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NBA Villanova Wildcats vs. NBA St. John’s Red Storm

Our next matchup is a classic Big East clash. St. John’s dominated the early days of this rivalry, going 37-19 from 1954-55 through the 1992-93 season. Since then, however, Villanova has dominated, sporting a 33-10 record as St. John’s has faded from national prominence. In recent years, Villanova has become the last vestige of Big East basketball power, adding two championships and becoming one of the best programs in the country. The NBA Villanova Wildcats vs. NBA St. John’s Red Storm will be a battle of an old juggernaut and a new superpower, with key players from each era of this storied rivalry.

Key Matchups

Small ball vs. traditional lineups – The Wildcats are going to try to go as small as possible throughout this series. Their best NBA players were guards (or guard-sized in the case of Paul Arizin), and their bench is filled with ball-handlers and shooters. St. John’s has more roster balance, and can play a variety of ways, but expect Villanova to try several different four-guard lineups, and also to try a five-out configuration with Tim Thomas as the big man. How will St. John’s counter these lineups? St. John’s has several competent big men, but they can adjust by using Metta World Peace and Maurice Harkless as power players to counter the smaller Wildcat lineups. Leroy Ellis should be quick enough to defend Thomas on the perimeter while giving St. John’s an advantage on the boards when they need mobility at the five spot.

Pitchin’ Paul vs. modern-day wings – Arizin may be the best NBA player in this series, but it will be interesting to see how he fares against some of the modern day wings the Red Storm will throw at him. World Peace, Malik Sealy, and Harkless will all spend time using their length and physicality to disrupt Villanova’s best scorer. Arizin was highly skilled, and will get his points, but they won’t come easy unless Villanova can force the Red Storm’s older, slower guards to switch onto him.

Biggest Mismatches

St. John’s big man depth – The Red Storm should dominate the interior on both ends of the court. Billy Paultz should have a field day against Jim Washington at the start of each half, and will serve as the key rim protector in this series. If Villanova plays Ed Pinckney and Washington together for long periods of time, St. John’s can pair Paultz with Jayson Williams and/or Ellis. Williams in particular will help them dominate the glass.

Villanova’s modern-day backcourt – Kyle Lowry is one of the best all-around guards in today’s game, and Kerry Kittles would thrive as a modern-day 3-and-D athletic wing. Mark Jackson and Max Zaslofsky do not have the size, athleticism, or defensive capabilities of their counterparts. Expect Zaslofsky to cede playing time to Sealy and Harkless (with Chris Mullin switching to shooting guard in some of these lineups) to help St. John’s offer more defensive resistance.

X-Factor

Whose older players are better positioned for success? Arizin, Zaslofsky, Paultz, Bill Melchionni, and Dick McGuire will face an interesting transition to the modern-day game. How will they hold up defensively? Which of them has the skill set to thrive in any era? Arizin was a superb athlete and pioneering jump shooter in his time, so I expect his transition to be the smoothest. Others have specific skills that translate (Zaslofsky’s shooting, Paultz’s rebounding and shot-blocking, Melchionni and McGuire’s ability to run an offense), but will have varying degrees of success, based on matchup.

Results

This proves to be a fun series, with several memorable performances from the superstars (namely Lowry, Arizin, and Mullin). However, the role players wind up being the deciding factor. St. John’s has a deeper, more versatile team, and they use a balanced attack, led by Mullin, World Peace, and Paultz, to pull out the victory.

St. John’s wins, four games to three.

Next Round

The Red Storm faces the NBA Louisville Cardinals in the second round of our tournament.

NBA St. John’s Red Storm

Our next profile features a school with a rich basketball tradition. Currently ranking 9^th all-time in NCAA Division I wins, this school has captured six NIT championships, and has four coaches enshrined in the Hall of Fame. They have never won an NCAA championship, however, and have only made the NCAA tournament five times since 2000. The NBA St. John’s Red Storm team is full of players from the team’s rich past, with a mix of modern-day competitors who will try to help them advance in our tournament.

The guards on this team are throwbacks from previous generations. Although he played through the 2004 season, Mark Jackson’s game had an old-school feel. He did not have the athleticism, quickness, or shooting ability of many modern-day guards. He also wasn’t known for his work on the defensive end of the court. He could, however, run an offense effectively, currently ranking fourth in total assists in NBA history. While he’s not an ideal fit for the modern NBA rules, he was a smart player who will find a way to compete. He’ll split his time with Dick McGuire, a seven-time all-star who led the league in total assists in his rookie season, and led the league in playoff assists per game in each of his first four years in the league. Max Zaslofsky, the starting two guard, was a star of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), leading the league in points and made field goals in the 1947-48 season. He was selected to four all-BAA/NBA first-teams, and despite his unsightly looking field goal percentage, he was top five in that category in the league back-to-back years (1947-48). He’s backed up by Kevin Loughery, a high-volume scorer who crossed the 20 points per game mark twice in his career. It’s reasonable to question how well this backcourt would hold up when playing against the athletes in the modern-day game, but they were all well-respected, effective players during their time in the league.

