NBA Playoffs Four One (126 views)

[eric]

Kawhi Leonard has 3.7 Win Shares this postseason and with at least four games left will almost certainly reach four.

So what?

So here's the list of players to do so in NBA history (keeping in mind that in the early days NBA playoffs only lasted two rounds compared to four today):

Jerry West
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Larry Bird (twice)
Michael Jordan (six times)
Charles Barkley
Hakeem Olajuwon
Shaquille O'Neal
Tim Duncan
Manu Ginobili
Chauncey Billups
Dwyane Wade
Dirk Nowitzki
Kevin Garnett
Pau Gasol (twice)
Dwight Howard
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant
LeBron James (six times)

While there are some also-rans in there, clearly this is a momentous feat, with the only two of the top three all time greats who played in the four round era hitting it for six while even second-tier all-timers like Bird and Gasol only managed twofers.

Of course, since Kawhi's leg could literally fall off tomorrow it's not clear he'll be able to double up on this production, but one is nothing to sneeze at either.

[eric]

Kawhi Leonard now has 4.71 Win Shares this postseason. At his current MP/g and WS/MP rates he generates .2145 WS per game, which if the Finals ends Monday would leave him just barely shy of five.

So what?

So here's the list of player-seasons to reach five in NBA history (again keeping in mind that it was only in 1984 that the NBA went to four rounds):

2003 Tim Duncan
2006 Dirk Nowitzki

2012 LeBron James
2013 LeBron James
2018 LeBron James

Another interesting quirk is that only 2018 LeBron fell out of the 26-28 age range. Kawhi Leonard age this year? 27.

[Norman Dale]

I really have enjoyed the claw in the playoffs became a big fan of his in this run. I like guys that have a complete game, in this playoffs it is the closest performance I have seen to MJs. It gets to crunch time and they give him the ball and put him on isolation. The guy lives at the foul line like MJ as well. I obviously have not looked up the stats, just my opinion in watching the games.