Tag: Harry Gallatin

All-Time Philadelphia 76ers vs. All-Time New York Knicks

Our next matchup features two teams who have played in the same division for the past 67 seasons, and who’ve had 440 regular season battles as of this posting. They’ve also met 10 times in the playoffs, though only two of those series have had a deciding, winner-takes-all game (both in the early 1950s). Considering their proximity to each other (in location), and the frequency of their matches, this should be a celebrated NBA rivalry. Though their real-life matches have failed to live up to these expectations, the battle between the All-Time Philadelphia 76ers vs. All-Time New York Knicks is highly anticipated, and should ignite the two franchises’ fan bases.

76ers vs. Knicks

Key Matchups

Battle of Hall-of-Fame frontcourts: These two teams feature a number of Hall-of-Fame and all-star level performers in their frontcourts. Philadelphia starts perhaps the greatest frontcourt in this tournament, with three legends who were all MVP-level performers (Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, and Wilt Chamberlain). They also feature one of the deepest frontcourt benches, with four Hall-of-Famers coming off the bench along with Bobby Jones, one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. New York’s frontcourt is also impressive, featuring two former scoring champions splitting time at small forward (Bernard King and Carmelo Anthony), a two-time NBA Finals MVP (Willis Reed), and a member of the 50 Greatest Players list (Patrick Ewing). They also have three Hall-of-Fame frontcourt players coming off their bench, and in total have a whopping six players on their roster who averaged a double-double (scoring and rebounding) with the franchise.

Defensive stalwarts: With so much offensive talent on each team’s roster, the defensive aces on both sides will see big minutes in this series. Walt Frazier, arguably New York’s best all-around player, will have to chase around the lightning-quick Allen Iverson. Dave DeBusschere, one of the NBA’s greatest defensive forwards, will see plenty of minutes against Charles Barkley, Dolph Schayes, and Billy Cunningham. Philadelphia’s Maurice Cheeks will play alongside both Iverson and Hal Greer, and will take turns defending New York’s high-scoring guards (Frazier, Richie Guerin, and Earl Monroe). Bobby Jones will see time against the Knicks’ small forwards (King and Anthony) and their bruising power players (including Reed and Harry Gallatin).

Biggest Mismatches

Philadelphia’s athleticism advantage: The Sixers have one of the most athletic teams in the tournament. Erving, Chamberlain, Barkley, and Iverson were all exceptional athletes in the starting lineup, in addition to Andre Iguodala, Chet Walker, and Billy Cunningham off the bench. New York does not have the same assortment of athletes, and will need to slow down the tempo of the games to compete.

X-Factor

The Answer: can Allen Iverson become a pass-first distributor? Iverson is one of the most ball-dominant players in NBA history, with the third highest career usage percentage since this statistic has been tracked (starting in 1978). While he was used to playing with non-offensive threats in his days in Philly, he’s now on a team that features some of the biggest names in NBA history. How will he adjust to being a secondary option? Will he get their dominant frontcourt players enough shots for their liking as the de facto point guard in the starting lineup?

The question: Who is Philly's wild card? The Answer: Allen Iverson Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com
The question: Who is Philly’s wild card? The Answer: Allen Iverson
Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

Results

New York keeps the series close against Philadelphia, and Walt Frazier harasses Iverson into a few horrendous shooting nights. With the series tied at two, player-coach Billy Cunningham replaces Iverson in the starting lineup with Mo Cheeks, and the offense runs smoothly through their Hall-of-Fame frontcourt. Iverson proves to be terrific in the sixth man role, and the Sixers clinch in six.

Philadelphia wins, four games to two.

Next Round

The Sixers battle the All-Time Lakers Team.

All-Time New York Knicks vs. All-Time Cleveland Cavaliers

Our next match up features two teams who have suffered a lot of pain in their respective histories. One franchise has not won a championship since 1973, while the other is still waiting for their first ring. They’re united in their hatred of this man, who caused both franchises much misery during his reign of dominance. They’ve both been around long enough, however, to field competitive all-time franchise teams, each of whom can advance in our tournament. Who would win the battle between the All-Time New York Knicks vs. All-Time Cleveland Cavaliers? Each team holds several key advantages.

New York’s Advantages

Depth: The Knicks have been around for 24 more years than the Cavaliers, and this difference is reflected in their respective benches. Every Knicks bench player was a multiple-time all-star with the team (other than Walt Bellamy, who’s a Hall-of-Famer), while the Cavs only have two players off the bench with these credentials (Terrell Brandon and Zydrunas Ilgauskas – neither of whom is a future Hall-of-Fame player). The Cavs’ starters will play heavier minutes than their counterparts, and may wear down over the course of the series.

Rebounding: New York features six players who averaged a double-double in scoring and rebounding on their team, while the Cavs don’t feature any. While part of this is due to generational differences (see below), the Knicks should maintain an advantage in this area.

New York’s Question Marks

Two-Center Lineup: How will Willis Reed and Patrick Ewing co-exist alongside one another? Both are natural centers, even though each has experience in a twin towers lineup (Reed with Walt Bellamy, and Ewing with Bill Cartwright). Expect Dave DeBusschere and Harry Gallatin to get plenty of minutes alongside each starter, with Willie Naulls occasionally mixed in as well.

