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***** ALL-TIME NBA/ABA DRAFT ***** (Scoobus is Champion!) (2 Viewers)

1970s Rankings, continued

DENVER NUGGETS / SAN ANTONIO SPURS DIVISION

Both of these teams were models of success for the ABA to NBA transition.  The Denver Rockets/Nuggets made the playoffs every year in the ABA and also made the playoffs the next three years in the NBA (made playoffs every year in the 1970s).  Despite all that success, the Nuggets only made the ABA finals once and never made it that far in the NBA in the 70s.   The Chaparrals/Spurs also had great success this decade, making the ABA or NBA playoffs every year except for their last season in Dallas in 1972-73.  Like the Nuggets, the Spurs never made it to the ABA or NBA finals during this time.  The Nuggets and Spurs both had a winning % of 59% in the NBA for the decade.  Great teams over the course of the decade who couldn’t quite cross the ultimate finish line.

Like the Nuggets and Spurs, the teams in this tier are all excellent with all-time greats on the roster who couldn’t break through to the top level due to either slightly out of position players, short peaks for their superstars, or missing a final piece to match the top teams of the decade.

6th place - 11 points

Kev4029  - Paul Westphal, David Thompson, Bill Bradley, Kermit Washington, Bill Walton

Average Score: 10.91   Best: 15   Worst: 2

5th place - 12 points

Trader Jake - Norm Van Lier, George Gervin, Lou Hudson, Bobby Jones, Sam Lacey

Average Score: 11.45   Best: 15   Worst: 7

4th place - 13 points

EYLive  - Phil Chenier, Billy Knight, Rick Barry, Wes Unseld, Bob Lanier

Average Score: 12.09   Best: 16   Worst: 4

 
Sorry for the delay, got pulled into something before my first meeting. But lucky for you the call ended early. 

 
And that wasn't even my ranking (the bolded 15 pt team).  I had me at 8th so right in the ballpark.   So far (just like everyone else) i have every team listed within a couple of where they ended up so far.  Top tiers still intact..

Thanks whoever put this squad as a 15 pointer....
:grad:

ETA: best balance and i'm apparently the only one who knows how good Doug Collins was.

 
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even tho i paid little attention to the ABA til the mid-70s, i remembered all 5 of Instinctive's team and admired the courage of his afflictions. i didnt remember some of Frosty's, and i trust that. and re-positioning Pistol Pete (whom i drafted here a decade ago) to make room for 2 of em was egregious.
I didn't remember Red Robbins on Frosty's or Donnie Freeman on Instinct's.  None of Instinct's stood out for me at all.

 
1970s Rankings, continued

MILWAUKEE BUCKS / WASHINGTON BULLETS / LOS ANGELES LAKERS / NEW YORK KNICKS / BOSTON CELTICS DIVISION

As I mentioned earlier, the 1970s had no true dynasty or even a clear top team.  The Bucks had the best record for the decade at 60%, made the finals twice and won one championship.  The Bullets had a record of 59%, made the finals the most of any team at four times, and won the title once.  The Lakers had a record for the decade of 59%, had one of the all time great teams in 1971-72, made the finals three times, and won the tile once.  The Knicks had a winning % of 56% for the decade, made the finals three times, and won twice.  The Celtics had a winning % of 58%, made the finals twice and won both times.  Like I said, clear as mud who the best teams were for the decade.

Our top teams in the top tier were all well balanced teams featuring all-time greats at various positions, and multiple hall of famers.

3th place - 14 points

Yo Mama  - Nate Archibald, Gail Goodrich, Campy Russell, Paul Silas, Moses Malone

Average Score: 13.64   Best: 15   Worst: 12

2nd place - 15 points

Jayrod  - Jo Jo White, Don Buse, John Drew, Spencer Haywood, K Abdul-Jabbar

Average Score: 13.82   Best: 16   Worst: 9

1st place - 16 points

Higgins  - John Lucas, Gus Williams, Julius Erving, Elvin Hayes, Artis Gilmore

Average Score: 14.91   Best: 16   Worst: 11

 
1970s Rankings, continued

DENVER NUGGETS / SAN ANTONIO SPURS DIVISION

Both of these teams were models of success for the ABA to NBA transition.  The Denver Rockets/Nuggets made the playoffs every year in the ABA and also made the playoffs the next three years in the NBA (made playoffs every year in the 1970s).  Despite all that success, the Nuggets only made the ABA finals once and never made it that far in the NBA in the 70s.   The Chaparrals/Spurs also had great success this decade, making the ABA or NBA playoffs every year except for their last season in Dallas in 1972-73.  Like the Nuggets, the Spurs never made it to the ABA or NBA finals during this time.  The Nuggets and Spurs both had a winning % of 59% in the NBA for the decade.  Great teams over the course of the decade who couldn’t quite cross the ultimate finish line.

Like the Nuggets and Spurs, the teams in this tier are all excellent with all-time greats on the roster who couldn’t break through to the top level due to either slightly out of position players, short peaks for their superstars, or missing a final piece to match the top teams of the decade.

