Todd’s Tennis Takes – 2012 Aussie Semis

FAB 4 COME THROUGH

We live in an amazing age in men’s tennis, where the top 4 players are completely dominant and consistent, making this the 2nd slam in a row all 4 have made the semis, and the 7th in a row where at least 3 of the 4 have made the final four. Between them these 4 have played in 46 slam finals (Fed 23, Nadal 14, Djoker 6, Murray 3), winning 30 of them (16 – 10 – 4 – 0). There is one crucial ingredient that they all possess, largely responsible for their greatness – speed. Combined with their racquet skills, not only does it make them 4 of the best defenders/scramblers ever, but it makes transition to aggression easier, creating more offensive opportunities, and then in turn, when they play eachother as now, a need for yet more great defense – what a treat when they make it this far! Let’s look at the matchups…

Djoker/Murray – I’m not sure what’s more impressive about Djokovic these days – his speed/defense, or his ball-striking. He hits the cleanest, smoothest, high-margin topsin groundstrokes, with the ability to sting winners at will. His sliding is artful as he retains supreme balance to sting sharp shots from impossible defensive positions. The little tweaks he felt during the Ferrer match seem to have subsided, but of course could be reaggravated chasing down a Murray dropper or sharply hit groundstroke. Djoker is aiming for his 3rd straight slam win…Murray aiming for his 3rd straight Aussie final. Murray will likely try to be more aggressive than in the past against Djoker, but Djokovic will have more comfort in his naturally more dominating game, and should win in 3 or 4 sets. Murray has actually won 4 of their last 6 meetings, after Djoker took their first 4. Novak was 2-1 vs. Murray in 2011, retiring from the Cincy final in his lone defeat. Their only other slam meeting was last year’s final, as for many years their 3 & 4 seedings kept them on opposite sides of the draw, not able to both penetrate the Rafa/Roger 1/2 wall. 

Nadal/Federer – The greats meet again, for the 10th time in a slam (Rafa leads 7-2), but just the 2nd time in a semi (1st slam meeting, ’05 French), as all the others have been finals. With far less time on the court, and his game looking quite strong, I think Fed has a great chance for his first win over Rafa at a slam since the 2007 Wimby final (where Rafa had break pts early 5th set…). Nadal has 5 more hours on the court, while Federer hasn’t lost a set, had a default win in round 2, and has played just 1 tiebreaker in 4 matches. Of course, Fed could press to avoid getting caught in his backhand corner, and he’s not the Fed of 5 years ago, who took out a happy-to-be-there Fernando Gonzalez here in the final. Nadal might need to end points a little earlier than he’d like…one of the most interesting aspects of these legendary matchups is the chess match each one plays out in his mind, searching for the best route to victory, given all the current circumstances. I will take Fed, who still retains a 5-4 edge over Rafa on hardcourts, in 5 sets, a tight battle won by the fresher legs in the 5th. 

NBA Top 150 – 119 thru 114

Here are #’s 119 thru 114 in that order…couple active guys, and of course, some more old-time legends.

119) Charlie Scott - 6‘ 5″ PG/SG from 1970 - 1980…The ABA ’s all-time single season scoring champ (34.6 in 1972), Charlie Scott was a pioneer in the ACC as the first black scholarship athlete at North Carolina . Scott grew up in Harlem and played at the legendary Rucker Park before moving to North Carolina for high school, playing at Laurinburg Academy where Sam Jones and Jimmy Walker (Jalen Rose’s dad) had played prior. After making 2^nd team All-America his final two years at N.C., Scott chose to play in the ABA with the Virginia Squires. He tied Dan Issel for Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 27.1 pts (4^th in the league) and 5.6 assists (also 4^th) to go along with 5.2 rebs. Dismayed at his mediocre team and the ABA’s low budget and small crowds, while also yearning to test himself against the best, Scott had his lawyer exploit a breach in his ABA contract and jumped to the NBA after playing 73 games of his 2^nd ABA season (where he only he made 2^nd team all-league despite that 34.6 pts/gm with 5.1 rebs & 4.8 asst). He played three full seasons with the Phoenix Suns, averaging around 25 pts, 5 rebs, and 4 assists playing with very mediocre talent, before being traded to the Celtics for Paul Westphal & draft picks – a classic outhouse to penthouse story. Scott fit right in on a loaded Celtics squad (Dave Cowens, Jo Jo White, John Havlicek, Paul Silas) that ironically met Phoenix in the 1976 NBA Finals. Boston won in 6, with Scott coming through big in the final game, scoring 25 points, pulling down 11 boards, and nabbing 5 steals. After almost three productive years in Boston, Scott was traded to the Lakers in 1978 before eventually winding down his career in Denver. He had a quirky release on his jump shot, but it went in often enough and combined with solid athleticism, impressive all-around game, and good defensive skills, made Charlie Scott one of the better combo guards of the 1970’s. He ended up making 5 All-Star teams, three of those in the NBA, while averaging at least 4 rebs & 4 assts the first seven years of his career (first 5 years – at least 24/4/4 every year). He was also named to the 30-man all-time ABA team despite playing less than two years in the league. His son Shannon will be a 6’2” freshman PG for Ohio St. this year.

118) Mark Price - 6′ 0″ PG from 1986 - 1998…Mark Price could shoot the basketball. He was a solid leader and distributor as well, actually a great passer who dished with flair, but it’s his shooting that set him apart as the late 80′s, early/mid 90′s version of Steve Nash. He was a 4 year starter at Georgia Tech, paving the way for the more heralded but far less NBA-impactful Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury to follow in his Yellow Jacket footsteps (maybe they should have stayed a little longer – just 2 yrs for Kenny, 1 for Stephon). Price didn’t do much as a rookie, playing just 18 minutes a night, never starting, and shooting only 40.8% with just 3 dimes/gm. Ironically, this may have been the best thing that ever happened to him, because management went out and drafted an even more talented PG the next year, Kevin Johnson, 7th overall (Price was just the 25th overall pick in 1986). Seeing this forced Price to step up his game, knowing he had a battle coming into training camp. He earned the starting job, and after 52 games they traded Johnson to Phoenix, the rest being history for both clubs – a talented Cleveland team consistently thwarted by Jordan’s Bulls in the playoffs, losing to them 4 times in Price’s first six seasons as a starter, while KJ & Chuck Barkley took their Bulls medicine in the 1993 Finals. As mentioned, Price was a supreme shooter, one of only 5 players in NBA history to record a 50/40/90 season, posting a 52.6 FG%, 44.1% on threes, and nailing 90.1% of his free throws in 1989. The other four guys? Nash (4 times), Bird (twice), Reggie Miller, and Dirk. His shot was as fundamentally sound as anyone’s – feet set together, perfect form, release, and follow through – a beautiful thing to watch, and a pretty player to watch. He always played under control, even at top speed, knowing what he was going to do with the ball while often coming up with creative layups or passes on fast breaks. Watch him here in his 2nd-to-last season schooling an overly athletic but also over-eager rookie named Allen Iverson. In bridging the gap from Magic and Isiah’s later years to Iverson and Kidd’s early years, Price ended up a 4 time All-Star, 2 time All-Star three point shootout champ, and finished top 10 in assists five times. His free throw shooting was almost unparalleled, as he won the league title 3 times, finished his career tied with Nash at #1 with a 90.4% success ratio, and was even better in the playoffs, hitting 94.4% for his career including 30 for 30 in 1990. And his overall career playoff production was quite solid at 17.4/7.0 dimes in 47 games, including an impressive 19.2/7.5/49.6% shooting when they made the Eastern Conference finals in 1992. Price finished his career #30 on the assist/gm list at 6.7, and now trains NBA players in the off-season on shooting and PG skills in Atlanta – what a perfect teacher!

117) Zelmo Beaty - 6‘ 9″ C from 1962 - 1975…The original Big Z, aka ‘The Franchise’ when he played for Utah in the ABA as their undisputed leader and best player, Beaty is an almost forgotten All-Star big man from the 60′s and 70′s. He played at a small NAIA all-black college called Prairie View A&M in Texas, posting monster numbers (20+ rebs) in an impressive style that caught the eye of legendary NBA scout Marty Blake, who was the St. Louis Hawks GM at the time. Blake took Beaty with #3 pick, (ahead of Havlicek – woops!), having him join an already talented squad that included Bob Pettit, Richie Guerin, Cliff Hagan (#123), and Lenny Wilkins. In Zelmo’s first 4 seasons the Hawks played a game 7 in the conference final three times, coming up short to the Baylor/West Lakers in ’63, the Wilt Warriors in ’64, and then Lakers again in ’66. Before the decade would close, Beaty’s Hawks lost two more times in the conference finals – to the Golden St. Warriors in ’67 with Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond (6 games), and then the great ’69 Laker squad that had added Wilt to the Baylor/West combo (5 games). Beaty signed a far more lucrative ABA deal after those ’69 playoffs, but had to sit out a year due to a stipulation in his NBA contract. He finally joined the Utah Stars, who had just moved from Los Angeles, and immediately led the team to an ABA title, earning playoff MVP honors after averaging 23.2 pts & 14.6 rebs while shooting 53.6% and draining over 5 free throws a game at an 84.6% clip. At 6′ 9″ and 225lbs, Zelmo was very undersized for center in the NBA. He played a physical, intelligent game, but at the same time was a skilled, athletic enough big man whose game would likely translate well in today’s NBA, especially combined with his dignified, professional approach to the game. Think of a better David West at power forward. In all, Beaty made 5 all-star teams, 2 in the NBA, had five 20/10 seasons (3 in NBA), and averaged 1.0 blk/gm on arthritic knees (eventually 9 knee operations) the first year they kept track of blocks, making 2.0 a figure likely reached in his prime. Beaty’s wider impact on the game was subtle but not to be underestimated. He was one of the first NBA stars to sign with the 2 yr old ABA in 1969, giving the league more legitimacy and attraction to future ABA stars like Artis Gilmore and Julius Erving. He acted as an ambassador to Salt Lake City, which before Zelmo got there had a poor reputation among blacks. He was fearless and extremely competitive in his style, but one night got too physical with Chamberlain. As my dad told me the story years ago, Wilt finally just turned to face Zelmo, put one hand on his chest and shoved him, watching him fall to the ground and slide about 15 – 20 feet. Big Z just got up and continued to play, acknowledging the message by not even pondering retaliation against one of the all-time physical athletic marvels. Beaty had always wanted to be a carpenter before he realized basketball was his calling, but eventually did build his dream house in the Pikes Peak area of Washington. Despite averaging well over a double/double for both his NBA and ABA careers – 17.1 with 10.9 rebs (#31 all-time) combined and a fat 18/12 in 115 playoff games, Beaty remains out of the Hall of Fame.

