1974 NBA Sim Dynasty | NBA 2K22 PS4

[JurassicPuck]

Offseason News Update

May 15th, 1974 | Donald Henderson

The 1973-74 NBA Season has come and gone and now the league shifts their attention to the offseason, where the teams have the ability to improve their team through the NBA Draft. While the draft is still a while away, let's go over some of the biggest news so far into the Summer.

New Orleans Jazz become the NBA's 18th team, announce first Head Coach

The New Orleans Jazz will become the National Basketball Association's 18th team as announced by commissioner J. Walter Kennedy and Jazz owners Fred Rosenfeld and Sam Battistone.

Mr. Rosenfeld and Mr. Battistone would also reveal their first head coach in franchise history, Butch van Breda Kolff. "The Butcher" previously coached the Lakers, Pistons and Suns from 1968 to 1973. Last season was his first and only as a head coach in the rival ABA for the Memphis Tams. Butch's rep around the league is one that many future Jazz players will likely not be pleased about. He's not exactly known as a "player's coach" but his team style may fit well with the eventual New Orleans roster.

The Expansion Draft will take place May 20th. Teams will be allowed to protect seven players from their roster and the Jazz will select seventeen unprotected players, one from each team


1974 NBA Draft Final Rankings Released

The Draft Experts here at The Sporting News have finished their final Draft Rankings for the upcoming NBA Draft. Here is how their top 10 list shook out.

1. Bill Walton, C - Remains the clear cut first overall selection, projects to be one of the best big men in the entire league once he hits his prime

2. John Drew, SF - The offensive dynamo John Drew has absolutely dominated against weak competition with Gardner-Webb University. Will he be able to have the same success at the NBA level?

3. Jamaal Wilkes, SF - Very well-rounded, silky smooth forward who was the Robin to Bill Walton's Batman at UCLA. Should contribute right away in his rookie season.

4. Marvin Barnes, PF - Arguably the most athletic player in the whole Draft, Marvin "Bad News" Barnes comes with his baggage that will likely make teams shy away come Draft Day. If he can keep his focus on the court, he'll be one of the best players out of this class

5. Tom Burleson, C - Burleson teamed with All-American David Thompson, guard Monte Towe and forward Tim Stoddard to take down UCLA and win the 1974 NCAA Championship. His of UCLA superstar Bill Walton was key to the Wolfpack's semifinal win. Lots of potential here in the 7'2 giant

6. George Gervin, SF / SG - The Iceman has been playing for the ABA San Antonio Spurs who use a primarily defense-oriented system. Gervin needs to be let loose on a offensive driven gameplan and a NBA team will definitely allow him to do that

7. Maurice Lucas, PF - Add Lucas to the list of guys that will heavily debate going either the ABA or NBA route, the 6'9 Power Forward will have many suitors in both leagues

8. Tom Henderson, PG - While he may not have the upside of some of the guys ahead of him, Henderson is likely the most NBA-ready point guard in the class. He'll step into the rotation and play a big role by day one

9. Billy Knight, SF - If Knight didn't already have his ABA rights with the Indiana Pacers he would be a guaranteed Top 5 selection. However that's not the case and he will likely be wearing a Pacer jersey in the 1974-75 Season. Could one of the big name teams in the league change that?

10. Brian Winters, SG - While playing for South Carolina, Winters was hampered due to both a severe case of mononucleosis and a series of knee injuries. Teams will be weary of the 22 year old guards health but his ability to put the ball in the hoop cannot be ignored.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reportedly very frustrated with Bucks playoff failures

Two time MVP Winner Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is, per sources, very frustrated with the Milwaukee Bucks roster and management. Since winning the Championship in 1971, the Bucks have taken step backs year by year. It's resulted in the Western Conference Champions this season losing in round one to the Kansas-City Kings.

Kareem allegedly feels like the roster isn't quite up to snuff and needs improvement. Will Milwaukee management be able to satisfy his needs and keep this team as a Championship contender?