6th place - 11 points

Kev4029  - Paul Westphal, David Thompson, Bill Bradley, Kermit Washington, Bill Walton

Average Score: 10.91   Best: 15   Worst: 2

5th place - 12 points

Trader Jake - Norm Van Lier, George Gervin, Lou Hudson, Bobby Jones, Sam Lacey

Average Score: 11.45   Best: 15   Worst: 7

4th place - 13 points

EYLive  - Phil Chenier, Billy Knight, Rick Barry, Wes Unseld, Bob Lanier

Average Score: 12.09   Best: 16   Worst: 4
9th place, 6.5th place, 4th place.  Hit the 4th place. Solid team there at the bottom of my Tier 1

 
1970s Rankings, continued

MILWAUKEE BUCKS / WASHINGTON BULLETS / LOS ANGELES LAKERS / NEW YORK KNICKS / BOSTON CELTICS DIVISION

As I mentioned earlier, the 1970s had no true dynasty or even a clear top team.  The Bucks had the best record for the decade at 60%, made the finals twice and won one championship.  The Bullets had a record of 59%, made the finals the most of any team at four times, and won the title once.  The Lakers had a record for the decade of 59%, had one of the all time great teams in 1971-72, made the finals three times, and won the tile once.  The Knicks had a winning % of 56% for the decade, made the finals three times, and won twice.  The Celtics had a winning % of 58%, made the finals twice and won both times.  Like I said, clear as mud who the best teams were for the decade.

Our top teams in the top tier were all well balanced teams featuring all-time greats at various positions, and multiple hall of famers.

3th place - 14 points

Yo Mama  - Nate Archibald, Gail Goodrich, Campy Russell, Paul Silas, Moses Malone

Average Score: 13.64   Best: 15   Worst: 12

2nd place - 15 points

Jayrod  - Jo Jo White, Don Buse, John Drew, Spencer Haywood, K Abdul-Jabbar

Average Score: 13.82   Best: 16   Worst: 9

1st place - 16 points

Higgins  - John Lucas, Gus Williams, Julius Erving, Elvin Hayes, Artis Gilmore

Average Score: 14.91   Best: 16   Worst: 11
Nailed all three of these.   

 

HIGGINS132

JAYROD128

YO MAMA122

EY LIVE121

 
1970s Final Rankings

16 pts - Higgins  - John Lucas, Gus Williams, Julius Erving, Elvin Hayes, Artis Gilmore

15 pts - Jayrod  - Jo Jo White, Don Buse, John Drew, Spencer Haywood, K Abdul-Jabbar

14 pts - Yo Mama  - Nate Archibald, Gail Goodrich, Campy Russell, Paul Silas, Moses Malone

13 pts - EYLive  - Phil Chenier, Billy Knight, Rick Barry, Wes Unseld, Bob Lanier

12 pts - Trader Jake - Norm Van Lier, George Gervin, Lou Hudson, Bobby Jones, Sam Lacey

11 pts - Kev4029  - Paul Westphal, David Thompson, Bill Bradley, Kermit Washington, Bill Walton

10 pts - Gally - Dave Bing, Doug Collins, Bob Dandridge, Sidney Wicks, Dan Issel

9 pts - Wikkidpissah  - Calvin Murphy, Charlie Scott, Cazzie Russell, Marvin Barnes, Dave Cowens

8 pts - Timschochet  - Walt Frazier, Louie Dampier, Willie Wise, Maurice Lucas, Darryl Dawkins

7 pts - Doug B  - Kevin Porter, Austin Carr, Billy Cunningham, George McGinnis, Elmore Smith

6 pts - Frosty  - Jimmy Jones, Warren Jabali, Pete Maravich, Red Robbins, Mel Daniels

5 pts - Ilov80s  - Archie Clark, Randy Smith, Scott Wedman, Larry Kenon, Bob McAdoo

4 pts - Modogg  - Slick Watts, Geoff Petrie, Connie Hawkins, Mickey Johnson, Alvan Adams

3 pts - Scoobus  - Freddie Lewis, Jeff Mullins, Jack Marin, Rudy Tomjanovich, Bob Rule

2 pts - Mister CIA  - Fred Carter, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman, Bob Love, Caldwell Jones

1 pt - Instinctive  - Mack Calvin, Donnie Freeman, Ron Boone, Bob Netolicky, Billy Paultz

 
1970s Rankings Details

16 - Higgins  - 11,14,14,15,15,15,16,16,16,16,16

15 - Jayrod  - 9,9,9,15,15,15,16,16,16,16,16

14 - Yo Mama  - 12,13,13,13,14,14,14,14,14,14,15

13 - EYLive  - 4,10,10,12,13,13,13,13,14,15,16

12 - Trader Jake - 7,10,11,11,11,12,12,12,12,13,15

11 - Kev4029  - 2,8,8,10,12,12,13,13,13,14,15

10 - Gally - 6,7,8,8,9,10,11,11,11,12,15

9 - Wikkidpissah  - 4,5,5,7,9,10,11,11,11,12,14

8 - Timschochet  - 6,7,7,9,9,9,9,10,10,10,12

7 - Doug B  - 4,4,4,5,5,6,6,8,8,10,11

6 - Frosty  - 1,4,4,6,6,6,7,7,7,8,10

5 - Ilov80s  - 2,3,3,5,6,6,7,7,8,9,9

4 - Modogg  - 2,3,3,3,4,4,5,6,6,7,8

3 - Scoobus  - 1,2,2,2,3,3,3,4,4,5,5

2 - Mister CIA  - 1,1,1,1,2,2,2,3,5,5,8

1 - Instinctive  - 1,1,1,1,1,2,2,3,3,5,8

 
Combined Standings (60s, 70s)

