Throwback Thurday (Nov. 26)

Well, it's Thanksgiving. Not only that, but it is also Thursday. And today we are going to look back at two 50 point game that were scored on the Denver Nuggets, this day in history, and later we will look at the career of Shawn Kemp.

The Denver Nuggets have had a tough time on November 26th in the past. On November 26, 1988, Michael Jordan scored 52 points in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. Michael Jordan shot 70% from the field and 60% from 3-point range in the game. He was making everything. Not only that, but MJ had a near triple-double as he had 7 assists and 11 rebounds. Pretty impressive huh? But Mike wasn't the only one who had a good game. Scottie Pippen had a great game off the bench for the Bulls as he had 19 points and 8 rebounds along with 4 blocks. However Pippen would foul out of the game.

The Nuggets would spoil Jordan's big night as they played great offense and the Bulls wouldn't know how to respond on defense. Alex English had 29 points and 9 assists for the Nuggets. Walter Davis would come off the bench scoring 28 points. 6 players for the Nuggets had over 10 points and 3 of them had over 20 points in the game. The Nuggets played great on offense and would end up winning the game, 128-123, leaving the Bulls to a 2 game losing streak.

Now, flash-forward exactly 6 year to November 26, 1994 when the Nuggets went up against the Dallas Mavericks. In that game, Jim Jackson, of the Dallas Mavericks, had a 50 points game. He and his teammate, Jamal Mashburn, would lead the Mavericks to victory. Mashburn had 35 points in the game. Jim Jackson shot 60% from the field, however, 16 of his 50 points came from the FT line. Jackson shot 16-17 from the line and really got the Nuggets into foul trouble. All of the starters for the Nuggets had at least 4 fouls. Mutombo was the only one who fouled out of the game with 6.

The Nuggets would end up losing the game in OT 124-123. It is weird that the Nuggets had two 50 point games scored on them on the same date, but the really weird thing is that they both happened on a Saturday. So I guess Saturday, November 26th isn't the best date to be on the Denver Nuggets.

"Shawn Kemp Concord High School 1988" by Concord High School - LeCount, Gale (Ed.). (1988) Concordian 1988 (Vol. 57), (p.70). Elkhart, Indiana: Concord High School.. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.

I also want to say Happy Birthday to Shawn Kemp. He is an NBA Legend that was well known for his time with the Seattle Supersonics. While he wasn't the greatest player, as he only averaged 14.6 PPG over his career, he was a great explosive player to watch. No one matched his explosiveness at the rim, and if you were in his way, he would go over you.

He played really great in the playoffs, averaging 18.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 1.3 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 7 post-seasons with the Sonics. Out of those 7 playoff runs included a trip to the Finals where him and guard, Gary Payton, lost to Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

Shawn Kemp had a career full of highlights. While the numbers don't look that impressive, he will always be remembered as a legend in the hearts of all the Sonics fans. While the Sonics don't exist today, there is still Sonics pride out there. And at the heart of it is Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp.

Throwback Thursday (Oct. 21)

Happy Birthday

"Lipofsky-JDražen Petrović" by Cavic = Steve Lipofsky - http://www.basketballphoto.com/NBA_Basketball_Photographs.htm. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

Drazen Petrovic

Drazen Petrovic was one of the best shooters ever who had his life cut short due to a tragic accident. He will go down a an NBA legend and will always be remembered.

Petrovic was a great international player. He averaged 22 PPG during his international days, and he usually filled his stats with 50 point nights. Other nights he would have 20 assists. He was one of the better passers around and he was known to do the trickiest of passes. He would help lead Yugoslavia to many victories as he would play alongside Dino Radja and Vlade Divac.

Petrovic was drafted by Portland in the 1986 draft in the 3rd, 60th overall. However, he would not play in the NBA til the 1989-90 season, because he went back over seas to play with Spain and Yugoslavia. When he came back to play with the Trailblazers, he was played only 12 minutes, due to the fact that head coach Rick Adelman had so many point guards to play. He averaged 7.6 PPG, and 1.5 APG.

