i just made this in a spreadsheet with the data from basketball-reference. i actually only used data from seasons between the ages of 22-33, avoiding the early seasons for early draft entrants and the older seasons for retired guys. minimum of a total of 5000 regular season minutes played. obviously not everyone's prime will be from 22-33 but picking out primes would require much more work. and this doesn't give credit for longevity and minutes per game for guys who put up big numbers in bigger minutes, but like i said, its just a simple, quick look at everybody.
Ah i see, i thought you meant you found that list somewhere. Cool stuff. Is there a specific reason you used per 48 stats?
the list was actually based on people in the top 200 of regular season WS/48 and then i added the other numbers to that list. iverson, penny, and cweb are all outside of the top 200. i added iverson in and now he's at 81 with everything included. he's probably the biggest PER and WS/48 difference you can find, given that PER rewards his massive volume shooting and WS/48 very much penalizes him for being inefficient.
just simpler to use and normalizes everything. most of the guys on this list play big enough minutes that this isn't comparing guys who played 40 MPG and guys who played 10 MPG where it might make a difference.
That's cool man, thanks for that list. Is that something you wanted to make for fun or do you feel it honestly represents a list of the best players ever based on the most important criteria in your opinion?
just for fun. PER and WS/48 are solid all-in-one numbers. each under- and over-emphasizes certain things so they may produce results different people may not agree with. but they are also dis-similar enough that using them both can average things out (like in iverson's case). adding them up and throwing in the playoffs will probably produce results that give a decent quick look at what people did during their primes. just like any list based on perception and the eye test, a list based on numbers won't be perfect. numbers can't account for everything. but they can certainly give people a chance to think twice when they can't believe a certain ranking.
The entire internet and espn has bought into it, top 10, top 100 lists, every other week another list.
Spoiler 100. Shawn Kemp 99. Kevin Love 98. Gail Goodrich 97. James Harden 96. Bobby Jones 95. Marc Gasol 94. Mark Price 93. Lenny Wilkens 92. Nate Thurmond 91. Maurice Cheeks 90. Paul Arizin 89. Yao Ming 88. Billy Cunningham 87. Chauncey Billups 86. Chris Bosh 85. Dave DeBusschere 84. Dennis Johnson 83. Chris Mullin 82. David Thompson 81. Sidney Moncrief 80. Grant Hill 79. Jerry Lucas 78. Sam Jones 77. Joe Dumars 76. Nate Archibald 75. Blake Griffin 74. Dolph Schayes 73. Dikembe Mutombo 72. Adrian Dantley 71. Pete Maravich 70. Artis Gilmore 69. Vince Carter 68. Bob Lanier 67. Dwight Howard 66. Chris Webber 65. Alonzo Mourning 64. Dennis Rodman 63. Tracy McGrady 62. Alex English 61. Manu Ginobili 60. Earl Monroe 59. Carmelo Anthony 58. Tony Parker 57. Robert Parrish 56. Pau Gasol 55. Dave Cowens 54. Bernard King 53. Wes Unseld 52. Bob McAdoo 51. Reggie Miller 50. Ray Allen 49. Russell Westbrook 48. Willis Reed 47. George Gervin 46. Allen Iverson 45. Paul Pierce 44. Dominique Wilkins 43. James Worthy 42. Bill Walton 41. Gary Payton 40. Elvin Hayes 39. Bob Cousy 38. Walt Frazier 37. Rick Barry 36. Clyde Drexler 35. Jason Kidd 34. Bob Petit 33. George Mikan 32. Patrick Ewing 31. Kevin McHale
Were getting closer! Curry guaranteed top 30 player of all time based on 1.5 great seasons! I wonder if he makes it in to the teens haha but most likely ESPN ranks him mid 20s. Ill guess 24.
If they're going purely by peak of play then I'd get it. The thing is...they aren't, which makes it ridiculous. But then again...we all know what the E in ESPN stands for...
I have no doubt that Curry will make a compelling case to be top 30 and likely top 20 by the end of his career but to put him up that high already is a reach
Curry really ruins the NBA for me. The LeBron hype 5-6 years ago was hella annoying too but atleast he deserved it. Curry shouldn't crack the top 50
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">8x NBA All-Star. 2x NBA MVP. <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveNash">@SteveNash</a> comes in at No. 30 in all-time <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBArank?src=hash">#NBArank</a>. <a href="https://t.co/uWybNMBo3W">pic.twitter.com/uWybNMBo3W</a></p>— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/694564362242113537">February 2, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">9x NBA All-Star <a href="https://twitter.com/CP3">@CP3</a> is No. 29 on all-time <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBArank?src=hash">#NBArank</a>. <a href="https://t.co/YH2VEqlvHI">pic.twitter.com/YH2VEqlvHI</a></p>— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/694585689749454848">February 2, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Getting closer to my top 25 prediction for Curry. Wonder if ESPN has the balls to put him top 15. I hope they do it
Curry already ahead of so many all time legends who put up at least 10 great legendary seasons while Curry is at 1.5 great seasons.
I do have quite a hard time believing curry is that high. I assume this list is supposed to be as of TODAY. If curry did not ever play another game as of right now he shouldn't be higher than Nash/Thomas/Wade. You could easily get away saying he will but as of today. Simply no. Perhaps the criteria is different for this and I don't know.