25 - Yo Mama  (11, 14)

24 - Kev4029  (13, 11)

21 - Trader Jake (9, 12)

21 - Ilov80s  (16, 5)

20 - Timschochet  (12, 8 )

20 - Gally (10, 10)

20 - Frosty  (14, 6)

20 - EYLive  (7, 13)

19 - Jayrod  (4, 15)

17 - Wikkidpissah  (8, 9)

17 - Higgins  (1, 16)

16 - Instinctive  (15, 1)

12 - Doug B  (5, 7)

9 - Scoobus  (6, 3)

7 - Modogg  (3, 4)

4 - Mister CIA  (2, 2)

 
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:grad:

ETA: best balance and i'm apparently the only one who knows how good Doug Collins was.
I was absolutely shocked looking into Collins when I took him.  He had a great peak for 4-5 years and could do everything.  I was surprised I got him as late as I did (20.07) and the bonus was he fit perfectly for my squad.  

 
Combined Standings (60s, 70s)

25 - Yo Mama  (11, 14)

24 - Kev4029  (13, 11)

21 - Trader Jake (9, 12)

21 - Ilov80s  (16, 5)

20 - Timschochet  (12, 8 )

20 - Gally (10, 10)

20 - Frosty  (14, 6)

20 - EYLive  (7, 13)

19 - Jayrod  (4, 15)

17 - Wikkidpissah  (8, 9)

17 - Higgins  (1, 16)

16 - Instinctive  (15, 1)

12 - Doug B  (5, 7)

9 - Scoobus  (6, 3)

7 - Modogg  (3, 4)

4 - Mister CIA  (2, 2)
I don’t expect my top ranking to last (although I like my 80s team too). 4 of my 8 pantheon players (including my top two picks) were in the 60s and 70s. 
 

Super tight in the standings so far. 

 
I didn't remember Red Robbins on Frosty's or Donnie Freeman on Instinct's.  None of Instinct's stood out for me at all.
Yeah I figured it would be a risk, but taking 5 of the 30 best guys in the ABA felt like a good ode to the era. Honestly pretty shocked to be last place as a result. I oversold on the 8-10th, but kind of figured around 13 is where Id end up. 

 
Had the same top 5 as the final Rankings 

Had Kev way lower, liked Ilove80s better than consensus, and put Instinctive a bit higher (even though I hated that someone drafted The Whopper.)

Ptovsbly my favorite era as a fan. Everyone trashes the Bullets-Sonics end to the decade but those were great series. Bunch of great Finals in the 70s plus six years of red, white & blue.

But yeah, Bird, Magic and the Bad Boys were special too. And the league went to another level.

 
Yeah I figured it would be a risk, but taking 5 of the 30 best guys in the ABA felt like a good ode to the era. Honestly pretty shocked to be last place as a result. I oversold on the 8-10th, but kind of figured around 13 is where Id end up. 
Like the only guys on the two teams in 15th and 14th i have heard of was Tomjanovich and mostly because of punching and coaching.

 
Yeah I figured it would be a risk, but taking 5 of the 30 best guys in the ABA felt like a good ode to the era. Honestly pretty shocked to be last place as a result. I oversold on the 8-10th, but kind of figured around 13 is where Id end up. 
Bunch of NBA snobs in here

 
Yeah I figured it would be a risk, but taking 5 of the 30 best guys in the ABA felt like a good ode to the era. Honestly pretty shocked to be last place as a result. I oversold on the 8-10th, but kind of figured around 13 is where Id end up. 
I had you at #14.

 
1970s Rankings Details

15 - Jayrod  - 9,9,9,15,15,15,16,16,16,16,16
That's kind of a bizarre grouping.  I landed exactly where I put myself (had @higginss ahead of me because I had no one to slow down Dr. J, while Gilmore could at least contain Kareem).

But odd I got 3 9's and nothing from 10-14.

 
That's kind of a bizarre grouping.  I landed exactly where I put myself (had @higginss ahead of me because I had no one to slow down Dr. J, while Gilmore could at least contain Kareem).

But odd I got 3 9's and nothing from 10-14.
I had you at the top spot with EYLive/Higgins a close #2/3

 
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That's kind of a bizarre grouping.  I landed exactly where I put myself (had @higginss ahead of me because I had no one to slow down Dr. J, while Gilmore could at least contain Kareem).

But odd I got 3 9's and nothing from 10-14.
Outside of Thurmond and that annoying little kid In Airplane! nobody had much impact on Kareem. I had your team #2.

 
That's kind of a bizarre grouping.  I landed exactly where I put myself (had @higginss ahead of me because I had no one to slow down Dr. J, while Gilmore could at least contain Kareem).

But odd I got 3 9's and nothing from 10-14.
Yeah that was a bit surprising. You didn’t have an out of position, out of era, or short peak guy to cause any big swings in opinion as far as I could tell (I gave you a 16).
 

I could understand the varying opinions on guys like Unseld at the 4 or Walton and his short peak that would cause some big ranges, but I didn’t see it with your team. 

 
Checking in on the cadence we’re at. Is everyone good with the pace so far?  Too fast?  Too slow?

Here’s what I was thinking for the next couple rankings:

80s writeups due tomorrow

80s rankings due Wednesday

80s results Thursday morning

90s writeups due Thursday

90s rankings due Friday

90s results Saturday

Then we do 00s and 10s next week.

