Another DB Project milestone, another blog update!

I just completed verifying names, positions, heights, weights and teams for all players up through the 1984 season. And, man, I’ve gotta tell you – this chunk of basketball time was waaaaay more interesting than the previous. Whereas the ABA days were tedious – having to verify player after player who only suited up for a single season – the late 70s and early 80s are full of long-careered, great players. It truly was a golden age for the sport and I burned through it quickly.

I’m inspired and super-energized to keep moving on through the next block of time, but it’s going to be an extremely short one. Instead of a block constisting of 8-14 years, I’ll next check in here after 4. For most of my verification I’ve been using Pro Basketball: The Sports Encyclopedia: 1891-1989 Edition 2 by David S. Neft and Richard M. Cohen – an utterly fantastic reference and a must buy for any NBA historian. Unfortunately, the book only goes up through the 1989 NBA season so for the rest of my DB Project, I’m moving on to Street and Smith Pro Basketball yearbooks.

I’ve been slowly accumulating these annuals off of eBay and their own online archive, and am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to rip through them. However, until then, I’ll treasure the last few pages left in the Sports Encyclopedia.

As always, I’ll keep you updated here.

Game 1: 2000s at 1960s
In a quick rematch from the last series, the 2000s squad traveled into Boston to take on the legends of the 1960s. Team Captains Tim Duncan (31 PTS / 11 TRB / 4 AST) and Wilt Chamberlain (24 PTS / 11 TRB / 2 BLK) led their teams on the floor but it was the superior defense of the 2000s club that won the game (11 BLK / 10 STL to the 1960′s 6 BLK / 7 STL). This was just enough to overcompensate for Oscar Robertson’s hot shooting from deep (3-5 3FG) and the 2000s strike the first blow.
118-111 2000s 1-0

Game 2: 2000s at 1960s
Wilt and Timmy D kept themselves relatively in check for game 2 so it was the “small” guys who battled ferociously. Elgin Baylor had a strong showing for his team (20 PTS / 11 TRB / 3 BLK) as did LeBron James (25 PTS / 8 TRB / 8 AST), but this contest was never close. The three-point discrepancy in the 2000 squad’s favor sealed that (9 made three-pointers to the 1960′s 2) and the 1960s leave Boston 0-2 with a bloody nose.
119-89 2000s 2-0

Game 3: 1960s at 2000s
Entering San Antonio – the 2000s team’s home court – the 1960s legends were pissed. Down 0-2 to their younger counterparts (and not having a great showing in either game) had lit a fire inside them and they came out swinging. Oscar Robertson led the charge (23 PTS / 3 TRB / 11 AST) along with Baylor (21 PTS / 12 TRB / 2 STL) and the wings completely shut down the outside (0 three-pointers for the 2000s). As a result, the 2000s had to play the 60s styled game and the score was tied with 6 seconds left. Wilt Chamberlain had the ball and went to turn to face the basket, but Tim Duncan made his second and final steal of the night, then heaved a full court outlet pass for Kobe Bryant who scored the winning layup. This critical error cost the 1960s their best chance at a win and leave the squad utterly deflated.
95-97 2000s 3-0

Game 4: 1960s at 2000s
With such a crushing defeat in Game 3, the 1960s might as well not have shown up to play for Game 4. Chamberlain (23 PTS / 10 TRB / 4 BLK) and Spencer Haywood (14 PTS / 10 TRB / 2 STL) played well, but no one else scored in double digits and the team shot 37% for the night. Meanwhile, it was a stats smorgasbord for the 2000s: Duncan dominated (32 PTS / 12 TRB / 4 BLK) and Kobe notched a triple-double (15 PTS / 10 TRB / 10 AST). At the end it was a near-50 point bloodbath and the 2000s emerge victorious.
77-125 2000s 4-0

Tournament Results:
A sweep brings the 1960s team below .500 for the first time in the contest. On the other side, the 2000s four-and-out victory rockets them into second place, just 1 loss behind the vaunted 1980s squad.

Next Round: 1980s at 1970s!

It’s been five months since the end of the initial UBAS season – five long months (UBAS site)! While it was an agonizingly long time, I spent it well by pouring over all of the unsigned, remaining players and cooking up trade idea after trade idea.

