Tag: Buck Williams

All-Time Brooklyn Nets vs. All-Time Los Angeles Clippers

Our next match features two big-market teams that have accomplished very little in their time in the NBA. While the Nets had a brief run as a juggernaut in the ABA, they’ve mostly been a laughingstock since, save for a noteworthy stint behind a Hall-of-Fame point guard in the 2000s. The Clippers had a promising start as the Buffalo Braves, but then became the worst franchise in sports, before finally trading for another Hall-of-Fame point guard and becoming an annual contender over the past four seasons. These point guards are the featured match up in the battle between the All-Time Brooklyn Nets vs. All-Time Los Angeles Clippers, which will produce an unlikely second round participant in our tournament.

Brooklyn’s Advantages

Balance: The Nets have a well-constructed starting lineup. They have a low post scorer (Derrick Coleman) along with a bruising rebounder (Buck Williams). They have two athletic wings, both of whom can shoot from deep and slash to the rim (Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson). They also have a great floor general who will double as their premier perimeter defender (Jason Kidd). This unit will cause trouble for the Clippers’ power forward heavy lineup.

Wing Depth: The Nets are well-positioned to take advantage of one of Los Angeles’s biggest weaknesses, wing depth. Carter, Jefferson, and Kerry Kittles are all between 6’5” and 6’7”, and are all supremely athletic. Los Angeles may have to play at a slower pace to mitigate this issue and wear Brooklyn out with their assortment of big men.

Brooklyn’s Question Marks

Star Power: This is a relative term; the Nets have a potential Hall-of-Fame backcourt and all-stars littered throughout their roster. However, they only have two players with a PER above 20, and Carter has their highest WS/48 total at .148, a relatively low team-high compared to other franchises in this tournament. The Clippers appear to have more high-end talent, especially in their starting lineup, even if the pieces don’t fit together perfectly.

Los Angeles’s Advantages

Rebounding: The Clippers are starting three big men (Blake Griffin, Elton Brand, and Bob McAdoo), and have two former rebounding champions coming off their bench (Swen Nater and DeAndre Jordan). They should be able to control the glass in this series, and to wear out the Nets’ frontcourt in the process.

Los Angeles’s Question Marks

Spacing: How will the starting lineup function with Griffin nominally playing at small forward? Will the combination of Griffin, Brand, and McAdoo get in each other’s way, or mesh to form a dominant frontcourt?

X-Factor

Can the Nets exploit the Clippers big man lineup? The key for the Clippers will be Griffin, who has the athleticism to play credibly at small forward. Expect Doc Rivers to stagger Griffin, Brand, and McAdoo’s minutes after the opening of each game, and to play the athletic Corey Maggette heavy minutes at the three.

Results

The Clippers have been an NBA wasteland for the majority of their existence. However, they had a few respectable seasons back in their Buffalo Braves days, and they’ve been elite since Chris Paul has teamed up with Blake Griffin. They also lucked out by drawing the moribund Nets as their first-round tournament opponent. I can’t believe I’m about to type this. Do you believe in miracles?

Chris_Paul_Heroics_Lead_Clippers_to_Game_7_Victory

Clippers win, four games to three.

Next Round

Los Angeles takes on the All-Time Pistons.

All-Time Brooklyn Nets Team

All-Time Brooklyn Nets Team Infographic

The All-Time Brooklyn Nets team is…lacking. It’s lacking the clear-cut greatest player in franchise history, Julius Erving, because he only played three seasons with the franchise (sorry Nets fans, but these are the rules of our tournament). It’s also lacking other greats such as Rick Barry and Drazen Petrovic, due to the same longevity issue. What we’re left with is an underwhelming group that reflects the team’s standing as an NBA also-ran and fails to adequately commemorate their two ABA championships. Even though those championships make them our 11th seeded team, their lack of high-end talent makes them susceptible to an early-round exit.

Since Erving is ineligible, the great Jason Kidd is the team’s best player, and is one of only three players to be a member of three of our all-time franchise teams (along with Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal). Kidd led the Nets through an historically weak Eastern Conference and to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. He’s joined in the starting backcourt by Vince Carter, an elite scorer in his time with the franchise, who represented them on three all-star teams. While the Carter-Kidd backcourt failed to put the team over the top from 2005 to 2008, they had complementary skill sets, and were lethal in the open court. They’re backed up by another three-time all-star, Bill Melchionni, who twice led the ABA in assists and was a contributor to the two championship teams in 1974 and 1976. Kenny Anderson, the talented New York product who never lived up to the enormous expectations placed on him, will serve as the third point guard. Otis Birdsong, a one-time all-star with the Nets, will back up Carter along with Kerry Kittles, a solid all-around player who ranks in the top ten in team history in field goals, three pointers, total points, and steals.

While Richard Jefferson, the starting small forward, was not Erving or Barry, he was a dynamic wing who played well off of Kidd. He became a competent three point shooter in his latter years with the franchise, and provided elite athleticism for his size. Buck Williams is the greatest big man in franchise history, and is the all-time Nets leader in games, minutes, field goals, free throws, rebounds (total, offensive, and defensive), rebounds per game, total points, and win shares. They’re backed up Kenyon Martin, a plus two-way player, who provided toughness and athleticism from the power forward position. Although he’s infamous for his 3-for-23 shooting performance in game six of the 2003 NBA Finals, Martin’s offensive game was well-suited for a complementary role, which he should be able to assume as an off-the-bench contributor for this team.

Although he was a natural power forward, Derrick Coleman will serve as the team’s starting center. Coleman was one of the most talented big men of the 1990s, who, unfortunately, developed a horrible reputation during his time with the franchise. Like Anderson, he didn’t live up to the enormous expectations placed upon him, but he was a two-time all-NBA selection who averaged a double-double in his Nets career. Off the bench, Billy Paultz was an elite ABA big man who was an excellent shooter for his size. Brook Lopez, the team’s current center, will also get minutes as a dangerous scoring threat who can use his elite size (7’0” 275 lb) to protect the rim.

This team consists of many solid pieces, but does not have the mix of hall-of-fame legends that many of their competitors in our tournament boast. They have an intriguing first-round match up with the Los Angeles Clippers, another also-ran who has only recently developed into a competitive franchise.

Coach: Kevin Loughery

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .440