SECTION 30 - The 20 Greatest Conference Finals Runs of All-Time

It may seem arbitrary to rank the greatest Conference Finals runs of all-time, as some would argue the criteria is excessively selective. In restricting this list to players who lost in the Conference Finals, we are automatically excluding anyone who was good enough to make the NBA Finals to begin with, including those who had better statistics, carried a bigger load, or faced better competition than many of the runs on this list. As one example, Kobe Bryant is 7-0 in the WCF as a starter. Since Kobe never lost in the WCF as a starter to begin with, he is automatically excluded from consideration on this list, even though some of his Title runs are more impressive than the majority of the Conference Finals runs on this list. 

I do acknowledge that the criteria is somewhat excessively selective, but at the same time it is a good way to show recognition to players who may not receive enough credit for some of their great playoff runs. Win or lose, players and teams who make the NBA Finals are much more likely to be remembered than those who lost in the Conference Finals. I also wanted to make this list in order to better inform myself of these lesser-known playoff runs to begin with.

It should be noted that players who lost in the Conference Finals in the shorter playoff format are automatically excluded from consideration on this list as well. Prior to 1984, most teams only had to play 1 round to make the Conference/Divisional Finals, and in even earlier years some teams started their playoffs in the Conference/Divisional Finals to begin with due to a bye. 

It is much easier to put up impressive statistics if you are playing in less rounds, so I cannot rank a 1 or 2-round Conference/Divisional Finals run with the same weight as a 3-round run. Conference/Divisonal Finals runs that only lasted 1 or 2 rounds are equivalent to 1st or 2nd round exits in the 4-round format, and are therefore ineligible for this top 20 list. For these reasons, the only runs eligible for this list are those in which the player played 3 rounds prior to losing before the NBA Finals.

Aside from the shorter playoff format, the dearth in competition during these earlier eras is another reason to exclude Conference/Divisional Finals runs of that time from consideration on this top 20 list. Here are some examples

1957 - Every team in the Western Division had a losing record
1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1967 - all but 1 team in the Western Division had a losing record
1967 - 7 out of the 10 teams (70%) in the league had a losing record 

The 1970s was also an incredibly weak decade for the NBA. Since 1959, 8 of the 17 sub-50 win teams to make the Finals came in the 1970s, almost half. The 1978 NBA Finals is also the only NBA Finals since 1958 (72-game season) in which both teams had under 50 wins. The 1970s is also notable for being the only eligible decade in which an MVP did not make the 50 Greatest List in 1996. 

Bob McAdoo was the 1975 MVP, but did not make the 50 Greatest. Since 1996, Derrick Rose is the only MVP that would not reasonably make the 50 Greatest. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1976 also won the MVP despite missing the playoffs with a 40-42 record. No other MVP in history has missed the playoffs in the same season they won the award. When the best player in the league cannot even make the playoffs, that says a lot about the quality, or lack thereof, of competition.

If I were to make a separate list for the best Conference/Divisonal Finals runs in the shorter format, these playoff runs would be among the best.

Wilt Chamberlain, 1960
- 33-26-2 on 50% FG - 45% FT
- Lost EDF vs Celtics, 4-2
- Wilt's rookie season

Wilt Chamberlain, 1962
- 35-27-3 on 47% FG - 64% FT
- Lost EDF vs Celtics, 4-3

Oscar Robertson, 1963
- 32-13-9 on 47% FG - 86% FT
- Lost EDF vs Celtics, 4-3

Oscar Robertson, 1964
- 29-9-8 on 46% FG - 86% FT
- Lost EDF vs Celtics, 4-1

Wilt Chamberlain, 1965
- 29-27-4 on 53% FG - 56% FT
- Lost EDF vs Celtics, 4-3

Wilt Chamberlain, 1968

- 24-25-7 on 53% FG - 38% FT
- Lost EDF vs Celtics 4-3
- Wilt's Sixers blew a 3-1 lead to the Celtics in the EDF

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1970
- 35-17-4 on 57% FG - 73% FT
- Lost EDF vs Knicks, 4-1
- Kareem's rookie season

Wilt Chamberlain, 1971
- 18-20-4 on 46% FG - 52% FT
- Lost WCF vs Bucks, 4-1

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1972
- 29-18-5 on 44% FG - 70% FT
- Lost WCF vs Lakers, 4-2

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1977
- 35-18-4 on 61% FG - 73% FT
- Lost WCF vs Blazers, 4-0

Larry Bird, 1980
- 21-11-5 on 47% FG - 88% FT
- Lost ECF vs Sixers, 4-1

- Bird's rookie season

Johnny Moore, 1983
- 23-4-15 on 53% FG - 80% FT
- Lost WCF vs Lakers, 4-2

Prior to examining the top 20 greatest Conference Finals runs, I will list 15 honorable mentions and explain why they were not impressive enough to make the top 20 list. These 15 honorable mentions will be listed in chronological order, not in any particular order of ranking.

Honorable Mention #1 - Alex English, 1985

1985 Playoff Stats
30.2 ppg - 6.6 rpg - 4.5 apg - 1.2 spg - 0.4 bpg on 54% FG - 89% FT

Competition
41-41 Spurs - Won 3-2
41-41 Jazz - Won 4-1
62-20 Lakers - Lost 4-1

Why this run did not make the Top 20
Alex English had very impressive statistics during the 1985 Nuggets' WCF run, but the issue is that he played very easy competition to reach the WCF. The Nuggets played two 0.500 teams before losing to the eventual champion Lakers. Because the competition for the first 2 rounds was so poor, English's 1985 WCF run is not a top 20 Conference Finals run of all-time in spite of his great statistics.

Honorable Mention #2 - Isiah Thomas, 1987

1985 Playoff Stats
24.1 ppg - 4.5 rpg - 8.7 apg - 2.6 spg - 0.3 bpg on 45% FG - 76% FT

Competition
42-40 Bullets - Won 3-0
57-25 Hawks - Won 4-1
59-23 Celtics - Lost 4-3

Why this run did not make the Top 20
Isiah had good statistics in the Pistons' 1987 ECF run and beat a good 57-25 Hawks team to reach the ECF. Isiah had one of the lesser-known clutch moments in NBA Playoff history with his game-winner against the Hawks in Game 4. The Pistons would go on to lose in 7 games to the Celtics in the ECF. 

Isiah did end up on the wrong end of Larry Bird's all-time great steal in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead and possibly decide the outcome of the series, but that mistake by itself is not enough to warrant exclusion from the top 20. Even so, there are plenty of other Conference Finals runs in which individuals had better statistics, carried a bigger load, or faced similar or better competition. Isiah's 1987 ECF run was very good, but did not stand out enough to warrant a spot in the top 20.

Honorable Mention #3 - Larry Bird, 1988

1988 Playoff Stats

24.5 ppg - 8.8 rpg - 6.8 apg - 2.1 spg - 0.8 bpg on 45% FG - 89% FT

Competition

38-44 Knicks - Won 3-1

50-32 Hawks - Won 4-3

54-28 Pistons - Lost 4-2

Why this run did not make the Top 20
Although Bird's statistics for the overall 1988 Playoffs were great, his performance in the 1988 ECF alone was poor enough to warrant his 1988 ECF run's exclusion from the top 20. After averaging 27-7-7 on 50% through 2 rounds, Bird's numbers fell to 20-12-6 on 35% against the Pistons as the Celtics lost in 6 games. Bird's bone spurs may have been a factor, but I don't consider the injury enough of an excuse as he had already put up LeBron's averages through 2 rounds.

Honorable Mention #4 - Reggie Miller, 1994

1994 Playoff Stats

23.2 ppg - 3.0 rpg - 2.9 apg - 1.3 spg - 0.3 bpg on 45% FG - 84% FT

Competition
50-32 Magic - Won 3-0
57-25 Hawks - Won 4-2
57-25 Knicks - Lost 4-2

Why this run did not make the Top 20
Some may be surprised that Reggie Miller's 1994 run even makes the honorable mention to begin with, because he was not statistically impressive outside of scoring and efficiency marks of 45/42/84. The reason Reggie's 1994 ECF run is worthy of an honorable mention is because of his intangibles. I'm not sure exactly why, but the Pacers suffered heavily in the playoffs in Reggie Miller's absence. Perhaps his ability to move without the ball opened up many opportunities for his teammates outside of his own scoring. After making Game 7 of the 1994 and 1995 ECF in back to back seasons, the 1996 Pacers lost in the 1st round 3-2 to the 46-36 Hawks with Reggie Miller missing the first 4 games due to an eye injury. In the 2000 ECSF, the Pacers were 0-2 against the Sixers when Reggie was ejected/suspended, yet 4-0 when Reggie played a full game and went on to make the NBA Finals afterwards

Aside from Reggie's intangibles, it's interesting to note that the 1994 Pacers only had two double digit scorers in Reggie Miller and Rik Smits at 16 ppg on 47%. Jordan in 1997 is the only player to lead a team to a championship with just one other double digit scorer, and as far as I know the 1997 Bulls are the only Finals team, win or lose, to have just two double digit scorers in the playoffs. So it is quite impressive that Reggie was able to take a team with just one other double digit scorer to within one game of the 1994 NBA Finals. Reggie was also very good in the clutch, evidenced by his 25-point 4th quarter against the Knicks in Game 5 of the 1994 ECF. That being said, Reggie was simply not statistically impressive enough outside of his scoring and efficiency to warrant a spot in the top 20, despite facing 3 50+ win teams, all on the road, and the Pacers did have an excellent defensive supporting cast to help him out as well.

Honorable Mention #5 - Reggie Miller, 1995

1995 Playoff Stats

25.5 ppg - 3.6 rpg - 2.1 apg - 0.9 spg - 0.2 bpg on 48% FG - 86% FT

Competition
42-40 Hawks - Won 3-0
55-27 Knicks - Won 4-3
57-25 Magic - Lost 4-3

Why this run did not make the Top 20
Reggie was slightly better statistically in the 1995 ECF, but like his 1994 ECF run, this cannot be included in the top 20 simply because of the lack of statistical dominance outside of scoring and 48/42/86 efficiency. The same intangibles that were mentioned in the 1994 ECF run can be used to put his 1995 ECF run in the honorable mentions, but not any higher. Reggie's 1995 ECF run was not as impressive as the 1994 ECF run, automatically disqualifying it from the top 20 by the transitive property. 

He had good help from Rik Smits averaging 20-7 on 55% in the 1995 Playoffs, and benefited from an easier 1st Round opponent compared to 1994, though his ECSF and ECF opponents, respectively, were of similar quality in 1994 and 1995. There is no need to further analyze why Reggie's 1995 ECF run will not be in the top 20, because the same reasons that apply to the exclusion of the 1994 ECF run also apply here.

Honorable Mention #6 - Karl Malone, 1996

1996 Playoff Stats

26.5 ppg - 10.3 rpg - 4.4 apg - 1.9 spg - 0.6 bpg on 47% FG - 57% FT

Competition

44-38 Blazers - Won 3-2

59-23 Spurs - Won 4-2

64-18 Sonics - Lost 4-3

Why this run did not make the Top 20

Malone's FT% during the Jazz's 1996 WCF run was poor enough to exclude him from making the top 20 list. When you factor in the huge difference in efficiency, Shawn Kemp actually outplayed Karl Malone during the 1996 WCF. Kemp averaged 20-10 on 69% FG - 78% FT while Malone had 27-12, but on significantly lower efficiency marks of 48% FG - 56% FT. 

To put Kemp's incredible efficiency into perspective, the highest FG% that Shaquille O'Neal ever had in a playoff series was 66% in the 1995 ECF against the Pacers. With 8 seconds to go in Game 7, Malone had a chance to hit 2 free throws to cut a 3 point lead to 1, but missed both of them. When we only have 20 spots available, the  poor FT% of Malone along with Kemp's superior play in the 1996 WCF are more than enough to keep Malone's 1996 run off the list.

Honorable Mention #7 - Ray Allen, 2001

2001 Playoff Stats

25.1 ppg - 4.1 rpg - 6.0 apg - 1.3 spg - 0.6 bpg on 48% FG - 92% FT.

