Best playoff run - Wade vs Butler vs Kobe

[One_and_Done]

Which of these 3 guys had the best playoff run in a single playoffs? Who carried their team more?

[tsherkin]

Struggling to think of a Jimmy run which would compete with 06 Wade or 08 Kobe.

[One_and_Done]

Struggling to think of a Jimmy run which would compete with 06 Wade or 08 Kobe.

Given the stronger league I'm leaning towards all 3 of Butler's runs tbh.

[NbaAllDay]

I never thought of any of Butlers run as anything peak historically. He overachiever for this 'regular season' self and had monster games/series but did he ever do it on the level of Wade/Kobes best? Would have to look deeper but I doubt it.

[tsherkin]

Struggling to think of a Jimmy run which would compete with 06 Wade or 08 Kobe.

Given the stronger league I'm leaning towards all 3 of Butler's runs tbh.

You're welcome to it, but I won't agree with that.

[Matt15]

1. ’06 Wade
2. ’09 Kobe
Gap
3. Any Butler run

[LukaTheGOAT]

I lean:

1. 06 Wade
2. 09 Kobe
3. Random Butler run

I think 08 Kobe is maybe a bit better than 09 Kobe, but I guess 09 was better because he didn't have to run into that special 08 Celtics defense (though 09 Orlando was still great). 01 Kobe also deserves a shout, although I think he benefitted from Shaq who was a strong MVP level guy being by his side, compared to 06 Shaq who was more of an all-nba type of guy next to Wade.

I think Wade was better in the PS, and he his RS plays backs the idea he was maybe just the better player.

06 RS Wade

RAPTOR-9.16
BPM-7.7
PIPM-7.24
Englemann PI RAPM-6.1
TWPR-35.63

09 RS Kobe

RAPTOR-6.7
BPM-5.9
PIPM-4.83
PI RAPM-6.1
TWPR-33.21

Wade is also higher in Cryptbeam's RAPM http://www.cryptbeam.com/rapm/

Wade in the 06 postseason, Inflation Adjusted (adjusted to a 110-league average).

•) 29.1 points
•) 6.0 rebounds
•) 5.8 assists
•) 2.2 steals
•) 1.1 blocks
•) +7.6 opp. adjusted rTS%
•) +22.2 on-off net swing

PS PIPM-5.54
PS RAPTOR-9.88
PS BPM-9.3
PS AuPM/G-6

PS EPM 5-Game Moving Averages range: 3.2 to 5.5

09 Kobe, Inflation Adjusted (adjusted to a 110-league average).

•) 30.7 points
•) 5.4 rebounds
•) 5.6 assists
•) +3.6 relative true shooting
•) +14.05 offensive swing

PS PIPM-4.23
PS RAPTOR-9.08
PS BPM-9.1
PS AuPM/G-5.6

PS EPM 5-Game Moving Averages range: 1.9-3.6

What is even more remarkable about Wade's 06 PS run that he won a championship with was that his PS Cast's AuPM/G was a solid negative (Relative AuPM value of the 2nd through the 8th-best player on a team, among players who logged at least 40 percent of team’s minutes. Value is relative to +0.75.). This means that his cast was below average (0 is average), by a notable margin, yet he was able to take such a team to championship heights at such a young age.

For reference for how historical a feat this is, AuPM/G goes back to 1997 and goes until 2021. Wade's 06 supporting cast is the WEAKEST EVER to win a championship in the stat's history according to the article on the Backpicks site. 06 Wade's run was nothing short of amazing.

Of course, I would be remiss to not mention that Kobe faced an average defense of -3.3 rDRtg in his PS run, which might be the hardest slate of defenses a team has ever had to go through to win a championship. I certainly value this data point, however against someone like Wade, I am not sure if that boosts him as much as I think Wade is among the more resilient guards ever when healthy in the PS. https://elgee35.wordpress.com/tag/playoffs/

Wade also showed good rim-protection instincts early on in his career. He was like a pseudo-big out there, and I think he added notable value there. I think the defensive edge Wade has over Kobe this season, swings things more so in his direction.

Read on Twitter

Kevin Pelton ranked the greatest PS runs ever based on a metric he developed and 06 Wade was actually higher than any of Kobe's PS runs.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23651740/ranking-50-greatest-individual-postseasons-modern-nba-history

I feel more comfortable with Wade's data profile, and the stability/resiliency of his game due to being able to get to the rim at will.

[rate_]

I never thought of any of Butlers run as anything peak historically. He overachiever for this 'regular season' self and had monster games/series but did he ever do it on the level of Wade/Kobes best? Would have to look deeper but I doubt it.

22 Butler definitely did. He was around 30 PER and 12 BPM in 17 playoff games that season

[70sFan]

Wade peaked the highest in the playoffs to me, Butler is the last.

[ShaqAttac]

kob

[Djoker]

Butler to me is a distant third and doesn't really belong on this level.

2006 Wade vs. 2001/2008/2009 Kobe is quite close. I'd have to think about it some more.