NICK BARRYS SCOUTING REPORT.

Rick Barry’s Pro Basketball Scouting Report
1990-91 Edition
Player Ratings and In-Depth Analysis
on More Than 400 NBA Players and Draft Picks
Rick Barry
and
Jordan E. Cohn
SPORTS WORLDWIDE
1100 NW G lisan Suite 2B
Portland, O R 97209
1-888-952-4368
www .sm ww .com

IN SUM
Mark Acres
Jirthdate: November 15, 1962
leight: 6-11
Veight: 225
College: Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Okla.
Irafted: Dallas on second round, 1985 (40th pick).
Positions: Center, Forward
?inal 1990 Team: Orlando Magic
Pinal 1989-90 Statistics:
3 Fg Fga Fg% Ft Fta Ft% Orb Reb Ast Stl To Btk Pts Ppg
1
0 138 285 .484 83 120 .692 154 431 67 36 70 25 362 4.5
1'hree-point goals: 3-4 (.750) TSP: .490
SCORING
Acres, who started 50 games at center for the Magic, is a
nonentity offensively. He doesn’t look for his shot—only 3.6
attempts a game (for 4.5 points)—nor do the Magic call his
number. Here’s why: He has no feel for the hoop with his
back to the basket, nor, for that matter, facing the basket.
He’s just a fair shooter with no shot, such as a hook. Only
the notorious non-threats, Washington’s Charles Jones and
the Jazz’s Mark Eaton were less.offensively effective or
minded among starting centers in 1989-90. If Acres wants
points, he has to earn them—per minute, he did a nice job on
the offensive glass, and he runs pretty well on the break.
Had his “best” year from the line, .692, but he’s only .645
for his career.
DEFENSE/DEFENSIVE REBOUNDING
Strength and size-wise (he’s 6-11, 225, but a small 6-11),
Acres is overmatched as a starting center. He bangs, plays
good position D, but he’s not a shot blocker (25 blocks in
1,691 minutes): Nick Anderson, a Magic 2 guard, had more!
While he’s aggressive on the glass, his defensive rebounding
numbers were way below average for starting 5s.
A blue-collar player, Acres is light on skills, heavy on moxie.
But he’s a backup all the way, and not a strong one at that.
In other words, a third-string center.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: D
Shooting: D
Free Throw Shooting: D
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B
Defense: B —
Defensive Rebounding: C
Shot Blocking: D
Intangibles: B +
Overall: C
Michael Adams
Birthdate: January 19, 1963
Height: 5-11
Weight: 165
College: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Drafted: Sacramento on third round, 1985 (66th pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: Denver Nuggets
Final 1989-90 Statistics:
G Fg Fga Fg% Ft Fta Ft% Orb Reb Ast Stl To Blk Pts Ppg
79 398 989 .402 267 314 .850 49 225 495 121 141 3 1221 15.5
Three-point goals: 158-432 (.366) TSP: .482
THE FLOOR GAME
Acres is an adequate passer, though not an imaginative one.
One ofhis strong suits: He doesn’t play beyond his game—he
knows his role—which is not scoring, a real asset for
Orlando which is not hurting for point producers. Acres was
in the starting lineup instead of Sidney Green because he’s
less mistake-prone than Green, and Orlando coach Matty
Goukas didn’t want Green and starter Terry Catledge in
foul trouble at the same time.
INTANGIBLES
Coaches like Acres’ type of player: He never takes a night
off, and even if the cup is only half full, you know what’s in
the cup. After languishing on the Celtics’ bench for two
seasons, Acres savored the opportunity of finally getting
some quality playing time.
SCORING
It’s a funny-looking thing—as if he’s putting a shot—but,
hey, they don’t give awards for style in the NBA. And
Adams’ unorthodox heaves go in—consistently. Nobody has
the green light to shoot the three like Adams. For the third
consecutive season, he was the league’s most prolific trifecta
shooter (158 for 432; he holds the NBA record for most
threes attempted, 466, and made, 166, in one season). He hit
a respectable .366, right around his .355 career mark,
though overall his .402 was his worst since his rookie year
(and he shot only .380 in the playoff loss to the Spurs,
including .300 from three-point land). Whether he’s shoot
ing the three—usually an uncontested shot—or a two, the
degree of difficulty is pretty much the same for Adams, who
has trouble when he ventures closer to the basket because of
his size (5-11). He can take it to the hole—he’s extraordinar
ily quick and has an assortment of shots near the basket—
but often has a tough time finishing amid the big guys. On
1

the drive, he invariably goes right, yet opponents, strangely,
don’t force him left. A top-notch free throw shooter (.850 last
season; .833 career).
Adams’ number one asset on D is his knack for creating
turnovers—1.5 steals a game (though his thievery was
slightly down from previous years). Otherwise, he has
trouble. Since the Nuggets ask so much of him on the
offensive end—his role is to relentlessly push the ball up
court—he doesn’t always maintain the same intensity on
the defensive end. His size hurts in one-on-one situations
and in transition defense. And, curiously, his quickness on
offense is not matched on D—his lateral movement is just
average. Not a good rebounder for his position.
THE FLOOR GAME
Adams is the Nuggets catalyst, the trigger man for their
uptempo style. His main function: to up the tempo, take the
ball up the court, and get the Nuggets into their passing
game. When he’s moving well—he’s had chronic problems
with his hamstring—and penetrating, the Nuggets are
tough to beat. When he’s not, Denver’s offense drags to a
halt. His assists, vis-a-vis other starting points (6.7 per
game), are on the low side, but, in the Nuggets’ system, they
don’t have a true point. He doesn’t turn it over much.
INTANGIBLES
A big concern in Denver is Adams’ hamstring, which has
everybody out there practically holding their breath. Ad
ams, who once aspired to be a prizefighter, is one tough
hombre. Despite his size, his teammates “ look up to him,”
said one observer.
IN SUM
An above-average point guard who can kill you with his
shooting and has an ideal game for Denver’s system. But he
needs backup help to reduce his minutes—he’s worn down
the last two seasons—and to keep him fresh throughout the
long, long season. Chris Jackson’s arrival should provide
Adams with some much needed rest.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A
Shooting: A -
Free Throw Shooting: AA
Ball Handling: AA
Passing: A
Defense: C
Playmaking: A
Intangibles: A
Overall: A -
Aguirre
j
Birthdate: December 10, 1959
Height: 6-6
Weight: 230
College: DePaul University, Chicago, 111.
Drafted: Dallas on first round as an undergraduate,
1981 (1st pick).
Position: Forward
Final 1990 Team: Detroit Pistons
G Fg Fgu Fg% Ft Fta Ft% Orb Reb Ast Stl To Blk Pts Ppg
78 438 898 .488 192 254 .756 117 305 145 34 121 19 1099 14.1
SCORING
You can’t say he wasn’t asking for it. Or more precisely, he
did in fact ask for it. It being a move to the bench and a new
role as a reserve. Around about December 1989, the Pistons
were not clicking on all cylinders, and Aguirre, a starter to
that point, suggested he might be better utilized coming off
the bench. The reason wasn’t hard to fathom. Teamed with
scorers Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, and James Edwards
(and Bill Laimbeer), Aguirre was not the Pistons first,
second, or even third option. With Detroit’s second unit
struggling, Aguirre thought he could add some potency to
the bench and once again become the spoke around which
the offense revolved, a role that he was well accustomed to
after being the go to guy for seven and one-half years with
the Mavericks. Well, it took an Aguirre injury in late
January before a move was made—Dennis Rodman replaced
Aguirre in the starting lineup—and the rest, as they say, is
history. With Rodman as the starter, the Pistons proceeded
to win 25 of their next 26 games and went on to win its
back-to-back titles. How did the new role sit with Aguirre?
Overall, he had his lowest scoring year as a pro (14.1 ppg),
his shooting was up and down, and there was the occasional
game when he was hardly used at all, but he does have his
second ring and he was a vital member of that devastating
Pistons eight-man rotation. Actually, Aguirre’s game is
classically suited to an off-the-bench role, since his major
contribution is as a scorer (indeed the Piston’s savored
Rodman’s defense in a starting capacity). Recall Aguirre’s
Dallas days, in which he averaged 24.6 ppg and was, before
he was acquired by the Pistons (for Adrian Dantley and a
first-round pick in February 1989), the leading scorer, per
Mark
2

ninute, among 3s. He is a rare species, equally adept in the
ow post or way out on the perimeter (he shot .333 in treys),
inthe blocks, he’s savvy in getting low-post position (his big
jutt is an asset here) and then going to work. His options
ire numerous and varied: step-back jumpers, pump-fakes to
Iraw fouls (he shot .756 from the stripe), power moves off the
Iribble, and turnaround jumpers. Not much on the offensive
jlass, however.
slimmed-down Aguirre (about twenty-five pounds less)
ippeared in training camp in the fall of 1989—he’s always
:eaned to the roly-poly side—a reduction that, it was hoped,
would help him on D. Unfortunately, he gained at least
some of the weight back and still sacrifices quickness to 3s.
A.nd, of course, the other factor in Aguirre’s move to the
lench was that the Pistons’ defense (and rebounding) at the
3spot took a 180-degree turn with Rodman—the Defensive
Player of the Year—inserted into the starting lineup. Agu
irre can guard in the post, but his effort is inconsistent and
his defensive rebounding sporadic.
THE FLOOR GAME
Despite his reduced role, Aguirre still draws the double
team, and he’s a decent passer out of it. But basically, he
wants his shots—that’s the bottom line on Aguirre. Fair
runner of the floor.
Danny Ainge
Birthdate: March 17, 1959
Height: 6-5
Weight: 185
College: Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Drafted: Boston on second round, 1981 (31st pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: Sacramento K ings
75 506 1154 .438 222 267 .831 69 326 453 113 185 18 1342 17.9
SCORING
INTANGIBLES
Maybe he hasn’t had a wholesale personality transforma
tion, but the moody, sulking, soft-visage Mark Aguirre of
yesteryear has been replaced by a player who was smart
enough to realize “that’s it better to be some place and win,
than no place and be a star,” as one observer stated it. Sure,
he’d like more minutes, more shots, more points. But the
new Aguirre understood his place in the Piston universe
and, for the most part, accepted it. Evidently not one of
Chuck Daly’s favorites.
IN SUM
Now in his tenth season and thirty-one in December 1990,
Aguirre still has a lot of basketball left in him. What a
luxury: a twenty-plus career scorer coming off the bench
who can kill from in or out.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A
Shooting: B +
Free Throw Shooting: B
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B
Defense: C
Intangibles: B
Overall: A -
Maybe it was the lingering effects of an ankle injury he
suffered in the summer of 1989. Or perhaps it was, as he
believed, “The offense is all screwed up, I’m not getting good
shots.” Or could it have been that the offense was the same,
but he simply wasn’t making the shots? Or maybe Ainge,
thirty-one, had lost a step, or at least a half-step? Whatever
the reason(s), Ainge got off to a most atypical start—he was
shooting a mere .396 after 20 games and finished at .438,
his worst shooting effort since his rookie year back in
1981-82. True, he takes a lot of threes, but even when you
take those away, he only shot 46 percent. A career .861 foul
shooter entering the year, he had a little “trouble” from the
line (.831). All that said, Ainge remains a potent scorer (17.9
a game last year, his best yet) and shooter. His speciality is
the long-range bomb, the trifecta. He hit a solid .374 from
out there, though he will occasionally take it too soon and
without conscience. He can shoot the jumper off the dribble
but is best spotting up and coming off picks. Curiously,
Ainge, who has never shown much ability getting to the
hoop and getting fouled (1.8 charity tosses a game, entering
the year), is a more effective driver these days (a career-high
267 free throw attempts in 1989-90; 3.6 a game). And when
he drives, he’s adept at finishing with either hand.
Off the ball: great. On the ball: not so great. As a team
defender, Ainge always seems to be in the right position, can
steal the ball (1.5 a game), take the charge, force turnovers.
But guarding a man, he’s looking for shortcuts—“ He never
met a switch he didn’t like,” noted one coach. And he doesn’t
3

