Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)

[trekfan]

Ch. 6

The trade heard round the (NBA) world involved some other people that we would be remiss in not talking about, and among those would be one Horace Grant. The oft-forgotten third-piece of this trade, Grant was more than just spare parts tossed in to make things work; he was valued by Nate Hale and the front office.

“I had high, high hopes for Horace Grant,” said Hale. “Everyone was ready to sell low on him after that Cleveland series and you could understand that; it wasn’t a pretty series.”

That was putting it kindly, as Grant himself would admit. “Oh, I played like *hit that series,” said Grant. “No way I should have been so bad, but I just got out-played by my opponents. It really was simple as that.”

Grant’s feelings on his departure from Chicago were much more measured than Pippen; Grant was unhappy about it but he got it. Always a calming presence, Grant wasn’t known for emotional outbursts or swinging wildly from one end of the spectrum to the other. He was a player who did his work, had his highlights, flashed a winning grin, and was easily identifiable on and off the court.

That was both Grant’s greatest strength and weakness; he was a player who plugged holes (rebounds, points, good defensive rotations), but wasn’t someone you could slap on a poster and sell as the guy. Grant’s role as a third option seemed to fit him perfectly and it did, to a great extent, though it did wear on Grant.

Like water dripping onto a rock for years on end, Grant was slowly — very slowly — growing a bit frustrated with being the third option.

“I thought I could be the second guy at least and I told Hale that the first time we talked,” said Grant.

After Hale failed to reach Pippen initially, he called up Grant and the two had a pleasant conversation — Hale was a big fan, having enjoyed Grant’s college career at Clemson. He thought Grant was a piece the Bulls undervalued and told him as much; it was something Horace Grant needed to hear. Finally, someone was recognizing that he could be more than just the guy behind the guy behind THE guy.

Once Pippen was found, Grant and he would arrange to meet in Houston and go house shopping; more than that, Grant wanted to catch up with a teammate he considered a close friend. He had given Pippen his space after the Cleveland series, but now the two needed to get on the same page. Michael Jordan had unloaded them like they were dead weight; they needed to prove that Jordan and the Bulls had made a mistake.

While the two newest Rockets were shopping for houses, a former one was looking to sell — and still couldn’t believe he had to. Sleepy Floyd, the former Rockets point guard, had arrived in Houston in December of 1987 to much acclaim; the player had averaged 21.2 PPG and 10.3 APG the previous year with Golden State and he was looking forward to teaming up with Hakeem Olajuwon and getting a title.

Instead, he watched as the Rockets went nowhere and watched his own play suffer; the entire offense went through Olajuwon — Floyd would barely get his shots in and his stats dropped precipitously. Still, being in Houston had many benefits; for one, the tax laws were much laxer, allowing Floyd to retain more of his money. Secondly, the city itself was growing, becoming more diverse, and had a thriving nightclub and hip-hop scene.

“It really was a fun place to live as a basketball guy,” Floyd said many years later. “You didn’t lack for things to do; for some guys, that would be a problem, but for me it kept me engaged. Basketball players are just like any other people, they need a break sometimes, somewhere to go and have fun; there was lots of fun in Houston.”

When word had gotten out that Olajuwon wanted to be traded, Floyd wasn’t surprised — the big man had become increasingly frustrated with ownership, management, and even his own teammates. Floyd was, unlike many in Houston, looking forward to seeing Olajuwon go — with the center gone, the offense could finally use his skills to their fullest potential. Sleepy Floyd had dreams of all-star berths and resurrecting his reputation as one of the league’s best scorers.

Instead, he got blindsided by the Rockets when they included him in the trade and sent him — of all places — to Washington.

Floyd was stunned. Washington wasn’t a place he wanted to be (despite playing at Georgetown for four years), but they were willing to offer him a contract extension, sight unseen — so, Floyd went.

“Honestly, the money was the reason,” said Floyd. “I didn’t particularly enjoy the idea of playing for Washington — hell, they had just renamed their team to something pretty *hitty.”

