by rawr123456787654 » Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:45 pm
----- 1982-83 Golden State Warriors ------
The Hall of Fame class was the biggest in years, with Gail Goodrich (who'd made his career with the Lakers), Walt Frazier (with the Knicks), and our very own, Rick Barry, all being inducted at the same time. I was especially touched when Barry included me with those he thanked in his acceptance speech - the legend finished his career with 20241 points, 6006 rebounds, and 3254 assists in 894 games played, the leading scorer above Chamberlain in Warriors history. Goodrich was hired as the general manager for Cleveland, convicing Nate Thurmond to bring in Rick Barry as an assistant coach, while Walt Frazier for Kansas City. Other notable retirees included Steve Mix, Kevin Restani, Harvey Catchings, Mel Davis, Mack Calvin, and Don Smith (who was hired on to serve as general manager for the Clippers).
For the first time since I'd joined the team, my dad said we needed to make budgeting a focus. The first victim was Wilt - I couldn't entice hime to stay on as an assistant coach as he left for Philadelphia, much to my dismay (both because he was one of my childhood heroes but also more importantly because of how beneficial he'd been to the team). I brought on Brian Hill, an assistant coach from Lehigh University just 35, to replace him as our defensive coordinator, opting to keep Bob Love as head of player development instead of promoting him. Kansas City fired Don Nelson, bringing on former Buffalo Braves head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons on to replace him, while in a much more dramatic move the Lakers fired Paul Westhead, likely for the loss in the finals. Assistant coach Pat Riley was promoted to the head of the team in his place, while Westhead moved on to New Jersey, replacing Tom Heinsohn as the team's 5th coach in 7 seasons. Heinsohn's success in Boston just a few years prior was enough to convince Chicago general manager Pat Williams to sign him on as the head coach of Chicago, replacing Gene Shue, while Tom Nissalke got his first job as head coach since leaving Houston in '79 with the Utah Jazz, replacing Bob Kloppenburg after the team failed to make the playoffs.
The draft was a good one.
- To start things off, Chicago sent 1980 10th overall pick Rory Sparrow, the 27th pick, and the 2nd overall pick to Washington for Mike Newlin and the 1st pick, which they used to grab Dominique Wilkins. Washington grabbed Terry Cummings with the 2nd pick, Dallas grabbed Quintin Dailey at 3, Kansas City Lasalle Thompson at 4, New Jersey Mark McNamara at 5, Seattle Clark Kellog 6, Utah Keith Edmonson 7, Cleveland LaFayette "Fat" Lever 8th, Portland Derek Smith 9th, and Phoenix James Worthy 10th.
- Paul Pressey went to Chicago 11th, John Bagley to Phoenix 12th, Rob Williams to Houston 13th, Mark Eaton to Milwaukee 14th, Audie Norris to New York 15th, Cliff Levingston to Denver 16th, Rod Higgins to Washington 17th, and then I grabbed Mike Sanders out of UCLA, a small forward with what I saw as good potential, at 18th.
- Corny Thompson went to Chicago 19th, Ricky Pierce to Philadelphia 20th, Brook Steppe to San Antonio 21st, Sleepy Floyd to Detroit 22nd, and Lester Conner to the Lakers 23rd.
Other trades not mentioned included:
- San Antonio shipping Tom Henderson and Jawann Oldham to Kansas City for Sam Lacey and the 25th pick pick.
- Portland sending Jim Chones and Dusty Hancock to Detroit for E.C. Coleman and the 29th pick.
- Chicago sending Pat Cummings and their 1984 second round pick to Boston for Sidney Wicks, the 19th pick pick, the 42nd pick, and Cornell Warner as well as sending Charles Jones to San Diego for Geoff Huston.
- San Diego sending Robert Hawkins and Al Wood to Portland for Terry Furlow and the 34th pick.
- Washington sending Jim Chones and the 9th overall pick to Portland for their 1984 1st round pick, the 17th pick, their 1983 1st round pick, and Dave Meyers.
Bob Love took lead for the Summer League squad again, though Brian Hill helped him out to get into the swing of things. Albert King, Claude Gregory, Danny Schayes, David Thirkill, and Mike Sanders made up the guys I sent down, and they did decent enough. We lost the first game to Boston by 10, 89-99, as Celtics rookie Cole Baldino dropped 22 (despite Schayes 18 point 11 rebound double-double), but went on to steal the next win 97-93 as Danny Schayes had 29 points and 12 rebounds against Dallas. We lost the two after that - 113-103 against Chicago (#1 overall pic Dominique Wilkins dropping 27 but Schayes matching him with 27 of his own alongside 10 rebounds) and then 106-73 to Houston, Jay Vincent with 19 to bring Houston to an easy win. We got some revenge after that, Schayes with 26 points, 3 blocks, and 13 rebounds in a 114-91 game against Boston at home, and then closed the season off with a 104-98 win against Dallas (Schayes this time with 25 points and -15- rebounds) but unfortunately, we didn't make it into the playoff bracket. Washington beat Denver and the Hawks to make it into the finals against Houston (who'd gone through rival San Antonio and Chicago) but ultimately lost, Jay Vincent and Rob Williams proving too much to handle. Vincent was subsequently crowned summer league MVP, and the attention shifted to free agency.
And what a free agency it was. The Celtics broke the water early on in July when they announced they'd reached a 4 year deal with the rival Laker's Fly Williams, bringing the shooting guard onto his 3rd potential championship roster in a move that saw him finally secure a starting shooting guard role. The Kings brought in journeyman center Joe Meriweather, who'd averaged a career high 19.2 points and 9.7 rebounds 4 years prior, signing him onto a largely lauded as dumb contract for 5 years to replace Sam Lacey, who'd been traded to the Spurs. Speaking of the Spurs, they took arguably the biggest hit when Moses Malone opted to team up with his good friend Julius Erving in Philadelphia, signing onto a massive 5 year contract having now spent 3 years in Houston and 3 years in San Antonio following his entry into the NBA. George McGinnis signed on with Seattle, and again Indiana lost their hometown hero. Mychal Thompson, who'd been taken 3rd in 78, signed on to a four year contract with Atlanta, unable to figure out a deal with San Diego having recently played from the bench behind Joe Barry Caroll, while Dennis Johnson signed a 3 year contract with Utah. And then, in probably the biggest free agency move behind Malone, Jamaal Wilkes stabbed me in the back. He signed a 4 year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, fleshing out one of the strongest line-ups I'd ever seen (Magic, Free, Wilkes, Kermit, and Kareem). Part of me had expected it - though gods be damned I'd tried to do everything in my power to prevent it - but ultimately, the urge to win beat us out. In the press conference following the Lakers announcement, he called his time with Golden State "something I'll cherish forever. But as I grow and look forward, I know this is the move necessary for maximizing my NBA potential." Tuh. This organization made you, kid. I signed on Marcus Collins, Charles Kupec, Ron Boone, and Cornelius Cash to fill up the empty spots (opting not to re-sign Dunn, while losing Barry and Mack Calvin to retirement) and tried to look ahead as optimistically as I could. I mean hell - we still had Gus and Parish, right?
