NBA Playoffs 2012: Power Ranking Postseason Resumes of Every Star in Playoffs

The NBA postseason is a different beast than the regular season, so which players have stepped up the most during their careers?

When the playoffs roll around, the game slows down and the defenses get tougher, so putting up numbers and advancing deep is harder than ever. But some of these guys haven't succumbed to the pressure. 

The following slides (after an explanation of the methodology used to rank the players) detail how the postseason resumes look for 44 "stars" currently playing (or sitting out with injuries) in the NBA playoffs. 

I've put the word "stars" in quotations because, as you'll soon find out, I was quite loose with my definition of the word so that I could justifiably include more players for your viewing pleasure. 

How Were Resumes Quantified?

Ranking postseason resumes isn't something that should be done subjectively, or else you're left grasping at straws and trying to figure out who contributed to what title and how much, for example. 

Instead, coming up with some semblance of an objective formula and sticking to it gives a good general framework. That's what I've done here, so take it for what it's worth. 

This is by no means a scientific formula and you could easily find flaws with it and adjust players accordingly in your own mind. Hell, I've pointed out flaws with it in the upcoming slides. So once again, take it for what it's worth. 

The numbers that you'll see at the end of the slide titles are the amount of points that the players have accrued for their postseason resumes. There were six components that went into the number. 

Component No. 1

Half a point was given for each game the player appeared in as a reward for longevity and experience.  

Component No. 2

Five points were given for each series win that a player took part in. This was done regardless of how deep into the playoffs a team had advanced. So in this component, a first-round series win was worth the same as a series win during the NBA Finals. 

Component No. 3

Ten points were given for an appearance in the NBA Finals. This made up for the lack of weighting in component No. 2 and rewarded players for making it deep into the postseason. I chose not to include similar bonuses for the conference finals because—let's be honest here—no one remembers the teams that lost in the conference finals. 

Component No. 4

Twenty points were given for an NBA title. This is the pinnacle of team achievements in the NBA and was treated accordingly. 

Component No. 5

Ten points were given for an NBA Finals MVP selection. If you were impressive enough individually to earn the award, then you deserve some extra points. 

Component No. 6

Easily the most complicated of the six components, this one took the player's stats into account. Using ESPN's Game Score formula (which can be found at the bottom of this hyperlink) and applying it to postseason per-game averages instead of just a single game, I simplified all of the per-game stats into one number. There was no multiplier for this component, which essentially served as a baseline measure for the previous five components—or rewards for achievements, if you will—to be added to. 

All of the modifiers were selected arbitrarily, and I do not intend for them to be taken as anything else.

Finally, please keep in mind that the stats are only updated through May 2.  

The Old Point Guards

Even by my loose definition of the word "stars," I still couldn't include either Derek Fisher or Jason Kidd, both of whom are a bit washed up at this point in their careers. 

But since I'm sure some of you are curious where they would have ranked, I'll tell you without including them in the actual set of rankings. 

Jason Kidd would have earned 221.6 points and finished at No. 5 in the rankings. 

Derek Fisher would have earned 459.2 points and finished at No. 2. 

44. Al Jefferson, Utah Jazz: 19.4

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 7.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.0 blocks, 0.7 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 3.3-of-8.0 field goals, 1.0-of-1.4 free throws

Games Played: 9

Series Wins: 0

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Al Jefferson appeared in a few playoff games with the Boston Celtics before he had an established role, so he'll only move up these rankings as he continues to appear in games as a star player for the Utah Jazz. 

43. Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets: 20.2

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.1 blocks, 1.4 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 4.4-of-10.9 field goals, 3.1-of-4.1 free throws

Games Played: 7

Series Wins: 0

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Danilo Gallinari has struggled to shoot the ball thus far during his postseason career, but his stats are skewed since he's gotten much better since he played serious minutes after the regular season. 

42. Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies: 24.1

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.0 blocks, 3.0 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 8.5-of-16.5 field goals, 2.5-of-3.5 free throws

Games Played: 2

Series Wins: 0

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

It's hard to be ranked much higher than this when you've only had two postseason appearances and struggled from the field in one of them while your team blew a massive fourth-quarter lead. Fortunately, Rudy Gay performed admirably in Game 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers. 

41. Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets: 24.1

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 12.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.1 blocks, 1.4 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 4.2-of-8.8 field goals, 2.9-of-3.6 free throws

Games Played: 13

Series Wins: 0

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Ty Lawson played quite well during last year's first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the diminutive lightning bolt of a point guard still doesn't have enough postseason experience to move up much higher. 

40. Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers: 25.0

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 10.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.9 blocks, 2.6 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 4.1-of-8.9 field goals, 2.0-of-3.0 free throws

Games Played: 8

Series Wins: 0

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

All but Roy Hibbert's two most recent postseason appearances came during the first round of last year's playoffs, when the young big man was still emerging as the double-double threat he is today. 

39. Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic: 26.4

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 4.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, 0.5 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 1.3-of-4.5 field goals, 0.6-of-0.7 free throws

Games Played: 18

Series Wins: 2

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Ryan Anderson is the lucky beneficiary of years on the bench while Dwight Howard carried the Orlando Magic to a few postseason wins.

His spot here, despite some pretty awful stats, highlights one of the flaws with the formula: There is no contribution factor accounted for in the "Series Wins," "NBA Finals Appearances" or "NBA Titles" categories. 

38. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers: 29.1

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.0 blocks, 3.0 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 8.0-of-15.0 field goals, 3.5-of-4.5 free throws

Games Played: 2

Series Wins: 0

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

This is easily the highest you'll see any player with only two games on his playoff resume. Blake Griffin had a solid, but not quite spectacular, set of games in his postseason debut against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

37. Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers: 29.8

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 15.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks, 1.9 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 6.0-of-12.8 field goals, 1.8-of-2.1 free throws

Games Played: 14

Series Wins: 0

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Even though Danny Granger has struggled at times to find his shooting touch during his 14 playoff games, the best player on the Indiana Pacers has still managed to post solid all-around numbers. Still, he's never sparked a playoff series win. 

36. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers: 35.8

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.4 blocks, 3.0 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 4.9-of-11.9 field goals, 3.4-of-5.1 free throws

Games Played: 24

Series Wins: 0

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Andre Iguodala has appeared in more postseason games than any other player on this list without a series win. He's been his typical stat-stuffing self, but it's never resulted in an advancement to the next round. 

35. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies: 41.6

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 14.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.0 blocks, 1.7 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 5.0-of-10.0 field goals, 3.5-of-5.1 free throws

Games Played: 15

Series Wins: 1

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Last postseason's breakout star Marc Gasol has averaged a double-double in the playoffs, but it's hard for him to move up given his limited experience after the regular season and his lack of series wins. 

34. Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder: 41.6

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals, 2.8 blocks, 1.2 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 3.9-of-7.8 field goals, 1.7-of-2.2 free throws

Games Played: 25

Series Wins: 2

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

The block machine has been active during the playoffs, just like he was during the regular season. Although Serge Ibaka's offense has lagged behind the rest of his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates', his defense has made up for it. 

33. James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder: 43.7

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, 1.5 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 3.4-of-7.4 field goals, 4.0-of-4.8 free throws

Games Played: 25

Series Wins: 2

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

The James Harden that played in the playoffs the last two years was still a good player, but he wasn't the otherworldly, sixth-man scoring sensation that he is today. 

32. Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies: 44.7

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.5 blocks, 1.9 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 6.1-of-13.4 field goals, 5.7-of-6.4 free throws

Games Played: 23

Series Wins: 1

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Zach Randolph was sensational during the two rounds of the playoffs he played in last season, but it wasn't enough to make up for his less impressive showing with the Portland Trail Blazers. 

31. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls: 51.8

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 10.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.9 blocks, 1.4 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 4.0-of-8.2 field goals, 2.6-of-3.4 free throws

Games Played: 30

Series Wins: 2

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Rest assured Joakim Noah would have moved up this list if his defense had been taken into account more. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to quantify the impact he has with a simple formula. 

30. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder: 54.7

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 23.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.3 blocks, 4.0 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 8.0-of-19.1 field goals, 6.5-of-7.6 free throws

Games Played: 25

Series Wins: 2

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Russell Westbrook is only going to move up this set of rankings as he starts to play more games and win more series. It's hard for the 23-year-old point guard to be any higher, even though he's produced to an impressive extent thus far in his career. 

29. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers: 57.7

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.1 blocks, 3.1 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 7.9-of-16.0 field goals, 5.1-of-6.4 free throws

Games Played: 25

Series Wins: 1

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Chris Paul has flat-out carried his team to a series win. That New Orleans Hornets squad also dragged him down by not allowing his number in that part of the formula to be higher, as one might expect from the best point guard in the league. 

28. Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks: 57.7

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 11.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.1 blocks, 1.3 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 4.7-of-10.2 field goals, 2.0-of-2.6 free throws

Games Played: 39

Series Wins: 3

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Al Horford may still be sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle during the Atlanta Hawks' series against the Boston Celtics, but the power forward—playing center for the perennially frustrating team—has been a crucial part of three series wins. 

27. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: 57.9

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 27.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.2 blocks, 2.9 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 8.5-of-20.5 field goals, 8.5-of-10.0 free throws

Games Played: 25

Series Wins: 2

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Kevin Durant has drilled countless big buckets during the postseason, but it's impossible for him to move any higher given his extremely limited playoff experience. 

26. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls: 58.8

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 25.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, 3.9 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 9.4-of-22.2 field goals, 5.2-of-6.3 free throws

Games Played: 29

Series Wins: 2

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

It's a shame that Derrick Rose's ACL injury is going to prevent him from climbing the leader board this year, but I'm sure that's not the primary reason Chicago Bulls fans are bummed out about their star player going down. 

25. Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls: 59.5

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 17.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, 1.5 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 6.6-of-14.4 field goals, 3.3-of-4.3 free throws

Games Played: 39

Series Wins: 3

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Even though Luol Deng's stats are significantly less impressive than his aforementioned teammate, he gets the slight nod thanks to an additional 10 postseason games and one extra series win. 

24. Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz: 60.0

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, 1.0 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 3.9-of-7.3 field goals, 1.8-of-2.9 free throws

Games Played: 46

Series Wins: 4

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Much like Ryan Anderson, Paul Millsap is getting lucky here because he wasn't really a key contributor during his first two seasons in the playoffs. During that time, the Utah Jazz won three of the four series victories he was a part of. 

23. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks: 62.6

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.0 blocks, 2.2 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 5.8-of-13.7 field goals, 3.8-of-5.5 free throws

Games Played: 43

Series Wins: 3

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

The versatile forward for the Atlanta Hawks has contributed in just about every possible way during the postseason, but some of those contributions (cough—shooting long jump shots—cough) have been negative. 

22. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks: 66.7

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 24.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.4 blocks, 3.0 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 8.4-of-20.0 field goals, 6.8-of-8.3 free throws

Games Played: 51

Series Wins: 2

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

As you might expect, Carmelo Anthony has been an incredible scorer during the most crucial stretches of the seasons he's played, but he just hasn't won enough games in the postseason to move up into the top 20. 

21. Chris Bosh, Miami Heat: 70.3

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 19.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.0 blocks, 2.0 turnovers 

Playoff Shooting: 6.6-of-14.4 field goals, 5.6-of-6.8 free throws

Games Played: 34

Series Wins: 3

NBA Finals Appearances: 1

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

As Chris Bosh continues to win games with the Miami Heat as the third-best player on the team, it'll make up for the fact that he couldn't carry the Toronto Raptors to a series win while he was the unquestioned star. 

20. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks: 76.0

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 16.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.2 blocks, 2.3 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 6.3-of-15.3 field goals, 2.8-of-3.7 free throws

Games Played: 58

Series Wins: 5

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Joe Johnson has always struggled to shoot the ball efficiently during the postseason. Dating back all the way to his days with the Phoenix Suns, his teams have usually been able to at least advance out of the first round. 

19. Vince Carter, Dallas Mavericks: 84.9

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.7 blocks, 2.4 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 7.9-of-19.2 field goals, 5.6-of-7.1 free throws

Games Played: 58

Series Wins: 5

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Vince Carter might not be a star anymore, but I felt as though I needed to include him here because of his scoring prowess back when he was on the Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets. 

18. Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks: 86.8

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 23.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.7 blocks, 2.7 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 8.3-of-16.1 field goals, 6.6-of-8.8 free throws

Games Played: 58

Series Wins: 5

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Not included in Amar'e Stoudemire's per-game stats: one-fifty-eighth of a fire extinguisher punched per game. 

17. Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls: 91.0

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 17.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks, 2.6 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 7.3-of-14.7 field goals, 3.4-of-4.7 free throws

Games Played: 62

Series Wins: 6

NBA Finals Appearances: 0

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Carlos Boozer averaged a double-double with room to spare in all four of his postseasons with the Utah Jazz, but he's failed to do so since becoming a member of the Chicago Bulls. 

16. Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks: 98.9

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 7.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.1 blocks, 1.1 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 2.6-of-4.5 field goals, 1.9-of-2.9 free throws

Games Played: 55

Series Wins: 5

NBA Finals Appearances: 1

NBA Titles: 1

Finals MVPs: 0

If Tyson Chandler's defensive impact were taken into account more (trust me, I wish I could), he would be much higher up than this. But as it stands, he's the lowest-ranked player who has won a title. 

15. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic: 104.8

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 19.9 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.8 blocks, 3.5 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 6.9-of-11.5 field goals, 6.1-of-10.4 free throws

Games Played: 57

Series Wins: 6

NBA Finals Appearances: 1

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Buoyed by his one NBA Finals appearance and the Atlanta Hawks' desire to let the big man score while they took care of everyone else last year, Dwight Howard comes in at No. 15.

Although his scoring numbers are down during the postseason, he's been able to rack up the rebounds and blocks in order to post the fifth-most impressive per-game stats. 

14. Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks: 149.3

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 17.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.2 blocks, 1.8 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 6.2-of-13.7 field goals, 2.7-of-3.3 free throws

Games Played: 85

Series Wins: 9

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 1

Finals MVPs: 0

I still think that Jason Terry should add a new tattoo of the Larry O'Brien Trophy every year. 

13. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics: 150.5

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 13.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, 2.6 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 5.6-of-12.7 field goals, 2.5-of-3.9 free throws

Games Played: 74

Series Wins: 9

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 1

Finals MVPs: 0

Rajon Rondo missed out on a chance to get to 75 games played after he chest-bumped a referee, but the 74 he has appeared in have been quite impressive.

The point guard has been to two NBA Finals and remains the assist-generating monster he's always been. 

12. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers: 152.7

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 8.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 3.4-of-6.6 field goals, 1.6-of-2.3 free throws

Games Played: 64

Series Wins: 9

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 2

Finals MVPs: 0

While Andrew Bynum has won two titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, he only averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 20.9 minutes on the court per contest during those two postseasons. If these rankings were in any way subjective, he would have been moved down a few spots at least. 

11. LeBron James, Miami Heat: 164.4

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 28.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, 3.6 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 9.4-of-20.3 field goals, 7.7-of-10.4 free throws

Games Played: 94

Series Wins: 11

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 0

Finals MVPs: 0

Easily the highest-ranking player who hasn't won a title, LeBron James' numbers have been absolutely dominant.

The analysis of his per-game stats shows that he's been the best statistical producer of all 44 players here. His 42.4 in that part of the formula even beats out his regular-season mark of 41.4. 

So for all of you who try to argue that LeBron is only a great player in the regular season—please, just stop it. 

10. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics: 178.1

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 19.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.4 blocks, 2.5 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 7.9-of-16.9 field goals, 3.5-of-4.5 free throws

Games Played: 107

Series Wins: 10

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 1

Finals MVPs: 0

Harkening back to his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Garnett has always been a great player in the postseason. If defense factored into the formula more, he'd surely move up even higher in the top 10. 

9. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics: 180.8

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 19.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks, 1.9 turnovers

Playoff Shooting:  6.6-of-14.7 field goals, 3.6-of-4.0 free throws

Games Played: 110

Series Wins: 12

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 1

Finals MVPs: 0

Even though Kevin Garnett has been slightly more statistically impressive than his aging teammate, Ray Allen's two extra series wins just barely push him over the edge. 

8. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat: 181.2

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 25.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.1 blocks, 3.9 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 9.1-of-18.7 field goals, 6.9-of-8.8 free throws

Games Played: 89

Series Wins: 10

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 1

Finals MVPs: 1

The lowest rank of any NBA Finals MVP, Dwyane Wade is hurt by his relative lack of postseason experience.

When he's played, he's been incredible, but everyone ahead of him in the rankings has won at least two more series than the longtime star of the Miami Heat. 

7. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics: 196.2

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 21.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.7 blocks, 3.2 turnovers

Playoff Shooting:  6.8-of-15.9 field goals, 6.2-of-7.5 free throws

Games Played: 112

Series Wins: 12

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 1

Finals MVPs: 1

With a career shooting percentage of just 42.7 percent in the playoffs (much worse than his regular-season average of 44.8), Paul Pierce hasn't been able to score quite as much as he should have. But the numbers and victories that he's accumulated have still been extremely impressive. 

Pierce is also the second-highest player with only one title. 

6. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers: 207.8

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 17.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.9 blocks, 1.9 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 6.8-of-13.0 field goals, 4.2-of-5.6 free throws

Games Played: 91

Series Wins: 12

NBA Finals Appearances: 3

NBA Titles: 2

Finals MVPs: 0

After getting swept three straight times with the Memphis Grizzlies, Pau Gasol joined the Los Angeles Lakers and immediately played in the NBA Finals three times in a row. He brought home two rings in the process. 

5. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks: 216.3

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 26.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.9 blocks, 2.3 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 8.5-of-18.3 field goals, 7.8-of-8.8 free throws

Games Played: 126

Series Wins: 13

NBA Finals Appearances: 2

NBA Titles: 1

Finals MVPs: 1

I can't believe I'm writing this, but Dirk Nowitzki is getting downgraded for only winning one ring during his illustrious career. Seeing as the rest of the players have three or more titles, Dirk just isn't getting it done here. 

But in all seriousness, his incredible run through the playoffs last season was just the cherry on top of an already impressive postseason career. 

4. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs: 261.1

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.3 blocks, 2.4 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 5.0-of-11.5 field goals, 4.6-of-5.6 free throws

Games Played: 124

Series Wins: 17

NBA Finals Appearances: 3

NBA Titles: 3

Finals MVPs: 0

Three NBA titles are enough to magically erase the "0" in the Finals MVPs category. Manu Ginobili is one of only two playersin the top eight without one to his credit, but his prominent role during all three of the San Antonio Spurs' titles makes up for it. 

3. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs: 284.6

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 18.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.1 blocks, 2.8 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 7.5-of-16.2 field goals, 3.3-of-4.7 free throws

Games Played: 140

Series Wins: 18

NBA Finals Appearances: 3

NBA Titles: 3

Finals MVPs: 1

Tony Parker has been only marginally better than Manu Ginobili over the course of their respective postseason careers, but the point guard has simply played more and he was named an NBA Finals MVP.

Those extra 16 games, one series win and one NBA Finals MVP did the trick here. 

2. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs: 397.7

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 22.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.6 blocks, 3.0 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 8.5-of-16.9 field goals, 5.6-of-8.2 free throws

Games Played: 178

Series Wins: 24

NBA Finals Appearances: 4

NBA Titles: 4

Finals MVPs: 3

There is a ridiculously huge gap between Tony Parker and Tim Duncan in these rankings, as there should be. 

Just like the big man has played throughout his entire career, Duncan has absolutely dominated the postseason, averaging a solid 20-10 during his lengthy career in the playoffs.

With four NBA Finals appearances, four titles and three NBA Finals MVPs, it would take a truly special player to dethrone Duncan. 

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: 483.5

Playoff Per-Game Stats: 25.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.7 blocks, 2.9 turnovers

Playoff Shooting: 9.1-of-20.2 field goals, 6.0-of-7.3 free throws

Games Played: 210

Series Wins: 31

NBA Finals Appearances: 7

NBA Titles: 5

Finals MVPs: 2

Fortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers have a truly special, once-in-a-generation player. 

Kobe Bryant has appeared in a ridiculous seven NBA Finals, winning five of them. That's enough to fill up an entire hand with rings. 

His stats are amazing and so, too, is the success he's enjoyed during his legendary postseason career. 

Kobe is No. 1, and it's really not even close. 

The Michael Jordan Comparison

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't think of including this until commenter Nicholas Belmont brought it up, but how does everyone fare against Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time? 

With 179 career games in the postseason, Air Jordan averaged an astounding 33.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.9 blocks and 3.1 turnovers per game. He did so while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 82.8 percent from the charity stripe. 

Jordan's Chicago Bulls won 30 playoff series with him at the helm and appeared in six NBA Finals. Of course, with his two three-peats, Jordan won all six of those attempts and was named the NBA Finals MVP each and every time. 

If you follow my formula, that gives Jordan a flat-out ridiculous 525.0 points, a little over 40 more than his nearest challenger...some guy named Kobe Bryant. 

But is Jordan untouchable? 

Let's say that Kobe maintains his identical playoff averages and shooting percentages, wins the title and is named NBA Finals MVP. Realistically, it would take him two more games to sweep the Denver Nuggets, five each in the next two rounds of the Western Conference playoffs and then, let's go with six in the NBA Finals. 

With 18 more games, four more series wins, another NBA Finals appearance, another NBA title and another NBA Finals MVP to add to his mantle, Kobe would be up to 552.7 points and edge his way past the G.O.A.T. 

It is in no way out of the realm of possibilities.