In the NBA, as in other sports, some players can have tremendous potential as players, but never quite live up to those expectations. Today's profilee was the first NBA draft pick direct from high school in 1975 (following Moses Malone going to the ABA), and while he had his moments with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, his reputation exceeded his stats. He is "Chocolate Thunder" Darryl Dawkins

Darryl Dawkins was born January 11, 1957 in Orlando, Florida. At Maynard Evans High School, Dawkins led his team to the Florida state championship as a senior and was dubbed as "probably the best high school player ever and one of the best people I've ever met" by his coach, Fred Pennington. Ironically, Dawkins won his state title the same year as Moses Malone became the first ever player to skip college entirely for the pros by signing with the American Basketball Association's Utah Stars. Following in Malone's footsteps, Dawkins declared for the 1975 NBA Draft as a hardship case. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Dawkins fifth overall in that draft.

Realizing that Dawkins needed time to develop, the Sixers didn't play him much as a rookie; he only played in 37 games, averaging 2.4 PPG and 1.3 RPG in under five minutes of action per game. By year two, Dawkins began to emerge as a solid reserve, averaging 5.3 PPG and 3.9 RPG as the Sixers reached the NBA Finals. Despite losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in six games, Dawkins was more than respectable in the stats column, raising his averages to 7.3 PPG and 5.4 RPG. But during the 1977-78 season, new coach Billy Cunningham gave Dawkins an expanded role, and he responded well, with 11.7 PPG and 7.9 RPG, playing over 25 minutes per game and helping Philadelphia reach the conference finals.

Dawkins' big break occured the following year, when George McGinnis was traded to the Denver Nuggets. Now a starter, Dawkins had the best two-year stretch of his career. In 1978-79, he averaged 13.1 PPG and 8.1 RPG, and the following year, he had his best pro season, with averages of 14.7 PPG and 8.7 RPG, helping the Sixers return to the NBA Finals. In the process, Dawkins forever etched his persona into the league with two rim-shattering dunks during the season. In November 1979, he completely shattered the glass backboard in a game against the Kansas City Kings, and then three weeks later, he tore the rim off the backboard against the San Antonio Spurs, turning him into a cult hero (the league shortly thereafter instituted a rule saying that anyone who breaks the backboard would get fined and suspended). "Chocolate Thunder" had arrived, but almost as quickly, he left.

After another productive season in 1980-81 (14 PPG and 7.2 RPG), Dawkins missed 34 games the following year, and though the Sixers reached the Finals for a third time, their repeated failures against the Los Angeles Lakers forced Sixer management to rethink their center position. In further irony, the man they chose to pursue was the man Dawkins followed into the NBA, Moses Malone. The Sixers traded Dawkins to the New Jersey Nets for a first-round pick before acquiring Malone from the Houston Rockets for Caldwell Jones and another first-round pick. While Malone led the Sixers to an NBA title, Dawkins had a respectable first season in New Jersey. with averages of 12 PPG and 5.3 RPG in helping the Nets reach the playoffs.

In 1983-84, Dawkins had his highest scoring season ever, with a 16.8 PPG average, despite setting a league record with 386 personal fouls, and gained a measure of revenge on his old team by helping the Nets beat the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs. But during the following season, Dawkins began to become beset by injuries. He was limited to 34 games in 1984-85, and 51 games the following year, during which he suffered a back injury that all but ended his career. Dawkins played just 26 games between 1986-87 and 1988-89, bouncing from the Nets to the Utah Jazz and finally the Detroit Pistons before being forced to retire after the 1988-89 season. Dawkins would play several seasons in Italy for Torino, Olimpia Milano and Telemarket Forli, and attended training camps with the Denver Nuggets in 1994 and the Celtics in 1995 before finally calling it quits. He had scored 8,733 points (12 PPG) and grabbed 4,432 rebounds (6.1 RPG), but it was more potential than substance for the man from "Lovetron".

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1975-76: 37 GP, 2.4 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.1 APG, 50.0 FG%, 33.3 FT%
1976-77: 59 GP, 5.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.4 APG, 62.8 FG%, 50.6 FT%
1977-78: 70 GP, 11.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 57.5 FG%, 70.9 FT%
1978-79: 78 GP, 13.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 51.7 FG%, 67.2 FT%
1979-80: 80 GP, 14.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 52.2 FG%, 65.3 FT%
1980-81: 76 GP, 14.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 60.7 FG%, 72.0 FT%
1981-82: 48 GP, 36 GS, 11.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 56.4 FG%, 69.5 FT%
1982-83: 81 GP, 81 GS, 12.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 59.9 FG%, 64.6 FT%
1983-84: 81 GP, 80 GS, 16.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 59.3 FG%, 73.5 FT%
1984-85: 39 GP, 30 GS, 13.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 56.6 FG%, 71.1 FT%
1985-86: 51 GP, 3 GS, 15.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 64.4 FG%, 70.7 FT%
1986-87: 6 GP, 2 GS, 9.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.3 APG, 62.5 FG%, 70.8 FT%
1987-88: 6 GP, 0 GS, 1.7 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 22.2 FG%, 40.0 FT%
1988-89: 14 GP, 0 GS, 1.9 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 0.1 APG, 47.4 FG%, 50.0 FT% 

 

 

Today, the Zone does its first coach-only profile. The profilee is best known for coaching the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back titles as the mn in charge of the "Bad Boys" and coaching the original "Dream Team" to gold in 1992. He won 638 games as a coach and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He is Chuck Daly.

Chuck Daly was born July 20, 1930 in in St. Mary's, Pennslyvania. Daly grew up in nearby Kane, Pennslyvania, and attended St. Callistus Catholic High School and two colleges; St. Bonaventure and Bloomsberg University (PA). After he stopped playing the game, Daly stepped into the coaches ranks.

