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NBA Duke Blue Devils vs. NBA Minnesota Golden Gophers

There is more than meets the eye to our next matchup. In theory, Duke should have no trouble at all against Minnesota, considering their histories and their respective standing in the college basketball landscape. However, this tournament is all about NBA performance, and both schools have produced a rich mix of NBA talent. How will the matchup between the NBA Duke Blue Devils vs. NBA Minnesota Golden Gophers play out? Several key factors will determine who advances to the Sweet 16.

Key Matchups

Kevin McHale vs. Duke’s frontline – McHale, one of the greatest power forwards of all time, will face several different looks from the Blue Devils. Luol Deng will start off on him, but Mike Dunleavy, Carlos Boozer, and Christian Laettner should all have a chance to guard him. Duke may have to utilize a double-team and play zone defense at times to disrupt his rhythm, since he should not have trouble with any of these defenders. On defense, McHale is versatile enough to guard Deng and Dunleavy on the perimeter, and he won’t embarrass himself if he’s forced to guard Grant Hill. Overall, McHale is a nice trump card who allows Minnesota to play big without sacrificing anything defensively against Duke’s modern offense.

Grant Hill vs. Sweet Lou and friends – Hill will split time with Kyrie Irving running Duke’s offense. He’ll primarily be matched up against Minnesota’s best perimeter scorer, Sweet Lou Hudson. Hill is bigger and more athletic than Hudson and should have a good series on both ends of the court. Hudson was a game defender, but he’ll likely need help from his teammates against the versatile Hill. Expect McHale to spend some time on Hill, with Hudson switching off to the bigger but less impactful Luol Deng. Off the bench, Minnesota does not have many ideal options to play against Hill or scoring wing Corey Maggette. Jim Brewer was a defensive stud, but he was more of a traditional power forward who was not used to defending quick, athletically dominant opponents. Mark Olberding would likely get the assignment, but Hill or Maggette should have their way if this matchup materializes. On the other end, Duke’s Shane Battier can harass Hudson all over the court and prevent any easy buckets for the should-be-Hall-of-Famer.

Biggest Mismatches

Duke’s bench vs. Minnesota’s bench – Duke’s bench provides them with a range of options in playing their opponents. Battier can give them an airtight perimeter defense when paired with Deng and Hill. J.J. Redick and Mike Dunleavy open up the floor for their teammates. Bob Verga, Maggette, and Carlos Boozer can provide instant offense, while Christian Laettner gives them a versatile big man who can do a little of everything on the offensive end. Minnesota’s bench is led by Bobby Jackson, who can provide instant offense, Trent Tucker and Voshon Lenard, who can shoot the lights out, and Brewer, who can provide a strong interior defensive presence, but it has neither the high-end talent nor depth of its counterpart.

Minnesota’s size advantage up front – Duke will typically forgo traditional two-big lineups, instead using Deng and Dunleavy as stretch-fours who can compete on both ends of the court. That should be good news for McHale as mentioned above, and he and Brewer should be able to take advantage of this on the glass as well. Mychal Thompson will have his hands full with Elton Brand, but he can use his height advantage to bother Brand on defense. If Thompson can keep up with Brand on the boards, Minnesota should be in good shape, but Duke’s size on the wing will help to mitigate this.

X-Factor

What will Duke’s late-game offense look like? Kyrie Irving is the best guard in this series, and the best bucket-getter for the Blue Devils. He can create any shot he wants, and he’s had success as a closer late in games. He’ll have to find the right balance between hero-ball and putting his teammates in position to succeed. Duke has an array of shooters they can pair Irving with, along with Hill and Brand, who should be involved in the closing minutes. Minnesota will primarily rely on Hudson and McHale down the stretch, though Archie Clark will be involved as well, preferably in more of a facilitator role.

Results

Minnesota comes to play, and utilizes their strong frontcourt and brilliant performances by McHale and Clark to take several games. However, Duke utilizes their depth and versatility to wear down the Golden Gophers over the course of the series. Their strong perimeter defense on Hudson limits his effectiveness, and Irving helps them close it out in six hard fought games.

Duke wins, four games to two.

Next Round

Duke faces the winner of San Francisco vs. Georgetown.

