PLAYOFF SUCCESS
The sample is misleading because Magic played with other all-time greats and Robertson only had a few seasons with another player of his caliber. In Cincinnati, Robertson led a “b squad” to the playoffs year after year until he eventually landed in Milwaukee with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

With the help of Jabbar, Robertson was able to amass almost all of his playoff success in a four-year window. In that window, he went 30-7 in the playoffs, won the ’70-71 NBA championship and lost another just three years later in ’73-74. Robertson was no slouch in the playoffs, averaging 22.2 PPG, 8.9 APG and 6.7 RPG in his 86 games played.

Ironically Magic found success with the same giant as Robertson did – Jabbar – in the playoffs. It was under different circumstances as Magic was drafted to a Laker team that already had Jabbar as an established superstar. Once in the playoffs, Magic had a nearly flawless record (as seen in the chart above). In his career, the season ended in the NBA Finals 8 out of 13 (full) seasons.

Magic has an astronomical edge in playoff success and has played in six more Finals than Robertson over his career. If you switch the player’s jerseys the story may have been different, but this is the way it was written.
Edge: Magic

HISTORICAL EFFECT
These players proved that a “generational talent” is more than an overused cliché. In the ’60s and early ’70s, Robertson was a talent never seen before and played a style that was not common. He was a big guard that could score and rebound the ball. Traditionally guards played within the offense and distributed. The way he played created a ripple effect that was felt again in the ’80s.

That next ripple was Magic, who was a bit bigger and a bit more dynamic, but was the evolution of what Robertson started. He was more unique in the aspect that he could play five positions with regularity and did it well. On any given night Magic was the square peg that could fit in the square, circle, triangle, rectangle and diamond holes.
This proves further the equality of the players as Robertson was the original model that was modified and perfected with Magic.
Push

THE VERDICT
Both players made the triple-double an important statistic and proved a point guard can be as dynamic as any position on the court. Both go down in history as two of the greatest players to ever play the game, let alone the point guard position. Neither was more important than the other, but they were equally important in the growth of players after them. Down the road players such as Jason Kidd, LeBron James and others were relevant because they were not restricted to a positional definition. Even Magic could have been held back to a square peg in a square hole if Robertson did not break the mold.
1-1-2 TIE

They were definitely two of the best ever. They were both revolutionary and true generational talents. Is one better than the other? It depends on your preferences, but they were interchangeable in regards to skill and impact. Sure Magic won more, but look back at the company he kept.

Robertson is The Big O and Mr. Triple-Double, a prototype that constantly tries to be duplicated, but never replicated.

Magic is and was Magic, plain and simple. He did things that will never be seen again on the basketball court.

***

Jason Kidd verse Gary Payton
Isiah Thomas verse John Stockton
Bob Cousy verse Steve Nash

That is a wrap. Did this solve the debates we all have at the water cooler? Heck no, but for the time being we have something to look at to make our debates more knowledgeable. These are eight of the best to ever run a team and in 20 years, we may be discussing the same names or maybe others will enter the mix as the best point guards ever.

Who would you rather have had?

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