Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:38 am Post subject: The GOAT List 2011: The 300 Greatest Players of All-time
The GOAT List 2011: The 300 Greatest Players of All-time
Index
#300: Mike Mitchell
#299: Don Ohl
#298: Steve Francis
#297: Terrell Brandon
#296: Darryl Dawkins
#295: Sam Lacey
#294: Clifford Ray
#293: Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton
#292:
#291:
Last edited by GOAT on Sat Dec 10, 2011 3:02 pm; edited 6 times in total
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:46 am Post subject: #300: Mike Mitchell
As a way of demonstrating the criteria that has propelled me through this list over the past eleven months I present to you the battle for #300 and the final spot on the list. Mike Mitchell vs. the Rifleman.
Resumes:
Mike Mitchell: 10 seasons, 7 prime years averaging 22-6-2 on 49%/79% shooting, 3 year peak averaging 23-6-2 on 49%/79%. 1x All-star, Second best player on 1982 Western Conference Runner-up San Antonio. Third best player on 53-win, Western conference Runner-up San Antonio in 1983. Averaged 22-7-1 on 52%/75% shooting in 28 playoff games during his prime.
Chuck Person: 14 seasons, 7 prime years averaging 19-6-4 on 47%/35%/72% shooting, 4 year peak averaging 20-6-4 on 50%/35%/75%, 1987 Rookie of the Year. Best player on 41 win playoff team as rookie. 0-4 in playoff series during his prime. Averaged 22-6-4 on 48%/38%/72% in 15 playoff games during his prime.
The Criteria:
Peak Play: The first factor I look at is peak play. Simply and primarily how good was the player at their best?, and to a lesser extent how significant were their team and individual accomplishments during that peak? The greater the players peak the more significant a factor I consider it in determining their all-time ranking and the more heavily I weight team accomplishments. A role player is unlikely to receive a great boost from his team winning a title, but an MVP level player leading his team to a title is the most important thing to consider of all. To further clarify,a superstar players peak and his teams success will make up the majority of what I consider when ranking that player, whereas longevity and consistency might be more important for an elite role player or borderline all-star. His impact on rather or not his team wins is not so significant that I can conclude much from it.
Prime Play: The next factor I look at is prime play. Like peak play, the most important factor is what level the player was at during their prime. Longevity plays a factor as does consistency. Variables like quality of teammates, quality of opponents, depth at position amongst contemporaries etc. complicate ranking players based on accolades, stats or team success, Therefore when evaluating prime seasons, especially for non-superstars the level and length of a players prime equates to more potential chances to help win a title. A guy with eight straight prime seasons at a certain level is more valuable than a guy with six prime seasons in 10 years of equal or comparable talent. The former player is almost bound to run into a good situation at some point. For the former, it’s luck of the draw. Though this is my second criteria, after the top 25-35 players, it becomes the most important factor.
Longevity: The third factor is total longevity. Prime and peak longevity are factored in to those categories, but this rewards guys like Parish, Malone (both of them), Oakley, Silas, Schayes etc. The true iron men who always found a way onto a roster despite what their physical abilities or just the mileage on their bodies would suggest. How long does a guy last, how well does he do once his physical skills deteriorate? Can he still help a team win and is he still valued? Certainly this means less than the first two criteria, but I’d take an average player for 10 years over a good but not great one for three to five. A guy who can play 15+ NBA seasons is doing a lot of things right.
Playoff Prowess: The fourth factor and the sort of de-facto tie-breaker for me with guys is how they did in the playoffs. Players who elevate their game are desired, players who win are always rewarded, but players who perform valiantly in defeat to a worthy opponent are not punished. This is an important category for players of every stature. It’s as much about the raw numbers as it is about the biggest moments and the level of play relative to the regular season.
Pioneer/Impact bonus: Some players footprint on the game is bigger than their measurable or even tangible accomplishments on the court. For this reason I have instituted a bonus system for these players. Meaning that I do not measure players best on this impact and compare them to others, but I do reward the players like Maurice Stokes, Earl Monroe, Pete Maravich etc. that had an impact far greater than just their resume line.
With all those things in mind, I make now, my final (and for you my first) decision...