get through picks like he should. Solid defensive rebounder
for his position.
THE FLOOR GAME
Ainge is valuable because, for among other reasons, he’s
interchangeable at the guard position. He’s an adequate
ball handler for a 1, terrific for a 2. Can push the ball on the
break, makes good decisions, and is unselfish (a solid 6
assists a game in 1989-90).
INTANGIBLES
That feistiness, that toughness—that’s what Danny Ainge
is all about. He remains one of the league’s fiercest compet
itors. He knows how to win and knows the game—he’s a
coach on the floor, on the bench, in the locker room—but he
can drive you nuts at times. Ainge and King coach Dick
Motta had a testy relationship (these days, Ainge is not a
good practice player), and Danny may have worn out his
welcome in Sacramento.
IN SUM
Oft mentioned in trade talks, Ainge still has value as an
element of a championship team. He has at least one more
year at “ full strength,” and then could stick around for
several more as a third guard, in the Brad Davis mode.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A
Shooting: A
Free Throw Shooting: A
Ball Handling: A
Passing: A
Defense: B
Defensive Rebounding: A
Playmaking: B
Intangibles: AA
Overall: A
82 371 785 .473 108 133 .812 151 374 142 60 101 39 860 10.5
SCORING
Though Alarie was drafted by the Nuggets in 1986, and played
there for his rookie year, his career (he was traded to the
Bullets in November 1987) really didn’t begin until the second
half of the 1988-89 season when he was inserted into Wash
ington’s rotation and responded by putting up some healthy
numbers: .478 from the field and .342 from three-point terri
tory. And last season, coming off the bench, he continued on
the same productive pace, shooting .473, averaging 10.5 ppg,
and most importantly, showing a remarkable penchant for
hitting clutch shots (he scored the winning basket in three
games). The strength of Alarie’s game is his outside shot. He
can be deadly from 20 feet and in (he shot only .204 from
beyond the arc in 1989-90), but lacking quickness, he’s not
going to create much for himself. He’s most effective, then, as
a spot-up shooter. He has the ability to put it on the floor,
though curiously, the right-handed Duke grad is much more
comfortable using his left hand (he suffered an injury in high
school to his right hand, which makes it difficult for him to
palm the ball). He doesn’t get to the line much but will
surprise you with an offensive rebound.
Alarie, a 3/4, is an adequate defender. A step slow for the 3s,
and not quite physical enough for the 4s (though he was
better sculpted after a summer of lifting), he’s basically a
position defender. However, he’s made himself a better post
defender. Once a good jumper, Alarie’s lost a lot of lift (knee
injury while he was with Denver), but he is still an
adequate defensive rebounder.
Mark Alarie
Height: 6-8
Weight: 217
College: Duke University, Durham, N.C.
Drafted: Denver on first round, 1986 (18th pick).
Position: Forward
Final 1990 Team: Washington Bullets
THE FLOOR GAME
Alarie will run the court, but he’s not a blur. An OK passer
who plays it safe.
INTANGIBLES
It’s a common story: You don’t play, you lose confidence. You
play, get some success, your confidence grows. And it’s
Alarie’s story. A heads-up player.
IN SUM
Alarie has evolved into a solid role player, whose strong suit
is shooting. There are many teams around the league who
would love to have him coming off the bench.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: B
Shooting: A
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B
Defense: B
Defensive Rebounding: B
Intangibles: B +
Overall: B +
4

RICK’S RATINGS
Steve Alford ------
■thdate: November 23, 1964
ight: 6-2
ight: 185
liege: Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
afted: Dallas on second round, 1987 (26th pick),
sition: Guard
lal 1990 Team: Dallas Mavericks
lal 1989-90 Statistics:
Fg Fga Fg% Ft Fta Ft% Orb Reb Ast Stl To Blk Pts Ppg
63 138 .457 35 37 .946 2 25 39 15 16 3 168 4.1
-ee-point goals: 7-22 (.318) TSP: .482
SCORING
1989-90, Alford had his second go-around with the
ivericks (he played his rookie year in Dallas, was cut nine
mes into his second year, and finished the 1988-89 season
th the Warriors, who did not resign him). But things
iven’t changed much, they really haven’t. He’s still a 2 in
l ’s body, still not big or strong enough to play shooting
lard or quick enough for the 1 spot. He was effectively the
avs’ twelfth man, the third point guard behind Derek
arper and Brad Davis, and played just 41 games and 302
inutes. His strength, of course, is his shot; if he has time,
’s automatic. But that’s the problem: He can’t create much
r himself and has nothing going to the hoop. The touch is
ndent from the line: .946 (35-37).
>
n a Dallas team that stresses defense, Alford is always
oing to come up short. Just doesn’t have the quickness to
;uard Is, or the size for 2s.
THE FLOOR GAME
Scoring: B
Shooting: B
Free Throw Shooting:
AAA
Ball Handling: B -
Passing: B
Defense: C
Intangibles: A
Overall: C
— Randy Allen -----
Height: 6-8
Weight: 220
College: Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
Drafted: Free Agent
Positions: Forward, Center
Final 1990 Team: Sacramento Kings
G Fg Fga Fg% Ft Fta Ft% Orb Rcb Ast Stl To Blk Pts Ppg
63 106 239 .444 23 43 .535 49 138 23 16 28 19 235 3.7
SCORING
Randy who? By way of introduction, Allen, who actually
started 6 games last year for the Kings at center (when Ralph
Sampson and Pervis Ellison went down with injuries), played
his college ball at Florida State (class of 1987, where he played
with Indiana’s George McCloud), sojourned to Belgium for a
year, then played briefly for the Kings at the end of the
1988-89 season after spending most ofthe year in the CBA (he
had been cut by the Kings in training camp). Last season, in
part because of the major strides he made in his offensive
game over the summer, particularly with hisjumper, he made
the team in training camp. The 6-8, 220-pound Allen, who is
really a power forward, can now hit from distance (20 feet) but
his major weakness is his inability to put the ball on the floor.
Not much on the offensive glass, either.
lford, as one observer put it, “ is not a legit point guard.”
Je handles well for a 2, but as a point, he has major trouble
jetting by anybody—“ they’re on him like glue,” said one
source.
INTANGIBLES
Tbugh, intelligent, big heart—all the right ingredients in
the wrong-size package.
The Kings were reasonably pleased with Allen’s D: He’s a
banger and doesn’t shy from anybody. Though he has good
strength and is a superb leaper, he had poor per-minute
numbers on the defensive glass.
THE FLOOR GAME
Besides the fact that he doesn’t dribble well, Allen is an ade
quate passer who knows his limitations. Runs the floor well.
IN SUM
“If he were only three inches taller, he’d be Randy Wittman
but tougher,” noted one observer. Unfortunately, his physi
cal limitations may preclude Alford from ever making a
dent. But with his outstanding attitude and deadly touch,
he’ll hang around a while. With the drafting of Phil Hen
derson, a guard, and the addition of Fat Lever, however,
Alford may have a tough time making the Mavericks.
INTANGIBLES
Allen has worked extraordinarily hard to improve his game,
and it shows. Terrific practice player, “a guy you’re happy to
have on your team,” noted one coach.
IN SUM
Looks like Allen has proven he belongs in the league,
5

though certainly not as a rotation player. He’s too small for
the 4, and doesn’t have enough 3 skills to merit major
minutes. But with his attitude and the marked improve
ment he’s made, it makes sense to keep him around.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: C -
Shooting: B -
Ball Handling: C
Passing: B
Defense: B
Defensive Rebounding: D
Shot Blocking: C -
Intangibles: A
Overall: C -
= Greg “Cadillac” Anderson —
Birthdate: June 22, 1964
Height: 6-10
Weight: 230
College: University of Houston, Houston, Tex.
Drafted: San Antonio on first round, 1987 (23rd pick).
Positions: Forward, Center
Final 1990 Team: Milwaukee Bucks
G Fg Fga Fg% Ft Fta Ft% Orb Heb Ast St! To Blk Pts Ppg
60 219 432 .507 91 170 .535 112 373 24 32 80 54 529 8.8
SCORING
Anderson would like to put the 1989-90 season behind
him—and fast. Acquired, along with Alvin Robertson, in the
blockbuster trade that sent Terry Cummings to the Spurs in
May 1989, Cadillac, a 6-10 power forward/center missed all
of training camp and the first 15 games of the season
(arthroscopic surgery on his knee). Plagued by a series of
injuries, he managed only 28 starts in a total of 60 games
(21.6 mpg). Anderson, who has been known to forget a play
set or two, was the last player who could afford to miss camp
and had difficulty adjusting to the Bucks offensive and
defensive schemes. His offensive strengths are his running
ability—he’s a real thoroughbred—and his quick jump, mak
ing him an effective offensive rebounder and finisher (often
dunks). But he needs to refine his offense: to wit, under
stand what a good shot is and develop a shot down low that
is launched the same way each time. He’ll shoot the jump
hook or the turnaround, but there’s no consistency in the
execution. And how can you have a player on the floor at the
end of a game who shoots .535 from the line (.550 for his
career). Played well in the playoffs (.667 from the field).
It took a while before Anderson had a handle on the Bucks’
defensive schemes, and even then, you wouldn’t say he had
exactly mastered them. His major asset, defensively, is his
shot blocking ability and his work on the defensive glass
(above average for starting 4s). Early on, coming from the
Western Conference, he wasn’t accustomed to the more
physical Eastern style, but he got into the swing of things
by playoff time (recall it was “ Cadillac” who decked Michael
Jordan in a scary fall in Game 2).
THE FLOOR GAME
Assists? Not for me, Anderson might say. For every 18 field
goal attempts, he completed 1 assist. He wouldn’t have
averaged even 1 assist a game if he played the entire game.
Just not a good ball handler or passer.
INTANGIBLES
Great attitude, hard worker, but doesn’t have a good feel for
the game.
IN SUM
Anderson has qualities you can’t teach or coach—thejumping,
the running, the quickness. And when he was healthy last
season, he played well (averaging 12.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg in 28.7
mpg in one 18-gainc stretch). The thinking is that he could
develop in the Dennis Rodman mold: play defense, rebound,
run the court. But his mind, at the moment, is more focused on
offense and he needs to play more within himself.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: B
Shooting: C
Ball Handling: C
Passing: D
Defense: B
Defensive Rebounding: A
Shot Blocking: A
Intangibles: B
Overall: B
Nick Anderson
6

Height: 6-6
Weight: 215
College: University of Illinois, Cham paign, 111.
Drafted: Orlando on first round as an undergradu
ate, 1989 (11th pick).
Positions: Guard, Forward
Final 1990 Team: Orlando M agic
G Fg Fga Fg% Ft Fta F t* Orb Reb Ast Stl To Blk Pts Ppg
81 372 753 .494 186 264 .705 107 316 124 69 138 34 931 11.5
SCORING
an NBA player. Mature for his age, twenty-two. At times, he
was befuddled by the officiating, which isn’t unusual for a
rookie. “ Coachable,” said one coach. Received fifteen votes
for the All-Rookie team.
IN SUM
Orlando was reasonably pleased with Anderson’s progress.
Reminds many of a young Bernard King and has tremen
dous offensive potential, though his defense, while im
proved, has a ways to go. With the trading of Reggie Theus
to the Nets, Anderson will get major minutes as the Magic’s
starting 2.
On an Orlando team that scored a lot of points (110.9, sixth
in the league) and didn’t play much defense (119.8 points
allowed, worst in the NBA), Anderson was a natural fit. The
first-ever draft pick by the Magic (11th overall) showed some
real promise offensively, though, he has a lot of catching up
to do on defense. Listed at 6-6, no one seems to think
Anderson is more than 6-4, so the Illinois product (he came
out a year early) is being groomed as a 2, though he can
swing to the 3. More of a scorer than a shooter (11.5 points
a game, .494 from the field, and more than a point every two
minutes), Anderson’s strength is his explosiveness to the
basket. He’s quick, strong, and an excellentjumper—it’s one
or two dribbles and he stuffs it home. According to those in
the know, Anderson was Orlando’s best one-on-one player.
He also thrives in the post-up game (he played forward for
the Fighting Mini), and with his athleticism, the feeling is
that he could be a big-time offensive rebounder, though that
really wasn’t the case last season. His jumper? Not bad, but
by no means automatic; his growth will come in learning to
get the jumper off the dribble—his ball handling needs
work—and hitting the perimeter shot with consistency. Got
to the line a lot, per minute, but also needs to improve his
foul shooting (.705).
Early on, like many rookies, Anderson was completely lost
on the defensive end; it was a matter of learning to play it.
Typical story: great college player . . . protected in zones in
college . . . has to learn the rudiments of man-to-man de
fense. For instance, he would run into picks rather than go
around them. But he has good instincts, manifested in his
69 steals. He also has the capacity (though he was just
average in 1989-90) to be a fine defensive rebounder.
THE FLOOR GAME
Converting from the college 3, it’s no surprise that Ander
son needs to improve his ball handling. He’s not going to
‘herky-jerky’ lose you with his dribble, but handles it well
enough to get to the hole strong. A fair passer who was
turnover-prone.
INTANGIBLES
When he first arrived in Orlando, Anderson’s work ethic
wasn’t quite there, but he soon learned what it takes to be
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A
Shooting: B
Free Throw Shooting: C
Ball Handling: B -
Passing: B
Defense: B -
Intangibles: B
Overall: B
Richard Anderson
Birthdate: November 19, 1960
Height: 6-10
Weight: 240
College: University of California at Santa Barbara,
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Drafted: San Diego on second round, 1982 (32nd pick).
Positions: Center, Forward
Final 1990 Team: Charlotte Hornets
54 88 211 .417 18 23 .783 33 127 55 20 26 9 231 4.3
SCORING
The book on Richard Anderson, who was acquired from the
Blazers for Robert Reid in preseason (Reid was eventually
reacquired off the waiver wire), is that he’s a good shooter—
but the book’s a self-published one. In six seasons, he’s a
career .412 shooter, has never shot more than .426, and last
season weighed in with .417. OK, he’s a pretty good three-
point shooter (.370 in 1989-90, .348 in 1988-89, and .332
lifetime), but his lifetime true shooting percentage is only
.446. Part of the problem is shot, selection; Anderson doesn’t
always take the best shots. Buried by former Hornet coach
Dick Harter, Anderson found favor with Gene Littles, who
likes the fact that, as a center, he draws the opposition’s big
man away from the basket. Otherwise, he runs the floor
well, but is a poor offensive rebounder. He doesn’t put it on
the floor and rarely gets to the line (23 free throws in 604
minutes). His game is on the perimeter. Said one observer,
only half-jokingly: “He prefers the three-pointer to the
three-footer.”
----7

Anderson “can’t guard your sister,” noted one coach. He’s
lazy on defense, often not fighting through picks. He’s not
physical, doesn’t jump well, but through positioning has
managed some middle-of-the-pack numbers (per minute) on
the defensive boards.
Final 1990 Team : Philadelphia 76ers
78 379 841 .451 165 197 .838 81 295 143 72 78 13 926 11.9
SCORING
THE FLOOR GAME
A good passer who sees the court well, you don’t want
Anderson putting the ball on the floor.
INTANGIBLES
“A real pain in the____,” said one observer. After four NBA
stops Anderson hoped for major minutes in Charlotte. But
that wasn’t the case (11.2 mpg) and he was a most unhappy
fella (particularly when Harter was the coach). He’ll work
on his body and his conditioning but the feeling is he doesn’t
pay enough attention to his game.
IN SUM
A now certifiablejourneyman (five teams in six years), Ander
son can probably stop packing—at least for a year. Charlotte
isn’t exactly loaded with talented big men—and while Ander
son doesn’t fall into that category—he’s no worse than the
usual array of hopefuls (free agents and second-round picks
and the like) who might conceivably take his spot.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: C
Shooting: C +
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B +
Defense: C —
Intangibles: C
Overall: C
Will the real Ron Anderson please stand up? In his six-year
NBA career, Anderson has displayed three distinct person
alities. In his first four years (with Cleveland and then
Indiana), the 6-7 small forward was a modest contributor off
the bench who had never averaged more than 9.2 ppg or
21.7 mpg. But in October 1988, Anderson was dealt to the
76ers for Everette Stephens, a trade that turned out to be
the steal of the year: Anderson emerged as a premier sixth
man (garnering one vote for that award), averaged 16.2 ppg,
shot .491, logged a career-high 31.9 mpg, and sizzled with a
20.7 ppg performance in Philly’s playoff loss to the Knicks.
Stephens, on the other hand, barely played for the Pacers
and is no longer in the league. But last season, Anderson,
while still a key element of the 76ers’ rotation (26.8 mpg)—
along with Derek Smith, their major scoring punch off the
bench—was inconsistent, shooting only .451 (he started
slow, .423 after 31 games), averaging 11.9 ppg, and misfir
ing at a .433 clip throughout the playoffs. The problem is
that if Anderson is not shooting/scoring well, he doesn’t
have much else to offer. His decrease in production could be
explained in part by the fact that he was no longer a secret:
Opponents recognized that he’s primarily a jump shooter
who makes a living coming off screens. But if he can’t free
himself in that fashion, he’s not going to put the ball on the
floor much to the hoop or break you down with the dribble.
Range is 18 to 20 feet; Anderson is not a three-point shooter
(3-21 in 1989-90). And he’s virtually nonexistent on the
offensive glass (81 in 2,089 minutes). Runs the floor well.
------ Ron Anderson
Birthdate: October 15, 1958
Height: 6-7
Weight: 215
College: Fresno State University, Fresno, Calif.
Drafted: Cleveland on second round, 1984 (27th pick).
Position: Forward
Anderson is a so-so defender. He’s not physical and, as is the
habit of scorers, doesn’t focus on it. But he understands
defense and knows how to get over screens and deny the ball
when he puts his mind to it. Below-average defensive
rebounder for his position.
THE FLOOR GAME
Anderson moves well without the ball and, as noted, runs
the floor well. But his handling skills could be improved as
he’s not a 3 who can readily create his own shot.
INTANGIBLES
Tireless, Anderson “may be in the best shape of anybody in
the league,” opined one admirer. Relishes coming off the
bench. Works on his game more than the average NBA player.
1- IN SUM
The 76ers, with a thin bench, dearly need (and missed)
Anderson’s abundant point production. If the real Anderson

is contestant No. 2 (the Anderson of 1988-89), they have a
quality sixth man. However contestant No. 3 (the Anderson
of 1989-90) can play in the NBA, but not as a key reserve on
a serious contender.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A
Shooting: B +
Ball Handling: B -
Passing: B
Defense: B -
Intangibles: A +
Overall: B +
Willie Anderson -
I
Height: 6-8
Weight: 178
College: University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
Drafted: San Antonio on first round, 1988 (10th pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: San Antonio Spurs
82 532 1082 .492 217 290 .748 115 372 364 111 198 58 1288 15.7
SCORING
In 1988-89, his rookie year, Anderson led the Spurs in
scoring (18.6 ppg), was their main go-to guy (he averaged
15.9 a game and had more than 300 shots for the year than
any teammate), an<J was runner-up for Rookie of the Year
honors. But in many ways it was not a successful season.
The Spurs were terrible (21-61, the franchise’s worst year),
and Anderson, who did not see eye-to-eye with coach Larry
Brown, was not a happy camper. Last season, both his
scoring average and shot attempts dipped (15.7 ppg and
13.2, respectively) and a guy named Robinson (David) and
another named Cummings (Tferry) were the focal points of
San Antonio’s offense (Robinson led the Spurs with 24.3 ppg,
and Cummings was a close second at 22.4 ppg). Anderson,
however, was comfortable in his reduced role—“ he’d rather
win and score less,” offered one media person—and indeed
the Spurs won, completing the best turnaround in NBA
history (from 21 wins to 56 wins) and taking the Midwest
Division title. Anderson, the Spurs starting 2, was an
integral part of that success. While quantitatively he may
not have been the go-to guy, the fact is, Anderson often took
over down the stretch and was a consistently clutch per
former. His strength is in the transition game. He is
dangerous, not to mention exciting, when he gets the ball on
the wing on the break and finishes with all manner of
dunks, spin shots, and scoops. In fact, with his wide assort
ment of shots and unusual angles, he brings to mind
another slim 6-8 Spur stalwart: George Gervin. Anderson
will surprise with an offensive rebound (1.4 a game)—he has
a great nose for the ball and jumps out of the gym. In the
half-court setting, he’s somewhat less effective, since he’s
not yet the steadiest of shooters. But he is much better than
he was in his rookie year—he’s worked extremely hard on
using the screen (a la Rolando Blackman) to get the 18-
footer. The Spurs feel he could extend his range beyond the
arc (7-26 for .269 in 1989-90). For a 2, doesn’t get to the line
much (3.5 times) and is an adequate foul shooter (.748 last
season, .775 in his rookie year).
Larry Brown preaches defense, but in his rookie season,
Anderson wasn’t listening. Part of the problem was that
playing the 3, he was overmatched physically. At the 2,
that’s slightly less of an issue, though Anderson is still not
a physical player, and it hurts him. But last season, he
showed more aggressiveness (particularly on the ball,
though he loses concentration off the ball) and, as one
source noted, “ went from being a below-average defender to
average—and is on the way to becoming pretty good.” Best
assets: His quickness and anticipation (1.4 steals a game in
1989-90). Rebounding dropped from 5.1 rpg in 1988-89 to
4.5, but that could be accounted for by his position switch.
THE FLOOR GAME
Anderson, who played 1 for two years at Georgia, is an
excellent ball handler. However, on the break, he doesn’t
want the ball in the middle—should he take it all the way?
Pull up? Dump it?—and makes the right decision only about
half the time. He much prefers the wings. Last season, he
cut down on his turnovers from 3.2 a game to 2.4.
INTANGIBLES
Anderson’s maturity level took a quantum leap last season.
The key difference, as one source put it, was that “ he was
willing to be coached.” He was more open to criticism and
paid more attention to “doing the boring day-to-day things
you have to do to become a great player.”
IN SUM
Though his stats were slightly down from his rookie cam
paign, in many areas—defense, jump shot, attitude—
Anderson showed marked improvement. As 2s go, he’s now
“ upper middle” but has the tools to move up a notch—
though on the presently constituted Spurs, he may never get
the shot opportunities to put up big numbers.
9

