NBA Without Player Movement

 

The reality of the NBA is that players can sign with any team they want when their contract expires or teams could opt to trade players under contract. There is constant player movement every year in the NBA.

But what if that wasn’t true? What if there were no expiring contracts and no trades. What if the team you play for as a rookie, is the team you spend your entire career with.

Below is a compilation of all the 30 NBA rosters consisting of only teams’ draft picks and including active players only.

• Players are included on their rookie team rosters (not necessarily team who drafted them if trade was made on draft night or shortly after)
• Undrafted players are part of roster that they played first game with

Atlanta Hawks

• PG – Trae Young
• SG – De’Andre Hunter
• SF – Taurean Prince
• PF – John Collins
• C – Al Horford
• Bench – Dennis Schroder, Cameron Reddish, Jeff Teague, Kevin Huerter, Onyeka Okungwu

Boston Celtics

• PG – Rajon Rondo
• SG – Marcus Smart
• SF – Jaylen Brown
• PF –  Jayson Tatum
• C – Kelly Olynyk
• Bench – Terry Rozier, Avery Bradley, Gerald Green, E’Twuan Moore, Dwight Powell

Brooklyn Nets

• PG – MarShon Brooks
• SG – Caris LaVert
• SF – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
• PF – Derrick Favors
• C – Jarrett Allen
• Bench – Ryan Anderson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez, Mason Plumlee, Rodions Kurucs

Charlotte Hornets

• PG – Kemba Walker
• SG – LaMelo Ball
• SF – Miles Bridges
• PF – Noah Vonleh
• C – Cody Zeller
• Bench – DJ Augustin, Frank Kaminsky, Jared Dudley, PJ Washington, Malik Monk, Devonte Graham

Chicago Bulls

• PG – Derrick Rose
• SG – Jamal Crawford
• SF – Jimmy Butler
• PF – Lauri Markkanen
• C – Taj Gibson
• Bench – Luol Deng, James Johnson, Wendell Carter, Chandler Hutchinson, Bobby Portis, Nikola Mirotic, Doug McDermott, Tony Snell, Thabo Sefolosha, Coby White

Cleveland Cavaliers

• PG – Kyrie Irving
• SG – Dion Waiters
• SF – Joe Harris
• PF – Lebron James
• C – Tristan Thompson
• Bench – Danny Green, Cedi Osman, Matthew Dellavedova, Colin Sexton, Darius Garland

Dallas Mavericks

• PG – Dennis Smith Jr
• SG – Luka Doncic
• SF – Jae Crowder
• PF – Dorian Finney-Smith
• C – >??
• Bench – JJ Barea, Devin Harris, Jalen Brunson

Denver Nuggets

• PG – Jamal Murray
• SG – Gary Harris
• SF – Carmelo Anthony
• PF – Kenneth Faried
• C – Nikola Jokic
• Bench – Evan Fournier, Nene, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jusef Nurkic, Monte Morris, Michael Porter Jr

Detroit Pistons

• PG – Spencer Dinwiddie
• SG – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
• SF – Khris Middleton
• PF – Amir Johnson
• C – Andre Drummond
• Bench – Brandon Knight, Stanley Johnson, Jonas Jerebko, Sekou Doumbouya

Golden State Warriors

• PG – Steph Curry
• SG – Klay Thompson
• SF – Harrison Barnes
• PF – Draymond Green
• C – James Wiseman
• Bench – Eric Paschall, Marco Belinelli, Jacob Evans, Jordan Poole, Kent Bazemore

Houston Rockets

• PG – Patrick Beverly
• SG – Marcus Morris
• SF – Robert Covington,
• PF – Mortezel Harrell
• C – Clint Capela
• Bench – Sam Dekker, Ish Smith, Gary Clark, Garrett Temple,

Indiana Pacers

• PG – Aaron Holiday
• SG –
• SF – Paul George
• PF – Solomon Hill
• C – Myles Turner
• Bench – Miles Plumlee, Ike Anigbogu, Georges Niang

Los Angeles Clippers

• PG – Eric Bledsoe
• SG – Shai Alexander-Gilgeous
• SF – Reggie Bullock
• PF – Blake Griffin
• C – DeAndre Jordan
• Bench – Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu

Los Angeles Lakers

• PG – D’Angelo Russell
• SG – Jordan Clarkson
• SF – Brandon Ingram
• PF – Kyle Kuzma
• C – Julius Randle
• Bench – Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance, Josh Hart, Thomas Bryant

Memphis Grizzlies

• PG – Mike Conley
• SG – Kyle Lowry
• SF – Rudy Gay
• PF – Jaren Jackson
• C – Marc Gasol
• Bench – Ja Morant, Pau Gasol, DeMarre Carroll, Dillon Brooks, Seth Curry

Miami Heat

• PG – Kendrick Nunn
• SG – Josh Richardson
• SF – James Ennis
• PF – Justice Winslow
• C – Bam Adebayo
• Bench – Shabazz Napier, Tyler Johnson, Rodney McGruder,

Milwaukee Bucks

• PG – Malcolm Brogdon
• SG – Tobias Harris
• SF – Giannis Antetokounmpo
• PF – Jabari Parker
• C – John Henson
• Bench – Luc Mbah a Moute, Jon Leuer, Ersan Ilyasova, Jodie Meeks

Minnesota Timberwolves

• PG – Ricky Rubio
• SG – Zach LaVine
• SF – Andrew Wiggins
• PF – Kevin Love
• C – Karl Anthony Towns
• Bench – Kris Dunn, Wesley Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Gorgui Dieng, Namanja Bjelica, Jarrett Culver

New Orleans Pelicans

• PG – Chris Paul
• SG – Austin Rivers
• SF – Buddy Hield
• PF – Zion Williamson
• C – Anthony Davis
• Bench – Austin Rivers, Quincy Pondexter, Lance Thomas, Jaxson Hayes

New York Knicks

• PG – Immanuel Quickly
• SG – RJ Barrett
• SF – Danilo Gallinari
• PF – Kristaps Porzingis
• C – Mitchell Robinson
• Bench – Tim Hardaway Jr, Trevor Ariza, Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, Obi Toppin, Willy Hernangomez

Oklahoma City Thunder

• PG – Russell Westbrook
• SG – James Harden
• SF – Kevin Durant
• PF – Domantas Sabonis
• C – Steven Adams
• Bench – Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Jeff Green, Cameron Payne, Jeremy Lamb, Andre Roberson

Orlando Magic

• PG – Victor Oladipo
• SG – JJ Redick
• SF – Jonathan Isaac
• PF – Aaron Gordon
• C – Dwight Howard
• Bench – Elfrid Payton, Mo Bamba, Mario Hezonja, Maurice Harkless

Philadelphia 76ers

• PG – Jrue Holiday
• SG – Andre Iguodala
• SF – Ben Simmons
• PF – Jerami Grant
• C – Joel Embiid
• Bench – Jalil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Lou Williams, Markelle Fultz, Nikola Vucevic, Michael Carter-Williams, Dario Saric, Thaddeus Young, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle

Phoenix Suns

• PG – Goran Dragic
• SG – Devin Booker
• SF – Mikal Bridges
• PF – Markief Morris
• C – DeAndre Ayton
• Bench – Robin Lopez, Marquese Chriss, TJ Warren, Josh Jackson

Portland Trail Blazers

• PG – Damian Lillard
• SG – CJ McCollum
• SF – Allen Crabbe
• PF – Nicolas Batum
• C – LaMarcus Aldridge
• Bench – Wesley Matthews, Will Barton, Patty Mills, Jerryd Bayless, Meyers Leonard, Dante Cunningham

Sacramento Kings

• PG – De’Aaron Fox
• SG – Tyrese Haliburton
• SF –  Tyreke Evans
• PF – DeMarcus Cousins
• C – Hassan Whiteside
• Bench – Marvin Bagley, Nic Stauskas, Ben McLemore

San Antonio Spurs

• PG – George Hill
• SG – Cory Joseph
• SF – Kawhi Leonard
• PF – Jonathon Simmons
• C – Aron Baynes
• Bench – Dejounte Murray, Kyle Anderson, Anthony Tolliver, Boban Marjanovic

Toronto Raptors

• PG – Fred VanVleet
• SG – Demar Derozan
• SF – Vince Carter
• PF – Pascal Siakam
• C – Jonas Valanciunas
• Bench – PJ Tucker, OG Anunoby, Terrence Ross, Ed Davis, Norm Powell

