Quality of Teammates Revisited

Posted by Neil Paine on October 9, 2009

Last November, we used Win Shares to look back at the players who took the floor alongside the most talented offensive players over the course of their careers. Unfortunately, in that article I only looked at offensive teammate quality, and we only had Win Shares going back to the 1973-74 season. Today, though, Justin's efforts have given us WS extending back to every season for which the NBA tracked minutes (through 1951-52, in case you were wondering). So I thought now would be as good a time as any to revisit the topic of teammate quality using offensive, defensive, and total Win Shares since 1952.

If you recall, the method was to calculate each player's career WS/3000 MP, then find the average (weighted by % of team MP) for all of his teammates in each given season, and finally to calculate the minute-weighted average of those figures across the player's entire career. Also, in this post we determined that ABA seasons should be worth roughly 25% less than NBA seasons, so that standard has been applied to the Win Shares for ABA players in this study. But enough about the method, let's get to the numbers -- here are the players who benefited from the most talented offensive teammates in their careers (minimum 15,000 career MP):

Player	carMP	carOWS	cOWS3K	OQT
Michael Cooper	23635	28.0	3.55	5.37
James Worthy	30001	51.3	5.13	4.87
Jamaal Wilkes	27275	44.0	4.84	4.66
Byron Scott	30153	46.3	4.60	4.61
Kurt Rambis	16299	14.1	2.60	4.55
Norm Nixon	27250	31.1	3.43	4.46
Bryon Russell	19805	23.5	3.56	4.46
Tom Hawkins	18465	9.7	1.58	4.42
Wali Jones	15759	1.7	0.33	4.41
Adrian Smith	19010	25.4	4.02	4.41
John Paxson	17257	25.2	4.39	4.41
Magic Johnson	33245	110.5	9.97	4.40
Michael Finley	37288	57.3	4.61	4.38
A.C. Green	36552	58.0	4.76	4.38
Steve Nash	29012	91.5	9.46	4.33
Rik Smits	23100	29.7	3.85	4.33
Raja Bell	16740	18.6	3.33	4.30
Derek Fisher	24685	28.8	3.50	4.29
Happy Hairston	24330	46.1	5.68	4.29
Scottie Pippen	41069	56.7	4.14	4.29
Lucius Allen	20159	22.3	3.32	4.26
Danny Ainge	27755	45.7	4.94	4.24
Sam Perkins	36598	61.6	5.05	4.21
Robert Parish	45704	73.4	4.82	4.19
Kevin McHale	30118	75.2	7.49	4.17
Larry Bird	34443	86.1	7.50	4.16
Bruce Bowen	24055	9.2	1.15	4.16
Jim McMillian	20227	29.9	4.44	4.15
Jon McGlocklin	20930	31.4	4.50	4.15
Connie Dierking	15474	2.2	0.42	4.14
Robert Horry	27066	23.5	2.60	4.13
Mychal Thompson	27764	26.0	2.81	4.11
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	57446	178.3	9.31	4.10
Dan Majerle	30206	44.8	4.45	4.10
Dale Davis	29606	44.6	4.52	4.10
Jerome Kersey	28115	27.2	2.90	4.06
Detlef Schrempf	33597	76.7	6.85	4.05
Wayne Embry	21763	23.1	3.19	4.04
Horace Grant	38621	68.0	5.28	4.04
Ervin Johnson	16988	13.0	2.29	4.03
Howard Eisley	16013	8.4	1.57	4.03
Dennis Rodman	28839	34.2	3.56	4.01
Derrick McKey	27229	30.7	3.39	4.01
Bonzi Wells	15132	7.3	1.45	3.99
Mark West	20213	14.3	2.12	3.98
Bill Bridges	30878	24.6	2.39	3.96
Brian Shaw	21666	3.5	0.48	3.96
Shawn Marion	28020	54.2	5.80	3.95
T.R. Dunn	23080	19.2	2.50	3.94
Jack George	15860	5.1	0.97	3.94
Quinn Buckner	16245	1.4	0.25	3.93
Nate McMillan	20462	19.1	2.80	3.93
Mario Elie	18654	31.3	5.03	3.92
B.J. Armstrong	17790	31.2	5.25	3.91
Rick Fox	23723	23.4	2.96	3.91
Vlade Divac	33838	44.3	3.93	3.90
Tony Parker	20335	33.0	4.87	3.90
Gail Goodrich	33527	56.9	5.09	3.89
Mehmet Okur	15658	30.5	5.84	3.89
Dirk Nowitzki	30693	98.9	9.67	3.88
Howard Komives	20213	-3.6	-0.54	3.88
Jeff Hornacek	33964	77.0	6.80	3.88
Kevin Duckworth	17462	6.9	1.18	3.88
Kevin Johnson	25061	72.3	8.66	3.87
Rasho Nesterovic	17570	13.6	2.33	3.87
Sedale Threatt	22436	29.8	3.99	3.85
Gary Payton	47117	96.9	6.17	3.85
Chris Ford	22043	14.9	2.02	3.85
Hot Rod Williams	26327	33.0	3.76	3.84
Tayshaun Prince	17825	24.5	4.13	3.84
Dick Barnett	28937	46.2	4.79	3.83
Bill Bradley	22799	14.8	1.94	3.83
Bob Dandridge	29502	46.9	4.77	3.83
Andrei Kirilenko	17309	30.3	5.25	3.82
Erick Dampier	21825	20.8	2.86	3.82
Antonio Daniels	19636	35.7	5.45	3.81
Dennis Johnson	35954	39.6	3.30	3.81
Mark Aguirre	27730	45.5	4.92	3.80
Shawn Kemp	29294	37.4	3.83	3.80
Gerald Henderson	18856	13.8	2.19	3.79
Anthony Peeler	20463	17.8	2.62	3.79
Shawn Bradley	19531	10.1	1.56	3.79
Tim Duncan	33138	72.8	6.59	3.77
Antoine Carr	19780	21.3	3.24	3.77
Cliff Levingston	16962	22.7	4.02	3.77
Antonio Davis	26083	27.7	3.19	3.76
Slater Martin	21889	17.1	2.34	3.76
Avery Johnson	26615	33.4	3.77	3.76
Elden Campbell	25775	25.1	2.92	3.76
Cedric Maxwell	23769	53.2	6.72	3.76
Darrall Imhoff	17894	12.1	2.03	3.75
Rafer Alston	17971	11.8	1.98	3.74
Sean Elliott	24502	31.5	3.86	3.74
Travis Best	15150	16.6	3.28	3.74
James Donaldson	26222	31.1	3.56	3.73
Lindsey Hunter	23131	10.0	1.30	3.72
Bobby Jackson	16790	15.5	2.76	3.72
Craig Hodges	15077	16.6	3.31	3.71
Alton Lister	18965	5.4	0.86	3.71
Steve Kerr	16207	31.6	5.85	3.71

As we found the first time around, the Showtime Lakers dominate the top of the list, with members claiming each of the top 6 spots. On the other hand, here are the unfortunate players who had to play with the least amount of offensive talent:

Player	carMP	carOWS	cOWS3K	OQT
Neil Johnston	18298	74.2	12.16	1.51
Steve Jones	21028	15.8	2.25	1.68
Stew Johnson	19201	-6.8	-1.07	1.70
Wil Jones	21931	8.6	1.18	1.81
Larry Jones	18956	29.3	4.64	1.87
Ken Norman	18992	8.9	1.41	1.87
Byron Beck	19197	24.0	3.75	1.89
Jimmy Jones	23463	40.7	5.20	1.90
Donnie Freeman	21026	28.6	4.09	1.93
Red Robbins	18745	18.3	2.93	1.93
Bernard King	29417	49.1	5.01	1.99
Charles Smith	16378	18.0	3.29	2.02
Geoff Petrie	16787	20.9	3.74	2.07
Chuck Williams	17894	16.4	2.75	2.10
Reggie Williams	16013	8.6	1.62	2.10
Otis Birdsong	21627	29.0	4.02	2.11
Warren Jabali	15264	14.8	2.91	2.13
Don Kojis	19241	18.7	2.92	2.14
Roger Brown	21454	32.4	4.54	2.17
Rory Sparrow	22550	9.9	1.32	2.18
Bingo Smith	22407	16.0	2.14	2.20
Gerald Govan	22925	-11.2	-1.47	2.20
Jeff Mullins	24574	35.9	4.38	2.21
Bailey Howell	30627	83.9	8.22	2.23
Paul Westphal	20947	45.3	6.49	2.24
Jim Barnett	17410	16.3	2.80	2.24
John Williamson	15540	10.3	1.98	2.24
Loy Vaught	16993	17.0	3.00	2.26
Jim Eakins	19013	30.5	4.81	2.26
Freddie Lewis	24924	25.1	3.02	2.27
Mack Calvin	21593	35.2	4.88	2.27
Mel Daniels	22466	18.1	2.41	2.27
George Carter	16234	13.6	2.51	2.30
Elton Brand	24421	53.9	6.62	2.31
Austin Carr	19660	21.1	3.22	2.32
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf	15628	16.7	3.21	2.32
Dolph Schayes	29800	70.7	7.12	2.33
Billy Knight	23746	44.4	5.61	2.35
Bob Netolicky	20554	21.6	3.16	2.37
Paul Pierce	30525	64.0	6.29	2.37
Benoit Benjamin	21911	3.2	0.44	2.38
Kevin Edwards	15332	-1.8	-0.35	2.40
Eddie Miles	15681	13.6	2.60	2.42
Vern Mikkelsen	18443	39.2	6.38	2.42
Paul Arizin	24897	73.6	8.87	2.42
Connie Hawkins	22232	47.9	6.47	2.42
John Drew	21828	44.2	6.08	2.44
Fred Brown	24422	38.8	4.77	2.44
Michael Adams	20446	33.5	4.92	2.46
Phil Hubbard	15863	13.6	2.57	2.46
Kevin Porter	19107	19.8	3.11	2.47
Ray Scott	23709	5.7	0.73	2.47
Darrell Walker	18601	4.2	0.68	2.48
Greg Ballard	22073	23.8	3.24	2.49
Nate Thurmond	35881	15.6	1.31	2.51
Mike Bantom	19725	15.3	2.33	2.51
Brevin Knight	18176	11.2	1.84	2.51
Doug West	16649	12.0	2.16	2.52
Trent Tucker	15671	19.2	3.68	2.52
Clyde Lee	19885	4.8	0.73	2.52
Wayne Hightower	15474	-1.1	-0.21	2.53
Harvey Grant	20510	16.6	2.43	2.53
Mike Woodson	20021	18.4	2.76	2.53
Tom Owens	20836	32.9	4.73	2.53
Glen Combs	15275	19.8	3.89	2.53
Rich Kelley	17711	13.7	2.31	2.54
Foots Walker	15036	12.6	2.51	2.54
Jerry Sloan	25750	11.8	1.38	2.55
Louie Dampier	32201	33.8	3.15	2.56
Terry Dischinger	17841	46.7	7.85	2.56
Mitch Richmond	34309	60.9	5.32	2.56
Pooh Richardson	19399	16.1	2.49	2.56
Grant Long	28514	26.7	2.81	2.57
Kenny Anderson	25868	36.6	4.24	2.57
Campy Russell	16781	20.8	3.72	2.58
Dana Barros	19480	38.7	5.96	2.59
Don Buse	26180	23.7	2.71	2.59
Sam Jones	24285	48.0	5.93	2.60
Purvis Short	24549	35.8	4.38	2.60
Roy Hinson	15543	13.8	2.67	2.60
Adrian Dantley	34151	111.3	9.78	2.60
Richard Jefferson	20438	34.1	5.01	2.60
Corey Maggette	18738	38.7	6.20	2.61
Fred Carter	18328	1.8	0.30	2.61
Tom Meschery	23459	21.3	2.72	2.61
John Johnson	25681	14.3	1.67	2.61
Blue Edwards	18409	9.4	1.53	2.61
Wayman Tisdale	23868	25.7	3.23	2.61
Dave Robisch	22780	34.0	4.48	2.61
Stu Lantz	15267	17.3	3.41	2.61
Buck Williams	42464	59.1	4.18	2.61
Sidney Wicks	25762	22.2	2.58	2.62
Ralph Simpson	19623	6.7	1.03	2.62
Dikembe Mutombo	36791	47.8	3.90	2.63
Cliff Robinson	19284	5.4	0.84	2.63
Jack Twyman	26147	59.4	6.82	2.64
Lamond Murray	18477	7.4	1.21	2.64
Walt Bellamy	38940	103.7	7.99	2.64
Kirk Hinrich	15019	17.4	3.48	2.64
Artis Gilmore	47134	102.3	6.51	2.65

Johnston, one of the greatest players of all time, had Hall of Famer Paul Arizin as a wingman for his most successful seasons in Philadelphia (including 1956, when they won an NBA title), but when Arizin missed the 1953 season, Johnson's typical teammate averaged -1.23 career WS/3K! Clearly, no great player has ever played with a worse set of teammates... speaking of which, here are the players who rose above their teammates the most:

Player	carMP	carOWS	cOWS3K	OQT	Diff
Neil Johnston	18298	74.2	12.16	1.51	10.66
Michael Jordan	41010	146.0	10.68	3.18	7.50
Ed Macauley	18071	64.1	10.65	3.18	7.47
Adrian Dantley	34151	111.3	9.78	2.60	7.18
Oscar Robertson	43886	153.8	10.51	3.36	7.15
Jerry West	36571	124.8	10.24	3.42	6.82
Wilt Chamberlain	47859	155.0	9.71	2.94	6.77
Paul Arizin	24897	73.6	8.87	2.42	6.45
Bob Pettit	30690	90.2	8.82	2.81	6.01
Bailey Howell	30627	83.9	8.22	2.23	5.99
Charles Barkley	39330	122.3	9.33	3.41	5.91
LeBron James	19142	55.6	8.71	2.85	5.86
Bill Sharman	21793	63.3	8.71	2.85	5.86
Dirk Nowitzki	30693	98.9	9.67	3.88	5.79
John Stockton	47764	141.0	8.86	3.17	5.69
Magic Johnson	33245	110.5	9.97	4.40	5.57
Reggie Miller	47619	138.8	8.75	3.19	5.56
George Yardley	15767	42.4	8.07	2.72	5.36
Walt Bellamy	38940	103.7	7.99	2.64	5.34
Kobe Bryant	34531	100.8	8.76	3.42	5.33
Terry Dischinger	17841	46.7	7.85	2.56	5.29
David Robinson	34271	97.6	8.55	3.32	5.22
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	57446	178.3	9.31	4.10	5.21
Steve Nash	29012	91.5	9.46	4.33	5.13
Kiki Vandeweghe	24521	70.0	8.56	3.47	5.09
Chauncey Billups	26876	73.9	8.25	3.24	5.00
Shaquille O'Neal	39926	114.9	8.63	3.66	4.98
Harry Gallatin	15813	42.6	8.08	3.15	4.92
Dolph Schayes	29800	70.7	7.12	2.33	4.79
Kevin Johnson	25061	72.3	8.66	3.87	4.79
Sidney Moncrief	23150	60.5	7.84	3.14	4.70
Ray Allen	35099	91.7	7.84	3.17	4.67
Michael Redd	18710	47.3	7.58	3.05	4.53
Dan Issel	41784	102.8	7.38	2.97	4.42
David Thompson	19406	49.0	7.58	3.17	4.40
Gilbert Arenas	16175	39.9	7.40	3.05	4.35
Karl Malone	54852	140.1	7.66	3.34	4.32
Elton Brand	24421	53.9	6.62	2.31	4.31
Pau Gasol	20821	49.2	7.09	2.82	4.28
Clyde Lovellette	19075	45.1	7.09	2.82	4.27
Larry Foust	19926	46.3	6.97	2.70	4.27
Paul Westphal	20947	45.3	6.49	2.24	4.25
Bob Lanier	32103	75.5	7.06	2.81	4.25
Jack Twyman	26147	59.4	6.82	2.64	4.18
George Gervin	35597	85.4	7.20	3.03	4.17
Connie Hawkins	22232	47.9	6.47	2.42	4.05
Chet Walker	33433	77.6	6.97	2.97	3.99
Vern Mikkelsen	18443	39.2	6.38	2.42	3.96
Paul Pierce	30525	64.0	6.29	2.37	3.92
Artis Gilmore	47134	102.3	6.51	2.65	3.86