- Head Coach: Al Attles
- 623-391 record [50-32 previous season], 46, 11 playoffs (3 conf finals, 2 championship), 24 years w team (11 as player, 13 as coach)
- One of the NBA's wisest. Attles continues in his long tenure with the team, having spent most of his life with this organization, and he continues to show why he's great at his job. This will be a challenging season for him for sure with the loss of Wilkes, but I'm eager to see what he accomplishes with this core.
- Starting PG: Gus Williams - #1
- 6-2, 175 lbs, 29, 8th year in the NBA (8th w. team), 20th pick in the 1975 draft, USC.
- Career 12.9 ppg, 6.9 apg, 3.2 rpg (2.6 d, 0.6 o), 1.6 spg, 0.6 bpg, 1.6 topg, 31.6 mpg.
- Last season 14.5 ppg, 8.7 apg, 4.1 rpg (3.4 d, 0.7 o), 1.8 spg, 0.8 bpg, 2.1 topg, 36.7 mpg.
- 34 point game high, 20 assists, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 8 steals, 104 double-doubles, 2 triple-doubles, 19 player of the games.
- 1976 NBA All-Rookie 1st Team, 1977 Sophomore Game Reserve, 1980 NBA All-League Second Team, 1980 NBA All-League 2nd Defense, 1981 All-Star Game, 1 title won.
- Gus Williams is now the defacto leader of this time. With hard work and poor moves by former team mates, he's been thrust into the position of salvaging the Warriors stretch of elitism. While his playmaking abilities continue to improve, he'll need to learn how to shoot confidently if this team is going to succeed. Balls in your court, Gus.
- Starting SG: Otis Birdsong - #10
- 6-3, 190 lbs, 28, 6th year in the NBA (6th with team), 18th pick in the 1977 draft, Houston.
- Career 9.3 ppg, 1.9 apg, 3.4 rpg (2.2 d, 1.2 o), 0.9 spg, 0.3 bpg, 1.4 topg, 21.5 mpg.
- Last season 11.5 ppg, 2.1 apg, 3.7 rpg (2.5 d, 1.3 o), 0.9 spg, 0.4 bpg, 1.7 topg, 22.8 mpg.
- Career high 28 points, 9 assists, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 5 steals, 2 double-double, 1 player of the game.
- Otis is back in the starting line-up, and this time he's looking to stay. He looked great in training camp - he's got a great shooting touch, especially as a strong one on one player who creates off the dribble. And while he needs to improve his consistency from around the perimeter, his excellent defensive abilities allow how to easily defend guys with more weight and hustle. He shows excellent desire, and hopefully he's around for the long run.
- Starting SF: Curtis Rowe - #41
- 6-7, 225 lbs, 33, 12th year in the NBA (2nd and a half w team), 11th pick in the 1971 NBA draft, UCLA.
- Career 10.0 ppg, 1.7 apg, 7.1 rpg (5.2 d, 1.9 o), 0.8 spg, 1.1 bpg, 1.2 topg, 30.6 mpg.
- Last season 4.7 ppg, 1.1 apg, 4.9 rpg (3.2 d, 1.7 o), 0.4 spg, 0.8 bpg, 0.6 topg, 17.0 mpg.
- Career high 38 points, 11 assists, 20 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 steals, 69 double doubles, 22 p.o.t.gs.
- 1976 NBA All-Star.
- Rowe finds himself back into the starting line-up for the first since since his trade to the Warriors. While he's settled in nicely to both his role on the bench as well as the growing pains of aging, we've yet to find anyone that could do much better. He's not much of an offensive player anymore, but his defensive consistency and smart on-the-court IQ should help keep this team alive.
- Starting PF: John Shumate - #34
- 6-9, 235 lbs, 30, 9th year (5 1/2 yrs w team), 4th pick in the 1974 draft, Notre Dame.
- Career 14.4 ppg, 1.8 apg, 7.3 rpg (5.5 d, 1.8 o), 1.0 spg, 1.1 bpg, 1.1 topg, 29.4 mpg.
- Last season 13.1 ppg, 2.1 apg, 7.1 rpg (5.5 d, 1.6 o), 0.9 spg, 1.7 bpg, 1.4 topg, 30.3 mpg.
- Career high 44 points, 9 assists, 18 rebounds, 7 blocks, 5 steals, 107 double-doubles, 33 p.o.t.g.
- 1976 NBA All-Rookie 1st team, 1 title won.
- John Shumate. When I traded for him, it ultimately helped win us a championship, but man, I'll admit, he never quite broke out into the star I expected him to be. But here's his chance; he's coming into the end of his prime, Wilkes is gone, and the team needs him more than ever. Can he step up to the plate? We'll have to wait and see.
- Starting C: Robert Parish - #00
- 7-0, 230 lbs, 28, 7th year (7th w. team), 8th pick in the 1976 draft, Centenary.
- Career average 15.8 ppg, 1.0 apg, 9.1 rpg (6.8 d, 2.2 o), 1.0 spg, 2.0 bpg, 1.4 topg, 29.4 mpg.
- Last season 22.3 ppg, 1.2 apg, 11.3 rpg (8.2 d, 3.1 o), 1.1 spg, 2.2 bpg, 1.7 topg, 30.9 mpg.
- Career high 40 points, 5 assists, 26 rebounds, 8 blocks, 5 steals, 212 double-doubles, 69 p.o.t.g.
- 1981 All-Star Game, 1982 All-Star Game.
- Like Gus, the spotlight now shines towards Parish. With Wilkes gone, it's up to him to lead by example, and thankfully he's coming off his most dominating season yet. If he can continue to play at an All Star level, expect him to flourish into one of the top centers in the league in the months to come. He's always been a beast, but can that athleticism and physicality translate into smart play making on the hardwood? We'll have to wait and see.
- 6th Man: Danny Schayes (C/PF) - #34
- 6-11, 235 lbs, 24, 2nd year (2nd w. team), 14th pick in the 1981 draft, Syracuse.
- Career/last season average 7.0 ppg, 1.1 apg, 5.3 rpg (3.9 d, 1.4 o), 0.3 spg, 0.6 bpg, 0.8 topg, 18.9 mpg.
- Career high 23 points, 5 assists, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, 11 d-ds.
- 1982 Rookie-Sophomore game reserve player (Rookie team).
- Schayes is young, but with a bright future. His greatest strength, which is surprising for a center, is shooting. With a very soft touch and a very smooth gamestyle in the post, he positions himself well for rebounds, excelling off the offensive glass, and is very good at setting up fast break plays. He'll surprise you with the things he can do both in the post as well as the open floor, and was one of the most athletic players in all of college basketball. Watch out for him to become a fundamental part of this team.
- Back-up Guard: Darwin Cook - (PG) - #2
- 6-3, 184, 24, 3rd year in the NBA (3rd w. team), 8th pick in the 1980 NBA draft, Portland State.
- Career/Last Season 5.5 ppg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 rpg (1.2 d, 0.3 o), 0.9 spg, 0.5 bpg, 1.0 topg, 16.4 mpg.
- Career high 31 points, 18 assists, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, 5 steals, 13 p.o.t.gs (from D-League)
- 1981 D-League All Defense 1st team, 1981 All D-League 2nd team.
- Cook still hasn't quite grown out of some of his rougher growing pains (his free throw shooting being especially bad) but he continues to show good vision and great passing ability. With a solid half court and full court game, he can handle hard situations and pressure, and is a great back-up to Gus. Maybe this will be the year he finally hits form.