That give enough time to argue about rankings and do the judging?

 
1980s Rosters

Modogg  - Mugsy Bogues, World B. Free, Orlando Woolridge, Calvin Natt, Mike Gminski

Timschochet  - Spud Webb, Danny Ainge, James Worthy, Kiki VanDeWege, Bill Cartwright

Wikkidpissah  - Magic Johnson, Darrell Griffith, Bernard King, Wayman Tisdale, Patrick Ewing

Jayrod  - Dennis Johnson, Adrian Dantley, Jamaal Wilkes, Dan Roundfield, Jeff Ruland

Ilov80s  - Isiah Thomas, Walter Davis, Dominique Wilkins, Tom Chambers, Jack Sikma

Frosty  - Ricky Green, Rolando Blackmon, Purvis Short, Michael Cage, Tree Rollins

EYLive  - Norm Nixon, Eddie Johnson, Mike Mitchell, Truck Robinson, Swen Nater

Instinctive  - Micheal Ray Richardson, Alvin Robertson, Marques Johnson, Ralph Sampson, Bill Laimbeer

Trader Jake - Derek Harper, Michael Cooper, Larry Bird, Sam Perkins, Mark Eaton

Gally - Ray Williams, Jeff Malone, Paul Pressey, Larry Nance, James Edwards

Mister CIA  - Sleepy Floyd, Andrew Toney, Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings, James Donaldson

Doug B  - Lafayette Lever, Ron Harper, Thurl Bailey, Kevin McHale, Joe Barry Carroll

Higgins  - Maurice Cheeks, Reggie Theus, Xavier McDaniel, Buck Williams, Roy Tarpley

Scoobus  - Doc Rivers, Otis Birdsong, Alex English, A.C. Green, Benoit Benjamin

Kev4029  - Johnny Moore, Byron Scott, Jim Paxon, Cedric Maxwell, RIck Mahorn

Yo Mama  - Michael Adams, Sidney Moncrief, Dale Ellis, Mychal Thompson, Robert Parish

 
well, i was hoping to have a better showing from my 70s team. really thought it would land around 8th or so, so I am really going to need MJ and AI lead their teams to the top. My 80s team with the G'Man is going to probably not catapult me to the top, will need my guards and Obocop to pull their weight here:

80s

PG Muggsy Bogues  

 didn't see this guy grabbed, so taking him. Luckily he played 3 seasons in the 80s which is the criteria i thought to grab a guy from a certain decade. Should have thought of him more for the 90s, but figured with 3 years in the 80s thought i could sneak him in

I saw on reddit that he may be the leader all time in assists to Turnovers ratio, so that is pretty impressive. Averaged 1.5 steals, and 7.6 assists, per game for his career.  Looking at his stats i am worried he may have been taken and i may have missed because he is more impressive than i originally thought. Not going to give me a ton of points (maybe only 8 points a game), but with 9-10 assists per game he is a good puzzle piece. 

Seems like a guy that isn't as high on some all time lists and stuff because his later years were down years on most stats, but that is to be expected for a 5'3", 136 pound guy who played for 14 years in the NBA

SG   World B. Free  

Career averages: 20.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 steal

Free was the prototypical combo guard before Allen Iverson took it two levels higher. He was drafted in 1975, but did the majority of his work in the1980s. It’s tragic that he only made the All Star game once. 

Orlando Woolridge   SF  80s   

    - i love the nicknames on Basketball reference, favorite for Woodridge is probably Obocop

   - grabbed the below from some Bulls' blogs, figured with Jordan on the team might as well grab the guy who helped Jordan get into his career:

He was known for his high-flying dunks. He was a scorer. during the 1984-85 season, Woolridge averaged 22.9 points per game, teaming with rookie Michael Jordan to provide a potent 1-2 scoring punch. Together, the combined to average better than 51 points per game.

Orlando Woolridge was the No. 6 pick in the 1981 draft but got little playing time as a rookie. Once he became a full-time starter, he began to live up to expectations.

For the rest of his Bulls career, Woolridge showed his scoring ability.

During his sophomore season, Woolridge more than doubled his scoring average (16.5 PPG) and only kept improving in the following seasons, especially when Jordan arrived.

Woolridge increased his scoring average to 22 during Jordan’s rookie season, making his scoring total that year the best of his career.

PF Calvin "Pit Bull" Natt  

    - Natt had by far the best statistical season of his career in '84-'85 as he average 23.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the season. ... For his Nuggets career Natt averaged 17.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists but these numbers could have been much better had he not been so prone to leg injuries

- After a solid season in '86, injuries would decimate Natt. He would play only one game in '87 and would never play more than 30 games before retiring in 1990.

- Shot 100% against the Warriors in '82, going 13 of 13 for 26 points. 

- 30 pts/7 Rebs against the Lakers in the '85 playoffs:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-AmkQZ8Zt6I&feature=youtube_gdata&ab_channel=LamarMatic

- Dude was 6'6" and rebounded over dudes taller than him all the time. Like him probably better as my SF to not beat his body up, but dude was truly a "pit bull" and just was dominant at times. 

C Mike Gminski

it was near the close of his tenure with the Sixers, but he played a lot of minutes and was always good for 15-18 points and close to 10 rebounds a game. Not a sexxy pick for sure, but actually looking at some of his per game stats and how he did in various match-ups, the guy played better than his stats show.