RICK’S RATINGS THE FLOOR GAME
Scoring: A
Shooting: B
Ball Handling: B -
Passing: B
Defense: B
Defensive Rebounding:
B +
Playmaking: B
Intangibles: B +
Overall: A
Michael Ansley
Birthdate: February 8, 1967
Height: 6-7
Weight: 225
College: University of Alabama,Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Drafted: Orlando on second round, 1989 (37th pick).
Position: Forward
Final 1990 Team: Orlando Magic
G Kg Fga Fg% Ft Fta Ft% Orb Reb Ast Stl To Blk Pts Ppg
72 231 465 .497 164 227 .722 187 362 40 24 50 17 626 8.7
SCORING
If you can do one thing very well—whether it’s shoot, block
shots, or play defense—your chances of sticking in the NBA
increase significantly, And Ansley, a second-round pick
(37th overall) from Alabama, upped his odds when he
demonstrated an awesome ability to rebound on the offen
sive board. Among players who logged more than 400
minutes, Ansley was the best, per minute, in the league. In
fact, projecting his totals on a 48-minute basis, he averaged
close to 2 more offensive rebounds a game than Charles
Barkley, who led the league in offensive rebounds per game
with 4.6. Injust 17 minutes per, Ansley corraled an astound
ing 2.6 a game. A hefty 6-7, 225, Ansley is relentless—“a
hustle player,” enthused one coach—who loves to mix it up
and has a nose for the ball. With his quick release around
the basket, he also displayed an uncanny ability to convert
those offensive caroms. But while he’s most comfortable
near the basket, Ansley also can hit thejumper from 18 feet,
though at this time he’s no more than a fair perimeter
shooter. He’ll .need to become more consistent out there,
since at his size, he’s mostly a 3, though he occasionally can
swing to the 4. Also showed some driving ability and he can
get to the line (in the top 10 percent in the league for free
throws per minute and .722 from the stripe).
A concern coming in was that Ansley, more of a power
forward/center in college, would have trouble guarding 3s.
The concern wasjustified. Ansley showed little awareness of
how to play D; switches and rotation were foreign concepts
and he had trouble sliding through picks. He’sjust too small
to match up with 4s with any consistency. His rebounding
prowess was not replicated on the defensive glass, where he
was nothing special.
Ansley makes things happen on the court, but unfortu
nately they aren’t always positive. He’ll force a shot, or run
over people, but he’s surprisingly not turnover-prone. He
runs pretty well and handles it OK.
INTANGIBLES
A scrapper, a blue-collar player, and a willing learner.
“ Coachable,” said one observer, though he had lapses in
terms of his work ethic.
IN SUM
Any time a second-round pick (a) makes your team and (b)
becomes a contributing member of your rotation, you have
to pat yourself on the back and say you drafted well. Ansley,
who received one vote for the All-Rookie team, can only get
better, though because of his ’tweener size and in-between
skills, he may never be a starter—even on an expansion
team.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A
Shooting: B -
Ball Handling: B -
Passing: B
Defense: C
Shot Blocking: D
Intangibles: B
Overall: C +
B.J. Armstrong
Birthdate: September 9, 1967
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
College: University of Iowa, Iowa City, la.
Drafted: Chicago on first round, 1989 (18th pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: Chicago Bulls
81 190 392 .485 69 78 .885 19 102 199 46 83 6 452 5.6
10

SCORING RICK’S RATINGS
With Michael Jordan moving back to the 2, the Bulls,
during the 1989 draft, were in the market for a point guard.
But one with a specific talent: the ability to bury the open
jumper when MJ is double-teamed. Armstrong, in their
estimation, was the most proficient shooter among points
available in the draft. A year later, it’s clear the Bulls were
on the mark. Armstrong, in a backup role (John Paxson was
the starter), proved that he is indeed a solid marksman,
shooting an impressive .485 from the field. Among rookie
guards—a class never known for field-goal accuracy—that
placed him third. He likes to penetrate to the baseline for
the 15-to-18-foot jumper and has the ability to create for
himself off the dribble. His range is the college three (about
20 feet and in, though his 3 of 6 from three-point country
may indicate he can go farther). He also showed some
ability to penetrate to the hoop—often employing a nice
hesitation move—and can finish the play. In concert with his
good shooting credentials, he shot .885 from the line.
Not bad, not good. Armstrong went through the standard
rookie adjustments. Early on, he had major problems in
weak side situations, frequently getting impaled on picks.
But he improved as the season went on. On the ball, he was
better—he moves his feet well—though he may lack a little
quickness to contain the go-go guys at his position. However,
he works hard and will get better. Below average on the
defensive glass.
THE FLOOR GAME
The consensus is that Armstrong is not a true 1—he has a
2’s mind-set—and his growth will come in learning what it
takes to be an NBA point guard: when to give it up
(particularly on the break), how to set up a team, etc.
However, in Chicago’s system, which relies more on ball and
player movement than on extensive sets, his deficiencies in
this area can be somewhat camouflaged. However, once he
does penetrate, he can deliver the ball on the move.
INTANGIBLES
Nothing but pluses here. Hard worker, “wonderful kid,”
smart player, picks up concepts readily. With Paxson play
ing well, the Bulls had the luxury of bringing Armstrong
along slowly, without the onus of producing in crucial
situations. Belying his baby face, he is tough enough.
IN SUM
Some feel that the Bulls are inherently limited with Paxson
as the starting 1 and Armstrong as his heir apparent. But
B.J., much more so than Paxson, can penetrate. With
continued improvement, it wouldn’t surprise us if Arm
strong emerged as the long-term answer to the Bull’s
long-time search for the right lead guard.
Scoring: B
Shooting: A
AAA
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B
Defense: B
Playmaking: B
Intangibles: A
Overall: B
John Bagley
Birthdate: April 23, 1960
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
Drafted: Cleveland on first round as an undergrad
uate, 1982 (12th pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: Boston Celtics
54 100 218 .459 29 39 .744 26 89 296 40 90 4 230 4.3
SCORING
Entering the 1989-90 season, Bagley, a 6-0 point guard, had
reason(s) to be excited. For one, he was no longer working in
New Jersey, where in 1988-89, he had experienced probably
the worst year of his eight-year career (due to injuries, an
uneasy relationship with the Nets coaching staff, and the
loss of his starting job to Lester Conner, not to mention the
Nets were 26-56). Also he was now employed by the Celtics,
who, with the return of Larry Bird, looked to be a serious
contender (the Celts acquired Bagley in October for two
second-round picks and cash); he would be playing in the
familiar Boston Garden (Boston College, Bagley’s alma
mater, played its home games on the parquet) and, with the
departure of Brian Shaw to Italy, he was penciled in as the
starting 1. With a new lease on his NBA life, Bagley started
with a bang: .549 after 11 games. But then, in a game
against the Pacers in late November, he went down with a
bang—separating his shoulder and missing the next 22
games. When he returned to action, he was only periodi
cally a starter and never regained his early season form,
shooting just .431 (.459 overall) if you exclude those first 11
games. In sum, noted one observer, “ He wasn’t a force.” His
points came on open jumpers when Boston’s big people
(Bird, Kevin Mcllale, Robert Parish) were double-teamed.
But he’s just not a consistent shooter, even under those
circumstances (note his .416, .439, .426, .423 in the four
previous years). He also penetrates to the hoop but he has
limited explosiveness and is not a good finisher. The trey is
not his shot (1-18 last season).
Small, not exceptionally quick, and a little overweight—
Bagley’s defensive resume is not impressive. He’ll go chest-
21

to-chest with his man but then get burned when the guy
pivots by him. Doesn’t take it away much for a 1 (40 steals
in 1,095 minutes) or offer much on the defensive glass.
THE FLOOR GAME
Tb thrive, Bagley needs a transition game. But Boston never
made a full-fledged commitment to run. And in half court,
he has difficulty because of lack of size (he can’t see over
people) and lack of speed (he can’t get by people). His
playmaking is best characterized a3 inconsistent, juxtapos
ing exciting passes (he loves the over-the-shoulder pass off
penetration) with egregious mistakes. His turnovers per
minute were above average for a starting or a backup 1.
INTANGIBLES
Listed at 192 pounds in the NBA Register, Bagley’s more
like 200. Whatever the weight, he carries too much of it
around. Also, was unhappy with his playing time.
IN SUM
Bagley was a temporary solution to the Celtics’ gaping hole
at the 1 created by Shaw’s defection. With Shaw back,
Bagley may be the backup or he might have to lug his
uninspiring act to another NBA locale. He has just enough
talent to earn a few more NBA paychecks.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: D Defense: C
Shooting: D Defensive Rebounding: D
Free Throw Shooting: C Playmaking: C
Ball Handling: C Intangibles: C
Passing: B Overall: C
— ■ — Thurl Bailey —
......... —
Height: 6-11
Weight: 222
College: North Carolina State University, Raleigh,
N.C.
Drafted: Utah on first round, 1983 (7th pick).
Position: Forward
Final 1990 Team: Utah Jazz
82 470 977 .481 222 285 .779 Π6 410 137 32 139 100 1162 14.2
SCORING
“ What’s gone wrong, Thurl Bailey?” was a refrain tossed
around quite a bit last season. One of the consummate sixth
men in the league, the 6-11 small forward was suffering
what was for him an off-year, particularly from the field. A
player widely known for his consistent outside shooting,
Bailey was mired in the 45-to-46 percent range through the
first 49 games, lie was averaging only 13.1 ppg compared to
19.5 in 1989-90. (It’s interesting to note the fine line
between good and so-so shooting. Bailey was a career .477
entering the season). Nobody could really explain it, though
some felt that he wasn’t on the floor as much with John
Stockton, and his minutes were down slightly. Tb shake him
out of his slump, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan hit upon an idea
that had backfired in the 1988-89 playoffs: start Bailey.
(Against the Warriors, Bailey had started two of the three
games and scored a total of nine points in those games as
the Jazz lost three straight.) Voila, the old Bailey
reappeared—for the most part. As a starter Bailey hit 51
percent of his shots and averaged 15.7 ppg, finishing at 14.2
ppg and .481. Back was that sweet 20-foot quasi-set shot.
Once again, he was hitting the turnaround to the baseline
from the left block and the running right-hand hook to the
middle with regularity. He’s also adept at running the
floor—a nice asset to have on a team that has John Stockton
handling the ball in the middle. But Bailey is not a player
who is going to beat you off the dribble. He continued his
fine work during the playoffs: 21 ppg and .489 from the field ,
against the Suns.
Bailey’s defensive deficiencies were exposed in 1989 during
that Warrior playoff series, when he had trouble with Chris
Mullin. At 6-11, he has trouble guarding 3s out on the floor,
and at a slender 222, he doesn’t match up well with physical
4s (though he did a good job on Tbm Chambers in the
1989-90 playoffs). An effective shot blocker (1.2 a game), but
just a fair defensive rebounder.
THE FLOOR GAME
As noted, Bailey runs the floor well, but his ball handling
and passing skills are no more than adequate.
INTANGIBLES
Bailey, who has won the Walter J. Kennedy Citizenship
award, is one of the NBA’s quality people. He’s one of the few
North Carolina State graduates who has escaped the stench
emanating from the Wolfpack program. His proficient play
off performance reflected a career pattern: Excepting the
Warriors series, he has increased his scoring average in the
playoffs in each year of his career.