Daly's first coaching job came at Punxsutawney (PA) High School, where he went 111-70 record (61% win percentage) from 1955-63. He then became an assistant at Duke University from 1963-69, which also featured future NBA coach Hubie Brown as a fellow assistant. Daly got his first college head coaching job in 1969 at Boston College, but he made his biggest impact in college at the University of Pennslyvania (Penn), where he coached from 1971-77. Daly won four Ivy League titles and made two NCAA regional finals in 1971 and 1972. Overall, Daly went 151-62 (70.9% winning percentage) as a college head coach.

Daly joined the NBA initially as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1978, serving under Billy Cunningham for three seasons. In 1981-82, he was given his first head-coaching job with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the team was on the verge of bankruptcy and traded players frequently, which had a big role in Daly going only 9-32 as their coach. After returning to the Sixers during the 1982-83 season, Daly got another chance to be a head man, as the Detroit Pistons were in need of a new coach.

Daly took the previously moribund Pistons back to the playoffs for the first time since 1977 with a 49-33 record. Daly led the Pistons to at least 46 wins each of his first three seasons, as the Pistons were among the highest scoring teams in the league. But playoff success eluded them; they won only one playoff series during that time. Changes were needed to make the team a title contender.

Enter the "Bad Boys" era; the team traded scorers like Kelly Tripucka away, while drafting defensive players like Dennis Rodman and John Salley. Combined with Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson, among others, the Pistons redefined the league with their physical, roughhouse style. They made the conference finals in 1987, then advanced to the NBA Finals the following year, before claiming two straight NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. These victories put Daly among the greatest coaches in NBA history; he is one of only seven coaches (John Kundla, Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson and Rudy Tomjanovich are the others) to win back-to-back NBA titles.

Daly coached the Pistons until the 1991-92 season, finishing with the most wins in Pistons history (467 regular season and 71 playoff wins). He then coached the original "Dream Team" to the gold medal during the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, never calling a timeout during the team's run. He went on to coach the New Jersey Nets (1992-94) and the Orlando Magic (1997-99) before retiring with a record of 637 wins and 437 losses (59.3% winning percentage) and a 75-51 playoff record (59.5% win percentage). He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994 and was selected as one of the Ten Greatest Coaches in NBA History in 1996-97.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review (Coach):
1981-82 Cleveland: 9 Wins, 32 Losses (replaced after 43 games)
1983-84 Detroit: 49 Wins, 33 Losses (2-3, lost conference 1st round)
1984-85 Detroit: 46 Wins, 36 Losses (5-4, lost conference semifinals)
1985-86 Detroit: 46 Wins, 36 Losses (1-3, lost conference 1st round)
1986-87 Detroit: 52 Wins, 30 Losses (10-5, lost coference finals)
1987-88 Detroit: 54 Wins, 28 Losses (14-9, lost NBA Finals)
1988-89 Detroit: 63 Wins, 19 Losses (15-2, NBA Champions)
1989-90 Detroit: 59 Wins, 23 Losses (15-5, NBA Champions)
1990-91 Detroit: 50 Wins, 32 Losses (7-8, lost conference finals)
1991-92 Detroit: 48 Wins, 34 Losses (2-3, lost conference 1st round)
1992-93 New Jersey: 43 Wins, 39 Losses (2-3, lost conference 1st round)
1993-94 New Jersey: 45 Wins, 37 Losses (1-3, lost conference 1st round)
1997-98 Orlando: 41 Wins, 41 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1998-99 Orlando: 33 Wins, 17 Losses (1-3, lost conference 1st round)

In the NBA, many players are very conscious of their image and won't give teams any bulletin board material. Today's profilee is not one of those people. He was his biggest self-promoter, but nonetheless was a key defender and rebounder for five NBA title teams, and won two Defensive POYs and seven consequitve rebounding titles. He is "the Worm", Dennis Rodman.

Dennis Rodman was born May 13, 1961 in Trenton, New Jersey. His father left the family when Rodman was three, and the young man eventually grew up in the ghetto of Dallas, Texas, where he was listed on the high school team of South Oak Cliff High School, but rarely played. Rodman would attend Cooke County Community College, but he flunked out due to poor grades, and then attended Southeastern Oklahoma State, where he was a three-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American, averaging 25.7 PPG and 15.7 RPG. When he won MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational following his college days, he caught the eye of the Detroit Pistons, being selected with the third pick of the second round (27th overall) of the 1986 NBA Draft.

Rodman joined the Pistons at a critical time, as the team transformed from a finesse, offense-oriented team, to a tough, defensive minded team known as the "Bad Boys". Rodman had a pedestrain rookie season, with averages of 6.5 PPG and 4.3 RPG, and made more waves for calling Larry Bird overrated because he was white than for his play. Rodman steadily improved over time; he averaged 11.6 PPG (a career best) and 8.7 RPG in year two, and was a defensive standout off the bench during the Pistons' first title run in 1988-89. By his fourth year, Rodman got serious recognition, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1989-90 and earning his first of two All-Star selections (the other was in 1992), and helping Detroit repeat as champions.

In 1990-91, Rodman won his second straight Defensive POY, but the Pistons lost in the conference finals to the Chicago Bulls. As the aging "Bad Boys" began to decline, Rodman started to become a fearsome rebounder. In 1991-92, he averaged a staggering 18.7 RPG (the highest average since Wilt Chamberlain pulled in 19.2 RPG in 1971-72) and made his second All-Star team. However, by 1992-93, things began to fall apart personally for Rodman. The first blow came when coach Chuck Daly resigned in May 1992, causing Rodman to lose the man he looked at as a surrogate father. He then married and soon after divorced Annie Bakes, and by May 1993, he was found in his car with a loaded rifle. While this served as an epiphany for him personally, his relationship with the Pistons soured, and he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for Sean Elliott.