Neither Mitchell or Person created much separation from their prime to peak years. Both were essentially the same type of borderline all-star guy throughout their respective seven year primes and 3-4 year peaks. Person’s peak came in Indiana as he and Reggie Miller teamed up to make Indiana a consistent playoff contender in the East during the late 1980’s, while Mitchell’s came after he was traded from Cleveland to San Antonio during the 1981-82 season and teamed with George Gervin, and later Artis Gilmore also, to help the Spurs reach back-to-back conference finals. At their individual best, both were nothing special, though I wouldn’t call them failures. As a rookie, Person, without Miller, led his team in scoring and rebounding and was second in assists. In the playoffs he was brilliant averaging 27-8-5 on 51% shooting, but the Pacers took just one game from Dominique Wilkins and the Hawks in the opening round. For Mitchell, the pre-Spurs picture and his greatest individual season is a tough sell. In 1981 the 6’7” forward averaged 25 points and six rebounds a game for a 28-win Cleveland team. He did make the all-star team, his only selection, but it was not his best year. He, like Person for the Pacers in his first three years, was being asked to do too much. It made them less effective overall and their standing with the team ultimately fated them to mediocrity at best. Had either been placed in a 3rd/4th best player role on a good team from the start perhaps they’d have multiple titles, but alas we have two guys without a ring.
Person gets the longevity edge, he played three more seasons, but a lot of that may have been motivated by money which was a lot better in Chick’s last three years than it was when Mike retired. Person did not play in 1997 and in ‘98, ‘99 and ‘00 he was horrible, shooting well below 40% from the field in spot duty for teams that rarely used him come the postseason.
As far as the playoffs go, Mitchell gets the edge. Person was excellent in his rookie season of ‘87 and again in 1991 when the Pacers lost to the Celtics in five games despite a game-high 32 from Chuck in the finale. Still, his teams never got out of the first round and while Mitchell never even made the playoffs in three seasons with Cleveland, he was outstanding for San Antonio in his first two postseasons. In 1982 he averaged 25 points and 8 rebounds over the playoffs as the Spurs beat Seattle before being swept by the Lakers. In ‘83 he averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs this time pushed LA to six before falling. Mitchell opened the series with 25 points in game one and followed with 34 points in game two. Still the Spurs were over-matched by the eventual champion Lakers.
So what I see in the end are two essentially equal players. Person the better shooter and all-around offensive player and Mitchell the better athlete and defender. The bottom line is both came up short of anything desirable as franchise players and Mitchell had more success in the #2 and #3 roles. For this reason, as well as the eyeball test which leads me to favor the more active and efficient Mitchell, he will be my selection as the 300th and final player to make this years list. I should note that it is a bit of a sad addition as Mitchell, one of the players I researched a lot during the last few years, passed away this June from Cancer at not yet 60 years old. Truly too soon.
#300 Mike Mitchell Team(s): Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs (1978-1988)
Career Numbers: 19.8 ppg 5.6 rpg 1.3 apg
I'm very excited about this. I'm glad you're starting this project. I'm glad you're writing it down here. I'm glad you're starting at the bottom to teach me about the other guys.
Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:07 pm Post subject: #299: Don Ohl
#299 Don Ohl Team(s): Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks (1960-1970)
Career Numbers: 15.9 ppg 3.9 rpg 3.0 apg
Resume: 10 seasons, 6 prime years averaging 19-3-3, on 44%/73% shooting, 3 year peak from ‘65-’67 averaging 20-4-3 on 45%/76% in the regular season and 26-5-3 on 49%/77% shooting the playoffs. 5x All-star, 2x top ten in scoring. Starter, fourth/fifth best player on 1962 Western Finalist Detroit. Starter, third/fourth best player, leading playoff scorer for 1965 Western Finalist Baltimore. Averaged 24-5-3 on 45%/79% shooting in 25 playoff games during his prime.
Career Arch: After spending a few seasons on the AAU circuit, Ohl joined the Detroit Pistons for the 1960-61 season. He was the Pistons third leading scorer his rookie season behind veteran all-star Gene Shue and the previous seasons top rookie Bailey Howell. Detroit made the playoffs and lost to the Lakers three games to two. The next season saw Detroit get by Oscar Robertson and Cincinnati in the opening playoff round with Ohl doing the defensive job on the Big O. The Pistons luck ran out in the division finals, against the Lakers once again. After two more seasons in Detroit and no more playoff success, the Pistons sent Ohl and Howell to Baltimore where they paired with giant center Walt Bellamy and uber-athletic forward Gus Johnson to lead the Bullets to their first division finals in the franchise’ short history. It was Ohl leading the way at better than 26 points per game throughout the playoffs. However after a promising start the next two seasons in Baltimore saw the team decline and eventually they moved Ohl to create more opportunties for rookie guard Earl Monroe. Ohl ended up playing with the Hawks during their final season in St. Louis. They were a talented team with Zelmo Beaty, Lenny Wilkens, Bill Bridges, Paul Silas and Joe Caldwell. Ohl joined, second year forward Lou Hudson providing instant offense off the bench. By the playoffs, the Hawks had won 58 games, Hudson had become the teams leading scorer and they were confident, maybe too much so. They were upset by the Warriors without their best player Nate Thurmond. Ohl’s role and the teams success again began to decline. Ohl retired in 1970 at the age of 33 after ten professional seasons and two amateur seasons.
