Ballot #1 - 64 OscarBallot #2 - 16 CurryBallot #3 - 66 West--------------------
Ballot #1 - 64 OscarOscar's 64 season was very impressive on a number of levels:
RS: 31.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 11 APG, 48.3% FG, 85.3% FT (league leading on 11.9 FTAs per game), 57.6% TS (+9.1% vs. league avg), .278 WS/48
PS: 29.3 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 8.4 APG, 45.5% FG, 85.8% FT (12.7 FTAs per game), 56.8% TS, .245 WS/48
The royals ranked 2nd in SRS that season, losing in the playoffs to the #1 ranked SRS and eventual champion celtics. While his raw averages can certainly be attributed to the fast paced play during that era, his overall efficiency and ability to get to the line at will is pretty staggering.
Oscar's playoff #s do drop slightly across the board, but there's nothing there to suggest that he struggled. His best teammate Jerry Lucas had a serious drop off in scoring and efficiency come playoff time (17.7 PPG on 57.8% TS in RS vs. 12.2 PPG on 43.8% TS in PS). That very well could've been the difference in the series.
63-64 was his 4th season, so the below footage should be able to capture his style of play at the time:
[Yeah... I could do without the music]
What stands out to me is his precision when he makes his moves as well as his strength when he gets inside. Reminds me of west, too, although he wasn't quite as powerful.
Oscar would win also win MVP that season in dominating fashion. Via NY Times:
Oscar Robertson, the Cincinnati Royals' talented back‐court man, yesterday was voted the President's Trophy, the National Basketball Association's most valuable player award, by the biggest margin on record.
The voting is by N.B.A. players, with the restriction that they cannot vote for members of their own teams. Robertson received 60 of a possible 85 first‐place votes. In the point scoring on a 5, 3, 1 basis, Robertson received a total of 362 points, a record.
Wilt Chamberlain of San Francisco, who won the trophy as a rookie in 1960, placed seeond in the voting with 19 firstplace votes and 215 points. Bill Russell of Boston, the winner for the last three years, was third with 11 firsts and 167 points.
64 slightly edges out 63 to me overall due to a better individual regular season and team performance.
Ballot #2 - 16 CurryArguably the greatest offensive regular season ever, or at least in the modern era, say since 1980? Even purely as a volume scorer he tops the list:
http://bkref.com/tiny/9jxSr The finals "collapse" doesn't kill the season for me. It literally came down to the last minute to decide the championship. This wasn't a 4-1 trouncing or something ala pistons lakers in 04. I have to take a closer look at 2017 because it's certainly close, but that 2016 season was a sight to see. Appointment television every night and curry was the center of it. It was special.
Ballot #3 - 66 WestGoing with West here sort of in the same vein as magic / bird putting him close to oscar. West was a master volume scorer on great efficiency (especially for his era), not to mention an excellent playmaker, falling somewhere between a PG and SG throughout his career.
RS: 31.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 6.1 APG, 47.3% FG, 86% FT (12.4 FTAs per game), 57.3% TS (+8.6% vs. league avg), .256 WS/48
PS: 34.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.6 APG, 51.8% TS, 87.2% FT, 58.1% TS, .237 WS/48
He had the poor luck of coming up during the russell celtics era, losing to them several times in the finals. He would lead the lakers to the finals in 66, again losing in game 7 by 2 to the celtics in heart breaking fashion. This would come after putting up 33.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 5.1 APG on 51.5% from the field and 87.1% from the line in the series.
Purely as a fan, I think Oscar and West would really thrive in today's game, and it would be a pleasure to watch.
1966 Finals Highlights