The Finalists were just announced for the Hall of Fame Class of 2008. As expected, Patrick Ewing was named along with Hakeen Olajuwon and Pat Riley. Warriors GM Chris Mullin (we'll call him a former St. John's standout just for local bragging rights) was also among the list. Other NBA players that were among the finalists were Adrian Dantley and the late Dennis Johnson.
Once again, no Bernard King.
Discuss...
Here's my take, which I posted on the blog a year ago when King was up for nomination. I compared him to Dantley:
King's gaudy career numbers -- 22.5 points per game and 19,655 career points -- are eclipsed by Dantley, who played in 81 more games (basically a season) than King. Dantley averaged 24.3 points per game throughout his career and recorded 23,177 career points.
So if you had to choose one or the other, whom would you choose?
The argument for BK to be in the Hall is based on the fact that throughout his injury-plagued career, he was one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. Before Michael Jordan arrived, King was the definition of the unstoppable one-man show on what was a mediocre team. He won an NBA scoring crown in 1984-85, had back-to-back 50 point performances and then later in his career made an inspirational comeback from a career-threatening knee injury to re-establish himself as one of the game's top scorers (of course he did this after he went to the Bullets).
What works against him is that he never led the Knicks to any real playoff glory other than the first-round upset over Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons in 1984. He did his thing during the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson era and at a time in the NBA when the small forward position was the prime spot. The 1980s was an era of high-scoring swingmen like Bird, Dantley, Dominique Wilkins and Mark Aguirre. Where does King rank among them?
* - King is 31st on the NBA all-time scoring list, which is incredible considering he only played in 874 games.
* - His career average of 22.5 points per game is 23rd on the NBA all-time list
* - He is one of only 19 players in NBA history to score 60 or more points in a game
* - He had eight games in which he scored 50 or more points
I think King's career is an inspiring one just based on the fact that he persevered through the knee injuries. His lack of games hurts him in comparison to others as far as longevity goes, but his numbers are right up there with the best.
Comments (17)
Alan please ask Zek to hear this trade out!!!!!!!
Ok guys...we must understand. It's over. Time to be sart and get some draft pick! We gotta take losses!!!
When I think of a team that needs a trade I think Cavs! Here is my deal (it works on trade machine)
New York Knicks
Incoming Players
Ira Newble
Salary: $3,441,900 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 4.3 REB: 2.8 AST: 0.4 PER: 10.76
Eric Snow
Salary: $6,703,125 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 0.9 REB: 0.9 AST: 2.0 PER: 4.08
Donyell Marshall
Salary: $5,566,965 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 4.3 REB: 3.0 AST: 0.4 PER: 9.05
Drew Gooden
Salary: $6,453,416 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 11.2 REB: 8.4 AST: 1.0 PER: 12.75
Damon Jones
Salary: $4,172,432 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 6.1 REB: 1.1 AST: 1.6 PER: 10.72
Outgoing Players: Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, Jared Jeffries, Fred Jones
Cleveland Cavaliers
Incoming Players
Zach Randolph
Salary: $13,333,333 Years Remaining: 4
PTS: 17.3 REB: 10.3 AST: 2.0 PER: 17.42
Jamal Crawford
Salary: $7,920,000 Years Remaining: 4
PTS: 20.3 REB: 2.8 AST: 4.8 PER: 15.20
Jared Jeffries
Salary: $5,632,200 Years Remaining: 4
PTS: 2.6 REB: 2.7 AST: 0.8 PER: 6.88
Fred Jones
Salary: $3,300,000 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 6.5 REB: 2.5 AST: 2.4 PER: 10.25
Outgoing Players: Ira Newble, Eric Snow, Donyell Marshall, Drew Gooden, Damon Jones, 2 1st round pick
lebron could use jamal...but stupid trade otherwise..why are we trading fred jones with his 1 year left?