[JurassicPuck]

1974 Expansion Draft Results

May 20th, 1974 | Donald Henderson

Atlanta Hawks

Protected - L.Hudson, P.Maravich, H.Gilliam, D.Jones, S.Bracey, J.Wetzel, J.Washington


New Orleans Jazz Select - Walt Bellamy C


Boston Celtics

Protected - J.Havlicek, D.Cowens, J.White, P.Silas, D.Chaney, D.Nelson, P.Westphal


New Orleans Jazz Select - Steve Kuberski PF


Buffalo Braves

Protected - B.McAdoo, J.McMillan, R.Smith, J.Marin, E.Digregorio, B.Kauffman, K.Charles


New Orleans Jazz Select - Garfield Heard PF


Capital Bullets

Protected - E.Hayes, P.Chenier, W.Unseld, M.Riordan, N.Weatherspoon, K.Porter, L.Nelson


New Orleans Jazz Select - Archie Clark PG


Chicago Bulls

Protected - J.Sloan, B.Love, C.Walker, N.Van Lier, H.Porter, C.Ray, B.Weiss


New Orleans Jazz Select - Tom Boerwinkle C


Cleveland Cavaliers

Protected - A.Carr, B.Smith, D.Davis, L.Wilkens, J.Brewer, S.Patterson, F.Foster


New Orleans Jazz Select - Bob Rule C


Detroit Pistons

Protected - B.Lanier, D.Bing, S.Lantz, C.Rowe, J.Mengelt, D.Adams, B.Nash


New Orleans Jazz Select - Chris Ford SG


Golden State Warriors

Protected - R.Barry, Cazzie Russell, N.Thurmond, C.Lee, J.Mullins, C.Johnson, G.Johnson


New Orleans Jazz Select - Butch Beard PG


Houston Rockets

Protected - C.Murphy, R.Tomjanovich, M.Newlin, E.Ratleff, E.C. Coleman, Z.Abdul-Azizz, C.Meeley


New Orleans Jazz Select - Paul McCracken PG


Kansas City Kings

Protected - T.Archibald, J.Walker, N.Williams, S.Lacey, R.Behagen, D.Kojis, L.McNeill


New Orleans Jazz Select - John Block PF


Los Angeles Lakers

Protected - G.Goodrich, J.West, J.Price, E.Smith, C.Hawkins, H.Hairston, K.Washington


New Orleans Jazz Select - Pat Riley SG


Milwaukee Bucks

Protected - K.Abdul-Jabbar, B.Dandridge, L.Allen, C.Perry, M.Davis, O.Robertson, J.McGlocklin


New Orleans Jazz Select - Ron Williams PG


New York Knicks

Protected - W.Frazier, D.Debusschere, E.Monroe, B.Bradley, W.Reed, P.Jackson, D.Meminger


New Orleans Jazz Select - Henry Bibby PG


Philadelphia 76ers

Protected - F.Carter, T. Van Arsdale, S.Mix, D.Collins, A.Bristow, L.Ellis, F.Boyd


New Orleans Jazz Select - Larry Jones PG


Phoenix Suns

Protected - C.Scott, D.Van Arsdale, K.Erickson, N.Walk, C.Calhoun, M.Bantom, L.Green


New Orleans Jazz Select - Jim Owens SF


Portland Trail Blazers

Protected - G.Petrie, S.Wicks, J.Johnson, L.Neal, L.Steele, O.Johnson, L.Martin


New Orleans Jazz Select - Bernie Fryer SG


Seattle SuperSonics

Protected - S.Haywood, D.Snyder, F.Brown, K.McIntosh, S.Watts, B.Stallworth, J.Brisker


New Orleans Jazz Select - Dick Gibbs SF

New Orleans Jazz Final Roster:
Guards
Archie Clark, Henry Bibby, Chris Ford, Butch Beard, Pat Riley, Bernie Fryer, Larry Jones, Paul McCracken, Ron Williams
Forwards
Steve Kuberski, Garfield Heard, John Block, Jim Owens, Dick Gibbs
Centers
Walt Bellamy, Tom Boerwinkle, Bob Rule,

[JurassicPuck]

1974 NBA Draft Results and Analysis

May 29th, 1974 | Donald Henderson

The 1974 NBA Draft was completed last night as all 18 teams took turns selecting what should be the future core of the association. Let's take a look at the first round and see how it all worked out, as well as giving analysis on a majority of the selections. Lets start with pick numero uno...

1st Overall Pick

After winning the Draft Lottery over the SuperSonics, the Rockets were blessed by the basketball gods with the 1st overall selection. They made the right choice and selected UCLA big man Bill Walton who will immediately become the starting center over what they currently had in Zaid Abdul-Aziz and Kevin Kunnert.