- Back-up Forward: Charles Kupec - (SF/SG) - #44
- 6-6, 29, 7th year (1st w. team), undrafted, University of Michigan.
- Career 9.1 ppg, 1.7 apg, 2.2 rpg (1.9 d, 0.3 o), 0.3 spg, 0.1 bpg, 0.4 topg, 17.2 mpg.
- Last season 14.3 ppg, 2.2 apg, 3.0 rpg (2.6 d, 0.4 o), 0.4 spg, 0.2 bpg, 0.7 topg, 25.8 mpg.
- Career high 33 points, 9 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 steals, 3 double-doubles, 2 p.o.t.gs, 1 title (w. LA in '77).
- An incredible perimeter shooter who's been a regular face in the long distant shootout the past few years, Kupec is a great push off the bench. He can change the pace of the game with his lights out shooting and has proven time and time again that he can not only knock down shots from outside with consistency, but also take big shots in big game situations. He does a good job of passing when doubled, great at seeing team mates on the wing, and crashes the post hard when needed. While his rebounding and defensive abilities are a big weakness, he's a great fit for off the bench play, and should be an excellent asset for this team.
- Other notable bench players- Ron Boone (SG), Dennis Awtrey (C), Cornelius Cash (PF), Marcus Collins (PG), Albert King (SF), Claude Gregory (PF) + Mike Sanders (SF) D-League.
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We lost our first game of the season, 108-86. It's like our guys had forgotten how to score; all of the plays we'd drilled into them fell short, and we were unable to force the defense through Parish as Tree Rollins absolutely man-handled him, finishing up with an insane 20 points, 12 rebound, 11 block triple double (insanely enough, Bill Walton also dropped a 22 point 21 rebound 12 block triple double the very same night in a Portland 104-88 win against Kansas City at Kemper Arena) as the Nuggets rolled over us at home. That same night, Wilkes scored a game high 30 points alongside 10 rebounds in the Lakers opening night game against Phoenix at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the Lakers winning 98-80. Man.
We went down state to San Diego Sports Arena for Game 2, dropping another crushing loss 116-100 as the Clippers pulled away at the end of the 1st, maintaining the lead the rest of the game while outscoring us for all 4 quarters. Gus had 15 and 11 assists, Birdsong 16, and Parish 36 points and 10 rebounds, but Joe Barry Carroll's 28 points and George Karl's 19 points and 12 assists was enough to sweep away. Luckily, we came back for a win at home in the third game against Houston, Parish absolutely dominating Swen Nater for 27 points and 13 rebounds as we won 119-115, playing our bench for nearly the entire 4th quarter (Charles Kupec with an impressive 22 in 25 minutes played off the bench). It was hard dealing with the loss of Wilkes, but Gus and Parish were doing their best. We had another good win in our next game at home, a 119-110 rout of the Seattle Supersonics as Gus, Otis, Shumate, and Parish all crossed finished with over 20, Gus taking home MVP honors with 21 points, 14 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Seattle sophomore Rolando Blackman had been especially hard to contain - while Gus managed to shut down the usually impressive (albeit aging out of his prime) Slick Watts and Parish handled sophomore Herb Williams, Blackman went for 28 points on 11-18 shooting. He'd boost that up to a career high 42 in the next game, a narrow 103-101 Seattle win over Dallas, showing everyone - myself included, as I'd taken Danny Schayes at 14 - that we'd been fools to miss out on him.
The rest of the month was ugly. San Antonio beat us 118-110, which wasn't the worst in the world (they'd solidified behind the hot stroke of George Gervin, still playing at an excellent level despite the loss of Malone) but the next night out we lost to Kansas City, then 0-6, 118-116 as Joe Meriweather snagged a triple double with 22 points, 10 assists, 11 rebounds, and 7 blocks. "Summer Breeze" by Seals & Croft was playing on the radio in my car that night on my drive home, and I found myself absent-mindedly thinking - had I not done enough that summer?
November 4th marked our first match-up against the Lakers. Gus Williams managed 10 points and 12 assists, Parish going for a team high 36 along side Otis's valiant 26 point effort, but we had no shot at winning despite our homecourt advantage. Wilkes had 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists, teaming up nicely with World. B Free (28) and Magic Johnson (41 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals) for a dominating 133-123 point win. Despite the bad blood between us, our guys kept it relatively cool with Wilkes during the day though after that 4th quarter buzzer went off the entire arena erupted into boos. One angry fan threw a beer at Wilkes from the bleachers overlooking the tunnel - he was reprimanded, of course, but the message was clear: we didn't like these guys. We hadn't before, and we certainly didn't now. Something had to change.
We played average at best over the next couple of weeks. A loss to Seattle, a win over San Diego and then Dallas, then another loss to first Denver then Phoenix, coming back with a brief glimpse of hope after a 112-100 point win over Portland at Memorial Coliseum saw Parish go for 43 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks, and then a win over San Antonio, 118-102 (Parish again leading the team with 25 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals) but then reality came crashing back, the team losing first to Seattle and then to the Lakers, Wilkes's 28 in the 118-113 Lakers win more than anyone on the losing Warriors squad (though the team did alright, Gus with 22, Parish with 26, and relief forward Danny Schayes with 25, Shumate out with a concussion). I knew we had to do something, but I didn't have too much to work with. Well... or so I thought.
"Two picks. Both first-round. And not this season either, I want '84 and '85." I was on the phone with Walt Frazier, in his first year as general manager of the Kansas City Kings. He'd been given full reign of the lackluster squad and I'd heard rumors he was making moves. My target - Terry Tyler, who'd made the All-Defense 1st team in '81 and the All-Defense 2nd team in '80 (getting edged out in '82 by Erving and Bird). He was an unreliable offensive threat, but his ability to contest shots and force turnovers was exactly what we needed. Two picks though... it was a lot to ask for. I was potentially screwing this team over, especially if we couldn't keep guys. But man... one more season of contention...
"Do it. This team needs it." As soon as Al Attles was on-board, it was history. Terry Tyler for our 1984 and 1985 1st round picks, along side Dennis Awtrey. Tyler was a 27 year old 6-7 small forward in his 5th year in the league, selected 18th in the 1978 NBA draft behind guys like Jeff Judkins, Marty Byrnes, Kenny Higgs, and Billy Ray Bates - guys who were either out of the league or well on their way. While he wasn't a reliable scorer, his defensive talent also gave him the ability to take what the defense gave him, knowing almost exactly when to pull up, when to drive, or when to pass. He'd make a great locker room presence, and while he was coming into the last year of his contract, I hoped a good season with the team could convince him to stick around.
