Latrinsorm
07-20-2013, 02:08 PM
Full box scores are available for 1984, 1988, 1994, 2005, 2010, 2013. This gives us 109 player-games, with the following players:
A.C. Green
Adrian Dantley
Andrew Bynum
Anthony Mason
Antonio McDyess
Ben Wallace
Bill Laimbeer
Boris Diaw
Brent Barry
Brian Scalabrine
Bruce Bowen
Byron Scott
Carl Herrera
Carlos Clark
Cedric Maxwell
Charles Oakley
Charles Smith
Chauncey Billups
Chris Andersen
Chris Bosh
Chris Jent
Cory Joseph
Danny Ainge
Danny Green
Darvin Ham
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Rodman
Derek Fisher
Derek Harper
Devin Brown
Dwyane Wade
Earl Cureton
Elden Campbell
Gary Neal
Gerald Henderson
Glen Davis
Greg Anthony
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hubert Davis
Isiah Thomas
Jamaal Wilkes
James Edwards
James Worthy
Joe Dumars
John Salley
John Starks
Jordan Farmar
Josh Powell
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kawhi Leonard
Kenny Smith
Kevin Garnett
Kevin McHale
Kobe Bryant
Kurt Rambis
Lamar Odom
Larry Bird
LeBron James
Lindsey Hunter
M.L. Carr
Magic Johnson
Manu Ginobili
Mario Chalmers
Mario Elie
Metta World Peace
Michael Cooper
Mike Miller
Mitch Kupchak
Mychal Thompson
Nate Robinson
Nazr Mohammed
Otis Thorpe
Patrick Ewing
Pau Gasol
Paul Pierce
Quinn Buckner
Rajon Rondo
Rasheed Wallace
Ray Allen
Richard Hamilton
Rick Mahorn
Robert Horry
Robert Parish
Ronald Dupree
Sam Cassell
Sasha Vujacic
Shane Battier
Shannon Brown
Swen Nater
Tayshaun Prince
Tiago Splitter
Tim Duncan
Tony Allen
Tony Parker
Udonis Haslem
Vernon Maxwell
Vinnie Johnson
As the dates suggest, the only players to be involved in two game 7s were members of the 80s Lakers, recent Spurs, and recent Celtics:
Byron Scott
James Worthy
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kurt Rambis
Magic Johnson
Manu Ginobili
Michael Cooper
Rasheed Wallace
Ray Allen
Robert Horry
Tim Duncan
Tony Parker
Alright, but who had the best game 7? We will first use the same simplified PER metric I have described before, and here is the top 10 in reverse order for players with 20 or more minutes played:
10. Tim Duncan 2013 (seriously, how has anyone ever thought Kobe was better?)
9. Robert Horry 2005
8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1984
7. John Salley 1988 (this stands out the most, but 17 points on 9 FGAs, tied for the 3rd most ORBs in this set at 5, one of only 16 players with 10+ rebounds. He didn't start, but he played the 2nd most minutes for the Pistons in that game so whatever.)
6. Manu Ginobili 2005
5. Magic Johnson 1988 - 19 points on 9 FGAs, only 5 rebounds, but 14 assists (only player with more than 10, did it twice), 2 steals.
Brief note: ranks 10 through 5 have simplified PERs of 28 through 30, the next 4 are 37, 39, 44, and 49.
4. Cedric Maxwell 1984 - 24 8 and 8, not the year he won Finals MVP!
3. Shane Battier 2013 - again, stands out some, but 18 points on 8 shots (all threes), 4 boards, no turnovers, only 1 foul, only 29 minutes played strengthens him for PER
2. LeBron James 2013 - 37 12 and 4
1. BIG GAME JAMES 1988 - 36 16(!) and 10(!). Only 1 player has had more rebounds in Finals game 7s since 1984 (Pau Gasol with 18), only 1 player has had more assists (Magic) (twice). Also tied for the second-most turnovers at 5 (Magic with 7 is #1).
Alright, that was not an incredibly convincing top 10. Has Professor Hollinger come up with any other metrics we could borrow for this? As it turns out, yes! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hollinger) The Game Score. Our top 10 looks mostly the same but mostly better:
10. Battier 2013 - 18
9. Salley 1988 - 18
8. Ginobili 2005 - 18
7. Pau Gasol 2010 - 19 (19 points, the aforementioned 18 rebounds, 4 assists to 1 turnover, led the team in rebounds, assists and blocks, best +/- of all starters, but let's give Kobe Finals MVP, he did have the 36th best Game Score and 50th best PER out of 75, that makes sense, no yeah, great, good, wonderful)
6. Kareem 1984 - 21
5. Duncan 2013 - 21 (SERIOUSLY)
4. Magic 1988 - 22
3. Cornbread 1984 - 27
2. LeBron 2013 - 33
1. Worthy 1988 - 35
I like that list better, it makes sense to give more pop to the guys with more MP if we're asking who had the best game (production) rather than who played the best in their game (efficiency).