2nd Overall Pick

They may have reached slightly at pick two to get him but Tom Burleson is a great fit in Seattle next to power forward Spencer Haywood. With Woody's offensive prowess and Burleson's ability to defend the paint, the new duo should fit like a glove. So while there was better players on the board, it was fit over talent for Seattle with this pick

3rd Overall Pick

Help is coming to a Cleveland team that could use it. It come in the form of 6'6 forward Jamaal Wilkes. Bingo Smith and Austin Carr will welcome the 21 year old who will be a force on both ends of the floor. He immediately becomes the best defending forward on the roster

4th Overall Pick

The 76ers were really hoping for one of either Walton (very unlikely) or Burleson (more plausible) to fall to them at 4, to no avail. It left them with no real clear cut option and they settled with 22 year old point guard Tom Henderson. It makes for an interesting situation at the one in Philadelphia as Freddie Boyd, the starting PG last season, is just a year older than Henderson. The 5th overall selection back in 1972 has to be frustrated with the fact the organization seems to not have as much confidence in him as he thought.

5th Overall Pick

Despite how it may sound, the Iceman should be ecstatic to be heading to the Phoenix Suns. George Gervin heads to the state of Arizona where he has the chance to be one of the focal points of a offense headed by Charlie Scott and Dick Van Arsdale. He looks like the long term replacement for Keith Erickson who will turn 31 this season. Gervin still has the chance to head back to San Antonio this season if he chooses.

6th to 10th Overall

- John Drew falls down the board into the laps of the New York Knicks. The Knickerboxers are in dire need of an influx in young talent and Drew does just that. He'll have a team full of veterans to learn from

- The Indiana Pacers of the ABA already have Billy Knight under contract for the following season, as was announced just days prior to the draft, but Knight will really have to decide which league will be in his best interest. Being drafted by the storied Los Angeles Lakers has to really help his odds of coming over to the NBA very soon

- With their first selection in Franchise History, the Jazz decide to bite the bullet and take the talented but troubled wing in Marvin Barnes. With the nightlife like it is in New Orleans and a team that houses a lot of younger players, the Jazz may regret this selection sooner rather than later

11th to 18th Overall

- After their breakout season last year the Portland Trail Blazers decided they wanted to add a veteran player instead of a young one as they trade their 14th overall selection to the New York Knicks. In return they will receive 7 time all star Jerry Lucas. The Big man is clearly on the back nine after putting up just 8.7 PPG and 8.2 RPG last season, but the Blazers hope he can still contribute to winning basketball at 33 years of age. New York would go on to select shooting guard Phil Smith with the pick

- The Celtics wind up drafting just the type of player that fits the Boston mold. Bobby Jones is a great defending forward who will slot right into the C's rotation, potentially shutting down opposing teams top wings. His scoring at UNC may not have been anything to note but the likes of Havlicek, Cowens and Silas don't really have much of a problem with that.

[the_kevstaaa]

I don't know much about this era but everything here looks slick as hell

[JurassicPuck]

Quote: Originally Posted by the_kevstaaa

I don't know much about this era but everything here looks slick as hell

Thanks for the compliment my guy! To be honest I'm not the most knowledgeable about this era of basketball either. It does make it somewhat interesting however with all these players that I don't know the backstory on. It makes me look these guys up and find how/why/what they were as players.

I would like to be getting through these early seasons quite quickly but these 2k Historic Classes just heavily lack in real players. It forces me to have to create these guys which takes a lot more time than I would like. It is what it is I guess.

Thanks for following along

[JurassicPuck]

1974-75 NBA Power Rankings

October 10th, 1974 | Donald Henderson

1. Boston Celtics (62-20)

They ran through the NBA last season and lost just one playoff game en route to a Championship. They lost Steve Kuberski to the New Orleans Jazz expansion but added Jim Fox from Seattle to replace him. They're easily title favorites once again.

Additions: Jim Fox C, Bobby Jones SF
Subtractions: Steve Kuberski PF, Phil Hankinson SF

Starting Lineup: Jo Jo White / Don Chaney / John Havlicek / Paul Silas / Dave Cowens

2. Kansas City Kings (48-34)

The Kings made a shocking run to the NBA Finals after being the last team to make the playoffs. Led by Tiny Archibald the team was able to beat the odds and win two playoff rounds before losing to the powerhouse Celtics. To try and match the Boston firepower, they went out this summer and acquired Knicks veteran Dave Debusschere to bolster their lineup.