My Take: One of the guys I had originally left outside of the top 400 until I looked closer at his career and what people had to say about him. He was well liked and respected by teammates and opponents, consistently elevated his game in the clutch and was the crunch-time scorer/closer for two teams that reached the conference finals. He was nicknamed “Waxie” for his military style crew cut, a throwback even then. Ohl had outstanding range on his jump shot and was a guy who gave everything he had on the defensive end. He could handle the ball when needed and he never seemed to tire. Ohl never played with a true superstar. Bellamy was as close as he came. I suppose Ohl could have just as easily been Sam Jones had he opted for the NBA right away and ended with Boston and not Detroit. Now he is not without weaknesses. He was not an extremely efficient player (except in his Baltimore playoff years) and most players who played comparable minutes produced considerably more rebounds and/or assists. Also there is a curious trend in his career where his teams get better in the short term and worse in the long term wherever he arrives. I’m not sure that isn’t a coincidence, but it’s a trend nonetheless. Overall though, Ohl has the qualities that are most important to me for a guy without elite natural ability/potential. Toughness, a skill no neutralize size/athleticism (shooting range), guts, clutch, unselfishness, loyalty. He breaks in at 299.
I'm very excited about this. I'm glad you're starting this project. I'm glad you're writing it down here. I'm glad you're starting at the bottom to teach me about the other guys.
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 5:28 pm Post subject: #298: Steve Francis
#298 Steve Francis Team(s): Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, New York Knicks (1999-2008)
Career Numbers: 18.1 ppg 5.6 rpg 6.0 apg
Resume: 9 seasons, 6 prime years averaging 20-6-6-2, on 43%/34%/80% shooting, 3 year peak from ‘01-’03 averaging 21-7-6-2 on 43%/36%/80% in the regular season but never made the playoffs. 3x All-star, 2000 Rookie of the Year, Top ten APG 2x, SPG 2x. Second best player on 45-win playoff team in Houston, ‘04. Best player on 34, 45, 28, 43 & 36 win teams in Houston (2000-03) and Orlando (2005). Averaged 19-8-8-1 on 43%/41%/73% shooting in 5 playoff games, all during his prime.
Stevie Franchise was a legit franchise player, but his ceiling as such was very limited. It didn’t help that the Rockets were in the ultra competitive Western Conference, but nevertheless in the four seasons they built around Francis they never made the playoffs. In fact, as talented as he was, Francis played in just five career playoff games. His career peaked early and he never fulfilled his potential in the eyes of most observers, both his critics and his supporters. Francis was one of the first incarnations of the modern point guard prototype. The strong, super athletic basket attacking player who can do it all on the court. Francis recorded six triple-doubles in his first four seasons and over 70 double-doubles, with 35 double-digit rebounding games. Steve Francis, for most of his first six seasons seemed on his way to stardom, he was a special talent, that was unquestionable.
But then again, talent was never the question for the number two pick of the 1999 draft. On that day his career began when he was selected by the Vancouver Grizzles, he never played a game for them. His career ended less then a decade later while his rights were again in control of the Grizzlies, now in Memphis, for whom he again never played a game. Perhaps his destiny was fated from the start. He whined his was out of Vancouver and ended up in Houston. For the Rockets he took over the franchise mantle for the then 38-year old Hakeem Olajuwon. During Rudy Tomjonavich’s final four seasons as coach, Francis and his run and gun style were the face of the Rockets franchise. In the 2002 draft however, they had selected China’s Yao Ming #1 overall. After Tomjanovich departed, Jeff Van Gundy took over as Rockets coach in 2003-04 and the team ran through Yao, not Steve. Despite their improvement and finally making the playoffs, Francis was unhappy. Van Gundy was never keen on Francis very much anyway and was happy to oblige him with a trade out of Houston to Orlando for Tracy McGrady. In Disney World things again turned sour quickly. Half way through his second season with the Magic is was shipped to New York to play for the Knicks amidst their complete self destruction. It was the beginning of the end for Francis. He played ineffectively in 44 games for the Knicks in 2006-07 and then returned to to the Rockets where he was soon unhappy coming off the bench behind a player Francis considered an “undrafted nobody” Rafer Alston. Steve’s whining precipitated the trade to Memphis which saw Houston send Francis, Cash and a 2nd round pick to the Grizzlies for a top 55 protected second round pick. In other words, they couldn’t even give him away, they had to pay Memphis is cash and a player just to get them to take him.