The Washington Bullets had indeed renamed themselves to the Washington Wizards — and the origins of that trace themselves back to that night in Miami. The owner of the now Wizards, Abe Pollin, had broached the topic with David Stern entering the 1989-90 season; increasingly, Pollin had grown uncomfortable with the Bullets nickname — the crime rate was rising in DC, as well as the homicides, and the violent overtones of the nickname clashed with the ideals Pollin wanted his organization to represent.

When Stern died that night in Miami, it was a result of a coked-up 20-year-old kid, on the run from police after shooting another man — the car hit Stern and ended his life, but the car wasn’t the original inciting incident; it was a gun and some bullets.

“Pollin was resolved to end the Bullets nickname then and there,” recalled NBA columnist Sam Gray. “He couldn’t look at that team and not remember why Stern had died.”

With the owners deciding at the winter meetings to make Nike their new uniform provider, everything seemed to line up perfectly for a change. Pollin wanted it done as soon as possible — Nike, thankfully, had plenty of ideas. Pollin and a small group of people, including some players from the team, debated on many names, but eventually settled on ‘Wizards.”

“It was a compromise name,” said Gray. “Everyone had their favorites, but the Wizards were really no one’s favorites — everyone’s second choice, really, but it was a relatively inoffensive name. Just boring, really.”

Nike convinced Pollin to keep the red, white, and blue uniform colors (tweaking the shades slightly) and the Wizards were officially revealed a week before the delayed 1990 NBA Draft. The reveal generated … apathy? Silence? It really generated nothing. The players shrugged, the fans weren’t pleased but ticket sales were still strong, and when the Wizards traded for former Georgetown star Sleepy Floyd, enthusiasm for the team surged.

These weren’t the same Bullets, but those same Bullets had been ineffective for years; the team now had a legitimate point guard, someone who could score at will, and the new uniforms were snazzy. In the eyes of Abe Pollin, things were going well.

Pollin and his organization would conclude a few years later that things indeed hadn’t gone well.

[kibaxx7]

Just leaving a comment to say that I'm so happy to see you back, trek. I'm saving some time this weekend to read everything. I know it's going to be superb.

[RMJH4]

I had a feeling Hakeem was going to Chicago! Going to be super interesting! Another chance in Houston for Scottie too is gonna be a great watch!!

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by kibaxx7

Just leaving a comment to say that I'm so happy to see you back, trek. I'm saving some time this weekend to read everything. I know it's going to be superb.

Thank you, good sir -- I look forward to seeing your thoughts. I'm happy to be back.

Quote: Originally Posted by RMJH4

I had a feeling Hakeem was going to Chicago! Going to be super interesting! Another chance in Houston for Scottie too is gonna be a great watch!!

Yes, Hakeem to Chicago just made too much sense storyline wise; I wanted to see Scottie back in Houston in a different situation (that entire Hakeem-Barkley-Pippen big three never really gelled). I feel like Pippen never really had a team of his own -- between his Bulls stint (and his 18 months being the lead dog of the Bulls when Jordan retired after the 93 Finals) and his brief run with the Blazers, we never saw a prime Pippen command a squad of his own.



Scottie was always the second guy, or compared to the former first guy, or a big piece of a larger puzzle ... here, he has a chance to be THE guy and the results are fun.

[trekfan]

The SI 1990 NBA Draft Recap
By Sam Gray

The NBA is in the midst of one of its greatest eras in recent memory and welcomed in new blood into the league once more, not just in terms of players but also teams. Picking for the first time in franchise history, the Pelicans, Raptors, and Grizzlies entered the league and they get the benefit of not having to worry about rookies bolting in three years time thanks to the new CBA (which kicked in this summer and salary locks rookies to sane four-year deals).

The league did business in this new environment for the first time ever with this draft and, at least for the first pick, everything went according to script.



At the top, the Rockets went against the grain just a tad and picked up Gary Payton, the fierce PG out of Oregon State. Payton instantly becomes the starter at PG for the Rockets, who are looking to get younger after a disappointing season last year with Sleepy Floyd manning the point. With Hakeem now in Chicago after the losing season, it’ll be up to Pippen and Payton to right the Rockets.


