Team With 'Best' Player Has Won 82.4 Percent Of Finals, Better Regular Season Record Wins 72.3 Percent

[RealGM Wiretap]

There is a frequently recited mantra that the team with the best player in the series typically wins it. But the broader context of the teams matters as well. The Dallas Mavericks have the better player in Luka Doncic, but the Boston Celtics had the far superior record and point differential in the regular season.

According to research by Ben Rohrbach, the "best" player in the NBA Finals has won 56 of 68 championships, good for a win percentage of 82.4 percent. LeBron James accounts for five of those 12 losses.

The team with the better regular season record has finished 47-18 in the Finals, which is a win percentage of 72.3 percent. Teams that finish with eight or more wins than their opponents are 30-5 (.857 winning percentage) in the Finals.

Via Ben Rorhbach/Yahoo Sports

[MitchB3]

This doesn't seem like new information.

[oaktownwarriors87]

The best player wins 82.35% of the time, or Ben Rohrbachs formula on calculating the best player is only 82.35% accurate. Probably somewhere in between.

[Pickled Prunes]

The best player wins 82.35% of the time, or Ben Rohrbachs formula on calculating the best player is only 82.35% accurate. Probably somewhere in between.

82.35% of statistics are made up on the spot.

[haste10176]

Boston are the rightful favourite's.. KP has to hold up too though.. But to be clear here Boston have the best team and Luka is clearly the best player.. Injuries however have determined many finals series.. 2015 kyrie and love injured.. 2019 KD and then klay injured.. So Boston are clear favourites however anything can happen.

[elchengue20]

That shows you how unlucky Lebron has been.

Of those 5 loses, only in '11 you can say he played bad and let his team down.

In all other 4 he played to his standards and his team was just outmatched despite of that, which is very very rare in NBA history.