Nick Wright's Top 50 NBA Players of the Last 50 Years #15-13: Giannis, Isiah, & Kevin Durant

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All right, welcome man.

It is another special episode of What's Right with Nick Wright, the podcast and the YouTube shows. We continue the countdown of the fifty greatest players of the last fifty years. Today's show we will do players fifteen, fourteen, and thirteen. And this really, to me is the true NBA Royalty of the last fifty years.

With respect to.

Dirk and the Mailman and Berkley and KG and David Robinson and Chris Paul and the guys who we've already done. Fifteen to ten are iconic all timers and nine through one are really inarguably the greatest players that most any of us have seen with our own eyes. As again, we're not including Wilton Russell and the like on the list,

You listen to these next few minutes. Number fifteen Isaiah Thomas.

So, Isaiah Thomas's regular season resume is not great. Three time first team All NBA, two time second team All NBA, one time it's his champ and one time was a top five MVP finisher.

That's it.

So how does Isaiah Thomas, with that regular season resume come in fifteen of the.

Fifty best players last fifty years?

Well, quite simply, Isaiah Thomas understood how to win basketball games as well as any player in NBA history, and he showed it. We don't include what you did in college on this list, but it is worth noting Isaiah Thomas was a champion in college.

Was the number two pick of the draft.

And I talked to Isaiah once and asked him because I, once upon a time had underrated Isaiah Thomas historically. And my answer was like most people, is well, the numbers are the numbers, and his argument was he understood the best way for the Pistons to win games. He understood who needed touches, who needed shots, who needed the ball in their hands in order to contrive the best they

Against the Knicks.

Nineteen eighty five facing elimination against the eighty five Celtics, thirty seven, twelve, and nine for this series. Averaged twenty six, six and eleven against the eighty five Celtics. The next year, the eighty six Celtics might be the greatest team ever. That year's Celtics obviously ended up going on to the finals, losing to Magic and Kareem and Worthy in the finals. In that series, I believe he outplayed Bird. His next two best offensive teammates were Vinnie Johnson and Kelly Tripuka.

Nineteen eighty eight beats Michael Jordan in round two.

That's gonna be a theme. He averaged twenty to ten. That series has thirty five, eight, five and four. In Game five of the nineteen eighty eight Eastern Conference Finals against Boston, that game is the unofficial in my mind, end of the bird McHale run in Boston. Isaiah ended it to make his first NBA finals. Now let's get to it. Nineteen eighty eight Finals. First game of the Finals has nineteen and twelve to steal Game one in Los Angeles, and then we're in game six the Pistons

In the game seven, Zeke's hobbled.

They lose by three points. Magic gets his final ring. He was this close to having a playoff run where he goes through Jordan, then Burden, McHale, then Magic, Cream and Worthy. For this series, the NBA Finals' first Finals, he averages twenty to nine.

Does he give up? They say, ah, it's not. Look at these seems I gotta go through No.

The very next year, nineteen eighty nine, sweeps Burden. Round one, swept Moncreep in company that Bucksteam.

We talked about earlier in the series.

In Round two, down one zero to Chicago and Michael Jordan outplays MJ, drops thirty three on the Bulls to tie the series down two one to MJ, and the Bulls wins three straight, averaging twenty six, six, seven, and three for the final three games. Game six to beat the Bulls has thirty three, five, four and three and knocks out Jordan again, and then in his first finals game ever has twenty four and nine en route to sweeping the Lakers. So that year he did go through Bird,

Nine of those series we're.

Against MJ and Pippin Magic and Kareem Burden, McHale Drexler. Ewing as a whole in those nine went eight to one overall when eleven and one, and the one series he lost was a game seven three point loss when he injured him in Game six nineteen ninety one, down two to MJ in the Eastern Conference Finals, has his best game of the series with twenty nine seven and six, played all forty eight minutes, but they lost and that

Monster game thirty one, ten and six, and that was it for Isaia.

But Isaiah Thomas could have won three in a row, arguably should have won three in a row?

Did it without a super team? Did it?

And what I'm told is the golden era of basketball the late eighties. Isaiah Thomas unequivocally deserves to be number fifteen on the list before we move on.

Let's get a caller on Isaiah Thomas.

There was a great scene from a movie called Back to School, which you never saw, Nick because it came out before twenty fifteen.

And in it, Rodney Dangerfield is judging the term paper that somebody else wrote for him based on quit right. So the handed Timmy puts in his handy goes it's too light.

It feels like a scene.

Take it back.

That's what I'm doing to you. With Isaiah Thomas being ranked at fifteen, it's too light.

He never had a great.

Number two, still won two titles. He went twelve and six against Jordan in the postseason. His pistons were a powerhouse in the eighties, and he was one of the best guests we've ever had on First Things First for those reasons, too late, Isaiah Thomas at fifteen.

Sorry all right, Jenny. I appreciate the call. I have seen back to School. I believe there's a there's a diving competition in that. Also, I understand this sentiment. The problem is you're gonna find out who the next the fourteen other guys are part of. Put isaiahead of any of them. Number fourteen is still playing and number fourteen is more likely to end up at number four than to stay at fourteen.