2nd overall, the the Heat didn’t wait long to announce Coleman as the pick. The best big man in college last year, Coleman slipped a little and gets to enjoy living in Miami. Coleman was widely expected to be picked first all year long, but the combine brought that wisdom into question when he showed up a bit out of shape; his work ethic will be scrutinized in Miami and the young franchise needs him to hit for any chance at being competitive.

3rd overall, LAC opted for swing-guard Kendall Gill. Gill is a scorer, through and through, and should provide a burst of offense for a Clippers team that routinely had their offense stuck in the mud; with Gill involved, the Clippers are hoping to position themselves as a young team that, at the very least, will be interesting.

4th overall, the Raptors, in their first draft, take a big man in Antonio Davis. Davis played well in his time in college but got into some legal trouble prior to the draft (a DUI); his status for the season is questionable but Toronto believes Davis will be ready to play. The Raptors, playing in the East, know that there are many talented bigs there that they’ll need to defend against and Davis’ defense is his biggest draw.


5th overall, the Pelicans make their first ever draft selection — and that was foreign star Toni Kukoc. Kukoc is highly regarded overseas but in the states, he’s questioned; is he tough enough? Skilled enough? Is he competitive enough to hang with NBA players? The Pelicans believe he is and are working on bringing him over. Should he arrive this season, NOLA may find themselves with a franchise building block.




6th overall, the Grizzlies select their first ever draft pick in Lionel Simmons. Simmons is an instant offense, stat-sheet stuffer. The “L-Train” is an ideal building block for Memphis, who need someone exciting to draw in fans. Simmons should provide that and more; the concern with him is whether or not he can grow his game as in college he rarely took threes and even more rarely made them.

7th overall, the Hornets selected big man Tony Massenburg. Massenburg is a big man, a burly battler of boards, and someone who should inject Charlotte with a big dose of toughness. He’ll shore up their rather weak frontcourt, but questions surround his shot selection; despite playing inside and living in the paint, Massenburg has a tendency to fall in love with the post-fadeaway shot, a shot that works better in college than in the pros. Charlotte will need to encourage him to throw some elbows and go up strong inside if he’s going to be a long-term solution for them.

8th overall, the Kings select Dennis Scott. Scott can score in bunches and provides ideal size for a wing spot; he’ll join a team struggling to forge an identity as the pick of Pervis Ellison (last year’s 1st overall selection) looks to be a huge bust after an injury-riddled rookie season. Scott is one piece for a team that needs many — don’t expect Sacramento be out of the lottery anytime soon.

9th overall were the Knicks. New York had a massively disappointing season, resulting in a new head coach and a new GM; they drafted Will Burton. Another wing in New York, Burton brings size, defense, and a knack for picking his spots — nothing bad about that, but also underwhelming for Knicks fans, who booed the selection heartily. New York is standing on a precipice, teetering between contender and cellar-dweller; they need Burton to hit.

10th saw the Magic take Felton Spencer, the best center in the draft. Spencer is a big who enjoys doing the dirty work — rebounds, defense, and loud putbacks. Spencer isn’t exactly a flash pick (something the Magic lack so far in their young franchise history) but he fills a need and should prove to be a productive piece for the young franchise.



At 11, the Bullets selected Causwell. Washington had need for a young center after cycling through a bunch of unremarkable (and depressing) veteran options last year; the Wizards aren’t exactly going to win any awards for this pick, but considering that they were only a few wins outside of the playoffs (four games short) and finished with a winning record, Causwell may be just enough to get them into the postseason.

At 12, the Sonics selected Cedric Ceballos. Ceballos is a scorer and a capable defender, though where he’s going to find time to do either in Seattle is another question altogether. Already with a deep roster of wings, Seattle is selecting Ceballos to hedge their bets or trade him for help somewhere else.

At 13, the Hawks selected troubled two-guard Recasner. Like Davis in Toronto, Recasner currently has legal troubles to get through and may not be available to start the season; Atlanta is betting he can be a key bench piece to help get them into the playoffs. Much like the Bullets, the Hawks finished at 42-40 but were shut out due to the brutal competition of the East.

At 14, the Spurs select Scott Williams — San Antonio finished outside of the playoffs as well at 46-36, two games short of a postseason berth. Where they were hurt was because of a lack of depth behind Terry Cummings (a free agent this summer) and Robinson. Williams should solve that problem easily and could be the heir-apparent to Cummings, should the big man leave the team.