Rodman played well on the court for the Spurs, winning the rebounding title in each of his two years there, and earning All-NBA 3rd Team honors in 1994-95. But he soon strained his relationship with Spurs management, and after that season, he was traded again, this time to the Bulls for Will Perdue and cash. Rodman gave the Bulls the needed toughness and rebounding void left by former Bull Horace Grant, even though his behavior left something to be desired; he appeared in a wedding dress to hype his autobiography, and headbutted a referee in March 1996, though he wasn't suspended. Rodman won yet another rebounding title with 14.9 RPG and helped Chicago to the greatest season in NBA history, with a record 72 regular season wins and another NBA title.

Rodman's next two seasons were less than ideal in many respects. He was suspended 11 games for kicking a camerman in Minnesota during January 1997, and he was less than effective during the 1996-97 season, despite another rebounding title. He also made several sabbaticals to wrestle for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) alongside pal Hulk Hogan, which earned him some scorn from people who thought he should focus on basketball. Still, Rodman remained a factor as the Bulls won two more NBA titles. After leaving the Bulls after the 1997-98 season, Rodman bounced around in his final two seasons, playing 23 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998-99 and 12 games for the Dallas Mavericks the following year before NBA teams lost interest in him. While Rodman's bizarre behavior may turn some people off, there's no doubt that he will be remembered as a fierce rebounder and defensive presence who won five NBA titles and was a key cog on two of the greatest teams of all-time.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1986-87: 77 GP, 1 GS, 6.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.7 APG, 54.5 FG%, 58.7 FT%
1987-88: 82 GP, 32 GS, 11.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 56.1 FG%, 53.5 FT%
1988-89: 82 GP, 8 GS, 9.0 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 59.5 FG%, 62.6 FT%
1989-90: 82 GP, 43 GS, 8.8 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, 58.1 FG%, 65.4 FT%
1990-91: 82 GP, 77 GS, 8.2 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 49.3 FG%, 63.1 FT%
1991-92: 82 GP, 80 GS, 9.8 PPG, 18.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 53.9 FG%, 60.0 FT%
1992-93: 62 GP, 55 GS, 7.5 PPG, 18.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 42.7 FG%, 53.4 FT%
1993-94: 79 GP, 51 GS, 4.7 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 53.4 FG%, 52.0 FT%
1994-95: 49 GP, 26 GS, 7.1 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 57.1 FG%, 67.6 FT%
1995-96: 64 GP, 57 GS, 5.5 PPG, 14.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 48.0 FG%, 52.8 FT%
1996-97: 55 GP, 54 GS, 5.7 PPG, 16.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 44.8 FG%, 56.8 FT%
1997-98: 80 GP, 66 GS, 4.7 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 43.1 FG%, 55.0 FT%
1998-99: 23 GP, 11 GS, 2.1 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 34.8 FG%, 43.6 FT%
1999-2000: 12 GP, 12 GS, 2.8 PPG, 14.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 38.7 FG%, 71.4 FT%

Here is another new feature for the Zone! Periodically, I will post some of my Fox Sports blog posts here. Today's blog is about why I think the Detroit Pistons (27-29 after losing last night to New Orleans) are struggling.

Well, I been fighting for three years to see change come around these parts, and it looks like I finally got my wish. Unfortunately, it's not change for the better. The Detroit Pistons, everyone's favorite bridesmaids, will not make it to the altar this year, and in fact may miss (at this point, it's more likely they will miss) the playoffs altogether after six straight conference finals (how's that pick looking right now, Jalen Rose?). And the blame game has started in earnest; the newspapers have said "that's what you get when you give Allen Iverson the keys to your team". The talking heads on ESPN say it's more coach Michael Curry (hahahahahaha! Sorry, I still laugh at that) and GM Joe Dumars. Before I give an opinion, let's look at what this blog has said about the current state of affairs:

from "The Iverson Trade: A Necessary but Bad Move; November 4, 2008:"

have I changed my mind (I said the Pistons wouldn't make the conference finals)?

The answer is "No, I haven't". This team still won't get it done when it counts because:

1. Iverson is all about, well, Iverson: I usually couldn't care less about anything Skip Bayless says, but when he calls AI "Me, Myself and Iverson", it rings so true. Iverson has either been "The Man" or "The Man with Carmelo" since he started playing ball, and now he's gonna change with the Pistons? Curry doesn't have the track record Larry Brown had in Philly that at least made Iverson willing to listen slightly, and he won't change in Detroit. And for those who say "Joe Dumars will change him", stop it; Dumars doesn't coach, and Iverson won't change.

2. He'll stagnate the offense: The Pistons aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut, but they were good enough to win a lot of games because no one hogged the ball. And Iverson wants to shoot everytime he touches it. Can you say "disaster in the making"? Everybody, from Richard Hamilton to Rasheed to Prince and the rest will struggle to integrate AI into the flow, so expect at least early trouble.

3. Rodney Stuckey gets no break: I love it when I hear people say that Billups was dealt for Iverson to clear room for Stuckey. It's complete BS; Iverson will actually hold back Stuckey because he doesn't defer to anybody, whereas Billups did give Stuckey some slack. The only way that's true is if Iverson leaves after the season. Sorry, Rodney!

But, after all of that, I'll admit that this was a necessary evil. The Pistons had to shake this foundation and move on; the title team was almost 5 years in the past, and this unit had gone as far as they could possibly go. So, I applaud Dumars for making the move. Now, if only we let Rasheed's contract expire, and wait until 2010, we could make a push for LeBron James (sorry, Joker!). But the Pistons today are no better off than they were Sunday, and yet I'm glad they aren't, if only because it finally signals the end of the redundant losers (and the end of the overrated Billups; if the refs didn't give him a thousand foul shots, he'd barely be serviceble! But I digress). Thank goodness!