We won 4 straight. Tyler played limited minutes in our first game against rival Utah at home, grabbing 2 rebounds, 2 points, and a block in 18 minutes played, but Robert Parish's 39 points, 5 blocks, 3 steals, and 16 rebounds was more than enough to beat out the struggling Utah squad 117-99. In his second game, he looked a little better- this time, we faced the dominant Detroit Pistons at the Pontiac Silverdome in a road game even we expected to lose. But Parish continued to shine, with 28 points and 9 rebounds, and Curtis Rowe's 17 off the bench along side Tyler's 8 points, 3 blocks, and 6 rebounds in just 25 minutes played helped us overcome the Pistons 107-95, Parish holding Laimbeer and Lanier (Marvin Barnes out with a broken hand) to just 12 and 2 points respectively. And in the third game, Tyler got the start, and boy did he take advantage. Up against the Indiana Pacers, Tyler managed to hold Indiana hot shot Billy Knight to just 11 points on 3-17 shooting, racking in 7 points, 5 blocks, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 10 rebounds in his debut start. Parish had 20 points, 2 blocks, and 23 rebounds, absolutely man-handling Indiana center Tom Burleson who finished the game with 0 points and 6 rebounds as we stole another road victory 99-86. The 4th game was even -better-, as Tyler held Knicks star Adrian Dantley to just 10 points on 4-15 shooting, bringing in 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 7 points. Gus Williams had 23 points and 11 assists, Robert Parish had 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks, and we beat the 3rd in the East New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 92-88, putting us at our first positive record in weeks at 11-10.
December brought us our first shot at redemption. We were 12-13 going into our third season match-up with the Lakers, and coming off a great 96-73 home win against the Clippers (Gus Williams with 27 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals) but still, journalists called the game an "easy home game" for the Lakers. Instead Tyler had his best match yet. It was no surprise the team had spent a lot of time preparing for these match-ups, and they knew Wilkes better than anyone else. And boy did Tyler dominate him - in his 32 minutes played, he had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, and -8- blocks, while Wilkes in his 34 minutes played he went just 1-17, grabbing 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and 5 turnovers along side his meager 2 points. Gus had 20 points and 12 assists, Birdsong 21, and John Shumate a season high 25 and 15 rebounds as the Warriors won 109-101, despite World B. Free's 37. The Forum was stunned - but we were ecstatic. Victory was sweet.
We faltered a bit after that. Parish had a hard foul on Swen Nater in a match-up against the Rockets at the Summit, and on his next drive down Nater jammed an elbow out, catching him in the face. He fell back in pain, and was later diagnosed with a broken jaw. John Shumate stepped up in his absence, with 17 points and 9 rebounds to help secure a 106-92 win none-the-less - but while I've mentioned him a couple of times recently, don't think he was doing us too many favors. Shumate's numbers were down to 13 points per game on 36% shooting, (down from 17 and 48% 79-80) and he was struggling to stay competitive. We lost three straight after that, to Portland, Boston, and then Chicago, rallying back to beat Utah again before losing to Dallas. But the team was motivated - after falling to 10th in the West, we won 4 straight including another 97-85 win over the Lakers at home (Tyler with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 9 steals, along side Danny Schayes 24 points and 12 rebounds) and closed out 1982 with a 19-18 record.
The next few games weren't bad. Otis Birdsong had 33 in a 103-84 win over Atlanta at home, having shown this season that he was finally capable of handling the pressure of the starting line-up. He stepped up again in a road game against Denver at McNichols Sports Arena, dropping 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals in a 102-90 point win, forcing 7 turnovers on David Thompson. We bounced back and forth with a few tough losses, including a 126-120 overtime loss to Chicago at home (John Long with 36 points, despite Gus William's 24 point 10 assist 15 rebound triple double) and an 85-94 loss to Philadelphia at home that saw John Shumate and Moses Malone erupt into a fury, Paul Griffin, Gene Banks, Danny Schayes, Terry Tyler, and Gus Williams all getting caught up in the enswarming riot. But we weren't bad - we stayed in the playoff conversation, and that was important.
In early February while at my sister's engagement party, my father pulled me aside to confess his concerns about the team. "We're falling behind, Petey." He was lighting a cigar on the back balcony of the hotel it was being hosted at, struggling to strike a match in his drunken stupor. "There's teams like the Lakers, like the 76ers, like the Celtics, like the Knicks, ****, like the -Suns-... they've got the star power. They grab the headlines, and even if we keep winning, ticket sales are hurtin'." I knew that wasn't entirely true, as fans had been as loyal as ever, but I also knew finances weren't great. "Don't worry, pops. We're going to turn this around. This season is going to finish good." He took a long drag from his cigar, before looking at me with a smile. "I know, Petey. I trust you."
By the All-Star weekend we were 31-29, despite a 108-115 overtime loss to New Jersey on the road (Alvan Adams with 45 points and 10 rebounds, though Charles Kupec had a nice season high 28 off the bench) right before the break. We were 7th in the West behind San Diego, San Antonio, Portland, Denver, Phoenix, and the Lakers, but we'd gotten the tougher part of our schedule out of the way and the last 20 games looked to be comparatively easy - plus the standings were super close, with third placed Denver at 34-26 and second placed Phoenix at 38-23 (first placed Los Angeles waay ahead at 51-10). Parish had returned in early February, coming back with a bang as he grabbed 11 rebounds and 26 points in their win over Washington. All in all, the team was exceeding expectations.
The weekend's events were being hosted at the Forum, fitting as Los Angeles had been absolutely dominating, which was a nice place to spend a weekend either way. Charles Kupec and Gus Williams both featured in the 3-point contest. While Gus had managed some solid performances, it was here he shined, sinking 20 of the 30 shots in the first round and then 26 to seal the deal for his first 3 point contest win, though Kupec was impressive as well, hitting 21 of 30 in the first round and then 20 of 30 in the finals. Danny Schayes made the Rookie-Sophomore game, starting in lieu of the injured Frank Brickowski in a game that saw him drop a mediocre 4 points and 3 rebounds in what could've been a great chance to turn some heads. Robert Parish made the Western conference All-Star starting line-up alongside Bernard King, Magic Johnson, George Gervin, and good ol' Jamaal Wilkes. Surprisingly, they got along well, Parish admitting to the team that they'd gotten lunch and caught up. Wilkes was enjoying his time in Los Angeles, having fit into their offensive scheme perfectly, and he was equally impressed with how good the Warriors had become readjusting their offense. Gus Williams, who also made the All-Star team from the reserves, was not so courteous, refusing to pass his old team mate the ball at any point during the game. Parish finished with 12 points as did Gus, while Bernard King scored 24 to bring the Western team to a 146-127 point lead, Larry Bird scoring a team high 23 for the Eastern team. I watched the game with my dad, like I often did, though I was a little thrown off by how stressed out he'd been lately - money troubles, as these things often were. "Don't worry about it" he said with a grin. "You guys are gonna take us far. I won't have to be worried for long."
~~~
The Dunk and 3-point contests boasted:
- Dunk: Calvin Natt (SF, CLE, Champ), Cole Baldino (SG, BOS, Finalist), Reggie King (SF, ATL), Sly Williams (SF, SD)
- 3-Point: Gus Williams (PG, GSW, Champ), Charles Kupec (SF, GSW, Finalist), Quinn Buckner (SG, SA, Finalist), Phil Smith (SG, MIL), Mike D'Antoni (SG, NY), Terry Furlow (SG, SD), Mike Dunleavy (PG, KAN), Doug Collins (SG, MIL)
The Rookie/Sophomore game teams contained:
- Rookies (138): Fat Lever (CLE, S. PG), Derek Smith (POR, S. SG), Dominique Wilkins (CHI, S. SF), Terry Cummings (WAS, S. PF), Mark Eaton (MIL, S. C), John Bagley (PG, PHO), Clark Kellog (PF, SEA), Mark McNamara (NJN, C), Ricky Pierce (PHI, SG), Paul Pressey (DEN, SG), LaSalle Thompson (KAN, PF), James Worthy (PHO, SF). Head Coach: Billy Cunningham (PHI).
- Sophomores (149): Isiah Thomas (BOS, S. PG, MVP), Danny Ainge (BOS, S. SG), Mark Aguirre (DAL, S. SF), Tom Chambers (KAN, S. PF), Danny Schayes (GSW, S. C), Wes Matthews (NJN, PG), Larry Nance (ATL, PF), Buck Williams (NYK, PF), Herb Williams (SEA, C), Kelly Tripucka (UTA, SF), Al Wood (DAL, SG), Orlando Woolridge (MIL, SF). Head Coach: Johnny Kerr (PHO).
- *Notable statlines included Dominique Wilkins with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 20 points on 8-17 shooting, Terry Cummings with 9 rebounds and 17 points on 8-11 shooting, Fat Lever with 8 assists and 7 points on 3-5 shooting, John Bagley with 7 assists and 18 points off the bench on 7-13 shooting, Ricky Pierce with 16 points on 6-8 shooting, Mark Aguirre with 4 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, and 18 points on 5-12 shooting, Kelly Tripucka with 15 points off the bench on 4-5 shooting, and Isiah Thomas with 8 assists and 31 points on 9-20 shooting for the game MVP honors.
The All-Star composite consisted of:
- Western All Stars (146): Magic Johnson (LAL, S. PG), George Gervin (SA, S. SG), Bernard King (HOU, S. SF, MVP), Jamaal Wilkes (LAL, S. PF), Robert Parish (GSW, S. C), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (LAL, C), Gus Williams (GSW, PG), John Lucas (PHO, PG), Mark Aguirre (DAL, SF), Tree Rollins (DEN, C), Sidney Moncrief (HOU, SG), Cliff Robinson (PHO, PF).
- Eastern All Stars (127): Johnny Moore (NYK, S. PG), John Long (CHI, S. SG), Larry Bird (BOS, S. SF), Rick Mahorn (MIL, S. PF), Moses Malone (PHI, S. C), Phil Smith (MIL, SG), Billy Knight (IND, SF), Adrian Dantley (NYK, SF), Marvin Barnes (DET, PF), Ernie Grunfeld (WAS, SG), Isiah Thomas (PG, BOS), Bill Laimbeer (DET, C).
- Notable stat lines included Bernard King with 5 assists and 24 points on 11-14 shooting, Kareem with 14 off the bench on 5-7, John Lucas with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 13 points off the bench on 4-5, Larry Bird with 2 rebounds, 7 assists, and 23 points on 5-9 shooting, Moses Malone with 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 17 points on 7-10 shooting, Marvin Barnes with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 15 points off the bench, and Ernie Grunfeld with 18 points on 9-12 shooting off the bench.
Trades for the season included:
- Detroit sending Sleepy Floyd, their 1983 second round pick, their 1984 second round pick, and their 1985 second round pick for Chicago's David Greenwood, it's 1985 1st round pick, and it's 1983 1st round pick shortly before the season.
- New Jersey sending Mike Mitchell, Roy Hamilton, Kareem Amaker, and their 1985 and 83 second round picks to San Antonio for Robert Reid, the Spur's 1983 1st round pick and the Spurs 1985 1st round pick in early October.
- Denver sent Marvin Webster to Milwaukee for Ron Lee and Milwaukee's 1985 1st round pick before the season began.
- Phoenix sent Truck Robinson and their 1983 second round pick to Cleveland for Richard Washington, Sonny Parker, and Cleveland's 1985 1st round pick a few games into the season.
- Atlanta sent Greg Kelser to Indiana for Jerry Sichting and a 1983 second round pick in early November.
- Chicago sent Mike newlin, Michael Brooks, and their 1985 second round pick to Dallas for Kevin Kunnert mid-November.
- Golden State sending their 1985 1st round pick and Dennis Awtrey to Kansas City for Terry Tyler late November.
- Cleveland sending Kelvin Ransey to the Clippers for Billy Robinzine and a 1983 second round pick late November.
- Philadelphia sending Clint Richardson to Kansas City for Tom Henderson and a 1983 second round pick at the end of November.
- The Lakers sending Earl Cureton, Lester Conner, their 1983, 84, and 85 second round picks to Indiana for Wilbur Holland and Indiana's 1985 first round pick right mid-December.
- Denver sending Mike O'Koren and a 1984 second round pick to Chicago for Paul Pressey and Danny Vranes and a 1985 second round pick to San Diego for Charles Jones right before Christmas.
- Cleveland sent Glenn Mcdonald, Marc Iavaroni, and their 1984 1st round pick to Denver for Ron Lee, a 19815 1st round pick, and Bill Hanzlik in early January.
- New York sent Frank Brickowski, their 1983 and 85 1st round picks, and their 1983 and 85 second round picks for Dallas's Kurt Rambis and a 1985 second round pick in early February.
- Portland sent James Donaldson to Utah for George Johnson and a second round pick right around the deadline. They also sent Al Wood to Dallas for Phil Hubbard.
The post-All Star stretch was where we played at our best. We were 12-5 for the month of March, dominating opponents with only a string of losses to San Diego, Kansas City, Denver, Phoenix, and the Lakers - though we beat them once as well, Robert Parish with 35 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals in our 101-84 point win at home. By April we were 43-34, 5th in the West behind the Spurs with a good chance of overtaking them and perhaps Phoenix -and- Denver for either the second, third, or fourth spot in the West. Gus Williams had gone out with a badly bruised sternum in a March 25th win over San Antonio (part of why we lost to Los Angeles the next game out) but Darwin Cook was doing a solid enough job in his place, dropping 16 points and 7 assists in a March 28th 113-98 win over Portland at Memorial Coliseum. I'd expected to go into this season in a panic, but instead I was starting to get comfortable with where this team was headed. Sure, we weren't the Lakers - but we were the god damn Warriors. We were resilient.
We won 6 games straight to close out the year, in a desperate bid to get as high as we could in the standings. While we couldn't steal second or third place from Denver and Phoenix, that end of the season run pushed us right over Portland for 4th place and home court advantage in the first round of the post-season. A lot of people hadn't expected us to make the playoffs after Wilkes leaving - this was awesome. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" echoed throughout the locker room closing out that final 102-101 victory over Seattle at the end of the season - Parish had successfully challenged Cedric Maxwell on the shot, his last second three pointer hitting the rim and flying off into the crowd - and even coach Al Attles caught himself hitting the shimmy as the room roared with excitement. Parish, who had 44 points, 4 blocks, 4 steals, and 11 rebounds in the last game, had been the definitive leader of this squad for the year, and a lot of the props went to him. Despite this being his 7th year in the league, he'd only be 30 next year - ample time to still lead this time. But next year didn't matter, not yet - now was time to focus on the playoffs.