Competition

43-39 Magic - Won 3-1
46-36 Hornets - Won 4-3
56-26 Sixers - Lost 4-3

Why this run did not make the Top 20

Ray Allen had great efficiency in the 2001 Playoffs, putting up 25 ppg on 48/48/92. He started off with an incredible 25-6-5 on 55/57/91 in the 1st Round against Orlando. Allen followed this up with 23-4-7 on 45/42/86 in the ECSF against Charlotte, finishing them off in Game 7 with 28-6-5 on 56/33/100. The Bucks would fall in the ECF against Iverson and the Sixers while Ray put up averages of 27-3-5 on, once again, incredible efficiency marks of 47/51/97.

In spite of the fact that Ray Allen had unbelievable efficiency for the 2001 Playoffs and great all-around numbers, his competition was simply not good enough to make the top 20. Even against the Sixers, the only decent team that the Bucks faced, Iverson missed Game 3 due to a hip injury, allowing the Bucks to take a 2-1 lead in the series in his absence. 

Honorable Mention #8 - Chris Webber, 2002

2002 Playoff Stats
23.7 ppg - 10.8 rpg - 4.7 apg - 0.9 spg - 1.6 bpg on 50% FG - 60% FT

Competition
44-38 Jazz - Won 3-1
57-25 Mavericks - Won 4-1
58-24 Lakers - Lost 4-3

Why this run did not make the Top 20

Although Webber's 2002 WCF run was not good enough to make the top 20, it was a very underrated playoff run. Before explaining why it was excluded, I want to explain why it is an underrated playoff run to begin with. The Kings' number 2 scorer, Peja Stojakovic, suffered a sprained ankle during the Kings' WCSF series against the Mavericks. Peja had averaged 21 ppg in the 2002 season, good for number 16 in the league. He would go on to miss the final 2 games of that series as well as 4 of 7 games against the Lakers as a result of the injury, playing limited minutes in the WCF as a result. For Webber to lead the Kings past Dallas and to 7 games against the Lakers in spite of that loss is quite an impressive feat.

Next, the Lakers were even more dominant than usual for an NBA champion's standards. They had won 23 of their last 25 playoff games, from Game 6 of the 2000 Finals to Game 1 of the 2002 WCF, prior to losing Game 2 of the 2002 WCF against the Kings. Not only did Webber lead an undermanned team to 7 games in the WCF, he did so against an insanely dominant team. In spite of Webber's great statistics, leading an undermanned team, and facing a high level of competition, there is one major flaw that prevents his 2002 WCF run from making the top 20; his poor FT%.

Webber shot just under 60% FT for the 2002 Playoffs, and shot an atrocious 46% FT during the 2002 WCF against the Lakers. Webber had shot 75% from the line in the regular season, so his FT% decreased by nearly 30% in the 2002 WCF. Keep in mind that the Lakers' 4 wins in the 2002 WCF were decided by an average of 4.5 ppg. Had Webber shot a decent FT%, the Kings would have likely won the series even with Peja's injury. So although Webber's 2002 WCF run deserves much praise, he shot himself in the foot with his poor FT shooting which cannot be overlooked. It's also important to remember that the underrated Mike Bibby also stepped up his game when Stojakovic went down, averaging 20-4-5 on 44/42/83 in the 2002 Playoffs. This helped to ease some of the burden on Chris Webber as well.

Honorable Mention #9 - Dirk Nowitzki, 2003

2003 Playoff Stats

25.3 ppg - 11.5 rpg - 2.2 apg - 1.2 spg - 0.9 bpg on 48% FG - 91% FT

Competition

50-32 Blazers - Won 4-3

59-23 Kings - Won 4-3

60-22 Spurs - Lost 4-2

Why this run did not make the Top 20
There are two main issues with Dirk's 2003 WCF run that disqualify it from consideration as a top 20 Conference Finals run of all-time. Firstly, the Mavericks caught a huge break with Chris Webber's ACL tear in Game 2 of the WCSF. Even without Webber for the last 5 games of the series, the Kings still pushed Dallas to a Game 7. It is pretty much guaranteed that Sacramento would have won had Webber played the full series.

The second issue is that Dirk's defense was very poor during the 2003 Playoffs.

2003 WCSF vs Kings (Games 1-2)
Webber only played 2 games pre-ACL tear, but outplayed Dirk in those 2 games

Chris Webber - 28-6-5 on 56%
Dirk Nowitzki - 21-12-2 on 56%

2003 WCF vs Spurs (Games 1-3)
Dirk was injured at the end of Game 3, but Duncan crushed him statistically through 3 games

Tim Duncan - 35-18-6 on 62%
Dirk Nowitzki - 25-11-2 on 43%

Duncan averaged 21-15-6 on 51% the last 3 games, so it suggests the Mavs' defensive frontcourt was much better without Dirk. The Spurs averaged 108.3 ppg through 3 games compared to 94.3 ppg in the last 3 games.

Honorable Mention #10 - Tim Duncan, 2008

2008 Playoff Stats

20.2 ppg - 14.5 rpg - 3.3 apg - 0.9 spg - 2.1 bpg on 45% FG - 63% FT

Competition

55-27 Suns - Won 4-1

56-26 Hornets - Won 4-3

57-25 Lakers - Lost 4-1

Why this run did not make the Top 20

The main reason Duncan's 2008 WCF run is excluded is due to his inefficiency. When there are only 20 spots available, efficiency will be a key tiebreaker. Duncan also underperformed for his standards during the 2008 WCSF against the Hornets. In large part due to Tyson Chandler's underrated defense, Duncan averaged 15-13 on 42% in that series. Duncan's 2008 WCSF performance and inefficiency for the 2008 Playoffs as a whole are sufficient reasons to exclude this run from the top 20.

Honorable Mention #11 - Chauncey Billups, 2009

2009 Playoff Stats
20.6 ppg - 3.8 rpg - 6.8 apg - 1.3 spg - 0.3 bpg on 46% FG - 91% FT

Competition

49-33 Hornets - Won 4-1

50-32 Mavericks - Won 4-1

65-17 Lakers - Lost 4-2

Why this run did not make the Top 20
Some might be surprised that it was Billups, not Carmelo Anthony, who made the honorable mention for the Nuggets' 2009 WCF run. Carmelo averaged 27-6-4 on 45/36/83 to Billups' 21-4-7 on 46/47/91 in the 2009 Playoffs. Although Billups had even more impressive efficiency than Carmelo's own impressive shooting marks, Carmelo's numbers look better. However, Billups himself had much to do with the impressive numbers that Carmelo put up in the 2009 Playoffs, and was mainly responsible for the team's success.

Once Billups left Detroit, the 2009 Pistons fell to 39-43 and were swept in the 1st Round as the 8-seed after making 6 straight ECF with Billups. After being traded to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson, the Nuggets went from getting swept as an 8-seed in 2008, with both Carmelo and Iverson on the team, to the 2009 WCF. Billups proved that he could take any 8-seed team in the East or West that would normally get swept in the first round and make them a Conference Finals contender.

With regards to Carmelo's individual numbers, Carmelo has shot 50% in only 15 out of 66 playoff games in his career, but 10 of those 15 games came while playing with Billups in 2009 and 2010. Carmelo shot at least 50% in 10 out of 22 playoff games with Billups, but only shot 50% in 5 out of 44 of his remaining playoff games. By no coincidence, the only playoffs in which Carmelo shot a higher FG% than his 2009 Playoffs are in 2007 and 2010, both of which were first round exits and the latter was also with Billups running the offense. The only other time that Carmelo passed the 1st Round was in 2013 when he shot a mediocre 41% for 12 games.

That being said, Billups' 2009 WCF run is not one of the 20 greatest Conference Finals runs of all-time. Plenty of other players carried a larger load or made their teammates better to a higher degree. Billups also underperformed in the 2009 WCF against the Lakers, putting up 18-4-6 on just under 40% FG while Carmelo had 28-5-4 on 41%.

Honorable Mention #12 - Steve Nash, 2010

2010 Playoff Stats
17.8 ppg - 3.3 rpg - 10.1 apg - 0.3 spg - 0.1 bpg on 52% FG - 89% FT

Competition

50-32 Blazers - Won 4-2

50-32 Spurs - Won 4-0

57-25 Lakers - Lost 4-2

Why this run did not make the Top 20
With Nash turning 36 midseason, he became the oldest person to win an assists title in the 2009/10 season, before breaking his own record by leading the league in apg at age 37 the very next year in the 2010/11 season. He had very good all around numbers of 18-3-10 on very efficient 52/38/89 in the 2010 Playoffs while beating two 50-win teams prior to losing to the eventual champion Lakers.

Nash had a very good run in the 2010 Playoffs, but it simply didn't stand out enough to warrant a spot in the top 20. He put up good and very efficient numbers, but plenty of players had more impressive Conference Finals runs based on defense, even more impressive numbers, facing better competition, carrying a larger load, or a combination of these factors.

Honorable Mention #13 - Russell Westbrook, 2014

2014 Playoff Stats

26.7 ppg - 7.3 rpg - 8.1 apg - 2.2 spg - 0.3 bpg on 42% FG - 88% FT

Competition

50-32 Grizzlies - Won 4-3
57-25 Clippers - Won 4-2
62-20 Spurs - Lost 4-2

Why this run did not make the Top 20

Like many of the honorable mentions, inefficiency is a big reason that Westbrook's 2014 WCF run will not qualify for the top 20 Conference Finals runs of all-time. It is worth noting that Westbrook shot 39% in the 2014 1st Round and 2014 WCF combined, as his FG% for the overall playoffs was protected from looking even worse due to Chris Paul's overrated defense during the 2014 WCSF. Plenty of players on the top 20 also carried a bigger load than Westbrook did in the 2014 Playoffs, as Durant was putting up 30-9-4 on 46% alongside him.

Honorable Mention #14 - James Harden, 2015

2015 Playoff Stats

27.2 ppg - 5.7 rpg - 7.5 apg - 1.6 spg - 0.4 bpg on 44% FG - 92% FT

Competition

50-32 Mavericks - Won 4-1

56-25 Clippers - Won 4-3

67-15 Warriors - Lost 4-1

Why this run did not make the Top 20

Harden does deserve credit for leading the Rockets without Patrick Beverley to the 2015 WCF, coming back from down 3-1 against the Clippers. However, Harden's 2015 WCF performance was quite underwhelming, and enough of a reason for his exclusion. The main reason Harden's statistics in the 2015 WCF look impressive is because of Game 4 alone, an essentially meaningless game after the Warriors were already up 3-0. Harden put up 45-9-5-2-2 on 59/64/92 in Game 4 to incredibly inflate his series statistics. As we know, no team has ever come back from down 3-0 in NBA history, making Harden's Game 4 performance too little, too late, but a big deception for the series' box score averages.

In the 4 losses of a 5-game series, Harden averaged 24.3 ppg - 7.5 rpg - 6.8 apg - 5.0 TOpg on 43% FG (29/68). Considering the large number of turnovers to get those assists and the drop in scoring volume, Harden's 2015 WCF performance was underwhelming enough to exclude his 2015 run from the top 20 Conference Finals runs of all-time. Aside from this, Harden did also have a good supporting cast, so he did not have to carry a big load. Dwight Howard averaged 16-14 on 58% with 2.3 bpg, and 5 of Harden's teammates including Howard averaged double figures in the playoffs.

Honorable Mention #15 - Kevin Durant, 2016

2016 Playoff Stats

28.4 ppg - 7.1 rpg - 3.3 apg - 1.0 spg - 1.0 bpg on 43% FG - 89% FT

Competition

42-40 Mavericks - Won 4-1
67-15 Spurs - Won 4-2
73-9 Warriors - Lost 4-3

Why this run did not make the Top 20
Durant did put up very good overall statistics against great competition, but even so it was not enough to be considered a top 20 Conference Finals run of all-time. To start off, Durant had a very poor performance against a 42-40 Mavericks team. Durant averaged 26-6-3 on a poor 37% FG in the 1st Round. If you play so poorly against a barely 0.500 team, that hurts the value of your playoff run as a whole. 

