#1 NBA Player Peak Of All-Time According to InsideHoops

[fpliii]

Olajuwon from 93-95

92-93, 93-94, 94-95, or just 93-94 + 94-95?

It's Jordan. So his peak can be 7 seasons. You can't take away one of those season from '87-'93
'87 - 37.1 ppg, highest in the modern era
'88 - DPOY, MVP, 35.0 ppg on better efficiency than '87.
'89 - Best all around #s - 8 rpg, 8 apg, 2.9 spg. Playoff #s: 35-7-8 in 17 games.
'90 - 3rd highest ppg season. Playoff #s: 37-7-7 in 16 games
'91-'93 - 3-peat Champion, 3 Finals MVPs, 2 MVPs.

I guess

I'll just leave it as 87-93 in the OP

EDIT: btw my vote is for Shaq

[Young X]

MJ, he averaged 37/5/5/2.9 stls/1.5 blks on 48% in his third year and that's one of his worst seasons as a Bull, he has 8 seasons better than that.

[Yao Ming's Foot]

oh sweet another thread where everybody posts offensive numbers without considering the defenses they faced



Its Shaq and its not even close.

[KG215]

It's Shaq and its not even close.

At least be semi-objective. Shaq is certainly in the discussion but it's not a runaway.

[DatAsh]

Shaq and Wilt are the kings of the one season peak, but Jordan's peak was much longer so I'll vote Jordan(87-93).

I call prime what you call peak.

[fpliii]

Shaq and Wilt are the kings of the one season peak, but Jordan's peak was much longer so I'll vote Jordan(87-93).

I call prime what you call peak.

I personally believe that Jordan's peak was somewhat shorter (89-90, 90-91, 91-92 is his absolute peak in my book), but it seems the consensus in this thread is that the rest of his years are too close to those three to leave them out

[Yao Ming's Foot]

At least be semi-objective. Shaq is certainly in the discussion but it's not a runaway.

Jordan is in the discussion until we compare the defenses they faced. Its really that simple. Only on ISH am I considered an extremest because I dare to consider that defenses play a large role in individual offensive numbers. Its common sense.

[KG215]

Jordan is in the discussion until we compare the defenses they faced. Its really that simple. Only on ISH am I considered an extremest because I dare to consider that defenses play a large role in individual offensive numbers. Its common sense.

No one is solely focusing on the numbers and, if they are, they need to rethink their line of thinking in my opinion. Jordan's numbers were insane during his peak. If you think the "weaker" defense had something to do with that, fine. Of course the only thing you use to compare defenses is DRtg which isn't very useful when comparing different eras. It only tells you how many points they were allowing to their opponents per 100 possessions. It doesn't tell you things like how defenses were geared towards slowing down or stopping a single player like Jordan or any other great player.

Put the numbers aside, and Jordan still dominated the league in the late 80s and early 90s. He dominated it to an extent no other guard in NBA history has touched, in my opinion.

I mean, from 1988-1993 he made the ECF or NBA Finals each season (took the eventual champs six and seven games in the '89 and '90 ECF with a still young and "not quite there yet" Pippen) and then proceeded to win three straight championships once Pippen emerged.


And, again, I don't have a problem with Shaq being voted #1 here. His case is just as strong as Jordan's, Hakeem's, or anyone else. But it's not all about the numbers with Jordan. It's not like he was putting up eye-popping numbers and not winning.

[IGotACoolStory]

I don't know. I define peak usually ranging 1 to 3 seasons (if even that long). It's basically the absolute best of their prime.

Say 100% is the best season player X has played. Peak for me would be 95-100%, prime at 85-95%, and everything else is whatever.

Although unfortunately it's not that easily definable in basketball.

[Yao Ming's Foot]

No one is solely focusing on the numbers and, if they are, they need to rethink their line of thinking in my opinion. Jordan's numbers were insane during his peak. If you think the "weaker" defense had something to do with that, fine. Of course the only thing you use to compare defenses is DRtg which isn't very useful when comparing different eras. It only tells you how many points they were allowing to their opponents per 100 possessions. It doesn't tell you things like how defenses were geared towards slowing down or stopping a single player like Jordan or any other great player.

Put the numbers aside, and Jordan still dominated the league in the late 80s and early 90s. He dominated it to an extent no other guard in NBA history has touched, in my opinion.

I mean, from 1988-1993 he made the ECF or NBA Finals each season (took the eventual champs six and seven games in the '89 and '90 ECF with a still young and "not quite there yet" Pippen) and then proceeded to win three straight championships once Pippen emerged.


And, again, I don't have a problem with Shaq being voted #1 here. His case is just as strong as Jordan's, Hakeem's, or anyone else. But it's not all about the numbers with Jordan. It's not like he was putting up eye-popping numbers and not winning.

Can someone for the love of God please explain to me why they always claim you can't compare defensive ratings across eras but have absolutely no problem comparing offensive numbers derived against those defenses across eras?

Was it Jordan for which they changed the rules or was that Shaq? I don't seem to remember.

[fpliii]

Can someone for the love of God please explain to me why they always claim you can't compare defensive ratings across eras but have absolutely no problem comparing offensive numbers derived against those defenses across eras?

Was it Jordan for which they changed the rules or was that Shaq? I don't seem to remember.

I'm not sure, but I think the best thing to do might be to just report both the offensive numbers (including TS%) as well as the league average defensive rating for the year

if someone does this I'll be happy to add to the OP

[Mr Know It All]

The choice is clear, it's Wilt edging out Jordan on his complete and total individual dominance in the early 60s. Anyone voting against him is just biased against that era, bottom line.

[lakerspng]

Shaq. 00-02

What he did to the Eastern conference in the Finals those three years, was just painful to watch, even for a Lakers fan... actually, it was very enjoyable to watch.

I don't care who you put on what team on the other side, it would not have made a difference. Jordan, Wilt, KAJ. He was an unstoppable monster.

[imdaman99]

ive got shaq from 00-02.

[KG215]

I don't want to turn this into another DRtg argument with Yao Ming's Foot. He's obsessed with the stat and I simply don't know enough about its merits to debate why it should or shouldn't be used in any kind of discussion comparing players from different eras.

I apologize for steering it that direction in the first place. Here's a thread on here from a couple of years ago about it that I think has some good debate about it.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=215638