IN SUM INTANGIBLES
After a so-so regular season, Bailey’s stock rose again after
his fine playoff effort against the Suns. As 3s go, Bailey is
pretty much par for the course: Can put points on the board
in large quantities but doesn’t offer much else.
Tends to moan and groan about minutes, when he should be
happy he’s even playing in the league.
IN SUM
RICK’S RATINGS
A bubble player—on the bubble that is. Bannister can bang
for a few minutes, but the Clippers have—or should have—a
vacancy sign at backup center.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A
Shooting: A
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B
Defense: B
Intangibles: AAA
Overall: A
Scoring: D
Shooting: D
Ball Handling: C
Passing: C
Defense: B +
Shot Blocking: D
Intangibles: B -
Overall: D
Ken Bannister -
Height: 6-9
Weight: 235
College: St. Augustine’s College, Raleigh, N.C.
Drafted: New York on seventh round, 1984 (156th
pick).
Position: Center
Final 1990 Team: Los Angeles Clippers
52 77 161 .478 52 110 .473 39 112 18 17 44 7 206 4.0
SCORING
Next category, please. Bannister, alias the Animal, is not in
the league by dint of his offensive skills. A 6-9 backup
center, Bannister “operates” from the low post where he
shoots a turnaround and a jump hook. But he is not what
you call smooth, and when he shoots, he seems more intent
on drawing fouls than making the shot. Indeed, per minute,
he goes to the line a lot (110 trips in 589 minutes), but
Bannister is a horrendous foul shooter, .473, which was
about equal to his field goal percentage (.478). And he
doesn’t give you much on the offensive glass, either.
Bannister’s value lies in his defensive play. He’s your
prototypical banger and does a decent job of denying the
block. But he’s undersized (6-9 is probably stretching it),
doesn’t block shots, and never gets a call. Belying his
Animal rep, his per-minute defensive-rebounding numbers
were terrible (third-to-worst among backup 5s), though he’ll
block his man off the board.
THE FLOOR GAME
Bannister is a nervous-time ball handler and he doesn’t
have a real good feel for the game.
Charles Barkley
Height: 6-4*4
Weight: 253
College: Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.
Drafted: Philadelphia on first round as an under
graduate, 1984 (5th pick).
Position: Forward
Final 1990 Team: Philadelphia 76ers
79 706 1177 .600 557 744 .749 361 909 307 148 243 50 1989 25.2
SCORING
Barkley, who talks a good game too, was speaking to
reporters at the 1990 All-Star game about one of his favorite
topics, a subject he typically addresses with uncommon
candor: himself. “There will never, ever, be another 6-4
player who plays inside like myself.” You’ll get no argu
ments from this quarter, Charles, though he’s more like
6-43
/4 (as opposed to his listed 6-6). But why quibble? The
fact is, in an age where the prototypical small forward is 6-7
or 6-8, Barkley is on the small side. But, oh, does he, as NBA
scouts say, play big. Barkley, of course, has compensating
13

assets: strength, breadth (these days he weighs in at 253;
he’s no longer the round mound of yesteryear), particularly
on the backside, a great pair of hands, jumping ability (both
high and often; he’s a relentless leaper), a nose for the ball,
and surprising quickness. Translated: He’s an nonpareil
offensive rebounder (his 4.6 a game led the league). With
that big butt and awesome strength, he gets good position—
and pray tell, who is going to move him? The best part is
that he converts those caroms to points: either baskets, free
throws, or both. Note he went to the line 9.4 times a game
(third in the league) and led the league in field goal
percentage at .600. A little arithmetic reveals that if Bark
ley didn’t indulge his taste for threes, which everyone except
Charles thinks would be a sound idea (he was 20-92, a
paltry .217 from behind the arc), he would have shot a
stratospheric .632. But Barkley has trouble resisting the
bomb, just as he has difficulty grabbing a defensive rebound
and simply handing it to a guard. No, he’d prefer to rumble
upcourt (he’s an excellent dribbler with either hand), and,
with the crowd going nuts, try to break those collapsible
rims with a slam. Strategically speaking, the 76ers can
more readily live with that play, since it can have a
demoralizing impact on the opposition. Equally distressing
to opponents is the fact that Barkley presents hard to
resolve matchup problems. With Rick Mahorn on board, Sir
Charles was typically up against 3s, whom he simply
overpowers; put a 4 on him, he’s too quick. Solution:
double-team him, which opponents do ad nauseam, and
force him to give up the ball (though he managed to score
25.2 a game, sixth in the league, on just 14.9 shots a game).
Otherwise, Barkley is impossible to stop one-on-one. In half
court, he can, with all manner of spin moves (or just plain
power), take you off the dribble, going baseline or into the
lane. Deny the drive, he’ll step out for the 15-footer (no
farther, Charles), which isn’t a bad shot for him. But he’s
that rare player who will forego the open shot, preferring
instead to put it on the floor and create some contact.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t do a very good job of making all
those free throws (.749, including nine misses in the fourth
game against Chicago in the playoffs, which the ever-candid
Barkley admitted cost them the game).
Barkley can pretty much do what he wants on a basketball
court—and that includes playing defense. He has the
quicks, the strength, the anticipation (1.9 steals a game,
fifteenth in the league). But his defensive effort fluctuates,
varying with (a) who the opponent is, and (b) the game
situation. If Larry Bird lines up against Barkley, he’ll get in
his face. But lesser talents don’t get the same attention. But
come the fourth quarter, Barkley generally picks up his
defensive intensity. As for the defensive boards, all of the
above mentioned reasons help explain why he was the
second-best (to Bird) defensive rebounder among 3s in the
league (his 11.5 total rebounds was third in the NBA).
him. But Barkley has become an excellent reader of, and
passer out of, the double-team. While he averaged a solid
3.9 assists a game, Philly coach Jimmy Lynam has noted
that Barkley accumulates a lot of “ hockey assists”—he
makes the first of two passes leading to the hoop (typically,
Johnny Dawkins, llersey Hawkins, or Mike Gminski will
receive the second pass on the ball rotation for the shot).
Occasionally, Barkley holds it too long (looking to draw an
illegal defense call). Is slightly turnover-prone.
INTANGIBLES
Even the cursory fan knows that Barkley’s game thrives on
emotion. Last season, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer:
“ .. . I play with emotion. . . . I wouldn’t be the player I am if
I wasn’t like that.” Granted. But what worries some critics
is how Charles chooses to express all those pent up feelings,
which all boil down to one basic drive: He wants to win
badly. No one doubts his competitiveness, his unselfishness,
his Warrior-like qualities. But Barkley gets thrown out of
games, accumulates technicals (he paid a whopping $35,000
in fines last year), and if things aren’t going his or the 76ers’
way, has been known to get on his teammates (case in point
was Game 1 of the Chicago playoff series, in which he made
it painfully obvious that he wanted Mike Gminski out of the
game), rather than providing encouragement. “ He’s still not
the captain I want to follow,” noted one observer, and
certainly Barkley has a ways to go before his leadership
catches up with the rest of his game.
IN SUM
Those reservations about Barkley’s attitude and on-court
behavior may also help explain why he wasn’t named the
league’s MVP, finishing a close second (though he had more
first-place votes) to Magic Johnson. He’ll just have to, as is
the lot of second-place finishers, try harder: Eliminate the
three, focus more on D, improve his foul shooting, maintain
his poise. For Barkley, though, the real prize is the ring, an
NBA championship. “ If I don’t score another point the rest
of the season and we win the championship,” he told the
Washington Post, “ I’ll be the happiest person on earth.” He
might not be happy yet (the 76ers lost to the Bulls in the
second round), but he’s damn good, one of the five best
basketball players—he was All-NBA first team for the
second year in a row—on the planet.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: AAA
Shooting: B
Ball Handling: A
Passing: A +
Defense: B +
AAA
Intangibles: A
Overall: AAA
THE FLOOR GAME
Philly’s offense, more often than not, is initiated by throw
ing the ball to Barkley. The defense, invariably, two-teams
14