DId look around the other day for him, and did get to see he is in the Polish Sports Hall of Fame, so he has that going for him. From that established site:

"Gminski established himself as a tough player and helped lead the franchise to the playoffs five times. In his final season with the Nets he averaged 16.4 points and 8.8 rebounds before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. In his first season with Philadelphia, he averaged 16.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. The following year he averaged over 17 points per game and led the 76ers to the Atlantic Division title. During his NBA career, Gminski scored more than 10,000 points and grabbed over 6,000 rebounds, a feat accomplished by only a handful of players in NBA history."

 
I'm fine with the final ranking for this team (I had them 10th), but who in the world put Pistol Pete and Mel Daniels in last place?
Yes I'm fine with the final ranking. I did a nice job I think pairing Pistol with Mel, but then pretty much abandoned the decade. Not sure I totally get dinging Maravich for moving from wing to the other wing, but whatevs. 

 
Yeah that was a bit surprising. You didn’t have an out of position, out of era, or short peak guy to cause any big swings in opinion as far as I could tell (I gave you a 16).
 

I could understand the varying opinions on guys like Unseld at the 4 or Walton and his short peak that would cause some big ranges, but I didn’t see it with your team. 
I expected some 13's and 14's.  Honestly Jo Jo White's advanced stats are subpar (compared to the all-time greats) and Drew's shortened career was a detriment.  However, I really liked Haywood with Kareem and Buse as a compliment to White.

Really not seeing how 3 different judges found 7 teams above mine.  There are 3 at most 4 in the same range...Kareem literally won half of the MVPs in the era and the team has no glaring weakness.

 
well, i was hoping to have a better showing from my 70s team. really thought it would land around 8th or so, so I am really going to need MJ and AI lead their teams to the top. My 80s team with the G'Man is going to probably not catapult me to the top, will need my guards and Obocop to pull their weight here:

80s

PG Muggsy Bogues  

 didn't see this guy grabbed, so taking him. Luckily he played 3 seasons in the 80s which is the criteria i thought to grab a guy from a certain decade. Should have thought of him more for the 90s, but figured with 3 years in the 80s thought i could sneak him in

I saw on reddit that he may be the leader all time in assists to Turnovers ratio, so that is pretty impressive. Averaged 1.5 steals, and 7.6 assists, per game for his career.  Looking at his stats i am worried he may have been taken and i may have missed because he is more impressive than i originally thought. Not going to give me a ton of points (maybe only 8 points a game), but with 9-10 assists per game he is a good puzzle piece. 

Seems like a guy that isn't as high on some all time lists and stuff because his later years were down years on most stats, but that is to be expected for a 5'3", 136 pound guy who played for 14 years in the NBA

SG   World B. Free  

Career averages: 20.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 steal

Free was the prototypical combo guard before Allen Iverson took it two levels higher. He was drafted in 1975, but did the majority of his work in the1980s. It’s tragic that he only made the All Star game once. 

Orlando Woolridge   SF  80s   

    - i love the nicknames on Basketball reference, favorite for Woodridge is probably Obocop

   - grabbed the below from some Bulls' blogs, figured with Jordan on the team might as well grab the guy who helped Jordan get into his career:

He was known for his high-flying dunks. He was a scorer. during the 1984-85 season, Woolridge averaged 22.9 points per game, teaming with rookie Michael Jordan to provide a potent 1-2 scoring punch. Together, the combined to average better than 51 points per game.

Orlando Woolridge was the No. 6 pick in the 1981 draft but got little playing time as a rookie. Once he became a full-time starter, he began to live up to expectations.

For the rest of his Bulls career, Woolridge showed his scoring ability.

During his sophomore season, Woolridge more than doubled his scoring average (16.5 PPG) and only kept improving in the following seasons, especially when Jordan arrived.

Woolridge increased his scoring average to 22 during Jordan’s rookie season, making his scoring total that year the best of his career.

PF Calvin "Pit Bull" Natt  

    - Natt had by far the best statistical season of his career in '84-'85 as he average 23.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the season. ... For his Nuggets career Natt averaged 17.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists but these numbers could have been much better had he not been so prone to leg injuries

- After a solid season in '86, injuries would decimate Natt. He would play only one game in '87 and would never play more than 30 games before retiring in 1990.

- Shot 100% against the Warriors in '82, going 13 of 13 for 26 points. 

- 30 pts/7 Rebs against the Lakers in the '85 playoffs:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-AmkQZ8Zt6I&feature=youtube_gdata&ab_channel=LamarMatic

- Dude was 6'6" and rebounded over dudes taller than him all the time. Like him probably better as my SF to not beat his body up, but dude was truly a "pit bull" and just was dominant at times. 

C Mike Gminski

it was near the close of his tenure with the Sixers, but he played a lot of minutes and was always good for 15-18 points and close to 10 rebounds a game. Not a sexxy pick for sure, but actually looking at some of his per game stats and how he did in various match-ups, the guy played better than his stats show.