Then, about two months ago, Adam (the commissioner) updated everyone with the new crop of rookies. Blake Griffin is the most promising of the bunch, and John Wall was a solid project, but the field was fairly strong with an influx of European and Australian players, as well. The draft was so strong, in fact, that I quickly realized many newly available players were better than some of those gathering dust on my bench.

So, I went back to the database – finding the best players to fill holes in my squad. I hope I did alright. I’ll quickly recap how I did in the draft and why I dropped the players I did and what made me select the players I drafted.

My New York Rens finished 38-44 which “won” me the 11th pick in the draft. However, the team that had the 8th spot abstained from selecting in the draft so everyone moved up and I took 10th. I dropped Bob Houbregs to have a spot on my roster. His original selection was a bit of a mistake – the method I used to create my season 1 team didn’t account for games played or minutes played. As a result, towards the end, I began to pick up really productive players that either missed a ton of games or barely saw the court. So, Houbregs was an easy dump.

I knew the promising young rookies (Griffin, Wall, Demarcus Cousins, etc.) would be hot properties in the first 10 or so picks so I concentrated on the European and Australian players. Most of these players followed the same pattern: the first half of their career would be incredibly productive followed by mediocre years. So, focusing just on the first 5 years, I chose Australian shooting guard, Al Green, who had hands-down the best first 5 years of anyone on the board. He wasn’t a perfect fit for my squad as Clyde Drexler was going to be manning the SG spot for a decade, but I went with production over fit for this one. In fact, it wasn’t too terribly bad a lineup problem, either, as Drexler could slide up to SF, Barkley could slide up to PF and Leroy Edwards and Harry Gallatin could each play C.

I knew this draft class was extremely strong and I felt I could jump in with another early pick if I made the right trade. Luckily, the GM who owned the 15th selection asked me about Derek Harper. Harper was a great, long-term player but I felt I could find one who would produce more in less time at the 15th pick, so I shipped him out. As if this wasn’t enough good luck already, the two teams with the 13th and 14th picks decided to sit out for the draft so my 15th pick now was 13th (12th including the 8th spot who dropped out, too).

Anyway, I have always been slightly concerned with Leroy Edwards. He’s one of my favorite players and a phenomenal talent but is injury-prone for the first couple of years. When he goes down Harry Gallatin or Vlade Divac can take over for the C spot, but depending on lineups, sometimes Barkley will have to step up from the SF to the PF spot. Long story short, I wanted someone who could cover the PF and SF bases and Scott Fisher was the best bet for the next 5 years.

Jack Coleman was going to be a servicable backup big for the rest of his career, but with Scott Fisher I felt he was expendable. This decision was made even easier with the realization I could pick up even better players at my final spot (32nd pick). Looking over my squad I felt I still was a little top-heavy so I wanted to pick up a guard.

It was my turn and I even drafted the email saying I would be selecting a PG when I decided to do one more type of formula. This one averaged players’ best first season against their entire career and a gem popped out: Frank Ramsey. He wasn’t a PG but at SG/SF he could help fill in for Ron Harper who wouldn’t be able to play a full season.

And that was it! I think I did pretty well although I guess I still probably won’t see what I’ve missed until the season starts. Last year, I had a strategy for the draft and stuck to it pretty well but it was pretty clear afterward that my methods had a few kinks. A full season under my belt I now also am better aware of what it takes to be successful in the league. I think I shored up some gaping holes in my lineup (for this year and future years) and am on the right track. I can’t say I’ll compete for the championship in season 2 – but I should make the playoffs. I’ll keep you all updated!

Game 1: 1960s at 2000s
It’s quite a juxtaposition as the thin runners of the 60s take the court across the chiseled, muscular 90s players. However, the doughy Baylor (29 PTS / 10 TRB / 4 AST) and the string bean Chamberlain (25 PTS / 14 TRB / 5 AST) get the last laugh – outlasting their athletic counterparts and squeaking out a 10-point win on their opponent’s home court.
115-105 1960s 1-0

Game 2: 1960s at 2000s
A little embarrassed at their close loss, the 2000 squad came out fired up. This determination turned into a block party and subsequently a blowout. The 2000s players recorded 16 blocks in this game but, oddly, the majority of these came from the perimeter. Kobe (11 PTS / 5 TRB / 5 AST) notched 2 blocks while Dwyane Wade (playing as a point guard) recorded 5 denials! Garnett (21 PTS / 5 TRB / 7 AST / 2 BLK) was the centerpiece for the winning side.
87-107 Tie 1-1

Game 3: 2000s at 1960s
Back on their home court in Boston, the 60s squad just fell flat – literally. They got beat in both of the “jumping” stats, losing the rebounding battle 42-50 and only managing 1 block to their opponents’ 10 (yikes!). The Big Fundamental was dominant on both ends (23 PTS / 13 TRB / 4 AST / 5 BLK), limiting the efficiencies of Chamberlain and Spencer Haywood. Baylor (28 PTS / 10 TRB / 5 AST), however, is becoming the jewel of the 1960s for this series (and this is against LeBron).
111-98 2000s 2-1

Game 4: 2000s at 1960s
The 60s lose in another blowout although this one is particular ugly as neither team shoots well (37% and 46%). After shining brightly, Baylor’s star gets dimmed tonight (4-14 FG) under the punishing defense of LeBron. His teammate, Jerry West, does even worse (0-7 FG), hounded by Kobe Bryant. It’s a bloodbath in Boston and the bruised 60s squad leaves the court with their heads hung low and their hopes quickly evaporating.
97-75 2000s 3-1

Game 5: 1960s at 2000s
The series shifts back to the 2000s home court in San Antonio and the home team are up a commanding 3-1. Just in time for Wilt Chamberlain (remember that guy?) to finally shake loose of the shackles Duncan has had him in for the past 4 games. Wilt (25 PTS / 14 TRB / 4 BLK / 3 STL) out-Duncan’s Duncan and Baylor (26 PTS / 10 TRB / 6 AST) gets his mojo back. Kevin Durant finds 4 minutes of playing time and manages to do nothing but commit a single turnover.
105-94 2000s 3-2

Game 6: 2000s at 1960s
Rebounding is the name of the game in the 6th contest as the 1960s out board their 2000 counterparts to the ridiculous amount of 60-34! Oscar Robertson almost notches a triple-double (31 PTS / 8 TRB / 9 AST) and Baylor continues to produce (22 PTS / 10 TRB / 2 AST). Tim Duncan was the only 2000 player who seemed to show up tonight (20 PTS / 9 TRB / 2 AST) while Durantula (1-6 FG, 0-3 3FG) and Paul Pierce (3-8 FG) chuck their team out of the building in a lopsided match.
102-131 Tie 3-3

Game 7: 1960s at 2000s
Hot damn, we’ve got ourselves a Game 7! The final and deciding contest will be held on the 2000′s home court, but the 1960s squad is coming off the largest victory in the series. The tension shoots like electricity through the crowd before the tip off! From jump to the final shot, this one was close. LeBron (0-4 3FG) and Kobe (0-3 3FG) are the main culprits in the 2000′s brickfest but this is offset by the 7 additional turnovers the 1960s team makes. It’s anybody’s game going into the 4th quarter as both teams are led by their big mens’ strengths (Chamberlain with 32 PTS / 16 TRB and Duncan with 13 TRB / 5 BLK). Up by a point, Dwyane Wade (19 PTS / 2 TRB / 4 AST) decides to 1-up his rival, LeBron, and sinks a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Killer series.
106-110 2000s 4-3

Tournament Results:
The 1960s have seen the most action so far (I’m even questioning how random my random selection process is!), but they’re doing ok – especially considering they’ve been the visiting team in each of the four series. It’ll be interesting to see if they emerge as strong favorites after getting home court advantage.

Next Round: 1960s at 1950s!

Game 1: 1950s at 1980s
The 1950s squad – based in Minneapolis – make the 2000 mile trip to Los Angeles, home court of the 1980s for Game 1 in this series. It was a battle of the power forwards this evening as Barkley (20 PTS / 18 TRB / 2 BLK) fought Pettit (17 PTS / 11 TRB / 2 BLK) on both ends of the floor. Cousy also pitched in for the early decade’s squad (20 PTS / 5 TRB / 5 AST) but no other teammate scores over 8 points and the 1950s lose by double digits.
95-106 1980s 1-0

Game 2: 1950s at 1980s
Pettit and Cousy implore the rest of the starters to help them score for Game 2 and score they do as all 5 players reach double digits. Unfortunately, tonight is the night Michael Jordan decides to do everything well (16 PTS / 7 TRB / 10 AST / 2 STL), negating the 50′s comeback. A thrilling game comes down to free throws as the 80s go 24-28 (.857) to the 60s squad’s 21-30 (.700). The curse of the 50′s poor shooting is starting to haunt them already.
95-106 1980s 2-0