His second season, he would play 18 games with Portland, averaging just 7.4 minutes per game, and would end up being traded to the New Jersey Nets. Petrovic would average 20.5 minutes with the team and would also contribute by averaging 12.6 PPG.

The 1991-92 season is when Drazen Petrovic was recognized in the NBA. He averaged 36.6 minutes and gave the Nets  20.6 PPG, 3.1 APG, and 3.1 RPG. He also shot 44.4% from the 3 point line, and was recognized as a sharp-shooter. The Nets would do well enough to make it to the playoffs and Drazen would lead them. In the playoffs, he would average 24.3 PPG, but the Nets wouldn't win 1 game.

Drazen Petrovic's last season in the NBA was a memorable one. He averaged 22.3 PPG, 3.5 APG, and 2.7 RPG. He would shoot 44.9% from deep and 51.8% from the field. Even though he was snubbed from the all-star game, he would end up making the All-NBA 3rd team. The Nets would again make the playoffs and lose in the 1st round.

That summer, Drazen went over to his home of Croatia. His girlfriend was at the wheel, while he was sleeping in the passenger seat. The car would end up crashing into a semi-truck and Petrovic would end up dying in the fatal accident, and it was found that he was not wearing his seatbelt. His number would end up being retired by the Nets and he would be inducted into the basketball hall of fame in 2002.

Throwback Thursday (Sept. 24)

Happy Birthday

"Drew Gooden Wizards" by Keith Allison - Flickr: Drew Gooden. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

Drew Gooden!

Drew Gooden is a great role player. He knows his role and plays some great basketball. One of the great things that Drew Gooden does, can not be shown on the stat sheet. Drew Gooden sets great screens and takes a good amount of charges. That is what he will always be know as to me. Drew Gooden seems to always know where to be on defense. You may say that Drew Gooden averaged 0.2 Blocks, and 0.4 steals over his career, but his defense is solid. Drew Gooden is a player that does the little things. 

Drew Gooden started his rookie season in Memphis, but after 51 games he was traded to Orlando, where he started 18 out of 19 games played there. His rookie season, he averaged 12.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG. After his rookie season, he would stay with the Magic for one more season before going to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Cavaliers was one of the best teams that Drew Gooden has ever played with. His first season there, he averaged a career high of 14.4 PPG and a career high of 9.2 RPG. He also played in all 82 games that season, starting in 80 of them. His second season was also good and was a big role player for his team. But his third season was the big one as Gooden played 80 games and started in all of them, as the leader of the Cavs, LeBron James lead them to the finals. A lot of their sucess had to do with Drew Gooden. In the playoffs, he started in all 20 games and played over 30 minutes per game. He averaged 11.4 PPG, 8 RPG, and 1 APG. The Cavaliers, however, lost to the Spurs in the Finals.

After they lost in the Finals, the Cavs kept Gooden for 51 more games before shipping him off to the Chicago Bulls. After that it was just chaos. Drew Gooden in the 2008-09 season went from the Bulls to the Kings to the Spurs. In the 2009-10 season he signed with the Dallas Mavericks, where he was then traded to the Washington Wizards. He was there for 4 days before being traded to the Clippers. However, he would average 14.8 PPG with the Clippers. The Milwaukee Bucks would end up signing him that free agency. He would be there for 3 seasons and would not get another offer from anyone. During the 2013-14 season, he was signed to two 10-day contract with the Wizards and was signed for the rest of the season. He currently plays with the Washington Wizards and was a big reason for their success this last post-season. He plays an important role coming off the bench. 

While Drew Gooden continues to play in the NBA, retirement is coming closer as the NBA veteran is going into his 14th season in the league. He has had important roles on multiple teams and Drew Gooden has been one of the best role players in the league. From the Kings to the Cavs to the Wizards, Drew Gooden has found himself on a team just trying to help, not do too much. Just help. And I hope he continues to do that for many more seasons to come. Happy Birthday, Drew Gooden. 

Throwback Thurday (Sept. 17)

Happy Birthday

"Phil Jackson 3 cropped" by Phil_Jackson_3.jpg: Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA derivative work: Chris! my talk - Phil_Jackson_3.jpg. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

Phil Jackson 

Coaches get fired all the time, but I think that there are 2 coaches who should never get fired. Phil Jackson and Pat Riley. Other than that, every coach can be fired. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant wouldn't be the players they are today if they weren't coached by Phil.