The starting forwards are two of the most memorable NBA players on the team. Chris Mullin was one of the great shooters of his era, with career .509/.384/.865 splits. He ranked in the top-10 in scoring average four years in row, and was so revered that he made the original Dream Team. He’ll serve as the fulcrum of this team’s offensive attack. Metta World Peace will start alongside Mullin, and will serve as a secondary option on offense (over his prime seven-year stretch, he averaged 18 points per game). Metta was one of the league’s top two-way players in his prime, and his dominant defense will be desperately needed for this starting unit. He had enough bulk (listed at 260 pounds on basketball reference) to play as a modern-day four, but can switch to his natural small forward position to play alongside two big men when needed. Malik Sealy was a lengthy wing (6’8”) who showed potential on the defensive end of the court before his tragic passing in 2000. He had the best year of his career before he passed, and his terrific free-throw shooting (84.7% his last four years in the league) indicates that he may have been able to turn into a 3-and-D wing in the modern game. Maurice Harkless is another lengthy wing who credibly defends his position. He is very limited offensively, however, but can shoot from downtown at a reasonable rate (34.7% over the last four seasons).

Billy Paultz, the starting center, was an ABA legend, who also had a solid NBA career after the merger. In his first eight years in the pros (ABA and NBA), he averaged 15.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 2.3 BPG on 50.1% shooting from the field. He was a key member of the ABA champion New York Nets team in 1974, and led the ABA in blocked shots per game the following year. Paultz had a solid jump shot for a big man, and was an intimidating presence in the paint. Jayson Williams was one of the best rebounders of his era, and can play as either a power forward or center depending on matchups. Leroy Ellis was another solid big who could play at the four or five. He was quicker and thinner than his frontcourt teammates (210 pounds despite standing 6’10”), and may be better suited than most old-school players to play the switching defense that is often featured in the modern game. Bill Wennington, best known for his role play on the ’96-’98 Chicago Bulls championship teams, will provide depth at the center position.

The NBA St. John’s Red Storm team has an older, smaller backcourt, who will be helped by their depth at the wing and center positions. They should have a lot of flexibility in their lineups, and can feature World Peace, Sealy, and Harkless in their best defensive configurations. They will face the NBA Villanova Wildcats in the first round of the NBA March Madness Tournament.

NBA Villanova Wildcats

Our next profile features a college basketball David who has morphed into Goliath. Long gone are the days when they were mainly known for their miracle run to the NCAA championship in 1985, when they became the lowest seed ever to win the NCAA tournament. With two more titles since 2016, and a program run by one of the best coaches in the country, they seem poised to stay near the top of college hoops for the foreseeable future. While they don’t typically recruit the NBA-ready talent that many of their elite peer schools do, they have a steady influx of players who have had long NBA careers. The NBA Villanova Wildcats features a multigenerational mix, with a heavy emphasis on backcourt talent.

After a bumpy start to his career, Kyle Lowry has worked to become a perennial all-star, NBA champion, and likely Hall-of-Famer. He has become a deadly outside shooter, who also is a strong finisher at the rim, and a smart, tough-minded defender. His impact on the game was summed up by Zach Lowe earlier this year: “Lowry is just a brilliant, winning player. Every second he is on the floor, he is doing the exact right thing — half-rotations on defense, extra passes, impromptu screens, little shifts along the arc to open up driving lanes, late switches, tipped rebounds. Because he is a threat everywhere — as a shooter, cutter and quick-twitch passer — defenses follow every one of those moves.” He’s joined in the starting backcourt by Kerry Kittles. As an athletic two-guard with good size (6’5”), good shooting ability (3 of his 8 seasons shooting over 40% from three-point range), and who was a two-way player (Larry Brown once called Kittles a “great defender”), his skills would have been coveted in today’s game. The depth of this team’s backcourt is impressive, as the best players in Wildcat history have generally been guards. Off the bench, Bill Melchionni was a three-time ABA all-star and an NBA and ABA champion. He has his number retired by the Nets, and at his peak, averaged 16.8 PPG and 7.5 APG over a four-year period, though advanced stats aren’t as kind to him (14.6 PER and .087 WS/48 during that time). Rory Sparrow provides more point guard depth, though he’ll play sparingly behind Lowry and Melchionni. Randy Foye was a combo guard who struggled with inconsistency; however, he could shoot from long-range, and will likely get minutes beside the two main point guards. Alvin Williams was another combo guard who had his biggest impact as a point guard on the Raptors teams in the early 2000s; he’s only likely to be used when others are in foul trouble. Finally, Chris Ford was a solid shooting guard with good size (6’5”) and range. He was a starter on an NBA champion (the ’81 Celtics), and will get minutes as Kittles’ backup.

