Yardbarker: David Thompson

Wade Needs One Block To Set NBA Record

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:57:34 -0500

Dwayne Wade needs one more block to set the NBA single season record for blocks. The record is held by David Thompson (99), this is something that someone under 6'4 hasn't done. D-Wade will no doubt get this record, this explains that Wade has been playing 'big' throughout this whole season. This explains why the Heat need a big man really bad, but Wade see

Pro Basketball's "Five-Tool" Players

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:15:22 -0500

A slightly different version of this article was originally published in the February 2002 issue of Basketball Digest.

Baseball scouts are always looking for "five-tool" players, rare
athletes who can hit for average, hit for power, possess good speed,
have strong throwing arms and are excellent fielders. It is also
difficult to find basketball players who excel in the sport's five
major statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and
blocks. Only five players in NBA/ABA history have led their teams in
all of these departments in a single season: Julius Erving (1975-76 New
York Nets), Dave Cowens (1977-78 Boston Celtics), Scottie Pippen
(1994-95 Chicago Bulls), Tracy McGrady (2002-03 Orlando Magic) and
Kevin Garnett (2002-03 Minnesota Timberwolves). LeBron James is
currently leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in ppg, rpg, apg and spg and
is only .1 bpg behind Ben Wallace for team-high honors in that
category, so he has an excellent chance to accomplish this rare feat.

The uniqueness of this achievement is demonstrated by the fact that
from 1950-51 (the first year that the NBA compiled rebounding
statistics) until 1973-74 (when the NBA first kept statistics for
steals and blocks), only five NBA players led their teams in scoring,
rebounding and assists in the same season: Maurice Stokes (1955-56
Rochester Royals), Dolph Schayes (1956-57 Syracuse Nationals), Elgin
Baylor (1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers; 1960-61 Los Angeles Lakers; 1967-68
Lakers—Jerry West actually posted higher ppg and apg averages in this
season, but appeared in only 51 games due to injury), Wilt Chamberlain
(1965-66, 1966-67 and 1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers) and John Havlicek
(1969-70 Celtics); from the ABA’s inception in 1967-68 until 1972-73
(the first year that the ABA recorded steals and blocks), only Connie
Hawkins (1967-68 Pittsburgh Pipers) joined this distinguished group.
One name that is noticeably absent from this list is Oscar Robertson,
who averaged a triple double for the 1961-62 Cincinnati Royals (30.8
ppg, 12.5 rpg, 11.4 apg) but finished second on the team in rebounding
to Wayne Embry (13.0 rpg).

It is clear that there have been very few "five-tool" players in
pro basketball history, even if one makes the generous (and doubtful)
assumption that each of the above players also led their teams in
steals and blocks. One might think that any team that is so heavily
dependent on one player cannot be successful but this is not
necessarily the case. During the seasons mentioned above, Erving,
Chamberlain (1966-67) and Hawkins each won championships and Baylor
(1958-59 and 1967-68) appeared in two NBA Finals; only Stokes, Havlicek
and Cowens failed to lead their teams to the playoffs.

Julius Erving's 1975-76 campaign is one of the most remarkable
seasons in pro basketball history. Dr. J ranked first in the ABA in
scoring, fifth in rebounding, seventh in assists, third in steals and
seventh in blocked shots. He also placed eighth in two point field goal
percentage and seventh in three point field goal percentage. Not
surprisingly, Erving won the regular season MVP award. Dr. J missed
leading his team in the five major categories by very small margins in
each of the three previous seasons (.6 apg and .2 spg in 1972-73, .8
rpg in 1973-74 and .6 spg in 1974-75). ABA Commissioner (and Hall of
Fame forward) Dave DeBusschere commented, "Plenty of guys have been
'The Franchise.' For us, Dr. J is 'The League.'"

Incredibly, Erving actually increased his production in the
postseason, culminating in these numbers in the 1976 ABA Finals versus
the Denver Nuggets: 37.7 ppg (including 45 points and the game winning
shot on the road in Game One), 14.2 rpg, 6.0 apg, 3.0 spg and 2.2 bpg.
The Doctor led both teams in all of these categories during the
series—and he was putting up these unbelievable numbers against high
quality opposition. Guided by Coach Larry Brown, the Nuggets finished
65-19 that season, featuring two future Hall of Famers (Dan Issel and
David Thompson) and one of the best defensive forwards of all time
(Bobby Jones). After trying in vain to stop the Doctor, Bobby Jones
offered this appraisal of Erving’s heroics: "He destroys the adage that
I’ve always been taught—that one man can’t do it alone."

As a result of the NBA-ABA merger, the cash-strapped Nets sold Dr.
J to the Philadelphia 76ers before the 1976-77 season. The Nets
immediately plummeted to the bottom of the standings, while the 76ers
made it to the NBA Finals. The Sixers would return to the Finals three
more times in the next six seasons, finally winning the title in
1982-83 after adding Moses Malone to the roster. A few years back, Pat
Williams, long-time NBA executive and the General Manager of the 76ers
when they acquired Dr. J, offered this assessment: "There’s never been
anyone quite like him, including Michael. If Julius was in his prime
now, in this era of intense electronic media, he would be beyond
comprehension. He would blow everybody away."

Dave Cowens achieved "five-tool" distinction during one of the
dreariest periods in the storied history of the Boston Celtics. In
1977-78 Cowens was basically the last man standing from the teams that
had won championships in 1973-74 and 1975-76—Charlie Scott was traded
to the Lakers in the middle of the season, Jo Jo White only appeared in
46 games and John Havlicek was in his 16th (and final) season. Against
the better judgment of Red Auerbach, Celtics' ownership acquired
players who had posted gaudy statistics earlier in their careers but
did not possess the mindset of champions. It was around this time that
one of these players, Curtis Rowe, supposedly informed young teammate
Cedric Maxwell, who did not take well to losing, "Look, kid. They don’t
put W's and L's on your paycheck." In 1977-78, former NBA MVP Cowens
placed third in the league in rebounding (14.0 rpg) but did not post
particularly impressive numbers in the other categories. The Celtics
finished the season with a 32-50 record.

Scottie Pippen’s "five-tool" effort came in 1994-95, the second
season after Michael Jordan's first retirement. Pippen actually posted
slightly better numbers in 1993-94, but Horace Grant led the Bulls in
rebounds and blocked shots that season. Many commentators seem to have
forgotten how well Pippen performed during the period that Jordan spent
playing minor league baseball; it became chic in some quarters to
suggest that Pippen was not that great of a player without Jordan.
While Pippen's late career numbers did not match his production during
his halcyon days with the Bulls, this comparison fails to take into
account Pippen's advanced age and several injuries (back, foot, elbow)
that curtailed his athleticism after the disbanding of the Chicago
Bulls dynasty.

The Bulls were not considered to be contenders after Jordan's
shocking retirement announcement shortly before the start of the
1993-94 season. Their 4-7 record out of the gate seemed to confirm this
notion, but Pippen missed several of those games due to the lingering
effects of off-season ankle surgery. When Pippen returned to the lineup
the Bulls immediately became one of the top teams in the league,
finishing the year 55-27, only two games worse than the season before.
Pippen won the All-Star Game MVP, finished third in regular season MVP
balloting, fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and made the
All-NBA and All-Defensive First Teams. Foreshadowing his "five-tool"
effort in 1994-95, during the playoffs Pippen led the Bulls in scoring,
rebounds, assists, steals and three pointers made while finishing third
on the team in blocked shots.

In 1994-95, Horace Grant left the Bulls for the Orlando Magic, John
Paxson retired and Bill Cartwright signed with Seattle. Starting center
Luc Longley missed the first 22 games of the season with a stress
fracture in his left leg, during which time the Bulls went 11-11. While
the Bulls did not immediately drop off the map after Jordan's
retirement, they did slide toward mediocrity when the loss of Jordan
was compounded by the absence of other players. When Jordan returned to
the team toward the end of the 1994-95 season the Bulls were 34-31,
although they had won eight of the previous 10 games as Longley
returned to the lineup and the team adjusted to new players. With
Jordan, the team finished 13-4 down the stretch and lost to the Orlando
Magic in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals (the same round
of the playoffs that the Bulls had reached without Jordan the year
before). Jordan fully returned to form by the following season and the
addition of Dennis Rodman to replace Horace Grant paved the way for
three more championships. After the 1994-95 season Pippen finished
seventh in MVP voting, again made the All-NBA and All-Defensive First
Teams and was selected the "Best All-Around Player" in the NBA in a
poll of players, coaches, trainers and general managers conducted by
USA TODAY.

Tracy McGrady achieved "five-tool" status by less than one steal,
averaging 1.653 spg in 2002-03, just edging out Magic teammate Darrell
Armstrong (1.646 spg). McGrady led the league in scoring (32.1 ppg) and
ranked in the top 20 in assists (5.5 apg). It is quite an
accomplishment for a guard to lead his team in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and
blocked shots (.79 bpg) but his numbers in those categories also
indicate that the Magic's big men were not particularly productive.

Kevin Garnett did not have much of an opportunity to be a
"five-tool" player when point guards Stephon Marbury, Terrell Brandon
and Chauncey Billups racked up assists in Minnesota but in 2002-03 Troy
Hudson became the Timberwolves' starting point guard and Garnett
averaged a career-high 6.0 apg (13th in the NBA) while also leading the
team in scoring (23.0 ppg, ninth in the NBA), rebounding (13.4 rpg,
second in the NBA), steals (1.4 spg) and blocked shots (1.6 bpg).

ABA Numbers Should Also Count

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:30:08 -0500

A slightly different version of this article was originally published in the May 2001 issue of Basketball Digest.

Julius "Dr. J" Erving. Rick Barry. George "the Iceman" Gervin.
David Thompson. Artis Gilmore. That looks like a formidable starting
five, but there is one way to contain them. Each of these players spent
time in the ABA--and the NBA has put the ultimate defensive clamps on
them by acting like those seasons do not exist.

The Official NBA Guide has
hundreds of pages of history and statistics. Each of the five players
from the above "Dream Team" is listed among the Guide's career scoring
leaders. But take a look at what appears next to Julius Erving's name:
11 years (1977-87), 18,364 points in 836 games (22.0 ppg). Question:
How do you stop a guy who averages 28.7 ppg? Answer: Act as though he
never did. Erving's career began in 1972, not 1977. In his first five
years he scored 11,662 points in 407 games (28.7 ppg), but the NBA
pretends that those numbers do not matter. The same holds true for
Barry, Gervin, and the rest.