The standings were pretty exciting, with quite a few different squads looking more than fit for making a run. In the West, the teams consisted of:
- The Lakers in 1st, at 69-13, tied for their best season to date with the 1971-72 Elgin Baylor-Wilt Chamberlain-Gail Goodrich-Pat Riley-Happy Hairston-Jerry West squad. With Pat Riley as the new coach (and doing a phenomenal job thus far) and Magic Johnson, World B. Free, Jamaal Wilkes, Kermit Washington, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the starting line-up and Campy Russell, Louis Orr, Lucius Allen, Wilbur Holland, T.R. Dunn, Marty Byrnes, Austin Carr, and Joe Bryant on the bench, this was one of the most versatile and strongest NBA roster's ever assembled. They led the league in least points allowed at 94.6, while simultaneously ranking 3rd in points made per game at 108.2. Needless to say, they were the easy favorites for the NBA championship.
- In second place, the Denver Nuggets at 48-34. Larry Brown and assistant coach Phil Jackson have built one of the crafiest line-ups in the league around Phil Ford, David Thompson, M.L. Carr, Bobby Jones, and Tree Rollins, with Dan Issel and Vinnie Johnson playing a majority of the minutes off the bench (though Charles Jones, Paul Pressey, Tom Barker, Bob Wilkerson, and Marc Iavaroni had each managed to shine on their own as well) to create a surprisingly talented team for a squad that wasn't expected to raise eyebrows. While the Lakers look a hard team to beat (Denver having gone 0-5 against them in the regular season) this team should still go far none-the-less.
- The Phoenix Suns at 47-35 for 3rd. Having beat us out in the regular season for the 3rd placed seed, Johnny Kerr's team seems to be better than ever. John Lucas, Darrell Griffith, Alex English, Cliff Robinson, and Jack Sikma are a strong starting line-up, and James Worthy, Richard Washington, John Bagley, Andrew Toney, Monchito Cruz, and Eddie Johnson are an excellent bench. Definitely a threat for the post-season.
- We're in 4th. Expectations are low, but we plan on shattering 'em.
- In 5th, at 45-37, the Portland Trailblazers. A team that might very well be first if it hadn't struggled so much with injuries, their not exactly the easiest match-up for the first round. Lionel Hollins, Walter Davis, Bob Gross, Maurice Lucas, and Bill Walton - still struggling with injuries, but having played his longest season since 79-80 with 51 games - look to be a formidable group of contenders. Parish vs Walton will be a helluva match-up.
- The Spurs came in at 6th, also at 45-37 though having lost the regular season series to Portland. Oh how the mighty had fallen - though, to be fair, they'd done an excellent job at managing without Malone. Foots Walker, George Gervin, Mike Mitchell, Larry Kenon, and Darryl Dawkins made up the starting line-up while Quinn Buckner, Sam Lacey, Dave Corzine, Brooke Stepp, Dean Meminger, and Darnell Valentine made up the bench. Rex Hughes was still head coach, though many questioned for how long as he struggled in the latter half of the season to keep the squad fresh and focused. Their odds at an upset against Phoenix? Slim, but crazier things have happened.
- In 7th, one of the more interesting NBA squads, the Houston Rockets at 42-40. Michael Ray Richardson, Sidney Moncrief, Bernard King, Rudy Tomjanovich, and Swen Nater were a strong starting line-up, but off the court problems between head coach Bill Fitch and Moncrief (as well as Fitch and King) had made it hard for them to really mesh. Despite a strong bench with Demarcus Phelan, Ray Williams, Jay Vincent, Calvin Murphy, Casper Clay, and Garfield Heard, this time just consistently gave up major leads much to the dismay of their fans. While their chances against Denver aren't great, they're definitely possible, especially with how explosive this offense can be - still, unlikely they ever match the talent of the Lakers squad.
- Lastly, in 8th place, the Seattle Supersonics at 41-41. Lenny Wilkens continues to struggle to show the world Seattle can contend, though this year injuries were working against them, with Cedric Maxwell missing significant time to a broken hand and George McGinnis to a major ankle sprain. Still, the Slick Watts-Rolando Blackman-Cedric Maxwell-George McGinnis-Herb Williams squad is by no means weak, with the Mike Bantom, Brian Taylor, James Hardy, Clark Kellog, Jim Spanarkel bench more than competent. Their shot vs the Lakers in the first round? Well... it'd make for a helluva underdog story.
In the East, meanwhile:
- In 1st place, the Boston Celtics at 62-20, not too far behind their rival Los Angeles Lakers. This has got to be the best Celtics team in years - sophomore Isiah Thomas, Fly Williams, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Dave Cowens, with Jo Jo White, Clifford Ray, Michael Cooper, Pat Cummings, Danny Ainge, Bingo Smith, Earl Monroe, and Darnell Hillman on the bench. How can this team get much better? (Well - a good center, maybe). As the reigning champs, expect them to more than likely make a stab a repeat - though it won't be easy, with teams like Philadelphia and Milwaukee in their way.
- In 2nd, the Philadelphia 76ers at 53-29. With Ray Williams, Gerald Henderson, Julius Erving, Paul Griffin, and Moses Malone at the starting line-up and Sam Smith, Mark Olberding, Darryl McDaniel, Gene Banks, Wes Unseld, and Ricky Pierce riding the bench, this team has hit their highest point in the past decade - ridiculous, as they won just 6 years seasons prior. Billy Cunningham has emerged as one of the best young coaches in the league while Leo Ferris's smart management moves have resulted in an incredible two MVP core with ample young talent. If they don't make a run at it this year, watch out for them in the near future.
- In 3rd, the New York Knicks at 47-35, thanks to their regular season series against Milwaukee. You'd think after losing Walt Frazier this team would show signs of slowing down, but they just keep on finding their way back to the top of the standings. The biggest reason for that? Adrian Dantley. Dantley leads a squad consisting of himself, Johnny Moore, Mike D'Antoni, Bob McAdoo, and Buck Williams, with Larry Smith, Kurt Rambis, Tom Abernethy, Lonnie Shelton, and Butch Beard backing them up as an excellent secondary unit. Red Holzman continues to serve as one of the league's greatest coaches, and this team seems fit to keep contending for years to come.
- In 4th, the Mighty Milwaukee Bucks at 47-35. They didn't make too many changes from the year before, instead relying on growth and development to keep them moving forward. Larry Drew, Phil Smith, Marques Johnson, Rick Mahorn, and Jeff Wilkins are still an incredible core, but the bench of Orlando Woolridge, rookie Mark Eaton, Marvin Webster, Eric Money, Doug Collins, Spencer Haywood, and Wayne Cooper has just been amazing so far this season. Elgin Baylor continues to demonstrate why Utah were absolute idiots in firing him (especially as they fire their third coach in two seasons after his departure) and the Bucks look like potential underdogs for the finals, especially given how well they match-up with the Celtics.
- In 5th, more so because of injuries (to Marvin Barnes especially, who'd played only 44 games for the season) than anything else, the Detroit Pistons. Maurice Cheeks, Pete Maravich, Purvis Short, Marvin Barnes, and Bill Laimbeer make up a fierce starting line-up, while Bob Lanier, Brad Davis, David Greenwood, Jim Chones, Allen Leavell, Dasean McBridge, Charlie Scott, and Dave Bing bring in the bench. Coach Chuck Daly has turned this group of guys into an All-Star team, with a 45-37 record and a ton of attitude to show for it. Watch out for 'em.
