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Who are the top 5 guys who stepped up their game the most during the playoffs? Extra points for multiple great runs and strong finals performances. Note that this is not the greatest playoff performers of all time, but the most improved from RS to playoffs.

Off the top of my head, must beat out:

Hakeem
Russell
Hagan/Sam Jones/Horry/Butler
West

Jordan, Hakeem, Reggie Miller, Lebron, Russell and West

Maybe if you must leave one out, you maybe leave West out due to durability?

penbeast0 wrote:Who are the top 5 guys who stepped up their game the most during the playoffs? Extra points for multiple great runs and strong finals performances. Note that this is not the greatest playoff performers of all time, but the most improved from RS to playoffs.

Off the top of my head, must beat out:

Hakeem
Russell
Hagan/Sam Jones/Horry/Butler
West

What sample do you want?
What measures do you trust?

Those will decide what the answers are. If you give me a solid answer on 1 (e.g. X minutes and or Y games) then I can give you the career (slightly junky because of years spread for sample size not even with RS sample spread) in the near full history (i.e. since minutes available - PER, WS/48) Reference composite risers for up to circa 4 years ago.

Wouldn't tilt towards finals myself, you have to win every round.

LukaTheGOAT wrote:Jordan, Hakeem, Reggie Miller, Lebron, Russell and West

Maybe if you must leave one out, you maybe leave West out due to durability?

Honestly, forgot Draymond.

Cliff Hagan is probably the most underrated postseason performer in playoffs history. He was a solid all-star player during the RS and he reached top 5 level consistently during that period (1957-61).

Jokic

Chronological order:

Russell
West
Jordan
Hakeem
James

I would say 30 playoff games would be a reasonable minimum when we are talking about elite. I won't give measures because the most accurate weren't available for much of basketball history and defensive measures are relatively unreliable.

I'd put Frazier in the conversation as well.

Statistically only 5 players did: Bron, Dirk, Luka, Hakeem, Jordan. Maybe Jokic, I'm not sure. Every other player saw his production dip or stay the same in the playoffs.

Dirk, Kawhi, Suns Nash, Gus Williams

Medbrat wrote:Statistically only 5 players did: Bron, Dirk, Luka, Hakeem, Jordan. Maybe Jokic, I'm not sure. Every other player saw his production dip or stay the same in the playoffs.

Luka hasn't played 30 playoff games yet (and that line was intentionally set pretty low).

What measure are you basing this on? I looked at BBR and using WS/48 (just as a short hand), Dirk didn't raise his, Cliff Hagan did. Didn't check the rest.

penbeast0 wrote:I would say 30 playoff games would be a reasonable minimum when we are talking about elite. I won't give measures because the most accurate weren't available for much of basketball history and defensive measures are relatively unreliable.

I'd put Frazier in the conversation as well.

Caveats games rather than minutes will skew to small minute players and in some cases early guys for whom the filter knows they played 30 games but is only generating metrics for the rate stats in a chunk of that ...

Top 5 PER leapers (through circa 2019)
DeJuan Blair
George Senesky
Patrick McCaw
Bobby Wanzer
Connie Simmons

Senesky RS only 3 years numbers included, playoffs only 1. Then again pre-minutes gets 2.7 WS over 29 games in the playoffs versus 18.4 over 298 games (so seemingly a step up ... also looks much stronger by OWS which is the more informed end - mixed yearly picture - gets 3.0 WS over first two years, then net -0.3 the next 3 shorter runs)

Wanzer again pre-minutes era looks strong. Largest minutes sample in the group just on known minutes.

Simmons again pre-minutes era looks strong.

Baron Davis the highest big minutes (north of 1000 known minutes) guy outside.

by WS/48
Patrick McCaw
DeJuan Blair
Jim Holstein
George Senesky
Pep Saul

New arrivals are older era again. Holstein wholly in the minutes era. Reserve on the Lakers. Seemed to up shooting so OWS not in the negative. Saul- off very small sample pre-minute (sample small enough that the rounding on WS could make a difference) - looks eyeballing to be holding steady in that time, improves in later years (shooting).

Again Davis first big minute guy on the outside. Wanzer immediately outside.

Davis and Wanzer and maybe Simmons might be the stories here. Not, so far as I'm aware, guys who tend to get raised by those who apparently tilt toward playoff performance.

Baron Davis did have a rep as a guy who had big playoffs,

"NBA Western Conference Playoffs: Baron Davis Plays the Hero"

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1109-nba-western-conference-playoffs-baron-davis-plays-the-hero

Medbrat wrote:Statistically only 5 players did: Bron, Dirk, Luka, Hakeem, Jordan. Maybe Jokic, I'm not sure. Every other player saw his production dip or stay the same in the playoffs.

How it is maybe for Jokic when all off his statistical numbers always go up in the post season. He's the ultimate play off performer , he plays better in the play off's than in the regular season. He was just unlucky last two season's playing alongside the guys that are out of the NBA now. His career number averages are 27p,12 rebounds and 7 assists, on 52,41,82 shooting.

Kawhi Leonard.

15/16
21.2 ppg --> 22.5 (+1.3)
.616 TS --> .597 (-1.9)
9.1 BPM --> 11.5 (+2.4)

16/17
25.5 ppg --> 27.7 (+2.2)
.610 TS --> .672 (+6.2)
9.4 BPM --> 14.2 (+4.8)

18/19
26.6 ppg --> 30.5 (+3.9)
.606 TS --> .619 (+1.3)
7.2 BPM --> 10.1 (+2.9)

19/20
27.1 ppg --> 28.2 (+1.1)
.589 TS --> .593 (+0.4)
8.9 BPM --> 9.4 (+0.5)

20/21
24.8 ppg --> 30.4 (+5.6)
.622 TS --> .679 (+5.7)
7.3 BPM --> 10.7 (+3.4)

22/23
23.8 ppg --> 34.5 (+10.7)
.623 TS --> .670 (+4.7)
6.1 BPM --> 13.8 (+7.7)

/close.

#1 on the list per the criteria should be Robert Horry.

Jamal Murray?









He and Jokic will CRUSH EVERY Nuggets playoff points and scoring record

Sam Cassell

Russell and Sam Jones have to be two of the GOATs, that's how it ended up 11 titles.

Jokic thus far has been an exceptional playoffs guy though was less valuable on defense in playoffs up until probably the last two years.