Additions: Dave Debusschere PF, Campy Russell SF
Subtractions: Larry McNeill PF, John Block PF

Starting Lineup: Tiny Archibald / Jimmy Walker / Nate Williams / Dave Debusschere / Sam Lacey

3. Milwaukee Bucks (51-31)

They finished with the best record in the Western Conference last year but were upset by the Kings in just round one. Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has voiced his frustrations with the teams performance and Milwaukee management answered. They went out and acquired Lakers forward Happy Hairston to inject some offense into the lineup. Will it be enough to push the Bucks past the first round this time around?

Additions: Happy Hairston PF, Mickey Johnson PF
Subtractions: Curtis Perry PF, Ron Williams PG

Starting Lineup: Oscar Robertson / Lucius Allen / Bob Dandridge / Happy Hairston / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

4. Golden State Warriors (48-34)

Rick Barry has solidified himself as a Top 5 player in the entire league. He's the best non big man in the NBA and his Golden State Warriors will be competitive as long as he keeps his play up. Nate Thurmond is fresh off a Defensive Player of the Year award and Cazzie Russell is a solid secondary scorer.

Additions: Brian Winters SG
Subtractions: Butch Beard PG

Starting Lineup: Charles Johnson / Jeff Mullins / Cazzie Russell / Rick Barry / Nate Thurmond

5. Buffalo Braves (52-30)

This team took massive steps forward last season, showcased by two of their players winning Awards last season (McAdoo - MVP, Digregorio - ROTY). They ended up falling to the Bullets in round two of the playoffs but with another year of growth and experience, the Braves will look to be Championship Contenders.

Additions: N/A
Subtractions: Garfield Heard PF

Starting Lineup: Ernie Digregorio / Randy Smith / Jim McMillan / Bob Kauffman / Bob McAdoo

6. Portland Trail Blazers (49-33)

Petrie and Wicks have really turned this team into one that should be feared to go against. Despite being an early round one exit last season the Blazers are still a young team who have time to get even better. Adding Lucas adds a veteran presence at the center position, although the amount of quality basketball he has left in him is dwindling.

Additions: Jerry Lucas C
Subtractions: Bernie Fryer SG

Starting Lineup: Geoff Petrie / Larry Steele / John Johnson / Sidney Wicks / Jerry Lucas

7. Atlanta Hawks (45-37)

The Hawks were the only team to force a win against the Celtics in the playoffs and with the addition of Lucas to the starting lineup, the Hawks will have a nice starting five to work with. Maravich and Hudson will really need to take this team to another level if they want to compete with the best of the best

Additions: Maurice Lucas PF
Subtractions: Walt Bellamy C

Starting Lineup: Herm Gilliam / Pete Maravich / Lou Hudson / Maurice Lucas / Dwight Jones

8. Washington Bullets (54-28)

No longer the Capital Bullets, the Washington Bullets will look to continue their success this year after winning 54 games in 1974. One big difference this season is they will be without last years starting point guard Archie Clark. Clark was left unprotected in the expansion draft and was scooped up by the Jazz. The decision to protect Kevin Porter over Clark was the right move for the future but faced heavy criticism from Hayes and Chenier. It remains to be seen how well the Bullets will fare with Porter as their new starting PG

Additions: Kevin Restani PF,
Subtractions: Archie Clark PG

Starting Lineup: Kevin Porter / Phil Chenier / Mike Riordan / Elvin Hayes / Wes Unseld

9. Chicago Bulls (47-35)

Not making the playoffs last year was disappointing and they'll need to make it this year or they could find Sloan and Love not on the roster next season. The duo should be enough for a playoff appearance, especially with the likes of Walker and Van Lier on their flanks

Additions: Truck Robinson PF
Subtractions: Tom Boerwinkle C

Starting Lineup: Norm Van Lier / Jerry Sloan / Chet Walker / Bob Love / Clifford Ray

10. New York Knicks (44-38)

With one of the best backcourt duos in Frazier and Monroe, the Knicks should be a lock for the Playoffs. That wasn't the case last year and could be the same this season. Keep in mind this team is just two years removed from a NBA Championship. What's different between this season and last, besides moving on from Dave Debusschere, is the fact they added two young prospects in Phil Smith and John Drew. Both project to play some important minutes for the Knicks and should have bright futures in the Big Apple

Additions: Phil Smith SG, John Drew SF, Larry McNeill PF
Subtractions: Dave Debusschere PF, Henry Bibby PG, Dick Barnett SG

Starting Lineup: Walt Frazier / Earl Monroe / Bill Bradley / Phil Jackson / Willis Reed

11. Los Angeles Lakers (46-36)

Jerry West decided to come back for one last season and the Lakers will look to try and compete for one last championship with their aging core. They moved on from Happy Hairston and replaced him with defensive big man Curtis Perry. Will the Lakers have enough to make one last Championship run?