Cleveland’s Advantages

James-Price Two-Man Action: What a perfect pairing. LeBron James is the one of the great playmakers ever, and Mark Price is one of the great shooters ever. In addition, Kyrie Irving, Terrell Brandon, and World B. Free are all capable shooters who should play well off of LeBron.

Multiple Points of Attack: Cleveland has multiple ways they can attack an opponent and initiate their offensive sets. They have three players in their starting lineup who can play point guard (Price, Irving, and James), and a great passing center in Brad Daugherty. Expect this offense to thrive, especially when the starting unit is on the floor.

Cleveland’s Question Marks

Depth: How many minutes can James play while guarding one of New York’s multiple perimeter threats? LeBron has averaged 39.9 minutes per game for his Cavaliers career, but that type of workload isn’t ideal when guarding Bernard King and Carmelo Anthony.

High Usage Scorers: James, Irving, and Free are all high usage players who are accustomed to having the ball in their hands. Each will have to adjust to not having the ball every possession, and Coach Lenny Wilkens will have to design an offense that emphasizes ball movement over one-on-one play.

X-Factor

When adjusting for era, will the Knicks maintain their statistical advantage on the glass? Rebounding percentage is not available in the basketball-reference.com database prior to the 1970-71 season, so it’s difficult to compare the raw totals of several of the Knicks’ pioneering big men to their modern-day counterparts. However, in the latter stages of Reed’s career, he still held an edge in this category over Larry Nance’s career total, as Ewing did over Daugherty. DeBusschere’s mark from 1971 on eclipses the total of Nance and Hot Rod Williams. While Naulls and Gallatin are difficult to contextualize, the Knicks should still maintain their advantage on the glass, even without major contributions from these two.

Results

In the words of sports writer Bill Simmons, “God hates Cleveland.” The Knicks have a deeper, more physical roster, and wear the Cavs down over the course of the series. Walt Frazier, the Knicks’ Mr. Clutch, wreaks havoc on the Cavs’ talented backcourt, and leads the team to victory.

NBA_Champions_1970_New_York_Knicks

New York wins, four games to two.

Next Round

New York faces the All-Time 76ers team.

All-Time New York Knicks Team

All-Time New York Knicks Team Infographic

Our next franchise has been in existence since the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946-47, which later merged with the National Basketball League to create the NBA that we’re familiar with today. They’ve experienced more heartbreak than triumph in that time, with a cumulative record slightly below .500. Despite their troubles, they’re one of the league’s signature franchises, and they have an important role in professional basketball history. The All-Time New York Knicks team is steeped in tradition, featuring a number of basketball pioneers and Hall-of-Famers.

Walt “Clyde” Frazier may be the funniest person in broadcasting history, but he first was a Hall-of-Fame point guard who was one of the best defenders ever at his position. Frazier’s signature game came in game seven of the 1970 Finals, when he led the Knicks to their first title with 36 points and 19 assists. He was a clutch player throughout his Knicks tenure, averaging 20.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.4 APG, 19.8 PER, and shooting .511 in 93 playoff games. He’s joined in the starting backcourt by fellow Hall-of-Famer Richie Guerin. The Bronx-born Guerin was one of the top guards of his era, peaking in the 1962 season with averages of 29.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.9 APG, and 20.9 PER. They’re backed up by two other Hall-of-Famers: Dick McGuire, who was one of the league’s premier play makers in its earliest days, and Earl “the Pearl” Monroe, who adjusted his game to fit alongside Frazier in the 1970s, and helped the team win its second championship in 1973.

Bernard King, perhaps the greatest scorer in team history, is the starting small forward. Much like Bill Walton in Portland, King’s reign as an elite player did not last long. When he was healthy, however, he was spectacular: he averaged a league-leading 34.8 PPG on .574 shooting in 12 playoff games in 1984, then led the league in regular season scoring the next year at 32.9 PPG (on .530 shooting). Willis Reed, the most decorated player in team history, is the starting power forward. Although he primarily played center in his career, he also spent some time at power forward as well, and was the team’s pillar during their glory years. The under-appreciated Patrick Ewing is the team’s starting center. While the conversation around Ewing often centers on what he was not able to accomplish (namely, winning a championship), he led the team to championship contention for years while serving as its only star. He was one of the greatest shooting big men in NBA history, and will combine with Reed to give them a forceful interior presence on both ends of the court.

Off the bench, Carmelo Anthony can replicate King’s role as a scoring extraordinaire, and with a few more productive seasons, he has a good chance of supplanting King in the starting lineup. As previously mentioned, Hall-of-Famer Dave DeBusschere is one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history, and will also see plenty of minutes. Hall-of-Famer Harry “the Horse” Gallatin led the league in rebounding in 1954 despite being built like a modern shooting guard (6’6” 210 lb), and Willie Naulls also attacked the glass (11.7 RPG as a Knick) while doubling as a high scoring threat (25.0 PPG in 1962). Walt Bellamy, the backup center, was no longer the scoring force that he was with the Bullets franchise, but was still a double-double machine in New York, who provides them with another great interior scoring threat.

This team is marked by physicality, rebounding, and toughness. They have several different lineup combinations they can utilize, with great depth in the frontcourt. The 10th seeded team in our tournament, they have an opening round match up with LeBron James and the All-Time Cleveland Cavaliers.

Coach: Red Holzman

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .495