers; their feet have to carry their massive frames and can only handle so much wear-and-tear before they succumb to something. In Bill Walton's case, foot injuries derailed what looked to be one of the most promising careers in NBA history, forcing Walton into limited minutes for the rest of his time in the NBA. Given his early success, including the 1977 NBA Championship and the 1978 NBA MVP award, what heights could he have reached had he been able to stay healthy?
People fail to appreciate how great Walton was because of his extremely short prime, but you only have to look at his numbers from the 1977 playoffs to understand his impact: 18.2 points, 15.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 3.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game, on .507% shooting. Those are video game numbers and he pulled them off at the age of 24. It's safe to assume had he stayed healthy, those numbers would have improved. Walton could have challenged Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone for the big man throne well into '80s.
Bill Walton was a truly transcendental player and there was no limit to what he could have achieved.