Game 3: 1980s at 1950s
Back in Minneapolis, Paul Arizin does his best Michael Jordan impression (21 PTS / 11 TRB / 3 AST / 3 BLK) – though Jordan doesn’t look so bad, himself (17 PTS / 4 TRB / 13 AST). Cousy (14 PTS / 7 AST) and Pettit (13 PTS / 7 TRB) once again perform their points-assists-rebounds duet, but no one on the 50s can stop the Round Mound of Rebound. Sir Charles (20 PTS / 9 TRB / 6 AST) leads the 80s to another victory and the 50s to the brink of being swept.
118-93 1980s 3-0

Game 4: 1980s at 1950s
With the humiliation of losing 4 straight games becoming a reality, the 1950s players know it is gut check time and come out courageously. Disasterously, they apparently leave their shot in the locker room, ending up shooting 44% from the floor as a team. Meanwhile, the 1980s smell blood in the water and dominate on both ends of the court. Barkley (34 PTS / 11 TRB / 5 STL) is the standout, though Patrick Ewing has a good showing (18 PTS / 7 TRB) in a secondary role. 1950s drop an egg, but vow to come back in their next series.
121-88 1980s 4-0

Tournament Results:
The 50s go down hard, quickly taking last place with their 0-4 showing. The 80s, on the other hand (with 8 wins), catapult into a tie for first place with the 1960s.

Next Round: 1960s at 2000s!

Game 1: 1960s at 1980s
Many balked at the idea of a Jordan-Dantley backcourt but the 80s squad proved these doubters wrong. Jordan shined playing the point (22 PTS / 6 TRB / 12 AST / 4 STL) and Dantley provided secondary scoring (19 PTS / 2 TRB / 3 AST) to lead the 1980s team over their 1960s counterparts. Patrick Ewing will have his hands full this series as Chamberlain (24 PTS / 12 TRB / 5 AST) and Spencer Haywood (15 PTS / 16 TRB) simply dominated down low.
107-114 1980s 1-0

Game 2: 1960s at 1980s
There was a phenomenal duel between the small forwards in Game 2. Elgin Baylor (19 PTS / 16 TRB / 4 AST) out-muscled everyone on the boards, but Larry Bird (11 PTS / 3 TRB / 10 AST) opened up his teammates with brilliant interior passing. However, it was Wilt Chamberlain (38 PTS / 14 TRB / 5 AST / 4 BLK / 3 STL) who, once again, hoisted the 1960s team on his broad shoulders and carries his team to victory over the star-studded 80s squad.
113-104 Tie 1-1

Game 3: 1980s at 1960s
After stealing Game 2 and heading back to their homecourt in Boston, the 1960s team feels extremely confident. That confidence produces dominating rebounding with Chamberalin (28 PTS / 22 TRB) and Haywood (20 PTS / 12 TRB) leading the way again. The 80s lose in a blowout and a furious Jordan stares icily in Patrick Ewing’s direction (9 PTS / 5 TRB / 3 AST).
99-119 1960s 2-1

Game 4: 1980s at 1960s
It sure must be nice to have multiple all-time clutch players on your squad. With the 1960′s vice grip on the series tightening, Michael Jordan (17 PTS / 9 TRB / 14 AST), Charles Barkley (26 PTS / 9 TRB / 4 AST / 3 BLK) and Larry Bird (22 PTS / 10 TRB / 7 AST) direct a concerted, team-oriented attack to bring the series back to Los Angeles in a tie. In a losing effort, Oscar Robertson shined (17 PTS / 8 TRB / 11 AST) but Chamberlain looked downright mortal (26 PTS / 9 TRB / 3 AST).
136-112 Tie 2-2

Game 5: 1960s at 1980s
A double overtime thriller (and first overtime game in the competition), so several ridiculous stat lines appeared. Elgin Baylor (16 PTS / 12 TRB / 7 AST) and Spencer Haywood (17 PTS / 11 TRB / 3 BLK) had excellent games for the 60s squad – oh, and so did that Chamberlain fella (35 PTS / 19 TRB / 4 BLK). But it was the 1980′s team that prevailed behind the usual triumvirate of Jordan (25 PTS / 8 TRB / 12 AST), Bird (22 PTS / 10 TRB / 6 AST / 4 BLK) and Barkley (30 PTS / 15 TRB / 8 AST). The round mound is leading the 80′s rebound in this series (ugh)!
116-125 2OT 1980s 3-2

