How Exactly Do You Stat Pad?

[jlauber]

Pull A Wilt Chamberlain.
Fail to come through when it matters the most,
and get most of your stats in garbage time, even trying to hard in garbage time is.

Ok, since you must have actually watched Wilt to make these observations, go ahead and give me your examples.

But before you do, think about this...

Wilt AVERAGED 45.2 MPG over the course of his ENTIRE CAREER. And, as unbelieveable as that was...how about this...he AVERAGED 47.2 MPG over the course of his ENTIRE post-season career...covering 160 playoff games.

So, what does that tell you? The man just PLAYED. Unlike guys like Kareem, who was one of the biggest "front-runners" in NBA history...and a player who absolutely CHOKED on MULTIPLE occassions. Put him on a great team, and in a game in which his team is leading by 20 points, and Kareem would hang 40. Or he would put up a 50 point game in a game in which his team was blown out 123-107...and in which he would get outrebounded 25-8. Or he would just give up, as he did against Moses in '83. Or he would he would take heavily-favored 60 win teams down in flames against 47-35 teams in the playoffs. Or, in a game seven of the '74 Finals, he would get outplayed by a 6-9 WHITE center. THAT was an example of a "stats-padder", or a "choker."

Furthermore, had MAGIC never came to LA, Kareem would have retired with ONE ring...in a year in which the only team that could have beaten his team, the Lakers, were without BOTH Baylor and West. Oh, and then he punctuated that title by beating a 42-40 Bullets team in the Finals.

And, after Oscar retired in '74, Kareem and his Bucks crumbled to a 38-44 record. Yes, he missed 16 games....with that damn broken wrist. No way that wussie could play with a broken wrist. He was subsequently traded, and dxespite a solid roster that included HOFer Goodrich, he lethargically led that Laker team to a 40-42 record. Meanwhile, his former team, the Bucks, with Elmore Smith replacing him...STILL went 38-44.

How about 76-77? Kareem's Lakers had the best record in the league. BUT, then in the playoffs, they were SWEPT by a 49-33 Blazers team. In the 77-78 season, Kareem, playing alongside players like Norm Nixon, Lou Hudson, Jammal Wilkes, and Adrian Dantley, "led" his team to a 45-37 record, and a first round exit against the Sonics...a team with ONE borderline HOFer in Dennis Johnson. Oh, the Bullets, with a 44-38 record won the NBA title. Kareem then took that same LOADED roster to a 47-35 record the very next year, where once again, the vastly inferior Sonics team routed his Lakers in the playoffs, 4-1.

It didn't end there, either. It would be MAGIC who would IMMEDIATELY take that Laker team to a 60-222 record, and a title in his FIRST season. In fact, Kareem couldn't play with a sprain (unlike Wilt who played almost an ENTIRE series with SEVERAL leg and foot injuries...and who also came back from major knee surgery WAY ahead of schedule...and who then put up a 23-24 .625 Finals)...in game six of the '80 Finals. Of course, the Lakers didn't need him anyway, as the REAL leader of that great Laker dynasty, MAGIC, put up that historic 42-15 game six in LEADING LA to a title.

The very next year, Magic was injured and missed much of the season. He was not 100% in the playoffs either, and with Moses battering a Kareem who could not carry his team...the 40-42 Rockets knocked off the heavily-favored Lakers. Incidently, that series was just ONE example of what MAGIC meant to that dynasty. In the 88-89 playoffs, LA was 11-0 going into the Finals. Magic was injured mid-way in game two, and was lost for the series. What happened...Kareem once again folded tent, and the Lakers were SWEPT.

MAGIC led LA to another title in '82, and won the Finals MVP with Kareem playing well below even his best "stats-padding" playoffs.

In '83, with Worthy out, Kareem couldn't pick up the slack, and was once again just CRUSHED by Moses in the Finals...in yet ANOTHER sweeping loss for Kareem.

Magic was called "Tragic" in the '84 Finals, yet all he did was average 18 ppg, LEAD LA in rebounding (as he did in FIVE Finals in the Kareem-era), with 13 apg, and shooting .560 from the floor. Meanwhile, Kareem shot under 50% in the series, and went 7-25 in a game five loss.

Kareem FINALLY had a "clutch" Finals in '85, but the CLEAR best player on that Laker team was Magic. Incidently, Magic outvoted Kareem in the MVP balloting in their last EIGHT seasons together. EVERYONE knew who the REAL leader of the Lakers was.

Kareem, who so thoroughly dominated Hakeem in the '86 regular season (33ppg on .634 shooting) was outplayed by him in the playoffs...and the result...a 62-20 Laker team losing 4-1 to the 51-31 Rockets.

In '87 it was MAGIC taking over in EVERY aspect of the Laker offense, and then he played one of the greatest Finals in NBA history, while Kareem was now only the THIRD best player on the team.

In '88, Kareem was HORRIBLE in the post-season, and was even WORSE in thje Finals. He was arguably only LA's FIFTH best player at that point...and in fact, the Lakers won a title DESPITE Kareem's 13-4 .413 Finals.

I already mentioned Kareem's flop job in the '89 Finals, when LA, without Magic, was SWEPT once again.