I'm sorry but, how is bringing Lebron's weak supporting cast over to the Knicks going to help New York? WE DON'T HAVE LEBRON!
lol
The Denver deal actually makes much more sense in terms of dumping salaries. If the Denver deal goes through, we're actually in a position to get underneath the cap at the end of next year which helps put us in a better position to resign Lee and/or Nate. Then the year after Curry and Q's contracts come off, putting us back under the cap and in a position to go after some big name free agents that will be available that summer (Lebron, Melo, Wade).
A genius trade is emerging on a few blogs that has variants on the theme:
It incorporates Denver's interest in Randolph and it satisfies Sacramento's desire for expiring contracts.
It involves a secondary complimentary deal to grease the wheels in Sacramento.
First NY deals Randolph and Morris to Denver.
Denver sends the expiring contracts of Najera and Smith to Sacto, Sacto sends Artest to NY.
Denver sends Hunter, Kleizos, and Atkins to NY to make it work.
NY them sends Rose and Balkman to Sacto for K Thomas.
It is a very, very interesting idea Run it by Zeke, Alan, you'll put a lot of knicks fans into heaven (excluding the Artest-haters).
Bernard had a quality that can’t be captured by statistics. In fairness, I saw a lot more of Bernard, than I did of Dantley. But Bernard could take over a game like only a very few of the very greats could. And that list doesn’t include Dantley. When Bernard was on his game – he was the definition of unstoppable. Just ask Isiah. In that playoff series against the Pistons, if memory serves, he averaged over 40 per game. (I think it was 44 ppg, but remember it was a 5-game series.) The game I attended he hit 10 in a row. Spin moves. Jumpers. It didn’t matter. And it didn’t hit any iron. He combined power and grace, in the way only a great basketball player can. Bernard deserves to be in the Hall of Fame because, at his best, he was as good as anyone. Anyone.
A personal aside. He was also cool. When he was rehabbing his knee (wasn’t he the first ACL tear to return to form?) . . . a friend of mine who was a huge Bernard fan tore her ACL skiing. I wrote to Bernard and told him her rehab story. She received a huge box of stuff – hats, jerseys, etc. – with a great note from Bernard telling her, essentially, to hang in there. I was very impressed.
2nd aside – was anybody else watching the night he went down? It was awful. You knew immediately how bad it was. I’ve never seen pain like that on someone’s face. I was convinced he’d never play again.
I just want to go on the record about the Isiah to Indiana University rumors. I think it is the best situation for Zeke. Not because I want him fired (but can see how it could happen), but because it would give him the exact opposite of the NY bravado that can really wear on a guy. I think Zeke would be happy there and if he wants the job he should take it.
But I also think this is a time for Dolan and Isiah to have a face to face and see where they really stand with each other.
I'll hold off on my trade specualtion until Alans Trade Blog. I hope it's before the deadline.
Bernard's and Ewing's jersey's are the must have classic's (after Walt's of course).
There is no way Cleveland will do a trade with NY that frees cap room for the Knicks to make a run at LeBron. None.
I was looking at NBADRAFT.NET Just reading a little bit about the players to come in the NBA for 2008, they write about their strength and weaknesses and even show a comparison of which pro baller they could end up being like. So I could’nt help but to check out the DRAFT history on 2001, 2002 what they wrote about Eddy curry and who they compared him with.
I GUESS THE ONLY THINIG THAT STOPPED EDDY CURRY WAS EDDY CURRY.
Just Bloggin. GO KNICKS!
http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/eddycurry.htm
Knicksome - lmao
FWK
man what are you smoking??
Nagel100
PS hope you are well.
alwayz been a fan of j.r smith plus he from jersey.he can be our shooting guard he is better an tougher then crawford can play the p.g spot until we get som1.
expiring contracts are the things we want in return thatz the only way u can rebuild.
this team realyl needs a make over.keepers are
lee
balkman
jeffries with the rite coach
mayb morris n chandler
this offseason find players new homes.this team aint working.