The starting small forward, Paul Arizin, had the greatest NBA career of any Wildcat. He was a two-time scoring champion in the 1950s. He was an NBA champion in 1956, who had the best postseason run of anybody on his team (and, arguably the league), leading the league in playoff scoring, minutes, win shares, and WS/48. He was a pioneering jump shooter who would benefit from the modern-day three-point line. He and Lowry will form the backbone of this team’s offense. Ed Pinckney is another player who would have been more appreciated in the modern-day context. He had an above-average PER in four seasons in his career. He has a 60.2% career true shooting percentage. He ranked fourth in the league in offensive rebound percentage in 1991-92, and if he qualified, he would have ranked second the year before. He could be a valuable supporting player in the right context, and he’ll be tasked with keeping them competitive on the glass and providing some interior defensive resistance. The nominal starting center, Jim Washington, only stood at 6’7”, but he was able to average a double-double four times in his career, and played center for the Chicago Bulls in the 1967-68 season. Tim Thomas will be one of the most important players on this roster off the bench. The tallest player on the team (6’10”), Thomas had productive stretches in the NBA, including his 2005-06 playoff run in Phoenix, when he averaged 15.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.4 made three-pointers on 44.4% from downtown, and a 62.5% true shooting percentage in 20 games. In fact, his career playoff PER is 16.9 in 55 games. He was an infuriating player at times because his production did not always match his talent, but he will play as a stretch four and small ball five for this smaller roster, and his ability to hold up will be a key factor in their success. Dante Cunningham was an NBA journeyman who will be another body they can use against bigger opponents, but he won’t move the needle for this frontcourt.

Overall, the NBA Villanova Wildcats are well-suited to play small ball, with a plethora of guards and a lack of NBA-caliber big men. Their success will depend on matchups, and how well their frontcourt players hold up against more talented big men in this tournament. They will face their old Big East rival, the NBA St. John’s Red Storm, in their first-round matchup.

NBA Louisville Cardinals vs. NBA Notre Dame Fighting Irish

We resume our tournament with a matchup between two teams who have produced solid NBA talent throughout their histories. One has produced a scrappy bunch of glue guys surrounding their bruising, brilliant center. The other has produced high scoring talent that often disregarded the defensive side of the floor. The matchup between the NBA Louisville Cardinals vs. NBA Notre Dame Fighting Irish is a contrast of styles, and the result will depend on the factors highlighted below. (NOTE: 2020 matchup and result update listed below)

Key Matchups

Wes Unseld vs. Notre Dame’s shooting big men – All of Notre Dame’s centers had a penchant for playing on the perimeter on offense, and providing a credible threat from long range. Wes Unseld was not a traditional shot-blocking big; he was short, sturdy, and most effective playing post defense. He may be a little lost trying to defend Bill Laimbeer and Troy Murphy out to the three-point line. On the other end of the floor, Unseld was not a scorer; Laimbeer and Murphy will be tasked with putting a body on him and keeping him off the boards. They’re well equipped to do so; Laimbeer and Murphy’s career rebound percentages were 16.7% and 15.7%, respectively, while Unseld’s was 18.0%, suggesting they should be able to at least compete.

Adrian Dantley vs. Louisville’s wings – How do you stop Adrian Dantley? Ideally, you’d have someone who combines length with strength to bother the 6’5” (and likely shorter) low-post machine who was one of the most unique players in league history. Rodney McCray is the best person to defend him on Houston’s roster, but he also is the best person to try to stop Orlando Woolridge. Junior Bridgeman will take his chances with Dantley but will struggle to contain him. They may try one of their big men on him (Pervis Ellison, Gorgui Dieng), but Dantley should be able to get them in foul trouble and have his way in this series.

Biggest Mismatches

Notre Dame’s shooting ability – While the shooting prowess of Notre Dame’s players may not seem impressive in the modern-day context, they still hold a significant advantage over Louisville in this regard. Kelly Tripucka, Laimbeer, John Paxson, Murphy, and Pat Garrity were all dangerous perimeter threats who can open things up for the explosive mid-range and post scorers (Dantley, Woolridge, and Austin Carr) on the roster. Louisville will counter with Darrell Griffith and Francisco Garcia, but they won’t be able to match up from long-range. Relatedly…

Notre Dame’s scoring ability – The Fighting Irish should be able to put a lot of points on the board. They have a legitimate go-to option in the hyper-efficient two-time scoring champion Dantley. They can surround him with shooting as outlined above. Carr and Woolridge were explosive 20+ PPG scorers in their prime. Louisville does have three players who achieved this scoring plateau at least once in their career (Griffith, Derek Smith, and Pervis Ellison), but Notre Dame’s scorers were more consistent and efficient.