Well, my prediction is looking good, isn't it? Iverson has been a detriment because he wants the ball, thus stagnating the offense, and his defense is poor. And Curry has proven he can't handle Iverson; his cowtoeing to his whims has destroyed the team. Granted, Stuckey has played decently, but with no PG, this teams stinks!

From "Inconsistency, Thy Name is Piston; November 21, 2008"

The Pistons don't have the ideal chemistry right now, and it showed last night, when the offense stagnated after a decent start. I said before that Iverson, as a traditionally isolation-based player, would be a fly in the ointment for the motion O the Pistons preferred, and it was yesterday. And his lack of D must be spreading; the C's shot 49% from the field, and had five guys in double figures (led by Rajon Rondo's 18). Getting back to the O issue; Iverson's assist-to-turnover ratio was 1:1 (four assists, four TOs), which would indicate sloppy play. And Richard Hamilton is clearly struggling (4-9 shooting, just 12 points), and I'll be very interested if/when he starts to sulk about his role with the team…  Now, I must observe the inevitable train wreck that should happen when AI doesn't like his role, and he, Hamilton, and Michael Curry (I still can't call him "Pistons coach" without laughing) clash. That should be fun!

Hamilton is still struggling, and he is simmering privately, but for how much longer?

From "Michael Curry's Combustible Chemistry Experiment: Which ingredient should he choose?; January 3, 2009"

Here are the possibilities(of who should start):

A. Have AI come off the bench, with Stuckey and Hamilton in the backcourt.
B. Have Hamilton come off the bench, with Stuckey and AI in the backcourt.
C. Bench Johnson, have three guards starting.

Which one is the best for Detroit? Let's look at A first:

Pros: AI could easily win Sixth Man of the Year, since he would play plenty of minutes and still get his points. Plus, he did say he wants to do anything he can to win a title, so wouldn't he be willing?

Cons: Then again, does AI really want to sacrifice his game to win? One never knows.

Now, let's look at B:

Pros: Hamilton can fill in at SG and SF, plus PG in a pinch. He too could be a Sixth Man candidate.

Cons: Hamilton (according to the Detroit Free Press) has been very testy with coach Curry, and without Billups to buffer him and Curry, he could really sulk and torpedo the team. And since he's been here longer than AI, he'll believe he's right.

Finally, here's C:

Pros: Both AI and Hamilton would be happy as starters.

Cons: The defense would be really pourous; AI can't defend well one-on-one, and Hamilton would be overmatched as the de-facto SF against other Eastern Conference SFs such as LeBron James and Paul Pierce. And there wouldn't be enough basketballs to placate AI and Hamilton.

So, after observing all of that, which plan would you go with if you were Curry? Based on what I said, C isn't a legit option; you need size against the tough Eastern forwards, and Prince should be the one assigned to LeBron and the Truth, not Hamilton. So Amir is safe. And why not bench Stuckey? Because he's now the engine of the Pistons' O; he needs to stay.

I would pick option A if I were Curry.

As you can see, Curry started choosing C inexplicably, and after a couple of games where that failed, he decided to stick with... option B. In one stroke, Curry gave too much rope to AI, and the rats deserted the ship. Iverson proved not to be a real team player, and Hamilton's been wildly inconsistent as a reserve. Game over.

Now, back on point; who should be blamed for this disaster bigger than the Detroit city council rejecting the Cobo Arena plan?

As hard as I've been on Iverson, he gets only partial blame; major in-season trades never work (Shaq to Phoenix, anyone?), and you knew exactly what you were getting with him. Thus, I blame Curry and Dumars; the coach needs respect to be effective, and I don't think Curry has it. He rode a friendship with Dumars to a plush job after only one year as an assistant, and he's clearly not head coach material. And Dumars made the mistake of hiring a friend instead of a proven coach after the Pistons lost three straight conference finals, and then made the bad trade, so his star has been tarnished.

How can the mess be fixed? I'm not a GM, but this team (except for Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince) must be blown up; Rasheed needs to (finally!) be released (did you see his lastest hissy fit? Boy that's gotten old!), Hamilton needs to be traded, and AI needs to be allowed to leave so we can use his money on better players. It was a fine (albeit less than successful because there was only one title) era, but those who live in the past aren't successful in the present. Time to move on, Pistons!

In the Zone's continuing look at past NBA Finals, today we look back at the end of an era in the NBA. The end of fast-break offenses dominating the league, and giving way to defensive-minded teams. This happened in the 1989 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons. Though short, the tide had been turned for good.

The Detroit Pistons were the NBA's definition of losers for much of their early history. They had some good teams during their first 40 years of playing in the league, but they had never won an NBA title; they were the only team in the league that had played since 1950 and not won the title. At the beginning of the 1980s, they finished a league-worst 16-66. They weren't expected for greatness.

That same year, the Los Angeles Lakers won their second NBA title in L.A. by beating Philadelphia 4 game to 2. With the combination of Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading the way, the Lakers became the team of the decade, winning four more titles. Their fifth title in 1988 came at the expense of the Pistons in a phenominal seven game final where the Lakers won the last two game by a total of four points. As the 1988-89 season began, these two teams were the favorites to play again in the Finals, even as the NBA began expansion by adding the Charlotte (now New Orleans) Hornets and the Miami Heat. But for the Lakers, it was extra special; Abdul-Jabbar decided to make this season (his twentieth in the league) his final one. He was celebrated at every arena, and the Lakers wanted badly to give him one more title.

The Lakers proceeded to run off one of the best win streaks in playoff history; they won all three series in sweeps, dispatching Portland 3-0, Seattle 4-0 (including a dramatic comeback in the clincher) and Phoenix 4-0 to make their eighth trip to the Finals in the decade. The Pistons swept both Boston (3-0) and Milwaukee (4-0), then ran into trouble with the upstart Chicago Bulls. Led by Michael Jordan, the Bulls stole game 1 and eventually led 2-1 before the Pistons won the series in six games. Before their duel with Chicago, the Pistons were the favorites, but sentiment shifted before the Finals, as L.A. was now the favorite.

