10-13-2015, 01:37 PM
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Rookie
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1979-80 NBA Season Roster: Work in Progress
Hi, everyone -
I am at work on a roster representing, as well as I can manage, the 1979-80 NBA season. I picked 79-80 because I feel like it was sort of a transitional year for the NBA; Magic and Bird were rookies but none of the teams that would eventually dominate then next decade had quite come together yet.
It's slow going, but I found when working on these things last year that posting regular updates keeps me honest and motivated. I have completed spreadsheets for all 22 teams that were in the league in 79-80, with each roster as it stood on October 12, 1979. The other 8 teams will consist entirely of players who were recently retired, playing in Europe, or free agents as of that date. I'm also hoping to make 50-60 free agents and a few years' worth of companion draft classes.
As always, anyone interested in helping out, please let me know!
I have completed a total of four teams so far - the four teams that were the real-life NBA's final four:
The Los Angeles Lakers: The eventual champs, with a rookie Magic (82 OVR) joining 79-80 MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (90) and forward Jamaal Wilkes (80) in one of the league's best Big Threes. Depth is the biggest weakness for this Laker team, as the only other player rated 70+ overall is point guard Norm Nixon (72).
Philadelphia 76ers: The runner-ups feature Julius Erving (87) and a career year from power forward Bobby Jones (80), plus second-year point guard Maurice Cheeks (77), veteran center Darryl Dawkins (72), and a surprisingly potent sixth man in Steve Mix (76).
Boston Celtics: The best player on this version of the Celtics was low-post star Cedric Maxwell (86), who joins Larry Bird (83) to give Boston the best inside-outside combo in the top four. This year's Celtics were a very deep team, with Tiny Archibald (78), Chris Ford (73), Dave Cowens (73), Rick Robey (74), and Jeff Judkins (70) all playing meaningful roles.
Seattle Supersonics: This team made the Western Conference Finals behind slashing guard Gus Williams (84) and Hall of Fame center Jack Sikma (78), here only 24 years old and at the beginning of a long run of excellence. There's a range of interesting scoring options here, most interestingly Dennis Johnson (74) and Fred Brown (73), the best 3-point shooter of the year. Buried on the bench: rookies Vinnie Johnson (70) and James Donaldson (70), who would both go on to big careers with other teams in real life.
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