Louisville’s defensive versatility – Another way to put this would be ‘Notre Dame’s lack of ability to do anything on defense’. Notre Dame’s lack of defense should open things up for a Louisville team that would typically have a hard time scoring. However, Louisville should also get credit for their collection of guards and wings who can help them guard the perimeter. Starting Bridgeman and McCray at the two forward positions should create a switchable lineup from 1 to 4. Jim Price was an above average defender who made an all-defensive team in his career. They can play several versatile defensive lineups over the course of the series.

X-Factor

Can Louisville take advantage of Notre Dame’s porous perimeter defense? This is a matchup of a resistible force versus a movable object. Louisville will frequently pair Derek Smith with Griffith to make up for their lack of scoring punch, but will it be enough? Unseld and McCray were very good passers for their position, but will good ball movement against a bad defense make up for their collective inability to put the ball in the basket?

Results

This is a fun matchup that features stand out performances from players on each side. Bridgeman, Griffith, McCray, and Smith take advantage of Notre Dame’s defensive futility and combine with Unseld to pull out several close victories. However, the firepower of Notre Dame proves too much for Louisville to handle.

June 2020 Update

Louisville was able to upgrade their roster since the original team writeups were drafted. This is still a very competitive matchup, with Notre Dame continuing to hold the edge in outside shooting and overall firepower. However, the additions of Donovan Mitchell and Montrezl Harrell balance out Louisville’s roster and help them take advantage of Notre Dame’s porous defense. In a back-and-forth deciding game, Louisville controls the pace and pulls out the victory.

Louisville wins, four games to three.

Next Round

Louisville faces the winner of the NBA Villanova Wildcats vs. NBA St. John’s Red Storm.

Best Game 7 Performances in NBA History

In part two of this series, I’m highlighting the best game 7 performances in NBA history. As a reminder, I’m only looking at the highest stakes games – the NBA Finals or the Conference Finals. On to the list…

Honorable Mention: Tom Meschery, 1962 conference finals, game 7 (32 points, 11 rebounds, 10 for 19 from the field) – Meschery, the Warriors’ rookie forward, almost led them to a shocking upset over the favored Celtics, ultimately losing by two points…Oscar Robertson, 1963 conference finals, game 7 (43 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 11 for 24 from the field, 21 for 22 from the line) – Oscar led a mediocre Royals team to the brink of the Finals, but the deeper, better Celtics stopped them in Game 7 (more on this game shortly)…George Gervin and Bob Dandridge, 1979 conference finals, game 7 (Iceman – 42 points, 16 for 31 from the field; Dandridge – 37 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 16 for 31 from the field) – this may have been Gervin’s best chance for a ring, but he was stopped by the defending champion Bullets and their clutch swingman, Bob Dandridge…Jack Sikma, 1979 conference finals game 7 (33 points, 11 rebounds, 10 for 18 from the field, 13 for 15 from the line) – Sikma helped lead Seattle to victory over a game Suns team to advance to their second straight NBA Finals…Eddie Johnson, 1993 conference finals, game 7 (34 points, 12 for 17 from the field, 9 for 9 from the line in 26 minutes off the bench) – considering the context, this was one of the more remarkable bench performances we’ve ever seen, but Johnson’s effort falls under the radar due to the result of the game…Patrick Ewing, 1994 conference finals game 7 (24 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks, 10 for 23 from the field) – A virtuoso all-around performance that included a key put-back dunk to put the Knicks up by one point with 27 seconds left. The Knicks earned their first Finals birth in 21 years due to this effort…Stephen Curry, 2016 conference finals game 7 (36 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 13 for 24 from the field, 7 for 12 from 3) – Curry helped Golden State overcome a 3-1 deficit to a hungry Oklahoma City team. In a low-scoring game (96-88), he was a game-high +18…LeBron James, 2018 conference finals game 7 (35 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, 12 for 24 from the field) – James played all 48 minutes in this game, carrying an undermanned Cavs team to their fourth straight Finals appearance.

10. Tom Heinsohn, 1957 NBA Finals game 7 (37 points, 23 rebounds, 17 for 33 from the field, 3 for 10 from the line): Before he fouled out, Heinsohn and fellow rookie Bill Russell held the team together while their starting backcourt fell apart. Heinsohn’s effort was particularly impressive considering the rest of the team shot a combined 31.6% from the field. While his free-throw shooting left something to be desired, the 1957 Rookie of the Year (over Russell!) had the greatest moment of his career leading the team to their first championship.

9. Draymond Green, 2016 NBA Finals game 7 (32 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 11 for 15 from the field, 4 for 4 from the line, 6 for 8 from 3): This is one of the great under-the-radar performances of all time. Golden State only scored 89 points in their disappointing Game 7 effort, with Curry and Klay Thompson combining to go 12 for 36 from the field, and the team as a whole shooting 31% outside of Green. Draymond filled the box score while playing his typical stout defense. The one drawback is that Green could not stem the ugliness of the team’s offensive meltdown down the stretch, as they scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, and failed to score in the final 4:40 of this game. While that prevents this game from being placed higher on this list, his performance deserves recognition.

8. Allen Iverson, 2001 Eastern Conference Finals game 7 (44 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 17 for 33 from the field, 6 for 7 from the line, 4 for 6 from three): The indefatigable Iverson never had a problem getting his shot off. This skill proved extremely valuable in the 2000-01 season, with a scrappy roster of defenders and supporting players around him who all had limited offensive skillsets. Iverson dominated in the biggest game of his career to date, and carried the Sixers to their first championship series in 18 years with his performance.

Iverson led the Sixers to the Finals in his MVP season
Copyright © Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com

7. Sam Jones, 1963 Eastern Division Finals, game 7 (47 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 18 for 27 from the field, 11 for 12 from the line): This series seemed like a mismatch, with the 58-win, four-time defending champions taking on a team that was barely over .500 during the season (the 42-38 Royals). Cincinnati proved resilient, however, behind Oscar Robertson’s brilliance, and forced an unexpected Game 7. As usual, Boston rose to the occasion, this time behind their clutch shooting guard. Boston as a team shredded the Royals defense, scoring 142 points and shooting .520 from the field in the win.

6. Charles Barkley, 1993 Western Conference Finals, game 7 (44 points, 24 rebounds, 12 for 20 from the field, 19 for 22 from the line): In the biggest game of his career (up to that point), Barkley played up to his MVP credentials, dominating the Sonics and sending the Suns to their second Finals appearance. His rebounding prowess was staggering: Barkley collected 24 rebounds while the Sonics as a team collected 31, with their starting frontcourt grabbing only 14. He repeatedly went to the free throw line and carried the Suns when they needed him most. Unfortunately, he ran into the ultimate MVP in the Finals, but his performance here should be lauded.

5. Bill Russell, 1962 NBA Finals, game 7 (30 points, 40 rebounds, 4 assists, 8 for 18 from the field, 14 for 17 from the line): Russell never lost a Game 7 in his career, and this ’62 Finals game may have been his signature performance. He played the entire 53 minutes (the game went into overtime), and helped hold the Lakers to 35% shooting from the field. Nobody shot particularly well in this game, as the Celtics were even worse from the field (32.7%). They withstood their poor shooting effort by defending and dominating the glass, with Russell hauling in 40 of the team’s 82 rebounds, and giving them a +17 rebound advantage for the game.

4. James Worthy, 1988 NBA Finals, game 7 (36 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 15 for 22 from the field, 6 for 10 from the line): How is it possible for a player to get the only triple double of his career in game 7 of the NBA Finals? Worthy’s signature performance helped lead a weary Lakers team to their second title in a row. This effort was crucial because Detroit looked like the better team for much of the series, and Laker captain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was running on fumes (he had 4 points on 2 for 7 from the field and 3 rebounds in 29 minutes). Worthy’s effort pushed L.A. to their final title of this era, though they made two more Finals appearances in the next three seasons.

3. Jerry West, 1969 NBA Finals game 7 (42 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, 14 for 29 from the field, 14 for 18 from the line): The first ever Finals MVP remains the only one who won the award in a losing cause. From a team perspective, this was one of the worst losses in league history, with the Lakers, led by the triumvirate of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and West, losing on their homecourt to what was supposed to be a broken-down Celtics team (they were 48-34 during the season). West was valiant in defeat, playing the full 48 and having one of the great all-around games of his career. As usual it wasn’t enough, as Russell, Sam Jones and company won their final ring. The Celtics duo retired after this game, with West having lost to them 6 times, and Baylor having lost to them an impossible 7 times in the Finals.

2. LeBron James, 2013 NBA Finals game 7 (37 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 12 for 23 from the field, 8 for 8 from the line, 5 for 10 from three): When thinking of the greatest game 7 performers in history, two players rise to the top of the list: Bill Russell, who went 10-0 in game sevens in his career, and LeBron James, the career postseason leader in game 7 scoring average (currently 34.9). James struggled with his shot earlier in this series, with San Antonio using a similar defensive tactic that flummoxed him in the 2007 Finals. However, the 2013 version of James was unstoppable, and with the Heat backed against the wall, he devastated the Spurs from long-range, after previously struggling from 3 in the series (29% prior to game 7). He also hit a crucial jump shot with 28 seconds left to put them up by 4. In a low scoring game (95-88), against the premier perimeter defender of his generation (Kawhi Leonard), James cemented his legacy and earned his second straight championship.