It’s hard to believe how far and how fast Francis fell off. Just like that he was out of the league. His whole career seemed to rush by. When he arrived at Maryland after two junior college seasons he had instant star power credibility. He was gone from Division one basketball after just one season, and his five seasons in Houston seemed to flash by in no time at all. It wasn’t even four full seasons later it was over. It seems like just yesterday he put in a spectacular but completely overshadowed performance at the 2000 dunk contest. There has been speculation recently about Francis making a come back, perhaps with the Miami Heat. Time will tell though he is certainly young enough (will turn 35 in February) and rumors are his skills have not deteriorated. But as it is, Francis was a disappointment. In general he was great, a fantastic athlete who was at his best one of the top 25 players in the league and in the conversation for best PG in the league, and all before he hit the age of 30. But our expectations were higher and fair or not, Francis did more to prove why those expectations were so high then he did to actually meet or exceed them.
Wow 300 players.
Good luck GOAT. Are you posting this list on any other forum? The pasture isn't being viewed often and for discussion you could post this on ISH or RealGM (eventhough the quality of the discussion might dissapoint).
I had never heard of Don Ohl before. always educational.
Wow 300 players.
Good luck GOAT. Are you posting this list on any other forum? The pasture isn't being viewed often and for discussion you could post this on ISH or RealGM (eventhough the quality of the discussion might dissapoint).
I had never heard of Don Ohl before. always educational.
I'm going to keep it here, but as I get into it deeper, I'll share portions with ISH and maybe some other forums like APBR or RealGM.
This is as much for me work out the kinks of this years rough draft as anything.
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:33 pm Post subject: #297: Terrell Brandon
#297 Terrell Brandon Team(s): Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves (1991-2002)
Career Numbers: 13.8 ppg 3.0 rpg 6.1 apg 1.6 spg
Resume: 11 seasons, 5 prime years averaging 18-4-7-2, on 46%/37%/88% shooting, 2x All-star, Top ten APG 3x, SPG 2x, FT% 4x.. Best player on teams that won 47 and 42 games for Cavs in ‘96 and ‘97. Second best player on teams that won 50 and 47 games for Minnesota in ‘00 and ‘01. Averaged 19-5-7-1 on 46%/40%/91% shooting in 15 playoff games during his prime. Teams lost all four series winning a total of just three games.
Some things just stick. For me, with all of the basketball media I’ve absorbed over my three or so decades of life, there are a few loose ends that just won’t unravel no matter how much time works the knot. Things that I have no reason to remember so vividly, but nonetheless do. One of those things is the SI cover story on Terrell Brandon and the NBA’s best point guards in 1997. The nations preeminent sports magazine had, at that time, named Brandon the NBA’s best point guard. Ahead of John Stockton the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals. Ahead of Gary Payton who had lead the Sonics to the Finals the previous summer. Ahead of Jason Kidd who most coaches had preferred in a poll by the magazine earlier that year. Ahead of rookies Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson, future stars in their own right. Brandon did it with consistency. That was his hallmark throughout his NBA career. It is the deciding factor in putting him above a guy like Francis who is unquestionably more talented.
Brandon is, an almost every way, the opposite of Francis. Francis was blessed and cursed with amazing self confidence. If you asked him, for five years he was the NBA’s best point guard. Brandon is the epitome of unassuming. Brandon on the other hand is so humble he called broadcasters, writers and even fans who interacted with him “sir” and “m’am”. He was the consummate pro and a perfect teammate and coachable point guard. This allowed Brandon to achieve comparable success as a lead player despite not having nearly the same god given abilty. At sub six foot and quick, but not by NBA standards athletic, Brandon seemed an unlikely candidate for success. But the same could be said for Terrell before he ever laced up a pair of gym shoes. “Tee Bee” grew up with Forrest Gump-esque leg braces steadying his gait, allowing him to learn to walk and run when he otherwise may never have. Brandon was the rare player confident enough in his abilities to eventually be an NBA all-star and patient enough to wait and learn from for four years for his shot behind all-NBA teammate Mark Price.
After becoming the Cleveland starter in 1997, the team on the downside of their nineties run which was interrupted by injuries to franchise players Price and Brad Daugherty, Brandon emerged as an all-star. He helped Cleveland play at a methodical pace with excellent efficiency. No point guard playing comparable minutes had so few turnovers. Cleveland experienced moderate success as mentioned, but they never had a true cast around Terrell. Brandon was a quality defender and a guy who could shoot 40% from beyond the arc and 90% from the line, fully capable of closing out games. Given the opportunity he could have been Chauncey Billups or something comparable. Injuries however cut his prime short. After two great years in Cleveland and a few transition years before two more excellent seasons in Minnesota, Brandon had a second, then third knee operation and called it quits. When he retired, at 31, he was still a solid point guard, among the league leaders in assists and tops on the FT% list having made 83 of 84 from the line to start the 2001-02 season. Brandon followed the opposite path as Francis towards remarkably similar results. If there is a tie-breaker here, it goes to TB because he was the better guy and the guy I’d rather root for or have as a teammate.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 2:11 pm Post subject: #296: Darryl Dawkins
#296 Darryl Dawkins Team(s): Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons (1975-1989)
Career Numbers: 12.0 ppg 6.1 rpg 1.3 apg 1.4 bpg
Resume: 14 seasons, 6 prime years averaging 14-7-2-2, on 58%/69% shooting, Top five FG 4x.Third/Forth best player on 1980 Runner-up Sixers. Role player on 1977 and 1992 runners-up, also as as Sixer. Third best player on NJ team that won 45 games and five playoff games in 1984. Averaged 17-7-1-2 on 55%/71% shooting in 66 playoff games during his prime. Played in three NBA Finals and five conference finals, all as a rotation player.
Sir Slam-a-lot, Dr. Dunkinstein, Double D, Chocolate Thunder. By any name, Darryl Dawkins is one of the truly great characters in NBA history. Dawkins has several claims to fame that go beyond the basics of basketball. First there is his heritage. He hails from the planet Lovetron, where according to Dawkins the four essential elements for life are Love, love, love, love and more love. Dawkins left his girlfriend Juicy Lucy behind to come to earth and practice interplanetary Funksmanship. As far as I know he is the only player to come from Lovetron to the NBA and the foremost expert of funksmanship of any kind. Dawkins came to the NBA in 1975, straight out of high school, becoming, as a result of the changing times, the first NBA player to do so. A year prior Moses Malone had made the leap to the professional ranks, but the NBA’s by-laws forced him to the rival ABA. Dawkins was such a man-child at the time of his arrival in the big leagues it prompted Walt Frazier to declare that “In school Dawkins teachers called him Mr. Darryl.”
Once he got to the NBA Dawkins furthered his claim to fame with his penchant for entertaining. Dawkins, a 6’11” powerhouse with unbridled athleticism, love to dunk. He also loved to name his dunks. Among the playfully worded, typically long-winded rhyming titles he assigned them: the 'heart-stopper', the 'rim-wrecker', the 'left-handed spine-chiller supreme', the “Rim Wrecker,” the “Go-Rilla”, the “Look Out Below”, the “In-Your-Face Disgrace”, the “Cover Yo’ Head”, the 'turbo sexophonic delight'“the 'Get out the wayin', back-door swayin', game delayin', if you ain't groovin' you best get movin' dunk,' and the 'Chocolate Thunder flyin', glass flyin', Robizine cryin', parents cryin', babies cryin', glass still flyin', rump roasting, bun toasting, thank you wham ma'am I am' jam”, and of course, “your mama” the dunk reserved for anyone who tried to get in his way once he had taken off. The next piece of the Dawkins mystique feel into place starting in 1979 when Dawkins shattered the first of two backboards he would eventually take out during game action. He had done the deed on the road in Kansas City, but the home fans were clamoring for an encore in Philadelphia. Dawkins, ever the showman, obliged them much to the dismay of commissioner Larry O’Brien. O’Brein instituted a policy fining and suspending players who broke the rims during games, only Dawkins seemed capable of such a feat.
A great portion of the rest of Dawkins legacy as a player however is, like so many ranked from here to one hundred, as much about what could have been as what was. Dawkins was very raw upon entering the league and even after a few seasons in the league was very susceptible to foul trouble. This propensity for fouling often limited Dawkins role and minutes. For most of his career, even his prime, he logged less than 30 minutes a night. In 1983 he set an NBA record for personal fouls in a season. In 1984, he broke his own record. From the start people expecting amazing things. They said he’d be the next Wit Chamberlian. Not even in the bedroom though could Dawkins match Wilt as Darryl only claims to have slept with 1,000 women in his time. Womanizing, or “pussyhuntung” as Dawkins prefers to call it, was one of the doctors favorite pass-times in the NBA. He once allowed an opponent (Lonnie Shelton) beat up teammate Buck Williams during a game because Shelton was “one of my best (pussy)huntin’ buddies”. In addition Dawkins liked to party and was no stranger to drugs during the 70’s and 80’s the NBA’s heyday for substance abuse. who knows how good he could have been had he been as focused as his natural gifts make us wish he was.
Dawkins was, regardless of his presumed potential, a vital piece to the 76ers teams that made five conference finals and three NBA finals from 1977-1982. In particularly in 1980 when he was their starting center and the second leading scorer during both the regular and postseason. After seven seasons in the city of brotherly love Dawkins was traded for a draft pick in part so that Philadelphia could acquire Moses Malone for that pick and their other center, Caldwell Jones. After two seasons with the Nets injuries befell Dawkins and he was forced into retirement after a few more years of battling the back aches. Dawkins attempted NBA comebacks in ‘94 and ‘95 but eventually settled on gigs with the Harlem Globetrotters, the Italian league and the CBS’s Souix Falls Skyforce. After he finished playing he had short coaching stints in the ABL, USBL and even a season at a Pennsylvania community college. His massive talent, legacy and his undenible personality make him a lock for this list. Even though he was never a superstar and never even an all-star his legacy carries on and with good reason.As Shaq said once; “Darryl Dawkins is the father of power dunking, I’m just one of his sons...maybe his best son.”
Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:46 pm Post subject: #295: Sam Lacey
#295 Sam Lacey Team(s): Cincinnati/Kansas City Omaha/Kansas City Royals/Kings, New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers (1970-1983)
Career Numbers: 10.3 ppg 9.7 rpg 3.7 apg 1.5 bpg 1.3 spg
Resume: 13 seasons, 11 prime years averaging 11-11-4-2-2, on 45/74% shooting, 3 year peak from ‘74-76 averaging 13-13-5-2-2 on 43/76% shooting. Top ten rebounding 3x, blocks 3x. Second best player on 44-win 1975 Kings. Role player on 1981 Kings team that reached the WCF. Averaged 9-10-5-2-2 on 40/78% shooting in 29 playoff games during his prime.
Cincinnati, 1970 - When Sam Lacey arrived in the NBA, the year was 1970 and he was the fifth pick of a very deep draft that saw Bob Lanier, Rudy Tomjonavich, Pete Maravich and Dave Cowens selected ahead of him and Geoff Petrie, Calvin Murphy and Tiny Archibald taken after him. Lacey went to the Royals who were on their way out of Cincinnati and into rebuilding mode. In the past year they had traded away franchise stars Jerry Lucas and Oscar Robertson and now, led by coach Bob Cousy were looking to build a new nucleus around Lacey and second round pick Archibald. The problem was that Cousy’s system became far too reliant on Archibald, as talented as he was. In 1973, Sam and Nate’s third season with the team and Cousy, Archibald led the league in scoring and assists but the team, coming off 33 and 30 win seasons, only managed 36, still not enough to get into the playoffs. Cousy’s system just did not work well for Lacey and his talents. He barely got the ball and when he did he was expected to be a scorer which was not his first inclination. Lacey had a nice sweeping hook shot and a few basic post moves, but he was never a polished scorer and preferred to get his points by staying active inside on the glass and away from the ball. In addition to his misuse on offense, his defensive contributions were going largely unnoticed by the public as the NBA did not track blocks or steals during Lacey’s first three seasons. After that however he averaged near over two of each for most of his career.
Kansas City-Omaha, 1975 - With thins not working out on the court and the franchise having found a larger audience in it’s new home, splitting time between Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska, Bob Cousy and his star system were scrapped in favor of Phil Johnson and a team concept. The team was 6-19 when Johnson took over and despite losing Archibald for much of the season, finished a respectable 27-30 the rest of the way. Lacey set career high’s for points, rebounds, assists, fg% and ft% and in the first season the NBA tracked blocks and steals averaged a combined four per game. The 1974-75 season would be a landmark one for both Lacey and the Kings. The team would open the new Kemper arena in Kansas City and for the first time they would draw over 300,000 fans for the season. With Archibald healthy, Lacey thriving in Johnson’s system and the addition of rookie forward Scott Wedman, the Kings got off to a 5-1 start. After some bumps in the road they leveled off to right around .500 and then with the Kings, Pistons, Bucks and Blazers all within a game of each other for the final two playoff spots, the Kings got hot. They won 12 of 13 games including all five against the Pistons, Bucks and Blazers and road their momentum into the playoffs as the third seed in the west. Lacey had had a fantastic season. He’d averaged 12 points and over 14 rebounds and 5 assists. He’d finish 3rd in rebounding, 7th in blocked shots, 10th in steals, be named to the all-star team and even rank among the top ten in the MVP voting. Chicago was waiting for the Kings and after four games of back and forth basketball resulted in a 2-2 tie, the veteran Bulls asserted their will without a blowout win in game five and a closeout victory in KC in game six. Lacey struggled in the series on offense shooting just 37% and averaging less than 10 points per game, but he did pull down 15 rebounds a night. It seemed like the sky was the limit for the franchise. Lacey, Wedman and Archibald were all in their primes. However they dropped to 31 wins in 1976 and as quickly as they had risen, they had faded away.
Kansas City, 1981 - By 1979 the Kings were again rebuilding and again Lacey had remained. He was now the most tenured member of the Franchise. The team added Otis Birdsong in the ‘77 draft. In ‘78 they picked Phil Ford. Cotton Fitzsimmons became coach for the 78-79 season and they team won 48 games. They won 45 games in 1980 after adding Reggie King to the mix as well. In both postseasons however Lacey and the Kings struggled. Slammin’ Sam shot below 40% again and KC was axed first in five games (4-1) and then three games (2-1) by the Phoenix Suns. So when in 1981, when the Suns won 57 games and the Kings just 41 and the two meet for the third time in the postseason, understandably few gave KC much hope. Add in the loss of Phil Ford the teams point guard, third in the league in assists and third leading scorer and the odds now seemed microscopic. Once top scorer Otis Birdsong went down, well it was surprising that they still played the games. Lacey, now 32 and nearing the end of his career seemed especially unlikely to have a major impact. But he shot the best he ever had from the field in the postseason. He averaged 10 points 8 rebounds, over 5 assists and 3.5 combined blocks and steals per game. The Kings somehow upset the Suns before being vanquished by Moses Malone and Houston in the Conference Finals.