Utah Jazz

• PG – Trey Burke
• SG – Donovan Mitchell
• SF – Gordon Hayward
• PF – Paul Milsap
• C – Rudy Gobert
• Bench – Enes Kanter, CJ Miles, Rodney Hood, Trey Lyles, Joe Ingles, Kosta Koufos

Washington Wizards

• PG – John Wall
• SG – Bradley Beal
• SF – Otto Porter
• PF – Kelly Oubre
• C – JaVale McGee
• Bench – Troy Brown, Tomas Satoransky, Rui Hachimura, Deni Avidja

Projected top 8 in each conference

WEST – 1) Thunder; 2) Warriors; 3) Pelicans; 4) Jazz; 5) Grizzlies; 6) Blazers 7) Wolves; 8) Clippers

EAST – 1) 76ers;  2) Cavs; 3) Magic; 4) Bulls; 5) Pacers; 6) Bucks; 7) Celtics; 8) Hawks

Most likely NBA Finals – OKC Thunder, led by the last three MVPs (Durant, Westbrook, Harden) vs 76ers, who in addition to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid bring back Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young

Which rosters intrigue you the most – for better or worse? What would be your top 8?

College Basketball: Who is Furman?

 

Furman Paladins may sound like a person’s name, but it’s actually a college in Greenville, South Carolina. It’s basketball program is 5-0 to start the 2018 season, with wins over two 2018 Final Four teams – Loyola-Chicago and defending champions Villanova, both wins coming on the road.

So, who is Furman?

• The play in the Southern Conference (SoCon, for short), along with Wofford, Chattanooga, UNC-Greensboro, East Tennessee State, amongst others
• They are coached by Bob Richey, who is in his second year after being an assistant at Furman fro 2011-2017.
• Richey led the Paladins to a 23-11 record last season, which was good enough for a CIT (College Invitation Tournament) appearance, where they lost in the semifinals to Saint Peter’s, after winning their first two games against USC Upstate and Campbell.
• They play in a 4,000 seat arena (Timmons Arena)

Postseason History

• 1-7 all-time in the NCAA tournament in 7 appearances – lone win came against South Carolina in 1974
• Most recent appearance was in 1980
• 1 NIT appearance, a loss to West Virginia in 1991
• 3 trips to the recently formed CIT (2011, 2016, 2017) – overall 3-3 record

Notable coaches who have worked at Furman

• Mike Boynton – current Oklahoma State head coach. He was a graduate manager from 2004-2005
• Jim Cleamons –  veteran NBA assistant coach, who has recently worked with the Knicks, Bucks, Lakers, Hornets and was a player in the NBA in the 70s. His first job was a Furman assistant in 1982-83
• Ed Conroy – former The Citadel and Tulane head coach, current Minnesota assistant coach. Furman assistant from 1994-1997
• Larry Davis –  former Cincinnati assistant coach from 2006-2017. Furman head coach from 1997-2006
• Niko Medved – head coach at Furman from 2013-2017. Spent one year at Drake as head coach in 2017-18, and is now head coach at Colorado State
• Ryan Odom – current UMBC head coach, who famously led #16 to upset over #1 Virginia in 2018 NCAA Tournament. Odom was an assistant coach at Furman from 1997-1999.

Famous Alumni (athletes)

• Frank Selvy – #1 overall pick in the 1954 NBA draft. Selvy was a 2x NBA All-Star (1955, 1962). Spent time in his NBA playing career with the Lakers and Knicks. Selvy once scored 100 points in a game for Furman against Newberry College in 1954. He played a large role in the Lakers game 7 comeback of the 1962 NBA Finals, but the Celtics prevailed in overtime winning the title
• Clint Dempsey – key member of Team USA Soccer team from 2004-2017. 141 total appearances and 57 goals. MLS from 2004-2014. Multiple World Cup appearances with Team USA.
• Sam Wyche – former NFL QB, who played for Cincinnati Bengals and helped lead them to Super Bowl XXIII. Coached the Bengals from 1984-1991 and the TB Bucs from 1992-1995.
• Jerome Felton – former Pro-Bowl Fullback in the NFL who played for Lions, Vikings, Bills and retired after the 2016 season

Fluke or reality?