Hey, Alan – I’ve always known that you need to be initiated into some kind of secret society to have any understanding of the salary cap. (Hey, if Isiah doesn’t understand it, why should i?) But am I only the only one a little confused by what’s going on out west at the moment? First, the Lakers bring Aaron McKie out of retirement to make him part of the Gasol trade. Now there are reports that if George doesn’t get with the program in Dallas, they’re going to sign Van Horn out of retirement, and send him to New Jersey.
Let me try to articulate my question as best I can: Huh? What’s going on here? They have a certain amount of salary they have to make up to even out the deal, so the sign the player for that much salary, presumably under a very short contract, so it comes off the books quickly? Something like that? That’s the only thing I can think of. But none of it makes any sense to me, really. Can you explain it?
And I missed what Stackhouse said/did. Can someone fill me in? Thanks . . .
nagel,
I've been suffering from a flu that only today broke. I spent 4 days being barely able to go up or down the stairs without having to lay down and rest.
So once in a while I'd drag my butt over to the chair and just read all the sports blogs.
Berman's report that Denver was interested in Randolph because Portland's ex-scout now is in Denver and still thinks highly of Randolph is the basis of the Berman speculation.
Mind you, I like Randolph very much if I had my druthers. But I followed a series of threads on the rationales and the more I read the more it really clicks. I'm just synthesizing some very cool speculation.
Denver needs some beef to surround Camby. KMart is fragile. Nene is questionable. Assume they want to play deep into the playoffs. Randolph makes a world of sense. Eliminate the noise and Randolph is a Karl man.
Okay, so now the numbers have to work. Looky here, two expirings... hmmm... didn't sacto say something about expirings? Bingo! Expirings to Sacto for Artest.
But Sacto still needs more. say a big cash savings on the Kenny Thomas contract and whipped cream on top.
With Artest onboard and Kleizos a new sixth man, Balkman is superfluous.
Rose and Balkman are a windfall overpayment exchange for K. Thomas.
It all works and makes a lot of credible sense - which is not to say its on the table.
As I say, this is a composite of some very ingenious speculators over the past day or so on realgm and a few of the news blogs, espn background noise and whatnot. i just shot some of it through trade checker.
What is weird about this idea is how brilliantly simple it is, yet how radical a change it makes.
Artest would anchor SF with Kleizos as a relief valve when Ron Ron starts to overheat.
Lee takes over PF.
Curry gets yet another last minute reprieve.
The core is untouched.
Trane - Stack said he'll be back with Mavs in a month because the Nets will waive/buyout him and he'll resign with Mavs for Playoffs - big no - no. Collusion etc...
Vecsey ran it down yesterday, and I'm sure alot of others have picked up on it as well:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/021608dnspomavslede.2d4ada6.html
Got it - thanks.
Nice blog entry, Alan. I'd put King in the
Hall. Use other sports as guidelines. They put Kirby
Puckett in, despite the fact the man had to retire
early due to medical issues. He played what, 15
years? He hit none of the benchmark numbers for a
hitter (other than career average), but because if you
extended out his career, he would have, people put him
in.
Every sport is littered with that type of player.
How can you not put King in. 12 out of 14 seasons he
averaged 20+ PPG. He was dominant. Another telling
stat of that dominance - only in three seasons did he
average 20+ shots per game. Unlike guys like A.I.,
who take 20-25 regularly, King would do it with 17-18
per game...and a CAREER 51.8 FG percentage. That's
pretty damn impressive for a guy that played the 3 and
the 2 for his career.
True, it was a different era, but you can't deny the
consistency and the dominance.
King is getting shafted. I am not sure how long he
has on the ballot (if it is like baseball where you
are taken off after a certain number of years or
lacking a certain percentage of votes), but when the
guys who stopped playing in the late 1990s are
considered, I think BK has a damn good shot of making
it in.
But in my opinion, he's being shafted. The man was a
dominant player in the league, and deserves the honor.
Brian in Sacramento