NBA Duke Blue Devils

Our next profile features alums from the gold standard of college hoops. How amazing has their run been since Mike Krzyzewski took over in the 1980-81 season? They’ve earned the number one ranking in the AP poll in 20 of 40 seasons. They’ve made the Final Four 12 times, including a stretch from 1985-86 through 1993-94 where they made 7 in 9 seasons. They’ve won five national championships, and were runner-up four other times. While they’ve consistently remained relevant in the national title picture, the quality of their NBA players has changed over time. At the beginning of Coach K’s tenure, a high percentage of their players failed to make a meaningful impact in the pros. Over time, as they’ve adapted to the “one-and-done” era, they’ve produced a steady stream of early entry stars, including three members of their starting lineup, who combined to play four collegiate seasons. The NBA Duke Blue Devils are led by 10 players from Coach K’s legendary tenure, which looks poised to continue into the foreseeable future.

Kyrie Irving didn’t exactly have a lasting impact at Duke, missing 26 games in his lone season on campus before becoming the number one pick in the NBA Draft. Despite this, he has become the greatest pro guard the school has ever produced. Irving is an unparalleled shot maker, who has thrived in clutch situations, including in the 2016 Finals, when he made one of the most important shots in NBA history. His efficiency stands out; over the past four years (from 2016-17 through 2019-20), he has shot a combined 48.2% from the field, 40.2% from three, and 89.4% the line, while scoring 24.8 points per game with a 24.0 PER and .194 WS/48. He will serve as this team’s best late game option on offense. He’s joined in the starting lineup by Jeff Mullins, a three-time all-star who scored more than 20 points per game four consecutive years in his prime with the Warriors. Mullins had good size for his position at the time (6’4”), and was able to beat opponents with his effective pull-up jumper and by driving to the hole. He and Irving will be difficult for opponents to stop, as both have well-rounded offensive games. Bob Verga is another explosive offensive option who can play either guard position off the bench. Verga was a scoring machine in his brief ABA career, which peaked in 1969-70, when he averaged 27.5 PPG and made the all-ABA first team while finishing fifth in the MVP race. He’ll be used when this team needs instant offense off the bench, and he can play alongside both starting guards. J.J. Redick is one of the modern game’s great shooters, who seems to get better with age. He will add another dimension to this team’s offensive game, as his floor spacing will create room for all of their primary options.

To date, Grant Hill is the only Naismith Hall-of-Famer to attend Duke. Hill was one of the league’s great playmakers from the small forward position, and may be the best passer on this team. One of the most impressive parts of Hill’s career is the way he battled through years of injuries and remade his game into an effective supporting role with Phoenix. He can wear multiple hats on this team; lead play maker and primary ball-handler as he played in his Detroit days, or 3-and-D complementary piece as he played in Phoenix. Luol Deng was a rock-solid pro who gave his all for the Tom Thibodeau Chicago Bulls teams of the 2010s. A two-time all-star, he was a standout defensive player who proved to be a very effective stretch-four in Miami (after playing small forward most of his career), before his career cratered in Los Angeles. Deng adds a much-needed defensive presence for the starting lineup, and Shane Battier, the famed “no-stats all-star” will do the same off the bench. Battier is another valuable 3-and-D piece who can easily slot into the starting lineup when needed and guard the opposing team’s best player. Corey Maggette is another swingman who may be this team’s best athlete. Maggette was an underrated scorer who had a tremendous ability to draw fouls, where he sank over 82% of his shots for his career. A three-time 20+ PPG scorer, he did most of his damage from the mid-range and in, and he’ll add another dimension for this team on offense. Mike Dunleavy Jr. was an excellent role player who could play multiple positions while also spacing the floor. In the modern game, he’d be a prototypical four, who can switch on to smaller players when needed.

Elton Brand will start as this team’s center. Brand was an excellent pro who helped the Clippers briefly escape the doldrums in the early 2000s. In Brand’s first eight seasons as a pro, before he ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in his ninth season and moved to a different phase of his career, he averaged 20.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 2.1 blocks per game, on 50.5% shooting from the field with 22.7 PER and .168 WS/48. His long arms, stout frame, and ability to protect the rim will help him man the middle despite his relatively short stature (6’8”). Off the bench, Carlos Boozer was another 20/10 guy in his prime, who mastered the pick-and-pop game in his seasons with the Jazz. The league has evolved and power forwards like Boozer who don’t switch or protect the rim on defense or space the floor on offense are not as prevalent in today’s game, but this team can experiment with Boozer at center backing up Brand or playing alongside Elton in more traditional lineups. Christian Laettner is this team’s tallest player at 6’11, and he’ll serve as Brand’s primary backup off the bench. Laettner had a somewhat underrated pro career, averaging 17.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.0 BPG over his first five seasons, and he likely could have extended the range on his jump shot out to the three-point line in the modern-day game.