116) Ben Wallace - 6‘ 9″ PF/C from 1996 - present…Ben Wallace was quite simply one of the most athletic, explosive, and versatile defensive big men to ever play the game. I remember the first time I saw him play, his 2^nd season in the league playing for the Wizards at the Sports Arena vs. the Clippers, and it was immediately evident that this guy was extraordinarily quick and explosive…but very raw. So raw in fact, that the Wizards traded him to Orlando for Issac Austin after his 3^rd season, and Orlando only held onto him for one year before trading him & Chucky Atkins to Detroit to get Grant Hill. It wasn’t until his 5^th year in the league, the 2000-01 season, that he finally played 30+ min/gm, and responded with big rebounds (13.2), solid blocks (2.3), surprising steals (1.3), and epic defense in the post night in and night out. The 10^th child of 11 kids, Wallace developed his speed because he knew in family basketball games the only way he’d get the ball was to steal, rebound, or hustle for it. He ended up an all-state football, basketball, and baseball player in Alabama where he was discovered by Charles Oakley, who eventually guided him to Oakley’s alma mater,Virginia Union. But before that, he put up absurd rebounding (17.0/gm) and block shot (6.9) numbers at a small Cleveland area junior college. Despite averaging 10.5 rebs and 3.7 blocks his last year at Virginia Union, he was not taken in the 1996 Draft, and Washington signed him as a free agent. Wallace was a perfect complement to Rasheed Wallace in Detroit (as Rasheed was allergic to rebounding and rugged inside play), where along with Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince, the Pistons became a dominant team in the East, eventually playing in the NBA Finals in 2004 and ’05. They won the title in ‘04 over the Lakers, but lost to the Spurs in ‘05. Wallace’s defense on Shaquille O’Neal in those 2004 Finals was unbelievable, as he was giving up 4 inches and 80 pounds to the Lakers behemoth big man, but still bodied up on him strongly, frustrating him with intensity, quick hands, and great footwork. In 93 career playoff games for Detroit , Wallace averaged 13.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.8 thefts a contest. He could go out and guard shooting guards and small forwards if he had to, he was that good a defender. Four times he was named Defensive Player of the Year, while making all-NBA 2^nd team twice and 3^rd team twice…even though he never averaged double figures scoring in his career!! And then of course, there was that Buckwheat afro – the best hairstyle in the NBA the last 25 years. Further resume highlights: four All-Star games, three times averaging over 3 blks/gm (1 blocks title), two rebounding titles, and 3 times averaged over 1.7 stl/gm. He also instigated the infamous Palace Brawl in November 2004 when he shoved Ron Artest after Artest had fouled him hard on a layup. Now 36, Wallace is still playing, and though Father Time has completely taken away the explosiveness that once made him so special, he still managed to grab 6.5 rebs in 23 min/night last season, including a 23 point, 14 rebound, 4 assist, 5 steal effort vs. the ‘imposing’ Raptor big men in December.

115) Deron Williams - 6‘ 3″ PG from 2005 - present…Entering the league just six years ago, Deron Williams has quickly established himself as one of the better PGs to ever play the game, using a combination of size, skill, passing smarts, and decent athleticism. Coming out of high school in Texas , Williams’stats didn’t blow you away (about 17, 9 dimes, 6 boards, 2.5 steals), but the team’s combined record his junior and senior years (61-4) did. In college at Illinois , his stats were again quite pedestrian (12.5 pts, 3.6 rebs, 6.8 asst, 43.3% his 3^rd and final year), but again, his team achieved great success, losing in the NCAA finals to North Carolina . He became the 3^rd pick of the 2005 NBA Draft, taken by Utah one spot ahead of Chris Paul. After a spotty rookie year (29 min, 10.8 pts, 4.5 asst, 42.1% shooting) where he went back-n-forth from bench to starter, Williams became the Jazz’ full time starter his 2^nd season and hasn’t looked back since. Finishing 2^nd in the league in assists and averaging over 16 points, he and Carlos Boozer led the Jazz to the Western Conference Finals that year, with Williams averaging 19.2, 4.3 rebs, and 8.6 asst in those playoffs. The next year was the first of four straight averaging at least 18 pts and 10 dimes. He earned two All-Star appearances, two all-NBA 2^nd teams, and finished either 2^nd or 3^rd in the league in asst/gm over these 4 years. He does a good job of using his size and bulk (6’3”, 210) to out-muscle smaller PGs, and has a deceptively quick first step when he drives to the hole, where he can throw it down with authority. Utah traded Deron to the Nets for a bonanza of players, picks and cash in February 2011, garnering Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, two 1^st round picks, and $3m in cash. Williams went on a diming tear upon arrival, handing out 15.2 asst/gm his first 5 games with New Jersey before a lingering wrist injury, which had greatly reduced his FG% (shot 34.9% after the trade), eventually forced him to have surgery before the season was through. His four seasons of 10+ dimes, all of which reside in the top 60 asst/gm seasons of all-time, have only been matched by Isiah (also 4), Kevin Johnson (4 times), Oscar Robertson (5 times), Nash (6 times), and then of course, the Lords of the Dimes, Magic (9 times), and Stockton (10 times). Amazingly, Kidd has only done it 3 times, and Chris Paul is also at 3, with of course many years to go. In 44 total career playoff games, Williams boasts impressive averages of 21.1 pts, 9.6 asst, 5.4 free throws made, and 45.8% shooting. In the 2010 playoffs, he became the first player to ever record five straight 20/10 pts/asst games in a series – a rather surprising stat considering Magic, Oscar, and Isiah.

114) Maurice Cheeks - 6‘ 1″ PG from 1978 - 1993…An incredibly classy, quiet, underrated player, Mo Cheeks is one of the all-time pure PGs in league history. A skinny, unheralded kid out of West Texas A&M, Cheeks was a 2^nd round pick of the 76ers in 1978, the 36^th overall pick of the draft…a draft where Mychal Thompson, Phil Ford, and Rick Robey went 1, 2, 3. (picks 4, 5, & 6 were far better – Micheal Ray Richardson, Purvis Short, and Larry Bird). Cheeks contributed immediately on a very good Philly squad, playing 29 min/night and leading the team in assists (5.3) and steals (2.1) his rookie year. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Cheeks asserted himself strongly, averaging 18.8 pts, 7 asst, 3.9 rebs, and an amazing 4 stls in 9 games before the 76ers were vanquished by the George Gervin/Larry Kenon Spurs in 7 games (they beat N.J. 2-0 in round 1). Proficiency in dimes, thefts, and shooting accuracy, as well as stellar defensive play and steady leadership were the hallmarks of Cheeks’ career. He was the perfect point guard for those star-laden 76ers teams that boasted Dr. J, Darryl Dawkins, Bobby Jones, and Doug Collins (later, Andrew Toney and Moses Malone). He quarterbacked Philadelphia to three NBA Finals appearances over 4 years in the early ‘80s, finally taking the title in 1983. When the Dr. J Philly team faded and they drafted Charles Barkley, Cheeks’ production ratcheted up on the less talent-laden squad. In 1986, Cheeks averaged a career high in pts (15.4), asst (9.2), and free throw attempts, before bettering his scoring numbers the very next season (to 15.6). But despite the increased offensive load, Cheeks remained an efficient scorer, shooting over 52% both seasons. Cheeks remains the #1 career FG% shooter among PGs, making a remarkable 52.3%, ahead of #2 Magic (52%) and #3 Stockton (51.5%) and good for 43^rd all-time, any position. And when it comes to thievery, very few have ever been as good as Cheeks. A 4-time all-defensive 1^st team selection (as well as 4-time All-Star), Cheeks averaged over 2 stl/gm the first 10 years of his career, finally retiring #5 on the all-time list with 2,310, and #8 all-time at 2.1 stl/gm. He averaged 14.4 pts, 6.9 asst, and 2.2 stls in 133 playoff games, and finished with 7,392 regular season dimes, good for #10 all-time. His most famous assist however, came as Portland ’s coach in 2003. As a 13 yr old girl struggled to remember the words to the National Anthem, Cheeks walked over and guided her through the rest of the song. He subsequently received over 1,700 emails and letters in the next two weeks, including a letter from Billy Cunningham’s mother (B.C. was his coach during Philly’s 1980’s heyday). The New York Times put it best in 1990, late in Cheeks’ career, saying “His game had class, but it was more like the shine of velvet than the glitter of gold”.

NBA Top 150 – Numbers 123 thru 120

123) Cliff Hagan - 6‘ 4″ PF from 1956 – 1969…Think of a white, poor man’s Charles Barkley in the 50′s – an undersized PF, quick, strong, tougher and more of a fighter than Chuck, but like Barkley, also built like a football player ( a muscular 210lbs, the build of 50′s/60′s TE’s & LB’s). Hagan was a two-time All-American on some great Kentucky teams in the early 50′s, but a point shaving scandal robbed him of tournament appearances after his sophomore year, despite his team finishing the regular season in 1954, his senior year, at 25-0. He was drafted by the Celtics but served two years in the Air Force first. Boston eventually traded his draft rights along with Ed Macauley for Bill Russell, and Hagan became a St. Louis Hawk instead. While Boston certainly came out ahead in that deal, Hagan and Bob Pettit did lead the Hawks to an NBA title over the Celts in 1958…with Hagan posting far more efficient and impressive numbers than Pettit during the playoffs that year – in 1 less minute a game, he scored more (27.7 to 24.2), at a far better FG% (50.2 to 39.1), and had much better assist numbers (3.4 to 1.8)…at five inches taller, Pettit did outrebound Hagan 16.5 to 10.5. As a matter of fact, Hagan and Pettit led the Hawks to 3 other NBA Finals appearances in Hagan’s first 5 years in the league, losing each time to Boston, while twice going to a 7th game. Hagan’s overall playoff averages his first five years in the league were a stout 23.6/10.5/3.6 asst in 53 games. One of the better all-around players in his time and known for his quick, accurate hook shot, Hagan was often amongst the league leaders in scoring (4 times top 10), rebounding (3 times over 10/gm), FG% (3 times top 5), and assists (4 times top 10). He was an all-star 5 times in the NBA and once in the ABA, while twice being named all-NBA 2nd team. Hagan retired from the NBA after the 1966 season, sat out of pro ball for a year, and then joined the ABA as a player/coach with the Dallas Chapparals in 1967, the ABA’s first season. A tough guy and intense competitor, he was legendary for his loud locker room rants and toughness on the court, where he was eager and willing to take on anyone in a league that practically promoted fighting. He also posted impressive averages of 18.2 pts, 6 reb, and 4.9 asst his first year at age 36. Hagan became a Hall-of-Famer in 1978, the first Kentucky Wildcat to enter the Hall, when he was three years into his 13 year stint as Kentucky’s Athletic Director. In 1993 the school renamed its baseball field Cliff Hagan Stadium, and it is affectionately known today by students and fans as ‘The Cliff’.