Game 6: 1980s at 1960s
Back in Boston, the biggest strength of the 60s – rebounding – fails them (the 80s beat them for the first time in the series, 46-37) and, as a result, so go the 60s squad. Oscar Robertson (25 PTS / 7 TRB / 15 AST) and Jerry West (25 PTS / 5 TRB / 2 AST) hit for 25 apiece, but it’s the steely closer, Michael Jordan (28 PTS / 6 TRB / 12 AST) that shuts the door on this matchup.
129-125 1980s 4-2

Tournament Results:
After the 80′s first series, they are neck and neck with the 90s but the nod would still go to Olajuwon’s bunch who lead with a 3.2 point differential.

Next Round: 1950s at 1980s!

Game 1: 1960s at 1970s
Wilt Chamberlain is going to have a long series handling both Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (24 PTS / 12 TRB / 7 AST / 4 STL) and Moses Malone (21 PTS / 15 TRB / 2 BLK) on the court most of the game. Still, this is Wilt fucking Chamberlain we’re talking about here and he rises to the occasion (38 PTS / 19 TRB / 5 BLK). Unfortunately, the rest of his team was shooting blanks. Neither West (6-13), Haywood (3-10), Robertson (3-13) nor Baylor (4-16) was able to break the 1970s vaunted defense.
100-109 1970s 1-0

Game 2: 1960s at 1970s
The 1960s squad had a 2-hour pre-game shoot around in hopes that their shooting percentages would increase from their miserable Game 1 showing. Well, the shots were falling but every player was focusing so much on getting the ball nearer to the hoop that they forgot to go after the rebounds. The 1970s team crushed their opponents on the boards, 62-41. Moses Malone (29 PTS / 22 TRB / 3 BLK) was responsible for most of that damage and leads his teammates to a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
108-131 1970s 2-0

Game 3: 1970s at 1960s
As both teams travel to Boston for the first 1960s home game, there are noticable nerves showing in the 60s team. Everyone seems a little worried about what it will take to beat this stellar 70s squad. Everyone that is, except for Oscar Robertson (20 PTS / 8 TRB / 14 AST) who asks his team to worry about defense and rebounding and he’ll make sure they get open looks. The Big O comes through even though Dr. J (25 PTS / 12 TRB / 4 AST) finally outshines his two all-time big men.
103-114 1970s 2-1

Game 4: 1970s at 1960s
With a win under their belts, the boys from the 60s decide to stick to the exact same, winning game plan. This time, however, Elgin Baylor (16 PTS / 8 TRB / 3 AST) decides to personally shut down that flashy Erving kid that lit him up in the previous game. Baylor’s excellent defense completely takes Dr. J out of the game offensively (6 PTS / 11 TRB / 6 AST) and Oscar Robertson again earns game honors with a near-triple double (22 PTS / 9 TRB / 11 AST).
105-114 Tie 2-2

Game 5: 1960s at 1970s
It is now the 1970s team that is starting to feel frustration having dropped the last 2 games, but they hope that returning to their homecourt at Madison Square Garden will bring them a win. Chamberlain (24 PTS / 16 TRB / 4 AST) and West (16 PTS / 6 TRB / 5 AST) have other plans, however, and steal a third straight victory and command of the series. After the game, Moses (18 PTS / 18 TRB), Kareem (21 PTS / 13 TRB / 4 BLK) and Archibald (24 PTS / 14 AST) look absolutely bewildered at how they dropped this one.
123-117 1960s 3-2

Game 6: 1970s at 1960s
Back in Boston for Game 6, the 60s squad come out to a strong 10-point lead in the first quarter and never relinquish it. Their efficient scoring takes away the 1970′s greatest asset – rebounding – and only Moses is able to get a double-digit rebounding total. The stats for all players are relatively flat for this finisher, but Chamberalin (28 PTS / 14 TRB / 3 STL) is impressive and leaves satisfied knowing his team evens themselves in the contest.
93-103 1960s 4-2

Tournament Results:

Next Round: 1960s at 1980s!

Well, I lied. The last time I updated everyone on my DB Project, I predicted going through the ABA years would be “fun.” In reality, it was tedious.