DId look around the other day for him, and did get to see he is in the Polish Sports Hall of Fame, so he has that going for him. From that established site:

"Gminski established himself as a tough player and helped lead the franchise to the playoffs five times. In his final season with the Nets he averaged 16.4 points and 8.8 rebounds before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. In his first season with Philadelphia, he averaged 16.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. The following year he averaged over 17 points per game and led the 76ers to the Atlantic Division title. During his NBA career, Gminski scored more than 10,000 points and grabbed over 6,000 rebounds, a feat accomplished by only a handful of players in NBA history."
Looks like we are all playing for 15 points 

 
1980s Rosters

Modogg  - Mugsy Bogues, World B. Free, Orlando Woolridge, Calvin Natt, Mike Gminski

Timschochet  - Spud Webb, Danny Ainge, James Worthy, Kiki VanDeWege, Bill Cartwright

Wikkidpissah  - Magic Johnson, Darrell Griffith, Bernard King, Wayman Tisdale, Patrick Ewing

Jayrod  - Dennis Johnson, Adrian Dantley, Jamaal Wilkes, Dan Roundfield, Jeff Ruland

Ilov80s  - Isiah Thomas, Walter Davis, Dominique Wilkins, Tom Chambers, Jack Sikma

Frosty  - Ricky Green, Rolando Blackmon, Purvis Short, Michael Cage, Tree Rollins

EYLive  - Norm Nixon, Eddie Johnson, Mike Mitchell, Truck Robinson, Swen Nater

Instinctive  - Micheal Ray Richardson, Alvin Robertson, Marques Johnson, Ralph Sampson, Bill Laimbeer

Trader Jake - Derek Harper, Michael Cooper, Larry Bird, Sam Perkins, Mark Eaton

Gally - Ray Williams, Jeff Malone, Paul Pressey, Larry Nance, James Edwards

Mister CIA  - Sleepy Floyd, Andrew Toney, Mark Aguirre, Terry Cummings, James Donaldson

Doug B  - Lafayette Lever, Ron Harper, Thurl Bailey, Kevin McHale, Joe Barry Carroll

Higgins  - Maurice Cheeks, Reggie Theus, Xavier McDaniel, Buck Williams, Roy Tarpley

Scoobus  - Doc Rivers, Otis Birdsong, Alex English, A.C. Green, Benoit Benjamin

Kev4029  - Johnny Moore, Byron Scott, Jim Paxon, Cedric Maxwell, RIck Mahorn

Yo Mama  - Michael Adams, Sidney Moncrief, Dale Ellis, Mychal Thompson, Robert Parish
:bowtie:

This team ought to get me off the schneid.

PG - Magic and Isiah are Tier 1 PGs and and Cheeks and DJ fill out Tier 2. And then I have Sleepy Floyd firmly in Tier  3 with  Fat Lever and Norm Nixon.  Like most, I did not watch a lot of GSW back in the 80s, but I did read box scores and Sleepy was no slouch, putting up solid #s for the entire decade, peaking in 87 with 21/5/10 with 1.5 steals pg too (which are pretty sick numbers).

SG - Yes Andrew Toney's career was cut short by injury, but as an NBA fan coming of age in the early 80s Toney was the original stone-cold killer in my memory book. Maybe I get dinged for this pick in the 80s category because the body of work stops after about five years, but my main motivation for drafting him was to slot him on my pantheon team where he and Horry will fart on everyone else's dreams. 

SF - Mark Aguirre is the most boring 25/6/4 player in NBA history.  Bird, Bernard King, and James Worthy are probably my top 3 in the category, an I suppose Dominique is worthy of a 4th place ranking, though I never really liked him - probably because I hated TBS back in the day always pimping the Braves (can't recall if TBS broadcast Hawks games too), which was enough to cause me to downgrade all ATL sports.  Anyway, I have Aguirre ranked 5th in the category with my personal bias giving him the edge over Alex English and Jamaal Wilkes. ... scratch that, Alex English was a stat monster back in the 80s - might rank him third behind Bird and Bernard.

PF - The only debate here is if Terry Cummings or Buck Williams ranks #2 behind McHale. Cummings put up 22 points and 9 boards over a span of 8 years while shooting 49%.  Show me a list of 80s players with more atleticism than Cummings and I'll show you a very short list.

C - Without factoring in roster composition I think James Donaldson holds his own in this category, having reviewed the competition.  Ewing and Parish are in Tier 1, and then Laimbeer, Sikma, and Cartwright (maybe), and then there's Donaldson.  But Donaldson REALLY fits nicely with the composition of the aforementioned 1-4 scoring juggernaut.  Just take 7 shots per game and make 4, big fella; and make your free throws, pressure the opposing front court when you're on defense, and grab 10+ rebounds per game - and we're good.

Is it just me or did everyone have a stint with the Warriors back in the 70s and 80s?

 
C Mike Gminski

it was near the close of his tenure with the Sixers, but he played a lot of minutes and was always good for 15-18 points and close to 10 rebounds a game. Not a sexxy pick for sure, but actually looking at some of his per game stats and how he did in various match-ups, the guy played better than his stats show.

DId look around the other day for him, and did get to see he is in the Polish Sports Hall of Fame, so he has that going for him. From that established site:

"Gminski established himself as a tough player and helped lead the franchise to the playoffs five times. In his final season with the Nets he averaged 16.4 points and 8.8 rebounds before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. In his first season with Philadelphia, he averaged 16.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. The following year he averaged over 17 points per game and led the 76ers to the Atlantic Division title. During his NBA career, Gminski scored more than 10,000 points and grabbed over 6,000 rebounds, a feat accomplished by only a handful of players in NBA history."
You know, I don't recall Gminski putting up the stats that he did, but they are solid; then again, on a good day he played for a mediocre team, and the good days were too few.