The reality is Furman received 2 first-place votes in the pre-season SoCon polls and were projected to finish second, behind Stamford. Coming off a 23 win season, this team has experience with some success and it really all comes down to the SoCon tournament in March, since they won’t be able to contend for an at-large bid, despite the impressive OOC wins thus far. Jordan Lyons, 23 ppg, will be a key player for the Paladins, as will Matt Rafferty and Clay Mounce.

Former Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk Goes One-on-One with MikeDropSports

 

In 2007 the Cincinnati Bearcats won 10 games for the first time since 1951, finishing 10-3 with a victory in the PapaJohns.com bowl. It was a highly successful season with the team also appearing in the AP top 25 poll for the first time since 1954. Back in 2007 Cincinnati was a member of the old Big East conference. Read more about the 5 years before and 5 years since the destruction of the football conference.

The Bearcats quarterback that season was graduate transfer Ben Mauk. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to speak with former Cincinnati QB about his time in Cincinnati.

Mike: What made you choose Cincinnati over some of the other options when you decided to leave Wake Forest before the 2007 season?

Ben: I chose Cincinnati because Ohio is a football state. I monitored their success in 2006 and wanted to be a part of it when I realized I could transfer upon graduating. Cincinnati is only about 2.5 hours from my hometown (Kenton, OH), and I wanted to be close to home in the event i wasn’t fully healthy at the start of the season.

Mike: Well, fortunately you were healthy!! Having completed 61% of your passes, becoming the third QB in UC history to throw for 3,000+ yards (3,121)  and 31 touchdowns (tied 9th on all time list) and only 9 interceptions.

That year was Brian Kelly’s first year as UC head coach. After 2006, Mark Dantonio left for Michigan State and UC opted to replace him with Kelly, who was the head coach at Central Michigan. Did you enjoy playing for coach Kelly?

Ben: I loved playing for Brian Kelly. He was the right coach at the right time for UC. His support and faith in me in 2007 meant more to me than I think even he knows. I’d do anything for Coach Kelly; he is a winner and a master of getting the most out of his team.

Mike: You only attended UC for one year, but it was a highly successful one year. What would you say is your favorite UC memory?

Ben: My favorite UC memory was coming on the field against Louisville to a sold out Nippert Stadium. I was told that no one came to UC games, but always believed Cincinnati is a championship city; if you win, the people will come, and they did in 2007.

Mike: I was told that too! I was a sophomore in 2007 and I remember that Louisville game like it was yesterday. I felt very much at home that day, inside a packed Nippert Stadium and a crazy atmosphere.

What was your favorite career moment, either UC or at Wake Forest?

Ben: My favorite career moment was coming back from injuring my throwing arm and shoulder and being back in my home state once again to play a game that I love. To have that opportunity taken away was difficult, but to make a comeback at Cincinnati was well worth the pain and suffering.

Mike: I know after college you dabbled into arena football a little bit (we’ll touch on that in a second) but what are you up to now?

Ben: Well first and most importantly, I am recently engaged to Amanda Haywood and will be a step father to two girls, Hannah and Harper, come next May. On top of that, I am teaching and coaching high school football at Glendale High School in Springfield, MO with my father and younger brother. I love being able to spend time with my family and enjoy the memories we are able to make together.

Mike: Congrats! That’s very exciting news about your family. With everything you went through with the arm injury and whatever other bumps and bruises you endured throughout your career – how are you feeling now?

Ben: I still feel like I could go play, but after a day worth of throwing, I’m ready to put the cleats back up and grab my coaching visor/whistle.

Mike: Back to the arena football part of your career, I dug up this old picture of you and I at a Cincinnati Commandos game back in 2009. Those games were awesome to attend. How was the experience as a player?

Ben: I enjoyed every second of it. Being able to come back and play in Cincinnati, at the Gardens, with former teammates was a lot if fun. Again, Cincinnati is a city of Champions, and it was a thrill to win it all.

 

Mike: Thank you so much for the time. Ben. I really appreciate the time. And thanks to everyone who checked out this interview. Stay tuned for my interviews in the future!!

Looking Back at NBA Throwback Teams

 

In honor of the popular social media tradition #ThrowbackThursday, today, we take a look at some older NBA teams who no longer exist due to re-branding or relocation.

