Kevin McHale vs Elgin Baylor
Kevin McHale (1980-1992) and Elgin Baylor (1958-1971) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 9 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Elgin Baylor was the higher-volume scorer (27.4 points per game to 17.8); adjusted for era they scored at 1.70× and 2.34× their league average respectively; Kevin McHale was the more efficient scorer (60.4% true shooting to 49.4%). Elgin Baylor holds the edge on accolades — 1 championship and the #30 all-time ranking to Kevin McHale's #45.
Career averages
| Kevin McHale | Stat | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| 17.8 | Points / game | 27.4 |
| 7.3 | Rebounds / game | 13.5 |
| 1.7 | Assists / game | 4.3 |
| 0.4 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 1.7 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 54.9% | Field goal % | 43.1% |
| 9.3% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 78.9% | Free throw % | 78.0% |
| 60.4% | True shooting % | 49.4% |
| 971 | Games played | 846 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Kevin McHale | Stat | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| 1.70× | Points vs era avg | 2.34× |
| 1.76× | Rebounds vs era avg | 2.21× |
| 0.71× | Assists vs era avg | 1.97× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Kevin McHale's era.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Elgin Baylor's era.
Playoff averages
| Kevin McHale | Stat | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| 18.8 | Points / game | 27.0 |
| 7.4 | Rebounds / game | 12.9 |
| 1.6 | Assists / game | 4.0 |
| 0.4 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 1.7 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 55.7% | Field goal % | 43.4% |
| 14.6% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 77.0% | Free throw % | 75.3% |
| 169 | Playoff games | 134 |
Accolades
| Kevin McHale | Stat | Elgin Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 3 | Championships | 1 |
| 7 | All-Star selections | 11 |
| 1 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #45 | All-time GOAT rank | #30 |
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