Post by Lazy Pete on May 28, 2015 11:07:20 GMT -6
by Pistol Pete, Toronto Sun Columnist
Oscar Robertson has a lot of flash, but continues to come up short
Well, here we are again. The last time I checked in with you, the league was fawning all over a multi-MVP winning, stat stuffing point guard phenom who was a supposed one man wrecking crew capable of steamrolling anyone in his path. This player, despite a supporting cast littered with all-league talent, had yet to do anything of real substance. Sure, the magazine covers and shoe endorsements will keep jersey sales up and truckloads of cash rolling in, but as everyone knows, the truest measure of a player comes down to one thing: are they a winner?
Back in 3006, Magic Johnson was that player. For years, Magic basked in the glow of individual achievement but failed to measure up to sim league Hall of Famers like David Thompson or Don Buse. The talent was always there, but the bright lights of Los Angeles and Orlando can be hard to resist. When I, along with other true hoops heads, called attention to Magic’s shortcomings, I was berated and chastised. Nonetheless, one person got the message.
Only two short seasons after I called Magic’s dedication to the game into question, he finally got it. He realized that to be great, he had to learn to defer to his teammates and put that team above all else. As a result, Magic ripped off a league-record 72-10 regular season record and led a miraculous rally from an 0-3 deficit in the finals, proving that he finally knew what playing basketball was really about. He put the team first and they rewarded him with the ultimate validation of his talent.
Magic Johnson, after learning the secret to greatness
But I’m not here today to talk about Magic Johnson. His retirement and guaranteed Hall of Fame induction now make him part of basketball history. No, I’m here today to talk about a player who I fear is caught in the same trappings of individual success. That player is Oscar Robertson.
Oscar took the league by storm, racking up points and dishing flashy assists in his Rookie of the Year campaign in 3008. Much like Magic, Oscar is his generation's king of individual awards, winning 5 of the last 6 MVP awards along with countless other recognitions of his achievements in the regular season. "Big" O has shown time and again that he shrinks in the face of The Moment, coming up short each and every playoffs over his 10 year career. And I’m afraid it might be too late for him to change.
The advanced stats community will tell you that there is no “clutch” gene. That, given enough tries, a player’s performance in big games will equal out to roughly how he’s performed throughout in his career. Anyone who’s watched an Oscar Robertson game 7 can tell you just how wrong those eggheads are. Not since the days of Tom Chambers has there been a player so devoid of a killer instinct. In his career, Oscar has played in 9 game 7s. His teams are a paltry 3-6 in those games. Moreover, if we limit it to just Conference Finals and Finals appearances, when the lights burn brightest, Oscar’s game 7 record falls to humiliating 0-5.
Let's take a closer look at those Conference finals and finals games *ed. note, data unavailable for 3010 playoffs. In those games, Oscar averaged 24.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 9.3 APG, which looks decent enough on the surface but are significantly lower than his career averages. He shot only 41%, a full 5% lower than he has ever finished in a regular season, and turned the ball over 2.5 times. His opposing PGs in those games? 22.5 PPG, 7 RPG, and 11.3 APG, shooting 46% and committing half as many turnovers. And it's not like he's faced a murderer's row of opponents. Oscar outnumbers those players 5 to 1 on MVPs and 8 all-league honors to 5 (all from Alvin Robertson). However, when all the cards are on the table, Oscar has folded time and again under pressure.
Please don’t dismiss this article as a hit-piece meant only to tarnish Oscar’s legacy. This is my intervention. Oscar, please look to Magic Johnson as an example. It is never too late to fix your reputation. Stop chasing gaudy statistics and meaningless records. Stop trying to top the numbers of former greats like Thompson, Reeves and Magic and start focusing on what truly made them great. Learn how to put your teammates above all, and take over when the games matter the most. No one will remember you for what you did on a random Tuesday against the Spurs. They will remember you for what you did, or failed to do, when everything was on the line. Until you realize that, you will always fail to measure up to the greats.
