Who is the best NBA player to come out of OSU?

Last night on Twitter during the Thunder game, Jake Trotter posed an interesting question:

Is Tony Allen the best NBA player ever to come out of #okstate?

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) May 8, 2013

My mind went first to…Richard Dumas (what?!) because, I have no idea.

So I decided to look it up today. Here are the five best career stat lines for NBA players to come out of OSU (stats are per game and win shares are career totals).

[table id=108 /]

I can’t take your 102 games seriously, Player 5, even though you were ridiculously talented. You’re out. Player 4 is also struggling in the games department and that 3-point shooting percentage, egads! I think it’s probably between Player 1 and Player 2 even though Player 3 seems like a really great defensive player.

Player 1 was an all-star, an NBA all-defender, and a sixth man of the year winner. Player 2 was all-rookie. Player 3 has a ring and was NBA all-defense twice.

I’ll begrudgingly go Player 1 even though I want to go 2 or 3. Mostly because I know Player 1 played in some monster playoff games, and affected some monster playoff games while Players 2/3 really haven’t yet (7.8 playoff win shares for Player 1 against 2.3 playoff win shares for Players 2/3 combined).

Yep, it’s no contest: John Starks is the best NBA player to ever come out of Oklahoma State.

Here they are:

Player 1 – John Starks
Player 2 – Desmond Mason
Player 3 – Tony Allen
Player 4 – Big Country
Player 5 – Richard Dumas