Westbrook also averaged 26-7-11 on 41% during the playoffs, taking much of the load off of Durant. When you combine these two factors with Durant's role in choking away the 3-1 lead against Golden State, it prevents him from earning a top 20 spot on this list. In Game 6 at home against the Warriors, for example, Durant shot 1/5 FG with 2 turnovers in the 4th quarter to cost OKC a perfect chance at moving on to the NBA Finals.

Now that we have covered the honorable mentions and explained why they will not make the list, it is time to look at the real list of the 20 greatest Conference Finals runs of all-time. The top 20 will be ranked in descending order of the least impressive of the 20 Conference Finals runs to the greatest Conference Finals run of all-time.

The main criteria in ranking these Conference Finals runs will be
- Impressive statistical averages
- Level of competition 
- Degree to which a player had to carry his team

20. Patrick Ewing, 1993

1993 Playoff stats

25.5 ppg - 10.9 rpg - 2.4 apg - 1.1 spg - 2.1 bpg on 51% FG - 64% FT

Competition

41-41 Pacers - Won 3-1
44-38 Hornets - Won 4-1
57-25 Bulls - Lost 4-2

Summary
Ewing had a very good statistical performance in the 1993 Playoffs, putting up 26-11 on 51% with 2 bpg. On top of his good offensive statistics, Ewing was better defensively than any of the honorable mentions listed earlier, aside from maybe Duncan in 2008, giving him an edge over those that were excluded. Even with regards to Duncan, you can still give the defensive edge to Ewing as Duncan had slightly passed his prime in 2008.

Among most of the lower playoff runs included in this top 20, easier competition for the first 2 rounds will be a common factor. Ewing faced a 0.500 Pacers team and a 44-win Hornets team prior to losing to the Bulls in the ECF, who would go on to complete their first 3peat. Even against a championship Bulls team, Ewing still put up essentially the same averages as his overall playoff run, with 26-11 on 53% in the 1993 ECF.

Some people have the misconception that Ewing had to carry a large load on the Knicks, but that is not true. The Knicks boasted great depth, with 5 teammates besides Ewing averaging double figures in the 1993 Playoffs. Their defensive help was also key, as they held Jordan to 40% FG in the 1993 ECF, though he did also shoot 40% 3PT and 87% FT. This is the 2nd-worst FG% of Jordan's in any playoff series of his career, after the 1997 ECF in which Jordan's 9/35 FG performance in Game 4 depressed his averages to 39% FG (Jordan averaged 30-8-4-2-1 on 43% in the 4 wins of the 5-game series). 

As more evidence of the good help Ewing had, the Knicks went 7 games in the 1994 Finals, with every game decided in single digits, despite Ewing playing poorly in 6 of the 7 games. Game 5 was his only good performance of those 1994 Finals. The only major difference between the 1993 and 1994 teams was the replacement of Doc Rivers with Derek Harper. Due to Ewing's easier competition and well-rounded supporting cast on offense and defense, his 1993 ECF run cannot rank any higher than 20th. Even so, Ewing had better two-way play in this 1993 ECF run than any of the honorable mentions excluded from the top 20, and that gives him an edge even with those factors preventing him from going higher up the list.

19. Magic Johnson, 1986

1986 Playoff stats

21.6 ppg - 7.1 rpg - 15.1 - 1.9 spg - 0.1 bpg on 54% FG - 77% FT

Competition
35-47 Spurs - Won 3-0
44-38 Mavericks - Won 4-2
51-31 Rockets - Lost 4-1

Summary

In the 1986 Playoffs, Magic Johnson became the only player to average 20-15 (ppg-apg) in a playoff run of any length, making it even more impressive that he maintained these averages for 3 rounds. There are only two other instances in which a player averaged 15+ apg in a playoff run. Magic averaged 18-15 in the 1985 Lakers' title run, and Stockton averaged 15-15 in the 1990 Jazz's 5-game 1st-Round loss to the Suns. If Magic put up such incredible statistics in these 1986 Playoffs that have not been matched before or since, why is this run only ranked 19th?

As you may have guessed, the Lakers' competition was not very difficult. The 35-47 Spurs that Magic faced in the 1st Round have the worst record of any opponent that a player on this top 20 list faced in their respective Conference Finals runs. The Mavericks were an average team at 44 wins, giving the Lakers an easy path to the Conference Finals. Even the Rockets team that Magic lost to was missing John Lucas, their starting guard, due to a cocaine suspension. Despite the absence of John Lucas, Hakeem and Sampson were able to lead the Rockets past the Lakers in 5 games, though Magic did put up an incredible 22-8-16 on 53% in the WCF. Magic's 16.2 apg in that series is the 2nd highest assist average in any playoff series, after Stockton's 16.4 apg in the 1988 WCSF, against Magic's Lakers themselves.

Many people discredit Magic Johnson's accomplishments on account of his supporting cast, and some may attempt to do so with regards to his 1986 WCF run as well. The problem is that Magic's teammates often only had such good numbers due to the record-setting assist averages of Magic Johnson himself. Seeing as Magic in 1985 and 1986 became the only player to average 15+ apg past the 1st Round, of course his teammates are going to put up big numbers when Magic directly creates at least 30+ ppg off his passing alone. 

Magic's 22-7-15 averages in the 1986 Playoffs are good enough to surpass Ewing's 1993 Playoff run, even with the advantage of easier competition and in spite of Magic being a much lesser defender. Being the only person to average 20-15 in a playoff run, with 7 rpg on top of that, simply can't be overlooked. That being said, facing such easy competition also cannot be overlooked, and as a result Magic's record-setting playoff run will not be ranked high on this list. 

18. David Robinson, 1995

1995 Playoff stats

25.3 ppg - 12.1 rpg - 3.1 apg - 1.5 spg - 2.6 bpg on 45% FG - 81% FT

Competition
41-41 Nuggets - Won 3-0
48-34 Lakers - Won 4-2
47-35 Rockets - Lost 4-2

Summary

David Robinson's MVP season is overshadowed by Hakeem's incredible 1995 Title run and dominance of Robinson in the 1995 WCF. As a result, many forget that Robinson had a good overall performance in the 1995 Playoffs. Statistically, the only negative aspect is Robinson's FG%, but his other statistics and high FT% make up for it. Robinson did face Mutombo and Hakeem in 2 of 3 rounds, so a decline in FG% is expected.

Like most of the greatest Conference Finals runs outside of the top 10, Robinson did not have to face very difficult opposition for the first two rounds. The Nuggets were a 0.500 team and the Lakers were average at 48-34. The Rockets were a 47-win team, but became the only team to beat 4 57+ win teams in one playoff run, so they were much better than their regular season record indicated. Robinson did struggle throughout most of the 1995 WCF thanks to Hakeem's defense, but he did have two great performances in Games 2 and 3.

In a rare instance during Robinson's pre-Duncan days, he did have good help with the addition of Dennis Rodman. As a result, Robinson did not have to carry as much of a load as he did throughout most of his prime years. That being said, Magic had a superior supporting cast, even when you factor in his large contribution to his teammates' production through playmaking. Robinson's competition was also clearly superior to that of Magic's in the 1986 Playoffs, as the 1986 Spurs have the worst record of any opponent that a player on this top 20 list faced.

Robinson's defense was also better than both Magic and Ewing, giving him another point in his favor. Ewing's competition in 1993 was pretty even with Robinson's in 1995, making their runs even in that respect. Even with the addition of Rodman, Ewing still had the better supporting cast as evidenced by the 1994 Finals in which Ewing underperformed in all but 1 game, but each of the 7 games was decided by single digits. For these reasons, Robinson's 1995 WCF run ranks higher than 1986 Magic Johnson or 1993 Ewing. 

17. Kevin Durant, 2014

2014 Playoff stats

29.6 ppg - 8.9 rpg - 3.9 apg - 1.0 spg - 1.3 bpg on 46% FG - 81% FT

Competition
50-32 Grizzlies - Won 4-3
57-25 Clippers - Won 4-2
62-20 Spurs - Lost 4-2

Summary

Durant's 2014 WCF run is the first of the runs on this top 20 list in which the individual faced solid competition for the first 2 rounds. That gives him a big edge over the previous three entries. Statistically, Durant was excellent with averages of 30-9-4 on 46%. Being able to put up those kinds of statistics against 3 50+ win teams, including a 60+ win Spurs team, certainly warrants a spot on the top 20. Durant even dealt with the absence of Serge Ibaka for 2 of 6 games during the 2014 WCF. So if Durant's 2014 WCF run has all of these positive aspects, why is it not even in the top 15?

The main reason is Durant's dependence on Russell Westbrook. It's one thing to benefit from very good help. It's another thing to be as heavily dependent on your teammate in your prime to the degree that Durant was with Westbrook during their time together in the playoffs. In the 2013 Playoffs, Durant was 3-6 in Westbrook's absence due to a meniscus tear. This record is made worse when you consider that 2 of those 3 wins were against the 8-seed Rockets, after which Durant went 1-4 against the 5-seed Grizzlies.

Seeing as OKC just barely made it past the 2014 Grizzlies in 7 games with both Durant and Westbrook, it is clear that Durant needed every bit of Westbrook's 27-7-8-2 on 42% for the playoffs in order to make it to the 2014 WCF to begin with. To make matters worse, Westbrook arguably outplayed Durant during the 2014 WCF. Against the Spurs, Westbrook averaged 27-6-7-3 on 41% FG - 91% FT to Durant's 26-8-3-1 on 48% FG - 76% FT. It all depends on how much you weigh Westbrook's scoring, assists, steals, and FT% advantages compared to Durant's rebounding, blocks, and FG% advantages. When Durant had that much help in the 2014 WCF, but still failed to win the series, that heavily offsets many of the aforementioned positive aspects of his 2014 Playoff run. 

What seals the deal for the exclusion of Durant's 2014 WCF run from the top 15 is his poor performance in the OT of Game 6 against the Spurs, while facing elimination. Not only did Durant have 0 points on 0/3 FG in the OT period, he had 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, and 0 blocks. Putting up 0-0-0-0-0 in the OT of an elimination Game 6 and failing to win a series with the amount of help Durant had from Westbrook is more than enough to exclude Durant's 2014 WCF run from the top 15. That being said, Durant's statistics and competition are still good enough to surpass David Robinson's 1995 WCF run despite the very negative aspects of his 2014 WCF run diminishing the positive aspects.

16. Karl Malone, 1992

1992 Playoff stats

29.1 ppg - 11.3 rpg - 2.6 apg - 1.4 spg - 1.2 bpg on 52% FG - 81% FT

Competition
45-37 Clippers - Won 3-2
47-35 Sonics - Won 4-1
57-25 Blazers - Lost 4-2

Summary

The playoff runs from the earlier part of Karl Malone's career are often forgotten, but his 1992 WCF run was quite impressive. Malone's statistics were great all-around, 29-11-3 on very good efficiency numbers of 52% FG - 81% FT. Like most of the previous entries on the top 20, Malone did benefit from easier competition in the first 2 rounds against the Clippers and Sonics, two sub-50 win teams. Malone would continue his great play in the 1992 WCF against a great Blazers team, averaging 28-12-2 on 55%, though the Jazz would lose in 6 games.

The Jazz did have a well-rounded supporting cast in the 1992 Playoffs. Jeff Malone averaged 21 ppg on 49% while Stockton contributed 15-14 on 42%. Malone's teammates did, however, underperform in the 1992 WCF against the Blazers. Stockton was outplayed by the underrated Terry Porter, who averaged 26-4-8 on 55/53/85 with only 1.8 TOpg to Stockton's 14-11 on 40/23/93 and 3.3 TOpg. Jeff Malone's numbers decreased to 19 ppg on 44%. This is in clear contrast to what we saw from Russell Westbrook when he arguably outplayed Durant in the 2014 WCF against the Spurs.