LeBron James and Bill Sharman: probably not a ccomparison that immediately springs to mind, but both have identical career WS/3K averages and both played with the exact same caliber of offensive teammates -- which is to say, not very good ones. By contrast, here are players whose teammates dragged them along for the ride:

Player	carMP	carOWS	cOWS3K	OQT	Diff
Howard Komives	20213	-3.6	-0.54	3.88	-4.42
Wali Jones	15759	1.7	0.33	4.41	-4.08
Mark Eaton	25169	-3.5	-0.42	3.66	-4.07
Connie Dierking	15474	2.2	0.42	4.14	-3.72
Guy Rodgers	28661	-5.3	-0.56	3.15	-3.71
Gar Heard	19571	-3.6	-0.56	3.12	-3.68
Quinn Buckner	16245	1.4	0.25	3.93	-3.68
Gerald Govan	22925	-11.2	-1.47	2.20	-3.67
Brian Shaw	21666	3.5	0.48	3.96	-3.48
Joe Graboski	22197	-1.3	-0.18	3.29	-3.47
Chris Dudley	16321	-1.4	-0.26	3.12	-3.37
Fatty Taylor	17706	-2.2	-0.37	2.93	-3.30
K.C. Jones	17501	0.7	0.13	3.19	-3.06
Bruce Bowen	24055	9.2	1.15	4.16	-3.01
Darrell Griffith	21403	1.3	0.18	3.19	-3.01
Lionel Hollins	18453	2.0	0.33	3.33	-3.00
Jack George	15860	5.1	0.97	3.94	-2.97
Herb Williams	28484	-1.2	-0.12	2.84	-2.96
Alton Lister	18965	5.4	0.86	3.71	-2.85
Tom Hawkins	18465	9.7	1.58	4.42	-2.84
Stew Johnson	19201	-6.8	-1.07	1.70	-2.77
Kevin Edwards	15332	-1.8	-0.35	2.40	-2.75
Wayne Hightower	15474	-1.1	-0.21	2.53	-2.74
George Johnson	18102	1.1	0.19	2.92	-2.73
Antoine Walker	31531	6.0	0.57	3.28	-2.71
Kevin Duckworth	17462	6.9	1.18	3.88	-2.69
Bonzi Wells	15132	7.3	1.45	3.99	-2.54
Jon Koncak	16409	6.0	1.10	3.61	-2.51
J.R. Reid	15370	5.5	1.07	3.57	-2.49
LaSalle Thompson	21238	8.2	1.16	3.62	-2.46
Howard Eisley	16013	8.4	1.57	4.03	-2.46
Keith Erickson	18841	6.9	1.11	3.55	-2.44
Mike Gale	20645	7.9	1.15	3.59	-2.44
John Bagley	17120	2.8	0.50	2.93	-2.43
Lindsey Hunter	23131	10.0	1.30	3.72	-2.42
Fred Carter	18328	1.8	0.30	2.61	-2.31
Vernon Maxwell	24309	7.3	0.90	3.14	-2.24
Shawn Bradley	19531	10.1	1.56	3.79	-2.23
Wayne Cooper	20274	10.2	1.52	3.58	-2.07
Caldwell Jones	35081	12.5	1.07	3.13	-2.06
Dave DeBusschere	31202	12.9	1.24	3.27	-2.03
Sam Lacey	31873	9.1	0.85	2.87	-2.02
Andrew Lang	15344	7.7	1.51	3.52	-2.02
Coby Dietrick	16287	6.4	1.18	3.18	-2.00
Rick Mahorn	25779	10.2	1.19	3.19	-2.00
Rich Jones	16991	3.8	0.67	2.65	-1.98
Larry Hughes	21140	10.5	1.50	3.45	-1.96
Kurt Rambis	16299	14.1	2.60	4.55	-1.95
Benoit Benjamin	21911	3.2	0.44	2.38	-1.94
Trenton Hassell	15172	5.1	1.00	2.92	-1.92

Some of these guys were defensive specialists, so now let's turn our attention to defensive quality of teammates... Here are the players who got to play with the most dominant defenders ever:

Player	carMP	carDWS	cDWS3K	DQT
K.C. Jones	17501	37.3	6.40	5.91
Sam Jones	24285	43.2	5.34	5.88
Tom Heinsohn	19254	41.9	6.53	5.79
Frank Ramsey	15330	25.7	5.03	5.65
Tom Sanders	22164	41.2	5.58	5.55
Bill Russell	40726	132.5	9.76	4.96
John Havlicek	46471	73.9	4.77	4.68
Bill Sharman	21793	21.6	2.98	4.54
Bob Cousy	30165	50.0	4.97	4.48
Don Nelson	21685	29.4	4.06	4.42
Tony Parker	20335	27.5	4.05	4.39
Bruce Bowen	24055	32.8	4.09	4.16
Jo Jo White	29941	34.1	3.42	4.09
Don Chaney	18881	24.9	3.96	3.99
Slater Martin	21889	22.7	3.11	3.92
Steve Kerr	16207	14.9	2.75	3.87
Tim Duncan	33138	75.7	6.85	3.86
Sean Elliott	24502	24.2	2.97	3.75
Paul Westphal	20947	23.2	3.32	3.75
Dennis Johnson	35954	42.3	3.53	3.74
Kevin Grevey	15246	13.3	2.62	3.74
Vern Mikkelsen	18443	26.4	4.29	3.72
Dave Cowens	29565	56.5	5.74	3.72
Phil Chenier	19116	22.4	3.52	3.71
Avery Johnson	26615	23.0	2.60	3.71
Mike Riordan	15890	18.2	3.44	3.70
Al Attles	17826	20.6	3.47	3.68
John Starks	23514	29.0	3.70	3.67
Kirk Hinrich	15019	18.5	3.69	3.64
Hedo Turkoglu	18944	24.0	3.81	3.63
John Stockton	47764	64.3	4.04	3.62
Bob Love	25120	26.3	3.15	3.62
Mario Elie	18654	18.4	2.96	3.62
Rafer Alston	17971	21.1	3.52	3.61
Willie Anderson	15974	18.0	3.38	3.60
Tayshaun Prince	17825	19.9	3.35	3.58
Steve Smith	28856	22.0	2.28	3.58
Terry Porter	35354	39.2	3.33	3.58
Darryl Dawkins	17235	28.3	4.92	3.58
Walter Davis	28859	28.1	2.92	3.57
Chet Walker	33433	38.6	3.47	3.56
Thurl Bailey	24873	30.1	3.63	3.56
Jeff Mullins	24574	26.3	3.21	3.54
Maurice Cheeks	34845	42.3	3.64	3.53
Robert Horry	27066	43.1	4.78	3.53
Danny Ainge	27755	25.9	2.80	3.53
Jeff Malone	29660	17.2	1.74	3.53
Bryon Russell	19805	23.3	3.52	3.53
Eric Snow	23132	25.2	3.27	3.52
B.J. Armstrong	17790	13.1	2.21	3.52
Kevin McHale	30118	36.8	3.66	3.52
Kevin Porter	19107	16.5	2.58	3.51
Gus Williams	25645	33.0	3.87	3.50
Danny Ferry	18131	18.2	3.02	3.50
Allan Houston	28311	20.3	2.15	3.50
Sidney Moncrief	23150	28.5	3.69	3.50
Clifford Robinson	42561	56.5	3.98	3.49
Dolph Schayes	29800	48.6	4.89	3.49
John Paxson	17257	10.0	1.74	3.49
Kevin Duckworth	17462	18.7	3.21	3.49
Ron Harper	31199	44.0	4.23	3.48
Chris Dudley	16321	27.6	5.08	3.47
Clyde Lovellette	19075	25.7	4.05	3.47
Michael Cooper	23635	24.9	3.16	3.47
Alvan Adams	27203	44.1	4.86	3.46
Scottie Pippen	41069	65.9	4.81	3.46
Paul Pressey	19659	27.6	4.21	3.46
Shane Battier	20708	25.4	3.69	3.46
Aaron McKie	19155	26.1	4.09	3.46
Truck Robinson	25141	37.2	4.43	3.46
Carmelo Anthony	16113	16.0	2.98	3.45
Cedric Maxwell	23769	25.2	3.19	3.45
Mark Eaton	25169	48.3	5.76	3.45
Mark Price	21560	18.6	2.59	3.45
Buck Williams	42464	62.7	4.43	3.44
Joe Dumars	35139	22.3	1.90	3.44
Chauncey Billups	26876	24.0	2.67	3.44
Charles Smith	16378	23.1	4.22	3.44
Henry Bibby	15475	13.6	2.63	3.44
Karl Malone	54852	91.5	5.01	3.43
Peja Stojakovic	24402	23.2	2.86	3.43
Richard Jefferson	20438	23.0	3.37	3.43
Jerome Kersey	28115	44.2	4.72	3.42
Bonzi Wells	15132	21.6	4.27	3.42
Richard Hamilton	24724	20.0	2.43	3.42
Otis Birdsong	21627	19.5	2.71	3.42
Craig Hodges	15077	10.2	2.03	3.42
Vinny Del Negro	19211	13.9	2.18	3.42
James Worthy	30001	29.6	2.96	3.42
Vinnie Johnson	24308	23.3	2.87	3.41
Allen Iverson	36719	38.2	3.12	3.41
Gerald Wilkins	26084	20.7	2.38	3.41
David Robinson	34271	79.5	6.96	3.41
Bailey Howell	30627	30.7	3.00	3.40
Bob Weiss	17277	19.4	3.37	3.40
Craig Ehlo	21071	25.0	3.56	3.40
Jason Williams	21190	16.2	2.29	3.40
Rasho Nesterovic	17570	25.3	4.33	3.39
Rod Strickland	33634	37.1	3.31	3.39
Guy Rodgers	28661	38.6	4.04	3.39

Is it really any surprise that the Bill Russell-era Celtics dominate this leaderboard? This just shows how ridiculously stacked those teams were defensively... On the flip side, meet the players whose teammates were most porous on D:

Player	carMP	carDWS	cDWS3K	DQT
George Carter	16234	5.2	0.96	2.03
Cincinnatus Powell	18636	11.1	1.79	2.05
Stew Johnson	19201	11.7	1.83	2.06
Glen Combs	15275	6.9	1.35	2.13
Ray Felix	15188	12.7	2.50	2.24
Warren Jabali	15264	12.2	2.40	2.28
Swen Nater	20746	22.2	3.21	2.34
Shareef Abdur-Rahim	28882	21.1	2.19	2.34
Larry Jones	18956	14.1	2.23	2.35
Walt Bellamy	38940	26.9	2.07	2.36
Chuck Williams	17894	9.0	1.50	2.36
Red Robbins	18745	20.0	3.20	2.36
Wayne Embry	21763	15.1	2.09	2.36
Jim Eakins	19013	15.4	2.43	2.37
Gilbert Arenas	16175	10.0	1.85	2.39
Terry Dischinger	17841	9.7	1.64	2.39
Gerald Govan	22925	26.7	3.49	2.40
Willie Wise	18438	16.1	2.61	2.41
Rich Jones	16991	13.6	2.40	2.41
Otto Moore	16893	19.0	3.37	2.42
Jack Twyman	26147	15.3	1.75	2.43
Wil Jones	21931	19.8	2.71	2.43
Johnny Green	24624	18.3	2.23	2.43
Fatty Taylor	17706	13.9	2.36	2.44
Quentin Richardson	16853	10.2	1.81	2.45
Mack Calvin	21593	12.7	1.77	2.46
Oscar Robertson	43886	37.3	2.55	2.47
Richie Guerin	27447	19.7	2.16	2.47
Jay Vincent	15556	11.7	2.26	2.47
Elmore Smith	17879	22.0	3.70	2.47
Michael Redd	18710	7.2	1.16	2.48
LaSalle Thompson	21238	27.1	3.83	2.48
Ron Boone	32391	18.4	1.71	2.49
Antawn Jamison	29354	16.5	1.68	2.49
Rudy Tomjanovich	25714	18.4	2.15	2.49
Brad Davis	22302	11.2	1.50	2.49
Dwight Jones	16452	14.3	2.60	2.49
Caron Butler	17715	15.1	2.56	2.50
Adrian Smith	19010	7.9	1.24	2.50
Coby Dietrick	16287	17.6	3.23	2.50
Howard Komives	20213	8.7	1.29	2.51
Billy Paultz	30392	29.0	2.86	2.52
Bill Melchionni	16787	10.1	1.80	2.52
Herm Gilliam	15026	12.7	2.54	2.52
Steve Jones	21028	11.9	1.70	2.53
Bob Netolicky	20554	15.0	2.20	2.54
Sam Lacey	31873	41.9	3.95	2.55
Mahdi Abdul-Rahman	19202	12.2	1.90	2.55
Elton Brand	24421	28.3	3.48	2.56
Zach Randolph	15180	12.2	2.41	2.56
Jim Fox	17294	14.0	2.44	2.56
Sidney Wicks	25762	20.6	2.40	2.57
Harry Gallatin	15813	17.7	3.36	2.57
Geoff Petrie	16787	5.7	1.02	2.57
Byron Beck	19197	18.2	2.85	2.58
Dave Robisch	22780	20.8	2.73	2.58
Lou Hudson	29794	17.7	1.78	2.58
Mel Daniels	22466	31.2	4.16	2.60
Brian Taylor	19149	14.1	2.21	2.60
Neil Johnston	18298	18.1	2.97	2.60
Joe Caldwell	25261	18.8	2.23	2.60
Bob Boozer	25549	19.1	2.24	2.60
Glenn Robinson	25346	19.2	2.27	2.60
James Silas	20363	10.6	1.57	2.60
Jimmy Walker	23590	9.9	1.26	2.61
Rod Higgins	17189	10.7	1.86	2.61
Carl Braun	18409	13.1	2.13	2.61
Vin Baker	25737	21.4	2.50	2.62
Mark Olberding	23692	18.6	2.36	2.62
Corey Maggette	18738	13.2	2.11	2.62
Zelmo Beaty	29676	31.7	3.21	2.63
T.R. Dunn	23080	22.5	2.92	2.64
Connie Hawkins	22232	23.2	3.13	2.64
Bingo Smith	22407	16.3	2.18	2.64
Dan Issel	41784	41.1	2.95	2.65
Dick McGuire	17170	18.0	3.15	2.65
Bill Bridges	30878	34.8	3.38	2.65
Roger Brown	21454	17.4	2.44	2.66
Dick Snyder	25676	14.4	1.68	2.66
Larry Smith	22879	25.7	3.37	2.66
Ben Poquette	15763	15.2	2.90	2.66
Calvin Murphy	30607	16.5	1.62	2.66
Chris Bosh	16289	17.3	3.19	2.66
Randy Smith	31444	18.8	1.80	2.67
Larry Kenon	24510	26.4	3.23	2.67
George Gervin	35597	26.3	2.22	2.67
Shawn Bradley	19531	31.0	4.76	2.67
Jamal Crawford	19444	7.1	1.10	2.67
Tom Hawkins	18465	14.4	2.34	2.67
Jerry Lucas	32131	34.2	3.19	2.67
Ray Scott	23709	28.2	3.57	2.68
Pete Maravich	24316	16.5	2.03	2.68
Doug West	16649	5.4	0.97	2.68
Kevin Garnett	39635	69.6	5.27	2.68
Gene Shue	23338	15.2	1.96	2.69
Lenny Wilkens	38064	34.6	2.73	2.69
Lamond Murray	18477	12.7	2.05	2.69
Gus Johnson	20893	25.3	3.63	2.69
Pooh Richardson	19399	10.0	1.54	2.70
Tom Van Arsdale	28682	14.6	1.53	2.70