1. Walt Frazier, 1970 NBA Finals game 7 (36 points, 7 rebounds, 19 assists, 12 for 17 from the field, 12 for 12 from the line): The Lakers misery continued in the first year after Bill Russell retired. L.A. had bad luck that season, only getting 12 regular season games from Wilt Chamberlain and 54 from Elgin Baylor. Even though they came together in the playoffs, they ran into another great team in the Finals. While Willis Reed often gets the shine due to his courageous effort, he only scored four points, all in the first moments of the game. With the league MVP compromised, “Clyde” was the one who carried the Knicks. He played a brilliant all-around game, and never gave L.A. any signs of hope (the halftime score was 69-42 in favor of NY). By leading a shorthanded team, outplaying the legendary West, and dominating on both ends of the court, Frazier deserves recognition for the greatest game 7 performance ever.

Worst Game 7 Performances in NBA History

In 2016, LeBron James had the defining moment of his career, slaying the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in game seven on their home floor. James had a triple-double that game and added perhaps the most iconic blocked shot in league history. However, that game was an offensive struggle for both teams, with James shooting 9 for 24 from the field.

NBA history is littered with uneven shooting performances when the stakes are highest, even among the game’s greatest players. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson combined to shoot 11 for 32 in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen combined to shoot 15 for 43 in Game 7 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana. Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan shot 6 for 24 and 10 for 27, respectively, in Game 7 of the 2010 and 2005 NBA Finals, and still brought home MVP honors for those series (as did Bird in 1984 and James in 2016).

There are some Game 7 performances that particularly stand out for the wrong reasons. What happened to the players during these games? Was the moment too big, or did the defense figure them out after a six-game sample? Did they simply have a bad shooting day at an inopportune time? Every circumstance is different, as you’ll see below.

This post highlights 10 of the worst Game 7 performances in NBA history. This list is skewed toward offensive performances, since defensive tracking is difficult for games, especially in the pre-merger era. I’m also focusing on the very highest stakes games – only semifinals and finals games are included.

Dishonorable Mention: The first three quarters of Kobe’s performance in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals were shockingly awful, but he had a spirited fourth quarter and wound up with 23 points and 15 rebounds in spite of his 6 for 24 shooting performance. In the same game, Ray Allen shot 3 for 14, capping a series where he shot just 36.7% overall…In Game 7 of the 1979 Eastern Conference Finals, Tom Henderson put up 0 points on 0 for 9 shooting in 30 minutes. Despite his effort, tbe Bullets beat the Spurs and went to their second straight NBA Finals…Bob Love shot 6 for 26 from the field in a four-point Chicago loss to Golden State in the 1975 Western Conference Finals. Chicago only scored 79 points that game, and Love shot 10 more times than any other teammate…The Boston Celtics shot 32.7% from the field as a team in Game 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals and still found a way to beat the Lakers by the three…In the previous round, the Celtics won another Game 7, this time against the Philadelphia Warriors, and won on a last second Sam Jones shot. Paul Arizin shot 4 for 22 for Philadelphia. Curiously, Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 50.4 PPG in the regular season, took only 15 shots. He scored 22 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, and was clutch down the stretch, but this was the rare example of the Warriors version of Wilt being too unselfish.

10. Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, and Jaylen Brown, 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7 (combined 8 for 42 from the field, 21 total points): In 2018, an overachieving Celtics team without Kyrie Irving (and Gordon Hayward, who missed virtually the entire season after a gruesome opening-night injury) advanced to the brink of the NBA Finals in a weak Eastern Conference. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers stood in their way, but they were not the juggernaut of year’s past. Kevin Love, Cleveland’s second leading scorer, did not play in this game due to a concussion. Boston also had homecourt, since Cleveland only won 50 games that season. However, the moment seemed too big for a young Celtics team. Brown, who played like a future star throughout their unlikely playoff run, shot 5 for 18 from the field, and 3 for 12 from 3. Marcus Smart, a notoriously inconsistent shooter, made only one of his 10 shots. Finally, the clock struck midnight on Terry Rozier, who impressively filled Irving’s shoes throughout the playoffs. Rozier shot 2 for 14 from the field, and 0 for 10 from three, part of an embarrassing 7 for 39 team performance from long distance. While Boston would have had no chance against the Golden State Warriors in the Finals, this game may have represented their best shot at the Finals in this era, considering the rise of the Toronto Raptors the next season and the dominance of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the following years.

9. Chris Bosh, 2013 NBA Finals, Game 7 (0 for 5 from the field, 0 points): The Heat won the 2013 Finals, and Bosh’s rebound in Game 6, and subsequent pass to Ray Allen, will live in history. However, it’s odd for a future Hall-of-Famer who averaged 16.6 points per game in the regular season to score zero points and shoot only five times in the season’s biggest game. Bosh was an all-around player, and wound up +1 for the game, but this performance would have been (rightfully) vilified if Miami lost. It should be noted that Ray Allen also had 0 points in this game, but he was more of a role player than Bosh in the Heat’s scheme, and was fresh off of perhaps the greatest shot in NBA history in Game 6.