Malone's teammates did play well for the overall 1992 Playoffs as we stated. Therefore, the 1992 WCF alone in which Malone played well while his teammates struggled will not propel this run any higher on the rankings. What gives Malone the edge over Durant's 2014 run, in spite of Durant's advantage in overall competition, is the fact that Malone put up similar averages throughout the playoffs while his teammates did not step up in the 1992 WCF as Westbrook did in the 2014 WCF. The Blazers successfully stifled Malone's teammates, while Westbrook arguably outplayed Durant against the Spurs. The fact that Malone had a better WCF performance with lesser help overtakes Durant's advantage in overall competition. Malone was also the clearly better defender than Durant, further giving him the edge.

15. Shaquille O'Neal, 1996

1996 Playoff stats
25.8 ppg - 10.0 rpg - 4.6 apg - 0.8 spg - 1.3 bpg on 61% FG - 39% FT

Competition
46-36 Pistons - Won 3-0
46-36 Hawks - Won 4-1
72-10 Bulls - Lost 4-0

Summary
The short-lived Shaq and Penny era came to an end in the 1996 Playoffs as Shaq concluded his time in Orlando with an impressive ECF run, averaging 26-10-5 on 61%. As usual for the lower entries on this list, Shaq faced pretty easy competition for the first 2 rounds. The Magic defeated the Pistons and Hawks, two average teams with 46 wins apiece, prior to facing the 72-10 Bulls in the ECF. Against arguably the greatest team of all-time, Shaq continued his great play with averages of 27-11-4 on 64% in the 1996 ECF, though with a poor 36% FT.

Shaq benefited from a very good supporting cast during his time in Orlando. Shaq missed 28 games, essentially a third of the 1996 season, but the Magic still finished with a 60-22 record. Penny Hardaway also provided great help in the 1996 Playoffs, averaging 23-5-6 on 47%. I do not consider Horace Grant's injury to be a major factor that enhances Shaq's 1996 ECF run, as the Magic lost Game 1 to the Bulls by nearly 40 even with Grant playing, and because a third option will not change the outcome of a 4-0 sweep. 

The main reason Shaq's 1996 ECF run ranks higher than Malone's is due to facing arguably the greatest team of all-time in the ECF. Aside from this, their 1992 WCF and 1996 ECF runs are very even. Both had great help for the overall playoffs while putting up statistical performances that were pretty similar. I would not argue much if anyone were to rank Malone's 1992 WCF run higher than Shaq's 1996 ECF run, but I believe Shaq's edge in competition is the main tiebreaker. 

That being said, the great help that Shaq benefited from along with his very poor FT% will prevent his 1996 ECF run from being ranked any higher. Having to face the 72-10 Bulls does enhance Shaq's 1996 Playoffs to a degree, but it's important to note that Shaq only faced them for 4 games. The other 8 games in Shaq's 1996 Playoffs came against average competition. As a result, Shaq's 1996 ECF will be ranked no higher than the 15th spot.

14. Dwyane Wade, 2005

2005 Playoff stats
27.4 ppg - 5.7 rpg - 6.6 apg - 1.6 spg - 1.1 bpg on 48% FG - 80% FT

Competition
42-40 Nets - Won 4-0
45-37 Wizards - Won 4-0
54-28 Pistons - Lost 4-3

Summary

By his second year, Wade had already established himself as a top 2 or 3 player in the league. Prior to his rib injury in Game 5 of the 2005 ECF, Wade was averaging 29-6-7 on 50% for the 2005 Playoffs. Like most of the entries in the lower half of this top 20, Wade faced easier teams for the first 2 rounds in the 42-40 Nets and 45-37 Wizards. However, it should be noted that Wade finished the sweep of the Wizards with Shaq sitting out in Game 3 and Game 4 due to a thigh bruise. 

After the Heat swept the first 2 rounds, they faced a tough challenge in the defending champion Pistons, coached by the defensive mastermind Larry Brown. Wade played great up to the rib injury, averaging 30-6-5 on 46% from Games 1-4. In Wade's absence, the Heat were blown out by 25 in Game 6 before losing in Game 7 when a hobbled Wade returned. Had it not been for injuries, Wade's 2005 Playoffs would most likely not have been eligible for this list in the first place if they beat Detroit and made the 2005 Finals.

None of the previous entries on this top 20 list dealt with the absence of their 2nd option during the playoffs, separating Wade's 2005 ECF run from the lower ranked Conference Finals runs. The fact that Wade was 2-0 without Shaq in the ECSF, but the Heat with Shaq and without Wade were blown out in Game 6 of the ECF emphasizes Wade's importance to the team. This evidence of the Heat's dependence on Wade is another factor that warrants placing his 2005 ECF run inside the top 15. In spite of the fact that Wade did briefly have to lead an undermanned team, I cannot rank his 2005 ECF run any higher on account of the easier opponents Miami faced for 2 rounds in New Jersey and Washington.

13. Steve Nash, 2006

2006 Playoff stats
20.4 ppg - 3.7 rpg - 10.2 apg - 0.4 spg - 0.3 bpg on 49% FG - 88% FT

Competition
45-37 Lakers - Won 4-3
47-35 Clippers - Won 4-3
60-22 Mavericks - Lost 4-2

Summary

Even today, many are critical of Nash's 2005 and 2006 MVP selections, but I believe the 2005 and 2006 Playoffs emphasized why Nash was deserving of the awards in the first place. The 2006 Suns lost Amare Stoudemire for nearly all of the 2006 season and the entire 2006 Playoffs due to knee problems. While dealing with the loss of his best teammate, Nash still found a way to carry the Suns to the 2006 WCF. In doing so, Nash joined Magic and Kevin Johnson as the only players to average 20-10 (ppg-apg) in multiple playoffs past the 2nd round.

To start off, Nash led the Suns back from down 3-1 against the Lakers in the 1st Round. The Suns then faced the Clippers in the 2nd round, who also forced them to 7 games. Nash came through in Game 7, putting up 29-11 on 69% to lead the Amare-less Suns to the WCF. After beating both of the Los Angeles teams, Nash would face his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. Unfortunately, Nash and the Suns would have to endure even more injury problems, as Raja Bell missed 2 of 6 games in the 2006 WCF due to a calf injury. With another starter injured, Nash and the Suns could not keep up with Dallas and lost in 6 games.

It is important to note that the Suns were 2-2 in the 2006 WCF when Bell played, and 0-2 when he did not play. Had Nash not dealt with injuries to a second starter in Bell, he may have had a legitimate chance at leading the Suns to the 2006 Finals even in Amare Stoudemire's absence. Some will look at the Suns' box score stats from the 2006 Playoffs and dismiss Nash's performance, citing that his teammates even in Amare's absence played well. The truth is that, like in the case of Magic Johnson as mentioned earlier, Nash's teammates only played so well because his own passing and playmaking was heavily responsible for their production in the first place.

• Raja Bell never made the playoffs as a starter without Nash
• Shawn Marion only has one playoff series of 15+ ppg without Nash, when he averaged 18.5 ppg on 37% in a 1st-round loss to the 2003 Spurs
• Boris Diaw only has one playoff run of 10+ ppg without Nash, when he averaged 11.6 ppg in a 1st-round loss to the 2015 Clippers
• Amare Stoudemire had a high of 15.3 ppg in a playoff series without Nash

Wade did have to deal with Shaq's absence for the last 2 games of the 2005 ECSF, but Nash dealt with Amare's absence for the entire 2006 Playoffs, on top of missing Raja Bell for 2 of 6 games in the 2006 WCF. That is the main reason why Nash's 2006 WCF deserves to rank higher than Wade's 2005 ECF run. Of course, as I mentioned, Wade may not have been eligible for this list to begin with if not for his rib injury. On the other hand, Nash cannot be ranked much higher due to facing two average teams in the first 2 rounds. Nevertheless, Nash's 2006 WCF run is more than worthy of being a top 15 Conference Finals run of all-time.

12. Russell Westbrook, 2016

2016 Playoff stats
26.0 ppg - 6.9 rpg - 11.0 apg - 2.6 spg - 0.1 bpg on 41% FG - 83% FT

Competition
42-40 Mavericks - Won 4-1
67-15 Spurs - Won 4-2
73-9 Warriors - Lost 4-3

Summary

Westbrook had a remarkable playoff run in 2016, which was overshadowed by his and Durant's inability to close out a 3-1 lead over Golden State. Westbrook became the only player to average 25-10 (ppg-apg) in a playoff run lasting past the 2nd round, and he actually went slightly beyond that. He averaged exactly 26-11 in the 2016 Playoffs, along with just under 7 rpg. That notable of a playoff record certainly warrants Westbrook's 2016 WCF run a spot near the middle of the top 20 list at least. Not only did Westbrook achieve such a playoff record, he did so against great competition, facing a 67-win and 73-win team in back to back rounds. 

With that being said, there are multiple points to consider before overrating Westbrook's 2016 WCF run and assuming that it deserves to be ranked even higher. First, it should be noted that Westbrook did not have to carry a large load due to Durant averaging 28-7-3 on 43% in the 2016 Playoffs. In my estimation, all of the entries ranked above Westbrook's 2016 WCF run carried a larger load than he did, which helps to offset Westbrook's good statistics and tough opposition. 

Some may point out that Wade and Nash carried larger loads than Westbrook due to injuries. That is true, but they also did not set a record by averaging 26-11 past the 2nd round on top of facing a 67-15 and 73-9 team. Those factors should be enough to surpass Wade's 2005 ECF run and Nash's 2006 WCF run when considering the easier teams they faced for the first 2 rounds, even when dealing with undermanned rosters.

Another major factor to consider is Westbrook's negative effect on the defensive end. In the 3 elimination games for the Warriors in the 2016 WCF after trailing 3-1, Steph Curry averaged 33-7-8 on 47/47/91. Westbrook has to be held accountable for allowing the other team's opposing PG to go off like that with 3 chances to close out the series. Westbrook, like Durant, also choked in spectacular fashion down the stretch of Game 6, with 4 turnovers in the final 2 minutes.

And, as has often been the case with Westbrook, his inefficiency was also an issue, shooting under 40% FG in each of the last 2 rounds. In fact, Westbrook's 2016 WCF run has the lowest FG% of any player's Conference Finals run listed in the top 20 as well as the 15 honorable mentions. Being ranked dead last in FG% amongst 35 individual Conference Finals runs is not a good look, and is yet another good reason to keep Westbrook's 2016 WCF run outside of the top 10. 

11. Kevin Johnson, 1989

1989 Playoff stats

23.8 ppg - 4.3 rpg - 12.3 apg - 1.6 spg - 0.4 bpg on 50% FG - 93% FT

Competition
44-38 Nuggets - Won 3-0
43-39 Warriors - Won 4-1
57-25 Lakers - Lost 4-0

Summary

Some may find it odd that the lesser-known Kevin Johnson made it just outside the top 10 while facing two average teams in the 44-38 Nuggets and the 43-39 Warriors. Westbrook faced much better competition, so why does Kevin Johnson rank higher? Most of those reasons were covered when explaining the negatives of Westbrook's 2016 WCF run.

Like Westbrook in 2016, Kevin Johnson set his own record in the 1989 Playoffs. KJ became the only player to average 23-12 (ppg-apg) in a playoff run lasting past the 2nd round. In spite of the fact that Westbrook has a clear advantage in competition, KJ has the advantage in two other major facets. For starters, KJ's team was much, much more dependent on him to create their opportunities than OKC was with Westbrook. The pre-Barkley era Suns' dependence on KJ was detailed in the Kevin Johnson section.

• Hornacek had his only 20+ ppg season, 20+ ppg playoffs, and all-star year next to KJ in 1992.
• Majerle only has one playoff run of 10+ ppg without KJ, a 1st Round 3-game sweep in 1996. 
• Majerle had 6 playoff runs of 10+ ppg with KJ in 7 seasons, 5 of them past the 1st round. Majerle's only all-star years were also with KJ.

Tom Chambers averaged 26, 27, and 20 ppg in the 1989, 1990, and 1991 seasons with KJ.
Eddie Johnson averaged 22 and 17 ppg in the 1989 and 1990 seasons with KJ.