Perhaps this was why Shareef Abdur-Rahim scarcely sniffed the playoffs? Here are the players who raised the quality of their defenses the most:

Player	carMP	carDWS	cDWS3K	DQT	Diff
Bill Russell	40726	132.5	9.76	4.96	4.80
Ben Wallace	27892	64.6	6.94	3.06	3.89
David Robinson	34271	79.5	6.96	3.41	3.55
Hakeem Olajuwon	44222	94.9	6.44	2.92	3.52
Tim Duncan	33138	75.7	6.85	3.86	2.99
Marcus Camby	23228	45.5	5.88	2.95	2.93
Wilt Chamberlain	47859	94.6	5.93	3.12	2.81
Patrick Ewing	40594	80.2	5.93	3.19	2.74
Dikembe Mutombo	36791	67.9	5.53	2.90	2.63
Kevin Garnett	39635	69.6	5.27	2.68	2.59
Shawn Marion	28020	48.1	5.15	2.76	2.38
Alonzo Mourning	25975	47.2	5.45	3.07	2.38
George Johnson	18102	32.4	5.37	3.03	2.33
Mark Eaton	25169	48.3	5.76	3.45	2.31
Shawn Kemp	29294	52.3	5.35	3.12	2.23
Clifford Ray	19940	36.5	5.50	3.29	2.21
Dennis Rodman	28839	52.9	5.50	3.35	2.15
Wes Unseld	35832	64.1	5.36	3.24	2.12
Shawn Bradley	19531	31.0	4.76	2.67	2.09
Yao Ming	15727	28.5	5.44	3.38	2.06
Tree Rollins	24028	40.6	5.07	3.01	2.06
Dave Cowens	29565	56.5	5.74	3.72	2.02
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	57446	94.2	4.92	2.99	1.93
Rich Kelley	17711	29.7	5.04	3.13	1.91
Nate Thurmond	35881	61.3	5.12	3.27	1.85
Jermaine O'Neal	22459	37.9	5.06	3.21	1.85
Alton Lister	18965	31.0	4.91	3.07	1.84
Gar Heard	19571	31.1	4.77	2.95	1.82
Chris Webber	30847	49.5	4.82	3.01	1.80
Larry Bird	34443	58.7	5.11	3.33	1.78
Elvin Hayes	50000	83.8	5.03	3.27	1.76
Ervin Johnson	16988	25.0	4.41	2.71	1.70
Shaquille O'Neal	39926	63.3	4.76	3.06	1.70
Tyson Chandler	15061	23.8	4.74	3.04	1.69
Vlade Divac	33838	53.7	4.76	3.07	1.69
Jack Sikma	36943	59.7	4.85	3.16	1.69
Kenyon Martin	17806	29.5	4.98	3.32	1.66
Bobby Jones	25728	41.4	4.83	3.19	1.64
Andrei Kirilenko	17309	26.4	4.58	2.95	1.63
Chris Dudley	16321	27.6	5.08	3.47	1.61
George McGinnis	28179	41.5	4.42	2.85	1.58
Karl Malone	54852	91.5	5.01	3.43	1.57
Mel Daniels	22466	31.2	4.16	2.60	1.56
Dave DeBusschere	31202	46.2	4.44	2.90	1.54
Robert Parish	45704	72.3	4.74	3.25	1.49
Theo Ratliff	19621	28.4	4.34	2.86	1.49
Artis Gilmore	47134	65.1	4.14	2.72	1.43
Kurt Thomas	23738	35.4	4.48	3.06	1.42
Nate McMillan	20462	31.1	4.55	3.15	1.41
Sam Lacey	31873	41.9	3.95	2.55	1.40

Now that is one great list of defensive big men! Compare it to these turnstiles who hung their teammates out to dry the most:

Player	carMP	carDWS	cDWS3K	DQT	Diff
Nick Van Exel	28969	12.1	1.25	3.27	-2.02
Kiki Vandeweghe	24521	9.0	1.10	3.06	-1.96
Jeff McInnis	15927	5.6	1.05	2.94	-1.90
Jeff Malone	29660	17.2	1.74	3.53	-1.78
John Paxson	17257	10.0	1.74	3.49	-1.74
Stephon Marbury	31891	14.2	1.34	3.07	-1.73
Hubert Davis	15143	8.0	1.59	3.32	-1.73
Doug West	16649	5.4	0.97	2.68	-1.71
Isaiah Rider	17851	9.5	1.59	3.22	-1.63
Steve Nash	29012	13.8	1.43	3.05	-1.62
Dale Ellis	34778	18.3	1.58	3.19	-1.61
Jamal Crawford	19444	7.1	1.10	2.67	-1.57
Bill Sharman	21793	21.6	2.98	4.54	-1.56
Chucky Atkins	16661	8.7	1.57	3.12	-1.56
Geoff Petrie	16787	5.7	1.02	2.57	-1.55
Joe Dumars	35139	22.3	1.90	3.44	-1.54
World B. Free	26893	13.0	1.45	2.97	-1.52
Damon Stoudamire	29106	17.1	1.76	3.28	-1.52
Rex Chapman	19542	9.9	1.51	2.96	-1.45
Norm Nixon	27250	16.6	1.83	3.26	-1.43
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf	15628	8.5	1.63	3.05	-1.42
Craig Hodges	15077	10.2	2.03	3.42	-1.39
Antonio Daniels	19636	10.7	1.63	3.01	-1.38
Kenny Smith	22213	14.0	1.89	3.27	-1.38
Reggie Theus	34603	17.1	1.48	2.86	-1.38
Johnny Newman	28435	14.2	1.50	2.86	-1.36
Tiny Archibald	31159	18.0	1.73	3.09	-1.36
Allan Houston	28311	20.3	2.15	3.50	-1.35
Jimmy Walker	23590	9.9	1.26	2.61	-1.34
Michael Redd	18710	7.2	1.16	2.48	-1.32
B.J. Armstrong	17790	13.1	2.21	3.52	-1.32
Sherman Douglas	21148	9.9	1.41	2.72	-1.32
Scott Skiles	16789	8.2	1.46	2.76	-1.31
Steve Smith	28856	22.0	2.28	3.58	-1.30
Rolando Blackman	32087	16.2	1.51	2.79	-1.28
Eddie Johnson	32604	19.1	1.75	3.02	-1.26
Johnny Davis	21200	13.2	1.87	3.14	-1.26
Adrian Smith	19010	7.9	1.24	2.50	-1.26
Dick Van Arsdale	31771	16.9	1.59	2.86	-1.26
Dana Barros	19480	11.2	1.73	2.97	-1.24
Mike Mitchell	24537	13.0	1.58	2.82	-1.24
Vinny Del Negro	19211	13.9	2.18	3.42	-1.24
Jerry Stackhouse	28500	18.2	1.91	3.15	-1.23
Mike Newlin	24574	12.5	1.52	2.75	-1.23
Howard Komives	20213	8.7	1.29	2.51	-1.22
Trenton Hassell	15172	8.6	1.70	2.90	-1.20
Tom Henderson	17690	10.8	1.83	3.02	-1.19
Howard Eisley	16013	11.0	2.06	3.24	-1.18
Wally Szczerbiak	20052	13.7	2.05	3.23	-1.18
Orlando Woolridge	24041	14.6	1.82	3.00	-1.18

Dumars (!!) and Hassell, defensive stoppers by trade, illustrate the main problem with Dean Oliver's defensive rating (upon which DWS are based): perimeter defenders who don't rack up blocks, steals, or defensive rebounds are going to look bad, especially if they don't play on dominating defensive teams. Dumars' contributions simply didn't show up in the box score, and consequently DWS sees him as having contributed little to the Bad Boys' tough defenses despite his 5 All-Defense nods.

