Section B: Who Are The Best Players On Teams That Won And Contended For Titles?

[RealGM Articles]

 

Section B: Who are the Best Players on Championship and Contending Teams?

The first section established a list of the 117 best players in the NBA since 1955-56. This was done based upon regular season performances. Now we want to make a list of the very best players on the 58 NBA champions since 1955-56. To fill out the analysis and to see what patterns emerge we will also determine the best players on the teams that lost in the Finals and the best player on each of the two teams that lost in the conference finals every year. (In other words, the best players on each of the NBA’s “final four” teams every season.)

Finally, we will also determine the 2nd best player on the championship team every year, and the 2nd best player on the team that lost in the finals every year, to see what patterns emerge. So altogether, I am making six selections for every season since 1956-57.

I use the MVP vote standings and All-NBA team status, rather than my own opinion, to pick a winner in every case where possible. In most cases it was a no-brainer without even relying upon the MVP or All-NBA data. A few times data was not helpful and I had to use my own judgment, using team statistics for the season. There was one truly difficult decision: who was the best player on the 1990 Pistons? Isiah Thomas or Joe Dumars? In every respect they were almost identical. After consulting a few Pistons aficionados, I went with Isiah, but it was basically a coin toss. It has no bearing on the overall findings.

	Best	2nd	Best	2nd Best RUp	ECF &
Year	Player	Best	Runner-up	(if superstar)	WCF best
13---	James	Wade	Duncan	Parker	Hibbert & M. Gasol
12---	James	Wade	Durant	Westbrook	Rondo & Parker
11---	Nowitzki	Chandler	James	Wade	Rose & Durant
10---	Bryant	Gasol	Rondo	Garnett	Howard & Nash
09---	Bryant	Gasol	Howard		James & Billups
08--	Garnett	Pierce	Bryant		Billups & Duncan
07---	Duncan	Ginobili	James		Billups & Boozer
06---	Wade	S. O’Neal	Nowitzki		Billups & Nash
05---	Duncan	Parker	B. Wallace	Billups	S. O’Neal & Nash
04---	B. Wallace	Billups	S. O’Neal	Bryant	J. O’Neal & Garnett
03---	Duncan	Robinson	Kidd		B. Wallace & Nowitzki
02---	S. O’Neal	Bryant	Kidd		Pierce & Webber
01---	S. O’Neal	Bryant	Iverson		R. Allen & Duncan
00---	S. O’Neal	Bryant	Rose		Houston & R. Wallace
99---	Duncan	Robinson	Ewing		R. Miller &  R. Wallace
98---	Jordan	Pippen	K. Malone	Stockton	R. Miller & S. O’Neal
97---	Jordan	Pippen	K. Malone	Stockton	Hardaway & Olajuwon
96---	Jordan	Pippen	Payton	Kemp	S. O’Neal & K. Malone
95---	Olajuwon	Drexler	S. O’Neal	Hardaway	R. Miller & Robinson
94---	Olajuwon	O. Thorpe	Ewing		R. Miller & K. Malone
93---	Jordan	Pippen	Barkley	K. Johnson	Ewing & Kemp
92---	Jordan	Pippen	Drexler		Price & K. Malone
91---	Jordan	Pippen	Magic		Dumars & Drexler
90---	Thomas	Dumars	Drexler		Jordan & Chambers
89---	Thomas	Dumars	Magic		Jordan & K. Johnson
88---	Magic	Scott	Thomas	Dumars	Bird & Aguirre
87---	Magic	Abdul-Jabbar	Bird	McHale	Thomas & D. Ellis
86---	Bird	McHale	Olajuwon	Sampson	Moncrief & Magic
85---	Magic	Abdul-Jabbar	Bird	McHale	M. Malone & English
84---	Bird	Parish	Magic	A-Jabbar	Moncrief & W. Davis
83---	M. Malone	Erving	Magic	A-Jabbar	Moncrief & Gervin
82---	Magic	Abdul-Jabbar	Erving	B. Jones	Bird & Gervin
81---	Bird	Parish	M. Malone		Erving & Birdsong
80---	Abdul-Jabbar	Magic	Erving	B. Jones	Bird & G. Williams
79---	D. Johnson	G. Williams	Hayes		Gervin & Westphal
78---	Hayes	Unseld	G. Williams	D. Johnson	Erving & Thompson
77---	Walton	M. Lucas	Erving	McGinniss	Malone & Abdul-Jabbar
76---	Cowens	Havlicek	Westphal		Chones & Barry
75---	Barry	Wilkes	Hayes	Unseld	Cowens & Van Lier
74---	Cowens	Havlicek	Abdul-Jabbar	Robertson	Frazier & B. Love
73---	Frazier	DeBusschere	West	Wilt C.	Cowens & Barry
72---	West	Chamberlain	Frazier	Lucas	Havlicek & A-Jabbar
71---	Abdul-Jabbar	Robertson	Monroe	Unseld	Reed & West
70---	Reed	Frazier	West	Wilt C.	A-Jabbar & Hudson
69---	Russell	Havlicek	Baylor	Wilt C.	Reed & Beatty
68---	Russell	Havlicek	Baylor	West	Wilt C. & Thurmond
67---	Chamberlain	Greer	Barry	Thurmond	Russell & Bridges
66---	Russell	S. Jones	West	Baylor	Chamberlain & Beatty
65---	Russell	S. Jones	West	Baylor	Greer & Bellamy
64---	Russell	S. Jones	Chamberlain		Robertson & Pettit
63---	Russell	Cousy	Baylor	West	Robertson & Pettit
62---	Russell	Cousy	West	Baylor	Wilt C. & B. Howell
61---	Russell	Heinsohn	Pettit	Hagan	Schayes & Baylor
60---	Russell	Cousy	Pettit	Hagan	Chamberlain & Baylor
59---	Russell	Cousy	Baylor		Schayes & Pettit
58---	Pettit	Hagan	Russell	Cousy	Arizin & Yardley
57---	Cousy	Russell	Pettit		Schayes & Lovellette
56---	Arizin	Johnston	Yardley		Schayes & Pettit