KJ's best teammates in the 2 games that he was injured in the 1990 Playoffs
(Game 1 vs Jazz, Game 6 vs Blazers)
- Tom Chambers - 18 ppg on 10/32 FG (31%), 4.5 TOpg
- Eddie Johnson - 8 ppg on 4/15 FG (27%)

Chambers and EJ only had such great scoring in Phoenix due to KJ spoon-feeding them their offense and setting them up. Without him, they were horrible in the playoffs with Phoenix. The Suns were clearly much more dependent on KJ than OKC was on Westbrook.

The second major point in KJ's favor, also by a large margin, is efficiency. While Westbrook's 2016 WCF run has the lowest FG% of any entry on the top 20 and 15 honorable mentions combined, KJ's 1989 WCF run has the highest FT% of any entry on the top 20 and 15 honorable mentions combined. They are at two completely opposite ends of the spectrum. Aside from the fact that 2016 Westbrook is ranked 35 of 35 in FG%, and 1989 KJ is 1 of 35 in FT%, KJ's 1989 WCF run also has a 9% FG advantage over 2016 Westbrook.

So, to quickly summarize, Westbrook's large advantage in competition is overtaken by KJ's equally large advantages in both areas. Firstly, the much larger load that KJ carried for his team, evidenced by the Suns' dependence on KJ for offense. Secondly, the remarkable edge in efficiency that KJ has while also setting a playoff record for averages past the 2nd round (23-12) like Westbrook did (26-11). 

Some will point out that the competition KJ faced for the first 2 rounds was similar to the competition that 2005 Wade and 2006 Nash faced, yet Wade and Nash's runs were ranked below Westbrook. That is true, but Wade and Nash also did not set a record such as averaging 23-12 past the 2nd round as KJ did. Others will point out that Wade and Nash dealt with undermanned rosters in the absence of Shaq (briefly) and Amare. One can respond by pointing out that KJ did not have a teammate comparable to Shaq or Amare to begin with, and even a healthy Suns roster was heavily dependent on KJ's playmaking regardless. KJ carried an equal or larger load than 2005 Wade and 2006 Wade even with a healthy team.

Here is a simplified way of explaining it. KJ in the 1989 Playoffs carried a load as big as, or larger than, those of 2005 Wade and 2006 Nash. KJ also did this while setting a playoff record by becoming the only person to average 23-12 past the 2nd round, similar to Westbrook averaging 26-11 past the 2nd round in 2016, only with KJ doing it on much better efficiency, and with much less help. KJ combined the best aspects of Wade, Nash, and Westbrook's runs in carrying a large load (evidenced by the Suns' dependence on him for offense) as well as setting a playoff record by averaging 23-12 past the 2nd round. 2005 Wade, 2006 Nash, and 2016 Westbrook did one or the other, but KJ did both. That's what separates KJ's 1989 WCF run from those three players' respective Conference Finals runs, even with the easier competition for the first 2 rounds.

As you may have guessed, the easier competition that KJ faced for the first 2 rounds is the main reason his 1989 run will be excluded from the top 10, despite setting a playoff record while simultaneously carrying a large load for his team. Even so, we should recognize the great series that KJ had as the Lakers swept Phoenix in the 1989 WCF. In the 1989 WCF, KJ averaged 23-13 on an incredible 53% FG - 100% FT (27/27).

10. Karl Malone, 1994

1994 Playoff stats
27.1 ppg - 12.4 rpg - 3.4 apg - 1.4 spg - 0.8 bpg on 47% FG - 74% FT

Competition
55-27 Spurs - Won 3-1
42-40 Nuggets - Won 4-3
58-24 Rockets - Lost 4-1

Summary

Karl Malone's 1994 WCF run is quite underrated. He put up great all-around stats of 27-12-3 on 47% while facing two 55+ win teams. In the 1st Round, Malone had a great defensive performance, holding David Robinson to 20-10 on a poor 41% FG. Robinson had averaged 30-11 on 51% in the regular season as the scoring champion. The Jazz benefited from the 8-seed Nuggets' upset of the 63-19 Sonics in the 1st Round, defeating Denver in 7 games. The Jazz had built a 3-0 lead before Mutombo's Nuggets came back to force a Game 7.

In the 1994 WCF, Malone faced Hakeem's Rockets for the first of their 4 playoff series meetings. Malone had a good overall series, averaging 26-13-5 on 43%, but this was due in large part to taking advantage of Otis Thorpe's defense. Although Malone's 43% FG was not as efficient, it still does not illustrate how great of a defensive job Hakeem did when he was guarding Malone in the 1994 WCF. Nevertheless, Malone still played well for the overall 1994 Playoffs. It is interesting to note that Malone faced 3 of the top 5 defenders of all-time in these 1994 Playoffs - Dennis Rodman, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon. If you include Mutombo, Malone faced 4 of the top 10 defenders of all-time.

The main reason that Malone's 1994 run ranks higher than 1989 KJ, 2005 Wade, and 2006 Nash is due to competition. Malone put up very impressive statistics while facing two 55+ win teams, whereas the aforementioned three runs came against two sub-50 win teams apiece. Although Westbrook in 2016 was going against better overall competition, he also benefited moreso from Durant's offense than Malone did from Stockton. Aside from that, Westbrook's 2016 WCF run has the worst FG% of any of the top 20 Conference Finals runs listed here as well as the 15 honorable mentions. Lastly, Malone's great defense on David Robinson, the scoring champion, in the 1st Round gives him a major edge over Westbrook as well as the other three aforementioned playoff runs. Therefore, Malone's 1994 WCF run is one of the top 10 greatest Conference Finals runs of all-time.

9. Steve Nash, 2005

2005 Playoff stats
23.9 ppg - 4.8 rpg - 11.3 apg - 0.9 spg - 0.2 bpg on 52% FG - 92% FT

Competition
45-37 Grizzlies - Won 4-0
58-24 Mavericks - Won 4-2
59-23 Spurs - Lost 4-1

Summary
In his first year as the leader of a team, Steve Nash put together a remarkable 2005 Playoff run to follow up his MVP season. Nash averaged just under 24-5-11 on remarkable 52/39/92 efficiency. After sweeping an average Grizzlies team in the 1st Round, Nash faced his old team, the Dallas Mavericks, in the 2005 WCSF after leaving in the 2004 offseason in free agency.

The Suns would suffer a huge setback as Joe Johnson would break his orbital bone in Game 2 against Dallas, missing the last 4 games of the series. With the series tied 1-1, Nash would lead the Suns past Dallas 3-1 in the last 4 games. In the 4th/OT of Game 6, Nash would take over with 19 points and 5 assists to eliminate the Mavericks. Nash's overall statistics for the 2005 WCSF were incredible, probably one of the greatest single-series statistical performances of all-time. Nash averaged 30-7-12 on ridiculous 55/42/96 shooting against Dallas, showing that he could take over offensively even as a pass-first player. Very rarely can a pass-first PG take over offensively like that.

Joe Johnson would miss the first 2 games of the 2005 WCF against the Spurs as Phoenix trailed 2-0 in his absence even with home court advantage. Johnson returned for Game 3, but the Spurs took a 3-0 lead before closing the series out in 5 games. Nash finished with averages of 23-4-11 on 52% in the 2005 WCF as the Spurs went on to win the championship in 7 games against Detroit.

As we mentioned in Nash's 2006 Playoff run, many box score fans will simply recite the statistics of his teammates in the 2005 Playoffs and claim that Nash did not have to carry a large load for the Suns. When you put these statistics in context, however, it becomes very clear how important Nash's passing and playmaking was for the Suns' offense as a whole. Similar to the cases of Magic and Kevin Johnson, Nash's teammates had such good numbers because of his own playmaking and passing in the first place.

• Shawn Marion only has one playoff series of 15+ ppg without Nash, when he averaged 18.5 ppg on 37% in a 1st-round loss to the 2003 Spurs
• Quentin Richardson never had 10 ppg in a playoff series without Nash
• Amare Stoudemire had a high of 15.3 ppg in a playoff series without Nash

The 2004 Suns were a 29-53 team even with Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Joe Johnson on the team. With Steve Nash and Quentin Richardson joining those three in the starting lineup in 2005, they ended up with a a league-best 62-20 record and a WCF appearance, even with the injury of Joe Johnson in the 2005 WCSF. So simply citing the box score stats of Nash's teammates in the 2005 Playoffs would only demonstrate one's primitive understanding of Nash's vital role in running the team's offense.

Nash faced two 58+ win teams while also dealing with the absence of Joe Johnson for most of the last 2 rounds, giving him the edge over Karl Malone's 1994 WCF run. Malone may have been the much better defender, but even so, Nash's incredible offensive execution in the absence of one of his top scoring threats should be enough to offset that. In 2006, Nash may have had to deal with the absence of Amare Stoudemire for the entire playoffs, as opposed to missing Joe Johnson for most of the last 2 rounds alone, but the competition that Nash faced in 2006 was also easier than 2005. So even with Nash suffering a bigger loss in 2006, the competition he faced in 2005 was a tougher obstacle to overcome.

8. Kevin Garnett, 2004

2004 Playoff stats
24.3 ppg - 14.6 rpg - 5.1 apg - 1.3 spg - 2.3 bpg on 45% FG - 78% FT

Competition
43-39 Nuggets - Won 4-1
55-27 Kings - Won 4-3
56-26 Lakers - Lost 4-2

Summary
The 2004 Playoffs remains the only instance in which the Timberwolves franchise has won a playoff series. Kevin Garnett was clearly the main reason for it. Garnett had incredible all-around statistics of 24-15-5 on 45% along with playing very good defense. Garnett also maintained these averages against good competition in two 55+ win teams. The Wolves started off the 2004 Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets with a rookie Carmelo Anthony and quickly took care of them in 5 games.

The Wolves faced their first real test against the Kings. Chris Webber was no longer the same player following his 2003 ACL tear, but the Kings overall were still a very good team. In a hard-fought series, Garnett had one of the greatest Game 7 performances of all-time to close out Sacramento, putting up 32-21-2-4-5 on 52%. Against the Lakers, Sam Cassell's hip injury became an issue, forcing him to miss 2 of 6 games and only play 16 minutes per game in the 2004 WCF. Garnett had another good statistical series, averaging 24-14-5 on 46%, but Minnesota ultimately could not overcome Cassell's injury and fell in 6 games.

The main reason Garnett's 2004 WCF run ranks higher than Nash's 2005 WCF is due to his rebounding and defense. Garnett did not have to deal with Cassell's injury for as long as Nash did with Joe Johnson, but that won't be enough to overlook the huge defensive advantage that Garnett has over Nash. It is also important to consider that the 2004/05 rule changes made it much easier for players such as Nash to perform offensively in the first place.

7. Hakeem Olajuwon, 1997

1997 Playoff stats
23.1 ppg - 10.9 rpg - 3.4 apg - 2.1 spg - 2.6 bpg on 59% FG - 73% FT

Competition
40-42 Wolves - Won 3-0
57-25 Sonics - Won 4-3
64-18 Jazz - Lost 4-2

Summary

At 34 years old, Hakeem Olajuwon's 1997 season and Playoffs were the last great ones of his career, as his knee surgery in 1998 prevented him from returning to his high level of play. The Rockets had an easy matchup in the first round against the 40-42 Wolves with a young Garnett, quickly eliminating them in a 3-game sweep. The Rockets then faced a stiff test in the Payton/Kemp Sonics in the 2nd round.

Against the Sonics in the 1997 WCSF, Hakeem played great defense on Shawn Kemp. Kemp had a good series statistically, but this was in large part due to taking advantage of Charles Barkley's poor defense. Hakeem stepped up in Game 7, putting up 22-13 on 58%. On the defensive end, he forced Shawn Kemp into a lot of turnovers and caused him to miss the game-tying shot after an unproductive 2nd-half. 