A.C. Green
Adrian Dantley
Andrew Bynum
Anthony Mason
Antonio McDyess
Ben Wallace
Bill Laimbeer
Boris Diaw
Brent Barry
Brian Scalabrine
Bruce Bowen
Byron Scott
Carl Herrera
Carlos Clark
Cedric Maxwell
Charles Oakley
Charles Smith
Chauncey Billups
Chris Andersen
Chris Bosh
Chris Jent
Cory Joseph
Danny Ainge
Danny Green
Darvin Ham
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Rodman
Derek Fisher
Derek Harper
Devin Brown
Dwyane Wade
Earl Cureton
Elden Campbell
Gary Neal
Gerald Henderson
Glen Davis
Greg Anthony
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hubert Davis
Isiah Thomas
Jamaal Wilkes
James Edwards
James Worthy
Joe Dumars
John Salley
John Starks
Jordan Farmar
Josh Powell
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kawhi Leonard
Kenny Smith
Kevin Garnett
Kevin McHale
Kobe Bryant
Kurt Rambis
Lamar Odom
Larry Bird
LeBron James
Lindsey Hunter
M.L. Carr
Magic Johnson
Manu Ginobili
Mario Chalmers
Mario Elie
Metta World Peace
Michael Cooper
Mike Miller
Mitch Kupchak
Mychal Thompson
Nate Robinson
Nazr Mohammed
Otis Thorpe
Patrick Ewing
Pau Gasol
Paul Pierce
Quinn Buckner
Rajon Rondo
Rasheed Wallace
Ray Allen
Richard Hamilton
Rick Mahorn
Robert Horry
Robert Parish
Ronald Dupree
Sam Cassell
Sasha Vujacic
Shane Battier
Shannon Brown
Swen Nater
Tayshaun Prince
Tiago Splitter
Tim Duncan
Tony Allen
Tony Parker
Udonis Haslem
Vernon Maxwell
Vinnie Johnson
As the dates suggest, the only players to be involved in two game 7s were members of the 80s Lakers, recent Spurs, and recent Celtics:
Byron Scott
James Worthy
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kurt Rambis
Magic Johnson
Manu Ginobili
Michael Cooper
Rasheed Wallace
Ray Allen
Robert Horry
Tim Duncan
Tony Parker
Alright, but who had the best game 7? We will first use the same simplified PER metric I have described before, and here is the top 10 in reverse order for players with 20 or more minutes played:
10. Tim Duncan 2013 (seriously, how has anyone ever thought Kobe was better?)
9. Robert Horry 2005
8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1984
7. John Salley 1988 (this stands out the most, but 17 points on 9 FGAs, tied for the 3rd most ORBs in this set at 5, one of only 16 players with 10+ rebounds. He didn't start, but he played the 2nd most minutes for the Pistons in that game so whatever.)
6. Manu Ginobili 2005
5. Magic Johnson 1988 - 19 points on 9 FGAs, only 5 rebounds, but 14 assists (only player with more than 10, did it twice), 2 steals.
Brief note: ranks 10 through 5 have simplified PERs of 28 through 30, the next 4 are 37, 39, 44, and 49.
4. Cedric Maxwell 1984 - 24 8 and 8, not the year he won Finals MVP!
3. Shane Battier 2013 - again, stands out some, but 18 points on 8 shots (all threes), 4 boards, no turnovers, only 1 foul, only 29 minutes played strengthens him for PER
2. LeBron James 2013 - 37 12 and 4
1. BIG GAME JAMES 1988 - 36 16(!) and 10(!). Only 1 player has had more rebounds in Finals game 7s since 1984 (Pau Gasol with 18), only 1 player has had more assists (Magic) (twice). Also tied for the second-most turnovers at 5 (Magic with 7 is #1).
Alright, that was not an incredibly convincing top 10. Has Professor Hollinger come up with any other metrics we could borrow for this? As it turns out, yes! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hollinger) The Game Score. Our top 10 looks mostly the same but mostly better:
10. Battier 2013 - 18
9. Salley 1988 - 18
8. Ginobili 2005 - 18
7. Pau Gasol 2010 - 19 (19 points, the aforementioned 18 rebounds, 4 assists to 1 turnover, led the team in rebounds, assists and blocks, best +/- of all starters, but let's give Kobe Finals MVP, he did have the 36th best Game Score and 50th best PER out of 75, that makes sense, no yeah, great, good, wonderful)
6. Kareem 1984 - 21
5. Duncan 2013 - 21 (SERIOUSLY)
4. Magic 1988 - 22
3. Cornbread 1984 - 27
2. LeBron 2013 - 33
1. Worthy 1988 - 35
I like that list better, it makes sense to give more pop to the guys with more MP if we're asking who had the best game (production) rather than who played the best in their game (efficiency).