 122) Amare Stoudamire - 6‘ 10″ PF/C from 2002 –  current...When Amare Stoudamire arrived in the league fresh out of high school in 2002, a lot of people thought he was a raw project who would take a good deal of time to develop. After 15 games through the end of November, those people were largely right as Stoudamire was averaging under 9 pts, under 8 rebs, and shooting just 36% in 26 minutes a night. But then came December, and Amare showed that his learning curve was steep and his ceiling quite high. He recorded 8 double/doubles in the month, while averaging 15.6 pts, 9.8 rebs, and shooting 53.8%, including an enormous last Dec game on the 30th where he totalled 38 pts, 14 rebs, and 2 blks (prep to pros points record broken by Lebron the next yr). The man-child had suddenly arrived, and in a big way.  The 9^th pick of the 2002 NBA Draft, Stoudamire was known to be a phenomenally explosive athlete for his size, but thought to be way too raw to contribute immediately. He didn’t play organized ball until the age of 14, as his mom was in and out of prison and his father died when he was 12. He went to six different high schools, finally graduating from Cypress Creek High near Orlando after averaging 29 pts, 15 rebs, and 6 blks his senior year. Phoenix not only drafted the young ‘project’, but after winning just 36 games the season prior, decided to let him play through his growing pains, even after his very rough start. In 2004 they acquired Steve Nash and, not coincidentally, Amare immediately had his best season as a pro, playing center on the famous run-n-gun Suns alongside The Matrix (Shawn Marion), Nash, Joe Johnson, and Quentin Richardson (back when he was productive). Amare finished the year 5^th in scoring (26.0), # 2 in FG% at 55.9, and 1^st in free throw attempts (3^rd in makes) before leading the Suns to the Western Conference finals while averaging 29.9 pts and 10.7 rebs in 15 playoff games. Microfracture surgery stole his 2005-06 season, but he came back strong, if maybe just a tad less explosive, to average 20.4 and 9.6 the next season while finishing 5^th in FG% at 57.5. A fearless, explosive, intimidating inside player, who also shows the smooth shooting ease of a SF or SG, this highlight video compilation shows him in all his power and glory, pre-surgery (compiled and uploaded in Feb. ’06). Combined with Nash in the mid 2000′s, they were a deadly Batman & Robin combo, especially on the pick-n-roll, and a treat to watch. After just eight full seasons in the league, Amare has compiled an impressive resume, including 7 seasons of 20+ pts, 6 All-Star games, and 5 all-NBA teams (one 1^st team, four 2^nd teams). Never known for his stout defense, it will be interesting to see if the Knicks can acquire a legitimate, defensively strong center and slide Amare to PF. Then add a pass-first PG (Chauncey is 35 and fading) to keep Melo & Amare happy and productive, and viola – an Eastern contender can be born!

P.S. I must mention what is sadly, possibly, the most famous Amare Moment, when his leaving of the bench (because of an incredibly dirty play by San Antonio’s old, fading Robert Horry) during game 4 vs. the Spurs in the 2007 Playoffs caused his suspension the next game, an absolute crime of ‘letter of the law’ winning out over ‘spirit of the law’ AND COMMON SENSE….any ref or fan knew he wasn’t getting up with malicious intent, but mere curiosity to see what was happening, and never once acted in an aggressive manner. Completely tilted the scales artificially in an epic playoff series…thanks Stern & Co.

 121) ’Sweet’ Lou Hudson - 6‘ 5″ G/F from 1966 – 79...It was Bill Russell and Sam Jones who gave Hudson his nickname, and not only were they all-time players, but they gave the perfect moniker to one of the game’s all-time guard/forwards. Hudson had one of the sweetest jump shots ever, and a pleasant disposition to match. He shattered his shooting hand in the 4th game of his senior year at Minnesota , coming off a 23 & 10 board junior season, missed two weeks, then came back and shot left-handed, mostly from the post as a 6′ 5″ guy. He ended up averaging 19.8 while shooting 47.2%…and grabbing 8 rebs a game. (Kind of the opposite of what Reggie Miller would have done – miss the season and prep for the draft). Not only did he continue to score impressively and efficiently, but he mixed it up as well in posting significant boards with a broken right hand! He was the 4th pick of the 1966 Draft (shortly after the Cowboys had drafted and signed him in the NFL), and averaged 18.4 with 5.4 rebs as a rookie, but then missed almost half the season in Year 2 after being drafted into the army. His third season began a streak of 7 straight 20+ point seasons, and also saw him grab a career high 6.6 boards. Soon he tied the franchise scoring mark held by Bob Pettit when he scored 57 in a one point win over the Bulls in 1969. He is still tied for the record, but Dominique has joined them. It wasn’t just his pretty jump shot that made Sweet Lou a 6-time All-Star though, as Hudson was a decent rebounder and passer who took pride in his top notch defense as well. He worked tirelessly on offense to get open, much the way Rip Hamilton does or Reggie Miller used to do. He played alongside Pete Maravich in Pistol’s first few years, and they became the 2^nd teammates to each score over 2,000 pts in a season in 1973, West and Baylor being the first. And when the postseason came, Hudson stepped up his game sharply, posting averages of 23.6, 5.9, and 2.8 asst during his prime – 52 games spanning his rookie year through 1973. And in that 73 season, he averaged 29.7 and 7.8 boards in Atlanta ‘s 4-2 loss to the Celtics in round 1. He only made the playoffs two times after that, his last two seasons in the league with the Lakers (quick aside, look how impressive the 1978 Laker roster was, and yet lost 1^st round to the Sonics: Kareem, Norm Nixon, Adrian Dantley, Jamal Wilks, Hudson, and Charlie Scott. And before they traded him to Indiana mid-season, they had a rookie named James Edwards who would later win 2 rings playing center for the Pistons before finally retiring at age 40 in 1996. That is a boatload of talented players!). Anyway, back to Lou, he ended up averaging over 24 pts/gm five times, peaking at 27.1 in that ’73 season, averaged at least 5 rebs/gm six times, and in the first year they kept track of steals, he nabbed 2.5/gm. And yet, no Hall of Fame for him…but we shouldn’t be shocked, even though he and Mitch Richmond are the only Hall eligible players to sink over 7,000 field goals and average over 20 pts for their careers and not make it in. This is the same Hall of Fame that left Artis Gilmore twisting in the wind for his first 18 years of eligibility before finally admitting him this summer. So the owner of one of the game’s all-time jumpers, who also scored the first points in the history of the Atlanta Hawks, sits and waits…alongside our #133 guard-forward who played in largely the same era, Chet Walker.

 120) Ron Harper - 6′ 6″ G/F from 1986 - 2001…Yes, Ron is an NBA all-timer, even if very few acknowledge it, including SLAM Magazine (ranking him #327) and every all-star team during his career (he made none). The 8^th pick of the ’86 Draft, he came off a dominating senior year which saw him average 24.4, 11.7 rebs, 4.3 dimes, and over 3 steals with 2+ blks/gm as a high-flying athletic wing playing SF. His athletic explosiveness combined with ample skills and game were on display immediately in the NBA, as he averaged 22.9 pts and exactly 4.8 for both rebs & assts his rookie year. And he showed the heavy steals & blocks at Miami of Ohio were no fluke as well, averaging 2.5 and 1.0 respectively. He was part of one of the most legendary draft classes in the history of the league, as the Cavs took center Brad Dougherty 1^st overall (career 19.0, 9.5, 53.2%), Harper 8^th, Mark Price as the first pick of the 2^nd round (Dallas gave him up for a 1989 2^nd rounder), and then nabbed John ‘Hot Rod’ Williams with their own 2^nd round pick, 45^th overall. As rookies, Harper, Dougherty, and Williams were 1,2, & 3 on the team in scoring. By year two, Price was the starting PG (16 & 6 dimes), Larry Nance was acquired, and they were a playoff team, with 4 of their top 5 guys acquired via the 1986 Draft. For the first 3.5 years of his career, Harper was an excellent poor man’s Clyde Drexler, putting up explosive and acrobatic highlights like this (focus on the Clev clips, esp at the 1:42 mark where he picks Barkley’s pocket and goes in for a 360 degree spinning layup). His pre Clipper Curse knee injury numbers were a robust 19.8, 4.8 rebs, 5 asst, 2.3 stl, .98 blk, and 47.5% shooting. Choosing among the Cavs Big 4 at the time, it was hard to say who was the best and most valuable – Price, Dougherty, or Harper – I’ll put Nance as 4^th. But certainly Harper, more than the other three, had the whole package – Price was somewhat a defensive liability and undersized, Dougherty couldn’t jump and wasn’t a shot blocker at all, while Nance was happy to be a complementary option, not the go to guy. After wrecking his knee (and too bad it was fixed with 1990 procedures, not 2011 methods), Harper still managed to put up almost similar numbers (18.9, 5.5 reb, 4.8 asst, 1.9 stl, .85 blk, 43.1%) with the Clippers the next 4 years, just not in as spectacular a manner. Two of those years he and Danny Manning led the team to the playoffs as the Clips co-number 1 guys. He then joined the Bulls in 1995, eventually playing about 27 minutes a night in the three championship postseasons (’96 – ’98) as a co-number 4 guy with Toni Kukoc, contributing nice buckets (7.5 pts), boards (3.9), dimes (2.6), thefts (1.2), and fly swats (.67 blks) at age 32, 33, & 34. He then virtually duplicated those exact numbers as a co-number 4 guy with Robert Horry in L.A. during the 2000 postseason, at 36 yrs old, as Kobe & Shaq won their first title. He played one last year with L.A. in ’01 before calling it quits, garnering his 5^th ring despite being injured much of regular season and playoffs. Basically, without the bad knee injury and playing in the shadow of Greatness (MJ), Harper would have had much larger playoff success (Clev lost to Chi in both the ’88 and ’89 playoffs), an even deeper ‘wow’ highlight reel, and Top 70 or 80 all-time status. He was an athlete who adjusted beautifully to his less athletic body, and on four championship teams played the role of solid defense and smooth facilitator on offense. He ended his career #18 on the all-time steals list with 1,716, at 1.7/gm (#29 all-time), 3,916 assists (#99 all-time), and finally, as one of the top 5 shot-blocking guards of all time alongside Dwyane Wade (#1), David Thompson, Michael Jordan, and Vince Carter.

