Hakeem and West aren’t undisputedly better.
Isiah Thomas playoff peak is only 2nd to MJ- Bob Ryan
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NormanConnors
Detroit/MSU Spartan Life
Facts
They were better on defense than on offense and he wasn't even one of the 3 best defensive players on the team. He wasn’t the best defensive player in the damn backcourt
Boonapalist
Superstar
Playoff peaks yes tf they are
There’s no Isiah run in the same stratosphere as 86,94,95 HakeemPlayoff peaks yes tf they are
IT got a hella case against
Giannis,curry,Kobe,Durant, Hakeem, wade.
Granted I'm a pistons fan but you can't dap a post about team champions and post those name like their play was the solely reason they won. Giannis got to do some more work. IT stepped it up comes winning time
Isiah Thomas is the most underrated basketball player of all time. I've said it repeatedly, i stand on that. He changed the way an entire generation of players dribble and control the court, and he played with a level of heart and grit that is now the standard. TRULY a goat. at lowest, 3rd best PG of all time (Magic and Curry, i won't even entertain anyone else).
Isiah went to 5 straight eastern conference finals, and 3 straight NBA finals (that sound familiar, fellow Pistons fans???) He should've and could've won 4 titles. And HE LED THAT TEAM and put them on his back, regularly.
He is probably the 3rd best ball handler of all time after Kyrie and AI. And he brought that shyt TO the league.
Isiah went to 5 straight eastern conference finals, and 3 straight NBA finals (that sound familiar, fellow Pistons fans???) He should've and could've won 4 titles. And HE LED THAT TEAM and put them on his back, regularly.
He is probably the 3rd best ball handler of all time after Kyrie and AI. And he brought that shyt TO the league.
Boonapalist
Superstar
Nowhere close to the most underrated. If anything he’s overrated. He doesn’t have the longevity and only has like 2 years he was a MVP level player in the regular season. If he played in the regular season like he did the playoffs he’d be more highly thought of.
And you ranking him as the 3rd best PG at the lowest shows he’s overrated. Oscar Robertson and Jerry West if you consider him a PG were both better.
But you’re from Michigan so I can understand your appreciation for Zeke he was a killer
So the regular season performance matters as much/more than the playoff performance?
make it make sense. If he was such a subpar regular season player (WILD take) how did they win their division 4 years in a row and win 60+ games and 50+ games like 4 times? 5x all nba. He's the most underrated because he's never even mentioned in the conversation of 80s best players when he killed all them dudes in their prime at least twice. Prime Isiah beat bird, magic, and jordan, in the playoffs, multiple times. But they act like he just was on some ensemble shyt.
Saying that IT has a "playoff peak" case against Hakeem is fukking wild. IT's peak playoff run isn't even in the same stratosphere as Hakeem's peak.
Curry's 2022 run is better than any IT run. You might have an argument that he didn't match IT's peak in the other years, but it's hard to make that argument because defenses were single-mindedly locked in on Curry in a way they weren't against IT.
Durant's numbers in 2017/2018 are far better than IT's peak, the only case against him is if you think it was too easy.
Kobe was a better player than IT as his peak, the only case against him is that he doesn't have any obviously defining playoff run the way IT does.
Giannis in the 2021 Finals averaged 35-13-5 on 62% shooting with 2 blocks a game and elite defense, despite having just come back from injury that had seriously limited him at the beginning of the series. He had to come from 0-2 down and clinched the title in Game 6 with a 50-14 game with five blocks. That peak is higher than IT, your only argument is if you think that playoff peak has to be more than 1 season long.
Wade in 2006 is the most arguable one.
You already conceded Jordan, LeBron, Magic, Shaq, Duncan, and Bird. I just don't see how you can put peak playoff IT over peak playoff Hakeem or peak playoff Curry. So that's already 8 players since 1980. Even if you take out Wade and Giannis, I think putting him over Durant or Kobe is a bit salty.
And that's just post-1980. Before 1980, you also better think about Kareem, Frazier, West, Russell, and Mikan, just off the top of my head. Arguably Wilt and Oscar too, and Moses might be knocking on the door (I almost included him in the post-1980 group).
Boonapalist
Superstar
Bro 5x All NBA in a 13 year career for someone who’s supposed to be a top 3 PG? You just helped prove my point.So the regular season performance matters as much/more than the playoff performance?
He's the most underrated because he's never even mentioned in the conversation of 80s best players when he killed all them dudes in their prime at least twice. Prime Isiah beat bird, magic, and jordan, in the playoffs, multiple times. But they act like he just was on some ensemble shyt.
And how did they win all those games? Because they were a great, deep and revolutionary team coached by a great coach. Dumars, Laimbeer, Rodman, Dantley then Aguirre, “The Microwave”, Salley James Edwards and Mahorn. Also Chuck Daly and his coaching staff changed how defense was played. Zeke stepped up in the playoffs but in the regular season when they started winning he was just an all star All NBA 3rd team level player.
And as far being mentioned among the best in the 80’s I’d say Dr. J and Moses Malone are both ahead of him. But they rarely get mentioned so how could he be underrated
Diondon
Thanks to the lawyers uh, I marbled the foyer
GTFOH
NormanConnors
Detroit/MSU Spartan Life
Facts even though I would say he is better than Magic and Curry just for the reasons you mentioned alone.
NormanConnors
Detroit/MSU Spartan Life
viktordoomsecretwars
Superstar
A lot of nostalgia for Isiah based off that game against the Lakers in the finals when he dominated on one leg.
He was good but not even close. If anything, he individually was very inconsistent.
Dumars was a better and more consistent player for the Pistons, in the late 80's when the Pistons were winning Championships AND had to guard the most unstoppable offensive weapon in history at the other end. .
Isiah's peak came earlier in his career.
He was good but not even close. If anything, he individually was very inconsistent.
Dumars was a better and more consistent player for the Pistons, in the late 80's when the Pistons were winning Championships AND had to guard the most unstoppable offensive weapon in history at the other end. .
Isiah's peak came earlier in his career.