How important was Kareem to the Lakers? In his last season, they went 57-25. He retired, and the Lakers IMPROVED to 63-19 (which was their SECOND best record during the 80's.) Then, MAGIC took a team that was well-past their primes, and injury-riddled, to yet another Finals in '91.

Of course, when Magic retired, the Lakers IMMEDIATELY fell to 43-39...which was about what they were when Kareem was "leading" them in the 70's.

Now, you tell me who was the "STATS-PADDER"...a Wilt who PLAYED nearly EVERY minute of EVERY game...even when badly hurt...

or the "front-running" Kareem, who was a PANZIE, and who flopped so MANY times in his big games. Yes, he could score 30-40 meaningless points...but without an Oscar or Magic LEADING his team's...he was a "choker", a "loser" and FAR more of a "failure" than Wilt ever was.

[jlauber]

Thanks to PHILA for this...

Wilt Chamberlain


1960 Game 3 vs. Nationals (best of 3 series at the time): 53 points in a 20 point win.

1962 Game 5 vs. Nationals: 56 points, 35 rebounds in a 17 point win.

1962 Game 6 vs Celtics: 32 points in a 10 point win

1962 Game 7 vs Celtics: 22 points, 21 rebounds in a 2 point loss

1964 Game 5 vs. Hawks: 50 points in a 24 point win.

1964 Game 7 vs. Hawks: 39 points, 26 rebounds, 12 blocks in a 10 point win.

1965 Game 6 vs. Celtics: 30 points, 26 rebounds in a 6 point win

1965 Game 7 vs. Celtics: 30 points, 32 rebounds in a 1 point loss

1966 Game 5 vs. Celtics: 46 points, 34 rebounds in an 8 point loss

1967 Game 2 vs. Royals: 37 points, 27 rebounds, 11 assists in a 21 point win.

1967 Game 3 vs. Royals: 16 points, 30 rebounds, 19 assists in a 15 point win.

1967 Game 1 vs. Celtics: 24 points, 32 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks in a 15 point win.

1967 Game 3 vs. Celtics: 20 points, 41 rebounds, 9 assists in an 11 point win.

1967 Game 5 vs. Celtics: 29 points, 36 rebounds, 13 assists in a 24 point win.

1968 Game 6 vs. Knicks: 25 points, 27 rebounds in an 18 point win. Little known fact is that Chamberlain led BOTH TEAMS in points, rebounds, and assists for the entire series, whilst nursing an assortment of injuries, including his annual shin splints. This against two Hall Of Fame centers Walt Bellamy & Willis Reed. Apparently Willis used to tremble at the mere sight of Luke Jackson in the MSG tunnel pre-game.

1968 Game 7 vs Celtics: 14 points, 34 rebounds in a 4 point loss (This despite two touches in the entire 4th quarter, the smartest move Russell has ever made in his career switching himself over to guard Chet).

1969 Game 7 vs. Celtics: 18 points, 27 rebounds in a 2 point loss (Head coach leaves him on the bench due to a personal grudge.)

1970 Game 5 vs. Suns: 36 points, 14 rebounds in a 17 point win

1970 Game 7 vs. Suns: 30 points, 27 rebounds, 11 blocks in a 35 point win (helped lead Lakers back from 1-3 deficit)

1970 Game 6 vs. Knicks: 45 points, 27 rebounds in a 22 point win

1970 Game 7 vs. Knicks: 21 points, 24 rebounds in a 14 point loss

(Understand that he should have not even been playing in the 1969-70 season after his injury, but was able to rehab his knee in time with his workouts in volleyball, a sport he would later become a Hall Of Famer in as well.)

1971 Game 7 vs. Bulls: 25 points, 18 rebounds in an 11 point win

1971 Game 5 vs. Bucks: 23 points, 12 rebounds, 6 blocks in an 18 point loss without Elgin Baylor or Jerry West. (Alcindor in this game had 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks).

1973 Game 7 vs. Bulls: 21 points, 28 rebounds in a 3 point win (Bulls had the ball and a one point lead with 30 or so seconds left in the 4th. Norm Van Lier goes up for the shot only to have it rejected by the "big choker" Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain blocked Van Lier's shot right to Gail Goodrich down court for the go ahead basket. Is there any mention of this clutch defensive play from Chamberlain in Bill Simmons "Book Of Basketball"?

1973 Game 5 vs. Knicks: 23 points, 21 rebounds in a 9 point loss (a hobbled Jerry West finished with 12 points)


Yep...Wilt was a "choker" and a "failure."

Incidently, you can add game five of the '60 ECF's (Philadelphia was down 3-1, so it was a must-win game), and he responded with a 50-35 game against Russell in a 128-107 win. Keep in mind that game was in his rookie season, and he faced a Celtic team with SEVEN HOFers.

And, IMHO, his greatest effort came against Kareem in game six of the WCF's. He held Kareem to 16-37 shooting, while going 8-12 himself, and scoring 22 points with 24 rebounds. And, he absolutely took over the game in the 4th quarter, and led LA back from a 10 point deficit to a clinching four point win. He also blocked 11 shots in that game, and five of them were Kareem's sky-hooks.