THE FLOOR GAME
Dana Barros
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Drafted: Seattle on first round, 1989 (16th pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: Seattle Supersonics
81 299 738 .405 89 110 .809 35 132 205 53 123 1 782 9.7
SCORING
Entering the NBA, Barros, a first-round pick in 1989 (16th
overall) out of Boston College, had a reputation as a long-
range threat, a player who could spread defenses with his
three-point bombs (.429 from beyond the college trifecta line
in his senior year). A year later, his rep remains intact. The
5-11 Barros, who played both the 1 and 2 for the Sonics,
drained an outstanding .399 of his threes (twelfth in the
league) and almost a third of his shots were from three-point
country. (He only shot .405 overall, but his true shooting
percentage was a respectable .470). “ He’s not just a good
shooter,” said one coach, “ he’s a pure shooter.” What’s
amazing about Barros is that he’s a three-point jump
shooter—none of this Michael Adams push-shot stuff; Barros
actually takes a jump shot from out there. Early on, he was
thinking too much: Should I shoot, should I pass. But his
decisiveness improved as the season wore on. But Barros
can mix it up, and with excellent speed and quickness, can
get to the hole and finish the play. Per minute, he was fourth
among all backup Is in scoring and in a stretch where he
started 25 games, he averaged an impressive 16.3 ppg.
On D Barros gives the Sonics a competitive matchup in a
Western Conference populated by darts such as Kevin
Johnson and John Stockton, not to mention Michael Adams,
Rod Strickland, and Gary Grant (Nate McMillian, the
Sonics starting 1, is a stellar defender but has trouble
against these speed demons). But he needs to improve his
defensive consistency—he showed a tendency to let up on his
pressure—and needs to get tougher in post-up situations.
Not much on the defensive glass.
The Sonics drafted Barros with the idea that he might be the
scoring point they lacked. But he hadn’t played much 1 at BC,
and his major growth as an NBA player will come in improv
ing his playmaking skills. Right now, he’s more of a 2 in a l ’s
body. He has no trouble cracking the seams of the defense,
but he’s not particularly clever at this stage in dishing off,
nor does he have a good feel for when to go all the way or
give it up (way below average in assists for backup Is). But
the handling, speed, and quickness are there.
INTANGIBLES
Barros is intelligent and has an “ inner toughness.” After
playing a starting role, he soon found himself back on the
bench (when Dale Ellis returned to the lineup after missing
27 games). But he handled the situation professionally.
IN SUM
With first-round pick Gary Payton slated to be the starting
1, look for Barros to come off the bench again. But he’ll be
a key rotation player with his downtown bombs and ability
to play both guard positions.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A
Shooting: A
Ball Handling: B
Passing: C
Defense: B
Playmaking: C
Intangibles: A
Overall: B
John Battle
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
College: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.
Drafted: Atlanta on fourth round, 1985 (84th pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: Atlanta Hawks
60 275 544 .506 102 135 .756 27 99 154 28 89 3 654 10.9
15

You have to feel for Battle. With the short-lived Reggie
Theus experiment a failure (unceremoniously exposed in
the 1989 expansion draft; Theus wound up with Orlando and
was subsequently traded to New Jersey), Battle, who has
established himself as an effective off-the-bench scorer, was
penciled in as the Hawks starting 2. But twelve days before
the season, he had his right knee ’scoped. Fortunately, he
recovered quickly and was in the starting lineup on opening
night. He also got off to a good start (.500 and 13.5 ppg after
17 games), but after missing 6 games in December and v
early January, Battle again underwent arthroscopic sur
gery (this time on the other knee) and didn’t return to the
lineup until February (missing 16 games). When he came
back, he was only used intermittently as a starter. With
Battle in the starting lineup, the Hawks went 29-19;
without him, they were 12-22. As a sixth-man type for most
of his career, Battle has the gunslinger’s makeup: he’s a
scorer. While small for a 2 (6-2), he has excellent elevation
and loves to get into the paint and shoot the short-range
jumper over the big guys. He’s also effective on the pick-
and-roll, using the screen for the jump shot or turning the
corner and taking it all the way. His best trait may be his
ability to get his own shot·: You can go to him and he’ll
create a scoring opportunity. He doesn’t have much range
(.154 from three last year, and .276 for his career), but last
season, at least, he seemed to have overcome a weakness in
his game: inconsistency. In his first four years, he was (as we
said in last year’s edition), “consistently inconsistent” (.455,
.457, .454, .457). In 1989-90, he finished at .506, and he
hovered around that mark for most of the year.
With his shaky knees last season, Battle had trouble
getting after people on D. When healthy, he’s a hold-
your-own type of defender: He works hard, doesn’t let people
blow by him, but he doesn’t create turnovers (28 steals in
1,477 minutes) and he’s invisible on the defensive glass. He
has, however, done a good job in the Hawks’ team defense.
Scoring: B +
Shooting: B +
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B
Defense: B
Playmaking: B
Intangibles: B +
Overall: B
— Kenny Battle
Birthdate: October 10, 1964
Height: 6-6
Weight: 210
College: University of Illinois, Champaign, IL.
Drafted: Detroit on first round, 1989 (27th pick).
Positions: Forward, Guard
Final 1990 Team : Phoenix Suns
59 93 170 .547 55 82 .671 44 124 38 35 32 11 242 4.1
SCORING
Battle, who in 1989 was drafted by Detroit (first round, 27th
overall) but acquired by the Suns in a trade along with
Michael Williams for Anthony Cook, has always shot for the
good percentage (.565 in his college career and .547 last
season), which is not to say he’s a good shooter. He’s not.
Rather, he’s a 6-6 small forward (some think he’s actually a
“small” 6-5) who is an opportunistic scorer, getting points
on the break, on his own missed shots (he’s a superb leaper),
and on garbage. But for Battle to earn more minutes (he
played 59 games and averaged 12.4 mpg), he’ll have to
improve his ability to get to the basket and make opponents
guard him on the perimeter—i.e., develop an NBA-level
jump shot.
THE FLOOR GAME
In years past, Battle has played some 1, but he didn’t appear
in that capacity last season. But that he would play the
position at all reflects his handling as a 2: he’s fairly
effective.
INTANGIBLES
Battle has always “ battled” with his own confidence level.
He’s sensitive and some feel he unfairly bore the brunt of
ex-Hawks coach Mike Fratello’s anger and he suffered
accordingly. “As fine a person as you’ll find in the NBA,”
gushed one media person.
IN SUM
While he is a good scorer, Battle doesn’t quite have the
potency you need as a starting 2; an ideal third guard, then.
Aggressive, active, with quick hands, Battle gets his hands
on balls and stole it 35 times in 729 minutes, but as rookies
will, he committed silly fouls. Undersized for a 3, he even
played some 4, but may end up at the 2. Despite the springs,
nothing special on the defensive glass.
THE FLOOR GAME
Excellent runner of the floor but needs to improve his ball
handling—in particular, develop his right (off) hand.
INTANGIBLES
Loves to play, hustles, always enthusiastic.
,, IN SUM
A complementary player who gets by on his scrappiness but
needs to widen his repertoire and improve his rebounding to
carve a niche for himself in the NBA—and with the Suns.
16

RICK’S RATINGS IN SUM
Scoring: C -
Shooting: D
Ball Handling: C
Passing: B
Defense: A —
Intangibles: B +
Overall: C
William Bedford
Height: 7-1
Weight: 235
College: Memphis State University, Memphis, Tenn.
Drafted: Phoenix on first round as an undergradu
ate, 1986 (6th pick).
Position: Center
Final 1990 Team: Detroit Pistons
G Fg Fga Fg% Ft Fta Ft% Orb Rcb Ast Stl To Blk Pts Ppg
42 54 125 .432 9 22 .409 15 58 4 3 21 17 118 2.8
SCORING
When you look at the big picture, Bedford accomplished a
great deal last year. As the season opened, he had two
strikes against him under the league’s drug policy: One
more and he will be automatically banned from the league
for at least two years. But he made it through the season,
the first time he’s played a full NBA campaign since his
rookie season with the Suns back in 1986-87. Basketball-
wise, however, he didn’t get much done, spending most of his
time on the bench (246 minutes in 42 games). With James
Edwards and Bill Laimbeer ahead of him on the depth
chart, there were precious few minutes to go around at the
center slot. But the Pistons feel he “has all the ability you
want in an NBA player.” Offensively, he’s a decent post-up
player, has surprising range (up to 20 feet) on his jumper,
and runs the court well.
Bedford’s defense is nowhere near as advanced as his
offense. He doesn’t move his feet well, and he needs to be
more physical in the post. Should be able to rebound on the
defensive glass, but who knows?
THE FLOOR GAME
Decent enough ball handler and passer for his position.
INTANGIBLES
Addiction aside, Bedford has other problems: He lacks
maturity, doesn’t work hard enough in practice, and lacks
toughness.
Edwards and Laimbeer aren’t going to be around forever. So
Bedford is possibly the 5 man in the Pistons’ future. The
talent level ie there; but there’s a heck of a lot more to being
a professional basketball player. Bedford’s questionable past
isn’t much of a foundation on which to rest one’s hopes.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: B
Shooting: B
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B
Defense: C
Shot Blocking: B
Intangibles: D
Overall: C -
Benoit Benjamin
Height: 7-0
Weight: 250
College: Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.
Drafted: Los Angeles Clippers on first round as an
undergraduate, 1985 (3rd pick).
Position: Center
Final 1990 Team: Los Angeles Clippers
G Fg Fga Fg% Ft Fta Ft* Orb Reb Ast Stl To Blk Pts Ppg
71 362 688 .526 235 321 .732 156 657 159 59 187 187 959 13.5
SCORING
Discussions about Benjamin invariably begin with com
ments about his big-league talent and minor-league work
ethic, the fact that he has the potential to be one of the best
centers in the game but has never put his nose to the
grindstone long enough to make that notion a reality. But
this book on big Ben needs some refining and updating. In
his first three-and-a-half years in the league, it was indeed
true that Benjamin was fretting away his considerable
talent. He’d take bad shots, he displayed a remarkable
nonchalance on the court, he rarely was in shape. In a
phrase, he dogged it. But when Don Casey became head
coach in January 1989 (Casey was fired after the 1989-90
season), Benjamin started to emerge as the player the
Clippers hoped he would become when he was drafted as the
17-------

third player overall in the 1985 draft. His weight went
down, his intensity level went up, and he finished the
1988-89 season with a bang (21 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.7 blocks in
the last 21 games). But the Clippers and Benjamin got
ensnarled in a contract hassle prior to last season, and
Benjamin signed to play in Italy in October. Evidently, he
didn’t like the pasta and returned—out of shape and over
weight, per his pattern. Before long, however, with an
improved Clipper team—Benjamin has always said he
would thrive in a situation surrounded by good players—he
was in fine form, hitting his shots, dominating the defensive
backboards, blocking shots, and, most significantly, playing
hard every night. But when teammates Ron Harper and
Gary Grant went down with injuries in January and Feb
ruary, Benjamin began to periodically lose interest. His
major problem continues to be inconsistency. While the play
of the “good Ben,” now outnumbers the “ bad Ben,” you can’t
count on him to play a solid all-around game on a regular
basis—which is, of course, what the top centers in the league
do. His offense stands fairly close to his offense of a year ago.
On the left block, Benjamin will shoot the turnaround to the
baseline or turn to the middle for the straightaway 8-
to-10-footer. On the right side, he’ll shoot the turnaround
moving to the paint. He’s eliminated, to a large extent,
many of his bad shots of prior years and hit .526 last season,
while averaging 13.5 points a game. But if his jumper is not
falling, he doesn’t give you much offensively since he’s a
poor offensive rebounder (2.2 a game, in the bottom third
among starting 5s). And a key point—he almost never gets
the opposing center in foul trouble because he’s falling away
from the basket. He needs a drop step to get him to the
basket and to the line. Foul shooting continues on a steady,
slightly-below-the-league-average course (.732 last season;
.731 career).
INTANGIBLES
Benjamin, as one astute scout described him, “is not going
to be the first one over the hill for you.” He’s a follower.
Thus, when the team was going well, he got caught up in
the flow and played to his peak. When the injuries hit, his
effort diminished. It would be nice if once, just once, Ben
could be in shape on opening day, rather than having to play
himself into condition. And while he’s working harder on
the court, the feeling is that he still doesn’t work on his
game. “ He’s content where he is,” noted one coach. Best
evidence: His offensive rebounding, foul shooting, and rep
ertoire of moves are basically unchanged since he came into
the league.
IN SUM
The bottom line is that the Clippers are 112-239 (.319) with
Benjamin as their starting center. True, he’s not the som
nambulistic joke he once was, but we question whether the
Clippers can ever win consistently and make much headway
in the playoffs with Benjamin at the 5 spot. However, the
potential is there—which makes his inconsistency all the
more frustrating.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: B
Shooting: B
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B +
Defense: A -
AAA
Shot Blocking: AAA
Intangibles: B -
Overall: A -
Winston Bennett
Since Benjamin frequently has been the object of ridicule
and scorn, often overlooked is the fact that he’s one of the
best shot blockers in the league. Last season, he finished
fifth in the NBA (2.6 a game) and he’s never been lower than
sixth in his five-year career. But those numbers ought to be
accompanied by a big asterisk: because, otherwise, Ben
jamin is not a very good defender. In the process of playing
his man for the block, Benjamin gives up good post position.
And while he’ll sneak around the post to steal the ball (59
steals), his gambles often fail and the result is a dunk by his
man. Then, too, he does a poor job of defending the pick-
and-roll. But we can say unreservedly that Benjamin is an
excellent defensive rebounder (sixth, per minute, among
starting centers and his 9.3 total rebounds tied him for
fourteenth in the league).
THE FLOOR GAME
The good news: Benjamin is a skilled and willing passer
who can read the double-team and will hit cutters. And he’s
an effective outlet passer (2.2 assists a game). The bad news:
His judgment is often questionable and he turns it over a lot
(2.6 miscues per game). Rare is the sight of Benjamin
running the floor.
Height: 6-7
Weight: 210
College: University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky.
Drafted: Cleveland on third round, 1987 (64th pick).
Position: Forward
Final 1990 Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
55 137 286 .479 64 96 .667 84 188 54 23 62 10 338 6.1
18