Seattle Super Sonics

The Sonics are last on the list because they are one of the most impact franchise relocations of all time, given that they won the NBA finals in 1979. Most franchises re-locate due to poor attendance and fan support. But the Sonics move was related to the lack of a new arena and also an owner who bought the team with the sole purpose of moving them to his home town of Oklahoma City. The Sonics lasted from 1967-2008. They won one championship and lost two others. The Sonics have the most successful history of any team on this list.  

Throwback meter – 10 – People still yearn from Seattle to get an expansion team and many expect that one day the Sonics will return, which will make their gear even more valuable. Also, because they were so successful, there is a lot of stuff to go around, especially since Kevin Durant played his rookie season in Seattle. That’s always been a popular jersey.

Vancouver Grizzlies

 

The Grizzlies lasted six seasons in Vancouver, Canada. In that time they played a total of 460 games and won just 101 of them. Their cumulative average record is 17-60 (not exactly 82 because lottery shortened 1999 impacts the math). Five of those six seasons ended with the Grizzlies finishing last in their division and their best season was their last in Canada, when they won 23 games in 2001.

Following that season, and an absolutely disastrous run, the franchise was sold and moved to Memphis. Other relocation options at the time included St. Louis, Nashville, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Louisville (amongst others). The Grizzlies have had a really impressive run in Memphis.From 2010-2017, the Grizzlies made the playoffs all 7 years including a run to the western conference finals. They are currently one of 7 franchises to never play in an NBA finals.  

Throwback apparel meter: 8.5 – The only memory remaining of the Grizzlies is the highly acclaimed throwback jersey. One of these days I will buy the Mike Bibby teal jersey.

Charlotte Bobcats

In 2002 the Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans, and kept the Hornets name (until later). In 2004 the NBA, realizing the mistake they made, brought an expansion team to the city.  Inaugural owner Bob Johnson named the team after himself – the Bobcats. The Bobcats name lasted 10 years (2004-2014) and the team saw the playoffs just twice, getting swept both times. Their average record over this time was 29-51.

In 2015, with new owner Michael Jordan now running things, the team re-branded back to the Hornets. As mentioned, the New Orleans franchise kept the Hornets name until 2015 when they became known as the Pelicans, in honor of Louisiana’s state bird. This allowed Charlotte to reclaim the Hornets name, branding, and history. Very little references to the Bobcats remains, given their lack of success during that time period.  

Throwback meter – 4 – As someone who recently purchased a Raymond Felton Bobcats jersey, it’s 50/50 on it’s appeal. Some people find it fascinating, others find it pointless.

Washington Bullets

The Bullets inclusion on this list is strictly personal. Before the Washington Wizards existed beginning in 1997, the Washington DC franchise was known as the Bullets. Obviously, the negative connotation led to the name change but their time ranged from 1974-1997 and included 13 total playoff appearances, including a 1-2 NBA finals record (won the 1978 championship over the Sonics – whose next on this list). In ’75 they lost to the Warriors (go figure) and ’79 lost to the Sonics. From 1984-1997 they lost all 6 playoff series they played in.

The reason the Bullets make the list though is because I had the pleasure of being their ball boy back in 1994 and I met 7’7 center Gheorghe Muresan. Great memories.  

Throwback meter – 0. No one wants to own a shirt that says Bullets (does anyone want to own one that says Wizards though?)

Other teams that deserve recognition:

• Before the Sonics became the Thunder, the Hornets, after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, spent a year in Oklahoma City for the 2005-06 season, before returning to New Orleans full-time. This temporary move opened the door for OKC as a relocation option
• The NBA’s version of the New Jersey Nets existed from 1997-2012, before moving to Brooklyn. The Nets had a great two year run, where they made back-to-back NBA finals appearances in 2002 and 2003, but other than that spent much of their time in NJ in the shadow of the Knicks.
• The Clippers played in San Diego from 1978-1984. The Buffalo Braves, moved to San Diego and became the Clippers. Poor play, disinterested ownership and awful fan support (4500 average attendance final year) led to the team being sold and moved to Los Angeles.
• The Cincinnati Royals are a personal favorite of mine. They existed from 1957-1972 and are best known for the fact that legendary Oscar Robertson played for them. Other than that, there run was rather uneventful and is simply a footnote in the Sacramento Kings lineage. The Royals would move to Kansas City (renamed the Kings) before finding a permanent home in Sacramento in 1985.