 
80s

PG - Johnny Moore - He has his number retired by the Spurs and averaged a pissload of assists in the first half of his career. Unfortunately he contracted a form of meningitis that derailed his career and he was never the same.

SG - Byron Scott - Maybe the most underrated player in Lakers history and an ideal complementary wing. His Lakers ranks: 10th in WS, 9th in VORP, 4th in steals, 4th in threes.

SF - Jim Paxon - Won fewer titles than his brother but he is a much better GM. Made two AS games and an All-NBA team and efficiently filled it up in the first half of the decade.

PF - Cedric Maxwell - 1981 NBA Finals MVP. He had a three year run with 35 WS, and posted a 17/8/3 on .669 TS%.  

C - Rick Mahorn - He’ll #### you up. 

I’m not going to bother much here. They suck. I know it, they know it, you know it. But they objectively suck less bad that I thought they would when my first pick was made in round 26. We helped win the ‘81, ‘84, ‘85, and ‘87-’89 championships. Cedric Maxwell actually won a finals MVP (the other Finals MVPs of the decade were picked at least 19 rounds prior!). 

But, while we are likely losing, we are going to make it kind of tough. We got some good passers and Maxwell is going bully opposing forwards when he is near the basket. Mahorn is going to bully opposing players when they are near the basket. We should be competitive against some of the other… less sexy teams of the decade, but we’ll get trounced against the good teams. 

 
I was a little worried about Sikma at C and then I looked at the the Cs in the 80s and realized he was clearly a top guy. 

 
PG - Ricky Green: 14.1ppg, 8.6apg, 2.6spg

SG - Rolando Blackman: 20.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 3.5apg

SF - Purvis Short: 24.5ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.3apg, 1.4spg

PF - Michael Cage: 13.5ppg, 11.3rpg, 1.6apg, 1.2spg

C  - Tree Rollins: 7.8ppg, 8.0rpg, 3.2bpg

This is a very interesting team, and very little would surprise me about where they end up rated. Cage and Rollins will control the paint. Combining their rebound numbers and blocks numbers I'd put these two up against any other combo in terms of ruling the inside defensively. They aren't exactly offensive machines, but that's why I have Short and Blackman, and Short's no slouch on defense himself. Ricky Green is a dynamite distributor and defensive machine. This is definitely a sum is greater than the whole of the parts kind of team. They fit together very well. 

 
higgins 80's squad

PG Maurice Cheeks

SG Reggie Theus

SF Xavier McDaniel

PF Buck Williams

C Roy Tarpley

I’ll keep it simple -- this team will be enormously successful due to 3 basic components, 2-of-which they'll be far better at than any team they face.

1.       Passing

2.       Rebounding

3.       Defense

Passing

Both guards on this team have extensive point guard experience. While Cheeks is #14 in career NBA assists all-time, Theus ranks # 29. While Cheeks will take on the traditional PG role, Theus will be a productive scorer with the added dimension of being a tremendous passer from the big guard (6’7”) position.

The team’s success will partly be due to this unique passing ability complimented by Buck Williams’ unique ability to be an efficient scorer. While he did lead the league (numero uno) in FG% in the early 90’s in two consecutive years (90/91 & 91/92), here are his top rankings from the 80’s:  #3 in 81/82, #5 in 82/83, #6 in 86/87, #7 in 87/88, #13 in 88/89, and #10 in 89/90.

How do you remember Xavier McDaniel? For the on-court choking of Wes Matthews? For his bulked up enforcer during his later years on the Knicks? I once read that he was the first player to ever lead the college ranks in both scoring and rebounding during the same year -- but what I mainly remember him for were his early years on the Sonics. After scoring 17 pts/gm as a rookie, X went on to score 23, 21, 21 and 21 pts/gm to close out the decade. He’s not simply there to enforce – he’ll be another beneficiary of the team's passing. His frontcourt-mate Roy Tarpley won’t be an afterthought either, as anyone who remembers his play (before he was banned for substance abuse violations).

Rebounding

At first glance, this stat will be ably manned by Buck (and for good reason). In his first six seasons in the league (all in the 80’s) he was ranked either #2 or #3 in total rebounds each of those first 6 seasons –and- he ended his career as the #17 rebounder of all time. But, it’s not just him in the frontcourt. In both 87/88 & 89/90 Tarp was #1 in total rebound % -and- X had two top-10 seasons in offensive rebound %. This team will vacuum the glass and windex it on the next opportunity.

Defense

Where would you focus an offensive attack when the guards on the opposing team are ranked #5 and #94 on the all-time steals list?

Well Buck had four top-20 defensive rating years in the 80’s –and- Tarp had two top-10 seasons in the same category. You may decide to focus on X but I’d highly advise against it.

____________________

Passing.... rebounding.... defense.

And these starters averaged (as a group) 72 pts/game during their whole career....not just their peak years.

 
I was a little worried about Sikma at C and then I looked at the the Cs in the 80s and realized he was clearly a top guy. 
Probably only Laimbeer was comparable as a perimeter center. Not quite as good of a defender or rebounder as Bill but still very good at both. But his signature offensive moves are what people remember. Not too many guys in this decade you can search YouTube by "NAME MOVE" but you'll get a ton of hits looking up "Sikma Move."