 

Now that we have determined who the best players have been on the NBA’s “final four” teams for the past 52 years we get to the fun part: seeing how many of these players rank on the super-elite list of superstars complied in part one. I hope you are sitting down.

Platinum Medal Superstars

	Best	2nd	Best	2nd Best	ECF &
	Player	Best	Runner-Up	Runner-Up	WCF Best
1. Michael Jordan	6				2
2. Bill Russell	10	1	1		1
3. K. Abdul-Jabbar	2	3	1	2	3
4. Larry Bird	3		2		3
5. LeBron James	2		2		1
6. Magic Johnson	4	1	4		1
6. Bob Pettit	1		3		4
8. David Robinson		2			1
9. Kobe Bryant	2	3	1	1
9. Tim Duncan	4		1		2
11. Jerry West	1		5	2	1
12. Wilt Chamberlain	1	1	1	3	4
13. Bob Cousy	1	4		1
13a. Bill Walton	1
Platinum Medal
Superstar totals:	38	15	21	9	23
Total Seasons	58	58	58	58	116

Gold Medal Superstars

	Best	2nd	Best	2nd Best	ECF &
	Player	Best	Runner-Up	Runner-Up	WCF Best
13. Karl Malone			2		3
14. Kevin Durant			1		1
15. Elgin Baylor			4	3	2
17. Oscar Robertson		1		1	2
18. Shaquille O’Neal	3	1	2		3
19. Dwight Howard			1		1
20. Hakeem Olajuwon	2		1		1
21. Julius Erving		1	3		2
22. Chris Paul
23. Bill Sharman*
24. Kevin Garnett	1			1	1
25. Moses Malone	1		1		2
26. Dolph Schayes*					4
27. George Gervin					3
28. Dirk Nowitzki	1		1		1
29. John Havlicek		4			1
29. Charles Barkley			1		2
31. Walt Frazier	1	1	1		1
31a. Sidney Moncrief					3
31b. Maurice Stokes
Gold Medal
Superstar totals:	9	8	18	5	33
Total Seasons	58	58	58	58	116

