Posts about Bill Russell
Earlier in the playoffs there was an r/nba post from an ESPN Stats tweet about the players with the largest increase in PPG from the regular season to the playoffs. A lot of the comments correctly pointed out that they took the PPG from the players' entire careers including seasons in which they did not make the playoffs, which over-exaggerated some of the jumps made because part of the reason they didn't make the playoffs was because they weren't as good as they'd become yet.
I then wanted to do a comparison of the PPG and efficiency change over their careers but only in the seasons that they actually played in the playoffs. And of course trying to find this for every player was going to be a nonstarter for me, so I limited it to the 36 MVPs, which I was more interested in finding out anyways.
I originally just started with PPG and TS%, but I knew that not all MVPs won the award on the basis of their scoring ability. And by the time Denver and Miami were both up 3-0 in the Conference Finals and it was looking like there might not be any basketball games for a while, I decided I would also do RPG and APG. Ideally, I wanted to do even more like blocks, steals, and turnovers but since those weren't always calculated and I wouldn't have the numbers for everyone I didn't do those.
Obviously I had to wait for the Finals to end so I could see exactly where Jokic ended up.
| Rank | Player | PPG Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikola Jokic | +4.0 |
| 2 | Derrick Rose | +3.7 |
| 3 | Hakeem Olajuwon | +3.1 |
| 4 | Steve Nash | +2.3 |
| 5 | Dirk Nowitzki | +2.2 |
| 6 | Michael Jordan | +1.9 |
| 7 | Tim Duncan | +1.8 |
| 8 | Russell Westbrook | +1.6 |
| 9 | Charles Barkley | +1.3 |
| 10 | Kevin Durant | +1.2 |
| 11 | Allen Iverson | +1.1 |
| 12 | Steph Curry | +1.1 |
| 13 | Bill Russell | +1.1 |
| 14 | LeBron James | +1.0 |
| 15 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | +1.0 |
| 16 | Dave Cowens | +0.4 |
| 17 | Kobe Bryant | +0.3 |
| 18 | Shaquille O'Neal | +0.2 |
| 19 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | +0.1 |
| 20 | Bob Cousy | 0.0 (+0.03) |
| 21 | Magic Johnson | 0.0 (-0.06) |
| 22 | Julius Erving | -0.1 |
| 23 | Karl Malone | -0.3 |
| 24 | Moses Malone | -0.3 |
| 25 | Kevin Garnett | -0.4 |
| 26 | Wes Unseld | -0.4 |
| 27 | Larry Bird | -0.5 |
| 28 | Bob Pettit | -1.0 |
| 29 | Willis Reed | -1.9 |
| 30 | James Harden | -2.0 |
| 31 | David Robinson | -2.8 |
| 32 | Oscar Robertson | -2.9 |
| 33 | Bill Walton | -3.0 |
| 34 | Joel Embiid | -3.8 |
| 35 | Bob McAdoo | -4.0 |
| 36 | Wilt Chamberlain | -6.3 |
| AVG | 0.0 (-0.01) | |
| Median | +0.15 |
On ties, I went with the guy who averaged more besides the 0.0 changes where I calculated further just because I was curious if they technically increased or decreased in the playoffs.