Before the series even began, the Lakers suffered a severe blow, as Byron Scott tore his hamstring during a practice (establishing a theme). The Lakers, who had gone most of the playoffs without using much of their bench, had to do so in this game, as the fouls piled up on them early in the game; Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, A.C. Green, and Orlando Woolridge all had three fouls during the first half. The game remained close at halftime (the Pistons led 55-48) before the Pistons opened up in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 24-18 to take a 79-66 lead, then shot 82% from the field in the 4th to put the game away 109-97, handing the Lakers their first playoff loss. Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson scorched the Lakers for 65 points, also establishing a trend. Game 2 saw Magic Johnson come out with a vengence, scoring 18 points and dishing 9 assists through the four minute mark of the third quarter when disaster struck; Johnson pulled his hamstring and was gone for the game. The Lakers were tied with Detroit at 75 at the time of the injury, but went on a late 15-6 run to lead 92-84 after three. The Pistons' vaunted defense suddenly shut down L.A., limiting them without a field goal until 3:38 remained in the fourth. Trailing 102-95, the Lakers went on a late-game surge, closing to within 106-104 late in the game. After forcing a 24 second violation with 8 seconds left, they drew up an isolation play for James Worthy, who was fouled with 2 seconds left. However, Worthy missed the first free throw, then hit the second after trying to intentionally miss, and Thomas hit two free throws to clinch the game 108-105.

With game 3 on the horizon, Lakers fans wondered if Magic would play in the game. The Lakers kept mum on the subject until gametime, when Magic was introduced in his normal position in the intros. However, with a heavily bandaged hamstring, it was clear he wasn't himself. After only five minutes, one assist and no points, he left the game, and would not return for the rest of the Finals. Without Johnson and Scott, the Lakers played Cooper all 48 minutes, and Kareem saved one last vintage performance for this game; the all-time leading scorer had 24 points and 13 rebounds, keeping L.A. in the game. The Lakers led 88-86 after three despite Dumars scoring 21 points in the period, but Detroit rallied to lead 109-104 late in the game. The Lakers fought back, reducing the defecit to 113-110 after a foul on a jump ball and a forced jump ball. Needing three to tie the game, L.A. tried to find Worthy, but Dennis Rodman blanketed him, forcing L.A. to turn to reserve PG David Rivers, who played just 8 total minutes prior to this game. Rivers tried to shoot a three, but Dumars blocked the shot and saved the ball to Bill Laimbeer, whose free throw iced the game at 114-110. The Lakers were now down 3-0, and had no hope of coming back to win the series; no team in NBA history had ever come back from such a defecit.

Game 4 was dominated early on by Worthy, who scored 17 points in the first en route to scoring 40 points for the game. L.A. built a 35-23 1st quarter lead, but the Pistons cut into the lead steadily, eventually cutting the lead to two after three quarters. Behind strong 4th quarters by Dumars and James Edwards, the Pistons outscored the Lakers 29-19 to win the game 105-97 to complete a four game sweep. Dumars won Finals MVP with an average of 27.3 PPG, and the Pistons won their first ever NBA title, ending not only their streak of futility, but ending the Lakers' Showtime-era run. Abdul-Jabbar recieved a long standing ovation from the Forum crowd and even from the Pistons as his career finished with six NBA titles and over 38,000 points. The 1989 Finals signaled a changing of the guard; defense was now the order of the day, and in the future, to win a title, you now had to play physical defense to win. The "Bad Boys" now ruled the NBA.

1989 NBA Finals leaders: Points per game
Detroit: Dumars, 27.3 PPG; Thomas, 21.3 PPG; V.Johnson, 17.0 PPG
L.A. Lakers: Worthy, 25.5 PPG; Abdul-Jabbar, 12.5 PPG; Cooper, 12.0 PPG

1989 NBA Finals leaders; Rebounds per game
Detroit: Rodman, 10.0 RPG; Mark Aguirre, 6.0 RPG; Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn, 5.3 RPG
L.A. Lakers: Green, 9.3 RPG; Woolridge, 5.3 RPG; Abdul-Jabbar, 5.0 RPG

1989 NBA Finals leaders: Assists per game
Detroit: Thomas, 7.3 APG; Dumars, 6.0 APG; V. Johnson, 2.8 APG
L.A. Lakers: E. Johnson, 8.0 APG; Cooper, 6.8 APG; Worthy, 2.8 APG

There were many high profile scorers in the NBA during the 1980s. Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Alex English are among the best of the decade. Another high scorer who toiled in relative anonymity is today's profile, Adrian Dantley of the Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons.

Adrian Dantley was born February 28, 1956 in Washington, D.C. In the early 70s, he starred at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he played for Basketball Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wooten. He then attended the University of Notre Dame, where he would rank among the greatest basketball players in school history. In his three seasons there, he averaged 25.8 PPG and 9.8 RPG (his best year was 1974-75, with averages of 30.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG), was named an All-American in his final two years, won the National Player of the Year in 1976. He also played on the Notre Dame team that ended UCLA's legendary 88 game winning streak in 1973. Dantley then led the United States to a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal before being drafted sixth overall in the 1976 NBA Draft by the Buffalo Braves.

As a Brave in 1976-77, Dantley won Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.3 PPG and 7.6 RPG. After the Braves finished 30-52 that year, however, Dantley was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Billy Knight; he is the only ROY in a major American sports league to be traded after winning the award. His tenure in Indiana lasted only 23 games before he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for James Edwards (a future teammate) and Earl Tatum. Dantley enjoyed a solid year and a half with the Lakers, averaging 17.3 PPG in his only full season there in 1978-79, before being traded yet again, this time to the Utah Jazz for Spencer Haywood. Finally, though, Dantley settled in with the Jazz and became a scoring force as the young team began climbing up the NBA ladder.