This team’s positional versatility will be tremendous, as they sport a high volume of long, athletic wings that are the biggest asset in the modern-day game. They will feature Battier, Deng, and Hill in their best defensive lineups, and their offense will run primarily through Hill, Irving, and Brand. The fourth-rated team in our tournament, they have an intriguing first-round matchup against the NBA Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Worst Game 7 Performances in NBA History

In 2016, LeBron James had the defining moment of his career, slaying the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in game seven on their home floor. James had a triple-double that game and added perhaps the most iconic blocked shot in league history. However, that game was an offensive struggle for both teams, with James shooting 9 for 24 from the field.

NBA history is littered with uneven shooting performances when the stakes are highest, even among the game’s greatest players. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson combined to shoot 11 for 32 in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen combined to shoot 15 for 43 in Game 7 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana. Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan shot 6 for 24 and 10 for 27, respectively, in Game 7 of the 2010 and 2005 NBA Finals, and still brought home MVP honors for those series (as did Bird in 1984 and James in 2016).

There are some Game 7 performances that particularly stand out for the wrong reasons. What happened to the players during these games? Was the moment too big, or did the defense figure them out after a six-game sample? Did they simply have a bad shooting day at an inopportune time? Every circumstance is different, as you’ll see below.

This post highlights 10 of the worst Game 7 performances in NBA history. This list is skewed toward offensive performances, since defensive tracking is difficult for games, especially in the pre-merger era. I’m also focusing on the very highest stakes games – only semifinals and finals games are included.

Dishonorable Mention: The first three quarters of Kobe’s performance in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals were shockingly awful, but he had a spirited fourth quarter and wound up with 23 points and 15 rebounds in spite of his 6 for 24 shooting performance. In the same game, Ray Allen shot 3 for 14, capping a series where he shot just 36.7% overall…In Game 7 of the 1979 Eastern Conference Finals, Tom Henderson put up 0 points on 0 for 9 shooting in 30 minutes. Despite his effort, tbe Bullets beat the Spurs and went to their second straight NBA Finals…Bob Love shot 6 for 26 from the field in a four-point Chicago loss to Golden State in the 1975 Western Conference Finals. Chicago only scored 79 points that game, and Love shot 10 more times than any other teammate…The Boston Celtics shot 32.7% from the field as a team in Game 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals and still found a way to beat the Lakers by the three…In the previous round, the Celtics won another Game 7, this time against the Philadelphia Warriors, and won on a last second Sam Jones shot. Paul Arizin shot 4 for 22 for Philadelphia. Curiously, Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 50.4 PPG in the regular season, took only 15 shots. He scored 22 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, and was clutch down the stretch, but this was the rare example of the Warriors version of Wilt being too unselfish.

10. Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown, 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7 (combined 8 for 42 from the field, 21 total points): In 2018, an overachieving Celtics team without Kyrie Irving (and Gordon Hayward, who missed virtually the entire season after a gruesome opening-night injury) advanced to the brink of the NBA Finals in a weak Eastern Conference. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers stood in their way, but they were not the juggernaut of year’s past. Kevin Love, Cleveland’s second leading scorer, did not play in this game due to a concussion. Boston also had homecourt, since Cleveland only won 50 games that season. However, the moment seemed too big for a young Celtics team. Brown, who played like a future star throughout their unlikely playoff run, shot 5 for 18 from the field, and 3 for 12 from 3. Marcus Smart, a notoriously inconsistent shooter, made only one of his 10 shots. Finally, the clock struck midnight on Terry Rozier, who impressively filled Irving’s shoes throughout the playoffs. Rozier shot 2 for 14 from the field, and 0 for 10 from three, part of an embarrassing 7 for 39 team performance from long distance. While Boston would have had no chance against the Golden State Warriors in the Finals, this game may have represented their best shot at the Finals in this era, considering the rise of the Toronto Raptors the next season and the dominance of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the following years.

9. Chris Bosh, 2013 NBA Finals, Game 7 (0 for 5 from the field, 0 points): The Heat won the 2013 Finals, and Bosh’s rebound in Game 6, and subsequent pass to Ray Allen, will live in history. However, it’s odd for a future Hall-of-Famer who averaged 16.6 points per game in the regular season to score zero points and shoot only five times in the season’s biggest game. Bosh was an all-around player, and wound up +1 for the game, but this performance would have been (rightfully) vilified if Miami lost. It should be noted that Ray Allen also had 0 points in this game, but he was more of a role player than Bosh in the Heat’s scheme, and was fresh off of perhaps the greatest shot in NBA history in Game 6.

