Top 100 NBA Players: #23

George Mikan

(Kalb: #19, Simmons: #36, BBR: #59)

George Mikan is probably the most difficult player to place within any countdown of the greatest players of all time, but any list that doesn't contain him is absolutely flawed. Mikan dominated the league in an era where the game was played very differently, and he is the reason for many rule changes that we recognize today as integral parts of the game.

In Mikan's first three seasons, he led the NBA in scoring, scoring over 27 points per game over 3 straight seasons, while only a couple of other players were even reaching the 20-point plateau. The MVP award did not exist in his day, but if it did, his name would have been permanently etched on it. Here are his stats from his first three seasons compared to those of the second-best players in each of those seasons:

Mikan (1949) - 28.3 pts, 3.6 ast, .416 FG%, .772 FT%
Fulks (1949) - 26.0 pts, 1.2 ast, .313 FG%, .787 FT%

Mikan (1950) - 27.4 pts, 2.9 ast, .407 FG%, .779 FT%
Groza (1950) - 23.4 pts, 2.5 ast, .478 FG%, .729 FT%

Mikan (1951) - 28.4 pts, 14.1 reb, 3.1 ast, .428 FG%, .803 FT%
Schayes (1951) - 17.0 pts, 16.4 reb, 3.8 ast, .357 FG%, .752 FT%

Fulks shot free throws better than Mikan, Groza shot field goals better, and Schayes was better on the boards, but Mikan was the top player in the NBA in all of those seasons with no doubt. He would have won all 3 MVP awards easily, and would have won championships in all three seasons if he hadn't broken his leg during the playoffs. Instead of sitting out with such a major injury, he had the team doctor tape it up with a plate on each side and played through it, getting his team to the conference finals anyway. There also was no Finals MVP award yet at that point, but he would have won two in those first two seasons.

After the 1951 season, the league made a rule change to prevent Mikan from being so dominant, and that rule change was widening the three-second lane from 6 feet to twelve feet, which is much closer to what we recognize today. Mikan's scoring average and shooting percentage dropped significantly due to this change, so he focused more on rebounding, and in the next two seasons he led the league in that category instead. Here are his stats over the next two seasons, both of which would have been MVP seasons for him as well:

Mikan (1952) - 23.8 pts, 13.5 reb, 3.0 ast, .385 FG%, .780 FT%
Cousy (1952) - 21.7 pts, 6.4 reb, 6.7 ast, .369 FG%, .808 FT%

Mikan (1953) - 20.6 pts, 14.4 reb, 2.9 ast, .399 FG%, .780 FT%
Cousy (1953) - 19.8 pts, 6.3 reb, 7.7 ast, .352 FG%, .816 FT%

Mikan was still the best player in the league, but the #2 player was no longer a center or power forward, he was a point guard. The rule change had made it possible for a player to dominate the game from any position, making Mikan's grip on the best player title less sure. He did lead the Lakers to two more championships in those seasons, and would have added two more Finals MVP's to his collection.

1954 was the season in which Cousy finally displaced Mikan as the league's premier player, and Mikan knew that the end was near. Even though he wasn't the best player anymore, he still led the Lakers to one more title, giving him 5 in six seasons. He retired after the playoffs, possibly because of the aforementioned reason, or possibly to spend more time with his family, which is the reason he gave. Most likely, it was because of another rule that was implemented that summer: the 24-second shot clock. That rule prevented the Lakers from standing around waiting for Mikan to get into position before tossing him the ball for an easy inside shot. His lack of speed would have been his downfall, and he proved it by attempting a comeback a year later, averaging only 10 points and 8 rebounds during half a season of action.

Though Mikan's career was extremely short (only 7 seasons) he was the dominant player of his era, and if the awards had been thought of earlier, Mikan's trophy case would include 5 Regular Season and 5 Finals MVP awards. Also, he is the one we can thank for many of the rules today that keep the game interesting and competitive, so there is no way that he can be left out of the top section of these rankings.

It's tough to compare Mikan to Havlicek, because the times were different and their careers were very different. Both were Finals MVP's, with Mikan deserving two more than Hondo, but Mikan was the best player in the league for 5 years, and Havlicek was never able to say that. Longevity helps Havlicek out a bit, but it's not enough to make up for how great Mikan was in those six seasons.