At 15, the Jazz pick Dee Brown. A hugely gifted offense player, Brown should be an instant upgrade to the Jazz’s bench (one of the more average benches in the NBA last year) and give John Stockton some valuable rest down the stretch of a long season. Brown is a good piece and someone Jerry Sloan should enjoy putting to work; if he ever learns to play average defense, he could be a starter in this league.



The most interesting pick here is PF Elden Campbell. Campbell should be a valuable backup in New Jersey and could replace Sam Bowie (a free agent this summer) at center. New Jersey got punished in the playoffs by Boston for their lack of size off the bench and this pick is a direct answer to that problem.



At 24 the Cavs selected PG/SG Tate George. George projects as a valuable guard off the bench, playing the one or two for Cleveland. With a good dose of defense and the ability to make plays for others, George is an ideal complimentary piece for Cleveland to develop.



The final pick of the first round went to the Pistons, who select Negele Knight. Knight is the type of guard Detroit likes; smart, hard-working, and someone who plays well within their role. Detroit, coming off a title, has a number of key bench players as free agents and Knight’s selection here is insurance in case of any big losses.

[trekfan]

1990 Free Agency Recap
By Sam Gray



The moratorium period is over and the NBA is back to business, in a league reshaped by multiple offseason moves. As the league negotiates the new CBA, salary cap, and trade rules, these teams dipped their toes in the water and are hoping they made good deals.


Let’s go over the major signings — good, bad, or ugly:


SG Brian Shaw/PF Tom Tolbert to CHI — Good. The Bulls had a disappointing exit from the playoffs last year (Round 1 sweep against the Cavs) and that resulted in the biggest trade of the offseason (Hakeem for Pippen/Grant/1st rounder), which effectively froze the trade market in fear; uniting Jordan and Hakeem on one team might make the Bulls a lock for a Finals run. Bringing in Shaw and Tolbert, while not nearly as impactful, is important as both players are young and versatile.

PG Danny Ainge/SG Dennis Johnson/C Bill Cartwright/SF Purvis Short to BOS — Good. The Celtics had a great year last season as Bird and McHale both looked healthier than they had in a few seasons. Boston bringing back Ainge and Johnson has a very “get the band back together” feel, and adding in veteran (and former Bull) Cartwright is a savvy move. Add in Short (who was very good off the bench with MIL last year) and Boston is prepped for a deep run if they can stay healthy and avoid Chicago long enough.

PG Scott Brooks/C Andrew Lang/PF Danny Ferry to MEM — Good. Memphis will enter their first NBA season with a solid team, though unspectacular, and each of these signings are solid; the players are young, the contracts manageable. Brooks and Ferry were two gets that were unexpected, as both their former teams seemed interested in retaining their services but Memphis worked out a deal to get them, showing that they’re not afraid to spend money if they find someone they like.


SF Derek Smith to CHA — Ugly. Smith was a backup on Philly last year but apparently did enough to convince Charlotte to overpay him on a 3yr deal. The Hornets are desperate to look better than last year, but they traded a near 20 PPG player (Kelly Tripuka) in for Smith, who only averaged 9 PPG last year. It’s gonna be a long three years in Charlotte.

SF Alex English to UTA — Good. English put up 24.9 PPG last season as the starter for the Nuggets (who finished with 48 wins) and he’ll add a much needed burst of scoring to the Jazz’s usually effective (but boring) offense. The one concern is how well English will hold up, as he’s 36 and at that age all it takes is one injury to end a career.

SG Vernon Maxwell to SAC —Bad. The Kings continue to look like a team with no direction, too many bad contracts, and little hope. Maxwell brings intensity, defense, and shooting, but that won’t get the Kings too far.

C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to LAL — Good. Kareem, a year after retiring, was convinced to come back for the Lakers as LA saw what happened in Chicago and responded by bringing back a legend. A year off may have been exactly what Kareem needs as he splits time with Divac at C; the question is whether or not Kareem can make it through the season at his advanced age (43 and counting).