In his first season with Utah, Dantley was named to the Western Conference All-Star team for the first time with an average of 28 PPG (his other All-Star nods came in 1981-82 and 1984-86). In 1980-81, Dantley won his first scoring title with an average of 30.7 PPG. After a devestating knee injury occured during the 1982-83 season (causing him to miss 60 games), he returned with a vengence in 1983-84, as he won another scoring title with a 30.6 PPG average as the Jazz made their first postseason ever. By the 1985-86 season, however, Dantley and coach Frank Layden were not on the best of terms, and after the season, Dantley was traded to the Detroit Pistons for Kelly Tripucka and Kent Benson.

Dantley remained a solid scorer as the Pistons emerged as a force in the NBA in the late 80s. Dantley averaged better than 20 PPG in each of his two full seasons with the team, and helped the Pistons reach the NBA Finals in 1988, before he was traded yet again (at the All-Star break in 1989), this time to the Dallas Mavericks, for Mark Aguirre. It was believed by many that the deal was done because Aguirre and Isiah Thomas were childhood friends and that Thomas and Dantley didn't get along (Thomas denied the charges), but Dantley finished the season with an average of 19.2 PPG.

During the 1989-90 season, Dantley suffered another severe knee injury, causing him to miss the final 37 games of the season. Dallas released him, and he spent most of the 1990-91 season unsigned until the Milwaukee Bucks picked him up with 10 games to go in the season. Dantley played those game and the playoffs for the Bucks before being released again. He would finish his professional career in Itlay with Breeze Milan before retiring. He finished with 23,177 points (24.3 PPG career, 18th all-time entering the 2008-09 season) and 5,455 rebounds (5.7 RPG) and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1976-77: 77 GP, 20.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 52.0 FG%, 81.8 FT%
1977-78: 79 GP, 21.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 51.2 FG%, 79.6 FT%
1978-79: 60 GP, 17.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 51.0 FG%, 85.4 FT%
1979-80: 68 GP, 28.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 57.6 FG%, 84.2 FT%
1980-81: 80 GP, 30.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 4.0 APG, 55.9 FG%, 80.6 FT%
1981-82: 81 GP, 81 GS, 30.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 57.0 FG%, 79.2 FT%
1982-83: 22 GP, 22 GS, 30.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 4.8 APG, 58.0 FG%, 84.7 FT%
1983-84: 79 GP, 79 GS, 30.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 55.8 FG%, 85.9 FT%
1984-85: 55 GP, 46 GS, 26.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.4 APG, 53.1 FG%, 80.4 FT%
1985-86: 76 GP, 75 GS, 29.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, 56.3 FG%, 79.1 FT%
1986-87: 81 GP, 81 GS, 21.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 53.4 FG%, 81.2 FT%
1987-88: 69 GP, 50 GS, 20.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 51.4 FG%, 86.0 FT%
1988-89: 73 GP, 67 GS, 19.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 49.3 FG%, 81.0 FT%
1989-90: 45 GP, 45 GS, 14.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.7 FG%, 78.7 FT%
1990-91: 10 GP, 0 GS, 5.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 38.0 FG%, 69.2 FT%

Today's profile is a man who defines the word "nomad". He has coached nine of the NBA's 30 teams, as well as two ABA and two NCAA teams. And, at one time, he was one of the best playmaking guards in the game. He is Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown.

Larry Brown was born September 14, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Long Beach High School (whose other notable alum is comedian Billy Crystal), then went to the University of North Carolina, where as a point guard, Brown played for Dean Smith, who he admires greatly. Despite a solid career as a Tar Heel and being selected in the seventh round of the 1963 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets, the consensus was that Brown was too small to play effectively in the league. Brown played a season with the National Association of Basketball Leagues' (NABL) Akron Wingfoots (1964-65), during which time he was selected to play in the 1964 Olympics, where he won a gold medal. Brown returned to North Carolina as an assistant coach, but soon returned to playing when the American Basketball Association (ABA) was formed in 1967.

Brown joined the New Orleans Buccaneers in the ABA's inaugural season, leading the league in assists (6.5 APG) and taking New Orleans to the first ABA Finals, losing to the Pittsburgh Pipers. Brown led the ABA in assists in 1969 and 1970 as well, and as an Oakland Oak in 1968-69, Brown won an ABA title as the Rick Barry-led Oaks finished 60-18 and 12-4 in the playoffs. Brown also played for the Washington Capitols (where the Oaks moved in 1969), the Virginia Squires (where the Caps moved a year later), and the last year and a half of his career with the Denver Rockets (now the Nuggets), where he retired in 1972. At the time he retired, he was the ABA's all-time assists leader (he would eventually finish seventh in that category in ABA history).

Brown was set to begin coaching Davidson college (NC) after his retirement, but he bolted before coaching a game to become the ABA's Carolina Cougars head coach (establishing an obvoious pattern). Brown was wildly successful in his first season, winning ABA Coach of the Year honors as the Cougars finished with a league-best 57-27 record. After being bounced in the division finals by Kentucky, Brown coached another year with Carolina, but did not make the move with them to St. Louis in 1974. Brown was then hired as coach of the Nuggets, and he guided Denver to the league's best record each of his two years, leading them to the last ABA Finals in 1975-76, losing to the New York Nets. Brown joined the Nuggets in the NBA the following year, and the Nuggets were the most successful former ABA team in each of the first two years there, winning the Midwest Division title each year and making the Western Conference finals in 1978. The following year, however, Brown resigned. According to reports, though Brown cited heart problems for his resignation, he was seen jogging a mile prior to his press conference. Many actually cited Brown's disagreement in acquiring George McGinnis as the real reason he quit.

