Best Playoff Scorers - MJ and Lebron

[StrongLurk]

I've made a few threads about Lebron being the second best playoff scorer ever. I remember 3ball constantly trying to slam Lebron by saying "Lebron wasn't the leading scorer in x series" and thus not the "first option". This is just another data point that shows Lebron is once again ahead of everyone except MJ in a key stat (Lebron has 49 playoff series compared to 14 for AI). Of course Lebron is the best passer on this list too.



Number Player Percent Series Top Scorer PPG
1 Michael Jordan 97.30 37 36 33.4
2 Allen Iverson 78.57 14 11 29.7
3 LeBron James 73.47 49 36 28.7
4 George Mikan 70.00 20 14 24.1
5 Karl Malone 63.16 38 24 24.7
6 Kevin Durant 62.07 29 18 29.5
7 Hakeem Olajuwon 58.62 29 17 25.9
8 Giannis Antetokounmpo 58.33 12 7 25.9
9 Kobe Bryant 55.81 43 24 25.6
10 Rick Barry 53.33 15 8 24.7
11 Carmelo Anthony 50.00 16 8 23.1
11 George Gervin 50.00 12 6 26.9
11 Tracy McGrady 50.00 12 6 22.2
14 Dirk Nowitzki 48.15 27 13 25.3
15 Moses Malone 47.62 21 10 22.0
16 Jerry West 46.43 28 13 29.1
17 Stephen Curry 45.45 22 10 26.5
18 Reggie Miller 41.38 29 12 20.6
19 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 40.82 49 20 24.3
20 Larry Bird 40.63 32 13 23.8
21 Dolph Schayes 40.0 25 10 19.1
21 Baron Davis 40.00 10 4 18.8
23 Elvin Hayes 38.89 18 7 22.9
24 Dominique Wilkins 38.46 13 5 25.4
25 George Yardley 36.36 11 4 21.3

[8Ball]

Excellent.

Let's see where LeBron ranks in terms of passing and rebounding and do the same with Jordan.

[Full Court]

Excellent.

Let's see where LeShrivel ranks in terms of choking and do the same with Jordan.

[StrongLurk]

Excellent.

Let's see where LeShrivel ranks in terms of choking and do the same with Jordan.

Jordan is ahead of Lebron, Lebron is ahead of everyone else.

That's how it goes for almost everything between those two and every other player in history.

[GimmeThat]

both of them live in the world where his assigned defenders are too slow for them

[3ba11]

Jordan is ahead of Lebron, Lebron is ahead of everyone else.

That's how it goes for almost everything between those two and every other player in history.


We'll never know what Lebron can really do.

For example, people wonder how Lebron could "not have enough help" in 2009 and 2010, yet he won far more games and was more favored than his many 54-win super-teams thereafter - it's because he was actually developing great chemistry with organic teams in Year 6 and 7 (09' and 10')... He simply gave up a year early.. There was a 1-star, organic chip on the table in 2011 that Dirk grabbed, but Lebron's organic juggernauts had the chemistry and defensive reputation to lock those Mavs down while the Heat did not..

He just had to stick with it like MJ did but it wasn't in him.. He didn't want that smoke.. He wasn't about that life.. So he gave up on learning how to win (chemistry, fits, strategic capacity/coaching, aka "brand of ball"), and began a talent-based approach where he teamed up with opposing franchise players.. This approach yielded perennial underdogs and Finals losers regardless of cast.

[dankok8]

Think Kareem and KD are better playoff scorers with a better combo of scoring and efficiency than Lebron but he's definitely up there. For sure top 5.

1. 1985-1996 Jordan: 33.9 ppg on 57.7 %TS (+3.9 rTS)

2. 1970-1981 Kareem: 30.3 ppg on 56.8 %TS (+5.6 rTS)

3. 2012-2023 Durant: 29.7 ppg on 60.4 %TS (+5.1 rTS)

4. 2009-2020 Lebron: 29.2 ppg on 59.1 %TS (+4.9 rTS)

[3ba11]

Everyone that won more than 2 Finals had a teammate win FMVP for one of the Finals or average 25 ppg, except MJ of course because Pippen was 0/6 in FMVP and never averaged 25 ppg and never even reached peak-Horry-level (0/6 in matching Horry's gamescore from 95' Finals)

[StrongLurk]

Think Kareem and KD are better playoff scorers with a better combo of scoring and efficiency than Lebron but he's definitely up there. For sure top 5.

1. 1985-1996 Jordan: 33.9 ppg on 57.7 %TS (+3.9 rTS)

2. 1970-1981 Kareem: 30.3 ppg on 56.8 %TS (+5.6 rTS)

3. 2012-2023 Durant: 29.7 ppg on 60.4 %TS (+5.1 rTS)

4. 2009-2020 Lebron: 29.2 ppg on 59.1 %TS (+4.9 rTS)

Kareem and Durant are also in the top 4-5 all time no doubt. I made a thread a while back and these guys were my 1-4. Picking a 5th is actually kind of hard because there is a pretty big drop. Maybe Shaq or Kobe for number 5.

[dankok8]

Kareem and Durant are also in the top 4-5 all time no doubt. I made a thread a while back and these guys were my 1-4. Picking a 5th is actually kind of hard because there is a pretty big drop. Maybe Shaq or Kobe for number 5.

5. 1962-1973 Jerry West: 29.3 ppg on 54.1 %TS (+4.9 rTS)

[StrongLurk]

5. 1962-1973 Jerry West: 29.3 ppg on 54.1 %TS (+4.9 rTS)

West was also one of my other considerations, dude was a monster in the playoffs in finals.

The only thing holding me back is the era he played in. But if we are treating all era's equal then he is top 5.

[SATAN]

Kareem and Durant are also in the top 4-5 all time no doubt. I made a thread a while back and these guys were my 1-4. Picking a 5th is actually kind of hard because there is a pretty big drop. Maybe Shaq or Kobe for number 5.

Are you saying KD is a better player than Kobe was?

[8Ball]

Excellent.

Let's see where LeBron ranks in terms of passing and rebounding and do the same with Jordan.

I'm going with 0% for rebounding and 20% for assists regarding Jordan

LeBron probably ~70% of rebounding and 70% of assists.


Someone prove me wrong.


Jordan is ahead of Lebron, Lebron is ahead of everyone else.

That's how it goes for almost everything between those two and every other player in history.

The crazy thing is if you also do assists and rebounds as a %. Jordan won't have much and LeBron will lead both teams in assists and rebounds many many times.

[8Ball]

Think Kareem and KD are better playoff scorers with a better combo of scoring and efficiency than Lebron but he's definitely up there. For sure top 5.

1. 1985-1996 Jordan: 33.9 ppg on 57.7 %TS (+3.9 rTS)

2. 1970-1981 Kareem: 30.3 ppg on 56.8 %TS (+5.6 rTS)

3. 2012-2023 Durant: 29.7 ppg on 60.4 %TS (+5.1 rTS)

4. 2009-2020 Lebron: 29.2 ppg on 59.1 %TS (+4.9 rTS)

LeBron played 214 playoff games during that span you just listed and Kareem did 92 games.

Not the same comparison.

[StrongLurk]

Are you saying KD is a better player than Kobe was?

I'm saying I think KD is a better playoff scorer.