Comments on: BBR Mailbag: Individuals w/ the Highest % of Team Win Shares

By: Michael E Sullivan

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:46:42 +0000

ok, better than Mikan was exaggerated, he was just close, but I was always under the impression that Mikan had dominated almost chamberlain style until the late 50s. So that's still very impressive in his time. I can see why Mikan is better remembered though, as his game was starting to incorporate some of the tactics that would come to dominate post play.

It's sometimes hard for this 1968 baby whose earliest basketball memories are of the Knicks-Celtics and Knicks-Lakers series in the early 70s, and who was shown how to shoot a jump shot by his dad at the age of 7 on our driveway court, to remember that anybody ever used a set shot for anything but free throws.

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By: Panic

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:06:12 +0000

@MES Johnston had a standing hook shot and midrange set shot that were unstoppable in the unathletic 50s, but as the league's talent pool expanded to include more black and generally athletic players (think Maurice Stokes, and Bill Russell as AYC pointed out) the hook shots got pinned to the backboard the set shots shoved in his face. Apparently Johnston had a difficult time coaching Wilt Chamberlain because Chamberlain considered him a dinosaur. Arizin, by contrast aged better because he used the jump shot; Schayes survived into the 60s because his set shots were more accurate from farther away, and he had a drive-and-kick game.

But relative to the rest of the league, man was Johnston good, and it's a shame that he's often overlooked when discussing the game's great players...he had a solid 3 or 4 year run as the top player in basketball.

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By: AYC

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:55:30 +0000

Johnston's effectiveness ended when Bill Russell entered the league; his style of play was already obsolete by the time the 60's rolled around.

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By: Michael E Sullivan

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:34:31 +0000

Neil Johnston -- holy shit this guy's stats are redunkulous. Possibly the best player I'd never heard of until today. Familiar with Arizin, but according to win shares, this guy was better.

I guess part of this is just about how much more dominating any good big man was in those days (though these days, he'd be a slight-ish SF at 6-8 210 if he could even play). Everybody's heard of Mikan, but in terms of raw efficiency, this guy was even better. Who knew?

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By: Pag

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 05:55:28 +0000

This stat mainly shows the margin between the best player on the team to the rest of the team. Notice none of Jordans championship years were on this list, and Kareem was pre-magic johnson. Also, Im sure everybody saw Brook Lopez atop the list mainly because the 2nd best person on the team Harris was hurt throughout the year....and the rest of the team sucked didnt they go like 0-16 to start the season?

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By: Jason J

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:11:04 +0000

#9 - Can we see those numbers next to career winning %ages? It would be interesting to see who had the highest win share percentage on the winningest teams.

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By: Neil Paine

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:31:21 +0000

By: AYC

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:16:47 +0000

Apparently the Warriors only won 17 games for that entire season, so never mind....

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By: AYC

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:04:49 +0000

Wilt was traded in the middle of the 1965 season; only 7.5 of his WS came with the Warriors that year (in 38 games)

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By: Jason J

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:28:58 +0000

#5 - put Oscar in the first category as well. Didn't mean to omit him.

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