Top 50 Peaks of all time

[KGtabake]

I have 2020, 2019 and 2022 Giannis over 2021 Giannis. Just saying. Good list.

[A_Fernz23]

1. 2013 LeBron
2. 1991 MJ
3. 2000 Shaq
4. 1977 Kareem
5. 1993 Hakeem
6. 1967 Wilt
7. 2016 Curry
8. 2003 Duncan
9. 1986 Bird
10. 1987 Magic
11. 1962 Russell
12. 2023 Jokic
13. 2008 Kobe
14. 1995 Robinson
15. 2017 KD
16. 2021 Giannis
17. 1966 West
18. 1977 Walton
19. 1964 Oscar
20. 2009 Wade
21. 2017 Kawhi
22. 2020 AD
23. 2015 CP3
24. 2011 Dirk
25. 2007 Nash
26. 2025 SGA
27. 2023 Embiid
28. 2019 Harden
29. 1976 Dr J
30. 1990 Charles
31. 2024 Luka
32. 1998 Karl
33. 2011 Dwight
34. 1983 Moses
35. 2003 T Mac
36. 1990 Ewing
37. 1995 Pippen
38. 2017 Westbrook
39. 1958 Petit
40. 2016 Draymond
41. 2000 Alonzo
42. 1972 Walt
43. 1975 Rick
44. 1970 Willis
45. 1975 Artis
46. 1974 Lanier
47. 1967 Thurmond
48. 1961 Baylor
49. 2023 Butler
50. 2021 Lillard

Rough list, a lot of interchangeable spots from 23-28, 35-40 and 41-50 for me. Was also considering Chris Webber in 02, 2019 PG13, Grant Hill and Kevin McHale

what is keeping grant hill from the top 50 for you?

Higher on Dame’s offense, Grant’s playoff resilience underwhelming whereas Dame was able to have solid runs in 2019 and 2021(Albeit for one series)

[A_Fernz23]

I have 2020, 2019 and 2022 Giannis over 2021 Giannis. Just saying. Good list.

That's fine, I slightly favour 2021 Giannis for the playoff sample and feel that he'd hold up better against defensive schemes like the Raptors put on him in 2019

[zimpy27]

What does the peak list look like if you can have multiple seasons from same player?

And what does it look like if a 2 season window is the minimum peak?

[A_Fernz23]

What does the peak list look like if you can have multiple seasons from same player?

And what does it look like if a 2 season window is the minimum peak?

My takes are pretty vanilla but I favour 60-62(Better post-season runs while having similar or slightly better regular seasons) Russ over 62-64, yes 64 is the GOAT team defensively relative to era but that wasn't solely Russell who is still the GOAT defender, Cousy was out and KC got significantly more playtime who's basically Alex Caruso with good passing and worse scoring, Tom Sanders and Havlicek also got more minutes and developed as players, those factors make a 3.6 improvement in Drtg more plausible esp in a more volatile era where we see more wacky numbers and Russ' offense tanked in the playoffs. In the footage I've been able to see of the 1964 Finals, I was more impressed by Wilt tbh, he played great defense whilst also carrying his team who couldn't make a shot to save their lives yet still tried to get them involved, Celtics were far better from a teamwork perspective. 2012-2014 (16-18 offensive peak slightly) Bron is my GOAT three year peak which I slightly favour over 89-91 MJ for defensive impact and I don't think the offensive gap is as wide which I'd slightly favour MJ for but even that's give or take for me, 76-78 Kareem, 02-03 Tim are givens for me. I favour 09 Wade over 06 on both ends, 06 simply had a better support cast. 94-96 Pippen, 15-17 Dray, 16-18 KD, 18-20 Harden, 06-08 Kobe, 93-95 Hakeem and 66-68 Wilt are some runs I also like

[trelos6]

I've been a little busy at work, but in my down time I decided to put together this sheet trying to summarize a few key stats for each player. Almost an "at a glance" look. The order isn't anything official, just how the names came out, and I know WS is a bad stat, but it's a nice enough catch all for the early players.

[A_Fernz23]

I've been a little busy at work, but in my down time I decided to put together this sheet trying to summarize a few key stats for each player. Almost an "at a glance" look. The order isn't anything official, just how the names came out, and I know WS is a bad stat, but it's a nice enough catch all for the early players.