8. Oscar Robertson, 1974 NBA Finals Game 7 (2 for 13 from the field, 6 points, 11 assists): The storybook ending to one of the greatest careers ever did not come to fruition. Game 6 was one of the best games in NBA history, with the Bucks staving off elimination with a double-overtime victory in Boston. However, the Bucks could not muster the same spirit back home in Game 7, and the Celtics won by 15. Did playing 58 minutes in the previous game affect the aging Robertson? He was well past his prime at this point, only averaging 12.7 points per game during the regular season, and 14.0 PPG in the postseason. He could not get on track during this game, and the greatest era in Bucks history ended with a whimper. This was Robertson’s last game in the NBA, and after a disappointing 38-44 record the next year, Milwaukee shipped off Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers and have not been back to the Finals since.

7. Stephen Curry, 2016 NBA Finals Game 7 (6 for 19 from the field, 4 of 14 from 3): Chalk this one up to the burden of high expectations. Curry’s 17-point performance wasn’t the seventh worst in history, but it certainly was one of the most disappointing. The unanimous MVP had one of the greatest seasons ever, and his team’s 73 regular season wins may never be surpassed. It’s still hard to pinpoint what happened in the last three games of this series. Certainly, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving deserve credit, but Golden State’s performance, and especially Curry’s, will live in infamy.

6. The Jordannaires, 1990 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 (Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen, B.J. Armstrong, Craig Hodges, and Bill Cartwright – combined 11 for 57 from the field, 28 points): A back-and-forth series ended with a blowout as the Bulls failed to step up to the challenge. Scottie Pippen had a migraine, which helps explain his 1 for 10 performance, but what about the others? Horace Grant was 3 for 17, though he did contribute 14 rebounds. Craig Hodges was 3 for 13, and 2 for 12 from three, which was a shockingly high number at the time. Armstrong was 1 for 8, and Cartwright was 3 for 9. The team scored 74 points total, with Michael Jordan contributing 31 of those. It was fair to wonder whether Jordan’s supporting cast would ever step up in crunch time after this game, but luckily for Chicago fans, they answered all questions the following year in a dominant 15-2 postseason run.

Worst Game 7 Performances in NBA History - Chicago Bulls, 1990 Eastern Conference Finals

5. Trevor Ariza, 2018 Western Conference Finals, Game 7 (0 for 12 from the field, 0 for 9 from three, 0 points): Ariza, a tested veteran and NBA champion, simply could not hit a shot during this deciding game. The Rockets shooting performance is infamous, as the team missed 27 three pointers in a row at one point, and shot 7 for 44 from three for the game. Yes, they were missing their point guard (Chris Paul), and no, Ariza wasn’t alone in his futility. However, 0 points and -15 in 41:50 of playing time represents a historic meltdown on the league’s second biggest stage.

4. Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman, 1957 NBA Finals Game 7 (combined 5 for 40 from the field, 21 total points): This is a candidate for the single greatest game in NBA history. A double-overtime classic in Game 7 of the Finals. Bill Russell, in his first year in the league, facing third-year stud Bob Pettit. The NBA regular season and all-star game MVP Bob Cousy looking for his first ring. Cousy capped his historic season with a shockingly poor game 7, finishing 2 for 20 from the field in 58 minutes. His backcourt mate, Hall-of-Famer Bill Sharman, was 3 for 20 in 48 minutes. Boston’s two leading scorers in the regular season came up empty, but their rookie frontcourt mates carried the load, as Tom Heinsohn and Bill Russell led them to victory. The Hawks would get their revenge the following year, but Boston would defeat St. Louis two more times in the finals on their way to eight championships in a row between 1959 and 1966, a record that’s likely never going to be broken.

3. Danny Green, 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 (1 for 12 from the field, 1 for 6 from 3, 5 points): Through five games in this series, Danny Green looked like he was heading toward the most unlikely Finals MVP campaign in league history. During that stretch, he averaged 18 PPG on 56.6% shooting from the field and an unimaginable 65.8% from 3, with five made three pointers per game. Unfortunately, he lost his hot hand at the worst possible time. In games 6 and 7, he scored 4 PPG on 10.5% shooting and 18.2% from downtown. Game 7 was particularly tough, as Green could only make 1 of his 12 field goal attempts as the series slipped from San Antonio’s hands. This series was Green’s breakout performance on a national stage, but just as his hot shooting brought the Spurs to the brink of an unlikely championship, his cold spell was a big reason they were unable to bring the championship home.

