Daily Archives: May 3, 2012
NBA: Michael Jordan and the Greatest Scoring Averages in the Playoffs
Michael Jordan has the Highest Scoring Average for a Playoff Run
Kobe Bryant is averaging 34.5 points per game this 2012 NBA Postseason. That would be just enough for him to make today’s list: the top 20 scoring averages in NBA playoff history.
Does that bode well for an L.A. Lakers‘ title?
Nope. It’s a bad sign in fact.
When I first put these numbers, and the respective teams’ playoff results, together, I fully expected something all together different. I expected a lot of championships.
But just the opposite happened. Of the top 20 here, only twice did that player’s team win the title: Michael Jordan’s Bulls in 1992 and 1993.
This proves something: It takes a team to win it all, not just one superstar taking over for the duration.
It also signals the weakness of each teams’ supporting cast during those years, as one player had no choice but to put the full burden on his shoulders.
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| PLAYER | PPG | YEAR | TEAM | RESULT | |
| 1. | Michael Jordan | 43.67 | 1986 | Chicago Bulls | L, 1st Round 3-0 to Celtics |
| 2. | Jerry West | 40.64 | 1965 | L.A. Lakers | L, NBA Finals 4-1 to Celtics |
| 3. | Elgin Baylor | 38.62 | 1962 | L.A. Lakers | L, NBA Finals 4-3 to Celtics |
| 4. | Elgin Baylor | 38.08 | 1961 | L.A. Lakers | L, Western Finals 4-3 to St. Louis Hawks |
| 5. | Hakeem Olajuwon | 37.50 | 1988 | Houston Rockets | L, 1st Round 3-1 to Mavericks |
| 6. | Bob McAdoo | 37.43 | 1975 | Buffalo Braves | L, Eastern Semifinals 4-3 to Washington Bullets |
| 7. | Wilt Chamberlain | 37.00 | 1961 | Philadelphia Warriors | L, Eastern Semifinals 3-0 to Syracuse Nationals |
| 8. | Michael Jordan | 36.69 | 1990 | Chicago Bulls | L, Eastern Finals 4-3 to Pistons |
| 9. | Michael Jordan | 36.30 | 1988 | Chicago Bulls | L, Eastern Semifinals 4-1 to Pistons |
| 10. | Michael Jordan | 35.67 | 1987 | Chicago Bulls | L, 1st Round 3-0 to Celtics |
| 11. | LeBron James | 35.29 | 2009 | Cleveland Cavaliers | L, Eastern Finals 4-2 to Magic |
| 12. | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 35.20 | 1970 | Millwaukee Bucks | L, Eastern Finals 4-1 to Knicks |
| 13. | Michael Jordan | 35.05 | 1993 | Chicago Bulls | W, NBA Finals 4-2 over Suns |
| 14. | Wilt Chamberlain | 35.00 | 1962 | Philadelphia Warriors | L, Eastern Finals 4-3 to Celtics |
| 15. | Michael Jordan | 34.76 | 1989 | Chicago Bulls | L, Eastern Finals 4-2 to Pistons |
| 16. | Bernard King | 34.75 | 1984 | New York Knicks | L, Eastern Semifinals 4-3 to Celtics |
| 17. | Rick Barry | 34.73 | 1967 | San Francisco Warriors | L, NBA Finals 4-2 to 76ers |
| 18. | Wilt Chamberlain | 34.67 | 1964 | San Francisco Warriors | L, NBA Finals 4-1 to Celtics |
| 19. | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 34.64 | 1977 | L.A. Lakers | L, Western Finals 4-0 to Trail Blazers |
| 20. | Michael Jordan | 34.50 | 1992 | Chicago Bulls | W, NBA Finals 4-3 over Trail Blazers |
Photo: nba.com