Brown then jumped into college, taking the UCLA job in 1979. His first season saw the Bruins make it to the national title game before losing to Lousiville 59-54. After a lackluster second year, Brown left under pressure and joined the New Jersey Nets in 1981. Though Brown led the Nets to a playoff spot and a team NBA-high 44 wins his first year, Brown did not enjoy coaching the team he had. With just six games left in the 1982-83 season, Brown was fired after he told the team he was leaving to take the Kansas coaching job. At Kansas, Brown had good success, leading the Jayhawks to a Big 8 (now Big 12) title in 1986 and to an unlikely NCAA title in 1988, beating Oklahoma 83-79 in the final (the Jayhawks were the first team in NCAA history to win the title with 10+ losses). Itching for a new challenge, Brown signed on with the San Antonio Spurs after the title game.

Brown joined the Spurs at the right time; after a rough first season (21-61), Brown rided rookie David Robinson to 56 wins and an Midwest Division title in 1989-90 (the 35 win jump was the largest single-season jump at the time in NBA history). Brown took the Spurs to another division title in 1991, but was fired after 38 games in 1991-92 after a dispute with management. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by the Los Angeles Clippers, where he took the previously moribund Clippers to their most successful stretch in team history; they went 45-37 and 41-41 in his two years and made the playoffs both times (he was also married during this time). But after the 1992-93 season, Brown was on the move again, this time for the Indiana Pacers.

At Indiana, Brown directed a team that had not won any NBA playoff series to two playoff series wins in 1994, nearly leading them to an upset of the Knicks in the conference finals. Brown then led Indiana to a division title in 1995 and another conference final, but after a lackluster 1996-97 season, Brown moved on to the Philadelphia 76ers, a team in dire straights at the time. Depsite constant clashes with star guard Allen Iverson, Brown stayed with the Sixers for the longest stretch he had with any team. Over the course of six seasons, Brown guided the Sixers to five playoffs berths, the highlight being the 2000-01 season, where Philadelphia secured division and conference titles before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Brown won his only NBA Coach of the Year award after that season, and in 2003, he was hired to coach the Detroit Pistons, a team on the cusp of competing for a title.

In his first season with the Pistons, Brown achieved his zenith as an NBA coach, as Detroit shocked the Lakers to win the 2004 NBA title. The victory made Brown the first (and only) coach to have won an NCAA and an NBA title. Brown led the Pistons back to the Finals in 2005, but they lost to the Spurs in seven games, and Brown was bought out after the series when rumors surfaced that he was interested in a fron office job with the Cleveland Cavaliers. A week later, he was hired as coach by the New York Knicks, the team Brown idolized as a youth.

However, Brown's time in the Big Apple was anything but rosy; he clashed with players (most notably Stephon Marbury) and GM Isiah Thomas over the personnel. While Brown won his 1,000th game with the Knicks (one of only four to do so), there were few other highlights; the Knicks finished 23-59, and Brown was fired. After spending most of the next two years as a Sixers consultant, Brown returned yet again to coaching with the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2008-09 season. Yes, Brown is a nomad in any sense of the word, but few fret the details as successfully as he (usually) does, so the ends (usually) justify the means.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review (Player):
1967-68: 78 GP, 13.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 6.5 APG, 36.6 FG%, 81.3 FT%, 21.3 3P%
1968-69: 77 GP, 12.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 7.1 APG, 43.6 FG%, 79.4 FT%, 22.9 3P%
1969-70: 82 GP, 13.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 7.1 APG, 44.0 FG%, 82.5 FT%, 25.6 3P%
1970-71: 63 GP, 7.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 5.2 APG, 37.4 FG%, 82.7 FT%, 28.6 3P%
1971-72: 76 GP, 9.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 7.2 APG, 43.7 FG%, 81.1 FT%, 20.0 3P%

Season-by-Season Statistical Review (Coach):
1972-73 Carolina ABA: 57 Wins, 27 Losses (7-5, lost div. finals)
1973-74 Carolina ABA: 47 Wins, 37 Losses (1-4, lost div. semifinals)
1974-75 Denver ABA: 65 Wins, 19 Losses (7-6, lost div. finals)
1975-76 Denver ABA: 60 Wins, 24 Losses (6-7, lost ABA Finals)
1976-77 Denver: 50 Wins, 32 Losses (2-4, lost conf. semifinals)
1977-78 Denver: 48 Wins, 34 Losses (6-7, lost conf. finals)
1978-79 Denver: 28 Wins, 25 Losses (resigned after 53 games)
1979-80 UCLA NCAA: 22 Wins, 10 Losses (12-6 in conf., lost NCAA final)
1980-81 UCLA NCAA: 20 Wins, 7 Losses (13-5 in conf. made it to NCAA round of 32)
1981-82 New Jersey: 44 Wins, 38 Losses (0-2, lost preliminary round)
1982-83 New Jersey: 47 Wins, 29 Losses (fired after 76 games)
1983-84 Kansas NCAA: 22 Wins, 10 Losses (9-5 in conf., lost in 2nd round)
1984-85 Kansas NCAA: 26 Wins, 8 Losses (11-3 in conf., lost in 2nd round)
1985-86 Kansas NCAA: 35 Wins, 4 Losses (13-1 in conf., lost in Final Four)
1986-87 Kansas NCAA: 25 Wins, 11 Losses (9-5 in conf., lost in Sweet Sixteen)
1987-88 Kansas NCAA: 27 Wins, 11 Losses (9-5 in conf., won NCAA title)
1988-89 San Antonio: 21 Wins, 61 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1989-90 San Antonio: 56 Wins, 26 Losses (6-4, lost conf. semifinals)
1990-91 San Antonio: 55 Wins, 27 Losses (1-3, lost conf. 1st round)
1991-92 San Antonio: 21 Wins, 17 Losses (fired after 38 games)
1991-92 L.A. Clippers: 23 Wins, 12 Losses (2-3, lost conf. 1st round)
1992-93 L.A. Clippers: 41 Wins, 41 Losses (2-3, lost conf. 1st round)
1993-94 Indiana: 47 Wins, 35 Losses (10-6, lost conf. finals)
1994-95 Indiana: 52 Wins, 30 Losses (10-7, lost conf. finals)
1995-96 Indiana: 52 Wins, 30 Losses (2-3, lost conf. 1st round)
1996-97 Indiana: 39 Wins, 43 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1997-98 Philadelphia: 31 Wins, 51 Losses (did not make playoffs)
1998-99 Philadelphia: 28 Wins, 22 Losses (3-5, lost conf. semifinals)
1999-2000 Philadelphia: 49 Wins, 33 Losses (5-5, lost conf. semifinals)
2000-01 Philadelphia: 56 Wins, 26 Losses (12-11, lost NBA Finals)
2001-02 Philadelphia: 43 Wins, 39 Losses (2-3, lost conf. 1st round)
2002-03 Philadelphia: 48 Wins, 34 Losses (6-6, lost conf. semifinals)
2003-04 Detroit: 54 Wins, 28 Losses (16-7, won NBA Finals)
2004-05 Detroit: 54 Wins, 28 Losses (15-10, lost NBA Finals)
2005-06 New York: 23 Wins, 59 Losses (did not make playoffs)
2008-09 Charlotte: 35 Wins, 47 Losses (did not make playoffs)

