1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

[ESPN.com]50 Greatest Individual Postseasons in NBA (Hakeem)

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Nimo, Jun 6, 2018.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Nimo

    Nimo Member

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2012
    Messages:
    13,392
    Likes Received:
    7,056
    http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...est-individual-postseasons-modern-nba-history

    When it comes to historic player performances, the conference playoffs get no love. You can name and debate the best regular seasons and the best NBA Finals efforts, but the best overall postseason run doesn't spark the imagination quite the same way.

    The same is true in terms of awards. The best regular seasons are rewarded with the MVP, and there's an MVP of the NBA Finals, but save for the award Bill Simmons invented in "The Book of Basketball," there's nothing to honor the best playoff runs.

    Which is what brings us here. Using my wins above replacement player (WARP) metric, we've ranked the best overall postseason performances dating to 1978, the first year the NBA tracked a full box score, including player turnovers.

    WARP is up to the task because it considers both quality and quantity of performance. For example, Tim Duncan was better on a per-minute basis in the 2007 playoffs (when he had a 27.4 player efficiency rating) than in 1999 (25.1). But the 23-year-old Duncan was able to log 43.1 minutes per game in the 1999 postseason as opposed to a relatively cushy 36.8 minutes per game in 2007, when he was already 31. Those extra six minutes a game Duncan kept backup Will Perdue on the bench mattered to the San Antonio Spurs, and using WARP credits him for it.

    I did make one adjustment to the overall WARP totals. It's unfair to give players credit for playing more games in each series simply because they needed more time to eliminate their opponents. For example, Duncan and the Spurs played 24 games en route to the 2003 title, while Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers needed 16 to win in 2001. Both teams get the same trophy, so they should get equal credit. To do that -- and also adjust for best-of-five and best-of-three series in previous decades -- I prorated each series to an average of six games.

    Since the goal of a postseason run is the title, I also added 1 WARP for champions. And, though it doesn't always go to the player who was best in the playoffs, I also awarded a 0.5 WARP bonus to each year's Finals MVP.

    With that, we have a ranking of the greatest individual playoff runs in modern NBA history. Let's take a look -- while saving a spot for LeBron James, whose 2018 postseason is on pace to rank in the top 20 even if the Cleveland Cavaliers lose the NBA Finals.

     
    #1 Nimo, Jun 6, 2018
    B-Bob and Invisible Fan like this.
  2. Verbal Christ

    Verbal Christ Member

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2009
    Messages:
    19,925
    Likes Received:
    31,269
    Will Harden ever make one of these lists? Sigh. :(
     
    #2 Verbal Christ, Jun 6, 2018
  3. xaos

    xaos Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2015
    Messages:
    6,603
    Likes Received:
    16,450
    I was expecting an Allen Iverson appearance in there
     
    #3 xaos, Jun 6, 2018
  4. tinman

    tinman 999999999
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 1999
    Messages:
    104,125
    Likes Received:
    46,988
    1994
    Dream won the Finals MVP, Regular Season MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year

    Greatest!
     
    #4 tinman, Jun 6, 2018
    KelvinCato13, 1Deep and Voltik like this.
  5. RocketsFido

    RocketsFido Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2013
    Messages:
    10,412
    Likes Received:
    12,601
    Dream 95's is ranked way too low and Lebron's heat run is at #2? rofl. He played with a superteam, none of these superteam wins should be in top 10.
     
    #5 RocketsFido, Jun 6, 2018
    arubato likes this.
  6. BigggReddd

    BigggReddd Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2012
    Messages:
    5,084
    Likes Received:
    6,048
    THIS LIST IS WACK
     
    #6 BigggReddd, Jun 6, 2018
    B-Bob likes this.
  7. BigggReddd

    BigggReddd Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2012
    Messages:
    5,084
    Likes Received:
    6,048
    Dirk 2011 isn't even on this list?!!!!? WACK!
     
    #7 BigggReddd, Jun 6, 2018
  8. cheshire

    cheshire Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2001
    Messages:
    1,051
    Likes Received:
    396
    Dream's 1995 epic demolition job should rank higher on account of the teams disposed of (60, 59, 62 and 57 wins). That's four teams with a combined 238 wins in the regular season (average 59.5 wins per team)! Not to mention, four MVP's that Dream decided won't be taking his trophy that year. The team of destiny, heart of champions.
     
    #8 cheshire, Jun 7, 2018
    tinman likes this.
  9. JMAD21

    JMAD21 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2010
    Messages:
    4,288
    Likes Received:
    870
    Zero of LeBrons teammates on the list! Wade 06 made the list, but none of Wade with LeBron.

    8 times he's gone to the finals, not once has a teammate had a dominant postseason... More proof that he's the goat!
     
    #9 JMAD21, Jun 7, 2018
    BigggReddd likes this.
  10. JMAD21

    JMAD21 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2010
    Messages:
    4,288
    Likes Received:
    870
    That has to be an oversight, right? lol

    I hate Dirk but his 2011 run was incredible!
     
    #10 JMAD21, Jun 7, 2018
    BigggReddd likes this.
  11. Severe Rockets Fan

    Severe Rockets Fan Takin it one stage at a time...

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2001
    Messages:
    5,923
    Likes Received:
    1,490
    Huh? Besides Shaq and Kobe...how many others can say that too?
     
    #11 Severe Rockets Fan, Jun 7, 2018
  12. tinman

    tinman 999999999
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 1999
    Messages:
    104,125
    Likes Received:
    46,988
    Yes as a pure Rockets fan
    I can validate your take on 95.
    It was the greatest Rockets performance of all time
    And yes he played defense and never tired out even with Ramadan

    We know why this place is called Clutchfans
     
    #12 tinman, Jun 7, 2018
  13. Game7

    Game7 Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2015
    Messages:
    711
    Likes Received:
    1,070
    He made an appearance...photographed next to Kobe.
     
    #13 Game7, Jun 7, 2018
  14. Swapshop

    Swapshop Member

    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2016
    Messages:
    3,878
    Likes Received:
    4,607
    James Harden on there? LUL JK
     
    #14 Swapshop, Jun 7, 2018
  15. saleem

    saleem Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2001
    Messages:
    30,218
    Likes Received:
    14,657
    Yes, no other player in the history of the NBA has yet to achieve this feat.
     
    #15 saleem, Jun 7, 2018
    tinman likes this.
  16. blackistan

    blackistan Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    2,188
    Likes Received:
    799
    For anyone thinking of trying to debate Harden/Olajuwon
     
    #16 blackistan, Jun 7, 2018
  17. Nimo

    Nimo Member

    Joined:
    Jul 16, 2012
    Messages:
    13,392
    Likes Received:
    7,056
    Clyde being on the team probably dropped his rating a bit.
     
    #17 Nimo, Jun 7, 2018
  18. tinman

    tinman 999999999
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 1999
    Messages:
    104,125
    Likes Received:
    46,988
    I don’t trust ratings
    Unless they are from pure sources
     
    #18 tinman, Jun 7, 2018
  19. JMAD21

    JMAD21 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2010
    Messages:
    4,288
    Likes Received:
    870
    Pippen was on mentioned multiple (I think 3) times.

    I just meant it as a LeBron Vs MJ point.
     
    #19 JMAD21, Jun 7, 2018
  20. tinman

    tinman 999999999
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 1999
    Messages:
    104,125
    Likes Received:
    46,988
    This thread is about the glory of the Dream

    however, haters have high jacked it

    You can basically thank Hakeem for Clutchfans
     
    #20 tinman, Jun 7, 2018
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page