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Just a general question I was thinking about.  Is there a general rule of thumb when determining if a card should be labeled or linked to a player when their name is not actually listed on the card?  

Example #1 

2002 Topps #358

This card simply says Mets vs Pirates, and nowhere on the card front or back does the card say Mike Piazza.  Yet this is clearly Piazza as the main focus of the card.  Is this a Piazza card or not?

Example 2:

1996-97 Collector's Choice #362

This card is of the Assignment Jordan subset.  However on the back of the card it is listed as Nick Anderson with the Orlando Magic Logo.  Each card in this subset highlights a specific player guarding Jordan.  Is this a Michael Jordan card too or really just Nick Anderson part of a Jordan themed subset?

Example 3:

1994-95 Hoops- Magic's All-Rookies #AR-5

This card is clearly of Juwan Howard, but it is in an insert set that highlights Magic Johnson's "All Rookie Team" with a picture of Magic Johnson on the back.  Is this just a Juwan Howard card or is this also a Magic Johnson card too?

Example 4:

2017 Topps #298

This card is a checklist card showing Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story, however nowhere on the card are their names listed.  There are plenty of examples like these in Topps sets for the checklist.  Would this just be a Colorado Rockies team card or is this a Nolan Arenado/Trevor Story card?  

Just looking to see if there is any general criteria that could be explained as I am curious.

Example #1; The subject is the United We Stand tributes done at specific games, this one the Mets vs Pirates game. So "Mets vs Pirates" goes in the Name field and Piazza is linked to the card but not in the Name field.

Example #2; Nick Anderson as stated on back.  The subject of the insert set are players who have to guard Jordan.. Their Assignment is to guard Jordan, ergo, "Assignment: Jordan".

Example #3: Juwan Howard as printed on front.

Example #4:  As printed on the front "New Blake Street Bombers" would be the subject (Name field) and the two players are linked to the card, but their names do not go in the Name field.

UPDATED to clarify.

EDIT: Marked out my comment as it might conflict with other posts in the thread. Refer to those instead.

From the FAQ, "Names should only be linked to a card if they are the focal point or subject of the card. Background players or characters should never be linked. Team cards can link every player pictured as long as each player can be differentiated. [1]"

So in the case of the examples you have provided, I would say yes, that the person(s) should be added through a name link (not the card name).

[1] https://www.tcdb.com/FAQ.cfm?ITEM=Names

I'm going to guess that someone can articulate on the Jordan/Hardaway card better than I can, but here's what I can offer based on your examples:

#1: Piazza can be clearly identified as a focal point on the front of the card. He gets a link.

#2: This is no different that a combination of my next point (regarding someone's "ID" attached to a card) and someone appearing as a "cameo" on a card. That's a Nick Anderson card, and just because Jordan is mentioned and/or pictured doesn't mean he gets linked. Again, someone can probably articulate this point better than that, because my response leaves it kind of "open ended".

#3: That's a Juwon Howard card. Just because someone is mentioned or even pictured on the back of a specific card doesn't meant they get tagged (somewhat my "ID" comment from #2). That's like tagging "Lou Gehrig" on every 1934 Goudey card. They're not really the "subject" - they're just mentioned.

#4: They can both be positively identified and are the focal point of the card, therefore the both get linked - just like Piazza in #1. See the FAQ for this one and Piazza (and probably #3 too).

Hope this makes sense - and helps! Remember, thanks to permissions, there's nothing to stop someone from ignoring the guidelines, so everything you see may not be correct yet. Chuck posted as I was composing, so to add: please understand that this isn't necessarily what goes in the name field. I'm simply referring to what should and should not be linked to a specific card, as #1 and #4 should have something entirely different than the player names.

I updated my reply to add clarity.

On #3, there are many examples of a player or media personality being mentioned on a subset or insert, but unless that same person is the direct subject of the card (i.e. the player shown and named directly), they do not get linked. Some examples I can think of from Upper Deck: "Griffey Jr's Hot List", "Gretzky's Great Ones", "Berman's Best", "Jordan's Flight Team"

The Jordan/Anderson card should have them both be tagged. It really is about both of them. Read the text on the back of the subset, you'll see it clearly. 

The Magics all rookie card is basically him writing the text on the card back with a generic photo of him and the card photoshopped in. He should not be tagged. 

The Kobe's All-Rookie team from later Hoops is more questionable. If I recall correctly Kobe takes up half the card front as well as the player and is specifically named on the front. 

No, you don't name/link players mentioned in writeups.  This is a Nick Anderson card, not a "Nick Anderson / Michael Jordan" card.

The checklist card names it "Assignment: Jordan - Nick Anderson". I just went through and removed all the Jordan and Bulls references from these cards since they don't belong.

I guess you guys missed the fact that JORDAN is printed in big red letters on the front and back of the card. Congratulations, you've made the Database slightly less accurate than it used to be.