Today's Player Profile focuses on another Bad Boy-era Piston. But, unlike my first two profiles on Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, this Piston didn't rely on physical intimidation to get the job done. He is considered the finest defender of Michael Jordan that ever played (even Jordan admits as much). And as an executive, he has built a regular contender in Detroit. Here's Joe Dumars' profile.

Joe Dumars was born May 24, 1963 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Originally, Dumars wanted to follow in his five brothers' footsteps and play football (one brother, David, played in the USFL). But after a big hit during a game, the youngest Dumars decided to focus on basketball. Dumars attended McNeese State and went on to become the 11th all-time leading scorer in NCAA history, averaging 22.5 PPG in his four years there (25.8 as a senior, sixth in the nation). That was good enough for Dumars to be drafted 18th overall (behind such players as Bill Wennington and Uwe Blab) in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, an emerging young team at the time.

Initally, Dumars platooned with veteran John Long, but he still posted a solid rookie season, averaging 9.4 PPG. In his second season, Dumars supplanted Long as a starter, just as the Pistons changed from a finesse, offense-oriented team to a physical, tough, defnesive squad. Amongst the "Bad Boys", Dumars became a premier defensive player as well as a solid complement to Isiah Thomas in the backcourt. By 1988-89, the Pistons were NBA champs, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers for the title. Dumars won Finals MVP after that series (averaging 27.3 PPG in the series), and was a key part of the 1989-90 team that repeated as champs, despite playing the last two games of that series after his father had passed away.

Dumars was also a key factor when the Pistons matched up against the Chicago Bulls in one of the NBA's premier rivalries of the late 80s and early 90s. While the Pistons boasted about their "Jordan Rules", Dumars gave Jordan his greatest individual challenges, as even Jordan admits that Dumars played the best defense against him (it was even highlighted in the NBA Entertainment production "Michael Jordan's Playground"). Dumars gained his first All-Star nod in 1990, eventually making five more appearances in the game (1991-93, 1995, 1997), made the All-NBA Second team in 1992-93, was selected All-NBA 1st Defensive Team four times (1989-90, 1992-93), and helped the United State win the World Championships in 1994. He retired as an active player following the 1998-99 season, and a year later went into the front office, rebuilding the Pistons into a contender, earning an NBA title in 2004, winning two Eastern Conference titles, and making the conference finals each year from 2003 to 2008. He retired having scored 16,401 points (16.1 PPG career), with 2,203 rebounds (2.2 career) and 902 steals.

Season-by-Season Statistical Review:
1985-86: 82 GP, 45 GS, 9.4 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 48.1 FG%, 79.8 FT%, 31.3 3P%
1986-87: 79 GP, 75 GS, 11.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 4.5 APG, 49.3 FG%, 74.8 FT%, 40.9 3P%
1987-88: 82 GP, 82 GS, 14.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.7 APG, 47.2 FG%, 81.5 FT%, 21.1 3P%
1988-89: 69 GP, 67 GS, 17.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 5.7 APG, 50.5 FG%, 85.0 FT%, 48.3 3P%
1989-90: 75 GP, 71 GS, 17.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.9 APG, 48.0 FG%, 90.0 FT%, 40.0 3P%
1990-91: 80 GP, 80 GS, 20.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.5 APG, 48.1 FG%, 89.0 FT%, 31.1 3P%
1991-92: 82 GP, 82 GS, 19.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 4.6 APG, 44.8 FG%, 86.7 FT%, 40.8 3P%
1992-93: 77 GP, 77 GS, 23.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 4.0 APG, 46.6 FG%, 86.4 FT%, 37.5 3P%
1993-94: 69 GP, 69 GS, 20.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.8 APG, 45.2 FG%, 83.6 FT%, 38.8 3P%
1994-95: 67 GP, 67 GS, 18.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 5.5 APG, 43.0 FG%, 80.5 FT%, 30.5 3P%
1995-96: 67 GP, 40 GS, 11.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 42.6 FG%, 82.2 FT%, 40.6 3P%
1996-97: 79 GP, 79 GS, 14.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.0 APG, 44.0 FG%, 86.7 FT%, 43.2 3P%
1997-98: 72 GP, 72 GS, 13.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 41.6 FG%, 82.5 FT%, 37.1 3P%
1998-99: 38 GP, 38 GS, 11.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 41.1 FG%, 83.6 FT%, 40.3 3P%