I count on long-careered players to help whittle down the amount of people each season that I have to perform error checks on. Unfortunately, the ABA was such a crazy free-for-all at times that it was bloated with a host of one- or two-year players. It was a nightmare finishing a season of error correcting, moving on to the next year and seeing a long list of new, blank people needing to be fully investigated. Ugh, talk about time consuming. Why can’t every player just be as solid and dependable as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

But it’s done and I’m back to just one league – one comprised of players with dependable, average-length careers. Huzzah!

For my next act I’ll be error-checking the NBA until the legendary 1985 season (I’m pretty sure an important basketball figure begins his career that year). So, I’ll check back when I’m at the mid-point of the 80′s.

This one should be fun!

Game 1: 1960s at 1990s
Spencer Haywood was expected to do great things in this tournament but perhaps the rookie had first night jitters here. Sure he had a decent showing on the boards (7 TRB), but he couldn’t put the ball in the hole (3-10 FG, 9 PTS). On the other side of the court, the Admiral provided all of the leadership necessary for the 90s squad (34 PTS / 9 TRB / 7 AST / 4 BLK). Chamberlain fought valiantly (19 PTS / 8 TRB / 4 BLK) but the 90s end up with the first win of the competition.
112-121 1990s 1-0

Game 2: 1960s at 1990s
This night belonged to Hakeem as he was a man amongst boys (29 PTS / 11 TRB / 5 BLK / 2 STL). Even his teammate and long-time rival, David Robinson, had to sit back and enjoy the show (he even pumped in 11 AST – most of them to Olajuwon). The 60s were caught on the wrong end of a blowout, though Chamberlain (19 PTS / 11 TRB / 3 BLK) and Oscar (17 PTS / 4 TRB / 9 AST) put up some resistance.
97-127 1990s 2-0

Game 3: 1990s at 1960s
The 90s traveled to the 60′s Boston homecourt high off of their 2 wins. Unfortunately, the two contests had Chamberlain seething and looking for a way to express his frustration. Tonight he erupted (31 PTS / 15 TRB / 3 BLK), reminding those 90s boys that there are all-time players on both teams.
98-115 1990s 2-1

Game 4: 1990s at 1960s
Wilt The Stilt again leads his squad (18 PTS / 15 TRB / 5 AST / 5 BLK) but actually gets help from his supporting cast this time. Jerry West provided scoring and playmaking (22 PTS / 6 AST) while Baylor pounded the boards (17 PTS / 11 TRB). On the 90s, Robinson had a fourth, stellar game (23 PTS / 7 TRB / 7 AST / 7 BLK) but started to feel like Chamberlain with little assistance from his teammates.
100-110 Tie 2-2

Game 5: 1960s at 1990s
Back at the 90′s Chicago stadium, the home team realized they were back at square one, all tied up against the 60s squad. Hakeem delivered a stirring pre-game speech that seemed to have charged up Rodman (21 TRB!!!) and Robinson (11 AST?!?!), especially. This wasn’t a one-sided fight, however, with Chamberlain (26 PTS / 17 TRB), West (22 PTS / 7 AST / 3 STL) and Robertson (11 PTS / 6 TRB / 14 AST) bringing their team to within 5, but the 90s ultimately prevail.
106-111 1990s 3-2

Game 6: 1990s at 1960s
The saying goes that the first team to win a road game wins the series and … the saying stays true for this series. Back up in Boston, the 90s squeak out a two-point thriller. Olajuwon was doing it all night (42 PTS / 10 TRB / 6 BLK) but passed to Jason Kidd (15 PTS / 5 TRB / 9 AST) open on the perimeter for the game-winning three. Chamberlain (26 PTS / 17 TRB / 3 BLK) and Robertson (11 PTS / 6 TRB / 14 AST) were crushed but vowed to come back stronger for their next match.
102-100 1990s 4-2

Next Round: 1960s at 1970s!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m running a simulated all-decade team tournament called the Fight of the Decade. It’s a small diversion I can lose myself in during breaks of madness from my gigantic DB Project.

For this undertaking, I’ve decided to go with What If Sports, an online fantasy sports simulation engine where I can create dream team matchups and determine the outcome. They’re a great service that combines jaw-dropping ease of use with a beautiful presentation, though I’m a little against some of the simulated stats decisions that they’ve made. Still, since this is just for fun, I’ll err on the side of ease (I’ve got my whole DB Project to be super nit-picky with)!

