Post by eric on Dec 12, 2017 11:13:48 GMT -6
Michael Jordan is the Greatest Player in NBA History
He is therefore necessarily the greatest Michael in NBA history.
But who is the second greatest Michael?
Michael Finley has the most career Win Shares of any non-Jordan Michael with 85 and the highest basketball-reference Hall of Fame Probability at 1.5%. He is also the only other Michael with more than one All-Star appearance (two). He is tied for the lead with two Players of the Week and one Player of the Month (sort of, he was given it alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash so it's probably charitable to even give him 1/3).
However, his career WS/48 of .11 is only barely above league average and his peak WS/48 of .131 isn't that impressive either.
Michael Redd has the other (and solo) Player of the Month, also has two Players of the Week, and has by far the best stats with .134 career and .167 peak WS/48. He's also the only non-Jordan Michael to put up double digit Win Shares in a single season with an 11 and the only other Michael to make an All-NBA team with a Third in 2004 to go along with his only All-Star.
However, his teams stuuuuuuunk. Here's the Bucks win totals after they traded Ray Allen in 2003 and he became their best player: 41, 30, 40, 28, 26, 34. That's an average of 9 games under .500. Not great,Bob Michael. And his All-NBA team selection looks realllly bad in retrospect considering Chauncey Billups was a much better player on a team that would win the title... including stomping Redd's Bucks in five in the first round. This general futility added up to only a 0.4% Hall of Fame Probability.
Michael Cage has the second best statistical profile.
However, he was a third big, so who cares.
Michael Cooper's composite stats are almost identical to Fin Dawg's: .108 to .107, .131 to .131, 1.5% to 1.2%. He was also never an All-Star, Player of the Week, or even an eighth of a Player of a Month. The only reason to lean his way is he was the sixth man and de facto point guard for the Showtime Lakers, and is one of two non-Jordan Michaels to win any major awards with a Defensive Player of the Year (somehow in a season he only started two games). Do you want the guy who was the fourth most important player on one championship team or five?
No other non-Jordan got even 50 career Win Shares. The only ones worth mentioning are Michael Adams who had an All-Star and two Players of the Week and got out of the first round once as maybe the third best player on the Doug Moe Nuggets, and Michael Carter-Williams who hilariously has a Player of the Week and Rookie of the Year. Fun fact, MCW, Michael Olowokandi, and Michael Phelps (no relation) are the only Michaels to never post a single season of .05 WS/48 or better.
.
I would go with Coop, but I wouldn't feel great about it. Extending the analysis to Mikes doesn't help as much as you'd think. For starters there has never been a Mike on an All-NBA team or Player of the Month, and the peak HoF Prob is a robust 0.4% for Mike Mitchell, who also has the one and only Mike All-Star.
Mike Conley has by far the best stats, but has never been an All-Star, POTW, POTM, or All-NBA, and as an active player we expect his career number to decline as he finishes his career.
Mike Miller has a Rookie and Sixth Man of the Year along with a couple rings limping around in Miami.
I'm sticking with Coop.
He is therefore necessarily the greatest Michael in NBA history.
But who is the second greatest Michael?
Michael Finley has the most career Win Shares of any non-Jordan Michael with 85 and the highest basketball-reference Hall of Fame Probability at 1.5%. He is also the only other Michael with more than one All-Star appearance (two). He is tied for the lead with two Players of the Week and one Player of the Month (sort of, he was given it alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash so it's probably charitable to even give him 1/3).
However, his career WS/48 of .11 is only barely above league average and his peak WS/48 of .131 isn't that impressive either.
Michael Redd has the other (and solo) Player of the Month, also has two Players of the Week, and has by far the best stats with .134 career and .167 peak WS/48. He's also the only non-Jordan Michael to put up double digit Win Shares in a single season with an 11 and the only other Michael to make an All-NBA team with a Third in 2004 to go along with his only All-Star.
However, his teams stuuuuuuunk. Here's the Bucks win totals after they traded Ray Allen in 2003 and he became their best player: 41, 30, 40, 28, 26, 34. That's an average of 9 games under .500. Not great,
Michael Cage has the second best statistical profile.
However, he was a third big, so who cares.
Michael Cooper's composite stats are almost identical to Fin Dawg's: .108 to .107, .131 to .131, 1.5% to 1.2%. He was also never an All-Star, Player of the Week, or even an eighth of a Player of a Month. The only reason to lean his way is he was the sixth man and de facto point guard for the Showtime Lakers, and is one of two non-Jordan Michaels to win any major awards with a Defensive Player of the Year (somehow in a season he only started two games). Do you want the guy who was the fourth most important player on one championship team or five?
No other non-Jordan got even 50 career Win Shares. The only ones worth mentioning are Michael Adams who had an All-Star and two Players of the Week and got out of the first round once as maybe the third best player on the Doug Moe Nuggets, and Michael Carter-Williams who hilariously has a Player of the Week and Rookie of the Year. Fun fact, MCW, Michael Olowokandi, and Michael Phelps (no relation) are the only Michaels to never post a single season of .05 WS/48 or better.
.
I would go with Coop, but I wouldn't feel great about it. Extending the analysis to Mikes doesn't help as much as you'd think. For starters there has never been a Mike on an All-NBA team or Player of the Month, and the peak HoF Prob is a robust 0.4% for Mike Mitchell, who also has the one and only Mike All-Star.
Mike Conley has by far the best stats, but has never been an All-Star, POTW, POTM, or All-NBA, and as an active player we expect his career number to decline as he finishes his career.
Mike Miller has a Rookie and Sixth Man of the Year along with a couple rings limping around in Miami.
I'm sticking with Coop.