2. John Starks, 1994 NBA Finals Game 7 (2 for 18 from the field, 0 for 11 from 3, 8 points): Starks was coming off of a brilliant Game 6 (27 points, 50% from the field, 5 for 9 from 3), but had a last second shot blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon to force a game 7. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, their notoriously hot and cold shooting guard came up empty in their biggest game of that era. The Knicks as a team averaged 11.1 three-point field goal attempts per game in 1994, so it was appalling to see Starks match that output on his own in this game and fail to make a single one. Hubert Davis only played four minutes while Rolando Blackman was a DNP-CD. Knicks fans will always wonder if Pat Riley should have played either of them more instead of watching Starks melt down in 42 minutes of play.

1. Dennis Johnson, 1978 NBA Finals Game 7 (0 for 14 from the field, 4 points): The expected rematch of the 1977 Finals between the Blazers and Sixers turned into a surprising encounter between the 44-win Bullets and 47-win SuperSonics due to Bill Walton’s injuries and Washington’s upset of Philadelphia. Even though Seattle had game 7 at home, Washington eked out a victory on the road. Johnson entered the game averaging 18.7 PPG on 44.8% from the field in the series, but he came up shockingly empty in Game 7. The fact that Seattle still had a chance to win at the end makes this performance all the more painful. Luckily for Johnson, he’d have five more Finals appearances in his career, including the following year, when he captured Finals MVP in the rematch between these teams.

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.

New York wins, four games to two.

Next Round

New York faces the All-Time 76ers team.

All-Time Cleveland Cavaliers Team

Our next franchise has struggled for much of their history. They only made the playoffs four times in their first 17 seasons, and have somehow earned the number one overall pick in the NBA draft six times. While many of those picks have been more solid than spectacular (and in one case, completely disastrous), they were able to acquire one franchise-changing talent who seemed destined to take them to the Promised Land. This Chosen One has taken them to two NBA Finals appearances, but, unfortunately, had his greatest success with another franchise. Now that he’s back, they may finally be on the verge of winning their first ring. Does the All-Time Cleveland Cavaliers team have enough talent around him to advance in our tournament?

Mark Price is the second greatest player in franchise history, and was the leader of the team during their first great run in the late 1980s to early 1990s. One of the greatest shooters that has ever played in the NBA, he’s currently second in NBA history in free-throw percentage. He’s paired in the backcourt with another primary ballhandler, Kyrie Irving. Even though he’s just starting his career, Irving is one of the most skilled players in today’s game, and is another excellent shooter who can stretch the floor. They’re backed up by Terrell Brandon, who Sports Illustrated once touted as the best point guard in the league. Brandon became a star as the team played at a mind-numbingly slow pace (last in the league in both of his all-star seasons), and peaked in the 1996 season, when he was sixth in the league in PER and third in win shares per 48 minutes. World B. Free is one of the unique characters in league history, but he was also a great scorer who some credit with saving professional basketball in Cleveland. Austin Carr was the first number one overall pick in franchise history, and was a solid scorer who’ll also get minutes at shooting guard.

LeBron James, the aforementioned Chosen One, is the starting small forward, and the centerpiece of this team. James is the only MVP in franchise history, and has led the team to its only two NBA Finals appearances. He’s joined in the frontcourt by Larry Nance, who was an excellent all-around player who will serve as the team’s best rim-protector (similar to his role on the All-Time Suns team). They’re backed up by two solid scorers, Mike Mitchell and Campy Russell, along with another premier rim-protector, Hot Rod Williams.

Brad Daugherty was an overlooked player during a golden age for NBA centers, but he was a five-time all-star who became an excellent scoring threat as his career progressed. In 1993, he led the league in true shooting percentage, and he doubled as an excellent passing big man, averaging nearly four assists per game over the course of his career. He’s backed up by 7’3” Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a two-time all-star who was an offensive threat from both inside and out.

This team has one transcendent star, surrounded by a group of all-star level performers. They should be an excellent passing team, that will be better on the offensive end of the court. The 23rd seeded team in our tournament, they have a first-round match against the All-Time New York Knicks team.

Coach: Lenny Wilkens

All-Time Franchise Winning Percentage (through 2014-15): .459

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