Additions: Curtis Perry PF
Subtractions: Happy Hairston PF, Pat Riley SG

Starting Lineup: Jerry West / Gail Goodrich / Connie Hawkins / Curtis Perry / Elmore Smith

12. Detroit Pistons (42-40)

Other than Bob Lanier, the Pistons were disappointing last season. With the duo of Bing and Lanier, Detroit should be a playoff team and they were far from it last season. If they fail to qualify this season, changes will be coming in the Motor City

Additions: Eric Money PG
Subtractions: Chris Ford SG

Starting Lineup: Dave Bing / Stu Lantz / Don Adams / Curtis Rowe / Bob Lanier

13. Phoenix Suns (42-40)

Selecting Gervin at 5th may be the steal of the draft and the Suns will benefit greatly from adding the Iceman. He's officialy declared he will be heading to Phoenix, sacking off San Antonio in the ABA. Maybe he'll be able to propel the Suns to a playoff spot. It's unlikely.

Additions: George Gervin SF
Subtractions: Jim Owens SF

Starting Lineup: Charlie Scott / Dick Van Arsdale / Keith Erickson / Mike Bantom / Neal Walk

14. Houston Rockets (37-45)

The addition of Big Bill immediately boosts the Rockets out of the basement and onto the first floor. While they still won't be a playoff team, the trio of Murphy, Tomjanovich and Walton will do some damage

Additions: Bill Walton C
Subtractions: Paul McCracken PG

Starting Lineup: Calvin Murphy / Jimmy Walker / Rudy Tomjanovich / E.C. Coleman / Bill Walton

15. Philadelphia 76ers (41-41)

The 76ers just aren't a playoff team but have enough talent to not be at the bottom of the league. They'll have to decide what pieces they want to move and keep because this current roster is not helping whatsoever

Additions: Tom Henderson PG
Subtractions: Larry Jones PG

Starting Lineup: Freddy Boyd / Fred Carter / Tom Van Arsdale / Steve Mix / Leroy Ellis

16. Cleveland Cavaliers (39-43)

Cleveland's roster makeup holds them back from being a great team. Neither Austin Carr or Bingo Smith can play the point guard spot but the Cavs added Jamaal Wilkes in the draft to be the starting SF. It leaves one of the two out of the starting lineup. Whoever does get the boot from the starting 5, likely Bingo, won't find themselves in a Cleveland uniform much longer with needs at the 1 and the 5.

Additions: Jamaal Wilkes SF
Subtractions: Bob Rule C

Starting Lineup: Lenny Wilkens / Austin Carr / Jamaal Wilkes / Dwight Davis / Steve Patterson

17. Seattle SuperSonics (41-41)

Seattle will have to put a lot of faith into Burleson to really gel with star Spencer Haywood. While it likely won't provide big results in year one, the SuperSonics future looks better than it did last season

Additions: Tom Burleson C,
Subtractions: Dick Gibbs SF

Starting Lineup: Slick Watts / Dick Snyder / Kenny McIntosh / Spencer Haywood / Tom Burleson

18. New Orleans Jazz (0-0)

The brand new franchise in New Orleans was able to acquire some quality veterans in the Expansion draft but without a true superstar it's hard to see this team being anywhere near competitive

Additions: Everyone
Subtractions: N/A

Starting Lineup: Archie Clark / Pat Riley / Chris Ford / Garfield Heard / Walt Bellamy

Offseason Transactions

New York Knicks Acquire - Larry McNeill PF, 1975 1st Round Pick (KC), 1975 2nd Round Pick (KC)
Kansas City Kings Acquire - Dave Debusschere PF

Boston Celtics Acquire - Jim Fox C
Seattle SuperSonics Acquire - Phil Hankinson SF, 1975 2nd Round Pick (BOS), 1976 2nd Round Pick (BOS)

Los Angeles Lakers Acquire - Curtis Perry PF
Milwaukee Bucks Acquire - Happy Hairston PF, 1975 Top 9 Protected 1st Rnd Pick (LAL)*

*If pick falls under protection, turns into 1976 2nd Round Pick

[kibaxx7]

Nah I really can't see Bill in a different uniform

[JurassicPuck]

January 1st, 1975 | Donald Henderson

January first means it's time to take a look at what's happening around the NBA. This year we've had some surprises, some disappointments and some players dominating the competition. Let's dive right in