Now, of course Phil was rewarded with some great talent, but that great talent might not have came to be used without Phil. He shaped so many players over the course of his career. Many people including, Derek Fisher, Shaq, Kobe, Steve Kerr, Ron Artest, Metta World Peace, Panda's friend (well, actually China shaped him), and of course Michael Jordan. 

He started his coaching career with the New Jersey Nets as an assistant coach. After, he went to the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach for 2 years and in the 1989-1990 season, he took over the head coaching duties for the Chicago Bulls. His first season as head coach, he won 55 games in the regular season. His second year he won 61 games and won his first NBA championship. He would go on to win 2 more in a row. After that, Jordan left to go play baseball, but the Bulls still did a great job, however, they were unable to make it to the finals. When Jordan returned 2 seasons later, They won 3 more Championships in a row. In 9 years with the Bulls, he won 6 championships and won 545 games and only lost 193. 

After the 3rd championship, he resigned because of tension with the Bulls GM. After he was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers as Head Coach. His first 3 seasons, he had another 3 championships in a row. 6 seasons later he would win 2 championships in a row and would have one more season with Kobe and the Lakers before he would resign. He won 610 games with the Lakers after 11 seasons.

After that he was hired as team president of basketball operation by the New York Knicks in 2014. 

In 20 season of coaching, Phil Jackson not only won 1384 total games, had a winning percentage of 70.4%, and won 11 championships, but he also shaped so many NBA players to the players that we know them as today. Phil Jackson will go down as one of the greatest coaches ever. In conclusion, Phil Jackson is great. And you can't argue with that.

Throwback Thurday (Sept.10)

Happy Birthday

 

Bob "The Dobber" Lanier

Bob Lanier was a Detroit Pistons legend. Averaging 20.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks over his career, Bob was inducted into the hall of fame. He was an offensive machine as he averaged over 22 PPG with the Pistons. His best offensive game was Nov. 28, 1972 against the Portland Trailblazers where he scored 48 points.

While Bob was a great offensive player, he was also very talented on the defensive end. He was very versitile and had very quick hands. In the 1973-74 season, he averaged 3.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. You might have thought that he would have won a defensive player of the year award, however, there was no award for playing defense back then. 

While Bob was never a part of the Bad Boys, and he had never won a championship, he found himself playing a more team role for the Milwaukee Bucks as his points dropped. Bob was more team oriented as he lead the Bucks to the playoffs every year he played for them.

Bob was a great player. A balanced player on both offense and defense. A player that will always be known as a great. He played 14 seasons and almost played 1,000 game but only made it to 959. I really hope that people don't forget a player as talented as Bob Lanier because he will go down as one of the best combined offensive and defensive players in history.

Throwback Thursday: The Big Trade

On August 27, 1999, 11 players were traded to a different team. It was a 3-team trade between the the Houston Rockets, Vancover Grizzlies, and the Orlando Magic. Take a look at who got who.



Houston Traded: Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, Brent Price, Antoine Carr, and a first round draft pick

Houston Received: Steve Francis, Tony Massenburg, Don MacLean, and a first round draft pick (Orlando)


Vancover Traded: Steve Francis, Tony Massenburg, Michael Smith, Rodrick Rhodes, Lee Mayberry, and Makhtar Ndiaya

Vancover Received: Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, Brent Price, Antoine Carr, and a first round draft pick (Houston)


Orlando Traded: Don MacLean, and a first round draft pick.

Orlando Received: Michael Smith, Rodrick Rhodes, Lee Mayberry, and Makhtar Ndiaya


Vancover's Benefits:
Michael Dickerson averaged about 18 PPG after being traded to the Grizzlies, but the 3-point shooter's career was cut short by injury.  He only played 5 seasons in the NBA.

Othella Harrington played 2 seasons with the Grizzlies and averaged about 13 Points the first year and about 11 points the next.

Brent Price averaged averaged less than 3.4 PPG in only 47 games with the Grizzlies.