To find Dr. J's first five seasons and the statistics of other ABA
greats in the Guide, you have to search for a list that is awkwardly
titled "Combined NBA/ABA, Career Scoring."

Unfortunately, the "combined" numbers are not considered "official"
by the NBA and are almost always ignored in discussions of basketball
history. Karl Malone's climb up the career scoring list a few years ago
was well documented. When he passed Michael Jordan and topped the late
Wilt Chamberlain, those accomplishments were justifiably celebrated in
the media. What wasn't mentioned is that Erving and Moses Malone should
appear just below Chamberlain on the career scoring list (Moses' first
two pro seasons disappear down the same memory hole as Erving's first
five years, so Karl "officially" passed Moses during the 1997-98
season).

It's even worse when you examine the media guides of the four
former ABA teams, the New Jersey (then New York) Nets, Indiana Pacers,
Denver Nuggets, and San Antonio Spurs. These teams have every right to
be proud of their ABA heritage and to even overstate the importance of
their ABA years but instead they act as if franchise records set during
the ABA years hardly exist.

This shortchanges players such as Erving and Gilmore by wiping out
the first five seasons of their careers. Erving won two championships,
three MVPs (sharing one with George McGinnis), two Playoff MVPs and
three scoring titles in the ABA, while Gilmore notched one
championship, one Playoff MVP and four rebounding titles.

No player's resume would emerge unscathed from such drastic
revisions. Take away Michael Jordan's first five years and you erase
one MVP, his two highest scoring seasons, his only Defensive Player of
the Year award, two scoring titles, one steals title and his playoff
single game scoring record of 63 points. Larry Bird would lose two of
his three championships, one MVP, one NBA Finals MVP and his best
single season totals in rebounds and steals. Magic Johnson would
forfeit two of his five championships, two NBA Finals MVPs, two steals
titles, one assists title and his single season bests in rebounding and
steals.

Pacers Roger Brown and Mel Daniels are two Hall of Fame-caliber
players whose great careers are largely ignored in no small part
because their statistics are unrecognized. Brown was a four-time ABA
All-Star who won three ABA championships with Indiana. More than one
observer has said that Brown was Jordan's true precursor. In the 1970
ABA Finals, Brown averaged 32.7 ppg, scoring 53, 39 and 45 in the final
three games. In the 1972 ABA Finals, Brown led the Pacers to a series-clinching victory
in game six by outscoring future Hall of Famer Rick Barry 32-23.
Daniels played center on those three championship teams, winning two
regular season MVP awards. His 1608 career playoff rebounds place him
14th in pro basketball history.

It doesn't have to be this way. In the NFL Record and Fact Book
(2008 edition), Len Dawson, George Blanda and others are listed as
statistical leaders even though they spent parts of their careers in
the AFL. The section on team histories includes the statistics of
players such as Joe Namath, Don Maynard, and Paul Lowe among many
others who set franchise records that date back to the AFL. NFL records
show that Joe Namath is the first player to pass for 4,000 yards in a
single season (4,007 in 1967); no one suggests that Dan Fouts' 4,082
yard performance in 1979 is more valid because it is the first such
effort that occurred after the NFL and AFL merged.

The 76ers feted Larry Brown several years ago when he reached the
1000 victory milestone as a pro coach, which served as a de facto
recognition of his combined ABA-NBA win totals. Was that a sign that
things are changing for the better? Perhaps, but it also underscored
the nature of the problem. During a TNT broadcast shortly after the
ceremony honoring Coach Brown, commentator (and ABA old-schooler) Pete
Vecsey quipped that if Brown's ABA wins were being recognized, Dr. J's
ABA points should be acknowledged. Vecsey did not pursue the issue
further, but as long as ABA statistics are not "official," media guides
and other publications will continue to ignore them or mention them
only as afterthoughts.

ABA numbers should be made "official" by the NBA. Then Larry
Brown's wins, Dr. J's points and the rest of the ABA's glorious history
would assume its proper place in the basketball record book.

(Note: To see charts of the ABA-NBA career leaders in scoring, rebounding and assists for both the regular season and the playoffs, visit the original 20 Second Timeout post, because the Yardbarker post template does not display those lists in a readable fashion)

The ABA's Unsung Heroes

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:09:22 -0500

This article was originally published in the October 2004 issue of Basketball Digest.

By the mid-1970s, the ABA was failing financially but the league featured many of the sport?s young, rising stars, including Julius Erving, Gilmore, Moses Malone, George Gervin and David Thompson. The NBA needed these marquee players to boost its attendance and its television ratings. The leagues finally merged in 1976, with four ABA teams (Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs) joining 18 NBA teams.

In the first post-merger All-Star Game, 10 of the 24 All-Stars had ABA playing experience. That year the Pacers? Don Buse led the NBA in assists and steals and the 1977 NBA Finals between Philadelphia and Portland looked like an ABA reunion: Sixers starters? Erving, George McGinnis and Caldwell Jones all began their careers in the ABA, as did Portland starter Maurice Lucas and key reserve guard Dave Twardzik.

Unfortunately, the Hall of Fame seems to have closed its doors to all but a handful of ABA players. Three players in particular personify the ABA?s unrecognized greatness: Roger Brown, Mel Daniels and Artis Gilmore.

Bob ?Slick? Leonard, who coached the Indiana Pacers to three ABA titles, has high praise for Brown, the small forward on those championship teams: ?He was a money player. Anytime the game was on the line, Roger was always there. Roger had tremendous ability?one of the greatest small forwards to ever play the game?I?ve seen everyone who came down the pike in the last 50 years?playing against them, coaching against them or broadcasting them. Roger Brown deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.?

A young Erving looked at Brown as a role model: ?His depth of knowledge made him someone who I wanted to watch and also watch out for. I was just running and jumping and trying to jump over people and (it helped) just to see what he was doing on the ground, knowing that he was a great jumper in his day but that by this time he had channeled his energies to be a complete player, be a team player and win championships. So he was already at a place that I was trying to get to.?

Barry says about Brown, ?He certainly had a terrific basketball career and is probably one of the more underrated guys that most people don?t know a whole lot about. He is not really given the recognition that he deserves for the career that he had. He was just a very skilled and gifted player, especially on the offensive end of the court.?

Brown?s teammate Daniels offers this tribute: ?I think you could sum it up simply like this. Those who did not see Roger Brown or didn?t know him, missed a treat?We ran an isolation play for him and he was so good one-on-one that I remember defenders actually screaming for help. He actually dislocated or broke eight guys? ankles?I think that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player I have ever seen or one of the best. Roger Brown was right there in his class.?

Daniels grabbed a staggering 1608 career postseason rebounds, ranking in the top dozen in pro basketball history. Erving remembers Daniels? imposing presence: ?Mel was the workhorse on that team. Mel just put the fear in people?I think that if contributions to the game of basketball and the history of basketball are the things that are the criteria for someone becoming a Hall of Famer, then the championships that they won in the ABA?three championships in nine years?warrants consideration because it affected fans globally and the recognition of it would paint a much clearer picture of what basketball was like in the 1970s.?

Gilmore?s omission from the Hall of Fame is especially puzzling because he followed his ABA career with a productive NBA career, which seemed to help the Hall candidacy of Hawkins. Erving notes, ?I?ve written letters on his behalf to get him in the Hall of Fame.? Barry observes, ?When Artis first came into the league he was the first guy who I?d ever seen who could block guys? jump shots from the corner. This guy was unbelievable.? Daniels, who went head to head with Gilmore for years, adds, ?He was very efficient, a very good offensive basketball player, could defend, could block shots, could run very well and could score on the block. He should definitely be in the Hall of Fame.?

Three decades after the leagues merged the NBA stubbornly refuses to ?merge? ABA statistics with NBA statistics, but Daniels makes an interesting point: ?If you look back at the (yearly) leaders in different categories, scoring and rebounding, it?s the ABA ball players. Isn?t that amazing?? While the NBA?s flawed record keeping unfairly reduces the career totals of many all-time greats, the NBA cannot hide the fact that Gervin won four NBA scoring titles or that Malone won six NBA rebounding titles or that Gilmore won four NBA field goal percentage titles and holds the NBA career record for highest regular season field goal percentage (.599). Former ABA players figured prominently among the NBA?s single season category leaders for many years after the merger, a lasting testament to the greatness of the league and a permanent reminder that the ABA players deserve to have their statistics accorded equal status with NBA statistics.

Jam Session Grand Opening, Wheelchair All-Star Game Highlight First Day of All-Star Weekend

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:47:22 -0500

This is my fifth time covering NBA All-Star Weekend; it is hard to believe how quickly the time has flown since my first All-Star Weekend in Denver kicking it with the ABA veterans. I learned pretty quickly that it is impossible to see and do everything, which means that each year I strike a delicate balance between making sure that I cover certain events that have become "can't miss" occasions from my perspective while also being open to the new and different flavor that each host city provides.

The obvious "can't miss" events are the All-Star Game itself and the All-Star Saturday Night festivities but there are plenty of other activities that make the All-Star Weekend so special. I have often said that for anyone who can make it to the All-Star host city but is unable to score tickets for Saturday or Sunday night the NBA Jam Session presents a great alternative destination with plenty of features that the whole family can enjoy, ranging from pop-a-shot to clinics hosted by NBA and WNBA stars to autograph sessions to exhibits about the sport's history to a kids zone and much more.

Phoenix has hosted All-Star Weekend twice before but NBA Jam Session is the first major event held in the city's brand new, huge Convention Center downtown--and that is where Commissioner David Stern and a host of dignitaries formally kicked off the 2009 All-Star Weekend with a brief ceremony at the adidas Court. Commissioner Stern said, "Phoenix has been a great All-Star host" in 1975 and 1995 and he noted that "5000 fans signed up to be volunteers" for All-Star Weekend, the most for any host site. "We are looking forward to our greatest All-Star Weekend ever," he concluded. "This is what NBA basketball is all about and it doesn't show up any better than in Phoenix."

Suns' owner Robert Sarver said that Jam Session is his kids' favorite event and that they will spend most of the weekend participating in various activities there. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon enthusiastically declared, "We are so excited--this is our downtown coming out party."

Shortly after the opening ceremony ended, the Jam Session Center Court--which will be the site of Saturday's All-Star practice and media availability--hosted the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) All-Star Game. I first covered this event in 2007 and then in 2008 I had the great opportunity to interview Susan Katz and some of the players, conversations which greatly deepened my understanding of the nuances of the sport.

This year, the West jumped out to a 10-0 lead, enjoyed a 38-15 halftime advantage and cruised to a 66-40 win. Points in the paint were a decisive factor, as the West repeatedly set up close range shots with deft passing or dribble penetration. One cool sequence featured a give and go between Chuck Gill and Juan Soto, with Gill making a short shot in the paint to make the score 36-15 West. Gill scored a game-high 21 points and won the West MVP, while David Radbel scored 11 points and was honored as the East's MVP. Trooper Johnson, who was one of the players I interviewed last year, scored eight points for the West.

Ryan Hundemer coached the West, while Bret Remington coached the East. Former NBA All-Star A.C. Green and former WNBA player Bridget Pettis served as honorary coaches for the East, while Hall of Famer Rick Barry and current WNBA player Adrian Williams-Strong were the West's honorary coaches. After the game, I asked Barry how he became involved in the NWBA All-Star Game and he replied, "(NBA Vice President) Charles Rosenzweig, who deals with all of the retired players, asked me if I would be willing to do it and I said 'Certainly.' I've been involved with wheelchair tennis and basketball a number of times and I am always willing to help out. I really admire what these guys do. They are really amazing. It's fun to watch them play."

I also spoke with Dick Bryant, NWBA commissioner and a former player who was inducted into the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Hall of Fame in 2008. He has won a total of five championships: one as a player (in 1978) when the sport consisted of one 16 team division, two more titles as a player/coach (1996, 1998) in the second division after the sport had been split into three divisions and then another pair of championships (1999 and 2000) as a coach in the third division. Bryant told me that he has been the NWBA Commissioner for six years: "I started (participating in wheelchair basketball) when I was 20 years old, so this is my 39th year as a player or administrator." I asked him if he still plays now but he said, "No, I'm totally retired." He informed me that the NWBA was founded by war veterans, has existed since 1949 and now comprises over 220 teams in the United States; those teams are split into five divisions--two men's divisions, a women's division, a juniors division and a college division that has about a dozen men's teams and four women's teams.

I asked Bryant if there is a difference in the adjustment process to the sport between someone who has always been wheelchair bound and someone who becomes wheelchair bound later in life. He answered, "No, I think it's still the same. It still requires training and practice. I think probably that the (only) advantage would be how athletic a person is, which would stand true for an able bodied person as well. There is nothing special that you are going to do whether you have been wheelchair bound or you are newly wheelchair bound; you have to get in the chair, practice and learn the game."

Bryant emphasized that wheelchair players, like able bodied ones, must learn "the basic skills of basketball: You have to be able to dribble the ball, you have to be able to catch the ball, you have to be able to shoot the ball. Then, the chair skills are the next thing: learning to handle the chair, pushing the chair as fast as you can, being able to stop the chair, being able to use your left and right hand--those kinds of things."

After the NWBA All-Star Game was over, there was an awards ceremony on the court for the winning team and the two MVPs. Several players got autographs from Barry and/or got their pictures taken with him.

Then, everyone in the stands received a real treat when the Harlem Globetrotters--featuring the legendary Curly Neal--performed their famous "Magic Circle" routine at midcourt. After they finished, Neal did a quick circuit around the court, fist bumping as many people as he could touch (I was one of the fortunate ones, thanks to my courtside seat at the media table). Then, the Globetrotters brought several kids from the audience on to the court and each Globetrotter taught one kid a specific "Magic Circle" move. After each kid had learned his new move, the kids formed a "magic circle" of their own. Fun stuff.

Then, George Gervin returned to defend his crown in the "Legends Shootout," facing the same field as last year (Detlef Schrempf, David Thompson and Jo Jo White). There was a slight format change this year: the legends each shot one rack of balls from the baseline, but a fan shot the rack of balls from the top of the key. Suffice it to say that none of the fans assigned to each player materially affected the outcome of the event. Gervin and Schrempf again met in the Finals and this time Schrempf won.

Looking Back at Upsets in ACC History

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:35:51 -0500

This time of year those of us from the Mid-Atlantic spend a lot of time watching ACC basketball and for those of us lucky enough to be North Carolina-bred, the UNC Tar Heels are a constant source of inspiration.

This year, UNC, coming off a 36-3 season and Final Four appearance with virtually their entire team intact, appeared to be practically invincible and talk of an unbeaten season for Carolina was sweeping the nation. Yet, surprisingly enough, UNC went down to a crushing defeat, at home, no less, in its first ACC regular season game against the somewhat lightly-regarded Boston College Eagles, 85-78.

It was not the finest moment for this group of players, who have largely been together for three years and won two ACC regular season crowns and two ACC tournament titles, followed by trips to the Elite 8 and Final Four respectively. It was also a bit reminiscent of some other big game losses by this core of players, most notably a first half collapse against Kansas last year in the Final Four and a late minute and overtime collapse against Georgetown in the Final Eight in 2007.

Most strikingly, the Tar Heels shot a miserable 29% from the floor in the second half against BC, and only earned 15 points from 28 free throw attempts.

If the only issue in the game had been poor shooting, then I think you can write that off somewhat. Here, there were just a whole host of mental mistakes and sloppy and lackadaisical play. It is one thing to lose, but to go, as the Heels did, from a two point deficit to a fifteen point deficit around the eight minute mark, in a matter of a few minutes, is kind of strange, especially at home.

Nobody likes to lose but many Carolina fans were mystified by the performance, sure in their convictions that the other great ACC and Tar Heel teams from the past didn't have days like this.

Well, not so fast. Perhaps the four greatest teams in the history of the ACC, not to mention, some other great Tar Heel squads have also had some puzzling outings. A further and related point, is that with the exception of perhaps a handful of UCLA teams, there have been almost no teams that have been able to glide effortlessly to a title. It generally takes skill plus a whole lot of luck.

NC State went 57-1 during the 1973 and 1974 seasons, going undefeated in the ACC both years and then earned the ACC its first national title since 1957 by winning it all in 1974.

But along the way, State got annihilated by 18 points by UCLA, 84-66 on a neutral floor during the regular season, after its chief rival Maryland had only lost to the Bruins by one point at UCLA. NC State had actually led the Bruins 33-32 at the half but then just fell apart after the break.

David Thompson, State's great clutch All American, went 7-20 from the floor and 3-7 from the foul line in the loss, while allowing Keith (Jamal) Wilkes to drop 27 points on him, on 11-20 shooting from the floor.

State also almost lost to Purdue in a tough road game in Indiana, and needed a huge rally to get past them. The Boilermakers were decent but ended up in the NIT.

State ultimately got past UCLA the second time, but as great as the Wolfpack were, it took two huge comebacks, first, just to get the game into overtime, and second, after going down seven in the second overtime period. NC State was certainly fortunate that the Final Four was played in Greensboro, North Carolina that year.

I still think that the 1974 Bruins with Bill Walton, Dave Meyers, Keith Wilkes and Marques Johnson were slightly better than NC State and would have won a seven game series, but they weren't better on the day that they had to be.

UCLA, as great as they were that year, also saw their 88-game winning streak end against Notre Dame, when the Bruins blew a double-digit lead in the final three minutes--no, the Bruins did not stall, ever.

Although UCLA would destroy Notre Dame the next week in a re-match, 94-75, UCLA then proceeded to lose back-to-back games at Oregon and Oregon State, a result so shocking that media wags deemed the "Bruins in Ruins," and Sports Illustrated ran a cover story with the caption, "UCLA's Lost Weekend."

The Bruins actually had to win their last regular season game, (which was televised nationally late at night on the East coast by the Hughes Network--a rare thing in those days) just to qualify for the NCAA but put a hurting on rival USC the likes of which have seldom been seen in college basketball. USC and its star, Gus Williams, finished 24-5 and 11-3 in the Pac 8 but would miss the NCAA tourney, just as it had in 1971 when the Paul Westphal-led Trojans went 24-2 and 12-2 in the Pac 8.

The 1991-92 Blue Devils are often seen as an all-time great team but in the regular season they lost to average UNC and Wake Forest squads, and needed overtime to beat a very green Michigan early in the year, and then needed overtime and a prayer to get past Kentucky in the regional finals.

The 1982 Tar Heels are another squad often touted as an all time great team. Nevertheless, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and James Worthy needed to go to overtime that season to beat Penn State in the Cable Car Classic! They also lost at Virginia by 16 points, which was a considerable margin back then, and then barely beat James Madison 52-50 in Charlotte in the NCAA tourney, which would have been seen as an incredible humiliation for Dean Smith and his team.

Maybe a step behind the above four in the pantheon of great ACC teams were the 1993 Tar Heels, but the national champion 1993 Heels also simply annihilated many rivals, similar to this year's Tar Heels.

The 1993 Heels beat South Carolina by 31; they beat Texas by 36 and Ohio State by 20 in Columbus. They beat NC State by 33 and 46 points; they beat Maryland by 28, 14 and 36 points; they beat Virginia by 22 and 20 points; but then seemingly out of nowhere, the 1993 Heels had a three game interval where they could do very little right.

The Heels fell behind FSU by twenty-something points and had to stage a huge rally to get an ugly win at home; except for the ultimate outcome, the Heels' play here was not all that different from the current squad's game against BC. They actually trailed by more, but started their comeback sooner and were just able to eek out a win by the somewhat deceptive score of 82-77.

In their next game, the 1993 Tar Heels proceeded to lose by 26 points to Wake Forest, followed by a 14 points thrashing by Duke. With the exception of a close loss in the ACC finals to Georgia Tech, (without Derrick Phelps and where Donald Williams shot horribly) the Tar Heels would not lose again during their final 18 games.

What does it all mean? That remains to be seen. Is this squad more like the 1993 Tar Heels or is it more like the 1994 Tar Heels squad that had Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace and Eric Montross and was also seen as a sure title bet but then didn't even make it to the Sweet Sixteen? This time of year those of us from the Mid-Atlantic spend a lot of time watching ACC basketball and for those of us lucky enough to be North Carolina-bred, the UNC Tar Heels are a constant source of inspiration.

This year, UNC, coming off a 36-3 season and Final Four appearance with virtually their entire team intact, appeared to be practically invincible and yet, surprisingly enough, went down to a crushing defeat, at home, no less, against the Boston College Eagles, 85-78.