NBA Top 150: #132 thru #124…

132) Reggie Miller - 6‘ 7″ SG/SF from 1987 – 2005...A brash, confident, mouthy sharpshooter out of UCLA, Miller spent his entire career in Indiana, craving the big moments when he could drain a three late in the game and seal yet another Pacer victory. The 11th pick of the 1987 Draft, the genius Indy fans complained that local hero Steve Alford wasn’t the selection (Alford’s career stats, taken 26th overall by Dallas: 4.4 pts, .9 rebs, and 1 asst in just under 10 minutes a game playing only 4 seasons…Indy got it right). He came a long way from the guy everyone said wasn’t even as good as his big sister (Cheryl Miller – if there’s a chick list for the top 100, she’s top 5 for sure). Miller was a fine player with a fine resume – the infamous 8 points in 9 seconds vs. the Knicks in the 1995 playoffs to steal a game 1; six times averaging 20+ pts (career best 24.6 his 3rd season); #14 on the all-time points list with over 25,000; #2 on the all-time threes list with 2,560; five times leading the league in free throw percentage (career 88.8%, #9 all-time; 6,237 FTM, #14 all-time); and made 5 all-star teams and 3 all-NBA 3rd teams. He also had tremendous longevity and durability – 12 times he played at least 80 games (I’m including the ’99 season when he played all 50), and as late as his 15th year in the league, at 36 yrs old, he averaged 16.5 pts/gm while shooting over 45% from the field and over 40% from distance. But there are also many warts with Reggie. He was TREMENDOUSLY one-dimensional, at 6’7″ never averaging 4 rebs/gm in his career and only once averaging 4 assists (4.0 in 1991). His defense was adequate, nothing special. His Pacers made the NBA Finals once, losing to the Lakers 4-2 in 2000 (24 pts, 2.4 rebs, 2.7 asst those playoffs), as well as 4 other conference finals in his prime, three times losing in game 7′s: 1994 to the Knicks (Reggie was 7-17, 25 pts, 2 rebs, 0 asst); 1995 to Orlando (5-13, 12 pts, 4 rebs, 0 asst); and 1998 to Chicago (7-13, 22 pts, 0 rebs, 4 asst). Jeez, that is some ugly one-dimensional crap there. Basically 20 pts, 2 rebs, 1.3 asst, and 44% shooting…awful numbers with a trip to the finals on the line. And yet, despite this, he is by far the most overrated guy I’ve come across in my research for this list. I consulted many other lists initially, and the two I respect the most, Bill Simmons’ and Slam Magazine’s, had him 63rd and 54th respectively. On other lists I saw, he was 50th, 64th, 78th, and then #26 for guards only (there are well over 40 guards ahead of him on my list). If Reggie wasn’t hitting his shots, he really wasn’t doing much for his team. He is getting a lot of credit for longevity and some clutch moments outside of those awful game 7′s just to be this high. Certainly guys like Fat Lever, Latrell, Chet Walker, John Drew, and Penny were way better all-around players. I’m not sure he’ll even remain this high when the book is finally published. I will admit one more amazing thing with him though – did he ever age during his career? He looked the same at 38 as he did at 23. He even looks about the same now calling games now for TNT. Reggie Miller – a colorful long-bomber who played a long time, but not close to a top 100 player all-time.

131) Calvin Murphy - 5‘ 9″ PG/SG from 1970 – 1983...The lifetime MVP of the imaginary NBA 5′ 9″ & Under League that would have Muggsy Bogues and Spud Webb on the all-time team, along with Earl Boykins – a very underrated smurf, absurdly quick in his prime playing for the Clippers and Nuggets. Anyway, this is where the list hits home – Speedburner size…though technically I’d be ineligible since I’m actually 5′ 9 & 3/8″. Murphy was a dominating player in college at Niagra. As a freshman, when he could only play other school’s frosh, he averaged 48.9 points a game! He didn’t drop much when he joined the big boys, as he averaged just over 33 points a game for his career – 4th all-time in NCAA – making All-America all 3 yrs (2nd team soph year). Not only was he lightning quick, but also had supreme hand-eye coordination as he was an expert baton twirler before playing basketball, winning a national championship in 8th grade, and kept it up to win the 1977 State Championships in Texas, during the prime of his career. But back to hoops, the San Diego Rockets made him the 18th overall pick of the 1970 draft, going behind future greats Bob Lanier, Pete Maravich, Dave Cowens, and even Rudy Tomjanovich, and just one pick ahead of Tiny Archibald. Upset and insulted at being picked so low after his stellar collegiate career, Calvin spent the next 10 years showing the league his greatness. He had a wonderful stop-n-pop jump shot where he usually released the ball while still on his way up, with lots of touch. He had a great mid-range game, and was a such a great scorer he actually played shooting guard at times during his career. Of course, he went to the hole plenty of times utilizing his quickness, and if he ever got fouled – forget about it. A career 89.2% free throw shooter (7th all-time), he still holds the record for FT% in a season at 95.8 in 1981, and once made a record 78 in a row that stood for 10 years. For his career, he averaged over 20 pts/gm 5 times, peaking in 1978 at 25.6 while shooting 49.1%. He also averaged over 7 asst/gm twice, and during a seven year prime from 1973-74 through the ’79-’80 season, averaged 20.5 pts, 5.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and shot 49.5%. He was the 3rd best player behind Moses Malone and Robert Reid on the Rocket team that upset the Lakers in the 1981 playoffs and eventually lost in the finals to Boston, averaging 18.1 pts those playoffs while shooting 49.8% from the floor and an absurd 96.7% from the line (58 of 60). And for a little guy, he was tough and durable, playing all 82 games five times while missing just 16 total games during his first 9 years in the league. Regarding his stature, he once famously said “The average height for the American male is 5′ 9″. I’m the only normal-sized person in the NBA.” He was voted into the Hall of Fame back in 1993.

130) Rudy Tomjanovich - 6‘ 8″ SF/PF from 1970 – 1981...Rudy T…The Punch…’Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion’…these are things that come to mind when one thinks of Tomjanovich, as well as a disastrous stint as Laker coach post-Phil and post-Shaq, but Rudy T was actually an excellent ballplayer in the 70′s. He put up monster numbers at Michigan (career 25.1 & 14.4 rebs, including 30.1 & 15.7 his senior year), before becoming the second player selected in the 1970 draft, behind only Bob Lanier and just ahead of Pete Maravich. He was a backup his rookie year, but started alongside Elvin Hayes in the Rocket frontcourt his 2nd year and responded with 15 pts & 11.8 rebs a game. The next year Hayes left for the Baltimore Bullets, and Rudy became the best player on the squad, responding with a solid 19.3 & 11.6 in 81 games. These two seasons ended up as his only with double digit rebounds, but he remained the Rockets best player for two more seasons, averaging over 20 pts on better than 52% shooting both years. Overall, before The Punch, Rudy T averaged 20 pts, 9.3 rebs, and shot 51% from his second season through that game against the Lakers on December 9th, 1977. He also made 4 All-Star teams during that period. Here is a link to a video that gives a detailed account of game events that led to The Punch, as well as a great shot of the Kermit Washington right cross. Rudy T suffered fractures of his face and skull, a broken nose and jaw, and a concussion, as well as spinal fluid leaking into his brain cavity. His face was unrecognizable for many weeks afterward. Nonetheless, he suited up for opening night the next season, played 74 games, and averaged 19.0 pts and 7.7 rebs while shooting 51.7% from the floor – quite a studly performance all things considered. Overall, he was one of the best shooting forwards during the 1970′s, averaging at least 20 pts four times (24.5 career best in ’74), and sinking over 51% of his shots five times while making 5 All-Star teams. His best Rocket team was the 1976-77 squad that featured Moses Malone’s first year in the league (13.5 pts, 13.4 rebs, 2.3 blks) but they were unable to overcome the 76ers in the Eastern Conference finals, losing 4 games to 2. Rudy T averaged 20.3 pts and shot 50.5% in those playoffs…his rebounding slipped to 5.4, as Moses swallowed up 16.9 rebs/gm that postseason.

129) Sam Cassell - 6‘ 3″ PG from 1993 – 2008…Cassell starred at Florida St. alongside Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward and one of the ‘blackest’ white guys to ever play in the NBA, Bobby Sura (loved his game). Sporting a guard heavy lineup with these three future 1st round draft picks (Sura the highest at 17th in 1995, Ward 26th in ’94, Cassell 24th in ’93), this trio of guards led the Seminoles to the Elite Eight during the NCAA Tourney in 1993. After Cassell left for the NBA, FSU only made the tourney once (1998) over the next 15 years. Cassell’s winning qualities continued to shine when he arrived in the league. He played about 22 minutes a game during the ’94 and ’95 playoffs on the Hakeem championship Rocket teams, contributing roughly 10 pts, 4 dimes, and a steal a night in those limited minutes – Kenny Smith manned the point when Cassell was on the bench. The Rockets traded Cassell and Robert Horry after the 1996 season to the Suns for Charles Barkley…then the Suns traded him and Michael Finley mid-season to the Mavericks for Jason Kidd – so Cassell was traded twice for future Hall-of-Famers in less than 5 months (and he wasn’t done moving yet, as the Mavs traded him 2 months later to N.J. – this time, no Hall-of-Famers involved). The next year Cassell showed these teams what they were missing, as he averaged 19.6 pts, 8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 5.8 free throws a game at an 86% clip – 6th in the league in free throws made that year – quite impressive for an average sized, non-explosive guy. Cassell would go on to record 6 seasons of at least 18 pts/gm (career high 19.8 in ’04), 5 seasons of at least 6.7 assists (9.0 career best in ’00), and twice average over 4 rebounds a game. His career averages ended up at 15.2 pts, 6.0 asst (#57 all-time), 3.2 rebs, and 1.1 stls while shooting 45.4% from the floor and 86.1% from the line. But it was his ability to lead and produce victories when it counted most that got Cassell to this spot on the list. In 2001, playing alongside Ray Allen and Glenn ‘Big Dog’ Robinson, he led the Milwaukee Bucks to within one game of the NBA Finals, falling 4-3 to the 76ers. At Minnesota in 2004, this time with Kevin Garnett and Latrell Sprewell, he again lost in the conference finals – 4-2 to the Lakers and Shaq, Kobe, Malone, and Payton. Finally, with the Clippers in 2006, he and Elton Brand led the Clips to their only playoff series win in their entire L.A. history, and almost won a hard fought 2nd round series vs. the Suns, losing in 7 games. His overall averages in these 3 playoffs: 17.3 pts, 5.7 asst, and 3.7 rebs…and he was 31, 34, and 36 years old during these playoffs! Interestingly, none of these franchises has experienced near the success that they enjoyed in ’01, ’04, and ’06 respectively. Cassell retired after the 2008 season 30th on the all-time assist list (5,939) and 28th on the all-time FT% list.