SF Sam Perkins to DAL — Good. Dallas didn’t do too much as the Mavericks, winners of 60 games last year, brought back Perkins to help them get back into the playoffs and get deeper. Dallas wants a title badly, especially with their new ownership.

PG Mo Cheeks to NJ — Good? New Jersey didn’t exactly need Cheeks, but with the Spurs waiving him and the Nets wanting a more veteran presence at point, Cheeks made too much sense to pass up. Cheeks isn’t flashy, but he can get the ball to people and keep the game from getting away.

SF Kelly Tripucka to DEN — Good. Denver watched English leave them for a rival, but grabbed someone to replace most of his point production in Tripucka, who averaged 19.8 PPG last season. With Adams, Lever, and Tripucka on the floor, Denver will have plenty of offense, though defense remains optional for the former ABA squad.


SG John Starks/PF Chris Dudley/SG Vinny Del Negro/PG Danny Young to NOLA — Good. NOLA enters their first season much like Memphis, stacked with solid young players with upside on manageable contracts. Will the Pelicans have any hope of cracking 20 wins? Unlikely. But New Orleans will get to watch a fun squad learn and grow together.

SF Johnny Newman/SG Lewis Lloyd/PG Haywoode Workman/C Alton Lister to TOR —Good? The Raptors had difficulty convincing NBA players that Canada was worth living in, so they had to go find people who were willing to take their money and be a bit desperate. The biggest red flag (and potential headache) is Lewis Lloyd, who has had drug issues in the past and didn’t exactly look sharp after being reinstated last season. It’ll be interesting to see if Lloyd can stay on the straight and narrow in Canada.

SF Mario Elie/PG Michael Williams/SG Tim Legler/SG Scott Roth to HOU — Good. The Rockets made one of the biggest trades in years earlier in the offseason and have surrounded their new franchise player (Pippen) with solid pieces. Between Ellie, Legler, and Roth, the Rockets will have plenty of shooting and defense, allowing Pippen to roam the floor and take what he wants … assuming Pippen’s playoff no-show was a fluke (what Houston believes) and not a sign of things to come (what Chicago and Jordan believes).

PG Darnell Valentine/SF Thurl Bailey to SA — Good. The Spurs just missed the playoffs last year and opted to get younger at the point (signing Valentine) and bring in good SF depth in Bailey (former Jazz member) to help get them over the hump. San Antonio has had a quiet offseason compared to the Mavs and Rockets, but the Spurs now possess the best big man in conference in David Robinson — and San Antonio’s path to a deep playoff run will ultimately run through the Admiral.

SF Eddie Johnson to PHX — Bad. Johnson, though a fantastic scorer, is leaky on defense and the Suns needed to find a better balanced wing (someone to play defense) to counter the play of players like Drexler (who demolished them in the WCF). Phoenix overpayed for Johnson and may have learned the wrong lesson from last season’s unexpected deep playoff run.

PF Buck Williams/SG Byron Irvin/PG Steve Alford to POR — Good? The Blazers made the Finals last year with this team, but overpayed to bring back Williams and Irvin. Alford may help their bench PG play (which was abysmal in the Finals), but with the changes the West has seen, is this really enough to make it back to the Finals?

C Benoit Benjamin to GS — Good. Golden State has tasted the playoffs and needed a better big man to counter the looks they saw there. Benjamin (formerly of LAC) will help them withstand the postseason big man play. Benjamin will need to stay healthy to make his deal (4 years) worth it, but if the Warriors can manage to keep him okay, they may have what they need to make a deep run.

[studbucket]

With Coleman on the Heat, this makes me fascinated for where Larry Johnson, Dikembe Mutombo, Kenny Anderson, Steve Smith, Shaq, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber, and Penny Hardaway will end up the next few drafts. What weird mixes of players and teams will we see? Will we get the crazy frontcourt duo of Derrick Coleman and Shaq in Miami? Will LJ and Zo end up together again somehow?

Also - I am very biased, but Steve Alford to anyone = bad (I lived in Iowa City, going to college there when he was coach for the Hawkeyes. Iowa City is a "big town" - it was an open secret that the guy is a huge jerk and I knew equipment managers who verified this).

[RMJH4]

Payton and Pippen finally link up in Houston instead of Seattle!