Greatest NBA Finals' Performances Since 1984, Sorted by Average "Game Score"

"Game Score" is a statistic that tries to evaluate how effectively and efficiently a player plays.  So, by plugging in certain statistical game inputs,  https://captaincalculator.com/sports/basketball/game-score-calculator/  you come up with a "Game Score."

Generally, 60+ is almost impossibly great, 50+ is phenomenol, 40+ is great, 30+ is generally the best 1-2 scores of a given regular season night, 22.5 is a very good productive starter game, 15 is a good starter game, 10 is an OK game or a good game in limited minutes.  Anything below 10 - you haven't contributed much.

So, I saw a tweet today where a guy said that Dwyan Wade's 2006 NBA Finals performance was the greatest Finals performance of all-time.  Well, since 1984, our friends at www.basketball-reference.com have caluclated NBA Finals Games Scores, and, in fact, have included an "average Game Score" for the series for each player!  So, comparing apples to apples (we're using the exact same stats, calculated the same way), lets' see who has the highest Game Score Average for a Finals series since 1984.


35th Place - Tony Parker 16.2 - 2007 Spurs

34th place -- Ray Allen 16.7 -  2008 Celts

33rd -- Chauncey Billups 17.3 - 2005 Pistons (team lost)

32nd -- Shaq 18.7 -  2004 Lakers (team lost, so he loses the tiebreaker to #31)

31st -- Kobe 18.7 -- 2010 Lakers (teammate Pau Gasol = 18.6)

30th - Shawn Kemp 18.9 -- 1996 Sonics (team lost, but his AGS > Jordan's 18.5)

These 6 are the Worst Efforts to lead the Finals.  All under 20.



Next category 20-24.99999

29th -- Hakeem 21.0 -- 1994 Rockets

28th -- Clyde Drexler 21.3 -- 1990 Blazers (team lost)

27th -- Jordan 21.4 -- 1998 Bulls

26rh -- Kareem 21.7 - 1985 Lakers

25th -- Dumars 22.4 -- 1989 Pistons

24th -- LeBron 22.5 -- Miami 2014 (team lost, so he loses the tiebreaker to himself)

23rd -- LeBron 22.5 -- Miami 2013

22nd -- Duncan 22.6 -- Spurs 1999

21st -- Wade 22.7 --  Miami 2011 (team lost)

20th -- Kobe 22.8 -- Lakers 2009

19th -- Jordan 23.4 -- Chicago 1997

18th -- LeBron 23.6  -- Miami 2012

17th -- Bird 23.7 -- Boston 1984

16th -- Bird 23.9 -- Boston 1986

15th -- Duncan 24.1 -- Spurs 2003


14th -- Magic 24.4 -- Lakers 1988

13th -- Hakeem 24.5 -- Rockets 1995

12th -- LeBron 24.6 -- Cavs 2015  (team lost).


TOP 11 -- Average Game Score Over 25

11th -- Wade 25.4 -- 2006 Heat

10th -- Jordan 25.8 -- 1992 Bulls

9th -- LeBron 26.5 -- 2016 Cavs

8th -- Shaq 27.4 -- 2001 Lakers

7th -- LeBron 28.3 -- 2018 Cavs (team lost, so loses tiebreaker to Magic)

6th -- Magic 28.3 -- 1987 Lakers

5th -- Jordan 29.4 -- 1991 Bulls

4th Jordan 29.6 -- 1993 Bulls


3rd -- Shaq 30.1 -- 2002 Lakers

2nd -- Kevin Durant 30.3 -- 2017 Warriors

1st -- Shaq 30.6 -- 2000 Lakers



So, of the 35 Average Game Score leaders, 8 were on losing teams (Chauncey, Kemp, Shaq, Clyde, Wade, LeBron 3x).


The best non-winners I saw on this inquiry were:
Durant 30.3 beats LeBron 29.6 in 2017 -- LeBron's greatest ever Finals Average Game Score.
LeBron 28.3 beats Durant 26.9 in 2018 -- Durant's play got him MVP.


So, if we include LeBron's losing 29.6, here are the raw numbers for these top 8 guys:

Magic 1987 - 26-8-13, shot 54%
LeBron 2018 - 34-10-8, shot 53%

Jordan 1991 31-7-11 shot 56%
Jordan 1993 41-8-6 shot 51%
LeBron 2017 33-12-10, shot 56%

Shaq 2002 36-12-4, shot 59.5%
Durant 2017 35-8-5 shot 56%

Shaq 2000 -- 38-17-2, shot 61%


Of the top 35, Most Times Having Best Average Game Score

1 Season -- Parker, Allen, Billups, Kemp, Drexler, Dumars, Durant, Kareem

2 Seasons -- Duncan, Magic, Bird, Kobe, Wade, Hakeem

4 Seasons - Shaq

5 Seasons - Jordan

6 Seasons - LeBron