128) Shawn Kemp - 6‘ 10″ PF from 1989 – 2003… The Reign Man, or the nickname that I called him, Kemper Financial (it didn’t catch on, much like my nickname for Kendall Gill – Kendall Motor Oil – I liked 80′s products/commercials as nicknames). I distinctly remember the pre-draft hype and mystery surrounding Kemp, as he played no college ball at all (scandal at Kentucky forced him out, then transferred to a JC that he never played for either). He was the first player since Moses Malone to go straight from high school hoops to the pros, and after getting a taste of things in his first year (14 minutes a night, 6+ pts, 4+ rebs, about a block per), he was ready to play with the big boys, while announcing he was bigger, stronger, and definitely more explosive than most of them. Kemp averaged a solid 15 pts, 8.4 rebs, 1.5 blk while shooting over 50% his second season, and then embarked upon a 6 year spree where he averaged a double/double every season, finished top 10 in FG% three times, and led the league in vicious, authoritative, get-the-hell-out-of-the-way dunks. One of the best in-game dunking big men of all time, here are 10 of his best from that era – check the one where Chris Gatling gets posterized but still immediately gives Kemp a low five afterwards. Kemp ran the floor as well as Hakeem, had Hakeem’s amazingly coordinated spin move, and was every bit as explosive as The Dream was in his prime. In the 1996 Playoffs, he outplayed Hakeem (averaged 13.8 rebs/gm in a sweep of Houston), Karl Malone in the conference finals (last 3 games of the 7 game series – 25.3 pts, 13.7 rebs, and shot 27-41 from the floor, 65.8%), and then in the Finals averaged 23 & 10 with 2 blks while shooting 55% against Chicago in Seattle’s 4-2 series loss. But then in the summer of 1996, brilliant Seattle management signed Jim McIlvaine for $33m, paying him more than Kemp, while denying Kemp’s request for a raise and infuriating their prize big man. For those who might have forgotten, McIlvaine was a big white stiff who blocked shots and did little else. Angry with management, Kemp’s numbers declined from the prior season (19.6 to 18.7 pts, 11.4 to 10.0 rebs, 1.6 to 1.0 blks, and 56.1% to 51.0% shooting) and he was then traded to Cleveland. With the Cavs, Kemp’s weight went up while his FG% and explosiveness went way down. After shooting 52.9% from the floor during his Seattle days, Kemp proceeded to shoot 44.1% over the next 3 years in Cleveland before leaving and closing out his career with Portland and Orlando and shooting even worse for his last 3 years in the league (40.7, 43.0, 41.8). With a better head on his shoulders and attitude, Kemper Financial was certainly destined for Top 100 status. Meanwhile, maybe Junior can do him proud – Shawn Kemp Jr. will be playing for the Washington Huskies this year. A 6’10″ 265lb power forward, he seems to have fast forwarded to the weight gain part of his dad’s career.

127) Bobby Jones - 6‘ 9″ SF/PF from 1974 – 1986…A premier defender in the league for over 10 years, Bobby Jones was also a too-good-to-be-true ‘boy scout’ during the league’s wildest days, even playing in the ‘anything goes’ ABA his first two years in pro ball. He was a reluctant hoopster to begin with, only playing as a child because his big brother needed someone to play against. He grew tall though, and eventually became the Charlotte Player of the Year his junior year in high school, even though track & field was his first love (he won the state high jump his sophomore and senior years, 2nd place to Bob McAdoo his junior year). He earned a scholarship to North Carolina, where he put up solid numbers his junior (15 pts, 10.5 rebs, 65.6 FG%) and senior (16.1, 9.8, 61.7%) years after being a seldom used reserve on the legendary 1972 silver medal-winning Olympic team. In the ABA, he led the league in FG percentage both years, and is technically the all-time leader in FG% for that league (58.6%). He remained an extremely smart, efficient shooter throughout his NBA career, never shooting worse than 52.3% for a season and finishing 14th on the career FG% list at 55%. Dr. J once said he “runs like a deer and jumps like a gazelle”. This athleticism enabled him to be quite a solid rebounder (over 8/gm first 4 pro seasons) and shotblocker (4 times over 1.7/gm) in his early years. He’s one of 4 guys in NBA history to average 2 stls & 2 blks the same year, doing it twice, while in 9 of hist first 10 years he averaged at least one of each. He had a smooth, easy, quick-release jump shot, and was fundamentally sound in all aspects of the game. His supreme defense, named 1st team All-NBA def 10 times, stemmed from intelligent play combined with tremendous effort and energy at that end of the court. Jones’ defense combined with his underrated all-around game was recognized with five All-Star game appearances. In his prime (first 8 years), he averaged 14 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asst, 1.7 stls and 1.6 blks, and of course – won a ring, playing 27 minutes a night during the 76ers playoff title run in 1983. A simple and very religious man, he remains in Charlotte teaching basketball at a Christian middle school.

126) Alvin Robertson - 6‘ 3″ PG/SG from 1984 – 1993, ’96…The ultimate thief in the history of the league, no one before or since has ever been as consistent or adept at stealing the ball as Robertson owns 4 of the top 10 steals seasons in NBA history. He was a highly regarded NBA prospect at Arkansas, becoming the 7th overall pick in the legendary 1984 draft (MJ, Akeem, Barkley, Stockton), and then playing on the equally legendary 1984 Olympic team. Easing into his career with the Spurs, Robertson played just 21 minutes a night as a rookie but still nabbed 1.6 stl/gm in that time, the only season of his career under 2 a game. An explosive, very athletic player who could dish the alley-oop as well as convert it, he announced his arrival in a big way the very next season, as he became the only player in NBA history to record 300 steals in a single season, swiping 301 at a 3.7/gm clip, also an NBA record (Don Buse stole 346 in the last year of the ABA, then stole 281 the next season in the NBA, a record at the time and still #2 on the all-time list). Also in that 1986 season, Robertson won the NBA’s first Most Improved Award as he averaged 17.0 pts, 6.3 rebs, 5.5 asst, and shot 51.4% while playing in all 82 games. This was the first of 4 straight years averaging at least 17 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asst, and 3 stls, a period when he was the Spurs best player and a 3 time All-Star. That 1986 season was also the year he got his quadruple-double (20 pts, 11 rebs, 10 asst, 10 stl), one of four players in history to record such a fat, well-rounded box score, and the only guy to do it with steals, not blocks. All totaled, Robertson had five seasons of at least 3 stl/gm, and six seasons of at least 5 rebs/5 asst. He made four All-Star teams, 2 All-Defensive 1st teams and 4 All-Def 2nd team squads, and was the Defensive Player of the Year once, again in 1986. He also retired for two full seasons, only to come back with the expansion Toronto Raptors in 1996, scoring the team’s first ever points on a three-pointer while starting in the backcourt at SG alongside rookie PG Damon Stoudamire. Even at the age of 33 that year, his numbers were a respectable 9.2 pts, 4.4 rebs, 4.2 asst, and 2.2 stls/gm. He ended his career #1 on the all-time steals per game list averaging 2.7. He also once got into a nice little spat with Shaq - here’s the footage - note how he basically fights Laimbeer’s battle for him. Unfortunately, he’s turned out to be quite a bad apple off the court, being violent towards wives and girlfriends, and then getting arrested for his participation in an underage sex ring operation in early 2010. His son Tyrell Johnson, whose mom was an Arkansas track athlete, plays safety for the Vikings these days, wearing number 25…he starts.

125) Larry Nance - 6‘ 9″ PF from 1981 – 1994…Among the most explosive and athletic big men to ever play in the league, Nance arrived upon the scene with little fanfare as the 20th player picked in an absolutely stacked 1981 NBA Draft. How stacked? 1, 2, 3 were Mark Aguirre, Isiah Thomas, and Buck Williams. Others taken before Nance were Orlando Woolridge, Tom Chambers, Rolando Blackman, Kelly Tripuka, Herb Williams, and Darnell Valentine. Danny Ainge was a nice 2nd round selection in that draft. But back to Larry, he also left high school with very little fanfare, graduating just under 6′ 6″. He grew up a short drive from Clemson, and shortly before he was about to enroll at a local junior college, they offered him a scholarship. The positive aspect of his late growth spurt, combined with lots of soccer up until junior high, was that he developed a good shot and had very smooth, coordinated footwork for a tall guy. After four years at Clemson, Nance grew 3.5 inches taller and put up 15.9 pts and 7.6 rebs while hitting 57.5% from the floor his senior year. Drafted by Phoenix in 1981, he only played 15 minutes a night his rookie year, before then embarking upon an 11 year stretch of incredibly consistent productivity, highlighted by ESPN ‘Play of the Day’-worthy dunks and blocked shots. For the next 11 seasons, Nance never averaged less than 8.0 rebs/gm or more than 9.1. For all but two of those seasons, he averaged between 2.0 and 3.0 blks/gm, finishing his career at #19 on the all-time list with just over 2,000. And he never scored less than 16.3 pts/gm during that stretch, reaching as high as 22.5 in 1987 and 4 more times averaging over 19. He also finished in the top 10 in FG% seven times during this stretch, while finishing his career at 54.6%, good for 16th on the all-time list. But Nance was a lot more than numbers, as mentioned earlier – he was a highlight machine! (note the posterization of Kareem at the 1:34 mark). The winner of the 1st NBA Slam Dunk competition in 1984, Nance could dunk with flair and power, as well as reject shots with the best of them. With the ability to shoot from 16, 17 feet out, combined with a quick first step, he was a difficult matchup for bigs to guard. He played on two conference finals playoff squads – the 1984 Suns, alongside Maurice Lucas and Walter Davis, and the 1992 Cavs, a nice squad that included Mark Price at PG, Brad Dougherty at C, and Hot Rod Williams, who would sometimes play at PF moving Nance to SF when the Cavs went big. Alas, Jordan and company took care of them 4-2 in the Eastern Finals, as they had in the first round in 1988, and in the legendary 1989 series, when Jordan’s shot over Ehlo crushed the Cavs on their home court by one point in the deciding game 5. In those two playoffs combined, Nance averaged 17.4, 9.0, and 2.35 blks while shooting 54%. If the Cavs hadn’t traded Ron Harper for super-stiff Danny Ferry in 1989, one has to wonder if the Cavs could have maybe won the East once or twice during that period. And with Nance, Hot Rod, and Dougherty, why did they want another big guy anyway?!?!!? Tragically dumb trade. Anyway, having grown up the son of an auto mechanic and later visiting a drag race during his playing days, Nance owned a car during his playing days and currently races them for the IHRA in the Pro Stock Series. Oh, and look out for Larry Jr., a 6′ 7″ freshman at Wyoming.