Anyway, add it all up and you get these lists -- the players with the strongest overall supporting casts:

Player	carMP	carWS	cWS3K	TQT
K.C. Jones	17501	38.1	6.53	9.09
Michael Cooper	23635	52.9	6.71	8.84
Tom Sanders	22164	55.5	7.52	8.65
Tom Heinsohn	19254	60.5	9.42	8.59
Frank Ramsey	15330	49.9	9.77	8.51
Sam Jones	24285	91.2	11.27	8.48
Bruce Bowen	24055	42.0	5.24	8.31
Tony Parker	20335	60.5	8.92	8.28
James Worthy	30001	80.8	8.08	8.28
Bill Russell	40726	162.6	11.98	8.10
Jamaal Wilkes	27275	72.2	7.94	8.03
Bryon Russell	19805	46.8	7.09	7.98
Byron Scott	30153	74.5	7.41	7.96
John Paxson	17257	35.3	6.13	7.89
Bob Cousy	30165	90.8	9.03	7.89
Wali Jones	15759	16.1	3.06	7.80
Danny Ainge	27755	71.6	7.74	7.77
Scottie Pippen	41069	122.6	8.96	7.75
Norm Nixon	27250	47.8	5.26	7.73
Magic Johnson	33245	155.8	14.06	7.71
Kurt Rambis	16299	38.8	7.14	7.69
Kevin McHale	30118	112.0	11.15	7.68
Slater Martin	21889	39.8	5.45	7.68
Michael Finley	37288	84.8	6.82	7.67
Robert Horry	27066	66.6	7.38	7.66
Derek Fisher	24685	51.0	6.20	7.65
Tim Duncan	33138	148.5	13.45	7.63
Steve Kerr	16207	46.5	8.61	7.58
A.C. Green	36552	98.9	8.12	7.57
Dennis Johnson	35954	81.8	6.83	7.55
Mario Elie	18654	49.7	7.99	7.53
Larry Bird	34443	144.8	12.61	7.50
Sean Elliott	24502	55.8	6.83	7.49
Jerome Kersey	28115	71.4	7.62	7.48
Avery Johnson	26615	56.5	6.37	7.46
Robert Parish	45704	145.7	9.56	7.44
B.J. Armstrong	17790	44.2	7.46	7.43
Lucius Allen	20159	41.5	6.17	7.42
John Havlicek	46471	132.0	8.52	7.42
Tayshaun Prince	17825	44.4	7.47	7.42
Bonzi Wells	15132	28.9	5.73	7.41
Bill Sharman	21793	84.9	11.69	7.39
Steve Nash	29012	105.3	10.89	7.38
Jon McGlocklin	20930	46.7	6.69	7.37
Dennis Rodman	28839	87.1	9.06	7.36
Kevin Duckworth	17462	25.6	4.39	7.36
Dan Majerle	30206	78.7	7.81	7.36
Rafer Alston	17971	32.9	5.50	7.35
Hedo Turkoglu	18944	49.9	7.90	7.32
Horace Grant	38621	116.5	9.05	7.31
Raja Bell	16740	29.9	5.36	7.31
Howard Eisley	16013	19.4	3.63	7.28
Rasho Nesterovic	17570	39.0	6.66	7.27
Jim McMillian	20227	47.2	6.99	7.24
Maurice Cheeks	34845	102.4	8.81	7.22
Cedric Maxwell	23769	78.5	9.90	7.21
Bill Bradley	22799	37.2	4.90	7.20
Mychal Thompson	27764	58.8	6.36	7.19
Jeff Hornacek	33964	109.5	9.67	7.19
Sam Perkins	36598	104.0	8.53	7.19
Terry Porter	35354	112.7	9.56	7.18
Sedale Threatt	22436	47.3	6.33	7.17
Don Nelson	21685	74.5	10.31	7.17
Brian Shaw	21666	23.7	3.28	7.17
Gerald Henderson	18856	31.4	5.00	7.17
Quinn Buckner	16245	24.8	4.58	7.16
Craig Hodges	15077	26.8	5.34	7.13
Richard Hamilton	24724	55.5	6.74	7.13
Detlef Schrempf	33597	109.8	9.81	7.12
Rik Smits	23100	55.8	7.24	7.12
Mark Eaton	25169	44.8	5.34	7.11
Derrick McKey	27229	60.8	6.70	7.11
Tom Hawkins	18465	24.1	3.92	7.10
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	57446	272.5	14.23	7.10
Happy Hairston	24330	71.0	8.76	7.08
Dale Davis	29606	85.2	8.64	7.08
Bob Dandridge	29502	79.6	8.09	7.08
Craig Ehlo	21071	40.4	5.75	7.08
Nate McMillan	20462	50.2	7.36	7.07
Hot Rod Williams	26327	69.1	7.88	7.07
Don Chaney	18881	36.7	5.83	7.06
Peja Stojakovic	24402	80.2	9.86	7.05
Antoine Carr	19780	41.3	6.26	7.05
Rick Fox	23723	45.7	5.78	7.05
Kevin Johnson	25061	95.2	11.40	7.05
Gary Payton	47117	145.9	9.29	7.04
Mark West	20213	42.6	6.32	7.03
Rasheed Wallace	34167	98.2	8.62	7.03
Paul Pressey	19659	48.3	7.37	7.01
Dick Barnett	28937	67.8	7.02	7.01
Danny Ferry	18131	33.2	5.49	7.00
Vlade Divac	33838	98.0	8.69	6.97
Mehmet Okur	15658	48.3	9.25	6.97
Jo Jo White	29941	54.7	5.49	6.96
Hal Greer	39788	104.8	7.90	6.96
Gail Goodrich	33527	78.1	6.99	6.95
Henry Bibby	15475	24.6	4.76	6.95
Elden Campbell	25775	62.8	7.31	6.94
John Starks	23514	49.0	6.26	6.93
Adrian Smith	19010	33.3	5.26	6.92

And the weakest ones:

Player	carMP	carWS	cWS3K	TQT
Stew Johnson	19201	7.6	1.19	3.90
Neil Johnston	18298	92.3	15.14	4.10
Larry Jones	18956	43.4	6.87	4.32
Steve Jones	21028	27.8	3.97	4.37
George Carter	16234	18.8	3.48	4.41
Wil Jones	21931	28.9	3.95	4.43
Red Robbins	18745	38.3	6.12	4.44
Warren Jabali	15264	27.0	5.31	4.48
Chuck Williams	17894	25.4	4.25	4.57
Byron Beck	19197	42.2	6.60	4.61
Geoff Petrie	16787	26.7	4.76	4.65
Jim Eakins	19013	45.9	7.24	4.72
Gerald Govan	22925	20.2	2.64	4.75
Jimmy Jones	23463	60.8	7.77	4.76
Glen Combs	15275	26.7	5.25	4.77
Mack Calvin	21593	47.9	6.65	4.78
Donnie Freeman	21026	44.8	6.39	4.81
Cincinnatus Powell	18636	32.0	5.15	4.83
Bingo Smith	22407	32.3	4.32	4.84
Elton Brand	24421	82.2	10.10	4.87
Roger Brown	21454	49.9	6.98	4.89
Terry Dischinger	17841	56.4	9.48	4.95
Mel Daniels	22466	49.3	6.58	4.95
Bob Netolicky	20554	36.7	5.35	4.97
Walt Bellamy	38940	130.5	10.06	5.00
Shareef Abdur-Rahim	28882	71.4	7.42	5.01
Jack Twyman	26147	74.7	8.57	5.07
Freddie Lewis	24924	41.3	4.98	5.07
Bernard King	29417	74.9	7.64	5.08
Ken Norman	18992	27.4	4.33	5.08
Rich Jones	16991	18.1	3.20	5.10
Austin Carr	19660	31.9	4.87	5.12
Loy Vaught	16993	36.4	6.43	5.12
Reggie Williams	16013	26.7	5.00	5.13
Connie Hawkins	22232	71.1	9.60	5.14
Johnny Green	24624	58.9	7.17	5.16
Ray Scott	23709	34.1	4.31	5.16
Sidney Wicks	25762	42.7	4.98	5.19
Doug West	16649	17.4	3.13	5.20
Don Kojis	19241	36.1	5.62	5.20
Corey Maggette	18738	51.9	8.31	5.23
Eddie Miles	15681	24.4	4.67	5.24
Billy Knight	23746	60.1	7.60	5.25
Dave Robisch	22780	54.8	7.21	5.25
Pooh Richardson	19399	26.1	4.03	5.26
Bill Melchionni	16787	21.9	3.91	5.26
Kevin Edwards	15332	12.5	2.46	5.27
Swen Nater	20746	52.5	7.59	5.27
Tom Owens	20836	53.7	7.73	5.29
Benoit Benjamin	21911	32.9	4.51	5.30
Zach Randolph	15180	27.7	5.48	5.30
Michael Adams	20446	49.5	7.27	5.31
Brian Taylor	19149	41.1	6.44	5.31
Willie Wise	18438	37.3	6.06	5.31
Lamond Murray	18477	20.1	3.26	5.33
Rory Sparrow	22550	27.3	3.64	5.34
Ron Boone	32391	47.5	4.40	5.34
John Drew	21828	67.7	9.31	5.35
Dick Snyder	25676	58.0	6.78	5.35
Ben Poquette	15763	30.2	5.75	5.35
Grant Long	28514	59.2	6.23	5.36
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf	15628	25.2	4.84	5.37
Otto Moore	16893	25.1	4.45	5.39
Mitch Richmond	34309	81.4	7.11	5.39
Tom Van Arsdale	28682	37.1	3.88	5.40
Jim Fox	17294	41.9	7.26	5.41
Artis Gilmore	47134	167.3	10.65	5.41
Brevin Knight	18176	32.8	5.42	5.41
Sam Lacey	31873	51.0	4.80	5.42
Fatty Taylor	17706	14.0	2.38	5.42
Elmore Smith	17879	34.6	5.80	5.42
James Silas	20363	50.8	7.49	5.42
John Johnson	25681	36.5	4.27	5.43
Chris Bosh	16289	52.1	9.59	5.43
Wayman Tisdale	23868	45.7	5.75	5.43
Gilbert Arenas	16175	49.8	9.24	5.43
Pete Maravich	24316	47.7	5.89	5.44
Ray Felix	15188	40.1	7.92	5.44
Mike Woodson	20021	35.2	5.27	5.44
Scott Skiles	16789	30.7	5.49	5.44
Wayne Hightower	15474	14.9	2.88	5.45
Mike Bantom	19725	34.9	5.30	5.45
John Williamson	15540	21.4	4.14	5.46
Charles Smith	16378	41.0	7.52	5.46
Darrell Walker	18601	27.3	4.41	5.46
Joe Caldwell	25261	34.3	4.07	5.47
Rony Seikaly	21395	37.1	5.20	5.47
Phil Hubbard	15863	28.6	5.41	5.48
Randy Smith	31444	60.6	5.78	5.48
Larry Foust	19926	68.1	10.25	5.48
Ralph Simpson	19623	22.4	3.43	5.49
Louie Dampier	32201	57.9	5.39	5.50
Foots Walker	15036	30.8	6.14	5.50
Alvin Robertson	24669	52.6	6.39	5.50
Campy Russell	16781	34.9	6.23	5.50
Rod Higgins	17189	39.2	6.85	5.51
Bob Lanier	32103	117.0	10.93	5.51
Clarence Weatherspoon	27735	58.2	6.30	5.51
Paul Pierce	30525	105.4	10.35	5.52
Mel Hutchins	16574	26.6	4.81	5.52

Those who single-handedly helped their teammates reach new heights:

Player	carMP	carWS	cWS3K	TQT	Diff
Neil Johnston	18298	92.3	15.14	4.10	11.03
Wilt Chamberlain	47859	249.6	15.64	6.06	9.58
Michael Jordan	41010	208.5	15.25	6.46	8.79
David Robinson	34271	177.1	15.51	6.73	8.78
Bob Pettit	30690	133.5	13.05	5.65	7.39
Oscar Robertson	43886	191.1	13.06	5.84	7.22
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	57446	272.5	14.23	7.10	7.13
Charles Barkley	39330	176.0	13.42	6.48	6.94
LeBron James	19142	83.4	13.06	6.15	6.91
Jerry West	36571	162.8	13.35	6.45	6.90
Dirk Nowitzki	30693	138.4	13.52	6.74	6.78
Shaquille O'Neal	39926	178.2	13.39	6.71	6.67
Ed Macauley	18071	78.1	12.97	6.46	6.51
Magic Johnson	33245	155.8	14.06	7.71	6.36
Kevin Garnett	39635	157.7	11.93	5.70	6.24
Dolph Schayes	29800	119.3	12.01	5.83	6.18
John Stockton	47764	205.3	12.90	6.79	6.11
Adrian Dantley	34151	134.0	11.77	5.68	6.09
Paul Arizin	24897	96.0	11.57	5.58	5.99
Karl Malone	54852	231.6	12.67	6.78	5.89
Tim Duncan	33138	148.5	13.45	7.63	5.81
Harry Gallatin	15813	60.3	11.43	5.72	5.71
Yao Ming	15727	64.2	12.25	6.63	5.62
Bailey Howell	30627	114.6	11.22	5.65	5.58
Bob Lanier	32103	117.0	10.93	5.51	5.42
Kobe Bryant	34531	138.8	12.06	6.71	5.36
George Yardley	15767	57.6	10.97	5.69	5.28
Artis Gilmore	47134	167.3	10.65	5.41	5.23
Elton Brand	24421	82.2	10.10	4.87	5.23
Hakeem Olajuwon	44222	163.4	11.08	5.96	5.13
Larry Bird	34443	144.8	12.61	7.50	5.12
Walt Bellamy	38940	130.5	10.06	5.00	5.06
Sidney Moncrief	23150	89.0	11.53	6.64	4.89
Clyde Lovellette	19075	70.8	11.14	6.29	4.85
Paul Pierce	30525	105.4	10.35	5.52	4.84
Larry Foust	19926	68.1	10.25	5.48	4.76
Pau Gasol	20821	72.7	10.48	5.74	4.74
Dan Issel	41784	143.9	10.33	5.67	4.66
Julius Erving	45227	163.3	10.83	6.23	4.60
Reggie Miller	47619	172.4	10.86	6.31	4.55
Terry Dischinger	17841	56.4	9.48	4.95	4.53
Vern Mikkelsen	18443	65.6	10.67	6.14	4.53
Connie Hawkins	22232	71.1	9.60	5.14	4.46
Walt Frazier	30965	109.5	10.61	6.21	4.40
Kevin Johnson	25061	95.2	11.40	7.05	4.35
Moses Malone	49444	172.6	10.47	6.15	4.32
Clyde Drexler	37537	139.1	11.12	6.81	4.31
Bill Sharman	21793	84.9	11.69	7.39	4.30
Shawn Marion	28020	102.3	10.95	6.71	4.24
Chauncey Billups	26876	97.8	10.92	6.69	4.24