| Rank | Player | RPG Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Russell | +2.4 |
| 2 | Dirk Nowitzki | +1.8 |
| 3 | Wilt Chamberlain | +1.7 |
| 4 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | +1.4 |
| 5 | LeBron James | +1.4 |
| 6 | Charles Barkley | +1.1 |
| 7 | Derrick Rose | +1.0 |
| 8 | Shaquille O'Neal | +0.8 |
| 9 | Wes Unseld | +0.7 |
| 10 | Nikola Jokic | +0.7 |
| 11 | Moses Malone | +0.6 |
| 12 | Tim Duncan | +0.6 |
| 13 | Karl Malone | +0.6 |
| 14 | Kevin Garnett | +0.6 |
| 15 | Magic Johnson | +0.5 |
| 16 | Steve Nash | +0.5 |
| 17 | Kevin Durant | +0.4 |
| 18 | Steph Curry | +0.4 |
| 19 | Larry Bird | +0.3 |
| 20 | Julius Erving | +0.3 |
| 21 | David Robinson | +0.1 |
| 22 | Michael Jordan | +0.1 |
| 23 | Dave Cowens | 0.0 (-0.01) |
| 24 | James Harden | -0.1 |
| 25 | Hakeem Olajuwon | -0.2 |
| 26 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | -0.2 |
| 27 | Kobe Bryant | -0.2 |
| 28 | Bob Cousy | -0.2 |
| 29 | Allen Iverson | -0.2 |
| 30 | Russell Westbrook | -0.3 |
| 31 | Joel Embiid | -0.6 |
| 32 | Oscar Robertson | -0.9 |
| 33 | Bob Pettit | -1.4 |
| 34 | Bill Walton | -1.6 |
| 35 | Bob McAdoo | -1.8 |
| 36 | Willis Reed | -2.7 |
| AVG | +0.2 | |
| Median | +0.35 |
| Rank | Player | APG Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Johnson | +1.1 |
| 2 | Bob Cousy | +1.0 |
| 3 | Derrick Rose | +0.6 |
| 4 | Hakeem Olajuwon | +0.6 |
| 5 | Steve Nash | +0.4 |
| 6 | Bill Russell | +0.4 |
| 7 | Michael Jordan | +0.3 |
| 8 | Julius Erving | +0.3 |
| 9 | Larry Bird | +0.1 |
| 10 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | +0.1 |
| 11 | Kobe Bryant | +0.1 |
| 12 | Shaquille O'Neal | +0.1 |
| 13 | Tim Duncan | 0.0 (+0.01) |
| 14 | Allen Iverson | 0.0 (-0.001) |
| 15 | Willis Reed | 0.0 (-0.04) |
| 16 | Charles Barkley | -0.1 |
| 17 | Dirk Nowitzki | -0.1 |
| 18 | Moses Malone | -0.1 |
| 19 | Wes Unseld | -0.2 |
| 20 | Bob Pettit | -0.2 |
| 21 | David Robinson | -0.2 |
| 22 | LeBron James | -0.3 |
| 23 | Wilt Chamberlain | -0.3 |
| 24 | Dave Cowens | -0.3 |
| 25 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | -0.3 |
| 26 | Bill Walton | -0.3 |
| 27 | Karl Malone | -0.4 |
| 28 | Kevin Durant | -0.5 |
| 29 | Steph Curry | -0.6 |
| 30 | Kevin Garnett | -0.6 |
| 31 | Oscar Robertson | -0.7 |
| 32 | Nikola Jokic | -0.7 |
| 33 | James Harden | -0.7 |
| 34 | Joel Embiid | -0.7 |
| 35 | Bob McAdoo | -0.7 |
| 36 | Russell Westbrook | -0.9 |
| AVG | -0.1 | |
| Median | -0.15 |
| Rank | Player | TS% Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hakeem Olajuwon | +1.3% |
| 2 | Bill Russell | +0.3% |
| 3 | Tim Duncan | -0.2% |
| 4 | Dirk Nowitzki | -0.6% |
| 5 | Bob Pettit | -1.1% |
| 6 | LeBron James | -1.2% |
| 7 | Michael Jordan | -1.2% |
| 8 | Dave Cowens | -1.2% |
| 9 | Kobe Bryant | -1.3% |
| 10 | Larry Bird | -1.4% |
| 11 | Julius Erving | -1.4% |
| 12 | Magic Johnson | -1.5% |
| 13 | Wes Unseld | -1.6% |
| 14 | Oscar Robertson | -1.7% |
| 15 | Kevin Garnett | -1.7% |
| 16 | Shaquille O'Neal | -1.9% |
| 17 | Bill Walton | -1.9% |
| 18 | Bob Cousy | -2.0% |
| 19 | Russell Westbrook | -2.1% |
| 20 | Wilt Chamberlain | -2.3% |
| 21 | Derrick Rose | -2.3% |
| 22 | James Harden | -2.4% |
| 23 | Charles Barkley | -2.4% |
| 24 | Steve Nash | -2.5% |