Silver Medal Superstars

	Best	2nd	Best	2nd Best	ECF &
	Player	Best	Runner-Up	Runner-Up	WCF Best
32. John Stockton				2
33. Gary Payton			1
34. Dwyane Wade	1	2		1
35. Tracy McGrady
36. Steve Nash					3
36. Patrick Ewing			2		1
38. Scottie Pippen		6
39. Rick Barry	1		1		2
40. Paul Arizin*	1				1
40. Derrick Rose					1
42. Jason Kidd			2
43. Nate Archibald
44. Dave Cowens	2				2
45. Bob McAdoo
46. Elvin Hayes	1		2
47. Grant Hill
48. Allen Iverson			1
49. Isiah Thomas	2		1		1
50. Ben Wallace	1		1		1
51. Alonzo Mourning
62. Sam Jones		3
53. Dominique Wilkins
54. Dennis Rodman
55. Spencer Haywood*
56. Amare Stoudemire
57. Billy Cunningham
58. Blake Griffin
58a. Willis Reed	1				2
58b. George Yardley			1		1
58c. David Thompson					1
58d. Gus Johnson
58e. Neil Johnston		1
58g. Paul Westphal			1		1
58f. Mark Price					1
Silver Medal
Superstar totals:	10	12	13	1	18
Total Seasons	58	58	58	57	116

 

Bronze Medal Superstars

	Best	2nd	Best	2nd Best	ECF &
	Player	Best	Runner-Up	Runner-Up	WCF Best
59. Dennis Johnson	1				1
60. Rajon Rondo			1		1
61. Pete Maravich
62. Chris Webber					1
62. Clyde Drexler		1	2		1
64. Carmelo Anthony
64. Jerry Lucas				1
66. Russell Westbrook				1
67. Kevin McHale		1		2
68. Tim Hardaway					1
69. Dave Bing
70. Alex English					1
70. Bernard King
72. Norm Van Lier					1
72. Nate Thurmond					1
74. Tony Parker		1		1
74. Anfernee Hardaway				1
74. Tommy Heinsohn		1
77. Marques Johnson
78. Dikembe Mutombo
79. Bobby Jones				2
79. Robert Parish		2
81. Hal Greer		1			1
81. Jack Twyman
81. Richie Guerin
84. Shawn Kemp				1	1
85. Kevin Love
86. Manu Ginobili		1
86. Chauncey Billups		1		1	4
86. Joe Dumars		2		1	1
86. Wes Unseld		1		2
86. Dave DeBusschere		1
86. Manu Ginobili		1
92. Bob Lanier
93. Paul Pierce		1			2
94. Chris Mullin
95. Gus Williams		1	1		1
95a. Kevin Johnson				1	1
95b. Cliff Hagan		1		2
95c. George McGinnis				1
95d. Yao Ming
95e.  M.R. Richardson
95f.  Gilbert Arenas
95g. Gene Shue
95h. Ralph Sampson				1
95i.  Brandon Roy
95j.  Jermaine O’Neal					1
95k. Bob Love					1
95l.  Artis Gilmore
Bronze Medal
Superstar totals:	1	17	4	20	20
Total Seasons	58	58	58	58	116

 

	Best	2nd	Best	2nd Best	ECF &
	Player	Best	Runner-Up	Runner-Up	WCF Best
Platinum	38	15	21	9	23
Gold	9	8	18	5	33
Silver	10	12	13	1	18
Bronze	1	17	4	20	20
Combined
Superstar
Totals:	58	52	56	35	94
Total Seasons	58	58	58	58	116
All Other NBA
Players
Totals:	0	6	2	23	22
Total Seasons	58	58	58	58	116

 

Now ponder this above chart for a few moments. The implications are so striking, they approach being self-evident. Even if one quibbles with the precise accuracy of the superstar list I have complied, this is nowhere near the gray area; the results are striking, overwhelming, and undeniable. 

For starters: every single NBA champion has been led by a player on this list. So if your team does not have as its best player one of these guys, or someone likely to get on the list, your chances are virtually nil.

It gets worse, or better, depending if your team has one of these guys. It is not just about winning titles; it is about getting within sniffing distance of winning titles.  All but one of the losers in the NBA Finals since 1955-56 have featured one of these superstars. (The 1970 Bullets, who lost in the Finals, had superstar Wes Unseld as their 2^nd best player, and non-superstar Earl Monroe as their best player.) The exception? The 2000 Pacers. So dig this: only one of the 116 teams that have played in the NBA Finals did not have a player from the superstar list in his functional prime. There is more: Eighty percent of the 116 teams that lost in the conference finals over the past 57 years – the first two losers in the NBA’s “final four” so to speak – were led by players from this list.

And that barely begins to capture was a gated community NBA championships live in. The closer to the top of the superstar 95 list, the more likely a player is to being the best player on a championship team. The closer to the bottom of this list of superstars, the more likely the player is on the outside looking in. Fully 107 of the 116 Finals teams had at least a qualifying silver medal superstar as their best player; i.e. basically an all-time top 60 player. And if a team does not have a player is his prime from this list, or soon to be on this list, they have but a slim chance to even make the conference finals, let alone dream about playing in the finals or winning a title.