8. Oscar Robertson, 1974 NBA Finals Game 7 (2 for 13 from the field, 6 points, 11 assists): The storybook ending to one of the greatest careers ever did not come to fruition. Game 6 was one of the best games in NBA history, with the Bucks staving off elimination with a double-overtime victory in Boston. However, the Bucks could not muster the same spirit back home in Game 7, and the Celtics won by 15. Did playing 58 minutes in the previous game affect the aging Robertson? He was well past his prime at this point, only averaging 12.7 points per game during the regular season, and 14.0 PPG in the postseason. He could not get on track during this game, and the greatest era in Bucks history ended with a whimper. This was Robertson’s last game in the NBA, and after a disappointing 38-44 record the next year, Milwaukee shipped off Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers and have not been back to the Finals since.

7. Stephen Curry, 2016 NBA Finals Game 7 (6 for 19 from the field, 4 of 14 from 3): Chalk this one up to the burden of high expectations. Curry’s 17-point performance wasn’t the seventh worst in history, but it certainly was one of the most disappointing. The unanimous MVP had one of the greatest seasons ever, and his team’s 73 regular season wins may never be surpassed. It’s still hard to pinpoint what happened in the last three games of this series. Certainly, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving deserve credit, but Golden State’s performance, and especially Curry’s, will live in infamy.

6. The Jordannaires, 1990 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 (Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen, B.J. Armstrong, Craig Hodges, and Bill Cartwright – combined 11 for 57 from the field, 28 points): A back-and-forth series ended with a blowout as the Bulls failed to step up to the challenge. Scottie Pippen had a migraine, which helps explain his 1 for 10 performance, but what about the others? Horace Grant was 3 for 17, though he did contribute 14 rebounds. Craig Hodges was 3 for 13, and 2 for 12 from three, which was a shockingly high number at the time. Armstrong was 1 for 8, and Cartwright was 3 for 9. The team scored 74 points total, with Michael Jordan contributing 31 of those. It was fair to wonder whether Jordan’s supporting cast would ever step up in crunch time after this game, but luckily for Chicago fans, they answered all questions the following year in a dominant 15-2 postseason run.

Worst Game 7 Performances in NBA History - Chicago Bulls, 1990 Eastern Conference Finals

5. Trevor Ariza, 2018 Western Conference Finals, Game 7 (0 for 12 from the field, 0 for 9 from three, 0 points): Ariza, a tested veteran and NBA champion, simply could not hit a shot during this deciding game. The Rockets shooting performance is infamous, as the team missed 27 three pointers in a row at one point, and shot 7 for 44 from three for the game. Yes, they were missing their point guard (Chris Paul), and no, Ariza wasn’t alone in his futility. However, 0 points and -15 in 41:50 of playing time represents a historic meltdown on the league’s second biggest stage.

4. Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman, 1957 NBA Finals Game 7 (combined 5 for 40 from the field, 21 total points): This is a candidate for the single greatest game in NBA history. A double-overtime classic in Game 7 of the Finals. Bill Russell, in his first year in the league, facing third-year stud Bob Pettit. The NBA regular season and all-star game MVP Bob Cousy looking for his first ring. Cousy capped his historic season with a shockingly poor game 7, finishing 2 for 20 from the field in 58 minutes. His backcourt mate, Hall-of-Famer Bill Sharman, was 3 for 20 in 48 minutes. Boston’s two leading scorers in the regular season came up empty, but their rookie frontcourt mates carried the load, as Tom Heinsohn and Bill Russell led them to victory. The Hawks would get their revenge the following year, but Boston would defeat St. Louis two more times in the finals on their way to eight championships in a row between 1959 and 1966, a record that’s likely never going to be broken.

3. Danny Green, 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 (1 for 12 from the field, 1 for 6 from 3, 5 points): Through five games in this series, Danny Green looked like he was heading toward the most unlikely Finals MVP campaign in league history. During that stretch, he averaged 18 PPG on 56.6% shooting from the field and an unimaginable 65.8% from 3, with five made three pointers per game. Unfortunately, he lost his hot hand at the worst possible time. In games 6 and 7, he scored 4 PPG on 10.5% shooting and 18.2% from downtown. Game 7 was particularly tough, as Green could only make 1 of his 12 field goal attempts as the series slipped from San Antonio’s hands. This series was Green’s breakout performance on a national stage, but just as his hot shooting brought the Spurs to the brink of an unlikely championship, his cold spell was a big reason they were unable to bring the championship home.