After looking like they really took a step back last season, the Bulls have rebounded big time this year, sitting as the first seed in the Western Conference. It's still a very tight race at the top of the table but this team is really looking nice as we head to 1975. Bob Love is still the go-to bucket getter for them but rookie Truck Robinson has been a sneaky nice addition for Chicago. He's averaging 11 points and 8 rebounds a game

Tiny Archibald (23.8 PPG) and company are balling out in the West but could have problems ahead. Guard Jimmy Walker broke his jaw and will be out for the next 4-6 weeks. Can backup Mike D'Antoni pick up the slack that Walker will leave behind? I'm not so sure

The Blazers will be looking to do some more damage come playoff time this time around. The duo of Petrie and Wicks has turned into a trio with the rise of John Johnson (19.5 PPG). The 26 year old forward is leading the team in points per game. 34 year old Jerry Lucas has also been a nice addition to shore up Portland's center position.

Rookie George Gervin (13.4 PPG) has really been a big plus for the Phoenix Sun's bench play and the result is them sitting in a playoff spot for now. The Iceman is the clear long term replacement for the aging Keith Erickson (31 years old).

It's Jerry West's swan song season and you know the Lakers and their faithful will be doing everything in their power to get Mr. West one last chance in the playoffs to work his magic. Regardless of how this season goes, LA has to be headed for a rebuild. Their top three scorers (Goodrich, Hawkins and West) are all over the age of 31.

To have Dave Bing, Bob Lanier, Rick Barry and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all not in the playoffs, would be a shame to the game of basketball. Bing and Lanier really need to get this Pistons team a playoff berth. As of right now that doesn't seem realistic with the lack of depth on the roster. After seeing how Rick Barry performed last year in the playoffs it would hurt to not see some playoff ball from him. Last but not least we have Kareem. The big man will almost certainly be gone from Milwaukee if they do not even make the playoffs this year. It's going to be the Kareem watch for the rest of the season to see how this plays out.

The Sonics just continue to be bad and to be honest that's okay for them. Spencer Haywood continues to get buckets and they'll have another nice draft pick heading into the summer. Seattle will just have to pray this much losing won't affect his willingness to continue playing in a SuperSonics uniform.

Shocker, the Boston Celtics remain the best team in the association. White, Cowens and Havlichek look like an unstoppable trio at this point. They're well on their way to back-to-back championships

The Knicks are back! Missing the playoffs after their championship season was a tough pill to swallow but it appears they will have a taste of playoff basketball once again. The starting five of Frazier-Monroe-Bradley-Jackson-Reed is one of the best in the league and with the rookie's John Drew ( 11.5 PPG) and Phil Smith (7.4 PPG) stepping up, the Knicks could very well make a run this postseason

The big story out of Washington is the disappointing season thus far from Elvin Hayes. An MVP finalist last year, Hayes has seen his PPG drop from the 20.4 in 1974 to just 16.5 this season. His field goal percentage has also dropped from 56% to 51%. Despite this, the Bullets have managed to still control a playoff seed for now. They'll need their star player to step up his play if they wanna go anywhere this season

Bob McAdoo continues to DOMINATE the league offensively, averaging 32.6 PPG which leads the NBA. That's also a whole 8.8 more points a game than second place Tiny Archibald. He's the main reason for the Braves having the second best offensive, second to only the Celtics.

The Rockets haven't been as exciting to watch as was first thought when they drafted Bill Walton first overall. The 22 year old has struggled mightily under the Houston sun and is averaging just 6.4 PPG and 7.9 RPG. Many critics think the pressure of being the first overall pick has gotten to the big man. Let's hope he can step up his game for the next half of the season. Murphy and Tomjanovich will need as much help as they can get to get this team to the postseason.

To see New Orleans not far away from the playoff picture is astounding. Their leading scorer, Steve Kuberski, is averaging just 13.8 points a game. He's also the only player above 10 PPG. That easily has them as the worst offensive team in the league. But what this team does well is defend the basket. They're a top 5 defensive team and a lot of that can be credited to head coach Butch van Breda Kolff's system. Will it be enough to get the Jazz their first playoff birth?

The 76ers, Cavaliers and Hawks all have something in common. Their not ready for playoff basketball. All three have pieces that they could potentially move before the end of the season. I'd keep my eyes on Lou Hudson (23.5 PPG), Austin Carr (12.8 PPG) and Tom Van Arsdale (18.6 PPG) as trade candidates.