We'll do him next.

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All right, welcome back What's right with Nick Wright?

As we continue the countdown to the fifty greatest players of the last fifty years, We'll keep it moving. Number fourteen is a guy who has a legitimate chance of finishing his career in the top five.

We were to do this list in ten years.

However, where he is right now, fourteen feels right. If Chris Middleton doesn't get hurt and they win the title this year, maybe he's already to the top ten, but where he is right now is number fourteen.

Number fourteen.

Janis Giannis's regular season resume is unbelievable. Somehow's postseason resume might be better. Four time first Team All NBA, two time second Team All NBA.

He is a two time.

MVP with four top four MVP finishes, a one time Defensive Player of the Year, five time All Defense. All of those things Giannis has accomplished already in his career. His postseason accomplishments are as follows. Had a twenty five and twelve as a twenty year old in his first playoffs ever, that was twenty fifteen twenty seventeen, average twenty five to ten and four in a Round one loss

Though they lose, they don't want another game that series.

The next year he crushes Round one, wins another League MVP, averages thirty one, sixteen and six. But in round two he was shaky and then he got hurt. They lose to Miami, and all of a sudden, it's like, oh boy. And then there's the twenty twenty one playoff run, which is quite simply one of the greatest playoff runs any player has ever had in any sport ever. So let's go through it. Round one, you get Miami again. They

Then he hyper extended his knee. It looked like he was going to be out a year. He was out a week. So what happened? Comes back for Game one of the Finals is not great.

And then this is what he does over the next five games of the NBA Finals to.

Put together you.

I don't think it's the greatest Finals ever, but if you say it, I don't think you're crazy. Game two forty two twelve four with three blocks, but they lose.

Now they're down zero two again.

Game three forty one, thirteen and six to get a game back. Game four twenty six points, fourteen rebounds, eight assists, three steals, two blocks, and one of those blocks saved the game.

That's the DeAndre eight Valu block.

Game five thirty two points, nine rebounds, six assists and the game winning value.

And in Game.

Six, if you want to say this is the greatest Finals game ever played, it's it's certainly on the very short list.

Fifty points, fourteen rebounds.

Two assists, five blocks to win the title. Average thirty five to thirteen and five on sixty two percent shooting for the NBA Finals last year against the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix Suns no fluke their sixty.

Four win team this year this year twenty twenty two Round one in Chicago averages twenty nine, thirteen and six on fifty seven percent, but Chris Middleton goes down Round two against Boston, throws up a twenty four to thirteen and twelve to win Game one, throws up a forty two to twelve and eight to go up two to one, throws up a forty and eleven to go up three to two against the Celtics team that by the time this aers maybe they're a route to winning the title.

I don't know.

And then in a chance to move on without Middleton Game six against Boston.

Forty four twenty and six, but they lose.

They end up losing in seven. He averages. Everyone felt like Boston defended him well. He averaged thirty four points, fifteen rebounds, seven assists for the series. So Yannis one of the only guys in league history with a regular season MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year award. I think that list is mj Akeem and Yannis. He did it in the same year.

By the way, I.

Think he should have more than two regular season MVPs. He was a guy who was like, oh, can you rely on him in the postseason? And now he averages thirty five in a series where it feels like people slowed him down.

Ooh, can you rely on him at the free throw line?

He wins seventeen of nineteen from the free throw line in that fifty point game to win the title.

He is a selfless.

Teammate, an absolute iron man, the best defender in basketball, the most dominant scorer in basketball, the best player in basketball. As we record this today, he's the fourteenth best player of the last fifty years and rising.

Gianni Son Denocumpo. Let's go to a caller on Yannis.

Yannis at number fourteen. I can live with that for now, but obviously the feeling is that he's gonna move up. I think you feel the same way. Look, it's gonna come down the rings. His numbers are gonna be out off the charts. And the thing about Giannis is as good as he already is, he's probably seventy to seventy five percent of the player he can be. If his mid range and three point jump shots continue to improve and really get to the point where he's a good shooter,

I think he's gonna get in the conversation, and I don't think he needs a three point shot. I think if he can just get a mid range, a bit of a mid range shot, maybe the Dirk one legged kind of fade away that we've seen him trying out and a bit of a baby hook, he becomes totally unguardable. As is, he's pretty damn unguardable. It's the fourteenth best player of the last fifty years, and if we were to do this list again in two years, he'd probably

All right, welcome back in What's Right with Nick? Right, fifty GRD.

Next players of the last fifty years and the player we're about to do, I will admits one of the hardest to rank because a he's still playing in space on just what you've done. But also if someone comes to me and says, Nick, you have him two spots too low or two spots too high. I understand the arguments. I understand the Giannis versus this guy argument. I understand the Steph versus this guy argument. I think right now, as we sit here today, he's right between those two.

Number thirteen. Kevin Durant. Regular season, what's it looked like?