SCORING
Phrases such as “ hard worker,” “ hustle player,” and “tough
kid” invariably pop up when you talk about Bennett. But
there’s another commonly expressed opinion: Bennett has
yet to demonstrate an NBA-level outside shot. After a year
of seasoning in the CBA (he was the Cavs third-round pick
out of Kentucky in 1987), Bennett made it to the big show
last year and played primarily the 3 (he can double at the 4,
but he’s too small—6-7—to make a living there) in both
reserve and starting capacities (he started 34 games). Right
now, his major offensive contributions are on the offensive
glass (1.5 a game)—he’s strong and a quick jumper—and in
post-up situations. But opposition teams soon got wind of
the fact that Bennett just couldn’t make a jump shot—even
from limited range—and played off him. Thus, while he can
drive to the hoop, that avenue was frequently cut off by
sagging defenses. But Bennett is well aware of the gaps in
his game. In fact, he devoted a goodly portion of the summer
of 1990 on becoming a consistent shooter. Undoubtedly also
paid attention to his foul shooting (.667).
One reason Bennett became a starter in March (over
Chucky Brown, who had started for about the previous two
months) was his work on D, particularly in team defensive
situations. He’s a won’t-back-down, lay-his-body-on-you type
of defender, though his defensive rebounding numbers were
subpar whether you call him a 3 or a 4.
THE FLOOR GAME
Bennett’s ball handling and passing are adequate. Will dive
after loose balls, and go after every rebound.
INTANGIBLES
You can’t find a better attitude in the league than Ben
nett’s. Tireless worker, blue-collar player, accepts his role,
hard-nosed—got the picture?
IN SUM
Could stick around just on the basis of his intangibles. But
he showed last season that he can make a dent as a hustler/
defender off the bench. Now, if only that jump shot would
come around, it would be like finding a gold mine in the
third round.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: C
Shooting: D
Ball Handling: B
Passing: B
Defense: B +
Shot Blocking: D
Intangibles: A +
Overall: C +
Larry Bird
Height: 6-9
Weight: 220
College: Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind.
Drafted: Boston on first round as junior eligible,
1978 (6th pick).
Position: Forward
Final 1990 Team : Boston Celtics
75 718 1517 .473 319 343 .930 90 712 562 106 243 61 1820 24.3
SCORING
The headlines reveal the early 1989-90 themes. October:
“Is Bird Ready?: He’ll See” (Boston Globe). November: “ Bird
Is Back, But Not All the Way” (Philadelphia Inquirer). More
November: “ Larry Points Forward: Offense Ruffles Bird’s
Feathers” (Boston Herald). December: “ Celts Must Face
Facts About Bird” (Boston Herald). More December:
“ Problem Child: Bird’s the Root of Evil on Celtics” (Boston
Herald). January: “ Bird Must be Bird: Celtics Need Vintage
Larry to Win Championship” (Boston Herald). Ah, vintage
Larry. Where, Celtics fans and NBA aficionados wanted to
know, was vintage Larry during the first half of the
1989-90 season? Where, indeed, was that fine wine who had
been named to the All-NBA first team for nine consecutive
seasons (1980-1988), who was selected as league MVP three
times, and who regularly dominated NBA games? That
delectable brand who was one of the league’s best shooters
and preeminent superstars? Well Larry, vintage or other
wise, had been off the market for most of the previous
season, having undergone surgery in November 1988 to
remove bone spurs on both heels (he played in just 6 games
in 1988-89). Despite rigorous workouts during the summer
of 1989 (he also broke a bone in his back in July but
recovered quickly), when he reentered the fray, he was
missing two essential ingredients: his timing and his legs.
Never blessed with much speed, he also had lost a step he
couldn’t afford to lose. These factors conspired to take their
toll on his shooting: Through 46 games, he was shooting a
mere .457, while averaging 22.4 points a game. Those are
numbers most players would love, but not vintage Larry
(.500 and 24.9 ppg for his career). Then there were the other
complications that the headlines alluded to. Former Celtics
19

coach Jimmy Rodgers (fired in May 1990) wanted to (a)
spread the offense around, (b) run, (c) reduce the minutes of
his starters. Under this scheme, Bird would become more of
a point forward and play 30 to 35 minutes. But Bird
evidently resisted the reduced role, never took to the tran
sition game, and balked at the idea that he shouldn’t
consistently be The Man, which rubbed some teammates
the wrong way, who felt that he just couldn’t get it done on
a consistent basis anymore. Be that as it may, after the
All-Star break, vintage Larry returned (March headline:
“The Master Regains His Tbuch” ), and the Celtics made a
run for the Atlantic Division Championship. Entering the
playoffs, Boston was hot (they had won 16 of their final 20)
and some prognosticators even had them advancing to the
NBA finals. First round, Boston Garden, fifth and deciding
game, less than five minutes to go. Bird drives baseline and
misses a dunk—and the Celtics are effectively dead. Even
vintage Larry wouldn’t have tried that, but it was somehow
a fitting ending to Bird’s frustrating season. Now, the
slightly staler newer model Bird relies first and foremost on
the perimeter shot. In particular, the trey. Entering last
season, he was a .377 three-point shooter, by far the best
three-point shooter for his size, and had rung up .414, .400,
.423, and .427 in the previous four years. But in 1989-90, he
shot a modest .333, just .002 over the league average. That
helped account for his so-so .473 overall, as did his transfor
mation into more of a perimeter than a post-up player.
Closer in, Bird could write a book on how to curl off the pick
(more often than not, going to his left), which translates to
a jumper off the dribble, a left-handed drive, or an assist to
a rolling Parish or McHale. Another book might contain
Bird’s thoughts on moving without the ball. If his defender
turns his head, Bird is gone, back door, for the layup. In the
blocks, often with a height advantage, he’ll simply fade
away for the jumper. In that fifth game against the Knicks,
we also saw Bird, often after a ball fake on the jumper, put
it on the floor and go to the hole. He should do more of that,
since he got to the line only 4.6 times a game, his lowest
total in ten years. Of course, the more time he spends at the
line, the better: He led the league in free throw shooting
(.930), including a string of 71 makes, 7 short of Calvin
Murphy’s record of 78.
Opposition 3s positively salivate at the prospect of having
Bird cover them. “That would be my wildest dream, for him
[Bird] to guard me,” Charles Barkley told the Boston Globe
last year. He’s never been an effective one-on-one defender,
but at thirty-three and coming off heel surgery, the problem
has been aggravated. So Bird often is assigned the less
offensively gifted 4s (leaving Kevin McHale on the 3s),
which allows him to roam around, always his strength
defensively (106 steals, top on the C’s). Besides his foul
shooting, there’s another aspect of Bird’s game that showed
no signs of decline: defensive rebounding. His prowess
makes the case that defensive ’bounding is not a function of
jumping ability or even size, but more of smarts, boxing out,
and desire. He’s an unathletic 6-9 but was, per minute, the
best defensive rebounder among small forwards last season
and averaged 9.5 total rebounds, thirteenth in the league.
THE FLOOR GAME
Bird is the best passing forward ever. No ifs, ands, or buts.
(Co-author Barry is a close second but only once did he
generate more than 500 assists in a year, while Bird’s done
it five times). Indeed, last season, at least statistically
speaking, Bird approached his best year as a feedman.
There’s very little Bird doesn’t see on a basketball court,
and what he does see appears to be perceived moments
ahead of the action. “ lie sees the future,” said one admirer.
As noted, he runs the curl to perfection, though curiously,
there were some chinks in his armor as a passer last year.
On the pick-and-roll, for example, which he used to execute
flawlessly, opponents trapped him and he often had diffi
culty making the play. Result: His turnovers were above the
norm for starting 3s.
INTANGIBLES
Recall 1988-89, when a Bird-less Boston team went 42-40
and didn’t win on the road against a .500-plus team. The
1989-90 Celtics had two major personnel changes. Brian
Shaw was gone (to Italy) and Bird was back. The team won
ten more games and the season wasn’t two days old, when
the Celts won on the road against a .500 club, the Bulls,
with Bird hit the winning shot at the buzzer (they finished
at 10-17 against .500 and above teams). As Bird told the
Boston Globe: “ Would you rather lose Larry Bird or Brian
Shaw?” No, Bird has never lacked for confidence, but last
season, according to some critics, he had finally crossed that
fine line between confidence and hubris. In other words, he
thought he was better than he actually played, that he still
could take games over at will down the stretch. Reality was
that his supply of miracles was limited.
IN SUM
The stats: 24.3 ppg. 9.5 rpg. 7.5 apg., .930 from the line. A
second team, All-NBA selection. Let’s not lose perspective
here. Bird may have lost something, but he’s still better
than 95 percent of the players in the league. But with his
changing stature, he must adapt to a changing role, a role
in which he plays fewer minutes (his 39.1 a game was second
in the league), shares the crunch-time duties, and commits
to a running game. We reckon that Bird, stubborn but also
flexible enough to alter his game in the interest of winning,
will adapt, and that a new vintage Larry will evolve—a
reasonable facsimile of the older brand and still one of the
most dangerous players in the league. But not a player who,
by himself, can carry the Celtics back to the Eastern
Conference finals.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: AAA
Shooting: A AA >'
AAA
Ball Handling: A
Passing: AAA
Defense: B -
AAA
Shot Blocking: B
Intangibles: AAA
Overall: AAA
20