The Rockets then faced a familiar rival in the Stockton/Malone Jazz in the 1994 WCF. Hakeem continued playing great defense here, causing Malone to struggle whenever he guarded him. Drexler and Barkley would underperform in the 1997 WCF, putting up 18 ppg on 44% and 16-11 on 43%. Hakeem had an incredible statistical series against the 64-18 Jazz, putting up 27-9-4-2-3 on 59%. Hakeem became the oldest person to lead a team in 4/5 categories during a playoff series (Jordan was a few months younger when doing this in the 1997 ECSF). Ultimately, however, the Rockets had no answer for John Stockton as he averaged 21-10 on 54/46/94 with the series-winning shot in Game 6. 

Hakeem's 23-10 averages for the 1997 Playoffs may not seem as impressive offensively compared to previous entries, but his defense was the best of any player listed in these top 20 Conference Finals runs or honorable mentions. Aside from stifling Shawn Kemp and Karl Malone, it is worth noting that Hakeem's 1997 WCF run is the only one of these Conference Finals runs, including the honorable mentions, in which the individual averaged 2+ spg and 2+ bpg. In fact, only two players including Hakeem have ever averaged 2+ spg and 2.5+ bpg in a playoff run lasting past the 1st round as he did in 1997.

All players averaging 2+ spg and 2.5+ bpg in a playoff run past the 1st Round

- Hakeem Olajuwon, 1986 - 2.0 spg, 3.5 bpg

- Hakeem Olajuwon, 1997 - 2.1 spg, 2.6 bpg

- Ben Wallace, 2003 - 2.5 spg, 3.1 bpg

Steals and blocks alone are obviously far from a perfect method of analyzing defense, but when the only players to achieve this feat have won multiple DPOYs, it seems like a very relevant statistic. Hakeem's defense on Kemp and Malone only further confirm what these numbers suggest.

There are a few reasons why Hakeem's 1997 WCF run is more impressive than Garnett's 2004 WCF run. Defense is obviously a major reason, as we've already explained. Garnett played great defense during the 2004 WCF, no doubt, but Hakeem was even better at age 34 in 1997. Hakeem's overall competition was also superior. He faced a 57-25 Sonics team and lost to a 64-18 Jazz team. Garnett in the 2004 Playoffs did have advantages in points, rebounds, and assists, but he also shot a 14% lower FG than Hakeem did in 1997. When you factor in Hakeem's large advantage in efficiency on top of his superior competition and better individual defense, Garnett's slight ppg, rpg, and apg advantages can be disregarded.

Some may feel that Garnett's supporting cast was significantly worse than Hakeem's in 1997. Although Hakeem did have better help, it was not to the degree that you would assume. Barkley was a much better rebounder than any of Garnett's 2004 teammates, putting up 12 rpg in the 1997 Playoffs. Offensively, Garnett's teammates were quite even with Hakeem's. Sprewell averaged just under 20-4-4 on 42% in the 2004 Playoffs while Cassell had 17 ppg on 47%. Barkley and Drexler put up 18 ppg on under 44% FG apiece. Defensively, Garnett's supporting cast had the edge due to Latrell Sprewell, evidenced by his great defense on Kobe Bryant in the 2004 WCF. Hakeem did have a slightly better supporting cast due to Barkley's rebounding, but it is still not enough to offset Hakeem's far superior FG%, better competition, and even better defense.

6. Shaquille O'Neal, 1998

1998 Playoff stats

30.5 ppg - 10.2 rpg - 2.9 apg - 0.5 spg - 2.6 bpg on 61% FG - 50% FT

Competition
46-36 Blazers - Won 3-1
61-21 Sonics - Won 4-1
62-20 Jazz - Lost 4-0

Summary

Shaq's 1998 WCF run is one that is pretty overlooked. He put up incredible numbers of 31-10-3 on 61% during the 1998 Playoffs. Shaq also maintained these averaged against great competition, facing two 60+ win teams in the Sonics and Jazz. Lastly, Shaq carried a fairly large load in the 1998 Playoffs. Eddie Jones provided solid help with 17 ppg on 47% in the playoffs, but beyond that Shaq's only double-digit scoring teammates were Van Exel with 12-4 on 33% and Rick Fox with 11-4 on 45%.

In the 1st Round, the Lakers faced an average Blazers team with a 46-36 record. After eliminating them in 4 games, the Lakers faced a tough test in the 61-21 Sonics. Even without homecourt advantage, the Lakers quickly defeated Seattle in 5 games. Shaq had an incredible series of 31-10-4 on 63% with 4 bpg as well. It is important to note that Eddie Jones stepped up his game during the 1998 WCSF, averaging 22-5-2 on 54/59/82 to help push the Lakers into the WCF.

Against Utah in the 1998 WCF, the Lakers were no match and ended up getting swept. Shaq did have a good statistical series, but was outplayed by Karl Malone. Malone had 30-10-5 on 51% FG - 83% FT to Shaq's 32-9 on 56% FG - 46% FT. Nevertheless, getting outplayed by a top 25 player of all-time is not going to discredit Shaq's 1998 WCF run enough to push it out of the top 5. It should also be noted that the Jazz stifled Shaq's teammates in this series, giving him little help. Eddie Jones' numbers dropped to 15 ppg on 41%, and a teenage Kobe was the only other double digit scorer at 10 ppg on 37%.

Shaq's 1998 WCF run ranks higher than Hakeem's 1997 run mainly due to his offensive statistical dominance alone. Shaq's competition was slightly better, as he faced two 60+ win teams to Hakeem's 1. Eddie Jones did step up greatly against the Sonics to help the Lakers reach the 1998 WCF, but Shaq's help for the overall playoffs was still less than that of Hakeem's in the 1997 WCF. At age 34, Hakeem was still a lot better defensively than Shaq, but Shaq's 31-10-3 on 61% in the 1998 Playoffs is enough to surpass Hakeem's very good, but not as good 1997 WCF run.

5. Kevin Johnson, 1990

1990 Playoff stats
21.3 ppg - 3.3 rpg - 10.6 apg - 1.6 spg - 0.0 bpg on 48% FG - 82% FT

Competition
55-27 Jazz - Won 3-2
63-19 Lakers - Won 4-1
59-23 Blazers - Lost 4-2

Summary
Kevin Johnson's 1990 WCF run is the greatest Conference Finals run in history by a point guard. He was excellent statistically, faced 3 55+ win teams and defeated a 63-19 Lakers team, and his teammates were heavily dependent on him to set them up for offense. It is also worth noting that KJ played all of his 1990 Playoff series on the road. Let us first begin with analyzing KJ's statistical dominance.

In the 1990 1st Round, KJ faced the Stockton and Malone Jazz. The Suns got off to a rough start, as KJ left Game 1 after 9 minutes due to the flu. Without KJ to run the offense, the Suns were blown out by 17. In spite of this setback, the Suns went 3-1 in the 4 full games that KJ played to defeat the Jazz in a do-or-die Game 5. KJ outplayed Stockton in the 4 full games he played, averaging 25-10 on 43% to Stockton's 15-15 on 42% while having a much lesser supporting cast.

KJ then faced the league-best record Lakers led by MVP Magic Johnson in the 1990 WCSF. In a surprise upset, the Suns quickly dispatched of the Lakers in 5 games. KJ had an excellent statistical series of 22-6-11-3 on 47% as he led Phoenix to the WCF for the second year in a row. The Suns would then face the Drexler/Porter Blazers. Unfortunately, KJ's injuries would become an issue again, as he pulled his hamstring in the elimination Game 6, forcing him to leave after only 14 minutes of play. 

The Suns would again lose in KJ's absence, but this time it resulted in the end of their season. KJ averaged 22-11 on 54% for the series, and 23-12 on 53% from Games 1-5 prior to his injury. Excluding his two injury games, KJ averaged 23-11 on 48% for the 1990 Playoffs. This would have given KJ a record of two playoff runs averaging 23-11 past the 2nd round in addition to 1989.

Not only did KJ put up remarkable statistics against stacked competition, he did it while carrying a huge load for his team. Similar to the cases of Magic and Steve Nash, some will only read the box scores without realizing that it was the playmaking and passing of Kevin Johnson himself that led to his teammates good statistical production.

• Hornacek had his only 20+ ppg season, 20+ ppg playoffs, and all-star year next to KJ in 1992.
• Majerle only has one playoff run of 10+ ppg without KJ, a 1st Round 3-game sweep in 1996. 
• Majerle had 6 playoff runs of 10+ ppg with KJ in 7 seasons, 5 of them past the 1st round. Majerle's only all-star years were also with KJ.

Tom Chambers averaged 26, 27, and 20 ppg in the 1989, 1990, and 1991 seasons with KJ.
Eddie Johnson averaged 22 and 17 ppg in the 1989 and 1990 seasons with KJ.

KJ's best teammates in the 2 games that he was injured in the 1990 Playoffs
(Game 1 vs Jazz, Game 6 vs Blazers)
- Tom Chambers - 18 ppg on 10/32 FG (31%), 4.5 TOpg
- Eddie Johnson - 8 ppg on 4/15 FG (27%)

Chambers and EJ only had such great scoring in Phoenix due to KJ spoon-feeding them their offense and setting them up. Without him, they were horrible in the playoffs with Phoenix. The Suns were 0-2 in the 2 games that KJ was injured during the 1990 Playoffs. If you include the 1993 Suns' Game 1 loss against the 8-seed Lakers in KJ's absence, the Suns were 0-3 when KJ was injured or did not play in the playoffs during his time as a starter.

So if Garnett and Hakeem were clearly much better than KJ on defense, why does KJ's 1990 run rank higher? Well, we've already covered most of those reasons. KJ faced better overall competition, facing 3 55+ win teams and beating a 63-19 team, whereas 2004 Garnett faced 0 60+ win teams and 1997 Hakeem did not beat a 60+ win team. Defense alone is not going to be enough to overlook KJ's clear advantage in competition.

As we also mentioned, KJ's teammates were heavily dependent on him to create their offense. As we can see from Chambers and Eddie Johnson's huge decline in production during KJ's injuries, how much better Majerle and Hornacek played next to KJ, and the Suns 0-2 record in the 1990 Playoffs when KJ was injured, KJ had to carry a bigger load than 1997 Hakeem or 2004 Garnett did. When you factor in that KJ put up such impressive statistics while carrying a larger load against better overall competition, Hakeem and Garnett's better defense can be ignored.

With regards to Shaq's 1998 WCF run, KJ beat a better team in both the 1st and 2nd round compared to Shaq's respective opponents in the 1st and 2nd round of the 1998 Playoffs. In KJ's 1990 WCF, he was also much better than Shaq when it came to making his teammates better, as we have explained in detail. Shaq did benefit from a good series by Eddie Jones in the 1998 WCF, putting up 22-5-2 on 54/59/82, so he did not have to carry a big load when beating the only elite team he faced in the 1998 Playoffs, even though his load for the overall 1998 Playoffs was big. 

The fact that KJ was able to make his teammates play so well next to him, especially Tom Chambers and Eddie Johnson when seeing their sharp decline in production in KJ's absence, is at least as impressive of an example of carrying a large load for the team as Shaq in the 1998 Playoffs. Lastly, One can certainly argue that KJ's statistics in the 1990 Playoffs, both with and without the injuries, are more impressive than Shaq's in the 1998 Playoffs. The important thing to remember is that all assists are equal to at least 2 points apiece.

Including the injury games, KJ accounted for at least 42.5 PPG in the 1990 Playoffs assuming that all assists are two points. Excluding the two injury games, KJ averaged 23.1 ppg - 3.6 rpg - 11.4 apg on 48% FG - 82% FT in the 1990 Playoffs. When healthy, KJ accounted for at least 45.9 PPG through points and assists combined during his 1990 Playoff run whereas Shaq accounted for 36.3 PPG in his 1998 Playoff run. KJ's large advantage in offensive production can offset Shaq's FG% and rebounding advantages, further giving him a strong argument for a top 5 Conference Finals run of all-time.