- In 6th, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fat Lever, Randy Smith, Calvin Natt, Truck Robinson, and Jeff Ruland have shown their ready to enter the league as contenders, despite what critics may have to say. Kevin Grevey and Billy Robinzine serve as two of the most productive bench players in the league, while Jon Davis, Frank Johnson, Tate Armstrong, Ron Behagen, Bill Hanzlik, Ron Lee, and Billy McKinney make up a pretty formidable bench. Nate Thurmond continues to impress with coaching, and all in all, despite coming into the post-season in 6th, Cleveland looks like it could turn some heads.
- In 7th, unfortunately though ultimately to no one's particular surprise, the Indiana Pacers at 42-40. Having won the finals just 2 years prior on one helluva run, the Pacers have struggled with age and the loss of two of their biggest players, Tree Rollins and George McGinnis. Don Buse, Ricky Sobers, Billy Knight, and Elvin Hayes still field the starting line-up, along side Tom Burleson, but age has been hard to fight. Reggie Johnson, Earl Cureton, Jan Van Breda Kolff, Bruce Jenner, Greg Kelser, Peter Gudmundsson, and Lester Conner make up a decent enough bench while Slick Leonard continues to serve as an excellent coach, but ultimately this teams flare seems to be on its way out. It was still an epic ride.
- Coming in at 8th are the Atlanta Hawks, the only post-season team under .500 at 36-46 in one of the most competitive seasons to date. With head coach Butch van Breda Kolff (yes, the father of the mentioned-above Jan) having successfully whipped this team back into shape despite losing Reggie Theus for the first half of the season, 37 games, as well as star John Drew for 26 games throughout the season. The starting line-up - Armond Hill, Reggie Theus, John Drew, sophomore Larry Nance, and Mychal Thompson - might not be turning any heads, but watch out for them in the next few years; with Reggie King, James Bailey, Jerry Sichting, Eddie Jordan, Curtis Perry, Jose Farley, and Keith Herron on the bench, they stand a good chance at growing in the years to come.
Our first match-up in the post-season pitted us up against the Portland Trailblazers, bolstered by a finally healthy Bill Walton (though Lucas would miss most of the series with back spasms) and with a flare to win. Despite heading into Game 1 with a home-court advantage, the absence of Gus Williams, who'd miss the entire first round with a bad ankle sprain, left us struggling to make plays. Birdsong finished with a team high 19, and we had just 14 assists in the game (compared to our team average 22.8) resulting in a Portland 113-100 win, Bob Gross finishing the game with 24 points, 8 assists, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block (while Hollins had 21 points and 12 assists). We rallied back in Game 2, Tyler taking on some of the burdens of leadership from the young Darwin Cook with a team high 6 assists along side 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 5 blocks, and 18 points, and Otis Birdsong's 29 points gave us a much needed 120-102 win. Parish came in clutch the next game, with his first post-season triple double dropping 16 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks, while the 5-2 Marcus Collin's had 17 off the bench making an absolute mess of Portland rookie Derek Smith who struggled to contain him in our 106-99 win.
Portland did manage to win a couple more, Walton with a monster 23 point 4 assist 25 rebound 8 block 3 steal game for a surprisingly narrow 103-92 win (Birdsong again leading the game with 26) before Johnny Davis had the game of his career, covering for the injured Lionel Hollins (out with a concussion) with 41 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals to guide Portland to a 116-112 victory at Oracle. But as soon as the Lakers finished off Seattle in a 4-1 series, we knew we couldn't lose - we had to face them in that next round. Parish dropped 25 points and 20 rebounds in our Game 6 108-96 point win at Memorial Coliseum, and then carried the team even farther, pulling off a nailbiter 124-122 win at home in Game 7 with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 4 steals (Tyler with 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks, and 24 points) despite the team missing Birdsong, Gus, -and- 6th man Curtis Rowe to minor injuries. We'd face up against Los Angeles in the next round, while Phoenix and Denver both moved on (beating San Antonio and Houston respectively) on the opposite side of the bracket - the odds were against us, but we were ready.
The day before the series began, I was asked a question in a press conference on my thoughts about Wilkes leaving - I'd yet to sit down and give much more than a couple of one liners about it, and was still hesistant to discuss it. But I was honest. "I can't blame him for wanting to do what's best for his career - but I can blame him for abandoning his team. And while a lot of people are going to argue he's got every right to do what he want's as a free agent, and they're absolutely right, I don't particularly care. He behaved selfishly, so I'll behave childishly."
The Lakers won Game 1 in one of the most physical games of the year. Kermit Washington was a beast on the boards, sending out vicious elbows and nasty jabs through out the game (causing Gus Williams to go out with a head wound early in the first - though he'd come back with stitches later on in the game) while Kareem was in prime form. He had 21 points, 5 assists, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 steals - but it was Wilkes who really hammered it down. With 26 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and 9 rebounds, he showed no remorse, hammering away at his former team mates with rough fouls the whole game, playing 44 minutes and continuing to pick away at the lead late into the 4th. After the 109-78 point win, Wilkes was all smiles in the post game conference. "Was that childish enough for you?"
That was sort of the nail in the coffin. Magic Johnson had a triple double in the next game, 30 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds, the Lakers winning 103-99, and while we managed to win the first game back at home (Gus Williams with 32 points and 9 assists for a 101-95 win) we lost the next two in a row, first 94-79 and then 117-110, John Shumate going an ugly 4-19 in the last game, something that would haunt him the rest of the summer. The Lakers went on to face the Suns, who'd beaten #2 Denver in a 6 game series, beating them out in a 5 game sweep, and were very much looking forward to a rematch with the Celtics.
It didn't happen. The Celtics lost to Philadelphia in the conference finals, having fought through Atlanta and another 7 game series against Milwaukee to get there. Larry Bird played great but injuries to Dave Cowens -and- Clifford Ray left them unable to handle Moses Malone, and when Isiah Thomas was suspended for two games following an accumulation of technicals, Philadelphia managed to take the lead, winning the series against the reigning NBA champions in just -5- games. Funny enough, they lost in that same time frame - Erving played great, but couldn't match the might of Magic and Kareem, winning one game at home but ultimately losing 4-1. Magic Johnson was named Finals MVP for the second time in his career, and Los Angeles lifted up it's 3rd NBA championship since 1977. The Lakers had reached the realms of "elite" - some even called them the best team ever assembled. But funny enough, for a lot of the guys, the win didn't even matter; surely it wasn't comparable to 1980. Because while they'd won again, they still hadn't gotten revenge - they still hadn't beat the Celtics.
Boston's Larry Bird finally won MVP, after being a strong contender the past couple of years, and Denver's Tree Rollins won Defensive Player of the Year for the 3rd time. Milwaukee sophomore Orlando Woolridge won 6th man of the year, Seattle's Rolando Blackman won most improved player, and Chicago's Dominique Wilkins won Rookie of the Year in a tight contest between him and Cleveland's Fat Lever. Los Angeles's Pat Riley won Coach of the Year, while Los Angeles's Jerry West won Executive of the Year.
- The All-NBA 1st team consisted of Magic Johnson (LAL), Rolando Blackman (SG), Larry Bird (SF), Rick Mahorn (PF), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (LAL).