Antonie Carr played 1 season with the Grizzlies before retiring. That season he averaged 3.2 point per game in only 21 games with the Grizzlies

The Houston Rockets' first round pick that was traded to the Grizzlies ended up being Marcus Banks. He was then later traded to Boston.


Houston's Benefits: 
Steve Francis ended up having a great career with the Rockets  and at one point in his 5 years with them, he averaged 21.6 PPG, 7 RPG, and 6.4 APG, and 1.2 Steals. After that he ended up going to the Orlando Magic. In the 2007-08 season, he would return for one season with the Rockets before he retired. He averaged 5.5 PPG that season.

Tony Massenburg played one season with the Rockets before going back to Vancover. He averaged just 4.2 PPG in that one season.

Don Maclean was immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns.

Jason Collins was traded to the New Jersey Nets.


Orlando's Benefits:
Michael Smith was traded to the Washington Wizards.

Rodrick Rhodes was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Lee Mayberry never played another game after the trade.

Makhtar Ndiaya never played an NBA game.


Loser of the trade: Orlando Magic
They didn't even get a player from the trade that played for them.

Winner Of The Trade: Houston Rockets
While Vancover got Michael Dickerson and some key role players, they all succumbed to injuries. Houston got a franchise player, Steve Francis, who really helped the team and was an MVP candidate. That is why they are the winner of this large trade.

Throwback Thursday (Aug. 20)

Happy Birthday!

                            "Jerryd Bayless" by Keith Allison at Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr                          https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/15502687650/in/photolist-pBVjW7-pBPQ1a-oXu7bj/

Jerryd Bayless

Jerryd Bayless was born on Auguest 20, 1988. He turns 27 today. Jerryd Bayless was drafted by the Pacers as the 11th pick in the 2008 NBA draft. Over his carrer he has averaged 8.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 2.9 APG. He currently plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. His best game was against the Pistons when he played for the Raptors where he had 31 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal. During last season's playoffs against the Bulls, Jerryd Bayless hit a game winning buzzer-beater. Jerryd Bayless has had a pretty good carrer with some great seasons, and hopefully many more to come Jerryd!

Throwback Thursday (NBA Finals Edition)

"Rick Barry" by Corey Carter from Fremont, US - Rick Berry. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rick_Barry.jpg#/media/File:Rick_Barry.jpg

 

Today on Thursday, let's go back to 1975 where the Warriors won their last Championship over the Washington Bullets. It has been a long time since Warriors fans have had something to cheer about. Unless your a band-wagoner, then you just go around to the winning teams, and your always cheering and defending your team that your with for .5 to 2 years. But if you always have been a Warriors fan, this is your time to cheer, because you might not have another chance for another 40 years. So live while your young. You'd rather cheer at the age of 40 instead of 80, so do it now because you might not get another chance for a long, long time. And you band-wagoners can just do what ever the heck you want.
 

Also, you Cavs fans could actually get to see one of your teams win something. Remember this.

"LeBron James 18112009 1" by Keith Allison from Kinston, USA - LeBron James. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LeBron_James_18112009_1.jpg#/media/File:LeBron_James_18112009_1.jpg

 

Yeah, that was LeBron's first time meeting with the Spurs in the Finals. Yeah, first time was not the charm. You people lost. But, to be fair, the Cavs were from the East and didn't have the best roster against a Timmy Duncan in his prime, Manu Ginobili playing great, and Tony Parker averaging about 20 PPG in the playoffs. Also, LeBron wasn't the great LeBron at that point. Tell me, is there anyone there who is in the Cavs picture (besides LeBron) who now starts for any team in the NBA. No. This was really a team that has no meaning now except for LeBron. So let's be fair, the Cavs didn't stand a chance this year. But now they have 2 all-stars, and great role players. Also, LeBron is way more developed now. So yes, this team is so much better now and they have a better chance of winning. However, they could use Kevin Love. But you Cavs fans need to cheer, because you haven't had much to cheer about out of the last 70 years. Although, you band-wagoners get to cheer every year so you just do what you want.

While we look at these pictures and remember, keep in mind, history is in the making.