And finally, those who did the most to hold them back:

Player	carMP	carWS	cWS3K	TQT	Diff
Howard Komives	20213	5.0	0.75	6.39	-5.65
Wali Jones	15759	16.1	3.06	7.80	-4.74
Connie Dierking	15474	13.4	2.60	6.87	-4.27
Brian Shaw	21666	23.7	3.28	7.17	-3.89
Howard Eisley	16013	19.4	3.63	7.28	-3.64
Darrell Griffith	21403	22.3	3.12	6.56	-3.44
Jack George	15860	17.7	3.35	6.74	-3.39
Tom Hawkins	18465	24.1	3.92	7.10	-3.18
Fred Carter	18328	14.9	2.44	5.58	-3.14
John Bagley	17120	16.6	2.90	6.04	-3.14
Joe Graboski	22197	23.5	3.18	6.30	-3.12
Trenton Hassell	15172	13.7	2.70	5.82	-3.12
Bruce Bowen	24055	42.0	5.24	8.31	-3.08
Guy Rodgers	28661	33.2	3.48	6.55	-3.07
Vernon Maxwell	24309	27.5	3.40	6.45	-3.05
Fatty Taylor	17706	14.0	2.38	5.42	-3.04
Kevin Duckworth	17462	25.6	4.39	7.36	-2.97
Calbert Cheaney	22007	23.4	3.19	6.15	-2.96
Lionel Hollins	18453	22.9	3.72	6.66	-2.94
Desmond Mason	19575	22.9	3.52	6.33	-2.82
Kevin Edwards	15332	12.5	2.46	5.27	-2.81
Keith Erickson	18841	25.0	3.99	6.72	-2.73
Stew Johnson	19201	7.6	1.19	3.90	-2.71
Gerald Wilkins	26084	33.4	3.84	6.53	-2.68
Lindsey Hunter	23131	32.4	4.21	6.86	-2.65
Tom Henderson	17690	22.0	3.73	6.35	-2.63
Quinn Buckner	16245	24.8	4.58	7.16	-2.58
K.C. Jones	17501	38.1	6.53	9.09	-2.57
Wayne Hightower	15474	14.9	2.88	5.45	-2.57
Chuck Person	28941	38.9	4.04	6.58	-2.54
Norm Nixon	27250	47.8	5.26	7.73	-2.47
Antoine Walker	31531	38.9	3.71	6.15	-2.44
Isaiah Rider	17851	22.8	3.84	6.18	-2.34
Anthony Peeler	20463	30.9	4.54	6.86	-2.32
Shandon Anderson	15946	23.5	4.43	6.74	-2.31
Bill Bradley	22799	37.2	4.90	7.20	-2.30
Jim Jackson	29067	35.9	3.71	5.94	-2.24
Slater Martin	21889	39.8	5.45	7.68	-2.23
Henry Bibby	15475	24.6	4.76	6.95	-2.19
J.R. Reid	15370	22.5	4.39	6.58	-2.18
Gerald Henderson	18856	31.4	5.00	7.17	-2.17
Stephen Jackson	19470	28.9	4.46	6.60	-2.14
Michael Cooper	23635	52.9	6.71	8.84	-2.13
Gerald Govan	22925	20.2	2.64	4.75	-2.11
Chris Ford	22043	35.6	4.84	6.92	-2.07
Lamond Murray	18477	20.1	3.26	5.33	-2.07
Doug West	16649	17.4	3.13	5.20	-2.07
Ralph Simpson	19623	22.4	3.43	5.49	-2.06
Jason Williams	21190	34.1	4.83	6.87	-2.03
Anthony Johnson	15145	21.9	4.33	6.31	-1.97

This entry was posted on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 2:50 pm and is filed under History, Statgeekery, Win Shares. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

7 Responses to “Quality of Teammates Revisited”

Anon Says:
October 9th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Good work Neil. I thought this topic was a good idea the last time you tried your hand at it...love these in-depth lists.

About Joe Dumars: I hear you about DWS not capturing his defensive contributions, but I think you already looked at him from a SPM standpoint in your all-time SG list and concluded that he wasn't exactly impressive using that metric either. I'm not saying he didn't do ANYTHING for those Pistons squads of course, but do you think it's one of those cases where his exploits as a defender were just a little bit overhyped (perhaps benefiting from the fact that he usually took on the task of guarding a certain high-profile player named Michael Jordan during his heyday)?
Robert August de Meijer Says:
October 10th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Most interesting!

What surprises me is that Patrick Ewing is not listed among "Those who single-handedly helped their teammates reach new heights".
P.P. Says:
October 10th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
You guys going to do anymore Keltner lists. I love those things. And I don't think one was done on Mullin yet? Looking at these lists also makes me think of doing one on Rodman and Sikma, etc.
Jason J Says:
October 11th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Fascinating work, Neil. I'm going to be pouring over these numbers for a long time.
Jason J Says:
October 11th, 2009 at 11:29 am
I think there's pretty clearly an issue around underrating perimeter defenders rather than this just being a case of Dumars being overrated. BJ Armstrong was a good defender who got no stats to show it. Trenton Hassell the same. Kenny Smith was at worst average, and he's up there. Stackhouse and Antonio Daniels are far from terrible as defenders. It may be that the bigs these guys played with like Rodman, Grant, Garnett, & Hakeem are assigned so much of the credit by the system that these smalls are left looking worse in hindsight. It may also bear mentioning that some teams actually require their guards to funnel drivers at shotblockers as a defensive strategy. So Tony Parker looks terrible, but his man gets introduced to Tim Duncan instead of the rim in the Spurs defensive system, actually increasing the apparent value of Tim's D (not that he needs any help!).
Raj Says:
October 13th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
"It may also bear mentioning that some teams actually require their guards to funnel drivers at shotblockers as a defensive strategy. So Tony Parker looks terrible, but his man gets introduced to Tim Duncan instead of the rim in the Spurs defensive system, actually increasing the apparent value of Tim's D (not that he needs any help!)."

I have a hard time believing many coaches would actually have their guards funnel people towards their shotblockers (though I will acknowledge that a lot of coaches might be that dumb). Just looking at the names at the top of the list of great big men, most of those guys such as Admiral and Hakeem were the type you wouldn't want to risk picking up the foul going for a blocked shot. Plus these were also your best defensive rebounders so forcing them to block shots also hurts that element of your defense. If anything I think guys like Kenny Smith (who if I remember correctly has routinely been called by Barkley, "The reason Hakeem Olajuwon is the all-time blocks leader". And to note I say this as someone who grew up in Houston and believes the '95 Rockets are the greatest assembly of clutch players ever assembled) probably suffered a bit from moral hazard: knowing you have a guy like Duncan, Robinson or Olajuwon probably makes you more likely to relax on defense because you have that safety net back there even though doing so hurts the time overall (as a contested layup is probably still a better shot than a contested jumper)
MCT Says:
October 13th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
A disporportionately large number of players on the "weakest teammates" lists are guys who spent most or all of their careers in the ABA. I'm wondering if this is just a by-product of docking the ABA numbers by 25%. Their teammates may have been weak relative to the NBA norm, but they weren't necessarily that weak relative to the competition these teams faced on a day-to-day basis, which makes their inclusion a little bit misleading.

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