- The All-NBA 2nd team consisted of John Lucas (PHO), George Gervin (SA), Adrian Dantley (NYK), Larry Kenon (SA), and Moses Malone (PHI).
- The All-NBA 3rd team consisted of Gus Williams (GSW), Phil Smith (MIL), Julius Erving (PHI), Alvan Adams (NJN), and Bill Laimbeer (DET).
- The All-Defense 1st team consisted of Magic Johnson (LAL), World B. Free (LAL), Terry Tyler (GSW), Bobby Jones (DEN), and Tree Rollins (DEN).
- The All-Defense 2nd team consisted of Don Buse (IND), Otis Birdsong (GSW), Larry Bird (BOS), Dan Roundfield (SD), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (LAL).
- The All-Rookie 1st team consisted of Fat Lever (CLE), Ricky Pierce (PHI), Dominique Wilkins (CHI), Terry Cummings (WAS), and Mark Eaton (MIL).
- The All-Rookie 2nd team consisted of Sleepy Floyd (CHI), Derek Smith (POR), James Worthy (PHO), LaSalle Thompson (KAN), and Robert Wingfield (NYK).
Statistical leaders were as followed:
PPG
- Larry Bird (BOS, 30.1)
- Julius Erving 2nd (PHI, 28.5), John Drew 3rd (ATL, 28.3), Adrian Dantley 4th (NYK, 28.0), Bernard King 5th (27.9, HOU), George Gervin 6th (26.2, SA), Robert Parish 7th (24.9, GSW),Ricky Sobers 8th (24.8, IND), Mark Aguirre 9th (24.7, DAL), Dennis Johnson/Moses Malone 10th (PHI/UTA, 24.6), Rolando Blackman 11th (SEA, 23.7), Phil Smith 12th (MIL, 23.5), Alex English/Jong Long 13th (PHO/CHI, 22.8), Reggie Theus 14th (ATL, 22.7), Magic Johnson/Maurice Lucas 15th (LAL/POR, 22.3), Alvan Adams 16th (21.7, NJN), Billy Knight 17th (21.4, IND), David Thompson 18th (DEN, 20.9), Ernie Grunfeld 19th (WAS, 20.7), World B. Free 20th (LAL, 20.2).
APG
- Foots Walker (SA, 9.9)
- Johnny Moore 2nd (NYK, 9.3), John Lucas 3rd (PHO, 8.9), George Karl 4th (SD, 8.7), Gus Williams 5th (GSW, 8.0), Phil Ford 6th (7.8, DEN), Norm Nixon 7th (WAS, 7.7), Slick Watts 8th (SEA, 6.9), Nate Archibald 9th (NJN, 6.5), Sleepy Floyd/Magic Johnson 10th (CHI/LAL, 6.3), Armond Hill/Ray Williams 11th (ATL/PHI, 6.2), Michael Ray Richardson/Larry Drew 12th (HOU/MIL, 6.1), Lionel Hollins/Fat Lever 13th (POR/CLE, 6.0), Dennis Johnson 14th (UTA, 5.6), Butch Lee/Henry Bibby 15th (DAL/KAN, 5.3).
RPG
- Moses Malone (13.2, PHI)
- Bill Walton 2nd (POR, 12.6), Robert Parish 3rd (GSW, 11.7), Bill Laimbeer 4th (DET, 11.5), Bob McAdoo 5th (NY, 10.9), Jack Sikma 6th (PHO, 10.7), Kareem 7th (LAL, 10.6), Dan Roundfield 8th (SD, 10.5), Tree Rollins/Sidney Wicks 9th (DEN/CHI, 10.4), Dave Cowens 10th (BOS, 9.8), Rick Mahorn/Larry Kenon 11th (MIL/SA, 9.7), Joe Barry Carroll 12th (SD, 9.6), Bill Cartwright 13th (WAS, 9.5), Larry Bird 14th (BOS, 9.4), Bobby Jones 15th (DEN, 9.3), Kevin McHale 16th (BOS, 9.2).
BPG
- Tree Rollins (DEN, 4.3)
- Bill Walton 2nd (POR, 4.2), Moses Malone 3rd (PHI, 3.8), Kareem 4th (LAL, 3.3), Terry Tyler 5th (3.2, GSW), Swen Nater 6th (HOU, 2.9), Joe Barry Carroll 7th (SD, 2.8), Robert Parish 8th (GSW, 2.6), Joe Meriweather 9th (2.5, KAN), Kevin McHale 10th (BOS, 2.4).
SPG
- Don Buse (IND, 2.8)
- Michael Ray Richardson 2nd (HOU, 2.5), Larry Bird 3rd (2.4, BOS), John Long 4th (CHI, 2.3), Julius Erving 5th (2.1, PHI), Bobby Jones 6th (DEN, 2.0), Magic Johnson 7th (1.9, LAL), George Karl/Lionel Hollins/Gus Williams/Walter Davis 8th (SD/POR/GSW/POR, 1.8), John Drew/World B. Free/Sidney Moncrief 9th (ATL/LAL/HOU, 1.7), Terry Tyler/Calvin Natt/Bernard King 10th (GSW/CLE/HOU, 1.6).
TOPG
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (3.6)
- Mark Aguirre/Adrian Dantley 2nd (DAL/NY, 3.4), Bernard King 3rd (HOU, 3.3), David Thompson/Larry Bird 4th (DEN/BOS, 3.2), George Karl 5th (SD, 3.1), George Gervin 6th (SA, 3.0), Nate Archibald 7th (NJN, 2.9), Alex English/Reggie Theus 8th (PHO/ATL, 2.8), Darrell Griffith/Slick Watts/John Long 9th (PHO/SEA/CHI, 2.7), Foots Walker/Norm Nixon 10th (SA/WAS, 2.6).
MPG
- Bernard King (HOU, 37.7)
- Bob McAdoo 2nd (NY, 36.9), George Gervin 3rd (SA, 36.8), Adrian Dantley 4th (NY, 36.7), Purvis Short 5th (DET, 36.6), Rolando Blackman 6th (SEA, 36.5), Phil Smith 7th (MIL, 36.3), Alex English 8th (36.2, PHO), David Thompson 9th (36.0, DEN), Gus Williams/John Lucas/Mark Aguirre/Al Skinner 10th (GSW/PHO/DAL/SD, 35.9).
3-P Made
- Ricky Sobers (IND, 310)
- Kevin Grevey 2nd (CLE, 270), World B. Free 3rd (LAL, 209), Ernie Grunfeld 4th (195, WAS), Mike D'Antoni 5th (NY, 177), Henry Bibby 6th (KAN, 176), Paul Westphal 7th (166, WAS), Armond Hill 8th (160, ATL), Adrian Dantley 9th (NY, 158), Alex English 10th (152, PHO).
Towards the end of that season, I'd gotten optimistic - and I still was, don't get me wrong, I didn't think we were in any sort of panic. But watching the game with my dad as per usual wasn't the same, not at all. He was stressed out, he seemed restless, and worst of all, he seemed disinterested. Money was becoming an increasingly big issue and while I'd done a good job at managing the budget (perhaps not intentionally - missing out on Wilkes saved pops a ton) I knew the team was still generating far less than he'd planned. But luckily, finances weren't what I'd been hired to focus on - the team was. And as far as I could tell, the team was lookin' gooood.