If the only issue in the game had been poor shooting, then I think you can write that off somewhat. Here, there were just a whole host of mental mistakes and sloppy and lackadaisical play. It is one thing to lose, but to go from a two point deficit to a fifteen point deficit, that quickly at home, is kind of strange.

Having said that, perhaps the two greatest teams in the history of the ACC also had some puzzling outings. NC State back in 1974 got annihilated by 18 points by UCLA on a neutral floor during the regular season, after Maryland only lost to the Bruins by one point at UCLA. State also almost lost to Purdue and needed a huge rally to get past them. The Boilermakers were decent but ended up in the NIT.

The 1982 Tar Heels needed to go to overtime to beat Penn State in the Cable Car Classic! They also lost at Virginia by 16 points, which was a considerable margin back then and barely beat James Madison in Charlotte in the NCAA tourney.

Maybe a step behind those two were the 1993 Tar Heels, but the 1993 Heels also simply annihilated many rivals. They beat South Carolina by 31; they beat Texas by 36 and Ohio State by 20 in Columbus. They beat NC State by 33 and 46 points; they beat Maryland by 28, 14 and 36 points; they beat Virginia by 22 and 20 points; but then the 1993 Heels had a three game interval where they could do very little right.

The Heels fell behind FSU by twenty-something points and had to stage a huge rally to get an ugly win at home; they then lost by 26 points to Wake Forest and 14 points to Duke. With the exception of a close loss in the ACC finals, (without Derrick Phelps and where Donald Williams shot horribly) the Tar Heels would not lose again during its final 18 games.

This article was originally published at http://quakerfox.blogspot.com. If you are interested in sharing your website's content with SCACCHoops.com, Contact Us.

Awesome, Baby, For Real

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:24:30 -0500

When we saw Gerald Henderson's latest spectacular dunk, against Virginia Tech, and realized that his head was at the rim without pulling up, we did a quick calculation and pegged his vertical at around 42".

Friday Fire: Is LeBron James the Best Athlete of All Time?

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:53:36 -0500

The NBA is the most athletic pro league As LeBron James begins his all out, Welcome to the Terrordome assault on everything mentally and physically athletic, the question must be Is LeBron James the best athlete of all Yeah, Julius Erving, David Thompson, Dominique Wilkins, ...

Curry Watch--Game 7

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:47:19 -0500

Curry Watch--Games 5 and 6

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:13:29 -0500

This series is dedicated to the most exciting, exhilirating, electrifying and talented college basketball player of all-time (save David Thompson, Bryce Drew and a host of others).....Stephen Curry. Recaps from games five and six after the jump. Facts, no laughs. That's what this series is about. Why? Because Stephen Curry is a beast, and he's not funny; he's a killer. So, let's just get down to the neeeeeety greeeeeeety. Game 5 v. Florida Atlantic: 39 points (5-9 from three), 4 rebounds and 4 assists. This is about what I expect from him every night, honestly. The White Lobster was 4-7 from three for 12 points. Pedestrian as usual. Florida Atlantic Head Coach Mike Jarvis' comments: "We knew that Curry was going to get 30 or more. You don't beat Davidson by stopping him. You beat them by making sure the other guys don't beat you." Well, obviously you're lucky he didn't go for 50, Mikey. And maybe you should've shared these words of wisdom with Jimmy Patsos, the nincompoop Loyola (MD) Head Coach. Game 6 v. Loyola (MD) Loyal Frumpsters, brace yourselves. Well, just make sure you're sitting down, I guess. Actually, this is a little late, so I'm sure you already know. Anyway, here goes...................I can't do it. Ok, I'm ready. Oh man! my hands hurt. I'm not going to be able to type this; I just can't do it. I'll just be quick--like ripping a band-aid off. Hedidn'tscore. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. That was terrible. Upon finding out this miserable truth, I spent some time in the hospital, so I'd rather not rehash too much. Moron Patsos, referenced above, double-teamed Stephen all night--even during lay-up drills before the game, which was a little unreasonable. So, yea, he didn't score. Evs. The White Lobster was 6-11 from three for 18 points. Very nice. A little better than pedestrian. Loyola (MD) Head Coach Nincompoop's comments: "We had to play against an NBA player tonight. Anybody else ever hold him scoreless? I'm a history major. They're going to remember that we held him scoreless or we lost by 30? If Oklahoma can't stop him, how is Loyola College going to stop him? I know the fans are mad at me, but I had to roll the dice as far as a coach goes. I'm not some rookie coach. I won a national title as a top assistant coach to Gary Williams. For 13 years I spent on Tobacco Road. I coached a couple of No. 1 picks in the draft. And we scored 48 points. That's the problem that Loyola basketball had today." So, let me get this straight. You are more concerned with holding "The Chosen One" scoreless than leading your team to victory? Nice. Not sure that's in the job description, Nincompoop. I wonder why the fans are mad. Maybe you shouldn't love yourself so much. And by the way, Maryland has NOTHING to do with Tobacco Road. And this from the White Lobster: "Their coach obviously wanted guys other than Steph to beat him. If you're playing 4-on-3 against us, somebody is going to hurt you." F#ckin'-A Right, White Lobster. F#ckin'-A Right. Donk Spotter

