Tag: Detlef Schrempf

All-Time Indiana Pacers vs. All-Time Orlando Magic

Our next first round matchup features the eighth seeded All-Time Indiana Pacers vs. the 25th seeded All-Time Orlando Magic. Despite the seeding disparity, these two teams are closely matched, and each holds several advantages that could swing the series.

Indiana Advantages

Depth and Positional Flexibility: Every bench player on the Pacers roster made at least one All-Star game during their time in the ABA/NBA. They have a clear advantage here, as only one of Orlando’s bench players made an All-Star team. Indiana also has several players who can play multiple positions, including George McGinnis, Paul George, and Billy Knight, so they’ll throw many different looks at Orlando. McGinnis, Detlef Schrempf, and Rik Smits also have the ability to make Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal uncomfortable on defense by playing on the perimeter and dragging them away from their comfort zone in the paint.

Hack-A-Superman: O’Neal and Howard are poor free throw shooters, and Indiana has enough bodies to resort to this gimmick to slow down the Orlando pair, and try to get one or both of them out of the game.

Perimeter Length: Orlando may have the biggest starting guards and wings in this tournament, but Indiana is better suited than most to defend them. Starting guards Vern Fleming (6’5”) and Reggie Miller (6’7”) have great height for their position, and off the bench, 6’9” Paul George, 6’6” Billy Knight, and 6’9” Danny Granger can all compete against the height of Anfernee Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, and Rashard Lewis. Expect George, the best defender of the group, to see a lot of time guarding McGrady, while Fleming and 6’4” Don Buse will hound Hardaway all over the court.

Orlando Advantages

Size and Strength: Although Indiana has the length to compete with Orlando on the perimeter, they don’t have the bulk to compete with them down low. Consider the size of the defenders who will attempt to guard the 7’1” 325lb Shaquille O’Neal:
Mel Daniels – 6’9” 220 lb
Jermaine O’Neal – 6’11” 226lb
Rik Smits – 7’4” 250lb
Let’s not forget that Shaq has the 6’11” 240lb Dwight Howard playing next to him, who the 6’8” 235lb McGinnis will have to contend with.

Playmaking ability: Orlando has elite perimeter playmakers in McGrady and Hardaway, something that Indiana lacks. These two will pressure the defense and create easy opportunities for their big men and three-point shooters. Indiana will have to work harder to create their points, since they don’t have playmaking guards who can break down the defense. Expect Indiana to diversify at times by running their offense through frontcourt playmakers Roger Brown, George McGinnis, and Detlef Schrempf, and by running Miller off screens to free him up for perimeter looks.

X-Factor

Orlando’s twin towers vs. Indiana’s fleet of big men: O’Neal and Howard have the ability to physically dominate the Indiana front line. Indiana can counter by trying to tire them out with fresh legs and 30 fouls between their five big men. Indiana will try to force Orlando to downsize by attacking their big men on the perimeter, and getting one or both into foul trouble.

Results

This series goes back and forth. The championship experience of Daniels and Brown, and Miller’s ability in the clutch lead Indiana to several close victories. However, Orlando’s size and strength prove too much for the Pacers. Much like the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, Orlando advances.

Orlando_Magic_1995_Eastern_Conference_Champions

Orlando wins four games to three.

Next Round

Orlando faces the winner of the All-Time Heat vs. the All-Time Jazz.

All-Time Indiana Pacers Team

All-Time Indiana Pacers Team Infographic 2

It’s difficult to profile the all-time Indiana Pacers team. They experienced their greatest success in the wild and wacky American Basketball Association (ABA), which Will Ferrell somewhat accurately portrayed in the movie ‘Semi-Pro’ (side note: Terry Pluto’s Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association, an oral history of the ABA, is my favorite basketball book ever – an absolute must-read). With three championships and five ABA Finals appearances, Indiana was the league’s most successful team. Despite the ABA’s buffoonery, the league had great players, and in the first season after the merger, 10 of the 24 all-star participants were former ABA players. So even though the Pacers have been a slightly below .500 team since the merger, their rich ABA history deserves to be honored here, and those players are evaluated in the same context as their NBA counterparts.

This team’s biggest hole is at point guard, where Vern Fleming and Don Buse will split time. These were perfectly solid players; both were good defenders, with great height to bother their opponents (Fleming is 6’5”, Buse 6’4”). However, this is a subpar pairing for a tournament of this caliber, especially on the offensive end; they both made the cut over Mark Jackson, a more talented offensive player who was comically slow-footed with a shaky jump shot. Reggie Miller is the clear choice as the starting shooting guard; despite being somewhat overrated due to his flair for the dramatic (he only made five all-star games in 18 seasons), he was one of the greatest shooters ever, and a great late-game option who embraced big moments. Paul George provides great length, defense, and versatility off the bench, and he and Billy Knight, one of the leading scorers in franchise history, can play at guard or forward, as needed.

Roger Brown and George McGinnis are the starting forwards. Brown was the first player that was signed in franchise history; he never went to the NBA because he was associated with point shavers as an amateur (his name was later cleared), but he was a Hall-of-Famer who shined brightest on the big stage (in the 1970 playoffs, he averaged 28.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 5.6 ASG in leading the team to their first championship). McGinnis is a former ABA MVP who had a good jump shot and a nose for offensive rebounds. Both were good passers, which will help make up for the lack of playmaking at the point guard position.

Mel Daniels, a two-time ABA MVP and the leading rebounder in ABA history, is the easy choice as starting center. This team boasts impressive frontcourt depth, with Jermaine O’Neal providing a great defensive presence off the bench, and Rik Smits and two-time Sixth Man of the Year Detlef Schrempf doing the same on the offensive end. There were many solid frontcourt players who were not able to make the team, including Clark Kellogg, Dale Davis, Chuck Person, Herb Williams, Roy Hibbert, and Ron Artest (who would have had a good chance if hadn’t played less than 200 games for the franchise).

This should be a very good rebounding team who can shine defensively when Buse, George, and O’Neal enter the lineup. Miller and Danny Granger should help to space the floor for their big men to operate down low. With three championships, the Pacers are the eighth seeded team in our tournament, and face the Orlando Magic in their first round match up.

Coach: Slick Leonard

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .511

All-Time Oklahoma City Thunder vs. All-Time Milwaukee Bucks

Our first matchup features two very intriguing teams, the All-Time Oklahoma City Thunder vs. All-Time Milwaukee Bucks. It’s a shame that one of these teams will be eliminated so early, but this shows the depth of talent in our tournament. Below is a breakdown of this classic battle.

Oklahoma City’s Advantages

Perimeter Defense: Specifically, the defense of former Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton. The Bucks starting lineup does not feature a traditional point guard, and Payton’s presence will force them to use more of Oscar Robertson and/or Sam Cassell as the primary ballhandler. When one of these two replaces Ray Allen, there’s less spacing around Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; when one of them replaces Sidney Moncrief, the Bucks perimeter defense is severely compromised. If the Bucks play lineups featuring Robertson or Cassell, Allen, Moncrief, and Marques Johnson, then they’ll suffer on the boards, despite the presence of Jabbar.

Frontcourt Length: Kevin Durant, Shawn Kemp, and Jack Sikma are all over 6’10”, which will cause problems for the Bucks on both ends of the floor. If the Bucks try to play small ball against this unit, they’ll get murdered on the boards, and Durant and Kemp’s athleticism won’t allow Milwaukee to have a large edge in quickness on the perimeter.

Three Point Shooting: This team, featuring one of the greatest groups of three point shooters in this tournament, will never be out of a game. Lineups with Durant at the 4 will be particularly unguardable, and the Bucks won’t be able to physically dominate him on the other end of the court unless they play Vin Baker alongside Jabbar. Baker would have no chance against Durant on defense, so the Bucks will avoid using this lineup as a counter.

Milwaukee’s Advantages

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: If Oklahoma City decides to double Kareem, then the Bucks have the perimeter firepower to make them pay. Lineups with Ray Allen and Michael Redd will be particularly difficult to defend from beyond the arc. Sikma is a crafty defender, but he doesn’t have the size or length to effectively defend Jabbar one-on-one, and if he gets in foul trouble, Oklahoma City doesn’t have another true center on the roster.