 
Probably only Laimbeer was comparable as a perimeter center. Not quite as good of a defender or rebounder as Bill but still very good at both. But his signature offensive moves are what people remember. Not too many guys in this decade you can search YouTube by "NAME MOVE" but you'll get a ton of hits looking up "Sikma Move."
He was not the rebounder Bill was but Sikma did have 1 more All Defensive Team than Laimbeer.  Also, 7 All Star Games is nothing to sneeze at. 

 
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He was not the rebounder Bill was but Sikma did have 1 more All Defensive Team than Laimbeer.  Also, 7 All Star Games is nothing to sneeze at. 
You’re right, Sikma led the league in DWS twice and his DBPM was more consistent than Big Bill’s.

Laimbeer is still on the All ####### Team and would get a guy off his game better than Dutch Boy.

 
You’re right, Sikma led the league in DWS twice and his DBPM was more consistent than Big Bill’s.

Laimbeer is still on the All ####### Team and would get a guy off his game better than Dutch Boy.
I had Sikma as my #3 80's center and a significant drop-off after him.  After Moses/Ewing (both put in the wrong era, so it evens out), I have Parish and then Sikma.  Basically everyone that follows is one-dimensional (or no-dimensional).

 
Ilov80s

More run and gun basketball. The 60s and 80s were the highest scoring decades in NBA history so I’ve built a team ready to score. 

PG Isiah Thomas  12x All Star and 2x NBA Champion, was the first guard I can think of to lead a team to an NBA title without a star big man, he could score in bursts (25 points in the 3rd quarter of an NBA finals game on 1 leg), run an offense and set-up scorers. Always smiling, looking so friendly but that hid a nasty player who grew up small and poor on some of the roughest streets in Chicago. There is no aspect to playing point guard that Isiah doesn’t do to near perfection. 

SG Walter Davis Greyhound, Sweet D, the Candyman, he was the face of the Suns and a 6x All Star, 2x All NBA, he was fast in the open court, smooth in half court and had a silky jumper. Short of Jordan, Walter Davis is the perfect 80s shooting guard getting up and down the court quickly, scoring efficiently. 

SF Dominique Wilkins 9x All Star and 7x All NBA, 14th all time in PPG, 34th VORP all time, Wilkens was a scoring machine. To that point we had seen powerful dunkers like Dawkins and we had seen acrobatic dunkers like Dr. J but ‘Nique combined them to create something new: A dunker who could pump, windmill or reverse but did it with aggression. When he dunked, it even sounded different. Don’t forget the heart on this guy too. He ruptured his achilles which was basically a death sentence at the time. Not only did he come back the next year but would he make 4 more All Star Games and adjusted him game to become a solid 3 point shooter. 

PF Tom Chambers 4x All Star, 2x All NBA and a dunker nearly as feared as ‘Nique. The ambidextrous 6’10” Chambers was a ferocious finisher at the rim. The only 20,000 point scorer not in the HOF, Chambers paired with Wilkens will give Zeke two very dangerous options to dish to on the break. No rim is safe. 

C Jack Sikma 7x All Star, rare 6’11” center for the time who had shooting range to pair with a slick post game. The Sikma Move reverse pivot face up combined with his length meant he could get a clean look whenever he needed to. The original stretch 5 who could set up outside and clear the lane (which will be huge for my team). Good defender who led the league in defensive win shares twice and is 31st all time. Really good passing big as well. Just a highly skilled big man all around. 

This isn’t a team built to play tough physical defense but it is 2/built to score with shooters, slashers and post play. Sikma can work the block or set up shop outside to give Zeke space to find Chambers cutting to the basket, Davis for a jumper and an ‘Nique on an iso. 

Peak 3  per game year averages: pts/boards/dimes/steals/blocks

Isiah Thomas: 21/4/12/2

Walter Davis: 25/5/4/2

Dominique Wilkins: 30/7/3/2/1

Tom Chambers: 24/7/3/1/1

Jack Sikma: 19/12/3/1/1

 
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You’re right, Sikma led the league in DWS twice and his DBPM was more consistent than Big Bill’s.

Laimbeer is still on the All ####### Team and would get a guy off his game better than Dutch Boy.
Yeah you don't need to sell me on Laimbeer, but Sikma is top 40 DWS all time. He was not nearly as mean as Bill but was just a much more skilled player. 

 
I had Sikma as my #3 80's center and a significant drop-off after him.  After Moses/Ewing (both put in the wrong era, so it evens out), I have Parish and then Sikma.  Basically everyone that follows is one-dimensional (or no-dimensional).
Seems like a pick ‘em between him and Laimbeer in advanced stats. VERY similar career arcs year over year. Bill had a better TS %, way less turnovers, better O-rebound #s, couple rebound crowns. Sikma had a lot more assists (bc the Pistons had a better PG?), marginally better defensive stats, slightly better FT % (both are great - .849/.837 is great at any position, truly exceptional for bigs.) Obviously I’m biased a bit bc of how many Pistons games I watched.

Isaiah, the SGs (John Long, Joe D and the Microwave), and the SFs (Tripucka/AD/ Aguirre) were the core of the offense. However Laimbeer hit some big time shots when they really needed it. He was the rock on some great teams.

 

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