Six time first Team All NBA, four time second Team All NBA. He's won one MVP, He's coming second place in MVP voting three times. He's been in the top five six separate times. He's a fifty to forty ninety club guy. He's a four time scoring champ. He is tied to the tenth of a point with Lebron James in career points per game, second most of the last fifty years, behind only Michael Jordan. In the postseason, there

So let's go through it. Because Kevin Durant.

Much like Lebron basically kick dass in the playoffs.

As a child and never stopped.

Twenty ten, first series of his career, Down oh two to the twenty ten Lakers, who obviously had gone to win the title, he throws up a twenty nine nineteen and four average twenty five and eight for the first series of his life. He's twenty years old when he does this. They lost in six to the Lakers, who

Pardon me again? Is twenty was he twenty one years old to the conference finals in his first career Western Conference.

Finals game scores forty average twenty eight to nine in those Western Conference Finals, but that was against Apex Dirk.

We talked about.

Dirk in that series had the forty eight point on fifteen shot game. They end up losing to Dirk in six games that year. But he's twenty two years old twenty twelve, or he's twenty Yeah, it's twenty two years old twenty twelve.

Kevin Durant.

Round one sweeps the defending champion Dallas Mavericks out of the playoffs. Round two beats Kobe in five Western Conference Finals.

Brilliant.

The entire series averages for those Western Conference Finals thirty eight and five. The Spurs, keep in mind, were up too Oho in that series, had won I think the final eight games of the regular season, then swept round one, swept Round two, went up two. Oh, they were on something like an eighteen game winning streak. And then Durant and people should go back and look at what Russ did in those Western Conference finals. What Russ was doing, You know, at this really Russ from twelve to fifteen

One and six on fifty five percent.

Shooting for the playoff run twenty nine to seven and four on fifty two percent. Is twenty three years old. So then the next year, though, Russ gets hurt. That's when Beverly runs into him. They lose in round two

Up three to one on.

The Warriors to seventy three win Warriors Game five. I was actually at this game in San Francisco. Durant scored forty and in those final three games, three losses, Durant averaged thirty two points per game, but it was on thirty nine percent from the field twenty seven percent from three. They blow a three to one lead, then obviously he

Neither heard or there.

Durant has forty three, thirteen and seven, and another series clinching three averages for these finals twenty nine to eleven and eight on another fifty to forty ninety for the finals.

So two finals, two finals, MVPs.

But everyone kind of feels uncomfortable about it, right, They run it back another year though, twenty nineteen. You guys remember the It's like, oh, the Clippers solving Kevin Durant. He has the I'm Kevin Durant press conference and then a meet scores forty five and fifty and averages forty one the rest of the series. Scores forty five in game five and fifty in game six, had forty six in Game three against Houston Round two. Two games later, he hurts his calf was out until Game five of

For KD.

Not only was I had a bunch of these games, but one of them was one of the finest basketball games anyone's ever played. Round one of twenty twenty one, he averages thirty three, seven and three on fifty five fifty ninety splits just looked so easy. In Round two, averaged thirty five, eleven and five in that series against Jan's, the one where Harden got hurt then came back.

Kyrie got hurt in Game four, didn't come back, but he had two epic games.

Game seven, in which they lost, he had forty eight, nine and six, playing all fifty three minutes, ran out of gas in overtime, foot on the line in what could have been an all time NBA history shot at the end of regulation.

Everyone remembers that.

I really hope people don't forget Game five, because, in my opinion, the three best basketball games anyone, any human being has played in the last call it ten years at a minimum is Lebron's fifty one to eight to eight in Game one of the twenty eighteen finals, Giannis is fifty points to win the title and Game five of Round two twenty twenty one by Kevin Durant with no Kyrie with a compromise James Harden when he went forty nine points, seventeen rebounds, ten assists, three steals, two blocks,

In that series. It felt like they then went on to lose the next two. I told you what he did in Game seven.

In his career, he is seventy one career thirty seventy one thirty point playoff games.

That's the sixth most all time.

He has fourteen career forty point playoff games, that's the fourth most all time. He is twenty nine points per game in the playoffs, that is the fourth best all time, behind only Michael Luca and Alan Iverson. I think he will move up slightly over the rest of his career. I'm not sure how much higher he can move up, and I think Giannis will pass him eventually. But the thirteenth greatest player of the last fifty years one, Kevin Durant.

All right, next Na, Sorry, list mostly good except for the part where you had one of the greatest scorers of all time, Kevin Durant ranked unreasonably low.

I mean, don't get you wrong, Moses long.

Great career, back to back MVPs, but you really can't make case for him over Durant unless you would count for one statistic, which is a number of times Katie has done on you on Twitter.

Oh Mina first of all, the wonderfully talented Mina times glad to see her on the podcast.

It is nothing.

There is no biases against Kevin Durant Duncan coming on Twitter. I actually enjoy that quite a bit. Moses Malone, though, Mina spoiled it, so I will continue to spoil it. Moses Malone is going to lead off this list next week. Moses Malone was actually the inspiration for this list. If Isaiah Thomas is not the most underrated player in modern NBA history, then it's Moses Malone. Why Moses Malone deserves