Defending Durant: Marques Johnson will make Durant, Oklahoma City’s best scorer, work very hard on the defensive end of the floor. In late game situations, expect the Bucks to put Moncrief on KD, despite the size mismatch. Smaller defenders have had some success against Durant (Jason Kidd, for example), since he doesn’t have the bulk to dominate them down low. He can shoot over anybody, but Moncrief will make him work for everything.

X-Factor

Foul trouble and Roster Depth: Both teams have plenty of backcourt depth, but don’t have a deep roster of big men. Can the Thunder’s bigs stay out of foul trouble defending Jabbar? When Sikma sits, Kemp will serve as his primary defender, so player/coach Lenny Wilkens will have to stagger their minutes and play Spencer Haywood and Detlef Schrempf alongside both big men. Vin Baker will have to step up in case Kareem gets in foul trouble, which (needless to say) is a big downgrade for Milwaukee on both ends of the court.

Results

These two teams go back and forth in a seven game battle. Oklahoma City proves to have a deeper bench, but Milwaukee has the best player in the series. Down the stretch of the deciding game, Durant hits a three to put the Thunder up by one. Seven seconds remaining. Larry Costello knows exactly what to draw up:

Bucks win four games to three.

Next Round

Milwaukee faces the number one seeded Boston Celtics.

All-Time Oklahoma City Thunder Team

All-Time Oklahoma City Thunder Team

It’s hard not to feel terrible for Seattle sports fans. Their basketball team was in the middle of one of the greatest draft runs in NBA history when they left town. After three straight laughable drafts featuring Robert Swift (2004), Johan Petro (2005), and Mouhamed Sene (2006), the franchise did a complete 180, and drafted Kevin Durant (2007), Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka (2008), then James Harden (2009). The one thing they can hang their hat on is the terrible luck that their former team has had in Oklahoma City, with key injuries seemingly halting every run since their 2012 NBA Finals appearance (thanks Lil B!). Small consolation I’m sure, but at least they haven’t turned into the dynasty that they seemed destined to become. Hopefully the NBA rectifies this situation soon, and awards Seattle a new team, but for now, since the history books mark this as one franchise, I’ll highlight the all-time Oklahoma City Thunder team, featuring (gulp) the great players in Seattle Sonics history.

And what a fun team it is! In the backcourt, there are a plethora of options, and I went with Gary Payton and Ray Allen as the starters. Ironically, these two were traded for one another, as the Sonics saw that GP was near the end of the line, and got five peak Ray Allen years in exchange. The depth of this backcourt is insane, with Lenny Wilkens, Russell Westbrook, Gus Williams, and Downtown Freddy Brown providing ample firepower off the bench. They’ll play plenty of three guard sets and be a nightmare for opponents to guard.

Kevin Durant and Shawn Kemp are the starting forwards, one of the more athletic pairings in the tournament. Spencer Haywood definitely has a case to start, but he’ll get plenty of minutes off the bench, along with three point bomber Dale Ellis, and the multitalented Detlef Schrempf. Jack Sikma is the man in the middle, and he’ll have to play a lot of minutes as the only true center on the team. For stretches of each game, this team will have to embrace small ball and put Durant or Schrempf at the four and Kemp or Haywood at the five, which isn’t ideal defensively, but can devastate opponents on the offensive end.

There were many tough omissions in the process of selecting this team. Dennis Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Bob Rule, Xavier McDaniel, Tom Chambers, and Serge Ibaka all have intriguing cases for inclusion. I decided to select (those who I feel are) the 12 best players in franchise history, regardless of position, but there are many different ways to build this team effectively.

Three-point shooting is an enormous strength, with Allen, Durant, Ellis, Brown, and Schrempf capable of overwhelming opponents from beyond the arc. They might struggle against opponents with strong interior play, with a lack of big-man depth off the bench. The 16th seeded team in our tournament, the Sonics/Thunder franchise has a very intriguing first round match up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Coach – Even though George Karl had a higher winning percentage, I’ll go with Lenny Wilkens, who helped guide them to their only championship.

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .536