1982-83 Top 30 Player Rankings

[BigDaddyd8720]

Top 30 player rankings of 1982-83

I have decided to give my rankings of the top 25 players in NPBSL from the 1982-83 season. Why? Because I want more points. But also, because I want to hear what everyone thinks about it. We know who all the great players are, but we’ve never really had a ranking of them. I’m sure people will think I’m wrong on a lot of the rankings but that’s the fun in all of this. I get to say anything I want in my articles. But really, hopefully I’m not too far off on where I have people ranked. I think this could be a pretty accurate representation of how the players performed last season.

I created my own formula for this that essentially ranks players based on where they finish in each category compared to the league average. I will say that points are favored more since you can’t be called a top “player” if you aren’t able to score points. And this game is all about winning and the only way to win is to score more points than your opponent. For instance, players who scored 20+ pts/game this season all got a boost in the rankings. But that’s not to say it’s the only thing I looked at. I took into account multiple categories, as well as, season awards.

First, how did I come up with these rankings? Well first I removed all players who didn’t play in any games this season (seems pretty obvious). Of the remaining players that got some time on the court, I then found the league average for minutes played, which is ~22.3 minutes/game. Anybody who didn’t meet the league average for minutes played, I removed them from the list as well. This left me with 134 players to go through. I then took the remaining players and averaged out multiple categories. I used this number as my standard for grading the players. Anybody who finished below the average in every category, or only finished above average in 1 category, was also removed from the list, obviously you aren’t considered a top player if you are below average in almost every category. This left me with 70 players. From there, I used a made up grading scale for these remaining players. As I said, I took into account multiple statistical categories, as well as, awards throughout the season and league leaders. I also factored in Games Played and Games Started, while being aware that some people may have missed time due to injuries. I did not dock many points for players missing time, especially if they were able to come back and perform like they were before they got injured.

And just in case, a little reminder that this is only for the 1982-83 season. This is NOT saying this is where I think players are ranked for their career nor is it a ranking for going forward. Strictly the 1982-83 season. We will start at #30 and then work our way to #1. So let’s get into some rankings!!!

#30- Buck Williams, Washington Bullets
Traded to the Bullets just before the season started, Buck built on his rookie season as he played a key role in the Bullets securing the #1 seed. Averaging 23.7pts per game on 59.5% shooting, while also averaging over 9 rebounds per game, Buck has solidified himself as a top player in the league in only his second season.

#29- Isaiah Thomas, San Antonio Spurs
Another player only in his 2nd season already showing he’s got all the makings of a superstar. Finished the season averaging a double double, if Thomas gets some help around him, we will definitely see him move up these rankings. His biggest knock is turnovers, he led the league with 4.6 per game. Could be a product of not having help around him but he definitely needs to clean up that aspect of his game

#28- Sidney Moncrief, Cleveland Cavaliers
Making 2nd team All-League is quite the accomplishment, Moncrief has been as consistent as they come. Nothing flashy but he gets the job done each and every game. Only 2 games of 40 or more points, Moncrief doesn’t really have the ability to completely take over a game, but again, you can rely on him to get consistent scoring. Averaging 24.4 points per game, he looks to be a key piece for any team as long as he’s in the league.

#27- Darryl Dawkins, New Jersey Nets
Another player who probably would be ranked higher if he had more help around, it’s still impressive the type of season he had, even if it was technically a down season compared to his previous seasons. Maybe if he would have been traded to a team like the Supersonics (not salty at all about not getting a trade done) he could have had an even better season. Maybe even one that would see him hit the double double mark on the season. Irregardless, Dawkins is a stud and wherever he ends up after Free Agency will be a huge boost to that team. Unless he resigns with the Nets then they need to sign other pieces too.

#26- Kiki Vandeweghe, Utah Jazz
I know, I know. How does the league’s leading scorer end up so low on this list? Especially since I said PPG gave more of a boost to a player’s rankings. Well other than being the best scorer in the league, averaging 36.5 points per game, he was pretty below average everywhere else. No monthly awards, but ended up on the 3rd Team All-League. He had an incredible offensive season but he still has a lot of room for improvement before we can see him jump up in the rankings.

#25- Bernard King, Kansas City Kings
Reigning playoff MVP, fresh off an incredible championship run, King is certainly on his way up. Crazy that he’s been on a new team every season since the creation draft. From Portland, to Boston, to Dallas, and then finding a home in Kansas City. Hopefully the Kings can re-sign him so he can continue this upward trajectory of his career.

#24- John Lucas, Washington Bullets
Not the most exciting player but still averaged a double double. He also played more games than any player this season, 85 games. Perks of being traded midseason. Incredible passing led him to being 2nd in the league in assists per game at 11.2. He was another big reason why the Bullets were able to claim the 1 seed in the East.

#23- Terry Tyler, Milwaukee Bucks
Who would have thought that someone on such a terrible contract would make this list. But that’s exactly what Terry Tyler did. 1st Team All-Defense, Terry was really good at stopping the opposing team from scoring. Posting a 98.2 Defensive efficiency rating while also averaging 15.7 points per game makes Terry a solid all-around player. He has shown the ability to be great at both ends of the court.

#22- Artis Gilmore, Houston Rockets
“What could have been” is the question when it comes to anybody on the Houston Rockets. If the GM would be a bit more active and make some moves, Artis wouldn’t be the only Rocket on the list. His efficiency ratings aren’t as good because of it but he still finished with 19.7 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game so it definitely is deserving of a spot on this list.

#21- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Seattle Supersonics
Possibly the best offseason acquisition for the Supersonics, at age 35, Kareem proved he can still play at a top tier level, and for a good portion of the game as he played over 36 minutes per game on his way averaging 23.7 points per game. Had he not missed 13 games in the middle of the season, it’s possible he would have helped this team finish above .500.

#20- Jim Paxson, Cleveland Cavaliers
This guy just gets better and better every season. Averaging a career high 24.6 points per game this season, while also great on the defensive side of the ball lands him in the to 20. And he still has plenty of room to grow. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is another player that moves up in the rankings next season.

#19- Walter Davis, Washington Bullets
Yet another Bullets player on this list. It’s no wonder they got the 1 seed this past season. While he didn’t have his best defensive season he still managed to end up on the All-Defense 2nd Team, and he definitely took a step forward in his offensive stats compared to his previous season. Will be interesting to see how the Bullets view him this offseason and if they want to bring him back. I can’t imagine they don’t make a deal with him.

#18- Michael Cooper, Milwaukee Bucks
One of three Bucks to end up on the 2nd Team All-Defense. He posted up a 95.4 defensive efficiency rating. He did miss a lot of time so there’s a chance he could have finished higher had he not gotten injured for so long. This ranking clearly isn’t based on his offense and is heavily favored by his defense this season. He also finished 2nd overall in steals per game.

#17- James Worthy, Portland Trailblazers
,1st Team All-Rookie, Worthy has a very promising career ahead of him. What helped him is that he didn’t need to be the focal point of this team but he showed in his rookie season that he could be on his way to being the piece to build around. 16 points and 7.5 rebounds per game to along with just over a 100 defensive efficiency rating gives him the perfect floor to becoming a superstar in this league.

#16- Joe Barry Carroll, Indiana Pacers
One of the most electric scorers in the league, it seems like Carroll is consistently putting up big numbers. I would be shocked if the Pacers don’t throw the entire checkbook at him to get him back with the team long term. But whichever team Carroll does end up on, he makes them an immediate contender.

#15- Robert Parish, Golden State Warriors
One of the top big men in the league, it seems like every season nobody has a true answer on how to stop him, you just have to hope to slow him down. Since he was traded to the Warriors though, he did take a step back, Statistically speaking. But that is obviously going to happen when you’re on the same team as Moses Malone. Still, Parish is clearly a top player in the league and the Warriors will get at least one more season with him paired up with Malone.

#14- Alton Lister, Milwaukee Bucks
Defense, defense, defense. That’s Lister’s game. He won’t put up big scoring numbers but he will make sure the other team doesn’t score as often as his team. Top 3 in rebounds per game and #1 in blocks per game, Lister is a nightmare on defense.

#13- Johnny Moore, Dallas Mavericks
One of the best point guards in the game. Had he been on a better team then he might have been able to jump into the top 10 for these rankings. He led the league in assists while also scoring 17.8 points per game. He’s exactly the type of player every team should want on playing the PG position.