2. John Starks, 1994 NBA Finals Game 7 (2 for 18 from the field, 0 for 11 from 3, 8 points): Starks was coming off of a brilliant Game 6 (27 points, 50% from the field, 5 for 9 from 3), but had a last second shot blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon to force a game 7. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, their notoriously hot and cold shooting guard came up empty in their biggest game of that era. The Knicks as a team averaged 11.1 three-point field goal attempts per game in 1994, so it was appalling to see Starks match that output on his own in this game and fail to make a single one. Hubert Davis only played four minutes while Rolando Blackman was a DNP-CD. Knicks fans will always wonder if Pat Riley should have played either of them more instead of watching Starks melt down in 42 minutes of play.

1. Dennis Johnson, 1978 NBA Finals Game 7 (0 for 14 from the field, 4 points): The expected rematch of the 1977 Finals between the Blazers and Sixers turned into a surprising encounter between the 44-win Bullets and 47-win SuperSonics due to Bill Walton’s injuries and Washington’s upset of Philadelphia. Even though Seattle had game 7 at home, Washington eked out a victory on the road. Johnson entered the game averaging 18.7 PPG on 44.8% from the field in the series, but he came up shockingly empty in Game 7. The fact that Seattle still had a chance to win at the end makes this performance all the more painful. Luckily for Johnson, he’d have five more Finals appearances in his career, including the following year, when he captured Finals MVP in the rematch between these teams.

Build Your All-Time NBA Team

Recently, there have been a flurry of social media posts about building a team for $15. The best one I’ve seen so far was by Lucas Hunter, who clearly put a lot of time and effort into his game. However, I’ve always wanted to see a good version with a mix of players from NBA history, so what better way to start blogging again than to replicate something that everyone else on the internet is doing? Build your all-time NBA team with the players listed below!

A few thoughts:

Jordan and James play premium positions in the modern game, and their all-around brilliance justifies their premium cost.
Predicted number of people who will choose Bob Pettit for $5 – zero. However, I think he had the 2nd best career of any power forward, and even if the game has clearly changed since he played, I’m pricing him in the highest power forward tier.
This is not a scientific exercise, just a purely fun activity with one person’s approximation of player value represented. A rough estimate of the tiers: The one dollar tier consists of borderline all-stars who were impactful throughout their careers, the two dollar tier consists of perennial all stars who I feel are on the low end of the Hall-of-Fame spectrum (potentially deserving, but requiring a lot of deliberation), the three dollar tier are mid-tier Hall of Famers, the four dollar tier are high end Hall-of-Famers who are approximately top 5 ever at their position, and $5 represents the best of the best at their positions.

Clearly, every great player is not represented – there are hundreds who could be included, but I settled on this mix when assessing the relative values of the players. Have fun – place your teams in the comments section, and we can vote on the best ones.

BBallhistory.com, Take Two

Blogging is very difficult. It’s hard to develop an audience, to write on schedule, and to figure out how to promote your work if you operate independently. Blogging about sports almost seems like an impossible task. How can you differentiate yourself from the thousands of people who already do this? What unique angle can you take that separates you from the crowd?

I started this blog in 2015 as a form of catharsis. I finally completed my dissertation and earned my degree after a long and painful journey. I wanted to do something purely for fun, and at the time, I had an idea that I had not seen anyone else explore. Incredibly, right before I started on the All-Time NBA Franchise Tournament, Shaquille O’Neal wrote an Instagram post about the all-time Lakers starting five vs. the all-time Bulls. My idea had come to life! I was horrified to see many pieces pop up that summer about each team’s all-time starting five, but I plowed through my tournament because I thought it was the most comprehensive look at this topic in the market. It took a year and a half to complete, and I’m incredibly proud of how it turned out. I attempted to start another tournament, but I ran out of juice as I got married, started a family, and advanced my career.

Three years have passed, and I still look back at some of my old posts on occasion to think about what’s changed and what I would do differently. I knew at some point I would want to write again, but I didn’t want to commit time that I did not have. Then I started reading Joe Posnanski’s Baseball 100 list, and I thought it may have been the best thing I’ve ever read online. I was inspired to start writing again. and to try to capture the essence of my favorite game the way he did for his. Despite the stresses of parenthood and the associated sleep deprivation, I can’t quit this. I love it too much, and can’t wait to further build out this site.

If you’re looking for daily posts and commentary on the latest NBA news, this won’t be for you. My goal is to post once per week, but I’m not going to stress myself out doing so, and I’ll likely post less frequently than that on average. But I will post! Now more than ever, it’s important to find happiness and do the things we love, and that’s what this blog affords me.

I’m hoping to restart the NBA March Madness Tournament in some form, but I’ll have other posts about individual performances and all-time seasons. I look forward to sharing more, and please leave a comment if you see anything you like.

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