124) Pau Gasol - 7‘ 0″ PF/C from 2001 – today…I first saw Pau at a Clippers pre-season game and it was immediately apparent to me and the fans nearby that he was a player. Very tall but extremely agile and skilled for his size, now I could see why he was so coveted during the 2001 NBA Draft, going 3rd overall, just behind Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler, and right in front of Eddy Curry. (Brief aside, my big guy for that draft? Eddie Griffin – loved him. He went 7th. He played 1 yr at Seton Hall and dominated, posting 17.8/10.8 with over 4 blks/gm. He was 6’10″ and athletic. But sadly, he was a bit immature & irresponsible, and ended up being released by the T-Wolves at 24 yrs old w/ just a month left to go in the season, hardly playing anyway. Later that summer in Aug ’07, he hit a moving train driving while completely drunk – .26 BAC.) Anyway, back to the 2nd best Euro to ever play here, Gasol had an immediate impact in the league, scoring what is still his career low in points, 17.3 pts with 8.9 rebs and 2.1 blks…while shooting 51.8%! No Euro had ever come over and put up numbers like this his rookie season, certainly not Dirk (8.2/3.4) or Drazen (7.6/1.4/1.5), or any others. And it wasn’t a fluke because he’s been putting up similar or better numbers now for 10 years straight. Here’s the resume he’s built: ROY in ’02, 4 All-Star games, top 10 in rebs twice, FG% & Blks 3 times, with two rings and 1 all-NBA 2nd Team appearance, two 3rds. His career FG% of 52.2 lies at #43 all-time. Gasol just knows how to score in the post, putting his size and good footwork to use against his opponents, while doing a solid job on the boards, especially since he came to the Lakers (3 of his 4 best reb seasons are with the Lakers, twice over 10/gm). He’s not the most exciting player, you never ask your buddy ‘did you see that Gasol highlight last night?’, but the next morning you open the paper and check his line, and you see 20/9/2 blks, 4 or 5 free throws, and 3 dimes…another rock solid night from the Spanish big man. In the playoffs, his rebounding dipped in his 3 trips with Memphis, all 1st round defeats. But with Lakers, he stepped it up, garnering well over 10/gm when they won their two titles. Strangely, Gasol turned from rock to sandstone during last spring’s playoffs, shooting 42% while scoring only 13.1 with just 7.8 boards. It was as if he’d just aged 5 yrs from the regular season to the playoffs. Is this the new Gasol? He struggled vs. the Hornets in round 1 against Emeka Okafor and Carl Landry!! What was happening? He looks to be one of the more volatile guys on this list, likely to move up or down 20+ spots over the next few years, it’ll be interesting to see which way he goes…I would guess south.

Djoker/Nadal – Epic Capper to 2011 US Open

If the Djokovic service return down match point at 3-5, 15-40 in the 5th set vs. Federer was the signature shot of the tournament, then yesterday’s Djoker/Nadal final was the signature match for this era’s style of accurate, heavy, bludgeoning groundstrokes. Some of the most amazing rallies in the history of the sport were on display in the final…but then, how could that be a surprise? We had the rare treat of the true number 1 and 2 players in the world, both among the game’s all time greats, playing in their physical prime (Nadal 25, Djokovic 24), with one of them in the midst of possibly the greatest season a pro has ever had. Additionally, great rallies usually contain spectacular scrambles that elicit befuddlement on the part of the viewer – “how the heck did he get that ball and then make such a nice shot off it?”. Well, in this match we had two of fastest, most explosive athletes the game has ever seen, both clearly among the top 5 all-time in defending the court. So all the ingredients were there, and the players did not disappoint. 

Some of the match facts that amazed: In his last two US Opens coming into the match, Nadal had been broken just 7 times – 5 times in 2010 (3 by Djoker in the final), and just 2 times in 2011. Yesterday, Djokovic broke him 12 times…12 times!!! McEnroe wondered aloud if he wasn’t the greatest returner of serve ever, mentioning Connors and Agassi as well. At one point CBS put up a stat counting rallies of 15 strokes or longer at 26…and these were not just 15 hits of ‘getting a nice rhythm’, many of these shots were sharp, penetrating strokes that would have ended rallies against lesser players. The 17 minute game early in the 2nd set was phenomenal, with the rally that ended it yet another stunning all-timer, though Nadal blew the volley at the end (maybe overhead?). And how about Djoker’s reaching, slap forehand that ended the 2nd set?! Shots like that aren’t supposed to be humanly possible…

The back/rib issue to start the 4th set was a great concern, as he was clearly struggling with movement and bending for a bit, but those pills and that massage seemed to relieve the pain enough for him to continue his great play, though clearly he was eager to end points earlier. The key was, he is a good enough shot-maker to make that adjustment, and ended up steamrolling in the 4th 6-1. 

So let’s recap this phenomenal season of Djokovic’s, and again ponder where he lies among the greats. He just became the 6th player in the Open Era (1968 – today) to win 3 of the 4 slams in the same year, joining Roger & Rafa, as well as Mats Wilander (1988), Jimmy Connors (1974), and Rod Laver (the slam in 1969). He is 64-2 on the year, having won more Masters Series events than anyone in history – 5 so far, with two more to be played – and is now 6-0 vs Nadal and 4-1 vs. Fed. He has won 10 tournaments, bringing his career total to 28, which places him at 24th on the all-time ATP (post 1973) list. Assuming he wins at least 7 titles between now and next year’s US Open, he will be 16th on the all-time list a year from now, just above Arthur Ashe, Michael Chang, and Wilander. Finally, his career winning percentage of 78.4 puts him at 8th on the all-time list (again, ATP), above #9 Sampras and #10 Becker, and behind Borg (1), Nadal (2), Connors (3), Lendl (4), McEnroe (5), Federer (6), and Laver (7).

Clearly, he’s one of the greats, and we are lucky to watch this greatness unfold. 

Todd’s Tennis Takes – Simon vs. Isner Analysis, 4th Rnd

The odds-makers find Simon to be a 4:5 favorite in this match, while I would put the line at 4:7…here’s why. (incidentally, the two have never played each other before…surprising).

First of all, the most basic reason – Simon is the much better all-around player of the two.  The Frenchman is a far better mover and defender, and better equipped for a best of 5 match. He’s a much smoother athlete around the court, explosive in his movements with beautiful footwork. Has won at least two matches at 10 of the last 11 majors he’s played – great consistency – and has 9 career titles while Isner has 3, with both of them 26 yrs old. Simon is also ranked #12, 10 spots higher than Isner. This is a great draw for him to reach his 2nd grand slam QF  (Aussie ’09)…none for Isner yet. 

Recent Performance – Had 13 aces in the 3rd round in beating Del Potro in 4 sets, avenging a Wimby loss to him in the same round just 2 months ago. He beat Tipsy and Ferrer in Cincy before bowing out to Murray in the QFs. And just for kicks, he played the clay at Hamburg shortly after Wimby, and won the event beating Monfils, Youzhny, and then Almagro in the final…not bad. Plays surface to surface with ease, and should have no problem adjusting to wetness, humidity, heat…whatever Mother Nature brings.

Now, Big John Isner

Physically - a huge player, among the biggest ever, and uses his power in his serve and forehand. But he’s far weaker than Simon on the backhand side, and will have difficulty dancing around a tennis court in a best of 5 match. As a raw athlete he’s clearly inferior to the far more explosive Simon…think the complete opposite of a genetic freak like Grant Hill was at a similar size playing for the Pistons in the late ’90s (just think if guys like that start swinging a raquet – scary!). Isner is likely to lose consistency and stamina over the course of the match, as Simon will likely keep him moving whenever possible.

Recent Activity – had a rather easy time handling the far lesser Bogo Jr. in the 3rd. Lost 1st & 2nd rnd at French & Wimby respectively, vs. Simon’s 4th and 3rd. Lost to Stepanek 1st rnd Cincy, Troicki (playing under par lately) 2nd round of Montreal. Did win the Winston-Salem event in N.C. beating Roddick and Benneteau in semis & finals.

Conclusion – While Isner and his serve always present unique challenges to an opponent, Simon is a good enough fast-twitch, supreme hand-eye coordinated athlete to rise to the challenge…I think the first set is a coin flip between the two, but I also believe the odds are 90% that it’ll be either 1-1 or 2-0 Simon after two sets. Simon should have a large mental advantage knowing that at least 2 more more sets have to be played if they sit in their seats tied 1-1 after 2 sets. Simon in 4.

TTT – US Open Update, 1 Week In

One week in and there have been a few interesting developments at Flushing Meadows so far.

Monfils Out – The Dominique Wilkins of the ATP Tour, the 25 yr old Frenchman crashed out in the 2nd round to former US Open finalist Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003, l. to Roddick) in 5 sets. Monfils, who made the QFs last year here, gave us a world of highlights in only two matches, but his inconsistency and underachievement are maddening for his fans. Three of his highlights were unreal – a jumping, feet touching his butt, behind-the-back shot that went in; a flying, jumping forehand passing shot, and then an improvised, sitting down shot after he fell. Comparing him to Dominique actually doesn’t do him justice, because while the former high-flying, power-dunking Hawk did have a few near equals during his day, there is no one even close to Monfils’ extreme athleticism on the tour, certainly in his graviting-defying leaps. A friend noted he might do better under the tutelage of Brad Gilbert – probably, but I’m not sure BG wants to give up his booth gig.

Juan Carlos Ferrero in 4th Round - As mentioned above, the Spaniard has done surprisingly well here, taking out Granollers after his Monfils take-down, and ready to tackle Janko Tipsarevic in an interesting 4th round encounter Monday.  The 2003 French champ has had quite a roller-coaster career since that year. He followed up his US Open Finals appearance with a trip to the semis at the Aussie in early ’04, but then never made it past the 3rd round of a major until Wimbledon in ’05 (4th round). At the French, played on his best surface clay, he has never gone beyond the 3rd round since his title, and here at the US Open, he failed to make it out of the 2nd round for the 5 years following ’03. But then he made the 4th round in ’09, and 3rd round last year. His performance this year comes after playing only 17 matches all year, and missing the first three slams with injuries. Bizzare career, but of those 17 matches this year, 5 were at Stuttgart Germany, where he won his 16th career title a full 12 years after winning his first at Mallorca in 1999…not too many guys can say they won titles in three different decades.

Donald Young Comes of Age – Young had been tabbed as the next great American star before hitting his teens, and early on didn’t disappoint, becoming the youngest Junior Grand Slam winner ever when he won the Aussie Open in 2005 (subsequently Bernard Tomic won the Aussie Juniors in 2008 at two months younger). But since then, his career has basically stalled, winning a grand total of 13 career ATP level matches from 2006 thru 2010, finishing last year ranked 128th. But this year, now 22, he seems to be getting it. He beat Andy Murray at Indian Wells in the 2nd round, and has 4 other wins over top 30 guys as well. Here at the US Open he has two of those wins, over Wawrinka (#14) in the 2nd round, and the veteran Argentine clay-courter Juan Ignacio Chela (#24) in the 3rd. In total, he has now more than doubled his tour win total with 14 match wins in 2011, and next plays Murray again in the 4th round here. Likely to lose, the speedy southpaw will nevertheless jump up from his current ranking of 84 and land well inside the top 70 in the next ATP rankings. Nice to see him start to ‘get it’.

Djokovic and Dolgopolov Finally Meet – As I rank them, the 3 most exciting, interesting, and entertaining players on the tour are Monfils, Djoker, and the 22 year old Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. This is his first encounter with the dominant Serbian, but his second matchup against a world #1 (lost to Nadal in Miami this year before Djokovic overtook him in the rankings). Despite his relative inexperience, Dolgopolov is no stranger to high stakes matches at slams, taking out both Tsonga and Soderling on the way to the QFs at this year’s Aussie Open before losing to Murray in 4 sets. The diminutive, ponytailed Dolgopolov is a treat to watch flying around the court while hitting stinging groundstrokes mixed in with off-pace backspin and sidespin shots. While he is not likely to take a set off Djokovic, he should make him work harder than he has in his first 3 matches (just 12 total games lost), while also entertaining the crowd at Louis Armstrong stadium.