In my introductory blog about the Fight of the Decade, I went over the very brief list of rules I decided upon so I’ll move on to the teams. One of the coolest ideas at What If Sports is boiling down players into salaries. The salaries are all relative to each other, so you can plunk down a measly $100,000 for a typically bad season from one of the NBA’s benchwarmers or you can shell out over $13,000,000 for Wilt Chamberlain’s most dominant season. Certain leagues you can join on the site will limit how much spending cash you have to put together a team but for this exercise money is no object. I will use money as a determination factor should a player be eligible for 2 teams (such as Wilt who was good enough for both the All-1960s and All-1970s teams). The decade with the player’s season with the higher salary gets to pick him first.

To determine rosters I combed through What If Sports to find the highest salaries from each decade until I had the 12 highest. However, there are a few stipulations on these players. First, players are only eligible for positions in which they are 100% effective at playing. What If Sports determines a value between 1-100 for each position per season per player. If a player has a value below 100 in any position he will have a simulated handicap should he play that position in a game. I want the best of the best so everyone on these rosters are 100% effective to play their selected position (according to What If Sports, anyway). For example, Tim Duncan has 100 efficiencies in both PF and C, and is therefore available to be selected at either position. For Walt Bellamy’s fantastic 1963 season he’s rated 100 for C but 98 for PF, thus he can only be a C in this tournament.

Secondly, I followed author Ken Close’s rule that every player should see at least 6 minutes of game time (Close’s similar project from 1990 is mentioned in my previous post). This means that two of the five best players per decade will only see 36 minutes per contest (as they would have 2 backups needing 12 minutes total). So, I actually tuned each roster to find the optimized amount of minutes for each player. It was a bit of a grueling method but I loved every minute of this nonsense.

Ok, enough blathering, I’ll get on to the teams!

Even though I didn’t even become a fan of the NBA until 2003, I have developed a soft spot for the early pioneers of the sport. These guys played a game that wasn’t as glamours as basketball is today and had to endure back-breaking travel and inadequate equipment. Furthermore, they were all making it up as they went, forming basketball from the raw game it was into the highly coregraphed sport we recognize.

That said, I think the 1950s team is going to get creamed.

Here are some observations I have for this roster. First up, George Mikan (Mr. Basketball!) didn’t even make the cut! This is suprising, but we’re going on pure numbers here (What If Sports’ numbers, that is) so let’s remain unbiased. Another strange thing I noticed is that even though early basketball was a big man’s game this is the most guard-heavy team in the contest (6 legends occupying the PG and SG slots). Cousy will be a star and there will certainly be great rebounding thanks to Pettit, Johnston, Russell and Macauley but I’m concerned about shooting percentage. The 50s are a notoriously bad shooting decade and I’m eager to see how these players pan out against the ridiculous defense of the 70s and 90s teams. Finally, it’s interesting to see that shot-blocker extraordinaire Bill Russell came out better as a backup PF behind Pettit than a backup C behind Johnston. Both he and Macauley could’ve filled either backup role, but this was the optimal pairing.

For each team I’ve calculated two team values: Team Total Salary and Team Weighted Salary. The Team Total Salary gives a good indication as to how deep the team is while the Team Weighted Salary (I sum up the product of each player’s salary times their minutes per game and divide the result by 48) gives a better indication as to how good the team is at any given minute of the game. It’s no surprise that the 1950s squad is the weakest in both indicators (though not quite as bad on a per-minute basis if you compare them against the vaunted 80s and 90s rosters).

I think the 50s have a chance of making a little rumbling but will probably succumb to the law of averages and end up near the bottom when the dust settles.

And now we get to the big dogs of the contest.

The 1960s team is the most top heavy of the entire tournament with 3 of their 5 starters above $10 mil (the “ridiculous” range of basketball performance … Jordan has just 2 years north of $10 mil). Obviously when you have Robertson and Chamberlain in their prime you’ve got a lethal combination at the two “most important positions” in the game but Spencer Haywood is going to be no joke in this simulation. Again, this is thanks to What If Sports’ decision to ignore flattening stats across different eras but I digress.

The 60s squad also benefits from the talent-unbalanced ABA beginnings with Jimmy Jones, Roger A. Brown, Connie Hawkins and Haywood all making obviously overrated appearances. I don’t know if What If Sports takes height into consideration when it simulates games, otherwise legendary Jerry West (slotted here as the starting SG) might have a few issues but something makes me think he’ll do alright.