It is a merciless system weighted toward the superstar.

It is not just having a platinum or gold superstar that matters, it is having additional superstars that separates the champions from the pretenders. Now let’s look at how many superstars have been on each NBA championship team or runner-up. These are all active superstars, meaning they have played qualifying minutes and are not over-age; hence Gary Payton’s year with the Heat in 2006 does not count, nor does Manu Ginobili’s in 2013 or Jason Kidd’s in 2011, nor Kareem’s seasons in 1987 and 1988.

P= Platinum

G= Gold

S= Silver

B= Bronze

T= Total

 

Year	Champion	P—G—S—B—T	Runner-Up	P—G—S—B—T
2013	Heat	1—0—1—0—2	Spurs	1—0—0—1—2
2012	Heat	1—0—1—0—2	Thunder	0—1—0—1—2
2011	Mavericks	0—1—0—0—1	Heat	1—0—1—0—2
2010	Lakers	1—0—0—0—1	Celtics	0—1—0—2—3
2009	Lakers	1—0—0—0—1	Magic	0—1—0—0—1
2008	Celtics	0—1—0—2—3	Lakers	1—0—0—0—1
2007	Spurs	1—0—0—2—3	Cavaliers	1—0—0—0—1
2006	Heat	0—1—1—0—2	Mavericks	0—1—0—0—1
2005	Spurs	1—0—0—2—3	Pistons	0—0—1—1—2
2004	Pistons	0—0—1—1—2	Lakers	1—1—1—0—3
2003	Spurs	1—0—0—1—2	Nets	0—0—1—0—1
2002	Lakers	1—1—0—0—2	Nets	0—0—1—0—1
2001	Lakers	1—1—0—0—2	Sixers	0—0—1—0—1
2000	Lakers	1—1—0—0—2	Pacers	0—0—0—0—0
1999	Spurs	2—0—0—0—2	Knicks	0—0—1—0—1
1998	Bulls	1—0—1—0—2	Jazz	0—1—1—0—2
1997	Bulls	1—0—2—0—3	Jazz	0—1—1—0—2
1996	Bulls	1—0—2—0—3	Sonics	0—0—1—1—2
1995	Rockets	0—1—0—1—2	Magic	0—1—0—1—2
1994	Rockets	0—1—0—0—1	Knicks	0—0—1—0—1
1993	Bulls	1—0—1—0—2	Suns	0—1—0—1—2
1992	Bulls	1—0—1—0—2	Blazers	0—0—0—1—1
1991	Bulls	1—0—1—0—2	Lakers	1—0—0—0—1
1990	Pistons	0—0—2—1—3	Blazers	0—0—0—1—1
1989	Pistons	0—0—2—1—3	Lakers          1—0—0—0—1
1988	Lakers	1—0—0—0—1	Pistons	0—0—2—1—3
1987	Lakers	1—0—0—0—1	Celtics	1—0—0—3—4
1986	Celtics	1—0—0—3—4	Rockets	0—1—0—1—2
1985	Lakers	2—0—0—0—2	Celtics	1—0—0—3—4
1984	Celtics	1—0—0—3—4	Lakers	2—0—0—0—2
1983	Sixers	0—2—0—1—3	Lakers	2—0—0—0—2
1982	Lakers	2—0—0—0—2	Sixers	0—1—0—1—2
1981	Celtics	1—0—1—2—4	Rockets	0—1—0—0—1
1980	Lakers	2—0—0—0—2	Sixers	0—1—0—1—2
1979	Sonics	0—0—0—2—2	Bullets	0—0—1—1—2
1978	Bullets	0—0—1—1—2	Sonics	0—0—0—2—2
1977	Blazers	1—0—0—0—1	Sixers	0—1—0—1—2
1976	Celtics	0—1—1—0—2	Suns	0—0—1—0—1
1975	Warriors	0—0—1—0—1	Bullets	0—0—1—1—2
1974	Celtics	0—1—1—0—2	Bucks	1—1—0—0—2
1973	Knicks	0—1—1—1—3	Lakers	2—0—0—0—2
1972	Lakers	2—0—0—0—2	Knicks	0—1—1—1—3
1971	Bucks	1—1—0—0—2	Bullets	0—0—0—1—1
1970	Knicks	0—1—1—1—3	Lakers	2—0—0—0—2
1969	Celtics	1—1—0—0—2	Lakers	2—1—0—0—3
1968	Celtics	1—1—1—0—3	Lakers	1—1—0—0—2
1967	Sixers	1—0—2—0—3	Warriors	0—0—1—1—2
1966	Celtics	1—1—1—0—3	Lakers	1—1—0—0—2
1965	Celtics	1—1—1—0—3	Lakers	1—1—0—0—2
1964	Celtics	1—1—1—1—4	Warriors	1—0—0—1—2
1963	Celtics	2—1—1—1—5	Lakers	1—1—0—0—2
1962	Celtics	2—0—1—1—4	Lakers	1—1—0—0—2
1961	Celtics	2—0—1—1—4	Hawks	1—0—1—0—2
1960	Celtics	2—1—0—2—5	Hawks	1—0—1—0—2
1959	Celtics	2—1—0—1—4	Lakers	0—1—0—0—1
1958	Hawks	1—0—1—0—2	Celtics	2—1—0—1—4
1957	Celtics	2—1—0—1—4	Hawks	1—0—1—0—2