Lacey would play two more seasons one with New Jersey and one with Cleveland before hanging it up. He finished his career having made some very unique contributions to NBA history. By the numbers he is one of the best passing centers of all-time. From 1975-1981 he averaged five assists per game, only Russell and Wilt have higher APG averages as a center in NBA playoff history. Lacey is also one of just five players, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Julius Erving and Bew Wallace, to amass over 100 blocks and 100 steals in six consecutive seasons.Lacey’s number 44 is retired by the Kings franchise and he still ranks among their all-time leaders in all five major statistical categories.
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 2:45 pm Post subject: #294: Clifford Ray
#294 Clifford Ray Team(s): Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors (1971-1981)
Career Numbers: 7.4 ppg 8.9 rpg 2.2 apg 1.0 bpg
Resume: 10 seasons, 7 prime years averaging 8-10-3-1, on 53/60% shooting, 3 year peak from ‘74-76 averaging 9-11-3-2 on 51/61% shooting. Top ten rebounding 1x, blocks 1x. Third best player on 1975 NBA Champion Warriors. Fourth best player on 1976 Warriors team that reached WCF. Fifth best player on 1974 Bulls team that reached WCF. Averaged 9-10-5-2-2 on 40/78% shooting in 29 playoff games during his prime.
Ignore the numbers. They don’t tell the story. Looking at Ray’s peak, from 1974-1976, the same years as Sam Lacey’s, you might thing that Lacey was clearly the better player. The numbers do suggest that. However, while Lacey’s teams were mired in mediocrity, Clifford Ray was making an equally significant and even more intangible impact for teams contending for the NBA title. Clifford Ray’s inexplicable excellence in crucial situations seems to have started in 1974. The Bulls were playing the Pistons in the playoffs and had lost Jerry Sloan. That was a problem, the bigger problem was giant Bob Lanier roaming the pivot for the Pistons. The Bulls started two guards and two forwards who had all been NBA all-stars. They also started a center. third year man Clifford Ray was the teams weak link, or so it was thought. However the unsung Ray took on the highly heralded Dobber and more than held his own when the chips were down. The Detroit/Chicago series in ‘74 came down to seventh and deciding game. Lanier who had averaged 28 points and 14 rebounds in the series was held to 8 points in the first half, 23 for the game and was out-rebounded 17-9 by Ray. Ray also added 15 points 5 assists and 5 blocks as the Bulls won 94-92 to advance. In ‘75 it was Ray, the unlikely difference maker again propelling the Warriors, his new team, past the Bulls after the two clubs exchanged he and Nate Thurmond that off-season. The Warriors went for the ranks of anonymity into the spot light just like that after making a trade many thought would send them backwards. By 1976 it was becoming something the Warriors could depend on. As coach Al Attles expressed, “Clifford brings the best out of a lot of other people.” and teammate Jamaal Wilkes agreed, “Clifford is our difference maker, when he plays big we don’t feel like we can be beat.” In the ‘76 playoffs Ray averaged 9 points, 10 rebounds, nearly two blocks and shot over 60% from the field. He helped the Warriors score a victory over the Pistons, again puzzling Lanier in the crucial moments enough for his team to hang on and sing his praises.
Ray would play out the rest of his career with the Warriors who never recaptured the greatness they found in 1975. He was a physically imposing figure that ironically enough was a drum major in his small town high school. Ray didn’t take to basketball until later on when he height made him an obvious candidate. He was a tireless worker and that triat defined him during his NBA career. He was sort of the Ben Wallace of his day, not on the same level, but a super natural physical force who could impact games in ways few others could and who his teammates absolutely loved playing with. Ray never averaged double figure scoring, was never a top five rebounder, never an all-star and even had limited time as a high level shot blocker. However he was durable, he averaged 80 games per season his first nine years. He was fearless and tough, he would protect any teammate from anyone. He elevated his game come the playoffs and thrived on playing against the best competition. Despite his pedestrian stats, his peers awarded him MVP votes in 1974 and 1976, both times getting the second most recognition on a team that would eventually reach the conference finals. After his playing days Ray went into coaching most recently lending his talents to the Boston Celtics big men from 2006-2008 helping develop players like AL Jefferson, Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins. .Again, making an intagible impact for a championship team. Finally, among his accomplishments off the court, Ray gained fame when he saved the life of a Dolphin in 1978 by reaching down it’s throat to dislodge a screw that it had ingested. Like I said, this guy makes an impact in ways you could never imagine.