If there’s one small weakness on this juggernaut I’d point out that nearly every legend here is a score first player. Ok, West was a theif, Chamberlain is long enough to block a ton and a few backups are decent defenders but I wonder how things will turn out for this very offensive-minded roster.

The 1970s squad has to be the best team on both ends of the court. There are all-time defenders on this team in Cunningham, Frazier and Gilmore while there isn’t a bum in the rest of the bunch.

But there’s just as much firepower with the ball on this team. By the 1970′s the crazy ABA had evened out in terms of talent so, unlike the 60s, only non-flukes from that league show up (Erving, Cunningham and Barry are hands-down ballers). Meanwhile, one of the most eye-popping offensive statistical season in Archibald (he led league in both scoring and assists) is running the point. With slashing (Erving), shooting (Havlicek), offensive rebounding (Malone) and everything else (Abdul-Jabbar) this team should have no lack of scoring options.

I see this 70s team matching up nicely against the rest of the competition but could have some trouble against their 60s opponents as everyone but Erving is outclassed by their counterparts. Still, with a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his bonafide prime and a murderer’s row of big men (Malone, Kareem, McAdoo and Gilmore), this team is going in as the sleeper pick.

I’m guessing this is the squad most people are going to gravitate to as they have the most recognizable legends on it. And yet, I’m willing to bet it’s going to be the most surprising as this team is so unconventially wired. A prolific scoring guard as the starting PG? An oversized SG? An undersized PF? Magic Johnson as the backup SF??? It’s weird, people. Get used to it.

This is the result of making unbiased optimization decisions based on What If Sports’ numbers. Sure, Magic is the better PG, but I can fit Jordan and Dantley (both with higher salaries) in at PG and SG. And, since Magic is oddly able to play SF at 100% efficiency, he gets that backup position since that spot will see a lot of court time. It’s going to be interesting to see how this lineup simulates in the tournament – this could be either a huge cheat to get in the best players or the downfall of the 1980s roster.

But, perhaps the biggest issue on the 80s squad is the relatively weak position at C. Sure, Ewing, Sikma, and Ruland have great seasons, but they are easily the second weakest group at C in the competition (and only a hair above the 1950s squad). The 80s come with some of the biggest names and brightest stars of the game, but bring just as many questions going into the tournament.

This one’s going to be interesting. The players who had the highest salaries ended up being two-way players at best, and dipping towards defense-only at worst. Meanwhile, their backups are all offensive dynamos. Will this strategy of having the best defensive team out there for most of the game turn out to be excellent by stifling the other team? Or is the 1990s squad going to be choked by having all of their firepower wasting away on the bench?

Ah, then again, these starters average 106.8 points per game … maybe they’ll be fine.

One thing they will unquestionalby be great at is rebounding. Holy shit! They have Robinson and Olajuwon out there together for the vast majority of the game. Then they have the specialist Rodman out there doing nothing but looking for boards. And Kidd is one of the best rebounding guards ever. Teams playing this 90s squad are going to have one chance at scoring (there goes the series, team 1950s!).

Again, I do have to note how much of a sacrifice it seems to have Shaq at his athletic height, the prolific Karl Malone and pre-injury gunner, Grant Hill, scrapping up the remainder minutes of the game. I like the ballsy identity of this lineup, but I don’t know how this squad will simulate.

The 2000 squad looks a lot like the 1970s in that everyone is a great two-way player (ok, Nowitzki and Durant excluded). The starters are all elite, offensive weapons as well as excellent defenders but Garnett and Duncan are all-time great intimidators. Paul coming off the bench will steal anything given half a chance and Marion is at his defensive zenith here.

Another attribute in the 2000s team’s favor is the fact that they have the highest average payroll in the competition by a substantial margin. This means that should any of the starters get into foul trouble, get injured or be ejected from a game, the drop in production their replacement notices is the lowest out of the tournament. No, you’re not going to be able to play a game of attrition with this squad, you will have to beat them straight up!

Well, now that we have the rules decided and we know all of the players, let’s get this party started. I’ll randomly move through the tournament to keep things fresh and interesting so without further ado, the initial 7-game matchup in the Fight of the Decade will be …

The 1960s vs the 1990s! Homecourt goes to the 1990s in this series.