4. Tim Duncan, 2001

2001 Playoff stats
24.4 ppg - 14.5 rpg - 3.8 apg - 1.1 spg - 2.7 bpg on 49% FG - 64% FT

Competition
47-35 Wolves - Won 3-1
53-29 Mavericks - Won 4-1

56-26 Lakers - Lost 0-4

Summary
After missing the 2000 Playoffs due to injury, Duncan came back strong in the 2001 Playoffs. Duncan had impressive averages of 24-15-4, though his efficiency was not as impressive. In the 1st Round, Duncan and the Spurs defeated a decent 47-35 Wolves team with Duncan leading his team in 4/5 categories.

Duncan's Spurs would then face Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks in the 2001 WCSF. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Derek Anderson suffered a separated shoulder in Game 1 of the series. Anderson was the Spurs' number 2 scorer in the regular season with averages of 16-4-4 on 42%. As a result of this, Duncan now had to deal with the absence of his best offensive teammate. Even with this setback, Duncan greatly outplayed Nowitzki in the 2001 WCSF, averaging 27-17-4-1-2 on 51% to Dirk's 23-9-1-2-1 on 45%. The Spurs won in 5 games and went on to face the Lakers in the 2001 WCF.

Derek Anderson played in 2 of 4 games against the Lakers, but had effectively zero production, just scoring 4 total points off of free throws alone. Without much of a supporting cast, there wasn't anything Duncan could do to avoid a sweep against the Lakers, who would go on to set the all-time best playoff record of 15-1. Duncan averaged 23-12-4-1-4 on 48% against the Lakers, becoming the only PF to lead a team in 5/5 categories during a playoff series. Shaq and Kobe both outperformed Duncan statistically, but considering the large disparity in supporting casts it is hardly surprising that two top 10 all-time players did so.

There are a few reasons why Duncan's 2001 WCF run ranks higher than KJ's 1990 WCF run, even though Shaq's statistics were more impressive. The main reason, of course, is Derek Anderson's injury. Anderson played negligible minutes after the 1st Round due to his injury, so Duncan was effectively without his best offensive teammate for the last 2 rounds as a whole. Robinson was still somewhat productive, with averages of 17-12 on 47%, but still not great help for Duncan especially in Anderson's absence. 

As for competition, KJ may have the edge due to facing three 55+ win teams, but Duncan also faced the 2001 Lakers with a 15-1 playoff record, the best of all-time. The 56-26 Lakers in the 2001 season were a much different team than the 15-1 Lakers in the playoffs. Fisher, the starting PG, missed 62 games while Shaq and Kobe missed a combined 22 games between them. The Lakers were also ranked bottom 10 in PPG allowed for the season, but top 3 for the playoffs. The Lakers would be top 2 in PPG allowed for the playoffs if you exclude the Wolves who only played 4 games in a 1st Round loss to the Spurs. 

The load that Duncan had to carry as a result of Derek Anderson's injury, his best offensive teammate, is more than enough to overtake KJ's statistical advantage. KJ did have to carry a big load with regards to making his teammates better, but Duncan had little offensive help of any kind to begin with. Once his only decent offensive option was gone on a team that was already very thin on offense to begin with, there was little help that Duncan's teammates could provide him with.

KJ's competition in the 1990 Playoffs overall may have been better, but not by a large enough margin when you consider Duncan facing the 15-1 Lakers in the 2001 WCF. Out of all the opponents that the players on this list faced, the 72-10 Bulls who swept Shaq's Magic in the 1996 ECF are the only ones that were better than the 2001 Lakers. Considering all of these factors, Duncan's 2001 WCF run deserves to be ranked higher than KJ's 1990 WCF run.

3. LeBron James, 2009

2009 Playoff stats
35.3 ppg - 9.1 rpg - 7.3 apg - 1.6 spg - 0.9 bpg on 51% FG - 75% FT

Competition
39-43 Pistons - Won 4-0
47-35 Hawks - Won 4-0
59-23 Magic - Lost 4-2

Summary

In terms of pure box score statistics, LeBron's 2009 Playoffs may be his best. It was his best scoring playoff run by a clear margin, as he averaged under 31 ppg in all of his other playoff runs. Some may have assumed that LeBron's 2009 ECF run would be the greatest Conference Finals run of all-time, due to his 35-9-7 on 51% averages, but it is not. This is because LeBron's 2009 ECF run, despite producing great statistics, came against very easy competition. 

To start off with, the 39-43 Pistons that LeBron faced in the 1st Round have the 2nd-worst record of any opponent that a player faced in the top 20 Conference Finals runs listed here. The 35-47 Spurs that Magic Johnson faced in the 1986 1st Round are the only worse opponent that a player on this top 20 list faced. The Pistons had lost 4x DPOY Ben Wallace prior to the 2006/07 season, and Chauncey Billups had left for the Nuggets prior to the 2008/09 season. This left the 2009 Pistons as a shell of the formerly great Pistons teams under Larry Brown.

In the 2009 ECSF, the Cavs faced the Hawks who had an average record of 47-35. The problem is that the Hawks were much worse than their record indicated when they faced LeBron's Cavs. The Hawks suffered injuries to not one, but two of their five starters in the 2009 Playoffs - Al Horford and Marvin Williams. Horford averaged 12-9 on 53% in the 2009 season as the Hawks' leading rebounder, and Williams averaged 14-6 on 46%. Individually, their numbers were just average, but the losses were compounded when dealing with two injured starters rather than just one.

As a result of their injuries, Horford and Williams' numbers fell to 7-6 on 42% and 5-2 on 35% for the 2009 Playoffs, respectively. Their numbers would decrease even more in the 2009 ECSF, as Horford and Williams missed 1 game apiece. Despite playing 27 and 19 mpg in the series, respectively, Horford and Williams only averaged 3-5 on 33% and 3-2 on 21% against the Cavs in 3 games apiece due to the limitations of their injuries. The Hawks were only an average 47-35 team to begin with, and clearly below average when two of their five starters were injured. The Hawks in the ECSF were essentially of the same quality as a losing team, like the 2009 Pistons, with two of their starters making no contribution due to injury. 

After facing very easy competition for the first 2 rounds, LeBron and the Cavs finally faced a legitimate opponent in the 2009 Magic. However, even this comes with a caveat, as the Magic's second-best player Jameer Nelson did not play for each of the first 3 rounds due to a torn labrum. Nelson averaged 17-5 on 50/45/89 in the 2009 season, leading Orlando in apg. Nelson was also the most efficient player for the Magic. Aside from Dwight Howard shooting 57% FG, none of other Magic players who averaged double figures reached the 50/45/89 marks that Nelson did.

It is true that the Magic were still a pretty good team, as they managed to reach the NBA Finals even in Nelson's absence. However, the Magic also caught a break due to Kevin Garnett missing the entire 2009 Playoffs due to a knee injury. Even in Garnett's absence, the Celtics were able to take Orlando to 7 games in the ECSF. It is not an exaggeration to say that the 2009 Magic were the weakest of the opponents that a player on this top 20 list lost to in the Conference Finals, especially when factoring in the absence of Jameer Nelson. It does say a lot that LeBron's poor supporting cast failed to provide enough help to help lead him past Orlando, but LeBron's individual statistics still heavily benefited from facing an undermanned Orlando team in addition to facing an undermanned Hawks team and 39-43 Pistons team.

So to summarize, the only team that LeBron faced in the 2009 Playoffs at full strength was the Pistons, who had a losing 39-43 record - the 2nd-worst record of any opponent that a player on this top 20 list faced. The Hawks were an average 47-35 team when healthy, and then a below average team when considering injuries to two of their five starters. The Magic were the only legitimate team that the 2009 Cavs faced in the playoffs, and even they were dealing with the absence of their second-best player in Jameer Nelson. Orlando also was fortunate to have faced the Celtics without Kevin Garnett, as the 2009 ECSF still went to 7 games in his absence. When considering all of these factors, Magic Johnson's 1986 WCF run is the only run on this top 20 list to have benefited from easier overall competition than what LeBron faced in the 2009 Playoffs.

So if LeBron faced such poor competition in the 2009 Playoffs, why is his 2009 ECF run a top 3 Conference Finals run of all-time? The main reason is that his statistics were so impressive, regardless of facing incredibly easy competition. Averaging 35-9-7 on 51% is not easy, even if it was made much easier due to the lack of quality competition. LeBron's statistical dominance in the 2009 Playoffs alone is enough to rank this ECF run near the top and offset the great benefit he had from facing incredibly easy opponents.

On top of his great statistics, LeBron did have to carry a pretty big load in the 2009 Playoffs. Mo Williams averaged 16-3-4 on 41%, followed by 14-4-4 on 47% from Delonte West and 11-8 on 45% from Ilgauskus. LeBron's averages of 35-9-7 on 51% on top of the load he had to carry are enough to offset the incredibly easy competition he had to face and earn his 2009 ECF run a spot in the top 3. Ultimately, however, the poor competition that LeBron faced in the 2009 Playoffs makes his 2009 ECF run incomparable with the two greatest Conference Finals runs of all-time.

2. Michael Jordan, 1990

1990 Playoff stats
36.7 ppg - 7.2 rpg - 6.8 apg - 2.8 spg - 0.9 bpg on 51% FG - 84% FT

Competition
44-38 Bucks - Won 3-1
53-29 Sixers - Won 4-1
59-23 Pistons - Lost 4-3

Summary

Jordan's performance in the 1990 Playoffs was good enough to earn a spot as the 2nd greatest Conference Finals run of all-time. Jordan put up incredible averages of 37-7-7-3-1 on 51% while facing no losing teams and two healthy 50+ win teams. The only injury that the Bulls benefited from in the 1990 Playoffs was when Jay Humphries missed Game 3 of the 1st Round series against the Bulls due to a groin injury. Even in Humphries' absence, Game 3 ended up being the only game of the series that the Bucks won anyway. After taking care of the 44-38 Bucks in 4 games, the Bulls faced the Sixers led by Charles Barkley and Hersey Hawkins.

Hawkins had averaged 27 ppg on 51/44/94 in the 1st Round of the playoffs against the Cavaliers, but Jordan held him to just under 20 ppg on 48% in the 1990 ECSF against the Bulls. Jordan also played great defense on Charles Barkley for brief stretches during this series. Jordan led the Bulls past Philadelphia in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead while Pippen sat out to attend his father's funeral. Pippen returned in Game 5 to close out the Sixers and the Bulls went on to the 1990 ECF to face Detroit.

Jordan continued his great defense in the ECF, holding Isiah Thomas to 18-9 on just under 40%. After facing Jordan in the 1988-1989-1990 Playoffs, Isiah would go on to average 23-4-8 on 48/46/79 in the 1988-1989-1990 Finals after beating the Bulls. Ultimately, the Bulls' supporting cast was not good enough to hang with the Pistons, and they fell in 7 games. In Game 7, Jordan's teammates combined to shoot 15/63 FG (24%). When you consider that Jordan also had 9 assists, the Bulls shot 6/54 FG (11%) in Game 7 excluding shots that Jordan assisted on. Horace Grant was the only other Bull to score in double figures during Game 7, with 10 points on 3/17 FG (18%).

Jordan's 1990 ECF run was equal to or better than LeBron's 2009 ECF run statistically, and the far superior competition is what unequivocally establishes Jordan's 1990 ECF run as the much more impressive playoff run. Jordan did not have the benefit of facing a losing team in the 1st Round, nor did he face the Sixers or Pistons with an undermanned roster due to injuries, as LeBron did with both the Hawks and Magic. Even when Rodman played limited minutes due to an ankle injury in the 1990 Finals, the Pistons still won the Finals 4-1, proving that they were a much, much better team than the 2009 Magic.

The one area that LeBron's 2009 ECF run does have an advantage in is carrying a lesser supporting cast. Pippen averaged 19-7-6 on 50% during the 1990 Playoffs, providing better help than any of LeBron's teammates in the 2009 Playoffs. Even so, the difference in supporting casts is not as big as you would expect. Outside of Pippen, none of Jordan's other teammates played well in the 1990 Playoffs. Grant was the only other double digit scorer at 12-10 on 51%. In fact, Mo Williams and Delonte West in the 2009 Playoffs averaged more ppg than any of Jordan's teammates did in the 1990 Playoffs outside of Pippen. 