#12- Maurice Cheeks, Boston Celtics
Very similar to Johnny Moore, Mo Cheeks had himself a great season while also playing on an underperforming team. Celtics get a couple of solid pieces around him and Cheeks could also crack the top ten. You really could have put either Cheeks or Moore at #12 and #13, I only ended up with it this way because of my made up formula.

#11- Dominique Wilkins, Seattle Supersonics
What a phenomenal rookie campaign. He helped take a 9 win team all the way to the playoffs. Without Wilkins, the Supersonics don’t even sniff the playoffs. He’s already shown he’s an elite player in his first season so you have to imagine it’s only up from here. And if not for Terry Cummings, Wilkins would have been the easy choice for Rookie of the Year

#10- Larry Nance, ,Philadelphia 76ers
Obviously the best player on the 76ers roster, Nance did all he could to get them to the playoffs. But he can’t do it without the help from his front office. Still, he managed to average a double double on the season. Just hope the organization finds ways to help him out next season so we can really see him shine.

#9- Adrian Dantley, Indiana Pacers
Anytime a player can average 30+ points per game in a season, you just know that teams are kept up at night worrying about the next time they have to face Dantley. One of the highest offensive efficiency ratings in the league, this guy just has the ability to score at will and there is nothing anybody can do to stop him.

#8- James Donaldson, Los Angeles Lakers
While he wasn’t the highest scorer on the Lakers, Donaldson is arguably the best player on the Lakers. He still puts up great scoring numbers while also being a force to reckon with on defense.

#7- Calvin Natt- Kansas City Kings
I’ll be honest, without my made up formula, I would have been shocked to see Natt out of the top 5. 1st Team All-League, 32 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game. This man was on a mission to win and he did exactly that by bringing a championship to Kansas City. The Kings did a great job trading for him when they did.

#6- Moses Malone, Golden State Warriors
When you average 30 points and 10 rebounds per game, it’s hard to compete. Not to mention almost 2 blocks per game while also never really getting into foul trouble. 1st Team All-League, Malone sure looks like he’s going to continue wreaking havoc on the league well into his 30s.

#5- Alex English, New York Knicks
Clearly one of the top forwards in the league, the Knicks did a great job trading for him. Averaging 31 points per game, he stepped in and immediately proved he’s the best player on the Knicks roster. Let’s see if they get some more pieces around him so he can get his second ring.

#4- Mike Gminski, Kansas City Kings
Quite possibly the best defender in the league on the best team in the league. Gminski just had his way with opponents all season. Had he been able to generate a bit more scoring, he’d be even higher up this list but his teammates Natt and King did more than enough scoring for the Kings that they just needed him to stop the other team from scoring. Although, he showed he’s capable of putting up points with his 21.2 points per game.

#3- Kevin McHale, Milwaukee Bucks
2nd Team All-League and 2nd Team All-Defense, it sure was fun watching McHale play this season, including the post season. The Kings literally got to a point where they just didn’t know how to stop him and just decided to stop everybody else and pretty much let McHale do his thing. He was so close to averaging a 30 point double double this season too.

#2- Terry Cummings, Detroit Pistons
This was another shocking ranking to me before I started using my formula but even then, it makes perfect sense. Reigning Rookie of the Year, 1st Team All-League, 6x Rookie of the Month (spoiler alert, there’s only 6 months in the regular season). Cummings showed he’s going to do special things in Detroit and with the right moves, he could help bring a championship to the city. He was a rookie but sure looked like he had played in the league for a few seasons.

#1- Magic Johnson, Phoenix Suns
This was the only ranking I was not shocked about. And I don’t think anyone can argue against this. Magic is clearly the best player in the league at this moment. He just won his 3rd consecutive MVP, was 1st Team All-League, 5x Player of the Month, and was very close to averaging a triple double, he finished with 30.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game. And with him only being 23, I’m not sure we see him drop from this #1 spot for quite some time. Everybody else is just playing for 2nd on this list.

Well, I hope you enjoyed these rankings. As always, tell me what you think. Tell me where I went right, tell me why my formula is complete crap. Would love to hear from everybody.

[greepleairport]

I dont know what the Frye your formula is but moses @ 6 is Fryeing criminal
-10pts

[greepleairport]

~2800 words
+6pts

disregard previous post's points, but for real, youve got to be Fryeing kidding me. FIX THAT ALGORITHM