Pistol Pete is the current GM of the Toronto Raptors and former curator of the Associated Press newswire. Preorder a copy of his upcoming book, Pickles and Pork: The Story of the 3016 Raptors on his website at www.pistolpete.com. Contact Pete at pistolpete@torontosun.ca
Oscar Robertson has a lot of flash, but continues to come up short
Well, here we are again. The last time I checked in with you, the league was fawning all over a multi-MVP winning, stat stuffing point guard phenom who was a supposed one man wrecking crew capable of steamrolling anyone in his path. This player, despite a supporting cast littered with all-league talent, had yet to do anything of real substance. Sure, the magazine covers and shoe endorsements will keep jersey sales up and truckloads of cash rolling in, but as everyone knows, the truest measure of a player comes down to one thing: are they a winner?
Back in 3006, Magic Johnson was that player. For years, Magic basked in the glow of individual achievement but failed to measure up to sim league Hall of Famers like David Thompson or Don Buse. The talent was always there, but the bright lights of Los Angeles and Orlando can be hard to resist. When I, along with other true hoops heads, called attention to Magic’s shortcomings, I was berated and chastised. Nonetheless, one person got the message.
Only two short seasons after I called Magic’s dedication to the game into question, he finally got it. He realized that to be great, he had to learn to defer to his teammates and put that team above all else. As a result, Magic ripped off a league-record 72-10 regular season record and led a miraculous rally from an 0-3 deficit in the finals, proving that he finally knew what playing basketball was really about. He put the team first and they rewarded him with the ultimate validation of his talent.
Magic Johnson, after learning the secret to greatness
But I’m not here today to talk about Magic Johnson. His retirement and guaranteed Hall of Fame induction now make him part of basketball history. No, I’m here today to talk about a player who I fear is caught in the same trappings of individual success. That player is Oscar Robertson.
Oscar took the league by storm, racking up points and dishing flashy assists in his Rookie of the Year campaign in 3008. Much like Magic, Oscar is his generation's king of individual awards, winning 5 of the last 6 MVP awards along with countless other recognitions of his achievements in the regular season. "Big" O has shown time and again that he shrinks in the face of The Moment, coming up short each and every playoffs over his 10 year career. And I’m afraid it might be too late for him to change.
The advanced stats community will tell you that there is no “clutch” gene. That, given enough tries, a player’s performance in big games will equal out to roughly how he’s performed throughout in his career. Anyone who’s watched an Oscar Robertson game 7 can tell you just how wrong those eggheads are. Not since the days of Tom Chambers has there been a player so devoid of a killer instinct. In his career, Oscar has played in 9 game 7s. His teams are a paltry 3-6 in those games. Moreover, if we limit it to just Conference Finals and Finals appearances, when the lights burn brightest, Oscar’s game 7 record falls to humiliating 0-5.
Let's take a closer look at those Conference finals and finals games *ed. note, data unavailable for 3010 playoffs. In those games, Oscar averaged 24.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 9.3 APG, which looks decent enough on the surface but are significantly lower than his career averages. He shot only 41%, a full 5% lower than he has ever finished in a regular season, and turned the ball over 2.5 times. His opposing PGs in those games? 22.5 PPG, 7 RPG, and 11.3 APG, shooting 46% and committing half as many turnovers. And it's not like he's faced a murderer's row of opponents. Oscar outnumbers those players 5 to 1 on MVPs and 8 all-league honors to 5 (all from Alvin Robertson). However, when all the cards are on the table, Oscar has folded time and again under pressure.
Please don’t dismiss this article as a hit-piece meant only to tarnish Oscar’s legacy. This is my intervention. Oscar, please look to Magic Johnson as an example. It is never too late to fix your reputation. Stop chasing gaudy statistics and meaningless records. Stop trying to top the numbers of former greats like Thompson, Reeves and Magic and start focusing on what truly made them great. Learn how to put your teammates above all, and take over when the games matter the most. No one will remember you for what you did on a random Tuesday against the Spurs. They will remember you for what you did, or failed to do, when everything was on the line. Until you realize that, you will always fail to measure up to the greats.
Pistol Pete is the current GM of the Toronto Raptors and former curator of the Associated Press newswire. Preorder a copy of his upcoming book, Pickles and Pork: The Story of the 3016 Raptors on his website at www.pistolpete.com. Contact Pete at pistolpete@torontosun.ca