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 3:02 pm Post subject: #293: Nathaniel Clifton
#293 Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton Team(s): New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons (1950-1958)
Career Numbers: 10.0 ppg 8.2 rpg 2.5 apg
Resume: 8 seasons, 5 prime years averaging 11-10-3, on 36/65% shooting, 2 year peak from ‘51-53 averaging 11-11-3 on 34/63% shooting. 1x all-star, top ten rebounding 2x, Starter on three Runner-up Knicks teams from ‘51-’53. Averaged 10-10-3 on 34/60% shooting in 43 playoff games during his prime.
If enough video evidence and written history existed, you might be able to make a case that Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton was the second best center in professional basketball post WWII and pre-Russell. In other words, next to George Mikan, this is the guy you wanted. The problem for Clifton is that he was black, and born in 1922 (or thereabouts). Most people never truly appreciated his game and even in the NBA his strengths were never fully utilized. Clifton was a common rival for Mikan despite the segregated world of pro basketball during the 40’s when each made broke onto the scene. Clifton was the center for the Harlem Rens, the greatest all black team of all-time who the American Gears (Mikan’s first team) and Lakers would battle in popular exhibitions during the season and at the World Basketball Tournament. With the Rens, whose peak was in the 1930’s, starting to fade away and a new rivalry, the Lakers and Harlem Globetrotters, beginning to take center stage in the basketball world, Clifton’s services became in new and greater demand. The Trotters had narrowly escaped their first meeting with Minneapolis and had come to realize that 6’3” centrer Goose Tatum was no match for Big George. They acquired Clifton, the 6’7” bruiser from the Rens and took their next meeting with the Lakers as well. Eventually, the Globetrotters, like the Rens would see their talent pool dry up and after the BAA/NBL merger, the NBA teams become the unquestioned cream of the crop in the pro basketball world. The only step left was to join baseball, as a fully integrated sport.
Clifton would play a major role in this. During the 1950 draft Boston coach and general manager Red Auerbach selected Chuck Cooper in the second round, he was the first African American selected in an NBA draft. In the ninth round of the draft, Baltimore selected Earl Lloyd. A few weeks later Sweetwater Clifton signed a contract with the Knicks, the first African-American player to do so. The three along with Hank DeZonie (played five games for Tr-Cities) all made their NBA debut in 1950 and the NBA would never be the same. Lloyd was the first to play in a game, but Clifton had the greatest impact and by the end of his first NBA season, he had become the first black player to reach the NBA finals, helping the Knicks make it there for the first time. Awaiting them were the Rochester Royals who had upset an injured George Mikan and the Lakers. After losing the first three games of the Finals, Clifton and the Knicks roared back and won three straight forcing a game seven. However the Royals won the series finale and the Championship that season. The next year the Knicks were back in the finals and Clifton would once again face George Mikan. Again it came down to a seventh game and again the Knicks came up just short. A third trip to the finals in 1952 ended in defeat at the hands of Mikan and the Lakers in five games, and neither Clifton or the Knicks would return again during the remainder of his career.
The Knicks were an extremely balanced team. Carl Braun, Vince Boryla, Ernie Vandeweghe, Dick McGuire, Connie Simmons, Harry Gallatin and Max Zaslofsky were all all-stars at some point of their careers and they along with Clifton made up the Knicks rotation for much of the early fifties. As a result of this, and the fact that Sweets was the only black player on the team, Clifton did not make the all-star team until 1957. Long after most of the established white players were gone and far from his best season, then almost 40 years old by some accounts. Clifton sacrificed a lot to play in the NBA. He played center on defense but forward on offense, allowing Harry Gallatin to accumulate much better numbers though both were fine players and the larger Clifton would have been the more natural choice for the position. Playing the corner really kept Clifton’s shooting percentage and assist totals done. In his days with the Trotters he was an outstanding high post passer who the team could run it’s offense through. He got his nickname from his love of sodapop. He liked it so much that when his family could not afford to buy it, he’d simply pour sugar into water until it tasted sweet enough for him. Clifton spent the last 20+ years of his life as a cab driver in Chicago. It hardly seems a fitting send off for someone the NBA it’s current players are so indebted to. Clifton, like all black players of his era, endured harsh treatment wherever he went. Having to eat in separate restaurants or on the bus while the white team members could dine inside. Staying in separate hotels or being snuck into hotels while on road trips. The constant shouts, slurs, obscenities thrown at you and yet he like most of the rest of these pioneers was able to turn the other cheek, be the bigger, better man and open up doors for future generations that no one then could have imagined.
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