| 25 | Willis Reed | -2.5% |
| 26 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | -2.6% |
| 27 | Moses Malone | -2.6% |
| 28 | Nikola Jokic | -2.7% |
| 29 | Steph Curry | -2.7% |
| 30 | Bob McAdoo | -2.9% |
| 31 | Allen Iverson | -2.9% |
| 32 | Kevin Durant | -3.3% |
| 33 | Joel Embiid | -3.4% |
| 34 | David Robinson | -3.5% |
| 35 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | -3.7% |
| 36 | Karl Malone | -5.1% |
| AVG | -2.0% | |
| Median | -2.05% |
| Rank | Player | Average Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Russell | 5.5 |
| 2 | Dirk Nowitzki | 7 |
| 3 | Hakeem Olajuwon | 8.25 |
| 4 | Derrick Rose | 8.25 |
| 5 | Tim Duncan | 8.75 |
| 6 | Michael Jordan | 10.5 |
| 7 | LeBron James | 11.75 |
| 8 | Steve Nash | 12.25 |
| 9 | Magic Johnson | 12.25 |
| 10 | Charles Barkley | 13.5 |
| 11 | Shaquille O'Neal | 13.5 |
| 12 | Julius Erving | 15.25 |
| 13 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 16 |
| 14 | Kobe Bryant | 16 |
| 15 | Larry Bird | 16.25 |
| 16 | Wes Unseld | 16.75 |
| 17 | Bob Cousy | 17 |
| 18 | Nikola Jokic | 17.75 |
| 19 | Dave Cowens | 17.75 |
| 20 | Moses Malone | 20 |
| 21 | Wilt Chamberlain | 20.5 |
| 22 | Kevin Garnett | 21 |
| 23 | Allen Iverson | 21.25 |
| 24 | Bob Pettit | 21.5 |
| 25 | Kevin Durant | 21.75 |
| 26 | Steph Curry | 22 |
| 27 | Russell Westbrook | 23.25 |
| 28 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 24 |
| 29 | Karl Malone | 24.75 |
| 30 | Willis Reed | 26.25 |
| 31 | David Robinson | 26.75 |
| 32 | James Harden | 27.25 |
| 33 | Oscar Robertson | 27.25 |
| 34 | Bill Walton | 27.5 |
| 35 | Joel Embiid | 33 |
| 36 | Bob McAdoo | 33.75 |
On ties here, I took out the highest and lowest rankings they had and did the averages of the other two.
This final ranking of their average positions is definitely not a perfect measure of how each MVP performs in the playoffs. Things that could affect the numbers can include different situations (Russ and Harden as the #2 and 3 options behind KD versus being the top guys, as an example), injuries in the regular season suppressing numbers (I think Derrick Rose might fall under here), injuries in the playoffs (I think Willis Reed might’ve gotten hurt here), differing sample sizes as only seasons with playoffs played were counted (Bill Walton only had those two Portland years and then those two Boston years), guys who have played full careers versus guys that are still playing/in their primes.
And then there is also the fact that these are all different players with different averages being compared against their own regular season averages. So, guys may fall further in some categories but still be impressive overall compared to some others.
All that being said, I do think it is useful. Bill Russell, Dirk Nowitzki, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James being 6 of the top 7 and alternatively Karl Malone, David Robinson, James Harden, and Joel Embiid being 4 of the bottom 8 all makes good sense to me, personally.
Finally, Bill Russell was the only one to increase in all four in the playoffs. The unfortunate few who suffered a drop-off in all four were Bob Pettit, James Harden, Oscar Robertson, Bill Walton, Joel Embiid, and Bob McAdoo (and Willis Reed depending on how you view his APG).