— Uwe Blab -----
Height: 7-1
Weight: 255
College: Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
Drafted: Dallas on first round, 1985 (17th pick).
Position: Center
Final 1990 Team: San Antonio Spurs
47 39 98 .398 20 37 .541 29 108 25 l 35 22 98 2.1
SCORING
At Golden State, where he started the season (in the most
meaningless exchange of the year, he was traded to the
Spurs for Christian Welp in February), what cynics called
the “Blab Era” was a short-lived 18-game experiment in
which the five-year pro, a career third-string center, ended
up as the starting 5 for the Warriors. With Jim Petersen and
Alton Lister down with injuries, somebody had to start, and
Blab, who stands 7-1, was called on. Poor guy. One reason he
sat for four years in Dallas (the Warriors acquired him in
September 1989) is that he is a negligible offensive threat.
He possesses an adequate right-hand hook, an OK touch
from 15 feet, and is an adequate runner of the floor. But he’s
mechanical, slow, and has trouble catching the ball. Zilch
on the offensive glass.
IfBlab is to carve a niche for himself in the league, it will have
to be on the defensive end: He does take up space. But he’s not
quick, so he doesn’t block shots; and he’s not strong, so he can’t
move postmen out of the blocks. He tends to be passive, rather
than consistently physical. And his timing is lousy; no sur
prise, his defensive rebounding is below average.
THE FLOOR GAME
Blab takes good care of the ball and is a reliable passer.
, INTANGIBLES
Players with Blab’s modest talents usually have an abun
dance of nonphysical pluses. On and off the court, he’s
smart, and his teammates and coaches like him.
IN SUM
A prototypical third-string center—about par for that role.
Doesn’t make waves, doesn’t hurt you much when he’s on
the floor—but doesn’t help you much, either.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: D Free Throw Shooting: D
Shooting: C Ball Handling: B
Passing: B Shot Blocking: B
Defense: C - Intangibles: A
Defensive Rebounding: D Overall: C —
Rolando Blackman ■
■
Height: 6-6
Weight: 194
College: Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan.
Drafted: Dallas on first round, 1981 (9th pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: Dallas Mavericks
80 626 1256 .498 287 340 .844 88 280 289 77 174 21 1552 19 4
SCORING
After an off-year in 1988-89, “ Ro” was back being Ro again
last season: the usual 19 to 20 a game (19.4), 50 percent
from the field (.498), plus-80 percent from the line (.844),
All-Star appearance (his fourth, even though his selection
was as a replacement for Karl Malone, who was injured),
and a bevy of clutch performances. Two years ago, when the
Mavs offensive continuity had been interrupted by midsea
son personnel moves (the departure of Mark Aguirre, the
injury to James Donaldson, and the arrival via trade of
Adrian Dantley and Herb Williams), Blackman shot only
.477 (he’s a career .502 shooter) and was moderately incon
sistent. But last season, more comfortable under the regime
of Richie Adubato (who took over for John MacLeod 11
games into the season), Blackman was drilling that familiar
18-footer off the double screen, night in, night out. He
doesn’t always need a pick, though. With the head fake and
stutter step, he can get in the lane and shoot the jumper off
the dribble. But Blackman is not strictly a jump shooter. He
can take it to the basket and finish with either hand (he’s
right-handed, but he may be even better with his left),
though he’s not getting to the line like he used to (his 340
free throw attempts were his lowest total since his rookie
year). Blackman has gradually expanded his range (.302
from beyond the arc, which followed .353 in 1988-89),
though that’s not really his shot (he made just 13 treys in
1989-90).
21

DEFENSE//DEFENSIVE REBOUNDING
Blackman is one of the league’s better defenders at the 2
spot. He takes a lot of pride in his defense and he has
corrected his one glaring weakness: After a summer of
lifting, which increased his upper body strength, he is no
longer vulnerable to the 2s who try to overpower him in the
post. According to one source, Blackman concentrates so
much on D, it periodically takes away from his offense.
Slightly below-average defensive rebounder for the position.
THE FLOOR GAME
Blackman is just an average passer, but in 1989-90 he did
a better job of dishing to backcourt mate Derek Harper after
he was double-teamed (opposition centers and forwards
jump out to stop his perimeter game). His ball handling has
improved, but as 2s go, he’s nowhere near a Jordan, a
Dumars, or a Harper. Just a fair runner of the floor.
INTANGIBLES
Dallas’ premier go-to guy—and rightly so. Religiously works
on his shooting before practice. A down-to-earth star.
IN SUM
Great shooter, top-notch defender, consistent, a leader, a
clutch force. Now entering his tenth season, Blackman
remains one of the league’s quality 2s and forms, with
Derek Harper, a championship-level backcourt. And now
with the arrival of Fat Lever, make that a championship-
level trio.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: A + Defense: A
Shooting: AA Defensive Rebounding: C
Free Throw Shooting: AA Intangibles: AAA
Ball Handling: B Overall: AA
Passing: B
— Mookie Blaylock
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
College: University of Oklahom a, Norman, Okla.
Drafted: New Jersey on first round, 1989 (12th pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team : New Jersey Nets
50 212 571 .371 63 81 .778 42 140 210 82 111 14 505 10.1
SCORING
One reason the Nets drafted Blaylock (12th overall—the
Nets traded Buck Williams to Portland for Sam Bowie and
the higher of the Blazers’ first-round picks, which became
Mookie) is that he seemed to have the firepower—the
scoring ability—that most teams require these days in their
point guards. Certainly on paper he was more of a scorer
than the incumbent, Lester Conner. At Oklahoma, Mookie
was an 18.1 a game scorer, but NBA scouts had their doubts
about his outside shooting, noting his mediocre .455 in his
senior year and .650 from the line. A year later, despite his
assertions to the contrary (on draft day, he told reporters at
the Brendan Byrne Arena, “ I can shoot the ball”), he hasn’t
done much to dispel those doubts. He managed a meager
.371 (for 10.1 ppg) and his outside shot was a hit-and-miss
(mostly the latter) affair. He’ll hit the pull-up jumper and
before he broke his finger in January (causing him to miss
virtually all of the balance of the season), he was starting to
turn the corner and go all the way to the hoop. Shot poorly
from beyond the arc (.225) and OK (.778) at the line. Wasn’t
afraid to take the big shot.
Another reason the Nets were enamored of Mookie was his
defense (one Net executive called him an “assassin”), though
in his rookie year he didn’t quite measure up to his reviews.
Ibams challenged him and he got taken off the dribble a lot.
He’s a player who made a living off steals in college and indeed
he continues to demonstrate his larceny (1.6 steals in 25.3
mpg), but he gambled too much and didn’t apply pressure
consistently. Decent rebounder for his position.
THE FLOOR GAME
While he has a lot of 2 in him—often, his first look is shot
rather than pass—Blaylock showed some promising 1 skills.
For example, on the break his decision-making was good.
But there’s learning to be done. He needs to mix up his
offense, to know when to dish, when to shoot. And while
quick with the ball, he was sloppy (note the above-average
turnovers per minute and the must-be-improved 1.89 assist-
to-turnover ratio).
INTANGIBLES
Blaylock has raised questions about his character as a
result of his no-show at Orlando in 1989, some strange
behavior at the California Summer Pro League (when he
went home to Texas for a dental problem and never came
back), and a late-night incident in Atlanta last March
where he was fined for missing curfew and “trashing” a
22

limo (fellow culprits were Charles Shackleford, Anthony
Mason, and the notorious Chris Washburn). On the other
hand, those in the know in Jersey appreciate, most of all, his
competitiveness. “ Hard-nosed,” said one source. Not a vo-
calizer, he nevertheless, with his all-out style, showed
leadership—a quality sorely lacking on the Nets.
IN SUM
The finger injury definitely set Blaylock back. He must
shoot better, apply defensive pressure more consistently,
and get a better handle on his responsibilities as a 1—i.e.,
think pass, rather than shot first. Note that the Nets
drafted Tate George (first round, 22nd overall), whose re
sume reads: pure point.
RICK’S RATINGS
Scoring: B
Shooting: D
Ball Handling: C
Passing: B
Defense: C
Playmaking: C
Intangibles: C
Overall: C
(8.1 shots in 33.9 mpg), he was more on target, finishing at
.491. He even hit five treys, but that’s not his range (.192 in
triples). Now, at least, defenses have to pay some attention
to him, making life less difficult for backcourt mates such as
Rex Chapman. For Bogues to be effective, he will have to
consistently hit that open jumper—which is just about the
only shot he’s going to get. When he drives, he’s looking to
pass—shooting is an afterthought—and he obviously has
trouble converting amid the trees. Nor does he get to the
line much—1.7 attempts a game—but he had his best year
(.791) from the line.
What a pest! Muggsy gets in yourjockstrap, almost literally,
and will play you 94 feet, which eats up the 24-second clock.
If you’re not careful—and you have to be very careful—he’ll
pick your pocket: 2 steals a game, eleventh in the league.
Because he’s so dangerous on the ball, many teams have
their 2s bring the ball up court against the Hornets. On the
negative side, Muggsy can be shot and passed over, posted
up, and his double-teaming is largely ineffective. Nor does
he give you much off the boards.
Muggsy Bogues THE FLOOR GAME
Bogues, for the second consecutive season, led all guards
with a phenomenal 5.94 assist-to-turnover ratio (10.7 assists
a game, fourth in the league). He simply doesn’t make many
mistakes. His miscues are at a minimum in part because
Charlotte doesn’t run much, in part because he doesn’t take
many chances and it’s virtually impossible to steal the ball
from this little guy. He ably runs Charlotte’s half-court
offense and he’s a blur when they run, though the feeling is
he should pass ahead rather than dribble so much on the
break.
INTANGIBLES
Height: 5-3
Weight: 140
College: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem,
N.C.
Drafted: Washington on first round, 1987 (12th
pick).
Position: Guard
Final 1990 Team: Charlotte Hornets
81 326 664 .491 106 134 .791 48 207 867 166 146 3 763 9.4
A quiet guy, Bogues has begun to assert more leadership
qualities. He plays hard every night and has great stamina.
His teammates like and respect him; he makes you laugh on
the bus but also will “get in your face” and tell you to get
down to business.
IN SUM
Bogues, entering his fourth season, has established that he
indeed belongs in the league, which wasn’t the case after his
first two years. But the question is how much should he
play. He’s not a 35-minute-a-game guy, more like a 20-
to-25-minute guy who completely changes the tempo of the
game on both ends of the court with his energy.
Muggsy, all 5-3 of him, can do a lot of things on the
basketball court. But in his first two years in the league,
shooting accurately was not one of them. He was both
reluctant (5.3 shots a game in 21.4 mpg) and inaccurate
(.390 and .426). Last season, while not much more willing
Scoring: C
Shooting: B
Ball Handling: AAA
Passing: AAA
Defense: B
Playmaking: AAA
Intangibles: A
Overall: B +
23

NICK BARRYS SCOUTING REPORT.

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