Curry Watch--Games 3 and 4

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:26:47 -0500

Curry Watch--First TV Appearance

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:48:12 -0500

This series is dedicated to the most exciting, exhilirating, electrifying and talented college basketball player of all-time (save David Thompson, Bryce Drew and a host of others).....Stephen Curry. Said athlete laces 'em up tonight for the first time on national television. Recaps from games one and two after the jump. Mr. Curry is averaging 31 points, 9.5 assists and 6.5 steals thus far. Yea, they've played Guilford and James Madison. So what! He'll do the same tonight. Prediction: 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. By the way, the "White Lobster" is averaging 11.5 points and shooting 46.7% from three (same as Mr. Curry--slow start). Season Predictions: Mr. Curry: 28 points, 4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 75% from three. White Lobster: 10 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 68% from three. Tune in tonight, Frumpsters! ESPN @ 9:30 ET. Better get your game right, Blake Griffin, or it's gonna be a RAINDANCE! Donk Spotter

Michael Jordan and Tex Winter Discuss the MJ-Kobe Comparisons

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:21:54 -0500

Lindy's Pro Basketball 2008-09 is on the market now. If it is not sold in a bookstore near you, you can order a copy online--choosing from among nine different regional covers--at the Lindy's website. For this year's edition, I wrote the Sacramento Kings preview for the third year in a row, the Phoenix Suns preview for the second year in a row and I wrote the Cleveland Cavaliers preview for the first time, ending my run of writing three straight previews about the Denver Nuggets. For the sidebar stories that accompany each preview, I wrote about Ron Artest, Shaquille O'Neal and the Cavaliers' underrated defense respectively. Editor Roland Lazenby contributed a very interesting story about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant titled, "In Michael's Image." Lazenby has long had a very close working relationship with Tex Winter, the inventor of the Triangle Offense who coached both Jordan (with the Chicago Bulls) and Bryant (with the Lakers, for whom Winter is still a consultant). Lazenby's excellent article is well worth reading. Here are a few bullet points: 1) Jerry West, the man who originally drafted Bryant, believes that Bryant's greatness is not appreciated or understood by the general public: "The people who write and say things, they know nothing about him," West said during the 2008 NBA Finals, according to Lazenby. 2) Lazenby indicated that the Jordan-Bryant comparisons do not bother Jordan as much as they bother others: "Frankly, Jordan doesn't see what all the big fuss is about. After all, human behavior is mimetic. That's what humans do. They copy and ape another." Jordan acknowledged that Bryant has patterned aspects of his game after Jordan's but does not see this as a bad thing at all: "But how many people lighted the path for me? That's the evoluation of basketball. There's no way I could have played the way I played if I didn't watch David Thompson and guys prior to me. There's no way Kobe could have played the way he's played without watching me play. So, you know, that's the evolution of basketball. You cannot change that." 3) Lazenby added, "In conversation, it becomes quickly obvious that Jordan respects Bryant, without even a hint of condescension. After all, Jordan respects anyone who does the work, who has the mental toughness, to climb the heights. Bryant's done the work and displayed the toughness, he says." 4) Winter has repeatedly emphasized that Scottie Pippen's role in the success of the Bulls cannot be overestimated; on the flip side, Winter and West both criticized the lack of mental toughness of Bryant's current supporting cast, a weakness that became glaringly apparent during the 2008 NBA Finals. "The Lakers just are not mentally tough," West said point blank, while Winter agreed and added, "We had some tough guys in Chicago, guys like John Paxson and Steve Kerr who could hit those open shots." In a sidebar piece, Lazenby pointed out that several years ago the Lakers coaching staff--which of course contained several people who also coached Jordan in Chicago--"concluded Bryant and Jordan were much alike, almost eerie, in fact, when it came to the alpha male qualities of their competitive natures. Kobe and Michael were ruthless when it came to winning, everyone agreed. And their skills were similar. Except Michael's hands were larger. The major difference between the two came with college experience. Jordan had played in a basketball system for Dean Smith at North Carolina, thus he was better prepared to play within a team concept." In a statement that may surprise a lot of people, Winter told Lazenby that he doubted that Jordan would have been a good fit playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal. It will probably surprise Bryant's critics even more to learn that Winter said that his critical examination of game tape shows that Bryant's shot selection is quite good: "Actually, for the most part, he's not forcing up a lot of bad shots. When he gets hot, he does take shots that would be questionable for other players. But a lot of the shots he's taken go in." After all, while some aspects of shot selection are universal--running the shot clock down at the end of the quarter to get the last shot and deny the other team a scoring opportunity--other aspects of shot selection depend on the skill set of the player who is taking the shot (and the skill sets of the players who he would be passing to if he did not shoot). Winter concluded, "I tend to think how very much they're alike. They both display tremendous reaction, quickness and jumping ability. Both have a good shooting touch. Some people say Kobe is a better shooter but Michael really developed as a shooter as he went along. I don't know if Kobe is a better shooter than Michael was at his best."

Usain Bolts To Second Gold While NBA Legends Gather for Charity and Current NBA Players Lured to Europe

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:41:09 -0500

USAIN BOLTS THROUGH MY HEART "We have the best coffee on the planet. We have Bob Marley. And now we have Usain Bolt. We are overjoyed and overwhelmed" ? Jamaican Minister of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports Olivia Grange. Usain Bolt broke former U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson's 12-year-old world