The seven teams that have won titles without a platinum or gold medal superstar are often called “ensemble” teams because they had a cast where the third or fourth player was not that much worse than the first or second player.

Maybe the vast majority of teams that do not have a top-30 all-time player in his prime on their roster can aspire to developing an “ensemble team,” right? Then, you have a shot. Maybe there is hope for the two dozen or so NBA teams that do not have James, Durant, Howard or Paul—or Bryant, Nowitzki, or Duncan (if still in their primes). Or the teams led by the few young players may vault into this group in the next few years, from the likes of Rose, Griffin, Westbrook, and maybe Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving.

Well, not really. The “ensemble” option is almost as difficult as having a platinum or gold caliber superstar.

One of the seven “ensemble” champions was led by Rick Barry, and had he spent the five seasons he was out of the NBA pursuing an ABA career from age 23 to age 28 he would certainly be a top-30 gold medal player. So toss that one out.

Two of remaining seven “ensemble” champions—the legendary Bad Boy Pistons of 1989 and 1990—had two silver and one bronze superstar on them. There are no present NBA teams that have two silver and one bronze superstar in their primes on their roster. No one is close. Those were truly great teams.

The four remaining “ensemble” champions each had two silver or bronze superstars in their prime on their rosters. How may present NBA teams even meet that standard to try to make it as an “ensemble” champion? The Knicks, if Stoudemire is healthy, would be the only one that might then challenge the platinum and gold superstar led teams. And as one who has seen a lot of Knicks basketball in recent years, I can tell you that this Knicks team only wins an NBA title in 2014 or 2015 if all of the legitimate contenders with a gold or platinum superstar falter, through injuries or dissension.

And that is how “ensemble” teams generally win NBA titles: they get through in flukes like the 2004 Pistons when the superior Lakers imploded or like the Bullets and Sonics in the late 70s when the league was “between” superstars.

And here is another factor the above data indicates that doubles the height of the walls around the gated community where NBA championship contenders reside: it is not just having a platinum or gold superstar that matters. That is necessary but not sufficient. A champion generally requires at least one or two more superstars from this list to contend and to win.

Most championship teams have at least two players from the glorious 95 list on their roster. (The dynasty Celtics of the 60s had as many as five in a single season—with two platinum stars—topped off by Bill Russell. No wonder they could vanquish a Lakers team with platinum and gold medal superstars Jerry West and Elgin Baylor and, later, Wilt Chamberlain. If Bill Russell had never been born, those Laker teams probably would have won five or six titles in the 60s.) It is striking how many teams have two superstars of at least silver status.

If you are a fan of a team with a platinum of gold superstar in his prime, life is good. It is very good, especially if your team has at least one other superstar in his prime on the roster.

The vast majority of NBA teams have no superstars at all on their roster. Is their future is to play the hapless Washington Generals for the next generation of superstar-led teams? Maybe hope to get lucky once or twice a decade and get a couple of rounds into the playoffs before their inevitable demise? Fill their fanbase with a lot of propaganda about how they just need another piece and some more experience to win a flag?  Probably. But smart GMs understand the superstar thesis and take steps to increase their odds dramatically. We will discuss those teams and those measures in part two.