Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Chicago Bulls: 30 greatest players in franchise history

By Jason Patt

PHOENIX - JUNE 20: NBA Commissioner David Stern presents Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls the championship trophy after the Bulls defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game Six of the 1993 NBA Finals on June 20, 1993 at America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX - JUNE 20: NBA Commissioner David Stern presents Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls the championship trophy after the Bulls defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game Six of the 1993 NBA Finals on June 20, 1993 at America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 30
Next
Clifford Ray, Chicago Bulls
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Chicago Bulls. Clifford Ray. 29. player. 24. . Center

Clifford Ray may not be a household name, but he was an effective anchor down low for the Bulls during the first three seasons of his 10-year NBA career. The Bulls selected Ray with the 40th pick in the 1971 NBA Draft, and he went on to make the All-Rookie first team after putting up 7.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. In the playoffs, he notched 15.3 points, 16.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in four games.

Ray put up similar numbers in his final two campaigns for the Bulls, and he also recorded 2.2 blocks per game in 1973-74 when the NBA first started recording blocked shots. The 6-foot-9 center stuffed the stat sheet and provided a stellar defensive presence in the middle, and he helped the Bulls get to their first Western Conference Finals in 1974.

Ray’s base statistics may not look all that impressive, but his contributions are magnified when looking at some of the advanced numbers. He racked up over eight Win Shares in all three seasons with the Bulls, per Basketball-Reference.com, and his .184 Win Shares per 48 Minutes place him fourth in Bulls history. Furthermore, his 4.8 Defensive Box Plus/Minus in 1973-74 was tops in the entire league.

The Bulls traded Ray to the Golden State Warriors for Nate Thurmond in 1974, and Ray and the Warriors beat the Bulls in the 1975 Western Conference Finals before winning a championship. Thurmond recorded the NBA’s first official quadruple-double in his Bulls debut, but he was traded early in the 1975-76 season while Ray stayed with Golden State for the rest of his career.

Home/Bulls All-Time Lists