Interesting, win shares tends to heavily inflate especially if you’re on a really good team and are seemingly blind, especially since someone like Jokic tops DWS lists

[trex_8063]

since the peaks project has been postponed indefinitely just as we started to get to the fun parts, I figured I would just share my greatest peaks list so the discussion could just go from there

1. 2012 LeBron James
2. 1991 Michael Jordan

3. 2000 Shaquille O'Neal
4. 1977 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. 2003 Tim Duncan
6. 1964 Wilt Chamberlain
7. 1994 Hakeem Olajuwon

8. 2016 Steph Curry
9. 2008 Kobe Bryant
10. 2023 Nikola Jokic
11. 1984 Larry Bird
12. 1987 Magic Johnson
13. Kevin Garnett
14. 1962 Bill Russell

15. 2009 Dwyane Wade
16. 1995 David Robinson

17. 1977 Bill Walton
18. 2017 Kevin Durant
19. 2021 Giannis Antetokounmpo
20. 2015 Chris Paul
21. 2019(?) Kawhi Leonard
22. 1966 Jerry West
23. 1964 Oscar Robertson

24. 2025 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
25. 2011 Dirk Nowitzki
26. 1976 Julius Erving
27. 2007 Steve Nash
28. 2020 James Harden
29. 2017 Russell Westbrook
30. 2020 Anthony Davis
31. 1998 Karl Malone
32. 2003 Tracy McGrady

33. 2023 Joel Embiid
34. 1993 Charles Barkley
35. 2000 Grant Hill
36. 2024 Luka Doncic

37. 1994 Scottie Pippen
38. 2003 Jason Kidd
39. 1990 Patrick Ewing
40. 1975 Rick Barry
41. 1975 Bob McAdoo
42. 1969 Willis Reed
43. 1996 Penny Hardaway
44. 1983 Moses Malone
45. 2011 Dwight Howard
46. 1963 Elgin Baylor

47. 1985 Isiah Thomas
48. 2000 Alonzo Mourning
49. 2019 Paul George
50. 1988 Kevin McHale
HMs: 2001 Allen Iverson, 2023 Jimmy Butler, 1972 Walt Frazier, 1991 John Stockton, 1969 John Havlicek

Lemme know if i missed anyone and I hope this can lead to some much needed good discussion (and hopefully not just repeats of the same mj bron and kobe debates the forum always find a way to get into)

Though I don't agree throughout, it's a fairly solid list, imo.

I likely have the same top 3 [in same order, probably]. My top 6 (or so) isn't much different......slightly different order, and Nikola Jokic has likely snuck somewhere into that top 5-10 range for me (I've not given it enough thought to say precisely where). Kevin Garnett also sneaks into that range, on one side or the other of Hakeem, imo. He's not the scoring threat that Hakeem is [particularly in the playoffs], though no slouch either. Nor is he as large a presence as a rim protector. otoh, defensively he's BETTER as a pnr defender, as a switchable versatile stopper, as a rotating 'be in the right spot to blow up the play before it's happened' defender, as a communicating floor general, and he's also a superior defensive rebounder. I think they're extremely comparable defensively. Offensively, while a lesser scorer, I think he's a better passer and screen-setter.

All-in-all, that lands them very closely placed for me.

I'm higher on Giannis and David Robinson than you are, too, and a little lower on Steph.
And I must admit I'm significantly lower on Kobe (based on your handle for this forum, this shouldn't be surprising). For me, Kobe is more comparable to the Kawhi's, Wade's, CP3's, TMac's and Durant's of this game (for peak; though ahead of all of them for career).

Later in your list [or HM's], I'd be a little higher on guys like Kevin McHale, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dwight Howard; lower on Grant Hill and Rick Barry [that latter possibly no longer in my top 50 at this point], also lower on Isiah Thomas [not a top 50 for me].

Though it must be said that the difference between #38 and #48, realistically, is considerably less than difference between #5 an #10, so.....lots of room for debate.

Few names that I think are worth at least an HM (and perhaps AHEAD OF '01 Allen Iverson, in particular) include:
Elton Brand ['06] (almost assuredly a top 50 peak to me; see my post in recent thread of him vs Jermaine O'Neal for reasons)
Bob Lanier ['74] (beastly that year)
Damian Lillard [take your pick of '18-'21, I guess]
George Gervin ['79]
John Stockton ['89]
Kevin Love ['14] (this season is slept on; he was ballin' like mad, though)
Clyde Drexler
Bob Pettit
Connie Hawkins

EDIT: On the topic of '01 Allen Iverson, I'd possibly put Ray Allen and Vince Carter ahead of him in that very same year. Allen, in particualr, I think was phenomenal that year.