In other developments, the Big 4 have moved on smoothly, dropping only 3 sets among the four of them (Djoker, Fed, Nadal, Murray) through three rounds. Two of those were Murray dropping the opening sets vs. Robin Haase in the 2nd round before storming back and losing only 6 games over the next three stanzas. Beyond the Big 4, the next biggest names are Tsonga and Fish, and they also play Monday in the late night match on Arthur Ashe – has all the makings of a classic, as both are playing some the best tennis of their lives right now – and the winner likely meets Fed in the quarterfinals next. Things are getting juicy in New York!!

Todd’s Tennis Takes – 2011 US Open Preview

The last slam is upon us and here’s my TTT preview…not quite as thorough as past slam previews, but enough to whet your tennis appetite.

Djokovic is still a heavy favorite after winning Wimbledon and Montreal and making the final in Cincinnati since his upset loss to Fed at the French 3 months ago. He did retire in the Cincy final vs. Murray, his shoulder bothering him, but should be sharp and rested after a week off since. Nadal, Murray, and American Mardy Fish look to be the biggest threats to Djoker’s bid for a 3rd slam in 2011. Nadal is the defending champ, Murray the Cincy champ, Wimby semifinalist, and still world #4, while Fish is playing the best tennis of his career, making the quarters of Wimby, winning Atlanta, finalist in L.A., finalist at Montreal (l. to Djoker), and semifinalist at Cincy (l. to Murray). 

Sadly, Federer has done nothing of note this summer, and now 30, it’s possible his decline has started to steepen. He lost in the quarters of Wimbledon to Tsonga after blowing a 2-0 set lead for only the 3rd time in his career, then lost in the round of 16 at Montreal (to Tsonga again) and then in the quarters of Cincinnati to Berdych. He’s slated to meet either Tsonga or Fish (should be a great 4th round match between those two!) here in New York in the quarters. Should he survive that, a semifinal rematch with Djoker likely awaits – last year’s was epic, the Serb surviving two match points to take Fed down. 

Other Matches/Players to Watch for:   Soderling/Isner 3rd round; Dolgopolov/Gasquet 3rd round; Monfils/Berdych 4th round (if you want to see possibly the most amazingly athletic shot in tennis history, check out this Magical Monfils Dive from the 3rd round at the French Open vs. Melzer in 2009 – Melzer gives him a low 5 afterward, it was that unreal); Verdasco/Tsonga 3rd round; Cilic/Harrison 1st round (Ryan Harrison an American up-and-comer, only 19); Roddick/Almagro 3rd round (Roddick playing quite poorly of late); and Gulbis/Youzhny 1st round (Youzhny the 16th seed and a semifinalist here last year, Gulbis won L.A. over Fish a month ago). 

Look for updates throughout the tourney, and enjoy the last slam of 2011. For great nightly recaps of the days activity during the entire two weeks, check out US Open Tonight on Tennis Channel at 8pm PST every night. 

NBA Top 150 – Numbers 135 thru 133

135) Terry Cummings - 6‘ 9″ PF from 1982 – 2000…Cummings came from DePaul, coached by the legendary Ray Meyer (remember how non-legendary his son Joey was?), the 2nd pick of a famous 1-2-3 1982 NBA Draft (Worthy, Cummings, Dominique). Worthy ended up as possibly the best ever 3rd guy on a team (by 1986, 2nd guy), while Wilkins ended up as a legendary scorer, dunker, and high-flier…but it was Cummings who won Rookie of the Year (23.7 pts, 10.6 rebs). Cummings proceeded to average 22.2 pts, 8.7 rebs, and 1.4 stls while shooting 49% from the field his first 8 years in the league. Twice an all-star and twice all-NBA (2nd team in ’85, 3rd team in ’89), he was a reliable rock at the PF position until a summertime pickup game injury in 1992 completely ended his impact days. He slipped into a reliable reserve role after that 1991-92 season (17 pts, 9 rebs, 48.8% shooting), but never averaged more than 9.1 pts or 5.5 rebs from then on. Playing for the Clippers, Bucks, and Spurs in his prime and wearing the legendary #34 (Akeem & Barkley’s number, not to mention Walter Payton, Earl Campbell, Bo Jackson, Nolan Ryan – w/ Mets, Astros, and Rangers, not Angels), Cummings scored in a variety of ways - turnaround bank shots, jumpers, power layups, putbacks & dunks…he wasn’t overly athletic but was Mr. Steady and Reliable until the injury radically curtailed his production and effectiveness. He was also rock steady in the playoffs, averaging 22.4 pts, 8.9 rebs, and shooting 51.4% from the field in 61 playoff games before his Summer ’92 injury. Post injury, he was still able to give 18 minutes/night for another 6 years before finally calling it quits at age 38. His toughness, skill, and durability allowed him to reach #46 on the all-time scoring list (19,460), #58 in rebs (8,630), and #22 on offensive boards with 3,183. He wasn’t a supernova, but instead a rock solid, no nonsense, no controversy contributor for 18 years in the league. He is currently a minister and musician, while also following his son TJ’s basketball progress in the NBDL.

134) Neil Johnston - 6‘ 8″ C from 1951 – 1959…Johnston was the league’s dominant center in the mid-50′s, bridging George Mikan and Bill Russell. But while going from Mikan to Johnston was like going from Atari 2600 to Mattel Intellivision, Johnston to Russell was like then leapfrogging to Microsoft X-Box. Johnston starred at both hoops and baseball at Ohio St., and initially tried his hand at pitching in the minor leagues. After little success, he migrated back to the hardcourt in 1951, scoring a modest 6 pts/gm in 15 minutes a night playing for the Philadelphia Warriors, the only team he ever played for in his 8 year career. The next year started his domination, as he led the league in scoring (22.3), FG% at 45.2 (yes, barely clearing 45% really did lead the league), and minutes (45.2) while finishing in 2nd in rebs with 13.9/gm. For four more years he continued posting similar stats, gathering two more scoring titles, two more FG% titles, a rebounding title (15.1/gm in ’54-’55), a league championship in 1956, and finishing in the top 6 in scoring and rebounding the other years. His hook shot was accurate and unstoppable, unless your name was Bill Russell. Russell played Johnston his 2nd game in the league as a rookie in 1956 (still Johnston’s prime), and held him scoreless for the first 42 minutes of the game. He was blocking his shots, stealing the ball from him, forcing awkward attempts, but always under control and never sending him to the line. That was the X-Box going against Mattel’s Intellivision – no contest – hardware and software far too advanced for the older model. At 6’8″ 210, Johnston was the size of today’s small forwards, only far less athletic and playing center. Nonetheless, he had that dominant 5 year stretch, making 1st team all-NBA 4 times and 2nd team once, and was a very good overall shooter, draining 76.8% of his free throws in his career - three times better than 80% - while leading the league in attempts and makes 3 straight years from 1952-55. He also finished with very solid career rebounding (11.3, #24 all-time) and scoring (19.4, #67 all-time) averages. Would he be on this list if he enetered the NBA in 1984? Definitely not, but you can’t ignore a Hall of Famer who was the elite big man of his day, even if it was a completely different era. He died rather young, at the age of 49 in 1978, 12 years before being voted into the Hall.

133) Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway - 6‘ 7″ PG/SG from 1993 – 2005…Technically, he played during the ’05-’06 and ’07-’08 seasons, but the numbers are so small and pathetic, his career essentially ended with the close of the 2004-05 season. The numbers we’d like to forget in those last two years: 20 total games, 20 min/gm, 3.5 pts while shooting 35.1%. This of course, was not at all the Penny who was a dominant all-around player at every level of the game – Senior year High School: 36.6, 10.1 rebs, 6.2 asst, 3.9 stls, 2.8 blks…final year at Memphis: 22.8, 8.5 reb, 6.4 asst, 2.4 stl, 1.2 blk…First 7 years in the league: 18.7, 4.9 rebs, 6.2 asst, 1.9 stl, .5 blk, and shot 47.3%. Penny was famously traded for Chris Webber on draft day in 1993, landing with the Magic and teaming with Shaq, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott and company. Here was a 6’7″, very quick, explosive athlete who could handle & pass like a point guard, shoot and score like an off guard, and was tall enough to defend small forwards – a dream Swiss Army knife for any coach or team. Alas, Penny was like a fine Italian sports car that worked great the first three years, but then kept going back to the shop. Those first three years – 5 total missed games. The next 5 years? Missed 23 games, 63 games, 0 games (strike shortened 1998-99 season), 22 games, and then 78 games in ’00-’01. He was 1st team all-NBA in 1995 and ’96, averaging at least 20 pts, 4 boards, 7 dimes and 1.7 steals each season while also hitting on better than 51% of his shots both years. He and Shaq led the Magic to the NBA Finals in ’95, only to be swept by Akeem and the Rockets, but Penny was strong with 24.5, 4.8 rebs, 8 asst, and over 50% from the field in the series. In his playoff prime (54 games through the 2000 playoffs), Hardaway averaged 21.5, 4.6 rebs, 6.4 asst, 1.85 stls, and .78 blks per game. He had a legendary set of back-to-back performances in the first round round of the 1997 Playoffs, going off for 42 in game 3 and 41 in game 4 against the Heat to force a game 5 in round 1, though they eventually lost the series. He’s the only player in NBA history to record consecutive 40+ games in the playoffs while his team failed to score 100 in either game. Besides giving us temendous hoops highlights and production in his prime, Penny, through Nike, also gave us the legendary Lil Penny, his mini-me puppet friend, and a series of pretty funny commercials, including this one that includes the great line, “Hey Tyra [Banks, famous supermodel], you left your toothbrush at my place”. Now 40, Penny was honored this month at his alma mater, as Memphis just opened the Penny Hardaway/University of Memphis Hall of Fame. It’s one thing to be inducted into your school’s Hall of Fame, quite another to have the Hall of Fame named after you – that’s how good Hardaway was.