The 1990 Bulls did have a slightly better supporting cast, but that is not nearly enough to rank LeBron's 2009 ECF run over Jordan's. Jordan put up numbers that were just as good, if not better, while playing vastly superior competition. It is much, much easier to lead a mediocre supporting cast if you are only playing against mediocre teams, as was the case with LeBron in the 2009 Playoffs. We have seen this happen multiple times with Eastern Conference Champions of the 2000s - such as the 2001 Sixers, 2002 Nets, 2003 Nets, and 2007 Cavaliers. Jordan did not have any luxury in the 1990 Playoffs comparable to the incredibly easy competition that the 2009 Cavaliers faced, proving beyond a doubt that his 1990 ECF run was the vastly superior Conference Finals run. 

1. Michael Jordan, 1989

1989 Playoff stats
34.8 ppg - 7.0 rpg - 7.6 apg - 2.5 spg - 0.8 bpg on 51% FG - 80% FT

Competition
57-25 Cavs - Won 3-2
52-30 Knicks - Won 4-2
63-19 Pistons - Lost 4-2

Summary
Jordan's 1989 ECF run is the only Conference Finals run which was so supremely dominant statistically, while facing such elite competition, and while carrying a poor supporting cast. LeBron's 2009 ECF run and Jordan's 1990 ECF run are the only other Conference Finals runs with statistics comparable to Jordan's 1989 ECF run, but both runs came against easier competition and with better supporting casts than the 1989 Bulls.

The competition aspect is clear. The 1990 Bulls faced slightly lesser competition than the 1989 team, and the 2009 Cavs' competition was not even close to the 1989 Bulls. The 1989 Bulls faced 3 50+ win teams, all of them on the road, including a 63-19 Pistons team. The 1990 Bulls faced just 2 50+ win teams, and the 2009 Cavs faced a losing team and just one 50+ win team (before factoring in injuries to Marvin Williams, Al Horford, and Jameer Nelson). Neither the 1990 Bulls nor 2009 Cavs faced a 60+ win team. The 1989 Pistons went 15-2 in the playoffs, which is tied for the 2nd-best playoff record in 4-round format history after the 2001 Lakers' 15-1, further establishing a clear difference in level of competition. 

We have already acknowledged that the 1990 Bulls' supporting cast was slightly better than the 2009 Cavs, so we only have to compare the 2009 Cavs' help with the 1989 Bulls. In the 2009 Playoffs, both Mo Williams and Delonte West averaged more ppg than any of Jordan's teammates in the 1989 Playoffs. Jordan did have Pippen, but in just his 2nd season Pippen only averaged 13-8-4 on 46% FG - 64% FT in the 1989 Playoffs as the 2nd-leading scorer. So even Jordan's best offensive help did so on low volume and on mediocre efficiency. Jordan nearly led the 1989 Bulls in averages for 5/5 categories during the 1989 season, falling just 0.6 rpg and 0.1 bpg short of doing so, showing how big of a load he had to carry just to get Chicago into the 1989 Playoffs.

Now that Jordan's 1989 ECF run has been established as the superior run both in terms of competition and carrying a supporting cast, we should look at the run itself in more detail. Jordan's Bulls started the 1989 Playoffs against the 57-25 Cavaliers. This was the series where Jordan hit his famous series-winning shot at the buzzer in a do-or-die Game 5. After defeating the Cavaliers, Jordan and the Bulls then faced the Knicks in the ECSF. 

In the closeout Game 6 against New York, Pippen had been ejected prior to the 4th quarter. This put the pressure on Jordan to deliver another clutch performance. Jordan did just that, putting up 12-2-3-1-2 in the 4th quarter alone along with hitting the game-winning free throws. In back to back series-clinching games, Jordan hit a game-winning shot and a pair of game-winning free throws to advance to the next round. In this 1989 ECSF, Jordan became the only guard to lead a team in 5/5 categories during a playoff series.

Chicago then faced the Bad Boy Pistons in the 1989 ECF. Jordan played great defense on Isiah Thomas throughout the series, holding him to 39% FG. In Game 3, Jordan had another game-winner to take a 2-1 lead over the Pistons. After this point, however, the Bulls supporting cast was simply too much of a burden to carry, and the Pistons came back to win the ECF in 6 games before going on to win the championship. One should take a moment to note how remarkable of an accomplishment it was for Jordan to lead this poor of a supporting cast to 6 games in the ECF in the first place. 

With the 1989 Bulls, Jordan took a worse team than the 2007 Cavs, often cited as one of the worst teams to make the Finals, to 6 games against a much better team than the 2007 Spurs, who swept the Cavs in the Finals, in the 1989 Pistons. The 1989 Pistons were 15-2 in the playoffs, tied for the 2nd-best playoff record ever in the 4-round format. The 2007 Spurs had lost 4 playoff games in the Western Conference alone before sweeping the Cavs in the Finals. In the 1989 and 1990 Playoffs, the Pistons were 22-2 against non-Jordan teams. 

1989 ECF best scoring teammates
Hodges 12.0 ppg on 45%
Cartwright 10.5 ppg on 41%
Pippen 9.7 ppg on 40%
Grant 9.3 ppg on 50%

2007 Finals best scoring teammates
Gooden 12.8 ppg on 50%
Gibson 10.8 ppg on 44%
Pavlovic 9.8 ppg on 36%
Varejao 7.5 ppg on 67%

The Cavs were also ranked 2 of 30 in rebounding, as opposed to the Bulls' 22 of 25 rank in rebounding. The 2007 Cavs held Duncan to under 45% FG in the Finals, the 2nd-worst shooting series in Duncan's Finals career after 2005 against the Pistons. The 2007 Cavs clearly had far superior defensive and rebounding help than the 1989 Bulls, holding the Spurs to 85 or less in 3 of 4 games. Jordan also played great in the 1989 ECF, as opposed to LeBron in the 2007 Finals (22-7-7 on 36% FG and 5.8 TOpg), so Jordan was also creating much more opportunities for his teammates.

With less help on both offense and defense than the 2007 Cavs, Jordan took the 1989 Bulls to 6 games against a Pistons team that was better than the 2007 Spurs, who swept the Cavs in the Finals. It's also important to note that both of the Pistons' losses in the 1989 Playoffs came at the hands of Jordan himself. Had it not been for Jordan, the 1989 Pistons would have tied or surpassed the 2001 Lakers' 15-1 record, as they were 11-0 against non-Jordan teams in the 1989 Playoffs.

Once again, Jordan's 1989 ECF run is the only Conference Finals run in history where the individual put up such dominant statistics while carrying that poor of a supporting cast, on top of facing an incredibly high level of competition. Because it is the only Conference Finals run that matches all of these criteria, Jordan's 1989 ECF run is by far the greatest Conference Finals run of all-time, on top of the 1990 ECF run clearly being the second-greatest.

SECTION 1 - Players From Jordan's Day Against 2000s Defenses

- Looking at how the Jordan Era players had an easier time in the modern era

SECTION 2 - How Washed-up Jordan Did Against the Top Defenders of the "Advanced, More Athletic, Superior" 2000s Era

- Looking at how a 38-40 year old Jordan himself schooled the 2000s defenders

SECTION 3 - Jordan's "Weak" Defensive Competition Compared to Lebron/Kobe's "Advanced" Competition
- Proving the vast superiority of individual defenders of Jordan's era compared to the 2000s

SECTION 4 - The "Jordan Never Faced Zone" Myth

- Destroying the myth that Jordan never played zone defense

SECTION 5 - The Myth That 80s/90s Defenses Can't Contain Modern Players Without the 80s/90s Rules

- Proof that 80s/90s players would still have success guarding 2000s players without the 80s/90s rules

SECTION 6 - The Myth of Jordan's Inability to Deal with 80s Teams, and the Truth About Expansion

- Looking at how Jordan did against the 80s teams and why expansion did not make it easier to win championships

SECTION 7 - "Jordan Played Weak Competition in the 80s/90s"

- Proof that Jordan's Competition was 80s-quality and far better than the 2000s era

SECTION 8 - The Myth that Jordan Was Not As Valuable to His Teams' Success

- Looking at the truth of how the Bulls did without Jordan, and how other great teams did without their stars.

SECTION 9 - "Jordan Got All the Calls"

- Did Jordan really get any more special treatment than other superstars? Nope.

SECTION 10 - Wilt Chamberlain: Great, but Far From the Greatest

- Exposing the myths behind the great, but misunderstood, Wilt Chamberlain

SECTION 11 - The "Lebron is a 6-8 250 Freight Train and too Big/Strong/Fast to be Guarded in the 80s/90s era" Myth

- Looking at how Lebron got locked down by defenders of the 2000s era and comparing them to the vastly superior 80s/90s

SECTION 12 - Lebron: The Most Overrated Defender of All-Time

- Destroying one of the media's biggest misconceptions regarding Lebron's solid but vastly overrated defense

SECTION 13 - "Lebron Doesn't Have Enough Help, and No One Can Carry a Team Like Him"

- Lebron fans think no player in history could succeed if their teammates don't step up, and that Lebron is the only one who has carried a team on his back. Is that really the case?

SECTION 14 - Jordan vs Lebron: The Truth

- The real Jordan vs Lebron comparison

SECTION 15 - Jordan vs Kobe: The Truth

- The real Jordan vs Kobe comparison

SECTION 16 - Jordan (and Hakeem) vs Kareem

- Kareem is great, but he is not even the greatest center of all-time, let alone the greatest of all-time.

SECTION 17 - The Truth about Michael Jordan Without Scottie Pippen

- The full context behind Jordan's struggles without Pippen

SECTION 18 - Michael Jordan's Wizards Years

- A look at how Jordan turned the Wizards around before his knee injury caught up to him

SECTION 19 - The Case for Jordan as the Best Perimeter Defender of All-Time

- Looking at Jordan's defensive impact in detail, both as a team player and 1 on 1 defender

SECTION 20 - Why Jordan Would Accomplish More In Cleveland and Miami than LeBron

- Looking at the strong evidence supporting that Jordan would have achieved more than what LeBron has in Cleveland and Miami 

SECTION 21 - Hakeem Olajuwon: The Greatest Center of All-Time
- Hakeem Olajuwon is the best center of all-time, and there is strong evidence to prove it

SECTION 22 - Chris Paul: The Most Overrated Point Guard Of All-Time

- Chris Paul is an extremely overrated playoff performer and defender, and isn't even a top 5 PG of his own era, let alone all-time

SECTION 23 - Kevin Johnson: The Most Underrated Point Guard Of All-Time

- Kevin Johnson is an extremely underrated and under-appreciated point guard, who should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer and considered a top-10 point guard of all-time

SECTION 24 - The Three Greatest Playoff Runs of All-Time

- Analyzing the three greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history

SECTION 25 - The Worst Finals Performances of All-Time

- Analyzing the worst performances in NBA Finals history

SECTION 26 - Jordan vs Russell

- Comparing the two players who won the most championships as the best player on their team

SECTION 27 - The Five Greatest Coaches of All-Time

- Taking a look at the greatest coaches in NBA history

SECTION 28 - The Least Deserving Finals MVPs of All-Time

- Taking a look at the players who least deserved to win their Finals MVPs

SECTION 29 - Refuting 10 Myths About Michael Jordan

- Refuting certain myths about Jordan, as well as abridging of some of the main points in earlier sections for easier reference.

SECTION 30 - The 20 Greatest Conference Finals Runs of All-Time
- Ranking the 20 greatest playoff runs in which a player played 3 rounds before losing prior to the NBA Finals

SECTION 31 - The 1970s: The Weakest Decade of the NBA's Post-Infancy
- Why the 1970s was the weakest decade of any era from 1960-present

SECTION 32 - The 10 Worst Supporting Casts on NBA Finals Teams (1960-Present)
- Examining the worst supporting casts on teams that reached the NBA Finals

SECTION 33 - The 10 Greatest Rookie Playoff Runs of All-Time
- The most impressive playoff runs in which rookies led their team to at least one series win