Tony Parker
You might assume that Tony Parker made this list because of his Finals MVP, but that's not actually the case. Parker may have been awarded that trophy, but that doesn't change the fact that Tim Duncan was still the best player on the 2007 Spurs championship team. Here are their numbers during that season's playoff run:
Parker - 20.8 pts, 3.4 reb, 5.8 ast, .480 FG%, .679 FT%
Duncan - 22.2 pts, 11.5 reb, 3.3 ast, .521 FG%, .644 FT%
Their scoring averages and shooting percentages are reasonably close, but there is a much bigger gap between their rebounding numbers than there is between their assist numbers. It was Parker's best playoff run to date, but he still wasn't on the level of Tim Duncan.
It is much more appropriate to compare him to Ginobili. Each has been a member of 4 championship teams in San Antonio. Neither has been the best player on a title team, but they are always among the top contributors to the Spurs' deep playoff runs.. Parker played an average of 72 games per season in his career, while Manu has averaged only 66. Here are how their other career stats stack up.
Parker - 16.6 pts, 2.9 reb, 5.9 ast, 0.9 stl, .494 FG%, .327 3P%, .753 FT%
Ginobili - 14.0 pts, 3.7 reb, 4.0 ast, 1.4 stl, .450 FG%, .369 3P%, .827 FT%
Once again, it is hard to say from these numbers which one was a better player. Parker had the better overall shooting percentage, but Manu was better from longer distances. Parker is a better scorer, and Manu is a better defender. The biggest difference is that Parker has been able to remain healthier than Ginobili as a whole.
Parker is one of the few players on this list who is here almost exclusively for his playoff performances. He's not the best passer for a point guard, but he's a pretty good scorer. He's a decent rebounder, but he doesn't really have anything that sets him apart from any other guard in the regular season. What earned him this spot is that he always picked it up in the playoffs, with his scoring average rising by 1.6 per game and 5 appearances in the NBA Finals and another conference final.
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