NBA Top 150 – 140 thru 137

140) Latrell Sprewell - 6′ 5″ SG/SF from 1992 – 2005…Yes, he who chokes his coach and calls $7m/yr not enough to live on and feed a family is still eligible for the Top 150 – this list is about basketball, not character. A late 1st round selection out of Alabama by Don Nelson and the Warriors in 1992, Spree immediately served notice that he was, at the least, a draft day bargain during a rookie campaign that saw him average 15.4 pts, 3.5 rebs, and 3.8 asst a game. The next year he served noticed that he was an outright steal, making 1st team all-NBA while playing in all 82 games, at 43 minutes per, and averaging 21.0 pts, 4.9 rebs, 4.7 asst, 2.2 stls, .9 blks, and 1.7 threes, while also making 2nd team all-defense. Of course, he would have been 2nd team all-NBA if Jordan wasn’t playing Double A baseball at the time. But nonetheless, with him as a 2nd year guy and C-Webb as a rookie, things were looking good for hoops in Northern California in the mid-90′s…until Webber very quickly grew tired of Nelson (a shame, he was perfect for Nellie’s style), and suddenly Spree was running up and down the floor with Tom Gugliotta, and not one of the all-time PFs in NBA history. Latrell did manage three more seasons of at least 20 pts/gm, peaking at 24.2 pts and 6.3 asst in 1996-97, the season prior to choking P.J. Carlesimo. He came back after that rest-of-season suspension in 1997-98 (68 games) to have 6 more very productive years in the league, including leading the Knicks to an 8 seed upset over 1 seed Miami in the 1999 playoffs and eventually to the NBA Finals, as well as teaming with KG and Sam Cassell to lead the T-Wolves to the 2004 Western Conference Finals before bowing out to the Lakers. Spree was a great athlete, intense competitor, and complete ball player, as evidenced by 4 all-star game appearances and career averages of 18.3 pts, 4.1 rebs, 4 asst, and 1.4 stls (#42 all-time). A fearless penetrator, three times he averaged at least 5 made free throws a game in his career. He had no problems stepping up his game in the playoffs either, averaging 19.7 and 4.3 rebs in 62 career postseason encounters. Unfortunately, he was also a mean, angry, ornery guy, who has had nothing but financial troubles since declining that $7m/yr salary in 2005 (which ended his career rather abruptly). He has since had a yacht repossessed, two homes foreclosed upon, and owes Wisconsin roughly $3.5m in back taxes.

139) Arvydas Sabonis - 7′ 3″ C from 1995 – 2003…Forget Dirk, Peja, Drazen, Pau, or any other Euro import to the league…here is likely the greatest player to ever play in the NBA from Europe. Unfortunately, he did not arrive at age 22 in 1986, the year Portland drafted him; he arrived 9 years later after numerous injuries and Father Time had robbed him of much of his prior explosiveness and athleticism. Imagine a cross between the ABA version of Artis Gilmore (much leaner and more athletic than the Spurs version) and Chris Webber – a super tall athletic shotblocker/rebounder who could run the floor and pass like C-Webb – and with Webber’s flair, too. Oh, and he could also shoot the three-pointer. Check this YouTube footage vs. the USA - Sabonis 1986. That was Sabonis in his prime. You could say he’s the number one reason we threw aside the amateur ideal for the 1992 Olympic hoops team and created the Dream Team (but then ridiculously polluted it with Christian Laettner to pretend we still cared about the whole ‘amateur’ notion…so lame). He led Russia to a major upset over the David Robinson, Mitch Richmond, Danny Manning, Dan Majerlie led Olympic team in 1988 (also had Hersey Hawkins, Stacy Augmon, Bimbo Coles, and Charles Smith), causing shock and dismay to USA hoops and galvanizing the whole ‘send our NBA best’ idea. And he wasn’t even 100% in those Olympics, as he was nursing a bad Achilles heel at the time. That Soviet team then won the gold over Yugoslavia, which had future NBA-ers Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc, Drazen Petrovic, and Dino Radja (good Celtic early/mid 90’s). Sabonis had only one other future NBA guy on his team – Sarunas Marciulionis. When he did finally get here, Sabonis was still good enough to average 16 pts, 10 rebs, and 3 dimes in 1998 at age 33, and average 12 pts, 7.3 rebs, 2.1 asst and 1.1 blk for his career while shooting 50.0%. In 51 career playoff games his averages maintained – 12.1, 7.4, 1.9 dimes, though his shooting dropped to 45.2%. Clyde Drexler once lamented that those late 80′s Blazer teams (himself, Terry Porter, Buck Williams, Cliff Robinson) could have “had four, five or six titles. Guaranteed. He was that good. He could pass, shoot three pointers, had a great post game, and dominated the paint.” Bill Walton once called him a 7’3″ Larry Bird (as he’s prone to, a slight exaggeration from Bill, but you get the idea). While his NBA resume is mostly a case of ‘what if’, his European resume includes 8 Player of the Year Awards, and he also added two bronze medals (playing for Lithuania) in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics to go with his ’88 gold.

Little hoops story from Wed afternoon before #138…left work at 6pm and went to a park two blocks over to watch VERY STRONG pickup hoops (just southwest of 28th & Ocean Park in Santa Monica)…planned out my #138 write-up while watching JC caliber hoopsters (3 guys) playing full court 5 on 5 with over a dozen waiters…shot hoops with the waiters during action at the other end eventually…they were all well over 10 yrs younger than the Speedburner, but I had some nice spring in my step and made some sweet shots…then I heard some waiters at the other end talking Kobe/Lebron/Wade – who of us doesn’t love this epic debate about three top 30 all-time guys? I walked over with my research material, gave Lebron two uppercuts (Finals game 5 & 6 this year, 2007 finals), showed them my list, and stirred up more controversy…a dream ending to a long day of studying tennis highlight reels.

138) Elton Brand - 6‘ 8″ PF from 1999 – Today…Probably the #1 Clipper of all time, right? At least until Blake plays a few more seasons. The Clips acquired the 1999 1st overall pick (2000 Rookie of the Year) for Tyson Chandler shortly after the 2001 NBA Draft. A two year guy at Duke, they were upset by Rip Hamilton & UConn his last game there in the ’99 NCAA finals. He played on the best LA Clipper team ever, Alpha Dog on the 2006 squad supported by Maggette, Cassell, Mobley, and Kaman. They romped over Denver 4-1, then took the Run-n-Gun Suns to 7 games before Phx blew ‘em out at home in the clincher. Clips barely missed winning a double OT Game 5 when Brand had 33 & 15 but Matrix (Shawn Marion) had 36 & 20 (Stoudamire out that year while Matrix was at his athletic peak, stats peak). Brand averaged a phenomenal 25.4, 10.3, 4.0 asst, 2.6 blks, and shot 55.1% in those 12 playoff games…stepped it up BIG TIME! His first 8 years in the league, he averaged 20.3 pts, 10.2 rebs, 2.7 asst, 2.1 blks and shot well over 50% from the floor in 606 games. Then he ruptured his Achilles, signed a big deal w/ Philly at $13m per (did they not hear about that Achilles news?), got hurt again, and basically missed his 2nd straight season due to injury. But he’s back now and still productive in a reduced capacity, averaging 15 & 8.3 this last season while playing 81 games, shooting 50% again, and backing it up with his 2nd career playoff appearance and 15.5/8.4 in his series with the Heat this Spring. He’s been undersized his whole career at 6’8′ but has long, thick, strong arms, broad thick shoulders, a hunger to play hard every night…and lots of skill! He was supremely talented at timing his block attempts while facing his guy pre Achilles, garnering over 2 blocks/gm every year from 2002-07 and currently residing at #26 all-time with 1.9 blk/gm career. During his 8 year span of producing all-star numbers every year, he was only selected to 2 games, paying the price for being on the lowly Clippers and Bulls during these years. He did make 2nd team all-NBA the year he took the Clips to round 2. A classy guy, a quiet guy, he’s kind of a throwback to the humble, mellow bigs of the 1970′s and 80′s – less flash, solid game, professional attitude. Much needed in today’s game. Hopefully he can keep up this 15 & 8 stuff a few more years…he’s not a greybeard yet at 32.

137) Lafayette ‘Fat’ Lever - 6‘ 3″ PG from 1982 – 1994…Lever’s nickname is Fat for the same reason my younger sister Shauna’s nickname is Da Da – a little brother who couldn’t pronounce the name properly. But in time, the nickname proved to be incredibly appropriate as Lever stuffed the stat box as fat as the best of them for a 4 year stretch playing Doug Moe Run-n-Gun basketball in Denver during the late ’80s. He first played 4 years at Arizona St. where he teamed up with Byron Scott and Alton Lister, but somehow they never made it beyond the 2nd round in the tourney their last two years together. The 11th overall pick by Portland in the 1982 Draft, he put up respectable but not spectacular numbers in 24 min/gm his first two seasons there before being traded to Denver. A late bloomer, Fat posted very solid numbers of 13.2 pts, 5.2 rebs, 7.5 dimes, and a large 2.4 stls/gm his first two years there. Then came a 4 year stretch that rivals some of the top statistical runs in the history of the league. From 1986-87 through the 1989-90 season, Fat averaged 18.9 pts, 8.9 rebs, 7.5 asst, and 2.5 stls. The only guys doing anything close to this back then were named Michael, Magic, and Larry. Michael never averaged more than 8 rebs/gm (and neither has 6’8″ Lebron), while Fat at 6’3″ did it 4 years in a row, while stealing every ball in sight, dishing 7+ dimes, and even posted 9.3 rebs/gm in both ’89 and ’90. He is 6th on the all-time triple-double list with 43, well behind Bird in 5th with 59, but far ahead of 7th place Havlicek who finished with 30. And he posted every one of them during his 6 years in the Mile High City including 11 in ’87-’88, with a masterpiece in Chicago against the Bulls – 31 pts, 16 reb, 12 asst, 6 stls. Here is a 10 minute highlight reel of Fat vs. MJ in that game (MJ has a classic, blindingly quick but unsuccessful drive to the hoop at the 7:45 mark…no one’s misses were more fun to watch than MJ’s). One steal was a classic ‘DB on a WR’ type on a pass intended for Michael. All the guys on this Top 150 list are stars, but not all of them shined like supernovas. Andre Miller, Michael Cooper – these guys were not supernovas. Lever was an exceptionally bright supernova for 4 magnificent years…in fantasy hoops parlance, roti gold. Bad knees ended his career early, but they traded him at just the right time and got a lot for him. He eventually morphed into the 3rd pick of the 1990 draft and the Bullets 1991 1st rounder. The ’90 pick was Chris Jackson, aka Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, while the ’91 first rounder turned out to be 5th overall and they nabbed Mutombo. So even though they only got 4 superstar seasons out of Fat, they shrewdly replaced his production with a nice, but not great guard and a legendary defensive center who both started for them the next 6 and 5 years respectively – hats off to management on that one!! Lever retired 5th on the all-time stls/gm list with 2.2, 19th on the all-time steals list (1,666), and 46th on the asst/gm list at 6.2. Oh…and there are 3 guys in NBA history with 15-15-15 playoff games, pts-rebs-asst…Wilt, Jason Kidd, and our boy Fat. In researching Fat, I found him to be something of an underground legendary favorite among fans, the unheralded ‘why not more pub on this guy?’ player. Kind of like a rock star who produces just one or two great albums before drifting away…Lever will always remain a Speedburner favorite.