Actually this is a very good question. Because after Tim Duncan (who is unanimously the greatest PF), the 2nd greatest.. is very debatable.
First we can rule out Kevin McHale. He’s 1x All-NBA. No way a player with 1x All-NBA is going to be 2nd greatest at their position all time.
Next, we can also rule out Elvin Hayes. Hayes is an underrated player who has longevity, great at scoring, great at rebounding, very good at defense. However the lack of an MVP or Finals MVP (one could say he got robbed by Unseld) hurts his case a lot here, because everyone else on this list has at least 1 MVP.
Now the case for the rest..
Pettit
Pros: best stats out of all of them. 26/16/3 is insane. 2 MVPs. Would have a FMVP if it existed. Only player to beat Russell in the Finals.
Cons: Defensively not great. Played too long ago
Barkley
Pros: Tied with Pettit for best rebounder. All around talent. Had a great peak.
Cons: Defense is lackluster. Didn’t win a ring.
Dirk
Pros: The best shooter out of them all. An offensive juggernaut. Had one of the most impressive playoff runs ever in 2011.
Cons: Defense (or lack thereof)… and a below average rebounder for his size
Karl
Pros: The best longevity for a PF alongside of Duncan and Hayes. 2 MVPs. 3rd most points in NBA history. Solid rebounder. Solid defense. 25/10 for 19 seasons.
Cons: No ring.
KG
Pros: All around great. Solid offense. Great rebounder. Great defense. Great passer for his size.
Cons: No FMVP. Scoring ability is good but not great.
Giannis
Pros: All around great. Great offense. Great defense. Great rebounder. Great passer for his size.
Cons: Not a great shooter. Lacking in stat totals because his career isn’t finished yet.
I’m going to say Giannis. Giannis has all the pros of KG but is a better scorer than KG and has a FMVP which were KG’s main cons. He has everything else. He’s a great scorer, rebounder, passer, defender, has the rings and mvps and fmvps. He has everything except for career totals which he will have by the time he retires. He’s my pick for #2.
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